Page 65: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2026)

ABRASIVES alk through any commercial shipyard or naval construction facility and you'll ? nd cutting-edge technology everywhere, from robotic welding systems and auto-

W mated cutting tables to digital production planning software. Yet one of the most heavily used tools on the production ? oor remains one of the least glamorous: the abrasive wheel.

Every weld begins with surface preparation and ends with cleanup. Steel must be cut, edges beveled, welds ground smooth and surfaces prepared for painting or further fabrica- tion. While abrasives represent a relatively small consumable expense, John Hines, District Manager for Weiler Abrasives, argues that focusing solely on purchase price misses the much larger opportunity to improve productivity.

Watch the full "The hidden cost isn't the abrasive," Hines explains. "It's the interview with labor attached to that abrasive."

John Hines @

That philosophy has become increasingly relevant as ship- yards face growing orderbooks while continuing to battle skilled labor shortages. Whether building commercial vessels or meeting demanding U.S. Navy production schedules, yards are under pressure to produce more with fewer experienced “The hidden cost isn't the workers while maintaining strict quality standards. According to Hines, customers consistently cite four priorities: improv- abrasives, it's the labor ing productivity, reducing rework, overcoming labor short- ages and maintaining the highest levels of safety. For naval attached to the abrasives” builders, the challenge is even greater, as military speci? ca- tions demand consistent performance in critical applications – JOHN HINES, such as weld preparation and back-gouging, where mistakes

DISTRICT MANAGER, WEILER ABRASIVES can lead to costly inspection failures and rework.

Rather than approaching customers with a catalog of ensure consistent quality from one abrasive to the next.

products, Weiler begins by studying how a yard actually That consistency carries through to new product devel- operates. "We win when we're on the ? oor," Hines says, de- opment. Among Weiler's latest introductions is its 3D Max scribing a philosophy centered on understanding operators, ceramic grain abrasive system, designed for aggressive production ? ow and fabrication challenges before recom- material removal on stainless steel, carbon steel and other mending a solution. demanding materials. The ceramic grain continually exposes

That process is formalized through Weiler's Consumable fresh cutting edges, allowing operators to maintain higher

Productivity Program (WCP), which evaluates how abrasives removal rates over the life of the disc. The company is also are currently being used, establishes performance baselines and expanding its bonded abrasive o? erings, including products identi? es opportunities to reduce production costs. The goal optimized for aluminum fabrication as the material becomes isn't simply to recommend a di? erent grinding wheel; it's to more common in commercial and naval shipbuilding. Another quantify the relationship between consumable performance and practical innovation is Weiler's "Optimum Use Line," a wear labor costs. By observing operators, measuring cycle times and indicator that helps operators maximize wheel life without analyzing abrasive consumption, Weiler can demonstrate where sacri? cing productivity or safety by replacing abrasives too faster cutting, longer wheel life or fewer product changes trans- early — or too late.

late into measurable savings on the shop ? oor. For an industry increasingly focused on automation and

The company's emphasis on consistency begins in its own digitalization, it's easy to overlook the impact of everyday manufacturing operations. Weiler operates more than 800,000 consumables. But every ship still depends on thousands of square feet of manufacturing capacity across facilities in Penn- manual fabrication operations, and the e? ciency of those op- sylvania, Mexico and Slovenia, supported by approximately erations often comes down to the tool in an operator's hand. In 20,000 square feet of research and testing laboratories. More today's shipyards, the true value of an abrasive isn't measured than 50 chemists, scientists and technicians work on product by what it costs to buy, it's measured by the labor hours it development, while automated manufacturing systems help saves and the productivity it helps unlock.

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