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© Valk Welding B.V., April 2005All rights reserved.

Valk mailing a publication of Valk Welding BV

In projects in which Valk Welding robotswere installed and used for cutting, thework usually concerns constructionprofiles, tubular and cylindrical material,sometimes having a diameter of 400 -500 mm ø. Valk Welding installed plasma-cutting robots to shorten and make holesin tubular profiles at Boeters Kassenbouw(greenhouse construction), DalsemTuinbouwprojecten (horticulture projects),and others. Previously this kind of operationwas executed with a simple punch-drill-and-saw machine. Valk Welding installed the firstcombined weld and plasma-cutting robot atWolter & Dros in 2002, where the robot useda plasma-cutting torch to cut holes in tubular

material, a welding torch to weld the tubeparts with a counter-form perpendicular on thetube, and a gripper to place material in posi-tion. Since the robot used more tools, it waspossible to optimally utilize the operationperiod of the robot. The robot automaticallyinterchanges between the welding torch, theplasma-cutting torch and the gripper. A greatadvantage of this installation is that the robotcan make a straight-cut intersecting line. Thecut shape and counter-shape match perfectly,unlike before when manual cutting wasperformed and the material had to undergofinal processing with a tool grinder.

The steel construction sector also has its eyes more and more on the use of

robots for the automation of welding and cutting work. This is due to

considerations of efficiency, to increase the precision of welding operations,

to reduce second-operation machining, and to avoid exposing employees to

welding and cutting vapours. As long as you work with flat materials, a 2D

cutting system offers sufficient possibilities for cutting fast and accurate

holes. But when you have to work with H-profiles, tubular materials, or

other 3D components, the preferred tool is still an autogenous cutting torch.

However, Valk Welding has proven that efficiency is improved when robots

are used for cutting jobs, especially when welding and cutting work is

performed by the same installation.

This issue also includes:

• Combination of welding and plasma

cutting increases efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

• Handling robot creates a flexible

production at Linido . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

• Welding wire special . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

• Thermo-Electra automates long-term

welding projects with Minicel . . . . . . . . . . . 10

• Countless possibilities with ‘standard’

robot solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

• New Speedglas weldingfilter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

• Our new Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

• Valk Welding sponsors good causes . . . . . . 12

• Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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Combination of welding and plasma cuttingincreases efficiency

Combination of welding and plasma cuttingincreases efficiency

2

The Rolls Royce of compressors

GEA / Grasso Product B.V. in Den Bosch

is a manufacturer of compressors that

are used for cooling and freezing in the

food industry, for soft drink producers

and beer brewers, in slaughterhouses,

and on fishing boats. It is unique

though, that the compressors are made

with welded, and not cast, bodies. A

welded body can deal better with diffe-

rences in temperature, enables employ-

ing cylinders instead of worm wheels,

and can be produced with larger capaci-

ties. Grasso compressors are well known

for their very high quality, safety and

reliability, and this is the reason that for

years Grasso compressors is known as

the Rolls Royce of its market sector.

Foreword

I acquired a love for welding at an early age from my father (Henk J. L. Valk;founder of Valk Welding – red.). As a little boy of 6 I went with my fatherevery Saturday to wind welding wire. In those days, we did that all byourselves with some old winding machines, which we took over from a wiremanufacturer. The quality of the winding of the manufacturers in those daysdid not comply with the demands made by my father.

Aspiring to perfection is still the common standard at Valk Welding. However,now this is done in very close collaboration with our manufacturers. The focusexpanded long ago from just winding wire. Issues such as chemical composi-tion, wire torsion, tensile strength, and packaging are also systematicallyreviewed and improved. That is why we can guarantee welding wire of veryhigh quality now and in the future.

Because of this market approach, Van Welding has become the market leaderin the field of solid wires in the Benelux, and we are determined to achievethis position in other countries as well. This is why we extended our market toDenmark, France, and more recently, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

We have confidence in the knowledge and dedication of our employees in theBenelux, France, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We are totallyconfident that Valk Welding will be successful in many more parts of Europe.

Remco H. Valk Alblasserdam, March 24, 2005

from the frontpage...

In the autumn of 2004 Valk Welding againimproved on this technology at GrassoProducts at Den Bosch by putting in opera-tion a combined welding and plasma-cuttingrobot. Grasso builds compressors forindustrial operations built on a welded frame.Valk Welding made a complete productionunit where a robot on a track operates fourclamping places in which notches in bodiesand cylinder bulkheads are cut and completeinternal and external compositions arewelded. For the technical control this entailsthat 7 external axes are controlled besidesthe 6 axes of the robot. For this purpose therobot interchanges between a pair of weldingtorches and a plasma-cutting torch. Thisinstallation did not only increase efficiencyand save labor, but also increased quality.

