PRODUCT REVIEWS
Smoothing the way
Welder training
“ No noise , no smoke , no heat , no material input – Fronius Virtual Welding offers a totally safe and sustainable framework for training new welders . Similar to a flight simulator , 3D glasses and amazing graphics enable a realistic welding experience . The result is high-quality welder training that also saves on costs ,” Philipp Schlor , Product Manager Virtual Welding , Fronius International GmbH told ISMR .
With Virtual Welding , Fronius has developed a sophisticated training concept for providing theoretical knowledge about MIG / MAG , TIG , MMA welding and more , with a testing system to assess learning progress . A ranking list encourages trainees to enter into friendly competition with one another . The combination of guided practical exercises and theoretical units enables trainees to complete much of their training independently using the welding simulator . They acquire basic knowledge and fundamental manual skills before moving onto the real welding system . This enables training centres to improve the quality of their training , while also reducing costs .
To master their manual skills , trainees first practise with a virtual instructor known as the Ghost . Step by step , it shows the right welding speed , distance and tilt angle of the welding torch relative to the workpiece , giving the trainee immediate feedback . The task gradually increases in difficulty until finally welding is completed without the Ghost in a realistic simulation . The Virtual Welding system records the welding operations , making it possible to play them back later and analyse them with a real trainer .
“ We believe that Virtual Welding makes a significant contribution towards improving training quality . The Ghost provides every student with one-on-one tuition and immediate visual feedback , something that a real-life trainer is simply unable to do ,” said Hannes Krempl , a trainer in welding technology and transport at the Fohnsdorf Training Centre .
Savings on consumables , such as gas , wire and sheet , make the training significantly cheaper . “ In total , we save around 230 euros per participant on material costs – despite the longer arc time ,” said Krempl . n
. fronius . co . uk
Emil Otto GmbH continues to expand its product portfolio for metalworking and has introduced the new high-performance soldering grease “ á la Luiz ”. This grease can be used for all standard soft soldering processes as well as for all common metal surfaces . It can also be used for soldering stainless steel and stainless-steel alloys .
The bright pink , water-repelling and UVdetectable soldering grease “ á la Luiz ” is highly active . It has a wide process window and , said the manufacturer , excellent wetting and spreading properties .
“ Because of this , the grease should be applied sparingly ,” explained Markus Geßner , marketing and sales manager for Emil Otto GmbH . Luiz ’ s soldering grease is suitable for all common metal surfaces as well as stainless steels . The grease is designed for ‘ problem-free ’ soldering or tinning , especially on strongly oxidizing surfaces . It can be processed using flame , hot air , soldering iron etc . Crystallisation , said Emil Otto GmbH , does not occur .
“ The selected formulation of our highperformance soldering grease results in an enormous effective temperature range , which is between approx . 150 - 300 ° C . A
Saronni recently supplied a new automatic coil feed line , with tilting production shear , to one of its customers in a plant located in Poland . The line has been designed to process high-strength steel strip widths of 2000mm and thickness of between 0.7 to 7mm .
The coils , of 25 Ton max ., can be prepared in masked time on the coil car and the strip head can be indexed by the coil car rolls to speed up insertion in the straightener .
“ Two pairs of automatic lateral cones ensure coil containment during the process and the decoiler spindle servo motor , synchronised with the straightener servomotor , enables perfect tension of the strip . maximum of 450 ° C is also possible ,” Geßner continued . The reaction of the grease to the metal surfaces is very intense “ As a result , we can remove the oxide layers necessary for soft soldering or tinning . At the same time , new oxidation is suppressed during the processing operation ,” added Geßner . Most leaded and lead-free tin-based solders can be used as filler metals .
The range of applications for Luiz ’ s soldering grease is broad , as Geßner emphasised : “ Because we also offer small packaging units , our soldering grease is also suitable for applications in the trade sector . For example , it is used in radiator manufacturing ; toolmaking and mechanical engineering ; roofing work ; installation and plant construction ; and measurement and control technology .” n
:// bit . ly / 3fcX80K
Soldering grease “ á la Luiz ”.
Coil feeding line
Proprietary A . S . A . ( automatic straightening adjustment ) software can set the position of the straightening rolls , according to the material dimensions and mechanical properties set by the operator in the line control panel ,” Saronni told ISMR .
The straightener roll pack can be replaced by another to increase system capacity in terms of material cross section and yield strength . An electronic servo feeder feeds the strip into a tilting production shear that can cut square , rectangular and trapezoid blanks to be fed into the press . n
ISMR June 2021 | sheetmetalplus . com | 55