Shifting the limitS

Transcription

Shifting the limitS
/ Battery Charging Systems
/ Welding Technology
/ Solar Electronics
/ Battery Charging Systems / Welding Technology / Solar Electronics
WE HAVE THREE DIVISIONS AND ONE PASSION:
SHIFTING THE LIMITS.
/ What Günter Fronius started in 1945 in Pettenbach, Austria, has now become a
modern day success story. Today, the company has more than 3,000 employees
worldwide and owns 737 active patents. Since the very beginning, our goal has not
changed: to be the technology and quality leader. We shift the limits of what‘s possible.
While others progress step by step, we innovate in leaps and bounds.
SOLAR ELECTRONICS
/ The greatest challenge of our time
is to make the leap to a regenerative
energy supply. Our vision is to use
renewable energy to achieve energy
independence. With our mainsconnected inverters and products for
monitoring photovoltaics systems, we
are now one of the leading suppliers
in solar electronics.
v03 2011 EN
WELDING TECHNOLOGY
/ We develop welding technologies,
such as entire systems for arc and
resistance spot welding, and have set
ourselves the task of making impossible weld joints possible. Our aim is
to decode the »arc welding‘s DNA«.
We are the technology leader worldwide and the market leader in Europe.
Shifting the limits:
With a free weld+vision subscription.
Text and images correspond to the current state of technology at the time of printing. Subject to modifications.
All information is without guarantee in spite of careful editing - liability excluded. Copyright © 2011 Fronius™. All rights reserved.
BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEMS
/ We started a technological revolution
with Active Inverter Technology and
are now one of the leading suppliers in
Europe. We are driven by the aim of
providing intelligent energy management systems that ensure mobility
stays as economically viable as
possible in the twenty-first century.
Welding Technology magazine / N° 27 / April 2012
Further information about all Fronius products and our global sales partners and representatives can be found at www.fronius.com
The ‘issues’ that count! Every issue, the Fronius
weld+vision magazine brings you information and
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subscription to weld+vision.
Shifting
the limits
weld+vision is opinion-forming.
M,06,0045,EN, 7.250 copies
The editorial team of the Fronius magazine would
dearly love to know: What do you really think of
weld+vision? Send us your reactions, suggestions,
praise, criticism ... we await them with great interest!
Fronius International GmbH, Froniusplatz 1, 4600 Wels, Österreich, Telefon +43 7242 241-0, Telefax +43 7242 241-953940, sales@fronius.com, www.fronius.com
Change
/ What does it take to make
the impossible possible?
Speed squad
/ Students build their own
racing-car with MagicWave.
Looking east
/ Poland’s architectural gem,
Gliwice, is definitely worth a
visit.
Contents
Cover story............................ 3–6
/ The Fronius Executive Management lives out the team spirit for the whole company (from l. to r.):
/ Otto Schuster / Thomas Herndler / Volker Lenzeder / Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauss
/ Herbert Mühlböck / Heinz Hackl
/ What distinguishes limit-shifting ideas
Totally R&D............................ 7–11
/ Milestones in developmental history
/ Product innovation: CMT Twin
Brief and to the point... 12–13
Innovation........................... 14–15
Dear Readers;
/ How does innovation come about?
What makes change happen? Who are
the people who come up with new
ideas? Do the individuals who change
their world have any traits in
common? For our cover story, we
wanted to find out what makes
innovators the people they are. So we
looked at the biographies and
mindsets of Steve Jobs, Werner
Heisenberg and Nelson Mandela, as
well as those of Antoine de Saint
Exupéry and extreme climber Michael
Kemeter, and found some surprising
similarities. These also extend to the
Fronius developer team, which has a
decades-long track record of
researching into how seemingly
nature-given limits can be shifted. In
the process, it has come up with
/ New country headquarters
innovations like a cold arc, a symbiosis
of a laser and an arc, and an
unvaryingly constant contact tip, and
developed these to the point of
readiness for serial production. When
it comes to ‘shifting limits’ in the
service field, Welding Technology
Divisional Manager Wolfgang Lattner
illustrates what this means with
several amusing anecdotes from his
35 years on the job. So we hope that
there will be ‘no limits’ to the
enjoyment you get from reading this
new issue of weld+vision either!
A few words on our cover picture:
Shifting the limits. Making the impossible possible. It’s not just people who have this ability,
but the power of nature, too, can bring forth things that reason might tell us were impossible.
Like a tender little shoot pushing up through a tiny crack in the asphalt, stretching its freshly
unfurled leaves towards the sun.
/ System solutions in shipbuilding
Case studies........................ 16–19
/ Technical University of Prague makes
racing car with help from Fronius
/ DeltaSpot for the Porsche Panamera
The company....................... 20–21
/ We are where our customers are
Travel Tip............................. 22–23
/ Gliwice: architectural jewel and
economic hub
Publisher’s imprint:
‘weld+vision’ is the customer magazine of Fronius
International GmbH, Welding Technology Division
Design: reklamebüro GmbH
Responsible for contents: Fronius International
GmbH, Froniusplatz 1, A 4600 Wels, Austria,
weld.vision@fronius.com, www.fronius.com
Registered trademarks and tradenames have not
generally been identified as such. The absence of any
such identification does not mean that the name in
question is an unregistered name for the purposes of
product and trademark law.
Cover story / 3
Breaking the
bounds of the
impossible
/ Michael Kemeter.
A man who goes where
no one has been before.
From Antoine de Saint-Exupéry to
Werner Heisenberg: New ideas need
boldness and strong values
/ People change the world. Obvious –
nothing new about that. But what makes
the people tick who really change our world?
What do they do differently from everyone
else? How do they manage to shift limits in
such a way that something genuinely new
comes into being? weld+vision has looked
into this and come up with some answers.
© Alexandre Buisse
4 / Cover story
/ “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs
/ “To make the possible
happen, the impossible has to
be attempted over and over
again.” This observation of
Hermann Hesse’s neatly sums
up what ‘limit shifting’ is all
about. Trailblazers and
pathbreakers have a series of
character traits that make
them immune to critics,
doubters and waverers.
Attributes like boldness,
determination, passion,
curiosity, staying-power.
Wi l l i n g n e s s t o t h i n k
differently, to look critically at
rules and not to give up in
disappointment at the first
obstacle – these are the things
that set those people apart
who then go on to change the
world we live in.
This has been known for
millennia. As no lesser sage
than Marcus Tullius Cicero
long ago recognised: “By
doubting we come at truth.”
This does not mean that all the
accumulated experience and
thought of the past should
now be thrown overboard.
What it does mean is that the
individuals who bring about
lasting change have such
broad and profound skill and
knowledge that they are able
to see beyond dogmas and
seek out new ways of doing
things. Nobel Prize winners
James Watson and Francis
Crick, the discoverers of the
structure of DNA, put it like
this: “If you really want to
change anything, you have to
show respect – but still be
disrespecful.”
The genius of an inquiring
individual, coupled with a
canon of values that provides
certainty: this is a potent
combination that can nullify
boundaries, deliver aston­
ishing insights, lay down new
ground-rules and then change
the world as a result. Which is
precisely what the great
change-drivers have done that
we want to introduce you to
here, in each case with
reference to one outstanding
character trait.
