weld+vision 1.04

weld+visionFRONIUS MAGAZINE 1.04

TRUE ACHIEVEMENT:Philosophising on a modern-day holy cow

TPS 3200: The Digital Revolution rolls on

EXCLUSIVE: Yachtbuilding in Brisbane

EXEMPLARY: Reports from actual practice

5526 Weld+Vision_eng. qxd 26.04.2004 12:09 Seite 1

2 Editorial

Publisher’s imprint:

“weld+vision” is the customer magazine of FroniusInternational GmbHDesign: Reklamebüro GmbHPhotos of Paris–Dakar Rally: G. SoldanoResponsible for contents: Fronius International GmbH,Buxbaumstrasse 2, A 4600 Wels, [email protected], www.fronius.comRegistered trademarks and tradenames have notgenerally been identified as such. The absence of anysuch identification does not mean that the name inquestion is an unregistered name for the purposes ofproduct and trademark law.

Contents3-6 Cover story

“The bottom line may be right, but it still may not

add up to much.”

7-11 Totally R&D

The non-stop Revolution, improved coolant pump,

torch-cleaning, plasma welding

12-13 Brief and to the point

News from Fronius

14-19 Case study

Welding solutions for ball-type shut-off valves

MagicWave 1700 at Lufttechnik Gransee GmbH

CrNi welding using the Schaeffler diagram

20-21 The company

Knowing how to be unmistakable

22-23 Travel tip

Brisbane: A city luxuriates

Management Team, from l. to r.:

Herbert MühlböckKlaus FroniusBrigitte StraussVolker LenzederElisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-StraussHeinz Hackl

A few words on our cover picture:

The Paris–Dakar Rally – one of the ultimate kinglydisciplines of the professional sporting world.11,052 kilometres, most of it on desert tracks.Immense challenges to both man and machine. In2004, Fronius took part twice over! With its solutionfor special welded aluminium tanks, as well as witha MagicWave 1700 used for repairs by the Red BullKTM Team. Because a standard of performance wasbeing called for here that goes way beyond what isusual. Endeavours such as these are the subject ofsome in-depth deliberations by the philosopherRainer Born. His weld+vision cover story on thetopic of “achievement” has some interestingthoughts and questions in store.

Editorial

A recent study of mechanicalengineering firms (see p.6) has shownthat nowadays, the biggest earnings andgrowth potential is to be found inservices. The future is not in classicsales, but in pre- and post-salecustomer care.

Which brings us straight to the mainfocus of this edition: Achievement.Everybody's talking about it. And as aconcept, it seems to characterise oursociety like no other. We even expectour children to be achievers. But justwhat is achievement? How does it

manifest itself? What direction is itdeveloping in?On the following pages, you'll findvarious different views and examples ofwhat achievement is all about. Have agood read!


3Cover storyFronius 2004

OR: JUST BECAUSE WE CAN ACHIEVE SOMETHING DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEANIT'S AN ACHIEVEMENT. SOME THOUGHTS FROM PROF. DR. RAINER BORN

The bottom line may be right, but it still may not add up to much.


4 Cover story

A computer hacker who uses his great

knowledge and all sorts of clever tricks

to log onto other networks or to spread

viruses throughout the world has

undeniably pulled off a noteworthy

“achievement”. Or an art forger who

fools the international trade public with a

perfectly executed hoax will also view

this as an achievement to take pride in.

But what values underlie these

achievements? What about

sustainability? Are achievements like

these ones that our society can afford?

Just because something islabelled an “achievement”doesn’t necessarily mean thatit really is one.

Our society is a performance- and

achievement-oriented society, and this

may mislead us into assuming that any

means may be justified when it comes to

reaching a certain goal. More often than

not, this goal will be to obtain short-term

financial success. Trust is usually the

victim here.

This, in turn, will relativise the financial

success in the longer term. Nowadays,

when people talk about achievement,

they are quick to associate it with

efficiency. The more “efficient” anything

is, the better. However, it’s not only the

result that counts. What is equally

important are the means that are

employed – for instance, in order to be

efficient in the longer term. If both the

means and the goal are equitable, then it

is fair to speak of “genuine

achievement”. And, in turn, of

sustainability. And then we can be sure

that this is an achievement that is worthy

of the name – and that has not left a trail

of damage in its wake.

Good business

An interesting book has been published

recently in America, by a notable

Hungarian-born psychologist by the

name of Csikszentmihaly: “Good

business”.

The book is all about this very question:

What makes an entrepreneur a good

entrepreneur? To sum up: A good

entrepreneur is one who owes his

success to fair means rather than foul,

and who does not lose sight of the

underlying positive values and of the

sustainability of his or her achievement.

There are examples. Any number, in fact.

Indeed, this subject is one that is

generating a great deal of discussion in

the field of knowledge management. As

are business ethics in general.

It’s all about realising that achievement

has its limits, so that we don’t overshoot

the goal. About incorporating room for

manoeuvre, and scope for correction.

Rainer Born currently lectures in thetheory and philosophy of science at theUniversities of Vienna and Linz.

Born in 1943 in Mühlhausen, Thuringia.Studied in Innsbruck, readingmathematics, physics, philosophy andpsychology. Like the Austrianphilosopher L. Wittgenstein, Born firsttrained as a primary school teacher.From 1965 until 1972, he taught atsecondary modern and grammarschools. Graduated in 1977 fromGiessen University. Worked at the Centrefor Philosophy and Rudiments ofScience.

