COMPANY PROFILE
to the ActiveCharger, the welding machine can still be used to carry on working in hybrid mode.
Above: The 11kg Fronius Accupocket 150/400 is an MMA welding system with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery
Right: Fronius UK headquarters
oriented and we have to be able to answer customer questions and solve their problems. Ensuringthatwehavethe right personnel, that we train ourselves, is a long process but is essential to our business.We have 56 employees in the UK right now.
Below: The Fronius TPSi modular MIG/MAG welding appliance launched last year in Essen
WW: Which trends do you see developing in welding markets? GH: One trend that I can see in the automotive market is a tendency to use more and more aluminium for lightweight construction, as well as higher strength steels and coated materials. You need to have the right technology on hand to be able to weld these materials properly to get the correct results. There are not many welding equipment manufacturers in the market, in my opinion, who can do this properly. I certainly see the trend moving towards these specialist areas. I also see more of a trend towards robotics and automation as the UK, as well as Europe and the rest of the world, has seen a decline in the number of skilled tradesmen. Customers are looking for better and more cost-effective ways of welding. The technology needs to be simplified so that semi-skilled people can learn how to use the systems and the industry can move forwards. We offer technical support and training in this area. That is one of our strengths – adapting to the core needs of the market.
WW: Please outline any new products that you have launched recently. GH: Fronius launched two very exciting pieces of equipment recently at the Essen welding fair. The first is the TPS/i welding system. This equipment can be adapted for any MIG welding application, is totally upgradeable and has high intelligence and extensive communication functions. The other product is a real first for the welding market and will be available at the end of this quarter. The Fronius Accupocket is a fully rechargeable lithium-ion battery driven Stick and TIG welding machine. It can be recharged within 35 minutes and used for applications where a generator might previously have needed to be used or where you cannot get power to equipment. The Accupocket comes with a specially
adapted external ActiveCharger with technology that detects the state of the battery and adapts the charging to ensure long battery-cell life. At 11kg it is portable and, even when attached
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WW: Please update us on your Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) weld process developments. GH: Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) is a MIG welding process, developed originally for the welding of steel to aluminium for the automotive industry. However, we found that the level of control we can get at the arc is significantly better than a conventional pulsed MIG
machine hence cold metal transfer enables us to bring the welding current down to a significant level where we can weld in many different ways with a great deal of control. Since the development hit the market, derivatives of the
process have been developed (ie CMT Twin, CMT Advanced etc.). We can also do so much more with CMT now which makes it a popular choice for the cladding, automotive and offshore industries. The control mechanism allows us to weld different materials in difficult applications where you might normally use a different welding process, such as TIG. It enables you to increase your production rates and gives you better weld quality in certain circumstances. As CMT is bespoke to Fronius, it has become one of our mainstream systems especially in the automotive industry. The technology enables us to weld with pure CO2
on
carbon steel (rather than mixed gases) giving us virtual spatter-free welds at low welding currents which was almost impossible in the past. This also leads to associated cost savings due to the lower cost of the shielding gas.
WW: Where do you see the greatest challenges and opportunities? GH: The greatest opportunity and challenge combined is to develop further what we already have. Our challenge is to ensure that customers, first and foremost, are happy and get the products they really need. Another challenge for us is growing the number of very skilled staff that we have – there is a skills shortage in the UK right now and it is a priority for us to ensure that we always have the highest level of expertise. Sustainability is both an opportunity and a challenge.
We are working constantly on new technologies, such as fuel cells for power storage. As a company, we are also heavily focused on the environment so, when we develop new systems, we try to do it in a sustainable way. The Solar Division of Fronius manufactures solar inverters – the heart of any PV system – which we employ in most of our Fronius subsidiaries throughout the world. Our main production plant in Austria converts the sun’s
energy to produce most of the power requirements for the site. We also ensure that our welding equipment is as efficient as possible in order to reduce energy wastage. I am proud to say that every single component in our welding products is recyclable.
WW: Thank you for your time.
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