Lincoln Electric buys Portuguese welding equipment maker
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. www.lincolnelectric.com acquired Electro-Arco S.A. for an undisclosed amount. Electro-Arco, based near Lisbon, Portugal, manufactures welding consumables. The company has annual sales of roughly 40 million and employs 165 people. Lincoln Electric chairman and CEO John Stropki said: This acquisition significantly expands our European consumables manufacturing capacity and widens our commercial presence in western Europe.
Welding Inspection Automated Vision Systems Improve Quality
Automated vision systems for in-process welding and for quality inspection helps to improve the bottom line as well as the quality of the welding process. Vision systems manufacturers agree that the big driver for automated vision systems is the automotive industry as carmakers push their suppliers to tighten controls on their processes and quality. Vision systems have to be considered separately for welding processe s and for inspection applications, Dean Elkins, senior general manager for the Midwest and eastern regions for Motoman, said.
GE offers automated orbital weld inspection system
GE Inspection Technologies offers an orbital weld inspection system, the High-Purity-Weld Video Probe, created to inspect orbital welds in the food and pharmaceutical processing industries. The integrated control section monitor was removed from the probe to allow for easy manipulation of the insertion tube when inspecting 360 degree orbital welds. A four-inch supple bending section was added at the distal end of the probe to help navigate through 90 degree turns in pipe and tube runs.
UK friction-weld technology scores hit in Germany
Europe s largest trailer manufacturer, Schmitz Cargobull, has chosen a Thompson friction welding machine equipped with an innovative alignment system for producing axles at its factory in Germany. Schmitz Cargobull is using the fully-automatic Thompson machine to friction-weld finished machine hubs with pre-machined brake disc flanges at its modern production facility in Altenberge. The steel components are loaded into the machine, via a Guedel gantry system, where they are simultaneously friction welded at both ends and then unloaded on to an output conveyor.
CNC punching, laser cutting, bending demonstrated
The automation of sheet metal working processes, including CNC punching, CNC laser cutting and CNC press brakes will be emphasised for MACH 2008 visitors The Trumpf stand at the UK s MACH 2008 machine tool exhibition will emphasise that there is no need to compromise on automation or unmanned sheet metal working. Trumpf will demonstrate its competence in automated punching, laser cutting and bending and the ability of its systems to accommodate changing production needs and still achieve quality parts at the lowest unit cost.
Disc laser welds 10mm thick mild steel
Offering up to 8kW power, a disc-type laser has low running cost and 25 efficiency, and will weld almost all metals with ease and even highly reflective metals such as copper or aluminium. The Trumpf TruDisk 8002 has an exceptional beam quality normally associated with an altogether less powerful laser. It is powered by four disks and 16 pump modules to be the first of its type to deliver 8kW of output power. With an electrical efficiency of 25 it also has a low running cost, said Trumpf.
Welding and cutting automation to be exhibited
Equipment for the robotic automation of MIG and TIG welding equipment as well as plasma-arc cutting automation systems will be demonstrated at MACH 2008 for complex fabrications Industrial equipment supplier and sole UK representative for Cebora welding products, Wilkinson Star of Worsley, Manchester, will be launching a series of welding automation systems at the UK s MACH 2008 machine tool exhibition in April. The main systems being demonstrated on the MACH stand include the following. A Cebora MIG 3840 T inverter based pulsed-MIG MAG power source operating on KUKA s new KR5 arc robot.
Thompson: friction welding machines
A British engineering firm is bucking the worldwide trend with an impressive 5 million worth of new business in spite of the gloomy global financial crisis. Thompson, based in Halesowen, has secured contracts for 7 new friction welding machines from many of the top international makers of construction machine components including Caterpillar. The machines, made at Thompson s manufacturing facilities in Hereward Rise and Chancel Way, are specially designed to friction weld a variety of hydraulic cylinder piston rods in a wide range of diameters from 20-130mm.
Laser Welding System: manually or under full CNC
An ergonomically designed and integrated laser welding system includes four high precision axes, which can be controlled manually or operated under full CNC Rofin-Baasel UK said that not only are the quality and performance expectations of the medical device manufacturing industry exceptionally high, the range of applications is wide and varied. The company s laser technology has reached a level where there are products and solutions available for a diverse range of applications. Examples of systems and solutions for welding, cutting and marking will be included on the Rofin stand at the UK s MEDTEC 2008 Exhibition.
Welding Defects
Welders should be shown the defects of their production, should get explanations on the causes, and should be instructed on how to avoid them. Inspectors carry most of the burden of interpreting requirements and of acknowledging the fine line between acceptable flaws and rejectable defects. Designers should get acquainted with the realizations of their productions and should learn to establish sensible requirements easily achieved by the available equipment and workforce. To reach the following sources, readers have only to click on the following links.