Production manager Eric van Krieken: ‘Thecutting of the holes in the bodies and thecladding of the cylinder bulkheads is alabour-intensive process, which is very costlyand has a long turn-around time, demandingqualified welders. To be competitive, it isnecessary to use robotic welding and cutting.With this robot installation we will be able tocut and weld the compressor bodies in onego.’

Besides the efficiency advantages that auto-mation delivers, robot deployment also incre-ases the accessibility to welding operations.Until now it was very hard to weld the bodiesinternally. The welding robot has no restricti-ons; to weld or cut upside down is very easyfor a robot.

The unit at Grasso has four workstationswhere notches in the bodies are cut, andcylinder bulkheads, base units and cap platesfor the bodies are welded. Technical advisorBas van Haagen of Valk Welding, who mana-ged the project, says: ‘To be able to work onall stations the robot had to move over apath of 20m. Every station has its own mani-pulators that can rotate the components andbodies synchronously with the work, whichmeans that 13 axes can be controlled simul-taneously.’

To be able to cut the notches in the bodies,the welding robot had to interchangebetween the welding torch and the plasma-cutting torch. This is what is so unique aboutdeploying Hypertherm oxygen plasma-cutting system. This plasma-cutting genera-tor, which can cut at a 42º angle, has acutting speed of 1.5 m/min, a factor 5 higherthan with an autogenous system and withmuch more accuracy.

Grasso Products b.v. NL-‘s-Hertogenboschwww.grasso-global.comDhr. E. van Kriekenevkrieken@grasso.nl

3

Combination of welding and

plasma cutting increases efficiency

Combination of welding and

plasma cutting increases efficiency

Handling robotcreates a

flexible production

at Linido

Handling robotcreates a

flexible production

at Linido

4

Linido BV in Pijnacker (NL), manufacturer of sanitary aid equipment for theelderly and handicapped, replaced its rigid automation system for the productionof tubular products with a flexible automation solution with an integratedhandling robot. Result: because of the freedom of movement of the handlingrobot, a significant increase of the production capacity and many other extrapossibilities were created.

‘Our earlier production system consisted ofa bending machine with a rigid handlingsystem for the supply and discharge of theproducts,’ explains Hans van der Vliet, R&DManager at Linido. ‘The complete systemwas limited because of that rigid supply anddischarge system. The production processwas also complicated and time consuming.This is why we decided to look for a moreflexible solution that would allow us toautomate more operations and to use lessmanpower. When we installed the handlingrobot, which operates both the bendingmachine and the punch unit, we found oursolution.’

Minimum manpower is neededThe products of Linido, such as wall clampsand toilet seats, consist to a large extent ofwelded pipe tubing. First the material is cutand then the heads are burred, the shavingsare blown out with an air shock pulse, andthe surface is brushed. Afterwards, theprepared pieces are placed in the feedingunit in bundles of 250 pieces (maximumcapacity 750) near the bending machine. Thewelding seam of each piece of tube ismarked so that the robot will place everypiece exactly the same way in the bendingmachine, which will limit the effect of diffe-rences in tolerance in the end product to aminimum. With a double gripper the robotcan remove a bent product and put a newone in place simultaneously. The robot willplace the product at a punch unit, dependingon the part, after which it places the finis-hed product into a bin and the cycle startsall over again.

Hans van der Vliet: ‘The complete unit canbe operated with a minimum of manpower.In the morning the feeding unit is filled and,after a trial run, the system will run thecomplete production unmanned. Sensorsmeasure the product tolerances and if thedeviation is too great, production will stopautomatically and the operator, who opera-tes several bending machines, receives a callon his mobile. The robot has almost thesame output as the manual operation, but inthis way we enlarged the production capa-city of each employee, which saves us a lotof money, since the current hourly pay isvery high. Sometimes, before we go home,we fill up the machine, which gives us moreunmanned production hours. With this extracapacity we can cover peaks in the produc-tion during the late hours and weekends.Furthermore, we can produce more productsin the same way with this system. Thesystem was designed to do this. For exam-ple, the punch unit is easily interchangeablebecause it has fixed reference points. A diffe-rent operational unit can easily be installedon this spot.’

Ready for the futureThough starting up the project took sometime, the system now runs to completesatisfaction. ‘We have already been workingwith Valk Welding in the field of the weldingtechniques since 1991. The good experiencewe’ve had with the welding robot, and thegood support and communication gave usthe confidence to start this project withthem.’’

