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PRO
News
Kemppi customer magazine
2011
EN
Raising PRODUCTIVITY
Better results with Wise-
WELDING PROCESSES
Quick and easy WELDING
MECHANISATION
Robotic welding to the power
of two: TANDEM TCS SYSTEM

Wise decisions
create a more productive result
Manage welding skill, productivity and quality
WISE products are welding software solutions, enabling levels of
welding performance that otherwise would be impossible to achieve
with standard MIG/MAG welding process. Use Wise products for
enhanced root closure, constant power management, automated
arc length control and precise thin sheet welding. Compatible with
FastMig synergic and KempArc automation equipment. Order a site
demonstration and see the arc difference!
www.kemppi.com

editorial
One of the
best ways to
foresee the
future is to
create it
Anssi Rantasalo
CEO
Year 2010 was a big success for Kemppi. We returned to the growth
track and made progress in many areas. Our new subsidiary in
Chennai, India was started and our entry to new areas like tailored
arc welding processes (Wise), robotized Tandem-welding and
automatic MagTrac-welding carriages created a lot of interest
around the world. We sincerely thank all our customer and
business partners, as well as the Kemppi staff for creating this
success with us.
Many important events take place in different parts of the world right now. The tsunami
and the nuclear disaster that followed in Japan are re-shaping energy policies
all over the world. There is unrest and uprising in many Arab countries based on demands
for democracy. In Europe the main challenge is linked with financial problems
of some Euro countries. All this has an impact on the general economic development
and growth expectations. Uncertainty about the future is increasing again.
A few years ago I read Stephen R. Covey’s book:”7 Habits of Highly Effective People”,.
The author advises to focus on things that one can influence (”The Circle of Influence”)
and to worry less about things that will happen anyway (“The Circle of Concern”). This
is a good piece of advice right now, and here at Kemppi we follow it in many ways. We
believe that our future competitiveness depends on investments that we make today.
We have just finalized a three-year and 25 M€ investment program and taken into
use the latest extension to our main assembly plant here in Lahti. It was our target to
increase the productivity by a minimum of 10% and this target has been reached and
in fact exceeded. This year we’ll employ new people to meet the needs of our R&D&I
and Sales & Marketing activities and the number of our international staff continues
to increase, especially on the developing markets in Russia, India and China.
We believe that productivity is the main challenge also for our welding customers
when they strive for increased competitiveness on global markets. We want to be a
part of this development and actively contribute to increased welding productivity.
This is why we have opened a new business unit called Welding Management Solutions
(WMS). This group of experts will focus on developing and commercialising new tools
and service concepts to support further development of welding production.
This year we will also launch exiting new products. The Minarc Evo series introduced
in Hannover at the end of last year has entered the market and in September we’ll see
a great step forward in compact MIG/MAG equipment. In the meantime our magazine
offers interesting reading and also a glimpse to the future…
Enjoy your reading!
Kemppi ProNews 2011
3

9Light mechanisation
delivers efficiency – and
better ergonomics.
of the most talkedabout
current topics
19one
is virtual welding. It
enables significant savings
of time and money in basic
welding training.
last few years
have seen MIG/
22The
MAG welding power
source development create an
opportunity to develop more
and more multifunctional
equipment.
is an internationally
recognised and widely used
27Deltabeam
product for many kinds of
construction. Several challenges have
been overcome in its manufacture.
Content
Editorial
One of the best ways to foresee the future is to create it 3
Briefly 5
Innovation
ProTrainer trains champions in the virtual world 19
Four arc tools every welder should have 22
Viewpoint
Anticipate, innovate and communicate about the future 18
Other topics
MagTrac never gets tired − even on long longitudinal welds 12
Numerus rerum! New Minarc Evo family 13
Tandem MIG/MAG welding was reborn 16
Welding gave Katja a new life 30
Was skating invented in Finland 33
Kemppi Oy Subsidiaries 35
Kemppi Oy Sales Offices 35
The cover shows two ship-to-shore cranes belonging to Konecranes company, waiting for transport to the operator. These cranes are manufactured in
Hanko by Levator, who have also participated in development of the Kemppi MagTrac welding carriages. Mechanised welding is utilised in many stages
of manufacturing the main girders of the cranes. Photo by Petri Metsola, Levator Oy.
.
Kemppi ProNews. Publisher: Kemppi Oy, P.O. Box 13, 15801 Lahti, Finland. Internet: www.kemppi.com. Telephone: +358 3 899 11.
Editor-in-chief: Minna-Maija Jokisalo. Sub-editor: Elina Suomalainen. Lay-out: Tekijätiimi Oy.
Subscriptions and changes of address: Kemppi Oy. Email: export@kemppi.com. Printed by: Esa Print Oy, Lahti, Finland, 2011. ISSN 1796-847X.
4 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Briefly
Kemppi launches
production in India
The opening ceremony of Kemppi’s Indian
subsidiary was held in Chennai on 19
January 2011. The ceremony was based
on a traditional Puja ritual used by Hindus,
where one shows respect to the Gods and
tells them about their hopes and dreams. A
Hindu priest played an important role in the
opening ceremony.
HiArc MIG welding machines was presented
on the opening gala.
Kemppi Oy, a leading Finnish
welding equipment and solution
provider, has set up a production
facility in Chennai, India, for the
manufacture of devices intended for the
local market. The opening ceremony of
the new subsidiary and production facility
took place on Wednesday 19 January
2011 in local Indian style. The new facility
is Kemppi’s first production unit outside
Finland.
Kemppi have been operating in Indian
market since the 1970s, and the brand has
become well-known and valued over the
years. The purpose of establishing a local
subsidiary and production facility is to
improve and strengthen Kemppi’s position
in one of the most rapidly growing markets
in the world.
‘We have had good cooperation
with local distributors for many
years, but local production is
also necessary in order to further
establish Kemppi in the Indian
market’, says Anssi Rantasalo, the CEO
of Kemppi.
Staff from Kemppi’s Indian production
facility have been in Finland for training,
and during spring, the first ever machines
to be manufactured at the Chennai factory
saw daylight. They were HiArc M400i
machines for MIG/MAG welding.
By establishing a sales company and
a production facility in India, Kemppi
shows that it is seriously competing in
this economic region with a huge market
potential.
The subsidiary enables local handling
of sales, deliveries and service operations.
Kemppi shows
that it is seriously
competing in this
economic region
with a huge market
potential.
The office premises are accompanied with
modern training facilities, which will be
further expanded in the near future.
‘We want to serve our Indian customers
even better and strengthen our strategic
position in the area,’ Rantasalo sums up.
Kemppi ProNews 2011
5

Briefly
PRO
News
肯 倍 客 户 杂 志
肯 倍 客 户 杂 志
更 高 ,
更 快 ,
更 强 !
利 用 利 肯 用 倍 肯 全 倍 新 全 焊 新 接 焊 接 解 解 决 决 方 方 案 案 ,, 可 显 著 提 高 生 产 率
· · Wise Wise 智 能 智 焊 能 接 焊 接 解 解 决 决 方 方 案 案
· · 简 易 简 自 易 动 自 焊 动 解 焊 解 决 决 方 方 案 案
· · 机 器 机 人 器 双 人 丝 双 焊 丝 焊
2011 2011
ZH
We publish our ProNews customer
magazine and Product Catalogue
in the following languages: Finnish,
English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish,
German, Dutch, Polish, French, Spanish,
Portuguese, Russian and Chinese.
Kemppi communicates in
12 languages
We serve customers in more than 80 countries
around the world. We publish operating
manuals and customer communications
materials in at least twelve languages, in some
cases in as many as fifteen. Our customer service follows
the principle that customers get clear, easy-to-understand
information in their own language.
You can read our ProNews customer magazine in printed
form, and the same magazine is also published on our
website as a multi-language electronic replica of the print
version.
On our website you can also access the Kemppi digital
Product Catalogue and browse it on screen. You can easily
print any pages you want or even download the whole
catalogue in pdf format to your own PC. The Product
Catalogue contains basic information about the main
Kemppi machines and services.
Kemppi’s newsletter, The Welding Issue, features news
on Kemppi’s products and activities. On our website you can
subscribe to the newsletter and get it delivered direct to your
mailbox.
Kemppi DataStore concept wins the
Quality Innovation of the Year 2010 award
Share your
experiences – the
most surprising ones
will be rewarded!
Are you astounded by all the
things that can be created
through welding Have you
seen an astonishing object that
has been created, joined or fixed through
welding
We have told you, for example, about a
wine bottle rack built through welding and
about a motorcycle with a trombone as its
exhaust pipe. On the next page, you can
read how a valuable watch bracelet was
repaired through welding.
Share the work you have seen or
your own experiences with the readers of
Kemppi ProNews. Send a brief description
of the subject along with a few photos and
your contact details by email to:
pronews@kemppi.com
The most astounding stories will be
rewarded!
The Finnish welding equipment
manufacturer Kemppi Oy received
the national Quality Innovation of
the Year award for 2010 in the
category for large companies.
The winning Kemppi
DataStore concept represents a
completely new way of thinking
when it comes to the acquisition
of welding devices and tailoring
them according to customer needs.
Now the customers can equip their
welding machines with exactly those
particular welding processes and
features that are actually needed in the
6 Kemppi ProNews 2011
welding work. All welding devices at the
customer’s site can easily be equipped with
those specific features that are suitable
for a particular use or project.
The Kemppi DataStore solution is an
online welding Web shop where the user
can purchase and download welding
processes, welding programs, firmware
updates, and validation certificates for
welding devices, etc. With this system, all
welding equipment can be kept up to date
throughout the devices’ service life while
still responding to variable needs of use.
The Kemppi DataGun is a small, mobile
phone sized tool that is connected to a
computer via a USB cable. It provides a
link between the Web and the welding
machine, enabling transfer of the
purchased software product to the welding
machine. In addition, one can use the
DataGun to, for instance, duplicate the
settings of the welding machine.
This year marks the fourth time that
Excellence Finland has granted its Quality
Innovation of the Year award. This year,
two organisations were recognised in the
category for large companies.