Heart and soul:
Steve Jobs
In a moving speech at Stanford
University, Steve Jobs, the
recently deceased founder of
Apple, called upon his listeners
not to accept limitations:
“Don’t be trapped by dogma ...
Don’t let the noise of others’
opinions drown out your own
inner voice.” But Steve Jobs
also knew that his success was
not down to his genius alone:
“The people who are doing the
work are the moving force...
My job is to create a space for
Cover story / 5
/ Antoine de Saint Exupéry: his love
of flying inspired him to create some
of the most beautiful works of world
literature.
them, to clear out the rest of
the organisation and keep it at
bay.” With this concept, he
unleashed a slew of revolutionary developments.
When he unveiled the iPod
music player in 2001, Jobs was
laughed at by many. Yet
despite being more expensive
than other players, it quickly
became the market leader. Two
years later came the online
shop iTunes which soon
turned Apple into the world’s
largest music retailer. The
launch of the iPhone changed
the world for good, yet again.
This novel smartphone is not
so much a telephone as an
everyday technical companion.
It looks for the best restaurants
in the vicinity, checks urgent
e-mails, reminds you about
important business appointments, plays with you or acts
as your virtual photo album.
Then the iPad shifted another
limit: tablet PCs had long been
considered a dead-end, but
Apple’s offering went massmarket straight away.
Thousands of apps, many of
them already well established
on the iPhone, let users do
even more with their iPads.
Nevertheless, Steve Jobs knew
that the success of a new idea
is far from inevitable: “And
most important, have the
courage to follow your heart
and intuition... Everything else
is secondary.”
daredeviL:
miChaeL kemeter
Somebody who literally takes
his courage in both hands (and
both feet!) is Michael Kemeter,
several-times winner of the
Slackline World Championship. Slacklining is the modern
day form of tightrope walking.
Yo u ’ l l n o r m a l l y f i n d
slackliners practising on ropes
slung between trees in the
park. For Michael Kemeter,
that was not enough: He goes
where no-one has dared go
before, to tackle the most
dangerous slackline-walks the
world has to offer. Like Taft
Point in Yosemite Valley,
California. On a 30 m long
slackline suspended 1000 m
above the valley floor! Is it just
an appetite for risk that drives
him on? No, says this young
Austrian: “Balance, coordination and concentration
are the principal factors for
me. It’s only when I’m
absolutely sure that all these
factors are optimally intercommunicating that I can
grow beyond myself in
important situations and start
to cross the boundaries of the
seemingly impossible.”
enthuSiaSm: antoine
de Saint-exupéry
“Perfection is achieved not
when there is nothing more to
add, but when there is nothing
left to take away”. This
surprisingly modern statement
is from Antoine de SaintExupéry, author of the
masterpiece ‘The Little Prince’.
For him, flying was an
essential passion for which his
enthusiasm found its way into
all his books. He summed up
his experience of life in pithy
sayings that have enriched
contemporary literature with
some of its most ‘quotable’
quotations. One such, which
fits our topic perfectly, is this:
“If you want to build a ship,
don’t drum up the men to
gather wood, divide the work
and give orders. Instead, teach
them to yearn for the vast and
endless sea.”
6 / Cover story
“The greatest
glory in living
lies not in never
falling, but in
rising every time
we fall.”
/ Nelson Mandela
/ Postage stamp issued by Deutsche
Post AG in 2001 to mark the 100th
birthday of Werner Heisenberg
SurpriSing:
Werner heiSenberg
At the beginning of the 20th
century, physicists believed
that given enough computational capacity, it would
be possible to calculate the
whole world. Everything
seemed to be predictable.
Until Werner Heisenberg
turned this thinking upside
down and discovered that
randomness was not an
insignificant factor in the
construction plan of the
universe. His ‘uncertainty
principle’ states that a property
to be measured will only take
on a certain value at the very
instant of measurement, and
that physical values such as
position and momentum or
time and energy cannot be
determined simultaneously
with any accuracy. Thus was
born the theoretical under-
pinning
of
quantum
mechanics, which in turn
constitutes the basis of all
modern physics. It was only
through quantum mechanics
that a deeper understanding of
matter became possible,
explaining why atoms are
stable, why metals conduct
electricity, or how a laser
works. At the time, the finding
that there is no reality
detached from the observer
provoked fierce resistance
from the classic scientific
community, of course. Even
Albert Einstein was taken
aback by the randomness
component of this theory, and
went so far as to say that “God
doesn’t play dice.” Today,
quantum mechanics is the
most thoroughly verified and
confirmed theory there is,
influencing not only modern
physics but also electronics,
optics and anything from
nanotechnology to chemistry
and molecular biology.
enduranCe:
neLSon mandeLa
Think about ‘endurance’, and
it won’t be long until the name
‘Nelson Mandela’ springs to
mind. As a campaigner against
the apartheid system in his
home country of South Africa,
and a political opponent of the
then regime, he was kept in
prison for nearly 10,000 days,
at times under inhumane
conditions. However, even in
his prison cell, his resistance
was unbroken: In the feared
Robben Island prison, he
organised discussion circles
and lectures and taught
imprisoned illiterates to read
and write. Before long, the gaol
was known as ‘Robben Island
University’, in which even the
white guards attended the
courses. Under pressure from
international sanctions and
following tough negotiations,
the regime freed Nelson
Mandela in 1990. To this day,
he is revered as the Father of
the Rainbow Nation: “The
greatest glory in living lies not
in never falling, but in rising
every time we fall.”
Totally R&D / 7
miLeStoneS in our
deveLopmentaL hiStory
/ “We make impossible weld-joints possible,
because we keep going where others quit”,
runs the claim of the Fronius Welding
Technology Division. A look back over the
past decades will make quite clear what is
meant by this. Ever since 1950, Fronius
engineers have been developing innovative
welding technologies and bringing these
developmental advances to successful
operational fruition. Decoding the ‘DNA of
the arc’ has always been the vision inspiring
these new developments, and the foundation
on which they are built.
8 / Totally R&D
Innovative for decades
“We take a broad-minded and open
approach to many things. Deliberately.
Because every limitation diminishes our
scope for looking into the future”, says
Klaus Fronius, the company’s Managing
Director of many years, outlining how he
has always allowed plenty of room for
new ideas. Radically new ideas. This is
how visions turn into economically
advantageous innovations and solutions
that are always a step ahead. As happened
in 1981 with the world’s first primary
transistor-switched MIG/MAG inverter
power sources. Or in 1997, when the firstever fully digitised welding systems were
unveiled.
CMT: 99 % less spatter
Cold arc: Can’t be done?
Oh yes it can!
Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) is one of the
most radical innovations Fronius has ever
developed. Making it feasible to weld steel
to aluminium verges on the discovery of
welding’s ‘Holy Grail’. Something that
many metallurgists considered impossible.
A cyclical forward-and-back motion of the
welding wire markedly reduces the
thermal input, resulting in very many
applicational advantages: e.g. minimal
distortion, up to 99 % less spatter, higher
welding speeds, ultra-light-gauge joints
from 0.3 mm, and joining steel to
aluminium. CMT today is a welding
process that is combined with pulsed arc
and pole reversal of the wire electrode and
that is also possible as a tandem process
(CMT Twin). So the metallurgical limits
have had to be completely redrawn. A
unique world ‘first’.
