Innovation & Technology
Innerfuse uses Fronius equipment
in two key areas: piping and valve
components. The company has a
customized cladding system primarily used for piping and uses
the Fronius Compact Cladder for
its work on other component parts,
such as valves.
allow operators to do tasks they
normally would not do. This is a
key advantage in a field faced with
a shortage of highly skilled welders.”
According to Mr. Lee, the digital
capabilities of the Fronius controller and welding power supplies are
ideal to capture the high-end skills
and knowledge of his welding
staff so that those skills can be applied evenly across the board. “A
good welder has a feel for how to
set up the job and get it right,” Mr.
Lee says. “The digital capabilities
of the machine can save and mirror the parameters that are used, so
that the welding process is consistent time and time again.”
The Fronius Cladding System uses
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
(GTAW) with Hot Wire addition.
This welding process offers the
controlled penetration and high arc
on time needed to maximize the
weld deposit quality. Pulse welding power supplies are used for
both the GTAW process and the
Hot Wire addition. Fronius uses a
unique pulse control and proprietary software that enables both
power supplies to interact. “This
virtually infinite control produces
excellent all-around weld deposit
chemistry and weld bead profile,”
Hoffart says.
Although Innerfuse uses highly
skilled welders, some companies
do not have access to their level of
skill. According to Fronius representative Wm. Jeff Hoffart, “Fronius offers advanced features that
“The technology that Fronius
brought to the table took us to a
higher level,” Mr. Lee says. “The
digital technology is precise. It is
important to be exact with your
welding parameters, such as wire
feed, heat input and deposit chemistry. With the digital capabilities,
you don’t have to reinvent the
wheel every time. You can lock in
your parameters and keep everything the same time after time.
This helps meet quality assurance
criteria.”
Innerfuse uses a Fronius Compact
Cladder for overlay of component
parts, such as valves, separators,
nozzles and parts for the die-casting industry. “These parts are
found in very aggressive environments where uncoated parts can
wear out very quickly,” Mr. Lee
says. “The coating stops corrosion
and abrasion. These cladded parts
won’t wear out in our lifetime.”
The Compact Cladding Cell is designed to provide cost-effective
overlay welding on components up
to 1 m diameter (39 in.) and a
maximum weight of 1250 kg
(2755 lb.).
The inside bore of a cladded part showing
the homogeneity of the cladding.
Monel weld overlay for a CO2 separator.
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