Numerous publications.1982/83 research grant at Oxford; work on the semantics of science.1991 postdoctoral lectureshipqualification in Vienna.Since 1997: associate professor atJohannes Kepler University, Linz.

Main areas of work: Philosophy ofscience (ethics and theory of science),knowledge management & businessinformation management, and cognitivescience.

The concept of “achievement” is a many facetted one – andalso a highly individual one. “Achievement” will meansomething slightly different to everyone. Even so,“achievement” will always be about attaining a certain goal. Byaltogether concrete means. What this goal looks like willdepend essentially upon values. Which brings us to thequestion of whether achievement can also be judged onanother level, apart from just the individual one. Or to put itdifferently: Is every achievement necessarily a good thing?


5Cover storyFronius 2004

About encouraging awareness – that the

end does not justify every means, and

that not every goal is worthwhile.

In innovative quality management, one

possible approach seems to be what is

known as “communities of practice”.

This refers to a group of people who

meet to talk with one another.

It sounds simple – and it is. In any event,

it’s also an extremely promising

approach to achieving satisfaction in the

longer term as well: Many different views

on a subject, short information channels,

flexible quality control, scope for rapid

correction. Instead of slavishly “going by

the book” to fulfil certain instructions,

people now talk with one another. And

are expected to think. Have fun. Share

enthusiasm. And creativity. Even if, at

first glance, that may not always remind

us of hard work and high-flying

achievement.

Which takes us back to where we

started. Because not every achievement

where the bottom line looks good in the

short term is truly worthwhile in the long

term. And not everything that seems not

to be worth it at first glance really is not

worthwhile. Fun, knowledge and light-

heartedness all have their part. It really

does “pay” to think along with others.

Especially in this achievement-oriented

society of ours. And that’s an achieve-

ment that we can definitely do with!


6 Cover story

Post-sale customer care – a “fair” achievement

As much as 50 % of potential earnings

may be found in service business.

The results of a recent study, carried out

in late 2003 by Mercer Management

Consulting, a leading international

consultancy, are very much in the same

vein as Prof. Born’s thinking. The study

looked at 200 engineering firms in

Germany. The analysis found that this

sector’s main potential for earnings and

growth lay in its service business.

The lion's share of profits was accounted

for not by sales of new machinery, but by

follow-up business with services such as

diagnosis, maintenance, spare-parts

sales, consulting work, or even by

operating the machinery on behalf of the

client. Here, it is often possible to

achieve operating margins of more than

10 %, compared to margins of only

2.3 % on machinery sales.

However, most companies have scarcely

begun to tap this potential. Firms

wanting to exploit the potential of service

business to the full need to radically

rethink their business model. The main

focus has to be on the downstream

services. Firms need to think long and

hard about how their customers actually

use the machines. What problems do

they solve – and what ones do they

cause?

Also: Apart from the machine technology

itself, what could still be done to help

customers save time, expense or work-

steps?

Rainer Born, too, sees post-sale

customer care as a major theme of

modern knowledge management. In this

connection, Born speaks of value

networks and communities of interest. A

positive human attitude is what is called

for here. Enthusiasm and co-operation –

this is where the real quality of true

achievement may be found.

Source: Mercer study paper:

“Service in mechanical engineering“ –

unused opportunities in the service

business, www.mercermc.de


7Totally R&DFronius 2004

The non-stop Revolution“SERIAL” DIGITAL INNOVATIONS – ONE AFTER THE OTHER

In 1997, Fronius made the international welding community sit up and listen. Thiswas when the “Digital Revolution” caused quite a stir in industry circles, with fullydigitised welding systems being unveiled for the first time ever. With all theirexclusive merits: 100 % reproducibility and maximum precision thanks to themicroprocessor-controlled and digitally regulated welding process. Since then, onedigital highlight has followed hot on the heels of the other.The latest is the TPS 3200: Tailor-made for light-gauge sheet applications or – as avariant – for all chrome-nickel jobs.


8 Totally R&D

Tailor-made for welding light-gauge sheets

For one thing, the new TransPuls

Synergic 3200 closes a gap in the power

output spectrum: Its 320 amps place it

between the TPS with 270 A, and the

400/500 A systems. As well as this,

though, it has been used as the basis for

some made-to-measure solutions.

Equipped with an external wirefeeder,

the TPS 3200 is available for both

manual and robot welding. For manual

welding with the TPS 3200, there are

several different wirefeed systems to

choose from: e.g. enclosed ones for

aluminium applications, open ones for

easy handling, or specially robust ones

for use in shipyards. Robot welding

systems are used mainly on light-gauge

sheets. And it is with this specific

application in mind that a special

welding system has been developed.

It communicates with all common robots,

either via field-bus systems or digital or

analogue interfaces.

Definitely one of its most interesting

components is the new robot welding

torch Robacta MTG 2500/4000:

– QuickSnap-system for mounting and

fixing the gas nozzle quickly; this

ensures that the gas nozzle does not

get detached, e.g. during the cleaning

process

– gas-cooled, and with a separate

shielding-gas channel, it ensures the

very highest process reliability, as well

as reducing shielding-gas consumption

– its sturdy design ensures a precise

welding position (TCP), even at high

torch temperatures

The chrome-nickel specialist

From what started as a “gap filler”

located midway between 270 and

400/500 A, the TPS 3200 has since also

become a chrome-nickel specialist.