CMT: ultra-lightgauge joint
1 mm / 0.04 in.
/ Dip-transfer arc
/ CMT
CMT: superior gap-bridging ability
/ Aluminium 0.3 mm,
Vweld = 6.4 m/min
CMT joins steel
to aluminium
2 mm
2.5 mm
2 mm
/ CMT Advanced Pulse I: 97 A, U: 11.9 V,
Vwire: 6 m, Vweld: 60 cm/min
/ Steel/aluminium
hybrid join
Totally R&D / 9
LaSerhybrid:
at the Speed of Light
Sometimes, combining existing solutions
is all it takes to ‘shift limits’. This is what
Fronius did with LaserHybrid. A decisive
increase in the depth and speed of welding
is the result. With convincing synergies:
shorter fabrication times, welding speeds
of up to 9 m/min, deeper penetration and
narrow seams, yet less thermal input.
ConteC: ContaCting
that StayS on the move
Abrasion used to be a non-influenceable
disturbance-variable affecting the contact
tip: By progressively wearing down the
inside of a conventional contact tip, the
wire gradually altered the size and
position of the contact surface. This is
why Fronius looked for a new solution,
and devised the Contec contacting system.
The old-style tube has now been split into
two flexible half-shells. These keep the
contact surfaces, and the contact forces
between the tube and the wire, exactly in
Contec and contacting zone
Initially
the defined target range. The wire stays
held firmly, positively and non-positively,
in the middle of the outlet. Among the
advantages are process stability, up to
seven times longer endurance times, and
materials usage that is reduced by a fifth.
deLtaSpot: the eLeCtrode
that’S neW every time
Electrodes wear out – that used to be a
‘fact of life’ in day-to-day welding
operations. And a limitation that Fronius
shifted with Delta Spot. Because the
unique thing about this novel resistance
spot-welding process is its constantly
unreeling ‘process tape’. After every spot
that is welded, this process tape spools
on, to present an unused electrode-spot.
Spot for spot, a ‘new’ electrode, then,
meaning that the contact surface always
stays clean, with identically high-quality
starting-conditions. All the time. Every
weld-spot has a unique fingerprint,
which can be replicated exactly, with zero
spatter.
LaserHybrid
butt-weld
DeltaSpot: 3-sheet
steel joint
5 mm
0.2 in.
After wear
12 mm/0.47 in
7.9 mm
0.31 in.
0.8 mm/0.03 in
1.5 mm/0.06 in
2.0 mm/0.08 in
/ Through-welded on one side
/ Materials: DC06+ZE75/75, HX
340LAD Z110, HCT 690TD Z100
LaserHybrid
fillet weld
DeltaSpot: 3-sheet
aluminum joint
7.9 mm
0.31 in.
5 mm
0.2 in.
6 mm/
0.24 in
1.25 mm/0.05 in
1.50 mm/0.06 in
/ The versatile half-shells ensure constant
contacting, even when they are subject to
increasing wear. The penetration remains
constant and unchanged.
1.50 mm/0.06 in
/ Through-welded on one side
/ Materials: EN AW 6014, EN
AW 6016, EN AW 6016
10 / Totally R&D
CMT Twin: The fastest
way to weld
/ CMT Twin is based on the same set-up as the tried-andtested TimeTwin process: two power sources, one torch and
two insulated contact tips (‘Lead’ and ‘Trail’). To which have
been added the outstanding welding properties of CMT.
CMT Twin scores top marks for its high welding speeds
and easy-to-use process control. In short: no need for any
time-wasting parametrisation work.
/ Superior productivity and efficiency with CMT Twin: two power sources, one torch and two insulated
contact tips, plus the outstanding welding properties of CMT.
Totally R&D / 11
What makes CMT Twin
so special?
The new process is characterised by high
productivity and cost efficiency, thanks to
two positive effects: The improved
penetration behaviour means that even
though the output power is the same as
in the conventional tandem process, the
penetration is deeper. This is because the
leading arc penetrates the base metal
more deeply, after which the weld-pool is
filled by the trailing arc from the second
electrode.
What is more, the high welding speeds
also hold out the potential for considerable
savings, as the reduced thermal input
means that there is less post-weld
straightening work to be done. By
minimising post-weld machining, this
makes for shorter cycle times.
The new synchronised weld start-up is the
only system of its kind on the market,
ensuring a stable arc right from the outset.
With uniform wetting to sidewalls, and
optimum penetration right from the very
start of welding, the system creates the
ideal preconditions for superior seam
appearance along the entire length of the
weld. The optimally fine-tuned
characteristics and the ‘Lead & Trail’
concept together make the process control
of CMT Twin so easy to use. Once the
‘Lead’ electrode has been set, the ‘Trail’
electrode which follows it is automatically
adjusted to match. Never before have
welding processes been better selfregulated than this. Combining the CMT
and pulsed-arc processes in this way
makes possible the best result for every
application.
What else does CMT Twin
have to offer?
CMT Twin also has huge potential for
welding with CO2 gas. It not only offers
low-spatter welding results due to the
perfect droplet detachment that is typical
of the CMT process, but also a graduated
choice between twice the welding speed
and twice the deposition rate, as required.
In addition, CMT Twin comes with
optimally fine-tuned characteristics for
every application. Extra-thick materials
are best welded with the ‘Heavy Duty’
characteristic. CMT Twin Speed is
superbly well-suited for thin and ultralight gauge sheets and/or the very highest
welding speeds.
The use of CMT technology – in particular,
mechanical droplet detachment – means
that its excellent gap-bridging ability is
now also available on CMT Twin.
The new and extremely robust heavy-duty
torch Twin Compact Pro allows good
accessibility to the weldments. In addition,
there are torch packages that are optimally
tailored for every application.
Power, speed and efficiency: CMT Twin,
a fast, low-spatter, double-wire process.
TimeTwin
double-wire
CMT Twin
/ Steel lap-weld, 3 mm
Vweld 200 cm/min
Vwire total 24 m/min
Vweld 300 cm/min
Vwire total 23 m/min
/ Steel fillet weld, 10 mm
Vweld 90 cm/min
Vwire total 26 m/min
Because the ‘Lead’ and ‘Trail’ wirefeed
speeds can be adjusted separately, it is also
possible to set two different deposition
rates, as required.
/ The ‘Lead’ electrode is in pulsed-arc mode, and the ‘Trail’ electrode (in CMT mode) fills the weld-pool to the required
‘a’-dimension. Minimal mutual influence of the arcs, and a stable weld-pool, are among the defining features of this process.
Vweld 150 cm/min
Vwire total 24 m/min
12 / Brief and to the point
Three new country
headquarters
Internationalisation of Welding Technology
Division continues apace
/ Fronius is continuing to grow and
has recently opened new country
HQs giving it a local presence in the
UK, Spain and Poland. Service and
product quality, and expert knowhow, are the ideal basis for providing
direct customer care and support.
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Since 2nd Jan. 2012, Fronius España S.L.U. has also been responsible for serving weldingtechnology customers and enquirers, as the direct local point of contact for arc-welding,
resistance spot-welding and automation in Spain. The company’s initial staff of 16 aim
to strengthen our position on the Spanish welding-technology market and make Fronius
more accessible for customers. Fronius is the market leader in the robotics and
automotive fields in Spain, and ranks among the Top 3 suppliers of manual welding
systems (2011 market study). The worldwide technological leader and European market
leader chose to locate in Leganés, in Greater Madrid. Nationwide customer care coverage
is ensured by four additional regional sales and service teams.