Rolex fixed by welding
A Norwegian Rolex owner saved a fine sum
of money when the wristband of his valuable
timepiece was fixed by welding.
The Rolex owner tried to take the
watch to various watchmakers in
Oslo to have it repaired. Several
attempts were made to fix the
wristband by, for instance gluing, but they
all failed. One of these craftsmen suggested
welding to fix the wristband but did not
want to try it himself, in case the heat were
to cause even more damage.
A new wristband for the valuable
watch would have cost 1,500 euros. A less
expensive option was to find a professional
with sufficiently high-quality welding
equipment.
The watch owner sent e-mail to Øivind
Myhre at Svinndal Gjerde & Sveiseverksted,
who was attracted by the unusual
challenge. He asked to have pictures of the
wristband and set out to look for practical
solutions for repairing it.
After doing some research on the
subject, Myhre discovered that the Kemppi
MasterTig MLS ACDC and its MicroTack
function in combination with the ACS
control panel offered a solution for fixing
the Rolex wristband.
The wristband and its fastener were
dismantled and the components cleaned
of old glue and dirt. Myhre also practised
with his colleagues in advance by
performing welding tests on stainless steel
wire with a diameter of 1 mm.
‘In the first welding test we used
sunglasses and a lamp equipped with a
magnifying glass,’ explained Myhre.
After a few spot welds, we understood
that the materials of the wristband and lock
behaved slightly differently from those that
you normally handle by tack welding.
He said: ‘By increasing the welding
current to 135 amperes and adjusting the
distance to the welding piece to 0.5 mm,
the desired result was attained. The pieces
were perfectly connected.’
‘Then we continued the welding, at a
slightly lower current, of 110 amperes. 6–7
spot welds at the end, and 2–3 spot welds
on the side ensured a durable result that
would hold for a long time. No damage
Svinndal Gjerde & Sveiseverksted is a
Norwegian company founded in 1978
as a one-man business that focused on
welding fences and smaller products. Over
the years, the company has developed and
expanded, and today it occupies facilities
of 800 square metres, on two floors. It
has five employees, with extensive skills
in such fields as automation, pneumatics,
hydraulics, and welding.
www. svinndalgjerde.no
caused by the heat was noticed on the
wristband except for slight discolouration
and blackening that could be removed by
wiping with your fingers,’ he said.
Myhre finds the result astonishing and
sees limitless possibilities for performing
similar special tasks with an array of
Kemppi’s machines. Understandably, the
happy Rolex owner praises the professional
skill and flexibility he encountered at
Svinndal Gjerde & Sveiseverksted.
Text: Pirjo Kemppinen
Kemppi ProNews 2011
7

Briefly
Valtteri Bottas is contesting
the GP3 Championship
Tipped to be Finland’s next
Formula 1 star, Valtteri Bottas
could be seen in action in motor
racing’s premier series as early
as next season. He is rapidly building his
career in the Williams organisation, which
selected him as their official test driver in
January 2010.
In addition to his role at Williams, this
season Bottas will also contest the GP3
Series for the ART team. He moved up to
GP3 from the Formula 3 Euro Series, which
he contested in the past two seasons.
The GP3 Series has been described as
GP2’s little brother, and GP2 is regarded as
the last stage on the way to Formula 1.
GP3 Series races are contested in
conjunction with European Formula 1
race weekends, keeping Bottas in constant
touch with the Grand Prix circus.
”This has helped to raise my profile
and I get to spend time with the Williams
team. It’s also important that the Series
is contested with Pirelli tyres. Pirellis will
be introduced to Formula 1 next season
and so I’ll get some valuable experience,”
Bottas says.
Success in the GP3 Series will naturally
help Bottas to become a Williams driver.
His chances are also boosted by the
fact that Rubens Barrichello, the team’s
Brazilian driver, is already contesting his
19th season in motor racing’s top series
and at some stage will make room for new
and younger talent.
Bottas does, however, need more
experience and is taking things at a steady
pace:
”I’ll contest one season in GP3, the
next in GP2, and then I hope I can race in
Formula 1,” he says.
Text: Pirjo Kemppinen
8 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Light mechanisation
delivers
efficiency
– and better ergonomics
Increasing productivity is the target in all areas of
industry and other activities involving production.
This self-evident mantra
is repeated in all
possible situations. The
emphasis on efficiency
is understandable, of
course, because efficiency
is accompanied by a lot of benefits:
competitiveness, growth and prosperity.
However, it often also involves unfortunate
after-effects: job losses, a frenzied pace of
work, decreased autonomy for employees.
The demand for increased productivity
in welding has been met by the development
of more efficient and versatile
welding equipment and the introduction
of welding software for different applications.
These improvements to equipment
and software are increasing the quality
and productivity of welding, but by far
the best way of raising welding efficiency
is through automation and mechanisation.
Of these, mechanisation - and light mechanisation
in particular - can be used in a
very wide range of applications.
Mechanisation means moving the
welding torch mechanically. The welder
sets the necessary welding parameters or
selects them from the memory channel
stored in the welding equipment. When
the welding carriage is started it begins
to follow the groove and produce a
consistent quality weld. The welder’s task
is to monitor the progress of the carriage
and the quality of the weld.
Light mechanisation is an easy and
cost-effective way of improving welding
efficiency, and it also has a favourable
impact on ergonomics and safety.
Exposure to arc radiation and welding
fumes is reduced and working positions
are improved because the machine does
the physically heavy work while the
welder can concentrate on monitoring the
process.
As a result light mechanisation of
welding can, at least in certain cases, meet
the requirement for increased efficiency
without unfortunate side-effects for
employees. In fact, there are benefits for
the welders, as light mechanisation can
make their work more enjoyable and
safer.
Success depends on many
factors
Equipment for light mechanisation
typically consists of compact and
lightweight wheeled tractors and rail
carriages. This equipment can deliver
a huge increase in welding speed:
when manual welding achieves speeds
averaging 20 - 40 cm per minute in the
long run, light mechanisation makes
it possible to reach speeds many times
higher – speeds in excess of 100 cm per
minute can be realised in horizontal fillet
welds, for example.
Welding mechanisation will only
result in a clear increase in the efficiency
of the production process if welding is
the bottleneck that is causing production
delays. The basis for successful
mechanisation – and automation – is
always the ability to understand the
production of the workshop as a whole.
After all, mechanisation will only result
in a genuine increase in productivity if
it enables the product lead-through time
→
© Pixmac
Kemppi ProNews 2011
9

“When applying mechanisation, the importance of
training cannot be over-emphasised. “
to be shortened by speeding up those
work phases that are limiting the entire
production capacity.
In principle, light mechanisation is a
cost-effective and easy way to improve
manufacturing productivity in both large
and small workshops. However, light
mechanisation could certainly be used
in significantly more applications than
is the case at present. This is because
the switch from manual welding to light
mechanisation is often more difficult
than anticipated, even though the benefits
are fairly well known. The reasons for
this are likely to be found in two areas:
equipment usability and prejudices on the
part of people involved.
The quality of the sheet-metal work
also plays a major part in the success of
a mechanisation project. Poor precision
in preparation and fitting work make it
difficult to use welding carriages because
the welding parameters and torch angle
have to be continuously adjusted. This
happens, for example, when the air gap
varies as a result of fit-up cutting or
deformations in the plate.
In addition, if there are shortcomings
in the usability of the equipment then it
easily gets left in the tool store. When
implementing light mechanisation, steps
must always be taken to ensure that the
quality of the previous work phases
meets the demands of mechanisation.
A key factor is the working relationship
between the plate makers, welders and
management: they must work well
together with no friction.
When applying mechanisation,
the importance of training cannot
be over-emphasised. In switching to
mechanised welding, both employees
and management must share a clear
idea of the benefits that can be achieved,
the operation of the equipment, and
the welding tasks that are suitable. No
single mechanised unit is appropriate
for all welding tasks, and it is necessary
to reserve slightly more time to get the
equipment ready for use than is needed in
manual welding.
Training can be used to change
prejudices and avoid situations where
lack of information leads to frustrations
with equipment that does not work or is
not suitable.
Kemppi has introduced its own
welding carriage, the MagTrac F 61,
which is featured in this magazine. The
leading principle in its development has
been ease of use, with the aim of ensuring
that users will at least not miss out on the
major benefits of light mechanisation just
because their equipment is difficult to
use.
Text: Petteri Jernström
Business Manager
Welding Management Solutions
The strong magnet keeps it on the right track even in demanding jobs.
SuperSnake makes for easier access in
tight spaces.
10 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Case:
Levator Oy,
Hanko, Finland
The most demanding steel
structures for cranes are
manufactured in Hanko. The
photo shows two STS cranes
en route to the customer’s port.
• Specialises in manufacturing
container, shipyard, and other
heavy-duty cranes, as well as
wind turbine towers and other
heavy steel structures.
• Steel production around 5000
tons per year
• 115 employees
• 20 hectare factory and storage
area, 9000 m 2 workshop and
1200 m 2 painting facility
• Own harbour, lifting capacity of
200 tons
• Welding processes: MIG/MAG,
TIG, submerged arc and laser
welding, also laser hybrid
applications
• EN-ISO 9000 and EN-ISO 3834-2
certified quality system
• Vision: to be the preferred
partner in the Baltic Sea region
www.levator.fi
Light mechanisation
boosts competitiveness
Levator Oy specialises in the
fabrication of steel structures
for container cranes. It has
succeeded in becoming
significantly more competitive
by mechanising its production.
‘Light mechanisation has speeded
up our manufacturing processes and
improved product quality significantly,’
says Quality and Development
Engineer Ilmari Viitaniemi.
He cites the manufacture of main
girders for STS (ship-to-shore) cranes
as an example of the application of
mechanisation in the production of
steel structures. These box girders are
typically around 50 metres long and
weigh 90 tons.
The manufacture of a main girder
starts with plate cutting, after which
the plates are fabricated into stiffened
panels.
‘Welding the panel stiffeners is
a typical mechanised application,
because the total length to be welded
is around 900 metres. At Levator
the stiffeners are MAG welded and
mechanisation has been implemented
with a tractor-type conveyor,’ Viitaniemi
explains.
The stiffened panels are assembled
to form box girders, with mechanised
submerged arc and manual MAG
welding being used for the joints.
‘Difficult-to-access position welds
are typically done manually. For this
reason it’s important that the welding
equipment is easy to move around.
A lot of welds also have to be done
inside the box, so equipment with an
extended reach makes access easier
and reduces the amount of non-arc
time.’
The last steel work phase is to weld
equipment mounting brackets and
trolley rails to the main girder, and
machine the hinge joints. The main
girder is then transferred for painting,
fitted out with the required equipment
and mounted on the crane.
‘Finished cranes are generally
transported to the customer on
pontoons. This means there is no need
to establish a separate construction site
at the port and the crane can be got
into use quickly.’
Kemppi ProNews 2011
11

