Pronews_2_2007_en.pdf - Kemppi

Kemppi customer magazine 

2/2007 EN 

Jubilee issue for 30 years 

of welding inverters 

Joy of 

DISCOVERING 

Three decades of 

INVERTERS 

in welding 

Little Minarcs - no fat, 

JUST MUSCLE

9 

34 

Editorial 

3 Three decades of inverters in welding - started by 

Kemppi, of course! 

30 years of welding inverter technology 

5 The Kemppi Hilarc was an inverter technology 

breakthrough in welding 

6 About welding inverter technology 

Productive welding 

11 More kick for the small Kemppi machines 

5 

Case 

14 Food industry requires clean welding seams 

28 DT Hi-Load develops lightweight and durable 

trays for mining trucks 

In co-operation 

16 FastRoot aroused enthusiasm in Cyprus 

34 Strawberries of steel in the parliament’s garden 

18 

20 

Kemppi motorsports 

18 Valtteri goes on with speed 

20 Pigeons, bears, beer, and Grand Prix racing 

23 Do it yourself Formula One racing car 

Joy Story 

27 The welder’s dance 

What’s up 

36 Fresh news in short 

Other topics 

Kemppi reveals its new look 9 

Questions and answers 14 

Heat input plays an increasingly important role in 

welding design 31 

Kemppi Oy Subsidiaries 39 

Kemppi Oy Sales Offices 39 

11 

Picture on the cover: Petri Artturi Asikainen/ Kuvagorilla 

Kemppi Oy customer magazine 

Publisher: Kemppi Oy, P.O. Box 13, 15801 Lahti, Finland. 

Internet: www.kemppi.com. Telephone: +358 3 899 11. 

Editor-in-chief: Hannu Jokela. 

Sub-editor: Laura Ojanen. Editor: Jukka Pohjola 

Photos: Risto Kallio. Lay-out: Tekijätiimi Oy. 

Subscriptions and changes of address: Kemppi Oy. 

Telefax: +358 3 899 445. 

Printed by: Esa Print Oy, Lahti, Finland, 2007. 

Issued: 3 times a year. ISSN 1796-847X.

Three decades of inverters in 

welding - started by Kemppi, 

of course! 

EDITORIAL 

This year marks an important milestone 

for both Kemppi and the industries 

that use welding applications. It was 

almost exactly 30 years ago, at the Essen 

welding fair in 1977, that Kemppi as the first 

manufacturer of welding machinery in the 

world introduced a power source based on 

inverter technology. This was the Hilarc multiprocess 

inverter. 

Not many people in those days could foresee 

the significance of Kemppi’s pioneering 

invention to the industries that manufacture 

or use welding machinery. The decreased 

size and weight make inverters easier to 

move, and power sources based on inverter 

technology have lower demand for raw 

materials and electricity in their production 

than do those based on rectifier technology. 

Thus, Kemppi’s introduction of an inverter 

power source was an act that would today be 

considered truly environmentally friendly. 

Over the last three decades, we have 

developed several new generations and 

product families of inverters. These include 

the Multisystem PS, Kemppi Pro, Kempomig, 

FastMig, Master, Mastertig, Master MLS, 

Mastertig MLS, Minarc, MinarcTig, and 

MinarcMig. 

When launched in 1993, the Kemppi Pro 

was ahead of its time. As the first digitally 

controlled welding machinery in the world, 

it led the way toward the models seen 

today. Our current products enable us to 

offer our clients extremely versatile and 

comprehensive solutions for welding. The 

actual welding devices should now be seen 

as just one part of a continuously expanding, 

diversifying range of welding services aimed 

at increasing productivity in welding. 

The Minarc, MinarcTig, and MinarcMig 

product families have been renowned for 

their excellent welding qualities, usability, and 

reliability ever since they were introduced to 

the market. The ‘red dot’ award, received by 

the MinarcMig 180 in 2006, was international 

recognition of the ease of use and superior 

design of the Minarc products. 

The new Minarc 220 and MinarcTig 250/250 

MLP products being launched this year 

are true ‘little giants’, well worth getting 

acquainted with by reading the article in this 

magazine. You can also test them for yourself 

at welding-industry events. 

