FOCUS ON WELDING
Above : Measurement of the inert gas flow in a welding gap .
Above : Measurement of the convective heat flow and expansion of the plasma during the welding process .
Discolouration and wear of the tungsten electrode are the welder ’ s first indications that the shielding gas flow has been incorrectly adjusted . the tungsten electrode that is used can throw a wrench into the works . Turbulent gas flows cause even high-grade electrodes to oxidise . This not only affects the quality of the welding seam but significantly increases production costs .
Incorrectly adjusted or non-optimised gas volumes and times therefore lead to frequent replacement of wear parts and associated plant shutdowns , significantly limiting productivity . However , significant improvements can be achieved , even with small adjustments .
More is not always better
Consumption of the inert gas itself is the third cost factor . The assumption that ‘ more is better ’ adds no value in gas-shielded welding . On the contrary , it has been observed in practice that excessive gas flow is the root cause of numerous problems . Aside from improving the weld quality , reducing unnecessary gas consumption has a direct impact on production costs . Significant added costs accumulate quickly , especially when using mixed gases with a high proportion of helium . Up to several hundred euros per production day can be saved by specifically optimising the gas supply for the respective application .
Measuring methods do exist to tailor the shielding gas to specific conditions . However , these are used almost exclusively in academic research today . For industry , this means that the effects of individual parameters can only be determined in practice by observing the respective ( usually negative ) effects . As a complicating factor , the gas itself cannot be seen with the naked eye .
Discolouration and wear of the tungsten electrode are the welder ’ s first indications that the shielding gas flow has been incorrectly adjusted . The more problematic quality defects on the workpiece itself , such as porosity , are generally only detected during in-process or
downstream volumetric material testing . This means that optimising the parameters can , at best , affect the next workpiece , provided it does not require entirely different process conditions .
New link between academics and industry
Wolfram Industrie operates a welding laboratory at its site in Switzerland to eliminate the costly trial-and-error principle . In this laboratory , welding specialists can replicate , measure and optimise the environmental conditions for any TIG welding application .
To accomplish this , two approaches from scientific research have been adapted for industrial applications . Streak methods ( imaging methods from the fluid engineering field ) are one approach and can represent gas and heat flows during active arcing at high resolutions . Sensor measurements are the second approach used at Wolfram Industrie to record , for example , the dynamic pressure , speed and chemical composition of the inert gas .
In conjunction with precise positional data , the protective gas can be measured threedimensionally and optimised for the specific industrial application ( taking into account all environmental conditions and influencing variables ). n
Wolfram Industrie can three-dimensionally record the protective gas flow .
About Wolfram Industrie
Originally founded in Berlin , Germany , in 1911 as Wolfram Drahtfabrik GmbH ( for the manufacturing and processing of tungsten and molybdenum by the grandfather of the current managing partner , Marion Freifrau von Cetto ), the company changed its name to Gesellschaft für Wolfram Industrie mbH in 1928 . Its headquarters were moved to Traunstein in 1943 , where additional production buildings were built in the 1950s .
After the death of the shareholder Helga Freifrau von Cetto , her daughter Marion Freifrau von Cetto took over management of the company as the owner in 1974 . In 1991 , Gesellschaft für Wolfram Industrie acquired competitor Bayerische Metallwerke GmbH in Dachau , expanding its product range . Both companies produce exclusively in Germany .
In August 2018 , the company opened another location in Winterthur , Switzerland , with Wolfram Industrie GmbH which now has five employees .
Wolfram Industrie relocated its headquarters to Nußdorf im Chiemgau in 2023 as part of the modernisation and expansion of its production capacities . There are currently 43 employees at its Dachau location and 87 in Nußdorf .
https :// wolfram-industrie . de /
46 | ismr . net | ISMR February 2025