The future looks good for Linido. Van derVliet: ‘In Holland our products are leaders onthe market and we are the only Dutchmanufacturer left. Our products are beingexported to various countries in Europe, theUS, Canada, and even Japan. We are alsodoing our utmost to enlarge the dealernetwork in Europe. The market for aid equip-ment is still expanding and through ourmarketing efforts our products will be betterknown. By investing in such a productionsystem we can meet our competitors headon and we are ready for the future.’

Linido B.V., Hans van der VlietTel. +31 (0)15-3620736www.linido.nl

5

welding process stands or fallswith a consistent qualityof welding wire

Tie end-to-end all the welding wirethat Valk Welding delivers yearly andit will circle the globe more thantwenty times. This distance is equalto a delivery of 450,000 kg monthly.This large scale production is not onlyinteresting for Valk Welding, but hasalso advantages for its users. Itenables Valk Welding to make higherdemands on manufacturers, whichensures welding wire of consistentand excellent quality. This quality iswhat makes or breaks the weldingprocess.

In little over forty years Valk Welding hasbecome the largest supplier of solid wires inthe Benelux. Valk Welding wants to achievethis position outside the Benelux as well.According to Valk Welding, delivery of qual-ity welding wire and providing excellentservice and support is the best way tostrengthen and expand its position.

High standards of qualityAt first sight, it looks like you can easilyreplace Valk Welding’s welding wire with anyother A-brand, but essential differences canbe detected. Valk Welding applies the ceilingvalue of the DIN-standards for chemicalcomposition specifications. In other words,the bandwidth, which may vary for thedifferent components, is closer to these

specifications at Valk Welding than at othersuppliers. This results in a more reliablewelding wire. Valk Welding also has veryhigh demands concerning the ‘cast’ and‘helix’ of welding wire. These variables deter-mine the torsion resistance of the wire, orhow straight the wire unrolls out of thedrum. These variables determine successrate, especially with robotic welding; with a‘wagging’ welding wire it is impossible toweld.

To be able to guarantee its quality, ValkWelding buys its welding wire per type ofwire from the same manufacturer. This wayit minimizes fluctuations in the structurethat can originate from the use of variedraw materials by the manufacturers. Valk

Welding has long outstanding relationshipswith various manufacturers. The relationshipwith the Italian CIFE (home purveyor) goesback to 1986. Over the years other manu-facturers have been added to the list,selected for a certain specialty and specificwire type.

The efforts in the field of quality controlhave resulted in the fact that all weldingwires from Valk Welding have been certifiedby recognized authorities such as TechnischeÜberwachungsverein (TÜV), Lloyd’s Registerof Shipping, Deutsche Bundes Bahn (DB),Bureau Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd andControlas.

DrumsWith welding robots, the change-time of aspool is usually at the expense of the worktime of the robot (see also ‘Higher efficiencywith drum welding’). Valk Welding suppliesdrums from 200 to 380 kg. The drums have aninnovative unwinding system that guaranteesproblem-free wire supply to the unwindingcone and the wire supply cable. Standard palletpackage: 2 or 4 drums.

SpoolsValk Welding’s welding wires are available inspools from 5 - 100 kg. The bank wound andrandom wound spools are optimallyprotected by plastic shrink-foil and a firmcardboard box, and are available on plasticor metal basket coils. Standard pallet pack-age: 72 boxes for steel, 84 boxes foraluminium, 50 boxes for Stainless Steel.

6

TIG rodsAlso available at ValkWelding are TIG weldingrods in a standard packageof 5 kg and with a length of1000 mm. Available in steel,aluminium, and StainlessSteel.

CubewireCubewire is a cubical cardboard bulk package.The totally recyclable Cubewire guarantees agood feed-through wire. Since it has triangu-lar supports in each corner, it can be easilypiled, which is an advantage for storage andtransport. A waterproof foil protects thewelding wire against corrosion. Available inthe following weights: 100, 250 and 400 kg.

For bulk consumers Valk Welding

strongly advises the use of drum

welding wire. Obviously drums have

to be changed less frequently than

spools. Even though it is a fact that

changing a drum takes more time

than changing a spool, the use of

drums is without doubt more time

saving. The calculations in the table

below show these advantages:

15 kg spool 250 kg drum 400 kg drum

Wire consumption (in kg) 6.000 6.000 6.000

Weight per package (in kg) 15 250 400

Number of required changes(usage / weight per package) 400 24 15

Average change-time per package (in minutes) 4 10 10

Total amount of required hours of change-time (number of changes x average change-timein minutes / 60)) 26,7 4 2,5

Total savings in drum change-timecompared to spools (in%) 85% 91%

Total savings in drum change-time compared to spools (in hours) 22,7 hours 24,2 hours

Specialists on two levelsThe delivery of welding wire is more thanjust pushing boxes. The distribution systemis of course a very important part of it butadditional service and support are the keysto success. Therefore, if necessary, ValkWelding delivers welding wires to itscustomers on the same day.