Chrome-nickel is a very special material

– with very special properties: It is non-

rusting, and resistant to many aggressive

substances. It is also a sensitive material

that needs to be processed with great

care; a material whose high-grade,

complex nature must not be impaired by

welding. And it is available in many

different high-alloy variants.

Between then and now lie six years of experience. And thefuture still is: digitisation. A path which Fronius has beenconsistently following. The new generation takes theRevolution further forward.

The gas-cooled Robacta MTG 2500/4000 robotwelding torch ensures the very highest processreliability.



Superlative welding properties andreplicable results, over and over again.The digital systems from Fronius permitwelding that is perfect in every regard:

– Fully digitised, microprocessor-controlled and digitally regulatedpower sources.

– Synergic mode for exceptional ease ofoperation. Simply select the materialand the sheet thickness, and thestored know-how will control thewelding process automatically.

– Tailor-made characteristics for allmaterials and processes, together witha pulsed arc that is stable at all times.

– “SyncroPuls” for visually perfect weldrippling and controllable heat input.

– Digital arc-length control: The arclength always remains constant, sothat there is next-to-no weldingspatter, even if the stick-out changes.

Technical data

TPS 3200 / TPS 3200 CrNi

Welding current range 3–320 AWelding current at

10 min / 25°C 85 % d.c. 320 A10 min / 40°C 40 % d.c. 320 A

Dimensions L x W x H mm625 x 290 x 475

Weight 35.6 kg

Digital Revolution

46 optimised characteristics

For this reason, Fronius developed its

TPS 2700/3200/4000 Chrome-Nickel

Edition. Three power output levels are

available: 270, 320 and 400 A, and 46

optimised characteristics – a tailor-made

solution for every possible grade of

material.

For example:

– for similar corrosion-resistant,

martensitic and martensitic-ferritic

rolled, wrought and cast steels, or

– for austenite-ferrite joints,

14 % manganese steels, or

– for flue-gas desulphurisation plants,

seawater desalination plants, cooling

plant and power-station installations in

conjunction with seawater and

brackish water,

– and so on, and so forth.

These pre-programmed characteristics

make for application-typical (and thus

high-precision yet easy) work with solid

wires, flux-cored wires and MIG-brazing.

Chrome-nickel filler metals are generally

very hard. A standard feature, the

powerful 4-roller drive provides smooth

wire travel while the forced-contacting

arrangement ensures reliable current

transfer. In addition, the machines of this

series are multiprocess-capable;

TIG torch connector, TIG Comfort Stop

for perfect weld-ends in TIG welding,

and a gas solenoid valve, are all yet

more standard-setting features. It goes

without saying that these machines also

come with all the other convenience

features brought by the Digital

Revolution.

Fully digital systems, specially tailored forchrome-nickel

4-roller drive for smooth, precision wire travel


10 Totally R&D

How do you clean a welding torch? As

far as possible, without roughening up

the gas nozzle or covering it in

scratches. With steel, this functions

superbly with the Robacta Touchless

Cleaner. But on soft aluminium?

Fortunately, at Fronius we take a

refreshingly different approach to things.

You see, the Fronius people started by

asking: What could we do to stop the

spatter clinging so tightly in the first

place? And so we gave the gas nozzle a

special coating. Now the spatter adheres

much less tightly.

With the result that now, the gas nozzle

can also be cleaned with a soft brush,

and the spatter gently wiped away. BMW

has tested the Robacta Reamer Alu

Edition, and already deployed its first 35

units! Other manufacturers are currently

testing it – the initial feedback is

exceedingly positive.

6000 operating hoursTHE IMPROVED COOLANT PUMP HAS 3 TIMES THE LIFESPAN OF A NEW CAR

Clean as a whistle!

If the welding process is to be stable

and of high quality, the cooling system

for the torch has to be good. Fronius

have now gone and made it even better.

The improved coolant pump manages

approximately 6000 operating hours. By

way of comparison: A new car is

designed for around 2000 hours’

operation.

This remarkable achievement has been

made possible by the use of innovative

components:

– pump impellers made of heavy-duty

plastic

– high-grade sliding-ring seal system

– improved start-up behaviour of both

the motor and the pump

This gives the pump impellers better fric-

tion characteristics and slideability - they

are now immune to crevice corrosion,

run far more quietly and are longer-lived.

OR: CLEANING WELDINGTORCHES THE FRONIUSWAY – WITH THE ROBACTAREAMER ALU EDITION

Gas-nozzle cleaning results compared:Top: Cleaned with the Robacta Reamer Alu EditionBottom: Cleaned using a conventional milling cutter



A speciality for stringent specificationsPLASMA WELDING, ALL FROM FRONIUS

Among automated weldingprocesses, plasma weldingalmost ranks as the “kinglydiscipline”. Not so muchbecause of being difficult tohandle, as because its resultsare so impressive: On manymetals, the concentrated arcresults in absolute freedomfrom porosity, and thickmaterials are welded with onlya single pass in a very shortspace of time.

Plasma welding is nothing new. And

certainly not for Fronius. In recent years,

however, high-grade, highly demanding

metallic materials have become much

more widespread in the field of light-

gauge sheets, leading to tougher

demands being made of the welding

process. Fronius has responded. Now

every Fronius digital power source can

be turned into a complete plasma

welding system, by retrofitting it with the

special “PlasmaModul”. All the other

equipment needed comes from Fronius,

too: from the robot interface to the newly

developed PTW 1500 robot plasma

torch.

