Mechanized welding of high strength steel pipe sets a record for lowest repair rate as the contractor averages 170 joints per day with zero power-source downtime. The American folktale of John Henry tells how this "steel driving man" vowed his sledgehammer and drill bit could bore a dynamite hole faster than any machine. Henry wins the contest, then collapses from the effort. But what if John Henry had taken his heart, muscle and work ethic and applied them to working with the machine? Could he have doubled anyone else's output? Judging by the most recent collaborative effort of men, machines, and welding technology to build a cross-country natural gas pipeline, the answer seems to be a resounding "yes."
展开▼