As specialists in the field of solid wires, ValkWelding has accumulated a great deal ofexperience and knowledge. Moreover, ValkWelding has amassed unique knowledge inthe field of using welding wire in combina-tion with automatic welding processes, andespecially with welding robots.

Based on research conducted during overmany years, Valk Welding declares that itssolid wires will suffice in 95% of the occur-ring cases. With the correct gas distributionand composition, the efficiency factor caneven be equivalent to flux cored weldingwire, if not better. The specialists from ValkWelding can advise you extensively, particu-larly where welding robotics are used,because the quality and type of weldingwire is a determining factor in the successof the end result. Valk Welding specializes inboth subjects and has programmers andadvisors who know exactly how robotic andwelding techniques can be perfectlycombined.

Higher efficiencywith drum welding

16 mm.

16 mm.

5.85 mm.

2.10 mm.

2.4 mm. Cast deflection

True centre 0.90 mm

2.4 mm. Cast deflection

0.50 mm. Cast deflection

True centre 0.90 mm.

0.50 mm. Cast deflection

Unwinding speed and wire feed-through aredetermined by the manner in which thewinding is done. Valk Welding’s welding wirehas been wound in such a way that the wirecan be unwound completely torsion-free.This minimizes wear at the contact tipsalmost completely and increases the qualityof the end product.

helixcast diameter

Max. weaving 150 mm.

Higher efficiencywith drum welding

The winding system determineswear and unwinding speed

7

If you put a number of welding wire

spools of the same type – but from

different manufacturers – next to each

other, you will not notice many differ-

ences at face value. They all have the

same copper plating, they are all deliv-

ered in different spool types, and they

all have the necessary certification.

Any differences in quality that may

still exist cannot be detected exter-

nally, but are determined by the

chemical and mechanical properties.

Welding wire supplied by Valk Welding

is well known for its consistent and

reliable quality. This is because Valk

Welding demands the highest chemi-

cal and mechanical quality for the

production of its welding wire. Since

manufacturers produce such large

quantities for Valk Welding, demands

can be made regarding chemical

composition (complying to standards)

and production methods, which

differ from the competitors on

the market.

One of the largest manufacturers ofwelding wires produced according tothe Valk Welding formula is Cife S.R.L.in Chiusi Della Verna, Italy. Cife, has anadvanced manufacturing facility where135 tons of SG-1, 2, and 3 weldingwire is produced daily.

For every manufacturer, rolled wire isthe starting point of the productionprocess of solid wire, type SG2 and

SG3. At Cife, however, the rolled wire under-goes a more specialized and more stringentlysupervised production process before itcomplies with the Valk Welding requirementsand the marks of quality of the various certi-fying authorities. To obtain absolutely corro-sion-free welding wire, the rolled wire is firstbruised. Only when the mill scale is comple-tely removed, a powder is added to preventpossible corrosion in the subsequent steps ofthe production process. This raw material isthen conveyed through a wire drawingmachine at the speed of 14 m/sec, where itreaches the required diameter. At this stageof the production process, the welding wireonly has to be copper plated. Cife enhancesthe preparation for this with an extensivetreatment in a pickling tank, where the wirewill be leached, stained and afterwardscopper plated. Only after this treatment thewire is wound onto 15 and 18 kg winders.The manner of winding is important toenable maximum wire feed-through in thewelding process. Larger quantities are woundthrough a drum-loading machine to 100,250, 400 and 500 kg drums. Cife applies awinding method in which the wire willunwind torsion-free at a high and consistent

feeding speed. Valk Welding made a consci-ous decision to maintain these quality requi-rements in order to obtain an optimal endresult and an efficiency that is as high aspossible.

Supply at 80 m/minThe efficiency that a welding robot canattain is determined to a large extent byoptimal wire supply. Besides a high-gradewire feed-through system, the determining

factor is that the wire can unwindabsolutely torsion-free at wire supplyspeeds of up to 80 m/min. Cifeapplies its patented winding method,by which a maximum helix of 25mm and a maximum torsion angle of180º can be achieved. This meansthat over a length of 10 m, the rota-tion will never be greater than 360º,so that the wire will always be fedstraight through the welding torch.