MagTrac
never gets tired
− even on long longitudinal welds
Kemppi’s new MagTrac F 61 welding carriage makes the welder’s work
faster and easier. It is a cost-effective and efficient way of increasing
welding productivity in large and small metal fabrication workshops.
When welding large
work pieces the
seams are often
long and straight –
leading to boredom
- or have to be welded in stages. They
require a lot of arc time and do not
really challenge the welder’s skills. It is
precisely this type of welding that offers
the best potential for mechanisation.
Light welding carriages can
significantly improve working conditions
and productivity, as they offer almost
double the speed of manual welding.
In addition, the travel speed and torch
position remain constant for a consistent
quality weld.
Kemppi’s new MagTrac F 61 welding
carriage combines ease of use, accessibility,
‘Ease of use was the core idea
behind the development of the
MagTrac F 61 carriage.’
quality and efficiency in a
completely new way. It has
been designed as a basic
tool for workshops,
especially for horizontal
fillet welding.
Features designed
for ease of use
Ease of use was the core
idea behind the development
of the MagTrac F 61 carriage. Welding
parameters are transmitted between the
carriage and welding equipment via the
control cable, which is integrated into the
welding gun cable. The carriage gets its
operating power through the same cable,
so only one cable is needed between the
wire feeder and carriage. The fact that
separate transformer and control cables
are not needed makes for a safe working
area and promotes efficiency.
Fixing and adjusting the torch have
also been made as easy as possible: the
stick-out length and torch angle are
adjusted by means of a single fixing
handle.
Settings for the wire feed speed,
welding voltage and other welding
parameters are selected on the carriage
control panel. This makes it easier to
change the settings while welding is in
progress and speeds up work, because
the welder does not need to move from
the carriage to the power source to make
small changes.
The graphical user interface is
another feature that promotes ease of
use. The functions are arranged in a clear
menu structure and can be selected using
a multi-function adjustment knob. Wire
inch and gas test functions are available
for the preparation phase, and an advance
‘Storing the heat
input data provides
valuable information
for quality control and
carrying out welding
procedure tests.’
test run can be undertaken
without arc ignition to check
the carriage is operating
correctly. This ensures
successful results.
Valuable data for
quality control
The welding parameters
and heat input can be read
off the display after welding is
finished. The length of the last weld or
distance welded during the day can be
checked from the carriage display. The
carriage display also shows the average
heat input during the last weld. This is
valuable data for the purposes of quality
control and ensuring compliance with the
welding procedure specification.
The MagTrac F 61 carriage can
be used with an MXF type wire feed
unit, which can be placed on a wheeled
undercarriage to provide reach.
Additional reach can be achieved by
using a 15-meter SuperSnake subfeeder,
allowing access even to very tight places
such as ship block structures and main
girders for harbour cranes.
The highest productivity is achieved
by maximising the carriage operating
time and ensuring that preparation and
finishing work is done with purposedesigned
equipment such as the
Kemppi FitWeld, a MIG/MAG machine
developed for tack welding.
12 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Numerus Rerum!
As a young Kemppi sales person, I was
always keen to describe the circumstances
that influenced my sales figures. Of course
there was success, but also opportunities
missed, and regular ‘if only’ stories were
well-rehearsed in time for the monthly
sales meetings. I would explain that ‘If
only’ we could meet the delivery dates more
quickly, ‘if only’ the sales price was a little
lower, ‘if only’ the product had a slightly
different specification, then my regional
sales figures would be better. I soon realised
that in the world of sales, only one story
really mattered, and that’s number facts.
My sales manager’s retort was always
the same, ‘Stop whining Frost and give
me the numbers, Numerus rerum boy’!
Today, Kemppi’s equipment portfolio has
developed in both width and depth, but in
pure item sales, one specific product family
stands out above all others, and that product
family is Minarc. Now I can honestly say,
‘if only’ I’d had the Minarc family to sell
way back in the ‘90s, then my sales figures
would have been far higher; honestly boss!
→
Kemppi ProNews 2011
13

NEW Minarc Evo family
Establishing a reputation
The first ever Minarc MMA machine
was launched at the German Essen
welding fair during 2001, and it became
an immediate commercial success. In the
first full year of production, the original
Minarc MMA sold more than 22,000
pieces and claimed a significant market
share in the European single phase,
portable MMA segment. The success
story continued, with new 1ph and 3ph
MIG and TIG models entering the market
during 2005, 2006 and 2007, and to date
the global sales for those models now
totals three hundred thousand units.
The success of Minarc family has
been truly world wide. All over the
world Minarc welding machines have
delighted users and provided reliable
portable welding solutions to a variety
of applications and environments. The
current ‘classic Minarc’ models continue
their commercial life, however Kemppi
have launched a new Minarc Evo
Family, offering customers improved
specifications, energy efficiency and
welding performance, further developing
the value of this successful, portable,
welding family.
Why Minarc Evo family
The existing ‘classic’ Minarc
family is still extremely
popular with customers,
so why introduce a new
range of machines
Kemppi is committed
to ensuring, wherever
possible, that our
customers have the best
product choice on the
market, and that choice
should conform to all
required market conditions and
regulations. Whilst the classic Minarc
family continues as an outstanding
welding performer, we knew that
technically, we could offer customers
improved technical performance and the
all important ‘extra value’ over competitor
products that Kemppi customers expect.
So Minarc Evo family was developed
to deliver performance and efficiency
beyond the existing classic Minarc
range, and this was achieved largely due
to the application of PFC (Power factor
correction) technology.
Minarc Evo family is designed and
manufactured by Kemppi Oy (Finland)
and complies with IEC 61000-3-12, EMC
class A.
Energy efficient
Evolution specification
Has Minarc family gained some weight as
it’s got older
Looking at the specification of NEW
Minarc Evo family, you will see that
the ‘little welding Giants’ have gained a
little weight since their first introduction,
but for good reason. The application of
PFC technology demands a little extra
space and therefore weight, but in return
you get better welding performance
and improved specifications, improved
electrical energy utilisation, and in the
case of both MIG and TIG models,
increased welding output. Plus all Minarc
Evo family models conform to the
very latest European EMC
directives, electrical standards
and norms for all industrial
public supply networks.
Energy efficiency
Compared to the classic Minarc
family models, can you save
money using the new PFC
Minarc Evo family
Yes,perhaps a little financial
saving. But calculations should be based
on welding time and local unit cost of
electricity, and perhaps that argument is
not so interesting with small, portable
welding appliances like Minarc. The
real benefit in this argument comes from
the utilisation of available electrical
energy, the fused electrical supply, and
its conversion to welding power output.
Classic Minarc family has a power factor
at 100% ED of 0.6, where as the new PFC
Minarc Evo power sources have a power
factor at 100% ED of 0.99 and that’s as
good as it gets with existing technology.
For example, MinarcMig Evo 200
delivers 200 amps of welding power, at
ED 35% from a 16A fused supply, for a
weight of 13kg.
14 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Is what you see, what you get
Today there are many variable choices on the market for portable arc
welding equipment. Kemppi is a responsible and global equipment
provider and we recommend customers to read, test and then decide
what best suits their needs. But, when making your choice, it’s always
best to check the factual numbers first –
numerus rerum!
What can you do with the new Minarc
Evo models that you can’t do with the old
Minarc family
By comparison, the new Minarc Evo
family welds at higher welding currents
for longer periods of time from the same
fused supply. Using the equivalent amount
of electrical energy, classic Minarc would
achieve less welding current output for
the same unit cost. So when evaluating
comparable market products, it’s also
best to evaluate the machines maximum
welding output, and what’s achievable
from a standard 16A fused supply or
below.
Wherever welding takes you
Can Minarc Evo family be used with power
generators
Yes, Minarc Evo family is an excellent
performer from both mains and generator
power supplies and the PFC technology
now allows a minimum power generator
size of between 4.2 and 8.0 kW, depending
on the model used and the welding
current required. Minarc Evo models also
tolerate wider input voltage variations
and the natural changes in supply from
power generators. In fact, if the supply
voltage exceeds fixed limits, the Minarc
Evo power source will automatically self
protect and safely shut down, notifying its
user with a warning LED lamp.
Are there other benefits for site welding
environments
Minarc products have always been
particularly useful for site working
environments, but the new Minarc Evo
models are even stronger in specification.
For example, in a recent power source
performance test, Minarc Evo 150
was evaluated in continuous welding
conditions at full power, with 4mm
electrodes. The test was completed
burning 10 x 4 mm x 450 mm electrodes
without any interruption. The fused
supply was 16 A and the ambient
temperature was 22 °C. Also, the new
Lift TIG ignition feature on the Minarc
Evo 150, digital meter display and remote
control option combine a formidable
portable welding tool that weighs less
than 6 kg. Plus every Minarc Evo family
model can perform perfectly well with
power extension cables of up to 100 m
in length (2.5 mm²), providing excellent
work area coverage at site.
Are there new features and benefits on the
MinarcTig Evo
New welding features no, but extra
welding power, yes. MinarcTig Evo
also employs the new PFC power source
technology, so it now delivers 170 A in
MMA welding at 35 % duty cycle, and
200 A in DC TIG welding at 35 % duty
cycle, so the welding capacity is higher.
MinarcTig has always been a little over
shadowed by the huge sales numbers
of the Minarc MMA and MIG models,
but MinarcTig is a superb, professional
DC TIG welding solution, that provides
extremely refined ignition from 5 amps,
offering professional TIG welders the
control they need with a variety of remote
control options, and even a semi-auto
pulse mode.
Text: John Frost
Group Product Marketing Manager
Kemppi ProNews 2011
15