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Spain – Fronius España S.L.U.
Brief and to the point / 13
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UK – FRONIUS UK Limited
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Since 1.1.2012 Fronius UK Limited, based at Kingston in Milton Keynes,
has represented the Welding Technology Division as well. The firm started
up in February 2010 with the Solar Electronics Division, followed by the
Battery Charging Systems Division in September 2011. Ably assisted by
13 superbly well-trained staff, Fronius UK offers its customers innovative
systems in the fields of arc and resistance spot welding, and of automation.
First-rate service and closeness to customers are to be assured by the three
planned sales and service teams. Now that this step has been accomplished,
expansion of the Fronius brand in the UK can shift into high gear.
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New location in France
Since November 2011, Fronius France has been servicing its clients from its
new premises in Roissy. The French subsidiary was set up in Senlis in 1993 to
represent the Welding Technology Division. The Battery Charging Systems and
Solar Electronics Divisions followed in 2009. The new premises house a
distribution and service centre and warehousing space for the entire product
line. The reasons for the move are largely to do with the advantageous location
of Roissy, which is close to Charles de Gaulle Airport and centrally placed for
easy access to and from all regions of France. Here too, the goal of being able
to get to the customers as quickly as possible has been achieved. State-of-the
art technologies and wide-ranging technical knowledge are the key to success. Poland – Fronius Polska Sp.z o.o.
Based in Gliwice, Fronius Polska Sp.z o.o.
has been the direct point of contact with
the Welding Technology Division in
Poland since 9th Jan. 2012. In the Polish
welding market, Fronius offers solutions
for MIG/MAG, TIG, MMA, laser, plasma
and resistance spot-welding, as well as for
automation. With their excellent technical
equipment and highly capable contact
staff, the national TechSupport and the
Repair Centre provide first-class service.
Since January 2012, two sales and service
teams have been ensuring that customers
receive the fastest support possible. Two
more such teams are planned for Gdańsk
and Poznań. Customers will also benefit
from services such as calibration, warranty
extensions and maintenance contracts.
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14 / Innovations
MORE PERFORMANCE
IN SHIPBUILDING
SYSTEM SOLUTIONS WELD MORE ECONOMICALLY
/ The developers at Fronius have further
enhanced their know-how and adapted it
specifically to the needs of welding experts
in shipyards and other metalworking sectors.
Steel is the predominant
material in shipbuilding and
crane construction and in the
hydraulic and offshore
engineering fields. With its
‘Steel Transfer Technology’
package of characteristics, the
TransSteel welding system
gives users a tool with an
exceptionally stable arc and
extreme ease of operation.
There are three characteristics
for flux-cored wire (rutile,
basic or metal powder) or for
solid wire. Fronius has
developed several additional
characteristics specifically for
the shipbuilding industry:
‘Steel Prime’ is designed to
facilitate welding over primer
coatings, ‘Steel Root’ is for
good gap-bridging ability and
roots, while ‘Steel Dynamic’ is
ideal for deep penetration and
small included angles.
When welding aluminium, it
is vital to prevent an oxide
skin from forming during the
fusion process. This layer
would hinder and even stop
the entire arc process. Among
the other challenges posed by
aluminium are that it has
nearly twice the thermal
elongation of steel, and high
thermal conductivity. For
these applications, Fronius
offers the MIG welding
systems of its TransPuls
Synergic series, with the
special programs of the Yard
Edition and characteristics for
common alloys and filler
metals.
Hull and superstructure
(aluminium)
Outside of hull
(steel, with solid wire)
6 mm/0.24 in
/ Excellent gap-bridging ability
with the TransSteel 5000 MIG/
MAG system (Steel Root).
/ SyncroPuls on the TPS 2700
delivers superlative seam
appearance and saves on
oscillating motions.
Moss-Rosenberg aluminium
LNG tank (Al alloy, 6 passes)
Panel line butt-weld (steel)
/ Extremely low porosity, very high
deposition rate in PF position,
narrow-gap with TimeTwin tandem
system.
10 mm/0.39 in
ALUMINIUM
60 mm/2.36 in
SOLUTIONS FOR STEEL
/ Simultaneous welding with
TimeTwin (PA) and CMT (PE)
delivers high welding speed and
minimal distortion, and requires no
manipulation of the components.
Innovations / 15
high performanCe
A milestone in the
development of highperformance welding is
tandem welding, in which two
wire electrodes melt
simultaneously in a weld-pool
under a shielding-gas
atmosphere. The TimeTwin
Digital welding system has the
additional qualitative benefit
that the second arc improves
dilution in the fluid weld-pool,
greatly reducing fusion defects
and porosity. On smaller fillet
welds of dimension a3 to a4,
it permits a doubling of
welding speeds in the
horizontal welding position.
LaSerhybrid
Combining the digital GMA
(gas metal arc) process with a
laser beam is predestined for
use on long seams where great
welding depth and extrastrong joins are required. The
welding
speed
with
LaserHybrid is immense, 2 to
3 times higher than with GMA
welding alone. The laser beam
brings great weld penetration
depth and high speed. The
GMA process which follows
the laser provides good gapbridging ability and simple
weld-seam preparation. This
has major advantages for
shipyard panel lines, for
example, in ensuring singlesided root fusion on butt and
fillet welds.
Transfer), Fronius offers a
much faster and more efficient
alternative whose reduced
heat input leads to less
distortion and to significant
savings. In typical applications,
the CMT process leaves behind
a near-surface base-metal
component of nearly zero,
right from the very first layer.
CLadding
As well as assuring a protective
function in aggressive
environments such as salt
water, another typical
application for cladding is on
sealing faces and slide-bearing
surfaces. Whether it is used
for repairs or surface-finishing,
the principle behind cladding
is always the same: A layer of
high-grade material is welded
onto the ‘inferior’ base metals.
In order to achieve the
stipulated purity in the applied
high-grade material, welders
using the GMA process have
to clad the relevant places
repeatedly (as many as 5
times). This is because of the
mingling of the base and filler
metals in the molten zone.
With CMT (Cold Metal
meChaniSation
Fronius also provides
intelligent solutions for panel
production and for mounting
pipework, with its FDV
traversing unit. The magnetic
FVD traversing unit is ideal
for universal applications in
mechanised longitudinal seam
welding (MIG/MAG). Its
integral permanent magnet
ensures optimum wheel
traction and lets users perform
vertical welding tasks without
needing a rail system. When it
comes to the production and
mounting of pipework, orbital
welding systems are simply
ideal.
The use of intelligent control
systems and power sources,
coupled with weld-data
monitoring, ensures maximum
process reliability and outstanding welding results.
Slide-bearing of propeller shaft
(steel, Inconel 625 filler metal)
/ Cladding, extremely low dilution
of base metal, welded using MIG/
MAG system TPS 5000 CMT
Block construction using
FDV 15/22 (rutile flux-cored
wire on steel)
/ Flux-cored wire welding,
multi-pass, positions: PF, PB with
TransSteel 3500 and FDV 15/22
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16 / Case studies
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young pioneerS on
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/ The Czech Technical University in Prague
is not only the oldest institution of its kind
anywhere in Europe, but also one of the most
successful. Especially when it comes to its
involvement in ‘Formula Student’ (FS) racing.