Henk Visser, productmanager welding wire:

Welding wire produc-tion according to theValk Welding formula

Eco-drumsValk Welding has recently startedsupplying welding wire in fully-recy-clable drums under the name Eco-drum. The drums do not have steelrings or wooden bottoms andrequire no additional cone for use.The wire guide nipple is actuallyincorporated into the cardboardcover. Afterwards, the bottom, sides andcase are disposed of separately. In addi-tion to producing less waste, the feed

Want a corporate video? A CD/DVD of the wire production is available at

info@valkwelding.com

mechanism has also been improved. A simple,yet highly innovative solution for the wireguide holds the wire constantly at thebottom of the drum, allowing it to beunwound smoothly.

The Eco-drums are supplied in sets of fouron a pallet, which keeps changeover times to

an absolute minimum. Used in combinationwith the Wire Booster, Eco-drums are especiallysuited for centralised welding wire distribution.

Wire WizardIt is possible to create an optimalconnection between drum (or spool)and welding robot with Wire Wizardwelding wire transport products. Thiscomplete programme includes flexi-ble wire-guidance products, interlink-ing systems, cones and trolleys thathelp increase the productivity of yourwelding robots.

Wire BoosterThe bridging of great distances (30 meter max.)and/or central welding wire distribution has beenmade possible with the Wire Booster. This powerful‘auxiliary motor’ is simply mounted on the drum. The‘Mechanical Torque Limiter’ function prevents torsiontwisting of the welding wire with proper wireunwinding without distortion. The Wire Booster issuitable for any brand or type of welding wire andwelding robot.

A company such as Brink, which hasbranches throughout Europe, not onlyendeavours to maintain standardizationwithin the entire group, but also takes intoaccounts the requirements of the people onthe work floor. ‘If you switch to a differentproduct, you first have to convince thepeople on the work floor,’ says Mr. Feddes.‘We know Valk Welding as a welding robotsupplier for many years, and we also knowthat they can deliver good quality weldingwire. However, our people on the work floor

saw no reason to switch suppliers. Only ifthere is a problem, do we have to quicklylook for an alternative. After all, productionshould never be disrupted. Two years ago wewere confronted unexpectedly with deliveryproblems and did some blind tests with ValkWelding’s welding wire. Everyone involvedliked their product, which made the switchto Valk Welding a fact. Besides price andquality, the availability and support of thesupplier is a very important factor.’

DAF Trucks in Eindhoven has been usingwelding wire of Valk Welding since the endof the 1990s. The department, which produ-ces separate components for DAF trucks,uses on an annual basis 100 ton SG2 andSG3 of solid wire in 1 and 0.8 mm diameter.Tubular products, support brackets, fueltanks, etc. are welded here manually or bywelding robots, and these are subsequentlydelivered directly to the assembly line of DAF Trucks in Eindhoven.

For the welding process, workers use wirefrom both spool and drums. Due to thesmall a-height and thin-walled products, fluxcored welding wire was never a considera-tion (more development of welding smokethan with solid wire). For production engi-neer Jos Kesseler the consistent and highquality of Valk Welding wires is the majorreason that he prescribes to this welding

wire. “In my previous function I was alreadyinvolved in authorising welding wire and atthe time I had close ties about this with thesupplier. If there were problems Valk Weldingwas there immediately and for us this wasthe overriding importance in deciding to usetheir wires. Later the welding wire was deli-vered with a certification so that thesupplier guaranteed quality. If in spite of thisconsistent quality guarantee, problemsshould arise, the people at Valk Welding areimmediately at our service. Using cheaperalternatives is absolutely out of the questionfor us because the costs resulting from workinterruptions and production stagnation willby far exceed any cost savings.”

‘Unknown is often unloved’ is also true for welding wire. ‘If someone is satisfiedwith a particular welding brand, he will not switch over to another brand soeasily,’ says W. Feddes, purchasing manager of towing hook manufacturer BrinkInternational. This leading manufacturer has already been working for morethan 15 years with Panasonic welding robots, but has remained persistent onusing welding wire from ‘a yellow box’.

Towing hook manufacturer Brink switches to welding

wire of Valk Welding

W. Feddes, purchasing managerBrink International

DAF Trucks selects Valk Weldingquality welding wire

Jos Kesseler, production engineer DAF Trucks

8

MAG ForceThe Panasonic MAG Force pullsystem offers a solution when thetorch pack is regularly moved intoawkward positions. The MAG Force‘pull system’ offers additionaladvantages when using wires witha diameter of less than 1.0 mm,because ‘pulling’ small wires oftenworks better than ‘pushing’ them.