Tandem MIG/MAG welding
was reborn
The development of welding technology has made giant leaps
in recent years with regard to power sources. Systems and
processes that were considered the cutting edge at the turn of
the millennium are now outdated.
In the 1990s and early 21st
century, tandem welding was
among the processes that were
supposed to become a credible
competitor for other high-power
welding methods. However, this
never happened because the process was
cumbersome to use. New technology
has now improved the level of usability
substantially, and it has become faster
and easier for the operator to adjust the
welding parameters.
The delivery of a KempArc
Pulse TCS system typically
includes the following
components:
• Two KempArc Pulse TCS power
sources
• Two DT400 wire feeders
• The required connecting cables
• An efficient KempCool 40 water
cooling unit
• A tandem welding torch
• Two WiseFusion functions
• Welding programs acquired by the
customer (MatchCurve)
What is actually meant by tandem
welding It belongs to multi-wire
welding methods. A MIG/MAG tandem
uses two filler wires during welding. This
must not be confused with twin-wire
MIG/MAG welding that also uses two
filler wires. The main characteristics of
these processes are the following:
Twin wire welding
• Two filler wires are fed into the same
weld pool through a shared two-hole
contact tip either from the same
wire feeder or two separate ones.
• The wires are at the same
electric potential.
• There is either a single power
source or two power sources
connected in parallel.
• The wire feed rate is the
only parameter that can be
varied between the wires.
• The same welding power has to
be used for both filler wires.
Tandem welding
• Two filler wires are fed into
the same welding pool through
two contact tips electrically
isolated from each other.
• There is a separate wire feeder and
power source for each filler wire.
• The filler wires are at different
electric potentials.
• The welding parameters can be
adjusted separately for each filler
wire (master and slave wires).
There are many process variations for
tandem MIG/MAG welding. The issue
can be considered from the viewpoint of
MIG/MAG arc types or filler materials
used. Variations related to the arc type
may include pulse-pulse, spray-pulse,
spray-spray and in some cases pulsespray
arc welding. The two filler wires
may have different properties: they can
be of different thickness and alloy, and
one can be solid while the other is fluxcore
wire. The basic idea is that the
leading filler wire is used to make the
weld penetration, and the trailing one is
used to shape the weld surface.
Tandem MIG/MAG welding is
aimed to provide the following
advantages over single-wire
welding, for example:
• Welding of small throat thickness
(thin sheets) can achieve a
higher welding speed compared
to single-wire technology.
• Welding of large throat thickness
(heavy structures) can achieve a
greater melting efficiency compared
to single-wire technology.
• The overall quality of
the weld is better.
• A longer weld pool makes
gases escape more efficiently,
which decreases porosity.
• Because the welding energy input
is lower in spite of the greater
melting efficiency, welding causes
less deformations and reduces
the need for straightening.
• No special shielding gas is
needed for the process.
16 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Case:
IMG helped Kemppi develop tandem solution
Ingenieurtechnik und Maschinenbau
GmbH, or IMG, is a modern and innovative
company based in Rostock,
Germany. Among other things, it
specialises in planning and implementing
automation solutions for shipyards.
For production plants struggling
with the challenge of producing
quality products in shorter and shorter
production times, IMG can offer their
expertise to create and implement
a comprehensive logistic and
technological concept on how to raise
the degree of efficiency in modernized
or new production departments or
entire plants.
IMG has an outstanding expertise
in welding automation, and the
company is also a long-time partner
and customer of SUT-Rostock, a Kemppi
Germany representative. As IMG also
has a good knowledge about tandem
welding, Kemppi asked them to join
the development process of Kemppi’s
new solution for mechanised tandem
welding, the KempArc Pulse TCS.
The KempArc Pulse TCS utilises
Kemppi’s refined tandem control
system (TCS) for precise, simultaneous
control of the two welding arcs, which
act completely individually from each
other. The development process of the
TCS control system required detailed
study and research work in Kemppi
welding laboratory, but also field tests
in live industrial environments. Local
tests were carried out with the help of
IMG’s knowledge and the great support
from SUT- Rostock.
”It was a great benefit for us to
run two-sided tandem test welds in
IMG’s gantry system, and the detailed
test reports from IMG gave us good
support in developing the KempArc
Pulse TCS, says Ulrich Hoepfel, Business
Area Manager of automated welding at
Kemppi.
Tandem welding also has some
limitations in comparison with singlewire
welding. For example, the welding
torch is larger, which imposes limitations
on accessibility and small radial motion
paths. Due to the torch and the welding
power, the process is only suitable for
mechanised or automated welding. The
impact of magnetic arc blow is also
greater compared to single-wire welding
but it is possible to diminish its impact
through proper grounding of the work
piece and possible use of start and end
pieces.
It used to be difficult to adjust the
parameters for tandem welding. Due
to this the parameter window has been
narrow, and adjusting the process has
required the welding operator to possess
great skill. The problem has been
excessive mutual synchronisation of the
arcs, forcing the welding parameters to
be operational within a specific limited
range in relation to each other. However,
new technology has come to help.
The KempArc Pulse TCS equipment
developed by Kemppi contains software
that actively monitors and controls both
welding arcs. The basic idea of control
is to freely link the arcs together, making
it possible to adjust them independently
of each other. The TCS software links
the arcs together with intelligent control
technology developed by Kemppi. The
slave arc continuously monitors the
master arc and adjusts itself accordingly,
resulting in that
a b c
Throat thickness 4 mm 6 mm 3 mm
Wire feed speed 14 m/min + 12 m/min 14 m/min + 12 m/min 14 m/min + 14 m/min
Welding speed 1.6 m/min (26.7 mm/s) 0.65 m/min (10.8 mm/s) 1.9 m/min (31.7 mm/s)
Melting efficiency 13.84 kg/h 13.84 kg/h 14.90 kg/h
• the arcs do not interfere with each
other
• the arcs can be adjusted for optimal
length completely independently of
each other
• welding parameters can be
adjusted flexibly, and finding
useful welding values is easy.
In addition to the new TCS control,
the KempArc Pulse TCS system uses the
WiseFusion process to make it easier to
find welding parameters for different
welding applications. This keeps the arc
length optimally short and focuses the
energy density of the arcs to a narrow
area. This results in smaller heat input
and a higher welding speed compared to
conventional tandem welding systems.
Text: Jyri Uusitalo
R & D Manager, Welding Technology
Welding example: The
making of a fillet weld
in primed steel was
examined using the
pulse-pulse variant. The
base material was 6-mm
steel, the filler material
was 1.2-mm G3Si1 solid
wire and the shielding
gas was Ar+18% CO 2
. The
study demonstrated that
the tandem process is
also suitable for welding
primed steel with solid
wire.
Kemppi ProNews 2011
17

viewpoint
Elina Hiltunen
futurist
What’s Next Consulting Oy and Finpro
anticipate, innovate and
communicate about the future
If past predictions about the world of
today had been accurate, we would now
be living on the moon or in capsules
under the sea, we would fly from
place to place using wings attached to
our backs, and our food would come
in the form of tablets. Predictions have
a bad habit of going wrong, and that’s
why we futures researchers openly admit
that you can’t predict the future. The fact
that it’s not possible to predict the future,
however, does not mean that the future
isn’t worth thinking about. I personally
see three important functions for futures
thinking: anticipation, innovation and
communication.
”My own motto is
that in the face of
the future you have
to be humble, but
not overly so.”
So you can never know for
sure what tomorrow
will bring. The
future is worth
anticipating – in
other words, it’s
worth considering
different possibilities
in the future.
This is known as
scenario thinking.
Scenario thinking involves
forming imaginary but possible future
courses of development linked to a
certain period of time. The objective is to
form different futures and then consider
what action needs to be taken today if
events seem to be leaning towards one of
the specific scenarios. Scenario thinking
may sound exotic, like something to do
with business management, but it is in
fact the way humans naturally view the
world. People who think in this ‘what if’
way keep an umbrella in their bag, have
a few painkillers in their pocket and buy
insurance. Because you can never know
what will happen in the future...
If anticipation is one way of approaching
the future, another is innovation. It is
good to realise that every individual,
organisation and nation can influence
the future and innovate a new and
better future. In Finland we naturally
tend to play down our own resources:
“What can we ever hope to achieve”
However, it’s important to notice that the
future is created – even at the individual
level. There are plenty of stories about
individuals like that in the history books.
Even recent history provides examples of
Finns who - as individuals - have made a
difference: Martti Ahtisaari has brought
the message of peace to many different
conflicts, Linus Torvalds developed Linux
and turned the spotlight on the concept
of open source.
A third way of approaching the future
is to enter into a dialogue about it with
stakeholders. From the corporate point of
view this means opening up to the public
with regard to speculation about the future.
It’s worth bouncing ideas about the future
around - with customers, for example. This
provides a valuable, external viewpoint for
purposes such as product and strategic
planning. My favourite example of this type
of communication is Finnair’s Departure
2093 project, which presented different
images of flying in the future. The project
raised a lot of interest both in the press and
among ordinary people, who could visit
the project’s website to communicate their
ideas about the future of flying. Even those
behind the project were surprised at the
amount of attention it attracted.
We cannot predict the future. That’s a good
thing because, I guess, life would be really
dull if we knew what tomorrow would
bring. My own motto is that in the face of
the future you have to be humble, but not
overly so. It’s worth preparing for different
changes and sequences of events, but it’s
also good to keep a firm hold on the reins.
Finally: we are the ones who create the
future.
18 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Innovation:
Kemppi ProTrainer
ProTrainer trains
champions
in the virtual world
One of the most talked-about current topics is virtual welding.
It enables significant savings of time and money in basic
welding training. The Kemppi ProTrainer virtual welding trainer
refines the user’s welding technique to perfection even before
the real arc is ignited.
Virtual welding training
is most beneficial in
the early stages of
basic training. The
ProTrainer teaches its
user to move and focus
the welding torch correctly. The motion
paths acquired will be consolidated into
muscle memory before the student lays his
or her hands on the actual tool.
‘This generates significant cost
savings in, for example, practice pieces to
be welded, filler materials, shielding gas,
and energy,’ says Juha Nykänen, welding
manager at Kemppi.
The reduction in teaching costs is
estimated to be as high as 20–25%. The
time saved in basic training and the
potential freed for individual teaching
also deserve consideration.
Strong concentration
The Kemppi ProTrainer is used in a
similar way to modern game consoles’
honing of movements. The welding torch
works as a joystick does and looks quite
real. Ultrasonic technology is used to
track and identify the location.
Nykänen emphasises that this device
is not a welding simulator. ‘Training
concentrates on correct welding
technique and control of motion paths.
The device helps the user to learn how
and at what angle the welding torch
should be moved during welding.
Welding training can begin in practice
when sufficient manual skills have been
gained,’ he says.
Training can commence without
any preliminary preparations or safety
equipment. The learning process is
accelerated, for example, by the user’s
attention being focused only on the
practice.
‘In a traditional learning environment,
the beginner finds it difficult to concentrate
on only the task given. It takes time just
to get accustomed to the overalls, gloves,
and welding helmet,’ says Nykänen.
→
Kemppi ProNews 2011
19