Competing teams from 230 technical
universities, from all around the world, field
racing vehicles they have designed and built
themselves. The Prague students’ car, dubbed
FS03, has put them in the elite league and
made them the best Team from a CEE country.
To build it, e.g. for its complex frame, they
use welding systems from Fronius.
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/ The frame is made of
thin-walled CrMo steel tubes.
It protects the driver and
withstands the extreme loads
encountered in racing.
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/ The students use the TIG
welding system MagicWave 2200
Job to make the vehicle frame.
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Case studies / 17
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Before it can hit the racetrack, the students
have to master disciplines such as the
design study, simulations, choosing and
sourcing the components, and actually
assembling the racing vehicle. The complex
vehicle frame is made of thin-walled (1 to
2 mm) CrMo-steel tubes. The seams are
welded using a MagicWave 2200 Job. As
well as the precise adjustment options on
the power source itself, the students also
gave top marks to the TIG welding torch
with its excellent weld accessibility due to
the compact torch design, and integrated
Up/Down rockers for easier control during
welding. These up-and-coming young
engineers are also relying on Fronius
welding-quality for welding the car’s tank,
oil pan and pedals. The very best
preconditions, then, for keeping up their
run of success in these international races!
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/ With their ‘FS03’, the CarTech
team from the Czech Technical
University in Prague is up
among the world leaders in the
Formula Student racing events.
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/ Since 2009, the Faculty of Electrical &
Mechanical Engineering at CTU in Prague
has been the birthplace of racing cars that
hold their own against the best world-class
competitors. Around 30 students are busily
working on what is already the third
generation of their vehicle. The FS03 was
a highly successful entrant to the 2011
race, putting the Prague team ‘CTU
CarTech’ among the frontrunners in the
Formula Student races and making them
the best team from a CEE country. Vice
Dean Dr.-Ing. Jan Řezníček sums up the
educational value of this international
competition like this: “If I really want to
achieve anything, I have to do something
about it.” Motivated by the goal they all
share, the CarTech team is working all the
time on perfecting their racing vehicles.
The FS03 currently weighs 280 kg and
accelerates to 105 km/h in just 3.9 seconds.
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18 / Case studies
Spot-welding aluminium:
easily, cleanly,
cost-effectively
Georg Fischer Automotive deploys
DeltaSpot for joins on Porsche door frames
/ Aluminium has only very limited joinability when conventional resistance
spot welding is used. However, automobile industry supplier Georg Fischer
Automotive (GFA) has chosen to use an alternative version of this process
for the joins on the door frames of the new Porsche Panamera: the resistance
spot-welding process DeltaSpot, which eliminates the quality- and processrelated obstacles that impede conventional spot-welding of aluminium.
/ Alois Edtbauer and Wolfgang Hintsteiner are extremely pleased with the progress of this project and with the DeltaSpot
application, for which they see further potential uses.
Case studies / 19
/ Wolfgang Hintsteiner, the engineer in
charge of coatings who is also responsible
for the Panamera doors, is very satisfied
with the special solution that has been
implemented in his production area at
GFA’s Austrian plant in Altenmarkt. A
2 mm thick aluminium stiffening plate
has to be joined onto the 3 mm thick
frame on four die-cast aluminium doors.
Each of the window frames weighs 1.6 kg,
and the die-cast aluminium doors each
weigh 4.5 kg. They are furnished with an
anti-oxidation layer: in previous worksteps, the oxide layer is chemically
stripped and a thin layer of titaniumzirconium (TiZrSiO4) is applied which
prevents the natural aluminium-oxide
layer from forming.
“On the weldment, there is a main seal
between the door and the frame at the
point that has to be joined. This means
that the welding carried out here must be
virtually spatter-free. The thermally
induced distortion has to be kept within
tight tolerance limits, and we have to be
able to cancel it out with subsequent
straightening”, explains Wolfgang
Hintsteiner.
300 doorS Without a break
a proCeSS With proSpeCtS
When it came to meeting the requirements
for extra-high dimensional accuracy on
the flange and for dealing with possible
casting tolerances and differing wallthicknesses, GFA’s engineers were
convinced by the resistance spot-welding
process DeltaSpot. “The process tape lets
us produce a uniform, exactly replicable
spot that is exactly 5 mm in diameter, and
with 16 spot-welded joins on every
workpiece. There’s no need for any postweld finishing of the surface, and the
15-minute job of changing the process
tape is only needed after 5000 weld-spots”,
says Wolfgang Hintsteiner. In this way,
300 Panamera doors can be welded
without interruption.
Alois Edtbauer particularly emphasises
the fruitful collaboration with Fronius on
this project: “This application for
DeltaSpot was something new for our
partners at Fronius too. Because of this,
they tested and optimised our equipment
all the way through to the series
production stage.” The experts at Georg
Fischer are very positive about the
prospects for DeltaSpot: “For applications
like ours, with weldable castings, a defined
surface, an anti-corrosive coating and
adequate accessibility, DeltaSpot is the
system of choice”, explains Wolfgang
Hintsteiner. “Now we can offer our clients
an alternative production step for
applications like these, and this gives us
a competitive edge.” And Alois Edtbauer
adds: “I’m fairly certain that there’ll be
some new applications here before long.”
Alois Edtbauer, specialist buyer for
foundry equipment and materials, rounds
off the picture with some economic facts:
“The DeltaSpot process creates firm joins
between the two materials without any
difficulty – it only exerts minimal
mechanical force and doesn’t need any
extra mechanical materials. In our area of
use, we’ve found it to be a very costeffective joining process.”
/ The doors of the Porsche Panamera
consist of a cast aluminium frame
with welded-on aluminium sheets.
faCtS:
Georg Fischer Automotive
Established 1802
Based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Worldwide workforce of 13,000
2010 revenues: € 2.85 bn.
Division GF Automotive
in Altenmarkt, Austria
www.automotive.georgfischer.com
/ Since the start of series production at Georg Fischer Automotive’s Altenmarkt plant in 2008,
DeltaSpot has been running with complete process-reliability.
20 / The company
We are where our
customers are!
/ Suppose you’ve just bought the perfect car, but been told
you’ll have to take it on a 300 km trip every time it needs
servicing. Not an attractive proposition, is it? Alongside
innovative technologies, then, a company’s success is also
about being close to the customer. With well over 1000
service centres all round the globe, the Fronius Welding
Technology Division is pretty much on its customers’
doorsteps.
/ Welding Technology
Divisional Manager Wolfgang
Lattner has been with Fronius
for 35 years, and has been in
charge of the Division’s global
sales for the past 30. On his
office wall is a big map of the
world covered with a forest of
little flags marking Fronius’
sales branches and service
centres. So it’s hardly sur­
prising that he has a good
story in stock for just about
every country, no matter how
exotic.
‘On location’ in only
four weeks
For Fronius, South America
was still a blank area on the
map when Audi decided to set
up a production facility in
Curitiba, Brazil. In order to be
able to give the carmaker the
necessary assistance, Fronius
at once sent out a technician
to provide permanent local
support. “I can still remember
asking our employee Wolfgang
Niedrist whether he could see
himself going to Brazil to
support Audi there and to
build a sales and service
operation for Fronius. Four
weeks later, he had already
moved over there. At the time,
this was all rather spon­
taneous”, chuckles Wolfgang
Lattner, “but since then we’ve
become Brazil’s biggest
European importer of welding
technology.”
even though dealing with
water damage was not exactly
part of their daily work”,
recalls Lattner.