Wire changer systemWhenever different base materials are usedin one product, or different products areproduced on a single robot welding systemand setup times have to be kept to a mini-mum, the best solution is an automatic wirechanger system. The welding wire is auto-matically pulled back in and cut, after whichanother wire is fed through, the stick-out isset and the robot continues welding.

Director Cornel van Valderen feels daily thestrong competition that exists for the stan-dard SG2 wire: ‘The customers are usuallylooking for a lower price when they buystandard MIG-welding wire. That is why wenever sold the more expensive brands. Butthe price was never the primary considera-tion in our company. At the beginning ofthe nineties we started to look for asupplier that could deliver welding wire of aconsistently good quality for a good price.The reliability of delivery time was alsovery important. Valk Welding turned out tobe more economical than the more expen-sive brands, and the wire was of a goodquality.’

‘Our customers want to pay only thelowest price, but they do not want to makeconcessions in quality. They want a consis-tently good quality and smooth copperplating, and also with good unwinding qual-ities. The customer also understands thatwhen using a less expensive wire, thespools must be changed more often, so inthe end, you pay a higher price. Qualitywire has to unwind evenly,’ says Cornel.Because the customers of Van Valderen arecontent with this welding wire, the turnoveron spools and drums rose steadily, to morethan 65 tons annually. Besides SG2-wire,sales are also improving annually in thisregion for Stainless Steel and aluminumwelding wire.

Two years ago Valk Welding expanded its assort-ment by introducing various welding wires of ahigh nickel alloy. These are intended specificallyfor welding on and high quality joining ofcomponents with extreme thermal and chemicalloads. The fact that in this segment too consis-tent quality is a decisive factor for many compa-nies, explains the underlying motives of SMSGlobal in choosing Valk Welding welding wire ofa high nickel alloy.

SMS Global is a leading welding firm operatinginternationally and specialises in welding ofpressure tanks and boilers and welding on oftubing for the petrochemical industry. Weldingwire of a high nickel alloy protects tanks, boilersand pipes against corrosion and effects ofextreme pressure, high temperatures andweathering of chemicals.

By employing a special welded-on line for pipes,SMS Global offers with its Hi-Performance WeldMetal Overlay a unique and very durable tubingsolution for the chemical and petrochemicalindustries.

After using nearly 200 ton of welding wire of ahigh nickel alloy in his factory, director Rick Brookscan speak of abundant experience with thisproduct and names the following quality aspectsas the deciding factors. “The welding wire is certi-fied by leading authorities and for us the mostimportant ones are TÜV and ESMI/part C. Thenon-nickel content in the composition is nevermore than 1% and this reveals itself in the generalappearance of the weld. From a process-technicalaspect what is mainly important for us is theconsistent feeding, and this is perfect due to thetorsion-free and layered manner of spooling.”

Dealer Van Valderen alsodelivers quality to

smaller consumers Besides direct delivery to end customers, Valk Welding’s wire also finds itsway to the market via several dealers. Valderen Lastechniek Tilburg B.V.supplies Valk Welding’s welding wire to its customers for more than 14 years,making them one of the largest dealers. Van Valderen also delivers weldingwire made by other manufacturers, but meanwhile Valk Welding delivers 90%of the wire sold.

Cornel van Valderen of Van Valderen Lastechiek Tilburg

Feeding- en welding ability, important for SMS Global

9

10

Thermo-Electra in Pijnacker (NL) is a leaderin the Benelux market in the field of temper-ature sensors and ‘thermo wells’ (high-pres-sure protective tubing), which are usedfrequently in the chemical industry, and alsoin other sectors where indication and check-ing of temperature is important. Not so longago, all products were welded manually byskilled, certified welders. However, Thermo-Electra acquired recently a welding robot aswell.

The human factor‘From the beginning, the human factorplayed an important role in automatedproduction,’ says Jan van den Ende,Technichal Director of Thermo-Electra. ‘Someof our products need to be welded for quitea long time, about one and a half hours. Fora welder this is very difficult and monoto-nous work. With the robot we could auto-mate this part of the production, so ourwelders can now take care of additional andmore challenging jobs. In our case, we didnot necessarily want to reduce manpower,but to make the remaining jobs more attrac-tive after deployment of the robot. Anotheradvantage is that the welding robotproduces more consistent results. Weconcluded from our own research that therobot produced more consistent fusionpenetration than manual welding. The futureof our production is guaranteed through the

use of robotics. People can fallill, or just experience a bad day.That’s part of being human. Arobot has no problem with thesethings; it just continues to produce allthe time.’