The Kemppi logo has scorched its way around 

the world on the front wings of Spyker F1 

cars, for a few laps even at the head of the 

race in the Nürburgring leg. The F1 welding 

competition launched early this autumn is 

a mutual campaign of Kemppi and Spyker, 

closely related to the MasterTig MLS 2300 

ACDC used by the Spyker F1 team. 

The Kemppi Motorsports Web site, published 

in June, features the Formula 1 race reports 

as well as the race diary of young formula 

promise Valtteri Bottas, in the Formula Renault 

2000 NEC cup. The current issue of Kemppi 

ProNews also offers a concise summary of 

Kemppi’s motorsport activities. 

I wish all our readers enjoyable moments 

reading the ProNews magazine. We hope the 

current issue gives you both joy and useful 

information about the productive welding 

solutions offered by Kemppi. 

HANNU JOKELA 

” 

Thus, Kemppi’s 

MARKETING DIRECTOR 

introduction of an 

inverter power source 

was an act that would 

today be considered 

truly environmentally 

friendly. 

Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2007 3

4 Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2007 

Synergic arc welding equipment, such as the Kemppi 

Fastmig Synergic, would not be worth manufacturing 

without inverter technology.

30 YEARS OF WELDING INVERTER TECHNOLOGY 

The Kemppi Hilarc was an 

inverter technology 

breakthrough in welding 

Almost exactly three decades ago 

there was a revolution in arc welding 

equipment technology which resulted in 

significant enhancements to usability and 

features. 

That was when the rst welding power source to use 

inverter technology was introduced on the market. It 

was none other than the Kemppi Hilarc 250, which was 

launched at an Essen Welding Fair in 1977. 

Inverters brought light weight and 

versatility to welding 

Today, the welding inverter is a familiar concept to 

anyone working in or knowing about the welding 

industry. However, there are probably many who do 

not fully understand the impact that inverter technology 

actually had on arc welding equipment, much less what 

is precisely meant by ‘inverter technology’. 

To make a long story short, the introduction of inverter 

technology made it possible to manufacture lighter but 

more effective and versatile arc welding equipment. 

Today’s small but effective ”giants of welding” or 

the versatile welding units used in pulse arc welding 

would not be possible without the benets of inverter 

technology. 

Inverter technology improved equipment controllability 

and made it possible for a single welding power source 

to be used for several different welding processes: 

MMA, MIG/MAG and TIG welding. This had never 

been possible with earlier welding equipment that were 

based on rotating transformers, magnetic ampliers or 

thyristor rectiers. 

The lifetime consumption of electricity for welding 

equipment was also reduced with the advent of inverters. 

Because both the manufacture and use of equipment now 

required less energy, the Kemppi Hilarc 250 inverter 

power source could also be considered a pioneering 

product release from an environmental standpoint at that 

time. 

Kemppi’s decade of growth and 

development 

In simple terms, inverter technology involves conversion 

of the voltage frequency in alternating current coming 

from the mains power. This allows the power source 

properties to be controlled in a variety of ways. The 

technical operating principle of inverters is explained in 

 

Kemppi Hilarc showed 

the direction for the 

development of arc 

welding equipment. 


greater detail in the inverter technology article in this magazine. 

Even though inverter technology has been known since the beginning of the 

1900s, nding a way to utilise it in welding power sources was not easy. It 

was not until the development of components in the 1960s and 1970s that new 

innovations became possible, also in arc welding technology. 

In Kemppi’s history, the 1970s were a time of intensive expansion and rapid 

product research and development. The company expanded its international 

operations and in 1967 opened a large administrative and production facility 

in the district of Okeroinen in Lahti, Finland. Kemppi is still working in those 

same facilities, even though they have expanded considerably since those days. 

Especially during the last year the company headquarters and its surroundings 

have gone through a facelift, which is presented elsewhere in this magazine. 

Kemppi’s state-of-the-art research and development 

In the 1970s, Kemppi was a world-leader in applying inverter technology 

to arc welding equipment 

and commercialising welding 

inverters. New technologies were 

not actually developed in inverter 

R&D, but existing methods were 

used in a way that allowed for the 

release of an entirely new welding 

power source on the market. 

Kemppi’s successful inverter 

R&D in the 1970s was largely due 

to the research efforts of Martti 

Kanervisto, M.Sc. He headed a 

working group, whose objective 

was to study various ways of 

utilising frequency conversion 

technologies in welding power 

sources. 