Plasma brazing is the future inthe automobile industry

Various tests of plasma brazing are

currently underway at noted automotive

manufacturers’ and subcontractors’, as it

is expected to offer significant

advantages over MIG brazing: Less

spatter, or even none at all; better seam

appearance; zinc vaporisation is

minimised.

A further application is plasma keyhole

welding. This is used mainly in the

construction of tanks and vessels,

pipeline-building and apparatus

engineering. Materials up to 10 mm thick

can be welded in a single pass, without

laborious weld-seam preparation. The

high power density acting on the

workpiece brings about a small weld-

pool and thus a narrower heat-affected

zone.

Elements needed in plasma brazing:

1 FPM plasma module 2 TransPuls Synergic 4000 power source3 VR 7000 wirefeeder4 PTW 1500 plasma machine torch5 TIG Robot Drive cold-wire feed6 TransPocket 1500 RC HD power source7 Field bus module

Basic components of a plasma welding torchSample configuration

Hot-wirepower source

Plasma gas

Shielding gas

High-frequency

Power source

Resistance


12 Brief and to the point

The TechGuide 2004 is now out

The new TechGuide has been available

since March of this year. The CD-Rom

TechGuide is an important digital

information system for all Fronius

distribution and service partners. Right

from the very earliest editions, the

TechGuide soon established itself as an

indispensable daily reference tool. It

contains all information on all current

products from the Welding Technology

Division. In a 2 CD set, the TechGuide

2004 offers more than 2500 items of

technical documentation, 650

illustrations of optional components, PC

programs and software for welding

machinery. The TechGuide can also be

accessed on the Internet:

Distribution and service partners can

always get hold of the very latest edition

at http://www.fronius.com/techguide

Solar electronics: MIX forhigher energy input

Photovoltaic inverters work best under

high load. At Central European latitudes,

however, inverters often run in the

partial-load operational range, which

means lower efficiency. Now the Solar

Electronics Division has caused a stir

with its latest innovation: The new IG

models work with the MIX concept

(Master Inverter X-change): Having two

power modules in the same unit ensures

that even at lower loads, the efficiency is

considerably higher. When insolation is

low, only one of the two power modules

will be working, meaning that it can run

in a higher partial-load range.

“Little pencils for little hands”

This is the motto under which Fronius

initiated a social project for an

Argentinean school. Fronius people

collected used school materials: pencils,

crayons, rulers, paper, erasers, pencil

sharpeners etc. The idea came from

Rosa Fracchin, wife of the Fronius

distribution partner in Argentina, and it

was she who co-ordinated the project on

the ground.

“The economic situation in Argentina is a

disaster”, says Rosa Fracchin. “There are

many people who can’t give their

children a thing.” The school gives its

350 pupils a breakfast and a mid-

morning snack every day – even in the

holidays.

Reconstruction aid forearthquake victims in Iran

From 24th to 27th January 2004, Austrian

President Thomas Klestil visited Iran,

accompanied by a delegation of over

100 business leaders. Fronius was

among them. The theme of the first day

of the state visit was earthquake relief

following the Bam disaster. A concrete

project was presented: A school for 1000

children, together with a boarding-hostel.

As an initial contribution, Klestil handed

over a cheque for 150,000 euros,

consisting of donations from the

Chamber of Commerce and the members

of the delegation. Fronius made

donations both in cash and in kind: 1000

euros and 15 TransPocket 1500’s.

News

Fronius IG: Suitable for every type of panelDigital information system update is now out Helping kids at school


13Brief and to the pointFronius 2004

Peak performance on theParis-Dakar Rally

The legendary Paris-Dakar Rally:

11,052 km. Longest stretch between

filling stations: 1,200 km. This calls for

special petrol (gasoline) tanks.

The Czech motorcycle team has

partnered with Fronius to develop a

solution: Three extra aluminium fuel

tanks were welded. Using a MagicWave

2200. The Austrian sport motor-bike

specialist KTM, another “regular” on the

Paris-Dakar Rally, has also relied on

Fronius for years. This year, a

MagicWave 1700 accompanied the

American Red Bull KTM-Team just in

case any repairs became necessary.

Including a 24-hour service guarantee.

Implementation of thedistribution and serviceprocess with 7 teams

In 2000, Fronius launched a

comprehensive distribution and service

project under the acronym “F.I.R.S.T.”. A

great deal of hard work has gone into

this concept, which was approved by

Management in September 2003.

The first 7 sales and service teams are

now in the implementation phase:

Dresden, Leipzig, Hengersberg,

Trostberg and Munich (Germany),

Innsbruck (Austria), Metz (France). The

next teams are currently being planned.

The “Distribution and Service Process”

(VSP, to give it its German initials) is

more and more becoming part of our

everyday lives. Because of it, Fronius

clients enjoy highly capable service “on

the spot”.

Czech Republic: FDI destination Number 1 for the car industry

For Europe’s automobile and automotive

vendor industry, the Czech Republic is

the top destination. Since 1990, the

Czech automobile industry has received

just short of 7 billion euros of foreign

direct investment. In the industrial estate

outside the provincial city of Kolin, for

instance, some major component

suppliers have clustered around TPCA, a

joint venture between Toyota and PSA.