High-quality end resultsSince Thermo-Electra uses a great variety ofwelding wire types, they chose to use a TIG-welding robot with a TIG filler wire unit. Thisrobot is installed in a Minicel with aRobustus manipulator to rotate the workpieces, in the same location where the drumwelding wire was installed before. Becausethey use a large variety of (high alloy) weld-ing wire, Thermo-Electra uses spools, whichthey obtain also from Valk Welding.

The robot welds particularly short series andis operated by one of the welders, who alsoperforms other jobs in the meantime andwho ‘keeps an eye’ on the robot by acamera. To guarantee continued high-qualityproduction, Thermo-Electra uses gas flowindicators and wire sensors. When there isdeviation in gas or wire supply parameters,the production process stops automatically.This guarantees a minimum of rejections,and makes it possible to load the robot atthe end of the day again so it can continueto produce for some more hours.Even though the robot has not reached its

full production level, Van den Ende wants toreach this level in the future. ‘Besides heavyand long-term welding jobs, we also work onvarious products that have a very short timecycle of about 45 seconds. This work can bealso done very well by the Minicel, especiallywhen we supply these products in a clampframe. We will be able to execute these jobswith the robot very shortly.’

Thermo-Electra B.V.Mr. J. van den EndeTel. +31 15-3621216www.thermo-electra.com

Thermo-Electraautomates long-term welding

projects with MinicelThermo-Electra B.V. recently bought a Minicel forthe production of different temperature sensorsand thermo wells. The system is equipped with aPanasonic VR-006 welding robot with TIG fillerwire unit. It was very easy and affordable toautomate the Minicel for long term, monotoneand intensive manual, welding jobs.

11

MinicelMinicel is compact, affordable and flexible.With this low-budget robot unit, completewith robot, welding machine and securitymeasures, Valk Welding meets all thedemands in robotics, with a user-friendly andaffordable solution. The unit has a torsion-free, steel body, two doors for the operatorand one door for changing the welding wiredrum. Because of its compact design withtwo workstations, the Minicel is extremelysuitable for non-stop continuous welding ofsmall work pieces. Minicel can also beexpanded with a mechanical welding torchcleaning unit – the Program ProtectionSystem (PPS) – and/or automatic slidingdoors.

Standard unitwith fixed weld-ing tablesA simple and flexible solution with minimalinvestment.This unit has two workstations,so the robot can produce on one side andthe operator can deliver and take outproduction on the other side. The unit can beexpanded with several security measures andseveral welding tables.

Standard unitwith a turn-tableThe standard units are equipped with twoclamping positions and can be delivered witha manual or automatic operating index table.The basic unit is torsion-free base where thewelding robot, power source and clamp tableare placed. The units comply with the CEquality mark, can be loaded on a truck as awhole unit, and can be activated immedi-ately after arrival, with few adjustments. Asthe individual frames are 100% similar, theprograms can be copied easily and quicklyfrom one unit to another.

C-FrameThis C-shaped base unit is the starting pointof this solution. Depending on the workpiece to be welded, the base unit can beprovided with a track or H-manipulator in

order to optimise the accessibility of therobot.

H-FrameThis very successful robot solution hasdouble-clamp frames, can be delivered inseveral designs, and is very useful for shortseries production. The clamp frames varyfrom 1500 to 3000 mm in length and theunit can be equipped with diverse robottypes. Within this solution the programs canalso be converted between both worksta-tions and/or other identical H-frames. Baseplate and counter bearing sockets will not beneeded because the unit has a torsion-freeframe. The whole unit can be movedcompletely with all the programs installed.The cell can be expanded with a fixed fenc-ing, a platform for the control unit and weld-ing machines, and/or the DTPS offlineprogram packet.

Automotive CellThe Automotive Cell is a compact roboticcell, intended for suppliers in the automotiveindustry. The cell complies with high safetystandards, which are used in this section, andis completely designed to produce a productwithin a short time-cycle (less than 20seconds). The Automotive Cell can beequipped with a Panasonic robot and weld-ing equipment, and if required, the cell canbe expanded with programmable externalaxes for additional product manipulationand/or extra tools. This means that the samerobot can perform both welding and cuttingjobs, for example. The system has fast clos-ing sliding doors, which open and closewithin 1.2 seconds, and two clamp tables forthe supply and removal of products.

E-, Y-, and Z-FrameThese robotic solutions provide the user withthe opportunity to produce a wide range ofproducts that can be handled with onerobotic unit. This unit is available with differ-ent product manipulation possibilities anddifferent robot types and/or can be equippedwith DTPS offline programming software.