The research lasted for nearly 

the entire decade. The R&D 

” 

Inverters brought light 

weight, versatility 

and environmentalfriendliness 

to welding 

team developed prototypes and 

nally completed work on the 

rst welding inverter suitable for 

commercial production and serial 

manufacture for introduction at 

the Essen Welding Fair in 1977. 

Also participating on the inverter research team was Tapani Mäkimaa 

(M.Sc.), who still works in the Kemppi research and development department. 

In this issue of Pronews, Mäkimaa and welding engineer Jyri Uusitalo have 

written an article dealing with one of the most current topics in the welding 

community: the growing importance of heat input in welding designing. 

About welding 

inverter 

technology 

This article is based on the publication of 

Tapani Mäkimaa (M.Sc.), “Types of power 

sources and their electrical structure”. 

Mäkimaa is a research and development 

engineer for Kemppi Oy and was part 

of the research and development team 

for the first-series-production welding 

inverter—the Kemppi Hilarc—in the 1970s. 

Why is a power source needed for 

welding 

In arc welding, an arc generated by electrical current is 

used to melt the base material and ller wire. In fact, 

manageability and controllability of the electrical current 

are absolutely crucial in arc welding. 

The electrical current that you get from the power mains 

can’t be used for welding as is. There are many reasons 

for this, not least of which is safety considerations. What 

is needed between the power mains and the welding arc 

is a piece of equipment called a power source, which 

is designed to convert the electricity coming from the 

power mains so that it can be used to generate the arc. 

The basic purpose of the welding power source is to 

separate the welding circuit from the power mains. 

Another key function is to adjust the electrical current so 

that it is suitable for the arc, for example, by rectifying 

the alternating current into direct current. The power 

source also makes it possible to adjust the welding 

current, because lack of adjustability makes welding 

work too difcult. 

Welding inverter operation 

The operating principle of the welding inverter is that 

the frequency of alternating current coming from the 

power mains is increased considerably. An increased 

frequency means a smaller transformer, which allows 

for the manufacture of smaller, lighter-weight power 

sources. 

However, the operating principle of a welding inverter is 

technically not quite that simple – processing of the line 

voltage occurs in several different phases. 

First, the alternating voltage from the power mains is 

6 Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2007

ectied and ltered. Then comes the inverter’s most 

important part—the inverter unit, which reconverts the 

rectied electrical current back to alternating current. 

This is a crucial phase, because it is at this point that the 

current frequency and welding inverter properties can 

be adjusted. 

After the inverter, the current is directed to the 

transformer, where it is converted into a form suitable for 

welding. The transformer also functions as an electrical 

separator between the power mains and welding circuit. 

The current coming from the transformer is rectied 

once again into direct current, which is run through a 

choke to the welding arc. As you can see, the current is 

rectied and inverted several times before the current 

coming from the power mains makes it to the torch. 

In welding processes using alternating current, one more 

inversion is required, because after the transformer, the 

direct current is converted once more into alternating 

current, before it can be used for AC-TIG welding in, 

for example, aluminium welding. 

One of the essential parts of the welding inverter is also 

the controlling and regulating unit, which constantly 

monitors the properties of current running to the arc, 

compares them to set values and makes the necessary 

adjustments during different phases of the current 

processing. 

From a performance standpoint, the most important part 

of the welding inverter is the inverter switch element. 

The switch element is made using bipolar transistors and 

thyristors. The more current switch elements being used 

are FETs and IGBTs, of which IGBTs are more widely 

used in medium and high-performance machines. 

In MMA and TIG welding, a high degree of inverter 

controllability does not offer signicant advantages 

to arc properties compared with traditional rectiers. 

For MMA and TIG machines the most considerable 

advantages are lighter weight and smaller size. 

Inverter controllability offers the greatest benets in 

MIG/MAG power sources. In these units the inverter 

core is primarily the same as found in MMA and TIG 

machines. However, there are major differences in the 

regulator and control technology used. 

All inverter regulation and control can be done using 

analogue technologies, which is precisely what simpler 

power sources use. In more complex MIG/MAG 

equipment, the regulator and control functions are 

executed digitally, using processors. 

However, the full utilisation of processor technologies 

requires a sufcient degree of controllability of the 

power source’s power unit. Because it was not until the 

advent of inverter technology that the manufacture of 

sufciently fast power sources was possible, the inverter 

technology has played a vital role in the development of 

modern pulse-MIG welding machines. 