From 2005 onwards, 300,000 sub-

compact cars will be dispatched from

here every year. The component vendor

firms are expected to have an “on the

spot” presence. Fronius has been an

active player in the Czech Republic

since as early as 1991, with one

production facility and five sales

locations.

Battery charger developed for BMW motorbike

In the summer of 2003, BMW

approached Fronius with a request to

develop a battery charger for its new

2004 series of motorbike models. In an

industry “first”, the models of this series

will incorporate a central vehicle

electronics module with which the

charger can communicate via the on-

board voltage socket. Among other

things, this module also monitors the

charge status of the battery and

communicates the relevant information

to the charger. Fronius moved quickly – it

took only half a year from when the

client first enquired until the finished

product was delivered.

A challenge – innovatively solved Specially developed for BMW motorbikes: A charger that communicates with the vehicleelectronics module

High-calibre service, thanks to a new concept


14 Case study

Don’t just talk about it. Do it.SPECIAL WELDING SOLUTIONS FOR KLINGER ALU-LEICHTBAU’S NEW BALL-TYPE SHUT-OFF VALVE

The Klinger company built theworld’s first ball-valve back in1955. A shut-off device thathas since become a standardfitting in industry. Now it isdeveloping a new ball-valvefor use in district heatingsystems. Extremely stringentspecifications have to befulfilled here: The fitting has tobe 100% welded, for safetyreasons, and is then weldeddirectly into the pipeline. Adifficult assignment, for whichKlinger looked for – and found– a partner.

Helmut Loidl, Head of R&D at Klinger

Fluid Control, went to see Fronius. The

first meeting: Explaining the problem. Ten

minutes into the meeting, the customer

adviser called a welding technologist,

who joined them at the table two minutes

later. After another 30 minutes of

intensive discussion and deliberation,

they had sketched out the rough outlines

of a solution. Including new framework

conditions and an agreed procedure.

“Now that’s what I call customer care!”,

says Helmut Loidl. “Instead of going on

and on about all the great things their

company can do, they just get straight

down to business.” And Loidl continues:

“I can tell if someone’s an expert after the

first couple of sentences. This meeting

was a real pleasure.”

The challenge

Some very special demands are made of

the fittings used in district heating

systems. Media pressures of as much as

22 bar and temperatures of 160˚C are

the norm here. 20-year utilisation periods

are much more the rule than the

exception. Due to the water and the high

loads, the welds are susceptible to

corrosion. To prevent this happening, all

the seams must be completely through-

welded, so as to forestall crevice

corrosion and the resulting weak points.

Not only the final capping pass has to be

welded cleanly, but also complete root

fusion is essential if the fitting is to

function correctly.

The second big difficulty is that all the

fittings have to be welded into the

pipeline. Threaded joints – and thus

seals – are avoided wherever possible,

for every threaded joint is a potential

weak spot. A shut-off valve must be

dependably watertight, both to the

outside and in the valve passage, for

many years at a stretch. With

requirements like these, it is inevitable

that welds of the very highest quality are

called for.

Test-welds on a prototype

This, then, was the problem that Klinger

approached Fronius with. The outlines of

a solution began to take shape right

after the very first meeting. Klinger built

prototypes and came back with them to

Fronius in Wels, where test-welds were

carried out in the Technology Centre.

The outcome was that two different

welding processes are needed here: The

root pass is best welded with cold-wire

using TIG, followed by the final capping

pass with MAG. As well as being reliable,

this is also cost-effective. Even these

first test-welds gave Klinger all it needed

to make rough costings and to work out

what its future productivity would be.

This phase of co-operation also led to a

reasonable idea of what shape the

necessary equipment might take.

Now new valve bodies are being built

with a view to carrying out yet more test-

welds, and to making the development

work increasingly concrete.

The Austrian company Klinger Fluid

Control, from Gumpoldskirchen near

Vienna, is an internationally renowned

specialist for industrial valves and

fittings. Its main area of expertise is in

district heating and distribution

networks. In 2003, Klinger posted

revenues of 31 m euros. The firm has a

workforce of 180, 10 of them in R&D.

And here too, according to Helmut Loidl,

the motto clearly applies: “Don’t just talk

about it. Do it.”


15Case studyFronius 2004

Technical finesse:

The Klinger Monolith is a specialdistrict-heating valve for sub-surfaceinstallation.

In this application, pre-fabricated systemcomponents, consisting of the steelfitting and thermal insulation, are weldedinto the pipeline. The fitting must havehigh compressive loadability on bothsides, and be insensitive to soiling. Thisis what makes a ball-valve so suitablefor this application.Being designed for sub-surfaceinstallation, moreover, it has to meet themost stringent specifications regardingtensile and compressive loading of thevalve body.

Example:Valve fitting, nominal width 100 mm,must still be possible to actuate reliablyunder a tensile load of 204 kN (20.4 tonnes). 100% tight sealing in thevalve passage is essential, of course.For as long as 20 years. This is whydistrict-heating operators do not allowbolted joints. And why all-welded fittingsare used instead. The stringent technicalspecifications also apply to the welds,which – on top of everything else – haveto be economical to produce, as well!


Lufttechnik Gransee:Productive and versatile

31 people now work at the Brandenburg(N.E. Germany) site of the internationallyactive company Lufttechnik GranseeGmbH.Managing Director Hans-Ulrich Arndtbanks on client-orientation, coupled withefficiency and cost consciousness. Thisis why 20 members of staff work inproduction, assembly and service inGransee, or out at clients'. Only sixpeople, including the Management,share the work of planning, operationsscheduling, clerical processing,purchasing and distribution. In 2002,Lufttechnik Gransee posted revenues ofaround EUR 3 m.Ventilation, de-aeration and dustexhausting equipment, and completeprocess-air installations (for extractinggases, vapours and wood-chips) are thecompany's main speciality..