Game-like technology
Kemppi’s Pro Trainer is
based on CS WAVE, which
was developed by French
company Diginext and is
already in use in more than 150
educational institutions, around
the world. The product was
‘The technology
created through a Europeanprovides
a new tool
Union-funded project in
for communication 2002–2004.
between the student ‘An instructor at
and the teacher.’ AFPA, a vocational training
organisation in France, noticed
that playing with game consoles
such as the Nintendo Wii effectively
developed young people’s co-ordination.
He realised that it was possible to use
similar technology to refine the motion
paths used in welding,’ says CS WAVE
Product Manager Laurent Da Dalto.
Thirty months and around a million
euros later, the first CS WAVE system
was unveiled in March 2004 in Paris. The
product and the technology it is based
on have been further developed since
then. However, Da Dalto stresses that
virtual learning is not intended to replace
traditional methods of teaching welding,
even in the future.
He explains: ‘The technology
provides a new tool for communication
between the student and the teacher.
It allows making significantly more
observations than had previously been
possible in a real-world welding situation.
For example, in a real welding situation,
the teacher is not able to observe the
student’s hand movements perfectly.’
‘In addition, virtual practice
accelerates learning and helps the student
to understand the significance of motion
paths,’ he says.
The virtual learning environment is
already being used in a number of fields.
‘Our latest applications are used
to practise painting, spot welding, and
NDT (non-destructive testing),’ Da Dalto
explains.
”The ProTrainer gives its user constant
feedback and instructions.”
‘Additionally, the first few times, the
arc burn, runny weld pool, rattling noise,
and spatter are sure to take the attention
away from hand positions,’ he attests.
A personal trainer that never
ceases to spur one on
The ProTrainer can be used for MMA
and MIG/MAG welding practice in flat,
horizontal, and vertical positions alike.
The device enables one-on-one teaching,
as individual exercises can be tailored
for each student. The teacher does not
need to be present: students can work
independently.
Nykänen says: ‘The teacher can use
a computer to define personal, passwordprotected
tasks for each student.
The results are saved in the device
memory and can be reviewed together
afterwards.’
The tasks may focus on the
steadiness of the motion, speed, or
work angles of the welding torch or on
its distance from the target piece. The
hardest part for the student generally
is to manage all of these elements
simultaneously, remaining within the
prescribed tolerance levels.
The ProTrainer gives its user
constant feedback and instructions.
‘The teacher can also test how well
the training has been taken in, by turning
off the instructions that guide the user,’
says Nykänen.
The ProTrainer has been developed
primarily for basic welding training at
educational institutions, but it has also
attracted interest from companies.
‘Companies can have welders carry
out various kinds of tasks to help them
stay in touch with their trade,’ Nykänen
says.
The Kemppi ProTrainer was unveiled
in Finland in early November 2010, and
it has attracted great interest ever since.
The device is now also available in
Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Texts: Pirjo Kemppinen
20 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Could I become a welder
I have always been fascinated by welding. The burning welding arc, scattering sparks,
crackling sound and misty smoke create a capturing atmosphere that is controlled by
the person behind the mask.
For the same reasons, the sight is also awesome. I pulled my courage up and decided to
try welding when I was offered the chance to practice with a Kemppi ProTrainer.
Laurent Da Dalto lists
the pluses and minuses
of learning welding in a
virtual environment:
Benefits:
+ Reduces material and
equipment costs.
+ Accelerates learning.
+ Improves communication
between the teacher and
student.
+ Reveals information that
cannot be seen with traditional
methods.
+ Enhances the image of
welding by linking it with new
technology and a game-like
environment.
+ Boosts and supports self-study.
Challenges:
– In some cases there may be
critical attitudes towards the
integration of IT and high technology
in a traditional training
process.
Welding manager Juha Nykänen
adjusts the ProTrainer display
panel at a suitable height.
When he clicks the options
on the panel menus to choose the
parameters for my practice session, the
welding torch looks quite real and works
like a joystick in a console game.
My first task is probably the easiest
possible. I’ll concentrate in keeping the
welding torch at the correct distance
from a fillet joint for about 30 cm in
length. Vertical down welding offers the
possibility to stand solidly on my own
feet. Because I’m using a virtual training
device I don’t need any protective safety
equipment.
In practice the welding joint is
indicated by green lines in the display
panel, and the spot representing the
weld pool runs between them. The blue
lines indicating the distance of the torch
must remain above the green lines. If the
tip of the torch wanders too far or too
close to the joint, the blue lines become
yellow to warn the user or red to give an
alarm.
I place the tip of the torch on top
of the weld pool and pull the trigger.
My eyes are fixed on the spot moving
down, hand is sweating when I squeeze
the handle an I feel my left index finger
shaking while supporting the tip of the
torch.
My performance is registered by
an indicator that reminds me of an
electrocardiogram. Two thirds of the way
the arc progresses surprisingly steadily,
but then it suddenly jumps. That is where
I breathed for the first time.
My practice becomes more difficult
each time. Eventually the various
indicators on the panel show the distance
of the welding torch, torch angle, and
speed and steadiness of the motion, and
give out alarms of these features.
When the trigger is pulled, the weld
pool rattles inevitably downwards. I try to
keep it at the correct distance compared
to the speed, but then the torch angle
goes all wrong. The display panel is filled
with messages which I cannot even
observe at the same time, to say nothing
of adjusting my performance according
to them. And how to keep my hand
steady until the end of the welding joint
Should I courtsey or bow to reach the
bottom of the joint
For a first timer, the experience is like
an educational game. I get more and
more enthusiastic each time, and I’m
already wondering who to challenge to
a duel.
The positive experiences in the
virtual world relieve my tension when I
move on to try a real welding situation
under guidance of welding instructor
Hannu Saarivirta. The preparations take
a lot more time and effort. My teacher
adjusts the welding machine, tapes the
weld pieces together, and leaves them to
wait until I have put the protective coat,
gloves and the welding mask on.
At that time the sweat sticks my hair
on my forehead. The view through the
visor is dim and the feel through thick
gloves is clumsy.
My objective is to weld a similar joint
as in the virtual world. I bravely pull the
trigger, but at that very instant let it go.
The igniting arc, a couple of sparks and
The first weld of my life. 1.5 mm thick steel
sheets have been joined by a fillet joint created
by vertical welding. The MinarcMig 170 Adaptive
was an excellent choice for a beginner, as all you
need to adjust is the voltage and sheet thickness.
Although, I was not able to do even that myself.
a rattling noise make me instinctly back
up.
At the second try I keep the trigger
pulled and weld all the way to the bottom
of the joint. There are no colours, lines or
tick marks to guide my movements. If
the system should draw a curve of this,
it would certainly be far from even. It is
however comforting to hear that the
joint I managed to create, although it was
welded too slowly and burned almost
through, is strong.
The experience was lots of fun, and
made me appreciate welders even more.
They make their work seem so easy and
effortless. Now I know why: they are true
professionals.
− Pirjo Kemppinen
Kemppi ProNews 2011
21