Written by Jukka Pohjola based on the 

publication by T. Mäkimaa. 

RECTIFIER 

FILTER 

INVERTER 

TRANSFORMER 

RECTIFIER 

CHOKE 

SENSOR 

CONTROL UNIT 

ELECTRICAL 

NETWORK 

I 

U 

WELDING ARC 

MEASURING OF 

ACTUAL VALUE 

SET VALUE 


Photos: Terhi Räsänen 

The Kemppi tower, made of 

steel, emphasises Kemppi’s 

clientele: companies in the 

metal industry. 


Kemppi reveals 

its new look 

For years, Kemppi’s headquarters has 

been hidden from view behind tall plants 

and trees. In 2006–2007, the surrounding 

area has been tidied up and changed to 

match the new park plan. Passers-by 

can now see the handsome, renewed 

headquarters and the surrounding 

parklike gardens. 

Construction of the Kemppi production facilities at the 

current site of the head ofce began in 1966. The rst 

facilities were completed in the spring of 1967. Ten 

years later, in 1977, Kemppi introduced the world’s rst 

multi-process inverter power source, the Hilarc 250. 

Today, 40 years have passed since the rst production 

facilities in Okeroinen were completed, and 30 years 

since the introduction of the rst inverter power source. 

As if to highlight these anniversaries, the headquarters of 

Kemppi and the surrounding park have had a complete 

facelift. 

The yard has been made more open by removing trees 

and plants. Bushes have been cut down to reveal the 

marvellous steel sculpture Valokaaret (Arcs of light) 

erected in 1984 but hidden behind the trees for many 

years. Now the sculpture takes pride of place at the centre 

of the square in front of the main entrance. The sides of 

paths and routes have been revitalised with plants that 

ower at different times of year and with various stone 

pavements and arrangements of stones. 

In addition to the area’s aesthetics, changes have been 

made to improve the functionality and safety of the 

routes. Thanks to new trafc arrangements, heavy 

freight trafc no longer interferes with employee and 

visitor trafc, and routes for motor vehicle trafc are 

now completely separated from those for light trafc. 

Building renovation highlights Kemppi’s 

customer service 

Renewal of the head ofce building started a few years 

ago with indoor renovation. Now the exterior of the 

building has had a facelift, which also symbolises the 

development of Kemppi’s business. 

The most visible of the renewals is the Kemppi tower, 

located at the end looking toward the entrance gate. It 

is a 16-metre-high steel construction with large Kemppi 

logos that can be seen from two directions. 

Metal has also been used in the decorative construction 

of the frontages. The building has also been painted 

with darker, metal-like paint, underscoring the fact that 

Kemppi’s clientele consists of companies in the metal 

industry. 

With the frontage renewal, Kemppi also wants to 

emphasise its strong commitment to satisfying the needs 

of its customers and to introduce the focus of Kemppi’s 

business on more and more extensive service solutions, 

such as the Kemppi Arc System analysis solution. It 

combines wireless communication with centralised 

database software and precise methods for analysing 

welding information. 

 

The paths in 

Kemppi’s garden 

have been 

rationalised and 

decorated with 

plants and stone 

arrangements. 

Orchid Blue 

(Geranium 

bohemicum) 

suddenly began 

to germinate at 

Kemppi’s 

sunbaked yard. 


The reformation of 

surroundings revealed 

the new look of Kemppi’s 

headquarters in Lahti’s 

Okeroinen. 

The steel sculpture 

Valokaaret, designed 

by Kari Huhtamo 

and welded by Esko 

Helminen, became 

prominent after 

surrounding trees 

were removed as 

part of the renewal of 

Kemppi’s grounds. 

An ecologically unique park 

The park surrounding Kemppi’s production facilities is 

ecologically rich. In addition to what has been planted 

there, such as ornamentals, this garden has a rich variety 

of natural ora, including plants that have become rare or 

even endangered. The ponds in the area provide natural 

habitats for water plants. 

Kemppi’s internal communications ofcer, Helena 

Raikas, whose education includes a degree in botany, 

has studied the ora of the area. She considers the plant 

ecology native to the area unique. 