Active Wave:More peace and quiet atthe workplace

In the Fronius-developed Active Wavetechnology, the integrated digital signalprocessor continuously calculates theoperating point that will result in thelowest noise emissions, yet whileensuring optimum arc stability.Computed by the power source in realtime, this waveform keeps the noiselevel below 80 dbA - even at maximumamperage. For the user, the result of thisis a more exact "welding by ear", andquieter – and thus less stressful –working conditions.

16 Case study

A decision for flexibilityDIGITAL WELDING TECHNOLOGY FOR UNIVERSALUTILISATION

Resolutely seeking out marketniches, and respondingflexibly to clients and theirrequirements – this is therecipe for success followedby the medium-sizedmetalworking firm “LufttechnikGransee”. In the company, alarge share of value-addition –more than 20 % – isaccounted for by welding.Flexibility is a key selectioncriterion here, for both theservice partners and the toolsthemselves. In view of theincreased need for top-qualityweld seams, this led to thedecision to use the digitalMagicWave 1700 universalTIG welding system fromFronius.

High-alloy special steel sheets,

galvanised and uncoated black steel and

aluminium are the basic materials used.

For technical and quality reasons,

Managing Director Jürgen Arndt judges

welding to be the single most important

processing step. A graduate engineer,

Arndt is delighted with the technical

possibilities opened up by the new fully

digitised welding system MagicWave

1700: “Now we can weld all the different

materials that we use with one and the

same system. The equipment is very

easy to handle, and this makes us

mobile in terms of different workplace

locations. They’ve got lots of new

functions which help us get better

results and save valuable labour time”.

Arndt is also very satisfied with the

price/performance ratio and the advice

and service he has received.

Active Wave technology constitutes a

decisive innovation. It ensures optimum

arc stability during the welding process,

at the same time as very low noise

emissions – with welds of uniformly high

quality as a result. In the TAC function –

for tacking – a pulsating current is

superimposed upon the background

current, causing both weld-pools to

oscillate and to briefly run together in a

carefully targeted manner. In this way,

the user can work without filler metal –

more quickly, more economically and

more reliably.

5 50 100 150 220 A

90

80

70

60

Noise volume from conventional inverters

Reduced noise volume from Active Wave

dbA



From the workshop perspective, Arndt

points out how much less stressful it is

to work with the MagicWave: “As well as

giving us greater process reliability, the

one hundred program locations also give

us more flexibility in the work processes.

What this means is that the welders can

always call up data for repetitive jobs,

and that enough program locations are

left over for specialities.”

Lufttechnik Gransee takes sheets of various steel and non-ferrous metals, andturns them into components or complete installations for use in the industrialand building services engineering fields.


18 Case study

For all its many successes inthe field of aluminium welding,Fronius has not forgotten thatthe welding of CrNi steels isalso calling out forinnovations. Hence the CrNiEdition, now making its markin the CrNi steel field. Reasonenough to take a closer lookat this widespread group ofmaterials:

Joining high-alloy CrNi steels is similar

to aluminium welding in that it is a very

exacting task. However, it is even more

wide-ranging in terms of the sheer

variety of applications. 80 % of CrNi

steels are found in everyday objects.

This is why Fronius has now followed its

Alu-Edition with a second special series

of its innovative digital welding systems.

The CrNi Edition.

An everyday thing ... but withmore to it than meets the eye.

Martensite

Austenite

Austenitic-ferritic

microstructure

(duplex /

super-duplex)

Ferrite

Chromium (Cr), carbon (C)

Soft martensite: Nickel (Ni) replaces C

Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni),

molybdenum (Mo)

Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni),

molybdenum (Mo)

(higher Cr and lower Ni contents

than in austenite)

Chromium

Turbine blades, pump components, piston rods, valve faces

Soft martensite: Reactor technology, rocket engineering, aviation

Standard austenite: Wine vats, cooling tanks, swimming pools,

façade construction, architecture

Full austenite: for high resistance to corrosion and low

temperatures

Chemical apparatus engineering, heat exchangers exposed to

coolants containing chloride, offshore engineering. In general,

where the weldment is subjected to corrosion and tensile stresses

at the same time.

Household appliances, exhaust and flue gas systems, vehicle

frames and bodywork

Classification of CrNi steels

The family of CrNi steels is a very extensive one. These steels are classified with reference

to criteria such as microstructure, main alloying elements, and typical utilisations.

NON-RUSTING STEELS ANDTHE DEMANDS THEY MAKEOF WELDINGTECHNOLOGY..

Microstructure Main alloying elements Typical utilisations



Base metal 1

Prone to hot cracking at over 1250˚C

Grain growth at over 1150˚C

Prone to hardening flaws at below 400˚C

Embrittlement after temperature stressing

at between 500°C and 900˚C

A = austenite F = ferrite M = martensiteG.2

G.1

Z.