Four arc tools
every
welder
should
have
22 Kemppi ProNews 2011

The last few years have seen developments in MIG/MAG welding
power sources, creating greater opportunity to increase the
multifunctional aspects of the equipment. Both power source and
software technologies have made it possible to further develop
tailored welding processes and improve function, aiding the
welders’ work, quality and productivity.
Kemppi’s Wise product family is designed exactly for this purpose.
Innovation:
Wise meets
the welder
Wise is a range
of software
based welding
products for use
with Kemppi
FastMig and
KempArc welding machines. Tailored
Wise welding processes and functions
are used for root pass work, sheet
metal welding, penetration control, and
focused arcs, where energy density is
concentrated into a narrow area.
Picture 1: The current waveform of the WISEROOT process when the filler droplet is
transmitted to the weld pool. The cycle is composed of the arc and short circuit periods.
The dashed line indicates a normal short arc.
The WiseRoot process for root
pass welding
Tailored root pass MIG/MAG welding
process we consider here is WiseRoot.
Patented WiseRoot process controls
the power source’s current and voltage
parameters digitally. The process monitors
the short circuit and ensures correct timing
of the filler droplet’s transmission from the
filler wire into the weld pool.
The tailored root pass process we
consider here is WiseRoot. The patented
WiseRoot process controls the power
source’s current and voltage parameters
digitally. The process monitors the short
circuit and ensures correct timing of the
filler droplet’s transmission from the filler
wire into the weld pool. This is a modified
short-arc welding process and as a MIG/
MAG welding process it is in category
131, 133, 135 or 138 as defined in the EN
ISO 4063 standard.
The principle by which the WiseRoot
process operates is that of two different
shapes being formed from the welding
current. These shapes can be referred to
as the short circuit and arc period upslope
stages (see picture 1). The WiseRoot
process is a modified short-arc process
and should not be confused with pulse
welding.
In the first upslope stage, the filler
material is transmitted in the short circuit
phase to the weld pool, while the power
of the arc is suddenly increased during
the second upslope stage and sustained at
the desired level. Before the first upslope
Picture 2: Variation in the root gap with the same welding power. Root gaps from the left
2, 4 and 6 mm.
stage, there is a short peak in the welding
current, during which the filler material
wire contacts the weld pool.
In the first upslope stage, the rapid
increase of the current to the desired level
generates a so-called pinch force, which
allows the droplet to detach from the
tip of the filler wire. The detachment is
ensured by slowly decreasing the current.
Once the droplet has been transmitted
to the weld pool, a second stage of
increasing current begins and initiates
the arc stage. The control system of the
device monitors the droplet detachment
moment throughout the arc. Correctly
timed rise and fall of current guarantees
a spatter-free pass–over from the short
circuit to the open arc.
The second upslope stage shapes
the weld pool and ensures sufficient
penetration in the root pass. After the two
upslope stages, one following upon the
other, the current is reduced to the desired
base level. Use of a specified base current
level ensures that the next filler droplet
will be transmitted during the next short
circuit.
Rapid response and correct timing in
power source control combine with the
correct shape of the current waveform
in the process to allow uninterrupted,
spatter-free droplet detachment and
transmission into the weld pool. This
keeps the arc stable and the welding
process easy to control.
The WiseRoot process differs from
normal short-arc welding. Picture 1
shows normal short-arc and WiseRoot
waveforms. In the normal short-arc
process, droplet detachment occurs at
a high current value, which depends on
voltage control. After that, the current
slowly decreases before the arc period
ends and the next short circuit begins. In
the WiseRoot process, droplet detachment
happens at a low current value, which
results in soft transmission to the weld
pool. After that, in the arc period, the
process gives a precisely measured strong
boost to the arc and then rapidly cuts the
current to the predetermined level before
the next short circuit. The WiseRoot
process’s highly controlled arc reduces
spatter in the droplet detachment phase
and decreases the heat input in the arc
phase to be comparable with that in a
normal short-arc process.
The WiseRoot process allows welding
with wider root gaps than usual, with the
same welding power settings (see picture
2). Root gaps can range from 1 mm to
10 mm, but the welding power has to
be adjusted to match the case. When the
welding position changes, the welding
power must still be appropriate for the
circumstances.
→
Kemppi ProNews 2011
23

Here is a list of the key
benefits of the tailored root
pass welding process:
• Wider root gap makes it possible
to use a smaller groove angle and
decrease groove volume.
• No need to use a backing ring.
• It is a highly efficient process:
10 % faster than normal MAG
welding, and three times faster
than TIG welding.
• It is suitable for position welding
• Easy to learn and use.
• Less spatter than in normal short
arc.
Process
v [mm/
min]
wfr [m/
min]
I [A] U [V] P [W] Q [kj/
mm]
Q [%]
WiseThin 800 4 93 16,7 1517 0,091 0
1-MIG 800 4 113 18,3 2028 0,122 25,20
Table 1: WiseThin and synergic MIG heat input comparison
Picture 3: Low heatinput
and optimal
weld bead geometry
are among the
benefits of tailored
processes.
On the workshop level, the above
WiseRoot features can be seen as
increased welding quality and decreased
need for post-weld rework.
The WiseThin process for sheet
metal welding
In sheet metal welding, low heat input
is a desirable feature. There are various
laser welding applications that have been
used for this purpose, but lasers have their
limitations.
MIG/MAG welding has developed
so that it is now possible to weld with
low heat input, especially in the short-arc
area. In tailored processes, one can obtain
the same heat input as in laser welding.
Kemppi’s WiseThin is a tailored
MIG/MAG short-arc process that enables
achieving 5–25 % less heat input than
with a normal short arc, depending on the
welding case. In welding of high-strength
steels, this is of great benefit, because
the trend is to weld steels of ever higher
strengths. This is a driver toward a weld
process with low heat input.
Table 1 compares the WiseThin
process’s heat input to the heat input of a
normal short arc in welding of an overlap
joint. The material is structural steel and
the plate thickness 1.0 mm.
The principle of the WiseThin
process is similar to that of the tailored
WiseRoot process for root pass welding.
The difference is that the WiseThin is
optimised for sheet metal welding.
WiseThin is a modified short-arc
welding process and as a MIG/MAG
welding process it is in category 131,
133, 135 or 138 as defined in the EN ISO
4063 standard.
Picture 3 shows typical welding
applications for tailored sheet metal
welding processes.
In sheet metal laser welding
applications, the biggest problems arise
from the narrow gap tolerances. With
MIG/MAG processes the tolerance
window is wider, because they are not
so sensitive to gap variations. Tailored
processes can increase the width of the
gap tolerance window, because of the
lower heat input. This makes it easier to
handle molten metal.
24 Kemppi ProNews 2011

The WisePenetration function
for guaranteed penetration
In MIG/MAG welding, constant voltage
(CV) characteristics are most commonly
used. The self-adjusting welding arc is
the most important argument for the use
of constant voltage characteristics. An
increase in stick-out length will cause
welding power to drop, because welding
current decreases (P = U x I).
Changes in stick-out length have no
effect on wire feed speed or arc voltage.
Instead, welding current fluctuates
according to the changes in stick-out
length.
As an example, picture 4 shows you
how welding current changes with stickout
length when welding S235 steel with
1.2 mm wire and using Ar + 18% CO2
shielding gas and the following welding
parameters: wire feed speed 8.8 m/min,
voltage 29 V, travel speed 58.0 cm/min.
Because of using constant voltage
characteristics, the welding current
depends on the stick-out length: the
greater stick-out length, the lower welding
current. This can cause serious welding
defects, such as lack of fusion, incomplete
penetration, unstable weld quality and
spatter.
In manual MIG/MAG welding,
the stick-out length always varies more
or less, depending on the welder’s
skills, and this has an effect on the weld
penetration. Sometimes the welder must
increase the stick-out length because of
limited visibility or accessibility, position
welding, difficult joints or weld design
problems.
In mechanised and automated
welding, dimensional and geometrical
deviations of the joints can cause variation
of stick-out length. Those deviations
can originate from various phases of the
joint preparation or fit-up work. Also the
welding heat causes distortion, which
increases deviations during welding.
Various joint tracking systems can be
used to help this, but they are expensive
Picture 4: Welding current changes with
the stick-out length.
→
Kemppi ProNews 2011
25

‘Using the adaptive arc length control
brings all kinds of benefits.’
Picture 5: The upper row of pictures shows normal
MAG process without WisePenetration, and lower row
shows how WisePenetration affects the weld. Stickout
lengths from left: 25mm, 30 mm, and 35 mm.
and do not operate reliably in all welding
conditions.
Kemppi offers the unique
WisePenetration function for cases where
it is difficult to keep a constant stickout
length. This function makes it easy
to keep the welding parameters (I, U)
within the WPS limits. This guarantees
the desired penetration and improves the
weld quality.
WisePenetration offers constant
welding current with stick-out length
within the limits defined in welding
procedure specification (WPS). When
welding with stick-out lengths within
the permitted limits, WisePenetration
operates like conventional MIG/MAG
process and lets welding current fluctuate
with the stick-out length. However, if
stick-out length increases above the
permitted level, WisePenetration takes
the control and ensures that the current
remains constant.
Picture 5 shows how WisePenetration
keeps the penetration constant while the
standard process loses its penetration
when stick-out length rises above normal
limits.
The WiseFusion focused arc
function offers many benefits
In position welding (other than flat or
horizontal vertical), the most common
problem is how to control the welding arc
and the molten weld pool.
This issue is emphasised in MIG/
MAG pulse arc and spray arc welding.
For example, it is very difficult to find
the correct pulse welding parameters
when welding aluminium in horizontal
overhead position. To meet the needs
of all position welding, Kemppi has
developed the WiseFusion function,
which keeps arc length more constant and
prevents the arc from becoming longer as
the stick-out length changes.
Picture 7: 960 MPa grade steel weld.
Plate thickness is 6 mm. I-groove welded
with a single pass from one side. Welding
energy is only 0.58 kJ/mm.
The principle of operation is based
on controlled regulation of pulse or
spray arc current and voltage waveform.
This produces a welding arc that is more
focused and has higher energy density
than in normal pulse or spray arc welding.
Another benefit of WiseFusion is
that a focused arc allows greater welding
speeds. The greater welding speed and
higher energy density mean less heat
input compared to standard pulse or
spray arc, and low heat input is a critical
factor with certain materials.
Using the adaptive arc length
control brings all kinds of benefits, such
as excellent weld pool control in all
positions, narrow and energy-dense arc,
and no need to fine tune the arc length.
WiseFusion is very easy to use.
Welding parameters are always right, so
you don’t need to adjust them. You can
use faster welding speeds and get deeper
penetration and stiffer, more focused
arc. Low heat input and narrow grooves
make it also a very productive and costefficient
welding function.
Picture 6: On the left you can see a weld made with
pulsed MIG and WiseFusion function. The weld on
the right is made with pulsed MIG without fine tuning
the arc. The wire feed rate is 4.6 m/min.
26 Kemppi ProNews 2011