“Archaeological studies have proved that there was 

settlement in the region as long ago as in the Corded 

Ware culture, about 4,500 years ago. The long history 

of settlement in the area accounts for the richness of its 

ora and for the fact that there are such plants typical 

of the old culture as meadow knapweed (Centaurea 

jacea), narrow-leafed plantain (Plantago lanceoalata), 

and harebells (Campanula rotundifolia) in the area,” she 

says. 

“The area surrounding the production facilities has a 

great number of rare eld plants, such as blue eabane 

(Erigeron acer), eld cudweed (Filago arvensis), wood 

peas (Lathyrus sylvestris), red sandspurry (Spergularia 

rubra), and annual knawel (Scleranthus annuus), and, on 

the lawn, we have seen the rare small-owered crane’s 

bill (Geranium pusillum) growing,” Raikas adds. 

In addition, Raikas has spotted two endangered plants 

– the orchid blue (Geranium bohemicum) and the large 

hop trefoil (Trifolium aureum) – in the Kemppi area. The 

orchid blue is so rare that only 12 sightings of it have 

been recorded in our province since 1990 and only 37 

since the record-keeping started. 

“The habitat for the endangered species, the precious 

eld next to the parking area, has been kept in its natural 

state, which is a signicant gesture for the benet of 

nature on Kemppi’s part,” Raikas adds. 


PRODUCTIVE WELDING 

More kick 

for the small Kemppi 

machines 

Kemppi’s little Minarc has become 

a big name in the world of welding. 

It is a highly regarded family 

of ’small giants’ for MIG/MAG, 

TIG, and MMA welding. Minarc 

machines truly are unbeatable little 

powerhouses – especially now, as 

the expansion of the product family 

has given them loads of additional 

power and new features. 

Kemppi introduced its rst Minarc machines at the 

Essen Welding Fair in 2001. The machines immediately 

attracted a lot of interest, since they were seen as 

excellent everyman’s welding equipment for any 

application. While the early Minarcs had enough power 

and sufcient features for basic welding, they were 

still light enough to be easily carried to even the most 

inconvenient work locations. 

Minarcs were a great success from the very start and 

became more and more common in the welding industry, 

as well as in and agriculture and home welding. They 

were widely praised for their handy size, attractive 

design, and good usability. The most signicant 

public acknowledgement for the Minarc family was 

the esteemed international Red Dot prize, awarded to 

Kemppi’s MinarcMig Adaptive 180 in 2006. 

New power and new features 

There are compact Minarc models available for various 

kinds of welding needs. Special Minarc models are 

available for MIG/MAG, TIG, and MMA welding, as 

well as for small and large workshops. Although the 

Minarc family is designed for basic welding, we have 

made the power ranges and features of these machines as 

abundant as possible without making any compromises 

in terms of weight and usability. 

This autumn, Kemppi has introduced new models in 

the Minarc product lines for MMA and TIG welding. 

These models expand the range of use of Minarcs, since 

they provide the family with more welding power and 

features. 

Two completely new Minarc models make their debut 

this autumn: the Minarc 220 machine for 

MMA welding and the new MinarcTig 250 

with more power than before. In addition, we 

have introduced two models with the MLP control panel: 

the MinarcTig 180 MLP and the MinarcTIg 250 MLP. 

Minarc 220 - a tough workmate 

The enhancements that have made it 

possible to increase the Minarc’s 

power are technical modications 

of the machine’s architecture and 

a network connection, which 

is three-phased in the Minarc 

220 model. However, this new 

model offers a considerably 

better power-to-weight ratio 

than standard three-phase 

machines do. 

With the new Minarc 220 

running in a full 100% duty 

cycle, it is possible to achieve 

a welding power of 150 A in 

MMA welding and of 160 A in TIG welding. Maximum 

current, 220 A, is reached with a 35% duty cycle. 

However, the increase in welding current has not 

increased the weight of the machine noticeably. At about 

10 kilograms, it remains easy to grab the machine and 

carry it on one’s shoulder to a work site. To make the 

transfer easier still, cables can be conveniently wrapped 

around the machine, and there is a special notch for this 

very purpose in the handle. 

 

The Minarc product 

family is renowned for 

its steady arc and good 

usability. We have 

now enhanced these 

advantages still further. 



New automatic features – 

improved reliability 

One of the challenges for the Minarc product 

development team was to maintain the good voltage 

reserve of the machine. Voltage reserve is a technical 

feature of welding machine enabling a steady arc in 

varying and difcult circumstances and in welding of 

difcult materials. 