Base metal 2 Filler metal

The Schaeffler diagram

The Schaeffler diagram provides

information on the welding properties of

the various types of microstructure, as a

function of what alloying elements they

contain. Let us now take a closer look at

how it is used:

The Schaeffler diagram is indispensable

in the case of “dissimilar” joins. By these

we mean welded joins between higher-

grade CrNi steel and low-cost structural

steel. What we are trying to find here is

the correct dilution. This is the right

input of filler metal into the base metal.

As an example on which to perform a

dilution calculation, we shall refer to a

container clad in a high-alloy

microstructure steel. The load-bearing

members are made of lower-alloy

structural steel.

To use the Schaeffler diagram,

proceed as follows:

1. Enter the chromium equivalents for

both base metals, and for the filler

metal, in the horizontal co-ordinate

axis of the Schaeffler diagram.

2. Enter the nickel equivalents for both

base metals, and for the filler metal, in

the vertical co-ordinate axis.

3. For each of the materials, this will

result in a corresponding point.

4. Link up the two points for the higher

and lower-alloy material by drawing a

line between them

(= the “amalgamation line”).

5. Find the mid-point on the

amalgamation line. This point

corresponds to the composition

without filler metal (martensite: risk of

hardening-flaws at under 400°C). For

this reason, it is necessary to ensure

that the correct proportion of filler

metal is admixtured.

6. Join the mid-point of the

amalgamation line to the point for the

filler metal (= the dilution line).

7. Between the “filler metal point” and

the “amalgamation line mid-point”,

divide up the dilution line into 10

equal parts (10 %, 20 %,... 100 %).

8. Find the “optimum point” on the

dilution line. Wherever possible, this

point should be in the area outside all

the marked zones (“white patch”).

9. From the dilution diagram, read off

which welding process approximates

most closely to the percentage for the

“optimum point”. This welding

process will then achieve the right

dilution.

Submerged-arc strip/TIG hot-wire 8-20 %TIG 15-100 %Rod electrode, rutile 15-25 %Rod electrode, basic 20-30 %MAG 20-40 %MAG pulsed arc 10-30 %Submerged-arc wire 30-50 %

Dilution: 90 70 50 30 10 %

Schaeffler diagram

Chromium equivalent = % Cr + % Mo + 1.5* % Si + 0.5* % Nb

Nic

kel

equ

ival

ent

= %

Ni

+ 3

0* %

C +

0.5

* %

Mn


20 The company

What does “achievement”really mean nowadays? In thisera of ours whereimprovements – “jumps inperformance” – are onlypossible at the margins?Because everybody canalready do everything. Andbecause everything is now sopowerful, fast, good, orwhatever. Or maybe it really isabout becoming just a little bitbetter still? Well, what is it allabout, then? Klaus Froniussees uniqueness as being akey to real achievement.

This is not his attempt to come up with

an exact and universally valid definition

of “achievement”. He cannot do this, nor

does he want to. Rather, he wants to

outline an aspect that is of great

importance to him and to his company.

On being quizzed about this subject,

plenty of examples of “achievement”

occur to him straight away. And they’ve

all got one thing in common: They can’t

be copied. Like Austria's Hermann Maier,

for example. The racing skier, badly

injured in a motor-bike crash, who spent

a whole long summer training his body

back into such peak form that he – and

only he – won the 2004 World Cup. Now

that is “achievement” – of the sort that

nobody else can manage.

For Klaus Fronius, a product has to differ

markedly from others – has to be unique.

With the term “product”, for him,

covering many different things: a building

block in the internal communications

concept, for example, or an advertising

folder, or a power source, or a measure

taken in the financial field, or the

company's organisational structure....

Wherever you look, there is scope to be

unmistakable. Of course, there are also

things that definitely count as positive

achievements, even if they may not be in

quite the same category as the examples

we’ve mentioned. Writing the minutes of

a meeting, for instance. This can’t

always be “innovative” and markedly

different from any other set of minutes.

In this context, “achievement” simply

means “capability”. Being capable of

doing something. Doing it properly. And

doing it well. Achievement begins in the

mind.

For our minds are home not only to the

ideas that are waiting to be carried out,

but also to our willpower, our knowledge,

our motivation, our educational

attainment, our passions etc. All these

things are components that have to be in

place before we can achieve anything.

And they are all components that are

unique in the individual per se.

Let’s take a Fronius machine as an

example. If competitors try to dismantle

it, analyse it and build a replica, what

they end up with is not the same

achievement at all. Because achievement

cannot simply be replicated here.

Because achievement is a product of

people’s minds, and one that was carried

out accordingly. And the mind is

impossible to look inside. In the same

way, you can’t “see” a product like this

by taking a Fronius machine and

dismantling it. It remains unmistakable.

In order for achievements like this to be

possible in a large company, people

need to be given room to think and act

on their own initiative, and to relate to

one another in an open and sincere way.

This is “achievement” as Klaus Fronius

understands it – and these are the very

things that you’ll find at Fronius.

Sporting achievement as a group-dynamicexperience. Fronius was prominently representedat the Linz Marathon, in the form of two relayteams running with Klaus Fronius.

Knowing how to be unmistakable.FOR KLAUS FRONIUS, “ACHIEVEMENT” HAS A LOT TO DO WITH ORIGINALITY


21The companyFronius 2004


22 Travel tip

With its population of 1.6 m, Brisbane

today is Australia’s third-largest city,

after Sydney and Melbourne, and its

fastest growing one. Brisbane is an

extremely young and progressive sort of

place, the average age being only 33.

Brisbane is also a typical riverside city.