Case: Peikko Oy,
Lahti, Finland
Deltabeam is
an internationally
recognised and widely
used product for many
kinds of construction.
Several challenges have
been overcome in its manufacture.
Deltabeam overcame the
challenges of
production
Deltabeam is a hollow
beam welded from
steel plates with holes
in the sides. It is filled
with concrete at the
construction site.
Once the concrete has hardened, the beam
can connect hollow-core, composite, and
thin–shell slabs or cast-in-place concrete
into an integrated load-bearing structure.
Deltabeam development work is
performed by Peikko in Finland. The
beams are manufactured at the company’s
facilities in Finland and Slovakia.
Peikko’s beam production facility
in Lahti manufactures more than 250
beams weekly, each one tailored to the
client’s site-specific requirements. Beam
production employs 45 people, 12 of
them manual welders.
There are many challenges associated
with manufacture.
‘The components of the beam are
produced and the required openings
made via plasma or flame cutting and
mechanical cutting,’ says Toni Räty,
production manager for Deltabeam
production at Lahti.
The material is S355J2+N structural
steel. The ribbed reinforcement bars are
cut mechanically.
The webs are welded onto the bottom
and top plates through mechanised
submerged arc and MAG welding.
Robot assembly welding is used for the
connection ends of the beam. →
Kemppi ProNews 2011
27

‘It ensures the penetration
of hard-to-reach welds
inside the beam.’
The beams range in weight
from 100 to 5,000 kilograms.
The longest ones are more
than 12 metres long. The most
labour-intensive beams take
approximately one work day
to weld and consume seven
kilograms of filler wire.
Toni Paajavuori welding the
support plate inserts. They
are welded after assembly,
through the web holes. The
holes are only 80 to 150
millimetres in diameter, which
means that both visibility and
accessibility are inadequate
for traditional approaches.
The ends, mould plates, spacers,
reinforcement bars, and support plate
inserts are welded manually by means
of the MAG method. Manual welding
in Finland is carried out with Kemppi
FastMig Pulse 450 equipment with the
WisePenetration feature.
‘It ensures the penetration of hard-toreach
welds inside the beam,’ says Räty.
After the beam is assembled, welds
have to be made through the web holes.
They are only 80 to 150 millimetres in
diameter, which means that the visibility
of the welding location is poor.
‘Furthermore, because of limited
accessibility, the position of the torch
changes from pulling to pushing during
welding, and the alignment of the arc
with respect to the joint cannot be
optimal all the time,’ Räty says.
The quality requirement for the
beam’s structural welds is level C under
the SFS-EN ISO 5817 standard.
After assembly, the lower surface
of the beam is protected with alkyd or
epoxy primer for storage and transport.
‘Any other painting is subject to casespecific
agreement,’ says Räty.
Deltabeam makes a green impact
The results of Peikko’s product
development have often been pioneers in
their field. The company was among the
first to commission research on the carbon
footprint of construction. According to
an independent study conducted in Great
Britain, the use of Deltabeams reduces the
carbon footprint over a building’s life span
in comparison to I-beams.
‘The use of Deltabeams reduced the
carbon footprint of construction materials
by 10%. Most of the reduction came
from the amount of steel needed: the
number of beams required was
substantially lower than
the equivalent number
of I-beams,’ says Toni
Räty.
‘There were
other savings
on materials
too – such as
bricks, concrete, and mortar – and in waste,
because the use of Deltabeams instead of
I-beams reduced the building’s overall
height,’ he says.
In all, the use of Deltabeams reduced the
carbon footprint over the building’s entire
life span by five per cent when compared to
I-beam construction.
© Peikko Oy
Facts about Peikko
• Peikko Group Corporation,
established in 1965, is a family
business specialising in composite
beams and joining technology for
concrete structures.
• Peikko operates in more than 20
countries, on three continents. It is
headquartered in Lahti, Finland.
• In addition to Finland, Peikko has
production facilities in Great Britain,
Lithuania, Germany, Slovakia, Russia,
and the United Arab Emirates.
• Since its establishment, Peikko has
been developing new technologies
and applications for industrial
products. For example, the company
has developed a standardised
foundation structure for the towers
of wind power stations.
• The business group’s turnover
in 2010 came to €78 million. On
average, the company had 700
personnel, approximately 300 of
them in Finland.
www.peikko.com
28 Kemppi ProNews 2011

© Peikko Oy
Karisma combines soft wood
with stylish steel
By December this year, Lahti
will see a 34,000-square-metre
commercial centre completed in
the Karisto area. This shopping
paradise combining wood and
steel in a natural way will be
constructed around a frame
supplied by Peikko.
The basis for design in the Karisto area
in general has been wood construction –
something that is appreciated also in the
commercial centre. Wood is naturally
suitable for this shopping oasis, called
‘Karisma’ (meaning ‘charisma’), which
also functions as the entrance to its
district of town.
Approximately 22,000 square metres
of the roof of the two-storey building
has been covered with 12-metrelong,
2.5-metre-wide wooden roofing
elements. Also the external panelling will
feature wood.
The Karisma commercial centre
will rise next to the busy Highway 4.
About 26,000 cars per day pass along the
highway here, and the new shopping oasis
hopes to attract a significant proportion
of these. The aim is to offer services to
three million customers annually and to
reach annual sales of approximately 120
million euros.
The main contractor for the project
is SRV. Peikko Finland Oy, Peikko
Group’s unit in Finland, is responsible
for delivering the steel parts and the
installation of the steel and concrete
elements of the frame. The company
will deliver, in total, 2.2 kilometres of
Deltabeams as well as more than 700
tons of other steel structures, such as
composite columns and trusses.
The estimate for the total cost of the
project is about 90 million euros.
Texts: Pirjo Kemppinen
Environmentally
friendly office
facilities being
built in Poland
Office facilities totalling 23,000 square
metres in floor area are being built
in Poland that utilise the latest ecofriendly
technologies. The Green Towers
buildings use Deltabeams manufactured
by Peikko, a Finnish company.
Construction work has already begun
on the Green Towers office blocks, in
the city of Wrocław, in south-western
Poland. The project’s objective is to
produce extremely energy-efficient and
sustainable buildings.
The construction project has been
awarded LEED certification. Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design is
an internationally recognised environmental
certification system.
Skanska is Peikko’s customer in this
project. In the spring, Peikko delivered
800-metre Deltabeams and several
other joint components, such as rebar
connections, hidden corbels, and column
shoes, from the Peikko plant in Slovakia.
Kemppi ProNews 2011
29

Faces behind the mask:
Katja Vironen, Finland
Welding gave Katja a
new life
For Katja Vironen, welding is not just a job – it has a much
deeper meaning. She believes it has changed her life and
given her the confidence to realise her dreams. In fact,
welding also features in one of her biggest dreams.
When Katja
Vironen first
picked up a
welding gun
eleven years
ago, she realised
that she had at last found what she’d
been looking for. A lot of people tried to
discourage her, but she wasn’t put off.
‘I noticed that I could learn quickly
and easily. It made welding fun and got
me wanting to learn more,’ says Katja,
34, of Riihimäki, Finland.
‘It’s a field where there’s infinite scope
to develop your skills. I find there’s always
something new, a material or method, for
example, that I don’t know yet.’
However, Katja admits with a laugh
that she didn’t exactly volunteer when
she started training to be a welder.
A career that started at its peak
When she was growing up, Katja enjoyed
looking after the horses, sheep and dogs
that her family kept at their home in Koria.
30 Kemppi ProNews 2011
With her love of animals, it was only
natural that she started an apprenticeship
to train as a stable groom when she left
school.
Unfortunately, the employment
situation in that field was already poor and
she couldn’t find a permanent job. She
couldn’t think of anything else she wanted
to do, either.
‘I’ve always been more interested in
doing things with my hands than reading,
so I didn’t want to study.’
As time went on she almost
completely lost her initiative and selfconfidence.
Life was hard without a wage
and the days were long because all her
friends of the same age were studying or
working.
Things changed during a visit to the
job centre, when a vocational psychologist
more or less forced Katja to take a basic
course in welding. Katja, who was then
23, decided she would stick out the fourmonth
course to the end.
After a couple of days of theory Katja
had the chance to try welding in practice
and found her future.
Four months turned into more than
a year of studies. After the basic course
Katja wanted to learn more and more
about welding, and she did MIG/MAG,
MMA, and TIG courses. Her hard work
and good level of skills paid off when
Kouvola based Steka Oy selected six
people from numerous applicants to train
as high pressure welders. Katja was one
of the successful applicants.
‘I managed to start my career right at
the top.’
The job was by no means the easiest
way for a beginner to start:
‘TIG welding is a challenge because
you have to be able to work with both
hands at the same time. In addition to that,
as a high pressure welder I had to work
in difficult places and uncomfortable
positions.’
Monitoring also made the work
more demanding. The quality of the
weld seams was continuously inspected,
both visually and by means of X-ray
photography and ultrasound.
‘Sometimes I thought I’d go home
and not come back.’

