FACE TO FACE
Attracting more skilled young people , and especially women , to the welding profession is vital .
means that they don ’ t have to change wire spools , wear parts or torches . The operating concept behind the WF 25i Dual enables welders to switch the process line , filler wire and associated parameters in various ways .
ISMR : How has Fronius implemented sustainability in its products , processes and operations ?
HS : Not only do our products conserve resources , they also offer a long service life and ease of repair . We also attach great importance to the conscious use of materials and resources in production . Wherever possible , we use recycled and reusable materials . When designing products , we ensure that components take up as little space and use as few resources as possible and are easy to replace , if required .
Our “ Sustainability by Design ” team works tirelessly to assess the impact of our systems on the environment . Life cycle analyses are carried out step by step , where the ecological footprint is considered down to the fine detail . The entire product life cycle must be considered from the supply chain to production , transport to the customer , and the application phase to the end of life .
Together , we successfully achieved our sustainability goals . We received the EcoVadis certificate in silver , again improved our SAQ-5.0 rating on the NQC SupplierAssurance platform and , in 2023 , with a rating of B86 , we are well
above the industry average which is C .
It is important to us to keep the CO₂ footprint of our welding solutions as low as possible , for example by supplying all our sites in Austria with renewable energy and operating them 100 % gasfree . In addition , we rely on innovative energy concepts such as the huge ice storage facility at the Sattledt manufacturing site and the constant expansion of PV systems .
We always act with sustainability in mind , even when it comes to relationships . We have always sought to establish long-term partnerships with customers , partners and employees . After all , they are the key to achieving our goal , which is to unleash our full welding potential and to do so in a way that conserves resources .
ISMR : Which further exhibitions will you be attending this year ?
HS : You can meet us at ‘ Welding , Automation & Fabrication Experience WAFE ’ in Mexico ( 3-4 October 2023 ); Baltexpo23 , Gdansk ( 10-12 October ); MSV at Brno ( 10-13 October ); IREE in New Delhi ( 12-14 October ); METCENT 2023 : International Conference on Metallurgical Engineering and Centenary ( 26-28 October ); Advanced Manufacturing , Madrid ( 15-16 November ); ENGIMACH , India ( 6 December ) and Robot Invest Summit , Istanbul ( 20 December ).
ISMR : Is there anything else that you wish to add ?
HS : Our Acerios hot active plasma technology removes particulate and film impurities from both metallic and non-metallic surfaces .
Visitors tried the Fronius Weldeducation Simulator at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN in Essen , Germany .
Automotive OEM , Audi , has been using the process on thin aluminium body parts for the last two years . Acerios has substantially reduced cleaning costs in those areas where metal sheets have to be prepared for stud welding . At the same time , resource efficiency has also been increased .
ISMR : Thank you for your time . n
www . fronius . com
Cold Metal Transfer ( CMT ) process
The Fronius CMT ( Cold Metal Transfer ) welding process is used when joining different materials , for example steel and aluminum . Extremely low heat input and an exceptionally stable arc set CMT apart from conventional MIG / MAG welding .
The digital process control detects a short circuit and then helps to detach the droplet by retracting the wire : during welding , the wire moves forward and is pulled back again as soon as the short circuit occurs . As a result , the arc only introduces any heat for a very brief period during the arcburning phase .
The short circuit is controlled and the current is kept low , resulting in spatterfree material transfer . The arc length is detected and adjusted mechanically . The arc remains stable , no matter the surface of the workpiece or how fast the user welds . CMT , says Fronius , can be used everywhere and in every position .
CMT welding is suitable for joining steel and aluminium , as the galvanised steel plate is wetted by this brazewelded joint while the aluminium melts . The process is also suited to the virtually spatter-free brazing of hot-galvanised and electrolytically galvanised sheets with a welding wire made from a copper-silicon alloy . Minimal distortion of the galvanised sheet occurs and the light-gauge welding of aluminium sheets ( from 0.3mm ) is also possible , whereby the low heat input eliminates the need for pool support .
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