Culture capital

Located in south-eastern Queensland,

Brisbane clearly ranks as the cultural

centre of the entire region, with its

dozens of theatres, cinemas, concert

halls, art galleries and museums. Most of

these are in the downtown district, which

extends along and between the many

bends of the winding Brisbane river.

Incidentally, the river is also a public

transport artery, being plied by a fleet of

sleek high-speed catamarans known as

“CityCats”.

Just a brief look at Brisbane’s calendar

of events is enough to see what a lively

cultural life the city enjoys: Greek

Festival, International Film Festival, Wine

Festival, Jazz Festival, yacht racing,

Harbour Rhythms, Parade, River Festival,

etc.

The outdoor paradise

Sub-tropical climate, large areas of

parkland, nature reserves, the Brisbane

River, Moreton Bay and its islands –

Brisbane is really a city to enjoy

outdoors. From guided walking tours

through the wilderness to all conceivable

types of water-sports, to river cruises.

A city luxuriatesFRONIUS SETS SAIL FOR BRISBANE

Brisbane, Australia. A city thatis currently a byword forluxury. For it is here that oneof the world’s most exclusiveyachts is under construction –a megayacht with an overalllength of over 40 m. Froniusis also on board ....


23Travel tipFronius 2004

No wonder that this is the birthplace of

the world's finest yachts.

Shipworks Brisbane

Brisbane, then, is a prime venue for

stylish living. Indeed, for luxury – and

one of the first addresses here is that of

Shipworks Brisbane. For this company’s

products epitomise luxury. With its latest

megayacht, currently under construction,

Shipworks aims once again not only to

meet the exacting demands of its

clientèle, but also to set a new

benchmark for luxury craftsmanship and

exclusivity. This perfectionist approach

led to some unusual activities even

before work on the yacht began:

Specially for this megayacht, two of the

biggest construction sheds in the world

were built first. The mighty hull of the

ship necessitated this. Ultimately, an

over 40 metre long megayacht like this

obeys only its own dimensions.

And there is something else about the

constructional design of this ship that is

of cardinal importance: This luxurious

yacht is being built strictly to ABS

(American Bureau of Shipping)

Standards. Accordingly, reliance is being

placed on high-tech products, in all

areas. Which is why the Australian

shipbuilders knew that only the best and

most advanced welding systems would

do. And why they opted unequivocally

for Fronius. When it came to quality,

then, Australia and Austria were instantly

of one mind!

Working as the general contractor,

Shipworks Brisbane makes its

superyachts and megayachts from

aluminium; the components are welded

with 1.2 mm AlMg4.5 wire under argon.

Since embarking so successfully on its

megayacht series, Shipworks Brisbane

has been using the following welding

systems from Fronius:

– 28 VarioStar 457’s

– 10 TransPuls Synergic 4000’s

– 5 TransPuls Synergic 2700’s

– 2 MagicWave 3000’s

– 5 TransPocket 1500 TIG’s

– 2 TransPocket 1500’s

A success for Fronius that owes a lot to

the dedicated work put in by Fronius’ Aus-

tralian distribution partner Paul England.


FRONIUS INTERNATIONAL GMBH • Buxbaumstrasse 2 • A 4600 Wels • Tel: +43 7242 241-0 • Fax: +43 7242 241-394 • E-Mail: [email protected] VERTRIEB ÖSTERREICH • Tel: +43 7242 241-310 • Fax: +43 7242 241-349 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS DO BRASIL • Av. Senador Vergueiro, 3260 • Vila Tereza• Sao Bernado do Campo- SP • CEP: 09600-00 • Tel: +011 4368 3355 • Fax: +011 4177 3660 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS CESKÁ REPUBLIKA S.R.O. • V Olsinách 1022/42 • CZ 100 00 Praha 10 • Tel: +420 2 72 74 23 69 • Fax: +420 2 72 73 81 45 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS FRANCE SARL • 13 avenue Félix Louat-B.P. 195 • F 60306 Senlis Cedex • Tel: +33 3 44 63 80 00 • Fax: +33 3 44 63 80 01 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH • Liebigstrasse 15 • D 67661 Kaiserslautern • Tel: +49 631 351 27-0 • Fax: +49 631 351 27-30 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS NORGE AS • Tegleverksvn., Aaserud Ind. område • N 3057 Solbergelva • Tel: +47 32 23 20 80 • Fax: +47 32 23 20 81 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS CESKÁ REPUBLIKA S.R.O. • Nitrianska 5 • SK 91701 Trnava • Tel: +421 33 590 75 11 • Fax: +421 33 590 75 99 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS SCHWEIZ AG • Oberglatterstrasse 11 • CH 8153 Rümlang • Tel: +41 1 817 99 44 • Fax: +41 1 817 99 55 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS FACKEL GMBH • S.Knjashitschi • Browarskogo R-NA • Kiewskaya OBL.; 07455 • Tel: +380 4494 627 68 • Fax: +380 4494 627 67 • E-Mail: [email protected]

FRONIUS USA LLC • Business Center-Eagle One • 10503 Citation Drive • Suite 600 Brighton • Michigan 48116 USA • Tel: +1 810 220 4414 • Fax: +1 810 220 4424 • E-Mail: [email protected]

You can find the addresses of our international distribution partners at www.fronius.com/addresses

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Austria

Brazil

Czech Republic

France

Germany

Norway

Slovakia

Switzerland

Ukraine

USA

www.fronius.com


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