Katja is both the first female and first
TIG welder at Rimera Oy. All the people
working at the company have their own
nickname, which some get straightaway
and others have to wait for. Marko Räty
(‘The Pastor’) says that Katja found her
own place among the team and got her
nickname ‘Putki-Pirkko’ immediately.
Recession dropped down to
earth
Katja nevertheless stayed with Steka
for six years. She later felt it was time
to move away from the area where she
was born, and in May 2007 she moved to
Tampere and found a good job there.
Her happiness did not last long,
though, because the recession had started
and she lost her job just over a year later.
‘The bottom fell out of my world.’
However, she decided to pay tribute
in her own particular way to the years
that had gone by.
Katja had got her first tattoo when
she was around twenty, at a time when
it was becoming fashionable. She then
carried on, and she now has tattoos on
about twenty percent of her skin. New art
is appearing on her body all the time.
‘My aim is to be a walking picture
book of my own life by the time I’m a
pensioner.’
On her right arm she’s got the
Kemppi logo. Katja asked for the logo to
be done in a special way so it looks like
the tattoo has been pressed on to her skin
with a hot iron.
‘It was a huge thing for me when I
found a career and job I liked after years
of frustration. I was really happy and felt
that I was improving myself.’
‘When I was made redundant I
decided to preserve the memory of the
new life that welding had helped me to
get.’
Katja was in no doubt what image
she wanted for the tattoo:
‘Kemppi machines are everywhere –
it’s easy to be a fan. They are built to last
and they’ve got character. A lot of other
equipment builders try to use colours
to make their machines stand out, but
Kemppi’s orange is unbeatable.’
Now seeking success under
water
Katja originally liked MMA welding the
most because people said it was the most
challenging method. She didn’t want to
conform to the idea that women should
do TIG welding, at least not until she had
tried other methods first.
‘I’ve never wanted to go along the
road, I always want to tackle the rough
ground.’
But she doesn’t think of herself as a
feminist.
‘Some people say that metalworking
makes women into men, but I don’t think
so. Metalworking doesn’t suit all women,
but it doesn’t suit all men either.’
At the moment, though, Katja is
mainly working as a TIG welder. She
found a new job in Riihimäki, first as
a security guard and then as a welder.
Sometimes when she makes up her mind
she’s determined to stick to her decision.
‘When I was on the basic welding
course someone said I couldn’t become
a welder because I couldn’t lift a gas
bottle. I’ve lifted every bottle myself, and
without using lifting gear. It’s all about
technique, not strength.’
Katja is working on her technique
and skills in other areas, too. She is doing
a diving course during the spring and
plans to use what she learns later.
Around the Kemppi logo Katja is having
tattoos depicting the Normandy landings.
‘Most people ask me whether I’m
going coral reef diving on my holidays.
My aim has always been to dive into
harbours here in Finland with my
welding rods.’
Katja hopes that by building her
diving skills she will one day be able
to become a professional underwater
welder.
But what about the bags of
flour
‘When I was young I spent five years
thinking. I’ve decided not to waste any
more of my life. I’d rather regret what
I’ve done than what I haven’t done,’ Katja
explains.
A year ago people couldn’t understand
what was happening when they saw Katja
packing bags of flour into her backpack
every evening. This year she has already
become familiar sight, walking along the
roads for hours on end with her backpack.
→
Kemppi ProNews 2011
31

‘There are still some dreams that Katja has not yet been able to realise.’
She is practising for summer, when she
intends to go hiking with friends.
‘The first time we hiked from
Lappeenranta to Hamina along the Salpa
Line. We covered 133 kilometres in just
over 50 hours. Our next hike will also be
along the Salpa Line, but to the north.’
Known officially as Suomen Salpa
(Finland’s Bolt), the Salpa Line was a
defensive line built close to Finland’s
eastern border after the Winter War. Katja
had good reasons for choosing it as her
hiking route.
‘I was interested in the army when I
was young but I was too shy, and after
being unemployed for a long time I’d
As well as army gear, Katja also collects
material about Kemppi. She particularly
wants to find an old poster that says
‘there are no bad welders, it’s just that
some have got better machines.’
more or less lost my initiative. Every year
I put off applying for military service,
and then I had my son.’
For years Katja has been collecting
different countries’ army surplus gear.
She has already got camouflage suits,
boots, bags and hats not only from the
Finnish but also German, Swedish,
Czech, British, Austrian and Dutch
armies. When she goes hiking she
naturally wears army gear.
‘I did a course for defence volunteers
and I got the chance to run about in the
forest with a gas mask on,’ Katja says.
There are still some dreams that Katja
has not yet been able to realise. Sameli,
her son, was born in 2003 and she did
a village blacksmith course while on
maternity leave.
‘If I win the lottery I’ll buy an old house
in the middle of the forest and set up my
own smithy.’
© Rimera
Annual use of welding wire
totals 30 tons
Rimera Oy
- Designs, manufactures and installs
steel-structured casting moulds for the
pre-cast concrete element industry.
- Around 95 percent of production goes
for export to more than 40 countries. The
main markets are Russia, Saudi-Arabia,
India and the Philippines.
- The company’s 2 700 m2 production
facility is located in Riihimäki. Subsidiary
company Steelform is based in Nastola.
- Approx. 40 employees in total.
- The company was established in 1980
and has been part of Elematic Group
since 1999.
Katja Vironen joined Rimera as a
welder in mid 2010. She mainly
welds heating tubes for installation
in casting moulds manufactured
for the construction industry.
‘Warm water circulating in the
tubes makes the concrete cure faster.
In addition, the drying process is
controlled when it takes place at a
temperature set at a suitable level,’
explains Rimera’s Production Manager
Åke Mether.
Two main types of mould are used
in the construction industry. In the
case of battery moulds, the concrete is
poured vertically into the mould and
about 20 panels can be cast at once.
Table moulds are used for horizontal
casting in the manufacture of panels
with a large surface area, such as
façades, one at a time.
Hollow core slab moulds, where
the concrete is cast by machine, are
Rimera’s third main product. Hollow
core slab lines are typically 120 metres
long and 1.3 metres wide.
Welding represents 90 percent of
the work involved in manufacturing
casting moulds. Also significant is
the fact that the company’s annual
consumption of welding wire is almost
30 tons. This is used by 22 Kemppi
welding machines.
The greatest challenge in
manufacturing moulds is to ensure that
the surfaces are sufficiently straight.
‘In battery moulds, for example,
the permissible deviation is only one
millimetre per two metres, and the
tolerance for railway sleeper moulds is
measured in tenths of a millimetre.’
Right angles and crosswise and
external dimensions are also required
to be accurate.
‘The welder must have extremely
good control over the heat input so
that the mould does not change shape
while it is being welded,’ Mether says.
Texts and pictures: Pirjo Kemppinen
32 Kemppi ProNews 2011

According
to recent British
research, the first skates
were made from horse bone
4 000 years ago in Finland. In
winter people could travel
considerably faster by
skating across Finland’s numerous lakes rather than
walking around them.
Was skating invented
in Finland
©Pixmac
A
study by researcher Federico
Formenti and Professor
Alberto Minetti
of Oxford University was
published in the Biological
Journal of the Linnean Society of
London in 2007.
According to the researchers, skates
made of bone thousands of years ago
have been found in northern Europe. The
large number of lakes in Finland means
it is likely that the ancient Finns where
those who had the most to gain from the
ability to move quickly across ice.
The skates consisted of pieces of
bone that were simply bound to the feet
with straps. To move across the ice the
skaters stood on the bones and pushed
themselves along with a stick.
The research team themselves tested
copies of the bone skates in the Alps.
They found that the skates have good
slide characteristics because fat adhering
to the bone reduces friction.
The ancient skaters certainly did not
set any speed records. The researchers
estimated that people could travel
around eight kilometres an hour using
the bone skates, compared to as much
as 60 kilometres per hour achievable by
today’s speed skaters.
As far as is known, no stone age
skates have been found in Finland to
support the results of the British research,
but the origin of skating is probably not
very significant in any case. Over the
millennia, skating across natural ice has
developed into a number of recreational
and competitive sports that are enjoyed
around the world.
The thrill of speed and beautiful
scenery
Speed skating has a long history, both as
a form of exercise and competitive sport.
It is even said that Leonardo da Vinci
(1452-1519) wondered how skaters are
able to stand on narrow blades.
Speed skaters can use their own
strength, speed and skating technique to
reach amazing speeds. Only in cycling is
it possible to go even faster.
As well as being a competitive sport,
speed skating is also an ideal form of
exercise for people of all ages and sizes.
Tour and Nordic skating are also
effective ways to exercise. Tour skaters
use manmade routes across natural ice.
Nordic skaters, on the other hand, enjoy
the adventure of travelling across free
natural ice without manmade tracks. A
Nordic skating tour will generally last
from morning until evening.
Roller skating has been regarded
as the newest form of skating but it
dates back to the 1700s. Nowadays it is
popular both as a form of exercise and
competitive sport.
The magic of figure skating
Figure skating is one of the most allround
ways of exercising and is probably
the most spectacular of the competitive
forms of skating. Figure skaters aim
for a performance that is technically
demanding and artistically high class at
the same time. The skaters’ moves, jumps
and spins, all executed in time to the
music, can be truly breathtaking.
There are four competitive forms of
figure skating: singles, pair skating, ice
dancing and synchronised skating.
Texts: Pirjo Kemppinen
Sources of skating info: Finnish Speed
Skating Association, Finnish Figure
Skating Association
Kemppi ProNews 2011
33

Kemppi Oy has been supporting
the Pelicans since 2005
© Pelicans
Ice hockey action with the Pelicans
Ice hockey is said to be the world’s
fastest-paced team game. During
a single game the spectators
experience a roller coaster ride of
emotions.
Ice hockey’s popularity is based on the
speed of play and on the sudden, often
violent situations that develop during
games. A perfect ice hockey game takes
the spectator through the whole range of
emotions from excitement to despair, from
bitterness to joy and jubilation.
”The final result depends on the
number of goals and there are usually lots
of them. It’s a fast contact sport with plenty
of action and body checks to keep the
spectators entertained.”
”The speed and intensity of the game
keep the audience enthralled,” says Tomi-
Pekka Kolu, Marketing Manager of the
Pelicans, Lahti’s ice hockey team.
He adds that around the world ice
hockey games have been built up into allround
events that also feature other types
of entertainment and bar and restaurant
services.
The Pelicans can trace their roots back
to Reipas, a team established in Vyborg in
1891 which went on to win the first ever
Finnish ice hockey Championship. The
team has changed its name several times
over the years, becoming the Pelicans in
1996.
The Pelicans have been playing
in the Finnish Championship League
continuously since 1999.However, the
Pelicans are more than just a team fighting
to win the Finnish Championship.
“We are the partner team for Päijät-
Häme Central Hospital and we’ve collected
almost 50 000 euros for the hospital during
the last four years,” he explains.
In fact, the Pelicans are the biggest
event organiser in the Lahti area, offering
around 30-40 opportunities to be
entertained at sporting events each year.
”The team also serves as an example
for young people in the area who are
interested in ice hockey. Our Pelicans
school tour encourages young people in
the Päijät-Häme area to exercise and get fit.”
Text: Pirjo Kemppinen
At the end of the season, Pelicans presented Kemppi with
a goaltender’s helmet. The autograph of Niko Hovinen,
who was the third goaltender of the team that won gold
for Finland in the Ice Hockey World Championship 2011,
was eternalised on the helmet. The helmet was accepted
by Chief Executive Officer Anssi Rantasalo.
34 Kemppi ProNews 2011

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