Emergency mission
on the other side of
the globe
Know-how
for Mongolia
Selling globally also means
supporting locally. Indonesia:
A sudden water inrush at a
power-station construction site
put all of an Austrian powerplant builder ’s Fronius
welding machines under water
– and out of action. Replacing
this many welding units
normally takes several weeks,
meaning unplanned delays
that can cause millions of
euros’ worth of damage. “With
a great deal of dexterity and
skill, our local technicians got
the equipment working again,
Even in the remotest towns of
Mongolia – like Darkhan,
Dalandzadgad and Erdenet –
you will now find high-tech kit
from Fronius. In order to train
new welders cost-effectively
here, a client has started using
the Virtual Welding System.
This product lets students
learn how to weld in a playcentred way, on a simulator.
From Kaluga in Russia to the
jungle city of Manaus in Brazil,
Wolfgang Lattner has many
other tales to tell. But what
exactly lies behind the success
The company / 21
of the Welding Technology
Division?
“For me, Fronius Welding
Technology means a perfectly
oiled team, the willingness to
try out new things in no
matter what field, and the
incredible enthusiasm and
hands-on mindset of our
people. Without these
capabilities we would never
have managed to build up
s u ch a t i g h t l y - d r a w n
distribution network or
accomplish so many out-ofthe-ordinary projects with our
customers”, explains Lattner.
The global distribution
network does more than just
ensure fast service, however.
It also means that customers
enjoy the same high quality
and the same contract terms
wherever in the world they
are. This can only be achieved
by way of a dependable
network of Fronius sales
locations, representatives,
distributors and dealerships.
“It’s only now that we’ve given a
name to it. But ‘shifting limits’ is
actually what we’ve been doing all
along”, grins Welding Technology
Divisional Manager Wolfgang
Lattner.
Some personal details:
/ Wolfgang Lattner joined the company
in 1976 straight from technical college,
beginning work as a draughtsman. Not
long after this he switched to the
administration field, where he was
responsible for planning, order
processing and stockkeeping. For
almost 30 years now, he has
successfully headed the Sales field of
the Welding Technology Division.
22 / Travel Tip
/ Built entirely of larch wood, this
118 m radio transmission tower is
the tallest timber construction in
Europe.
Downtown idyll
On the map, the old quarter is
shaped like an oval enclosing a
chequerboard pattern of
streets. At its heart is an exactly
square marketplace known as
‘Rynek’, in the middle of which
stands the old Town Hall. The
Neptune Fountain on the
western side of the square was
The new A4 motorway, a major
transportation artery that joins
Poland from west to east, runs
right through Gliwice. This is
one of the reasons why many
international corporations have
chosen to locate here, in three
large Special Economic Zones.
Among them is General
Motors, which has a car plant
here.
/ Fronius, too, recently established a presence in Gliwice,
from which to develop the Polish market for innovative
welding-technology products and efficient batterycharging systems. Fronius Polska is well equipped and
ready: As well as a warehouse, the new country HQ has
a National TechSupport, a repair centre and demonstration
and training rooms. Executive Manager Damian Kiersten
and a team of 10 colleagues opened for business from
1st January 2012.
Fronius Polska sp. z o.o.
Ul. Gustawa Eiffel’a 8
44-109 Gliwice, Poland
www.fronius.pl
e-mail
Modern-day Gliwice
Fronius in Poland
Country
of its kind in Poland. It houses
thousands of different species
of plant, the oldest of them
over 100 years old. However,
the denizens of this ‘must-see’
attraction also include canaries,
parrots, turtles and many
different reptiles.
Postcode & locality
designed by Johannes Nietsche
in 1794 to symbolise the access
to the sea which the town
gained with the building of the
Klodnitz Canal. The fountain
with the 3 dancing fauns, by
Hans Dammann, is another
landmark of Gliwice. Not just
one, but several statues of lions
used to be spread out across the
city. The ‘Sleeping Lion’ was
part of a lion-themed mon­
ument in the old Municipal
Park, but went missing
sometime in the 1960s. You
can still see the ‘Vigilant Lion’
outside the Villa Caro and the
‘Recumbent Lion’ in the Chopin
Park, which is also home to the
imposing Municipal Palm
House. With its four pavilions,
this is the third-largest building
Department
21st century Gliwice is a city
that has cast off the drab grey
cloak of the Eastern Bloc and
turned itself back into a vibrant
and colourful metropolis. The
architecture of the old town
centre is characterised by
clinker-brick buildings that
have been brightly spruced up
one-by-one since the collapse
of communism. Some out­
standing examples are the
Wszystkich Świętych (All
Saints) Church, the Piast Castle,
the old city wall and many
other buildings, especially on
the 840 m long shopping
promenade known as Ul.
Zwycięstwa. This boulevard is
lined with houses built during
the city’s 19th century boom
years, such as the neobaroque
Hotel ‘Diament’ (known pre1945 as ‘Hotel Schlesischer
Hof’), to which the starkly
modernist 1920s facades of
buildings like the ‘Dom
Tekstylny Weichmanna’, a
former department store,
present a fascinating contrast.
Surname
Traditional brick
facades line the main
thoroughfare
Forename
/ Gliwice is a city of nearly
200,000 inhabitants in the
Polish Voivodeship of Śląskie
(Silesia). It was first mentioned
as a town in the 13th century.
During its turbulent history, it
frequently changed hands
between Polish, Prussian and
Austrian overlords. Early in the
industrial era, a model
ironworks was established
which became well-known for
its artistic castings and
advanced ordnance products.
The Continent’s first coke-fired
blast furnace was put into
service here at the end of the
18th century, leading to the
growth of a flourishing cannon
and munitions foundry.
Company
/ The historic ‘Rynek’, an exactly square marketplace with the old Town Hall standing at its centre, is the very heart of Gliwice.
We’ll be pleased to carry on sending you every edition of
weld+vision as soon as it comes out. If you know anybody else
who might be interested, please just pass this reply card on to
them directly. Or simply copy it and fax it to us on:
+43 7242 241-953940.
Sign up – free – online at
www.fronius.com/weld.vision
/ Never heard of a city in southern Poland called Gliwice? Or Gleiwitz, to give it its old German name? If you have, then you may
also know that it’s one of Central Europe’s most interesting metropolises. A town with a fascinating old quarter, a long commercial
tradition and an impressive industrial monument constructed entirely of timber.
My opinion on weld+vision
(or e-mail to weld.vision@fronius.com)
Travel Tip: Gliwice. Polish architectural
jewel and economic hub
Street address
An old city.
A new world.
Fronius International GmbH
Divisional Marketing Welding Technology
Froniusplatz 1
A 4600 Wels
Please affix
postage stamp if
available, or fax to
+43 7242 241953940
Travel Tip / 23
22 / Travel Tip
/ Built entirely of larch wood, this
118 m radio transmission tower is
the tallest timber construction in
Europe.
