AFRICAN FUSION—MARCH2014
35
Welding and cutting
I
n collaboration with the joining-
technology development department
atAudi AG, Froniushasachieveda fun-
damental advance in the CMT brazing
process. With its patented new shape
gas nozzle, CMT Braze+makes even
higher brazing speeds possible.
Initial applications of the new pro-
cess in theautobody shopsat Audi have
demonstrated thatevenunder real series-
production conditions, robot-assisted
brazing speeds of up to 3,0m/min are
feasible. The resultingbrazed seams are
flat and clean,making CMTBraze+ es-
peciallysuitable forareasofuse inwhich
seam appearance is essential.
Theextremelynarrow, conical shape
of the newly developed gas nozzle
causes the shielding gas to emerge at
high speed. This, in turn, constricts the
arc and so allows brazing to be carried
outmore rapidly. At the same time, gas
consumption can be decreased by as
muchas60%compared tostandardarc
processes, tobetween3,0and5,0 ℓ/min.
What ismore, thehigh flowvelocityand
the optimised design of the torchmake
forhighcoolingcapacity,which improves
dutycycles.CMTBraze+ thereforecosts
less to procure and operate than any
previous generation processes.
The modified CMT process has
already established itself in practice as
a highly efficient solution. By chang-
ing over from plasma brazing to the
modifiedCMTBraze+process in series
productionof itsAudiA7,Audi hasbeen
able to boost brazing speeds from 2,5
m/min to3,0m/min,while significantly
lowering its costs.
The process can also easily be
adopted by anyone who already owns
a Fronius CMT system. The specially
developed torch body and an adapted
arc characteristic are all it takes to be
able to use the new process.
Developed by Fronius in collaborationwith Audi AG, CMT
Braze is being used in series production of the Audi A7.
(Picture source: Audi AG).
Faster brazingwithmodified CMT process
A
successful business is one that
canwholly depend on its suppli-
ers to provide a smooth, dependable
and workable service. Weldamax
(Pty) Ltd has found just such an alli-
ance in Air Products South Africa, a
leadingmanufacturer anddistributor
of industrial and specialty gases.
For Weldamax, a supplier of
brandedweldingproducts to industry,
itsalliancewithAirProductshasbeen
a key part of the company’s growth
and successful customer order fulfil-
ment.
“In supplying welding machines
for various processes, it was critical
for us to have a reliable gas partner
in order to fulfil our obligations to our
customers for providing a total ser-
vice,” saysThomasTaljaard, business
development manager atWeldamax.
“Air Products has consistently
delivered on its promises regarding
the delivery and security of our gas
supply,” Taljaard maintains. Since
stepping into the breach when Wel-
damax urgently required gas on a
publicholiday inMay2007,AirProd-
ucts has continually demonstrated a
flexible, solutions-oriented approach,
where nothing is too much trouble,
according to Taljaard.
“We have developed a solid
working relationshipwithAirProducts
over the years, and this is based on a
good organisational cultural fit – we
work together to solve problems, and
find a way forward. The approach is
to mutually resolve an issue and get
Air Products SA: a secure supply partner to
Weldamax
Sean Young, welding specialist at Air
Products.
NewMIG consumables
T
weco, a Victor Technologies brand,
has introduced its new VelocityMIG
consumables platform, which is inte-
grated into the newTweco Fusion series
of light-dutyMIG guns.
Thenon-threaded, ‘drop-in’ styleVe-
locity contact tip eliminates the need to
usevice-gripsorother tools to remove the
tip, even if thewireburnsbackand fuses
inside the tip. TheVelocity consumables
design integrates thegasdiffuser into the
conductor tube.Thiscreatesan improved
all-copper conductor path that provides
betterelectricalconductivityand transfers
heatmoreefficientlyaway from the tip.As
a result, thearcbecomesmorestableand
predictable. “Velocity consumables pro-
videsmootherarccharacteristics, reduce
weld spatter and make it easier for the
operator to control the arc,” says David
Wilton,vicepresident–weldingproducts.
“Thisdesigneliminates thehassleassoci-
ated with burn backs, as operators can
change contact tips in seconds instead
of fighting to remove a threaded tip.
“Our field trials presented great results,
across a broad cross-section of welders,
fromDIY’ers to qualifiedwelders,” adds
RossFleischman, seniorbrandmanager.
In addition, Velocity consumables
reduce thenumber of replacement parts
needed. Ina traditionalMIGgun, the front
end consists of a conductor tube, brass
gasdiffuser, threadedcontact tipandslip
onnozzle.Velocityconsumables integrate
the gas diffuser/contact tip seating area
into the end of the conductor tube. A
threaded nozzle secures the contact tip
against the seating area, and it also di-
rectsandsmoothesshieldinggas flow for
excellentgascoverageof theweldpuddle.
on with business. Air Products has a
commitment to customer service and
our regularmeetingswith themensure
that our supply chain runs smoothly
and our order fulfilment rate is at an
optimum.”
ForSeanYoung,weldingspecialist
at Air Products, ensuring that there is
capacity iscrucial inmeetingcustom-
er requirements. “Customers such as
Weldamax require adequate volumes
of a given gas or gasmixture – that is
a pivotal part of their own customer
offering. Air Products prides itself on
security of supply and our innovative
supply modes, such as Mini- and
Maxitanks help to ensure capacity
and on-going supply. In addition, we
can also guarantee purity of product
and that it conforms to the American
Welding Society (AWS).”
Taljaard concludes: “With Air
Products we have a total partner-
ship based on a quality product,
consistent order fulfilment andagood
cultural fit. It was the best move we
ever made.”