Countless possibilitieswith ‘standard’

Besides complex and customer-specific solutions, Valk Welding also offers awide assortment of ‘standard’ robot solutions. The name might suggest some-thing else, but the possibilities of these solutions are really endless. Because ofthe competitive prices, the mobility and the short delivery time, these solutionsoffer very interesting and flexible production results.

robot solutions

Minicel

Standard unit with a turn-table

H-frame

C-frame

Automotive cell

Colophon

‘Valk Mailing’ is a twice-yearly publication of ValkWelding B.V. and is sent free to all business

relations. If you want to receive this publication inthe future, please send an email to

info@valkwelding.com

Valk Welding B.V.Staalindustrieweg 15

P.O. Box 60NL-2950 AB Alblasserdam

Tel. +31 78 69 170 11Fax +31 78 69 195 15info@valkwelding.comwww.valkwelding.com

Composition and production:Steenkist Communicatie, NL-Haarlem

steencom@tiscali.nlFrank Rozendaal, Valk Welding B.V.frank.rozendaal@valkwelding.com

Photography:Photo Schievink, NL-Papendrecht

Archive Valk Welding B.V.Archive Thermo-Electra B.V.

Agenda

Benelux Laser Event 2005Theme day specializing in laser welding

April 26-27, 2005Vito Lasercentrum, Mol (B)

www.vito.be

Industrial Maintenance2005

Trade fair in the field of industrial maintenance and renovation

April 26-28, 2005Ahoy, Rotterdam (NL)

www.industrialmaintenance.nl/nl.php

Schweissen & Schneiden 2005The greatest international trade fair in the

field of welding and cutting techniquesSeptember 12-17, 2005

Messe, Essen (D)www.schweissenundschneiden.de

MSV 2005Eastern European trade fair specializing in thefield of industrial automation and engineering

October 3-7, 2005BVV Veletrhy, Brno (CZ)

www.bvv.cz

Lassymposium 2005Theme day organized by the Belgian and

Dutch Institute for Welding TechniqueNovember 29-30, 2005

Gent (B)www.bil-ibs.be

Valk Welding’s new website will beonline shortly. Valk Welding aims toimprove its communications andinteraction with new and existingbusiness relationships.

The new website will have an improvedand friendlier navigation structure thanthe current website, which is already fiveyears old. The design will also be renewedand new functionalities will be added. Forexample, it will be possible to subscribeto our email newsletter, so that you willreceive the latest (product) news on aregular basis. There will be also comprehen-sive descriptions of finished projects, a ‘weld-ing wire’ database and - in the near future –the possibility to order via the Internet witha personal login code.

Please visit our website atwww.valkwelding.com

Our new Website

What is the connection between a new buil-ding project in Serekunda and a relay racefrom Paris to Rotterdam? Only the fact thatValk Welding is the contributor and sponsorin both cases…

Valk Welding is the sponsor of a new buil-ding project in Serekunda, Gambia, via the

Da Vinci comprehensive school. This newbuilding project includes the construction oftwo schools, which are now operating in verysmall buildings and are in a very bad state ofrepair. Valk Welding donated, among otherthings, scaffolding material and tools so thatthe project can now be realized.

The Roparun is a concept in Holland. In 2005this event will take place for the 14th time.Valk Welding is the sponsor of the AZRRBIOS team this year, which consists ofmembers of an ambulance service inRotterdam and neighbouring towns. Theteam is totally sponsored and profits will bedonated to the Roparun Foundation, whichdonates to projects in the field of healthcare.

Valk Welding sponsorsgood causes

Valk Welding is proudto be the first supplierof the newest 3MSpeedglas weldingfilter 9002D, for deliv-ery by the end of April,2005.

This new filter is 3M’s answer to the demandfor a filter for the middle segment, and incases where the functionality of the Speedglas9002V and 9002X filters is not required. Thefilter is part of the 9000 line and replaces the9000F filter. Because of its dimensions andreplacement parts, it is completely inter-

changeable with the othertypes of this product lineand can be used for thewelding processes MMA,Mig/Mag and Tig. The ‘lightcolour’ is, as usual, colour 3,

and the ‘dark colour’ can beadjusted to colour 9 or colour

11. The filter also has two sensi-tivity positions: one position (-) for normalsensitivity (for the most common jobs) andone position (+) for increased sensitivity (forlow-amperage Tig welding of up to 20 Amp).The 9002V and 9002X filters will still need tobe used for jobs with even lower amperages,or where the welding arc is hidden by thework piece.

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New Speedglas welding filte