Downtown idyll
On the map, the old quarter is
shaped like an oval enclosing a
chequerboard pattern of
streets. At its heart is an exactly
square marketplace known as
‘Rynek’, in the middle of which
stands the old Town Hall. The
Neptune Fountain on the
western side of the square was
The new A4 motorway, a major
transportation artery that joins
Poland from west to east, runs
right through Gliwice. This is
one of the reasons why many
international corporations have
chosen to locate here, in three
large Special Economic Zones.
Among them is General
Motors, which has a car plant
here.
/ Fronius, too, recently established a presence in Gliwice,
from which to develop the Polish market for innovative
welding-technology products and efficient batterycharging systems. Fronius Polska is well equipped and
ready: As well as a warehouse, the new country HQ has
a National TechSupport, a repair centre and demonstration
and training rooms. Executive Manager Damian Kiersten
and a team of 10 colleagues opened for business from
1st January 2012.
Fronius Polska sp. z o.o.
Ul. Gustawa Eiffel’a 8
44-109 Gliwice, Poland
www.fronius.pl
e-mail
Modern-day Gliwice
Fronius in Poland
Country
of its kind in Poland. It houses
thousands of different species
of plant, the oldest of them
over 100 years old. However,
the denizens of this ‘must-see’
attraction also include canaries,
parrots, turtles and many
different reptiles.
Postcode & locality
designed by Johannes Nietsche
in 1794 to symbolise the access
to the sea which the town
gained with the building of the
Klodnitz Canal. The fountain
with the 3 dancing fauns, by
Hans Dammann, is another
landmark of Gliwice. Not just
one, but several statues of lions
used to be spread out across the
city. The ‘Sleeping Lion’ was
part of a lion-themed mon­
ument in the old Municipal
Park, but went missing
sometime in the 1960s. You
can still see the ‘Vigilant Lion’
outside the Villa Caro and the
‘Recumbent Lion’ in the Chopin
Park, which is also home to the
imposing Municipal Palm
House. With its four pavilions,
this is the third-largest building
Department
21st century Gliwice is a city
that has cast off the drab grey
cloak of the Eastern Bloc and
turned itself back into a vibrant
and colourful metropolis. The
architecture of the old town
centre is characterised by
clinker-brick buildings that
have been brightly spruced up
one-by-one since the collapse
of communism. Some out­
standing examples are the
Wszystkich Świętych (All
Saints) Church, the Piast Castle,
the old city wall and many
other buildings, especially on
the 840 m long shopping
promenade known as Ul.
Zwycięstwa. This boulevard is
lined with houses built during
the city’s 19th century boom
years, such as the neobaroque
Hotel ‘Diament’ (known pre1945 as ‘Hotel Schlesischer
Hof’), to which the starkly
modernist 1920s facades of
buildings like the ‘Dom
Tekstylny Weichmanna’, a
former department store,
present a fascinating contrast.
Surname
Traditional brick
facades line the main
thoroughfare
Forename
/ Gliwice is a city of nearly
200,000 inhabitants in the
Polish Voivodeship of Śląskie
(Silesia). It was first mentioned
as a town in the 13th century.
During its turbulent history, it
frequently changed hands
between Polish, Prussian and
Austrian overlords. Early in the
industrial era, a model
ironworks was established
which became well-known for
its artistic castings and
advanced ordnance products.
The Continent’s first coke-fired
blast furnace was put into
service here at the end of the
18th century, leading to the
growth of a flourishing cannon
and munitions foundry.
Company
/ The historic ‘Rynek’, an exactly square marketplace with the old Town Hall standing at its centre, is the very heart of Gliwice.
We’ll be pleased to carry on sending you every edition of
weld+vision as soon as it comes out. If you know anybody else
who might be interested, please just pass this reply card on to
them directly. Or simply copy it and fax it to us on:
+43 7242 241-953940.
Sign up – free – online at
www.fronius.com/weld.vision
/ Never heard of a city in southern Poland called Gliwice? Or Gleiwitz, to give it its old German name? If you have, then you may
also know that it’s one of Central Europe’s most interesting metropolises. A town with a fascinating old quarter, a long commercial
tradition and an impressive industrial monument constructed entirely of timber.
My opinion on weld+vision
(or e-mail to weld.vision@fronius.com)
Travel Tip: Gliwice. Polish architectural
jewel and economic hub
Street address
An old city.
A new world.
Fronius International GmbH
Divisional Marketing Welding Technology
Froniusplatz 1
A 4600 Wels
Please affix
postage stamp if
available, or fax to
+43 7242 241953940
Travel Tip / 23
/ Battery Charging Systems
/ Welding Technology
/ Solar Electronics
/ Battery Charging Systems / Welding Technology / Solar Electronics
WE HAVE THREE DIVISIONS AND ONE PASSION:
SHIFTING THE LIMITS.
/ What Günter Fronius started in 1945 in Pettenbach, Austria, has now become a
modern day success story. Today, the company has more than 3,000 employees
worldwide and owns 737 active patents. Since the very beginning, our goal has not
changed: to be the technology and quality leader. We shift the limits of what‘s possible.
While others progress step by step, we innovate in leaps and bounds.
SOLAR ELECTRONICS
/ The greatest challenge of our time
is to make the leap to a regenerative
energy supply. Our vision is to use
renewable energy to achieve energy
independence. With our mainsconnected inverters and products for
monitoring photovoltaics systems, we
are now one of the leading suppliers
in solar electronics.
v03 2011 EN
WELDING TECHNOLOGY
/ We develop welding technologies,
such as entire systems for arc and
resistance spot welding, and have set
ourselves the task of making impossible weld joints possible. Our aim is
to decode the »arc welding‘s DNA«.
We are the technology leader worldwide and the market leader in Europe.
Shifting the limits:
With a free weld+vision subscription.
Text and images correspond to the current state of technology at the time of printing. Subject to modifications.
All information is without guarantee in spite of careful editing - liability excluded. Copyright © 2011 Fronius™. All rights reserved.
BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEMS
/ We started a technological revolution
with Active Inverter Technology and
are now one of the leading suppliers in
Europe. We are driven by the aim of
providing intelligent energy management systems that ensure mobility
stays as economically viable as
possible in the twenty-first century.
Welding Technology magazine / N° 27 / April 2012
Further information about all Fronius products and our global sales partners and representatives can be found at www.fronius.com
The ‘issues’ that count! Every issue, the Fronius
weld+vision magazine brings you information and
behind-the-scenes reporting from the world of
welding. Why not let your colleagues and friends
benefit as well? Simply sign them up for a gift
subscription to weld+vision.
Shifting
the limits
weld+vision is opinion-forming.
M,06,0045,EN, 7.250 copies
The editorial team of the Fronius magazine would
dearly love to know: What do you really think of
weld+vision? Send us your reactions, suggestions,
praise, criticism ... we await them with great interest!
Fronius International GmbH, Froniusplatz 1, 4600 Wels, Österreich, Telefon +43 7242 241-0, Telefax +43 7242 241-953940, sales@fronius.com, www.fronius.com
Change
/ What does it take to make
the impossible possible?
Speed squad
/ Students build their own
racing-car with MagicWave.
Looking east
/ Poland’s architectural gem,
Gliwice, is definitely worth a
visit.
22 / Travel Tip
/ Built entirely of larch wood, this
118 m radio transmission tower is
the tallest timber construction in
Europe.
Downtown idyll
On the map, the old quarter is
shaped like an oval enclosing a
chequerboard pattern of
streets. At its heart is an exactly
square marketplace known as
‘Rynek’, in the middle of which
stands the old Town Hall. The
Neptune Fountain on the
western side of the square was
The new A4 motorway, a major
transportation artery that joins
Poland from west to east, runs
right through Gliwice. This is
one of the reasons why many
international corporations have
chosen to locate here, in three
large Special Economic Zones.
Among them is General
Motors, which has a car plant
here.
/ Fronius, too, recently established a presence in Gliwice,
from which to develop the Polish market for innovative
welding-technology products and efficient batterycharging systems. Fronius Polska is well equipped and
ready: As well as a warehouse, the new country HQ has
a National TechSupport, a repair centre and demonstration
and training rooms. Executive Manager Damian Kiersten
and a team of 10 colleagues opened for business from
1st January 2012.
Fronius Polska sp. z o.o.
Ul. Gustawa Eiffel’a 8
44-109 Gliwice, Poland
www.fronius.pl
e-mail
Modern-day Gliwice
Fronius in Poland
Country
of its kind in Poland. It houses
thousands of different species
of plant, the oldest of them
over 100 years old. However,
the denizens of this ‘must-see’
attraction also include canaries,
parrots, turtles and many
different reptiles.
Postcode & locality
designed by Johannes Nietsche
in 1794 to symbolise the access
to the sea which the town
gained with the building of the
Klodnitz Canal. The fountain
with the 3 dancing fauns, by
Hans Dammann, is another
landmark of Gliwice. Not just
one, but several statues of lions
used to be spread out across the
city. The ‘Sleeping Lion’ was
part of a lion-themed mon­
ument in the old Municipal
Park, but went missing
sometime in the 1960s. You
can still see the ‘Vigilant Lion’
outside the Villa Caro and the
‘Recumbent Lion’ in the Chopin
Park, which is also home to the
imposing Municipal Palm
House. With its four pavilions,
this is the third-largest building
Department
21st century Gliwice is a city
that has cast off the drab grey
cloak of the Eastern Bloc and
turned itself back into a vibrant
and colourful metropolis. The
architecture of the old town
centre is characterised by
clinker-brick buildings that
have been brightly spruced up
one-by-one since the collapse
of communism. Some out­
standing examples are the
Wszystkich Świętych (All
Saints) Church, the Piast Castle,
the old city wall and many
other buildings, especially on
the 840 m long shopping
promenade known as Ul.
Zwycięstwa. This boulevard is
lined with houses built during
the city’s 19th century boom
years, such as the neobaroque
Hotel ‘Diament’ (known pre1945 as ‘Hotel Schlesischer
Hof’), to which the starkly
modernist 1920s facades of
buildings like the ‘Dom
Tekstylny Weichmanna’, a
former department store,
present a fascinating contrast.
Surname
Traditional brick
facades line the main
thoroughfare
Forename
/ Gliwice is a city of nearly
200,000 inhabitants in the
Polish Voivodeship of Śląskie
(Silesia). It was first mentioned
as a town in the 13th century.
During its turbulent history, it
frequently changed hands
between Polish, Prussian and
Austrian overlords. Early in the
industrial era, a model
ironworks was established
which became well-known for
its artistic castings and
advanced ordnance products.
The Continent’s first coke-fired
blast furnace was put into
service here at the end of the
18th century, leading to the
growth of a flourishing cannon
and munitions foundry.
Company
/ The historic ‘Rynek’, an exactly square marketplace with the old Town Hall standing at its centre, is the very heart of Gliwice.
We’ll be pleased to carry on sending you every edition of
weld+vision as soon as it comes out. If you know anybody else
who might be interested, please just pass this reply card on to
them directly. Or simply copy it and fax it to us on:
+43 7242 241-953940.
Sign up – free – online at
www.fronius.com/weld.vision
/ Never heard of a city in southern Poland called Gliwice? Or Gleiwitz, to give it its old German name? If you have, then you may
also know that it’s one of Central Europe’s most interesting metropolises. A town with a fascinating old quarter, a long commercial
tradition and an impressive industrial monument constructed entirely of timber.
My opinion on weld+vision
(or e-mail to weld.vision@fronius.com)
Travel Tip: Gliwice. Polish architectural
jewel and economic hub
Street address
An old city.
A new world.
Fronius International GmbH
Divisional Marketing Welding Technology
Froniusplatz 1
A 4600 Wels
Please affix
postage stamp if
available, or fax to
+43 7242 241953940
Travel Tip / 23
/ Battery Charging Systems
/ Welding Technology
/ Solar Electronics
/ Battery Charging Systems / Welding Technology / Solar Electronics
WE HAVE THREE DIVISIONS AND ONE PASSION:
SHIFTING THE LIMITS.
/ What Günter Fronius started in 1945 in Pettenbach, Austria, has now become a
modern day success story. Today, the company has more than 3,000 employees
worldwide and owns 737 active patents. Since the very beginning, our goal has not
changed: to be the technology and quality leader. We shift the limits of what‘s possible.
While others progress step by step, we innovate in leaps and bounds.
SOLAR ELECTRONICS
/ The greatest challenge of our time
is to make the leap to a regenerative
energy supply. Our vision is to use
renewable energy to achieve energy
independence. With our mainsconnected inverters and products for
monitoring photovoltaics systems, we
are now one of the leading suppliers
in solar electronics.
v03 2011 EN
WELDING TECHNOLOGY
/ We develop welding technologies,
such as entire systems for arc and
resistance spot welding, and have set
ourselves the task of making impossible weld joints possible. Our aim is
to decode the »arc welding‘s DNA«.
We are the technology leader worldwide and the market leader in Europe.
Shifting the limits:
With a free weld+vision subscription.
Text and images correspond to the current state of technology at the time of printing. Subject to modifications.
All information is without guarantee in spite of careful editing - liability excluded. Copyright © 2011 Fronius™. All rights reserved.
BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEMS
/ We started a technological revolution
with Active Inverter Technology and
are now one of the leading suppliers in
Europe. We are driven by the aim of
providing intelligent energy management systems that ensure mobility
stays as economically viable as
possible in the twenty-first century.
Welding Technology magazine / N° 27 / April 2012
Further information about all Fronius products and our global sales partners and representatives can be found at www.fronius.com
The ‘issues’ that count! Every issue, the Fronius
weld+vision magazine brings you information and
behind-the-scenes reporting from the world of
welding. Why not let your colleagues and friends
benefit as well? Simply sign them up for a gift
subscription to weld+vision.
Shifting
the limits
weld+vision is opinion-forming.
M,06,0045,EN, 7.250 copies
The editorial team of the Fronius magazine would
dearly love to know: What do you really think of
weld+vision? Send us your reactions, suggestions,
praise, criticism ... we await them with great interest!
Fronius International GmbH, Froniusplatz 1, 4600 Wels, Österreich, Telefon +43 7242 241-0, Telefax +43 7242 241-953940, sales@fronius.com, www.fronius.com
Change
/ What does it take to make
the impossible possible?
Speed squad
/ Students build their own
racing-car with MagicWave.
Looking east
/ Poland’s architectural gem,
Gliwice, is definitely worth a
visit.