The technical innovations used in the Minarc 220 model 

to increase its power and ensure steadier arc, have on 

other hand made it necessary to develop new kinds of 

methods to maintain the good voltage reserve that the 

Minarcs are so famous for. 

The Minarc product development team did nd the 

needed technical solutions, so there was no need to 

compromise on the voltage reserve. Thus, with the 

Minarc 220, the arc remains steady even in difcult 

circumstances, and it is possible to use cellulosic 

electrodes in addition to rutile and basic electrodes. 

Convenience of MMA welding is also increased by 

the anti-freeze function, which helps releasing stuck 

electrodes, and by the automatic adjustment of ignition 

pulse and arc dynamics. 

The control panel of the new Minarc also includes an 

easy-to-use electrode type selection feature, which 

enables the user to select suitable setting for the chosen 

electrode with a single push of a button. 

In TIG welding, the TouchArc ignition function makes 

it possible to ignite the arc with a light touch. Safety of 

TIG welding is enhanced by the possibility of using a 

TTC 220 GV torch, which is live only during welding. 

More power and features for 

TIG welding 

The most dramatic effects of the 

expansion of the Minarc product 

family can be seen in the 

MinarcTig line of machines. 

Actually, it is the addition 

of the three new models that 

makes MinarcTigs a product 

line of its own, since now 

there are four models instead 

of just one. 

Of the three new MinarcTig 

machines, one brings additional 

features to the old 180 A model, and the two new effective 

models bring the welding power of MinarcTig machines 

to levels previously unseen in the family. 

The MinarcTig 250 and 250 MLP, the new three-phase 

machines, have enough power to make welding more 

efcient and productive. Their maximum current is 250 

A, but in continuous use – i.e., with a full 100% duty 

cycle – the machine can operate at a welding current of 

150 A in MMA welding and 160 A in TIG 

welding. 

In MMA welding, the large voltage reserve 

of the machine enables the use of various 

kinds of stick electrodes, including the 

difcult cellulosic ones. 

MLP panel widens the range of 

features 

In addition to the basic MinarcTig models, 

we offer MinarcTigs with a more versatile 

control panel. These MLP models have 

welding automatics that offer functions 

useful in TIG welding, such as the Minilog 

and the automatic pulse-welding function. 

” 

Minilog makes it possible to use two 

different current levels during a welding 

job. While welding, the welder can 

conveniently move to a lower or higher 

current level with just a click of the torch 

switch. This facilitates work, for example, 

when the groove width or welding direction 

varies or when the welder changes the hold 

on the welding torch. 

In MinarcTig machines, pulse-welding is so automated 

that the user only needs to set the cycle time of the pulse 

and the average welding current. On the basis of these 

settings, the machine congures the rest of the welding 

parameters. 

The smaller the cycle time of the pulse, the more precise 

is the arc and the easier it is to direct it even to a very 

narrow groove. A longer cycle time makes it easier to 

control the weld pool. 

This new model offers 

a considerably better 

power-to-weight ratio 

than standard threephase 

machines do. 

Kemppi’s Minarc product family 

Product Connection voltage Current (A) 

Weight 

(continuous use) 

Minarc 150/151 1~ 230 V (1~ 110 V) 110 (TIG), 100 (MMA) 4 kg 

Minarc 220 3~ 400V 160 (TIG), 150 (MMA) 9.2 kg 

MinarcMig Adaptive 150 1~ 230 V 100 9.4 kg 

MinarcMig Adaptive 180 1~ 230 V 100 9.8 kg 

MinarcTig 180 (MLP) 1~ 230 V 120 (TIG), 100 (MMA) 7.8 kg 

MinarcTig 250 (MLP) 3~ 400V 160 (TIG), 150 (MMA) 10.7 kg 


Questions and answers 

I had a Mastertig 2200 welding machine, but thunder broke its control 

card. Fixing the machine cost 450 euros. Now I bought a second hand 

Kempomat 163S and the seller told me that it was equipped with a new 

control card. I could weld for five minutes with the machine before wire 

feed stopped. The electrician came to measure the machine and said that 

the control card was broken. Are control cards a weak point in Kemppi’s 

equipment or is this just my bad luck 

Kemppi has not sold new cards for Kempomat 163S model in the last 15 years. 

It is impossible to tell were your seller had got the ‘new card’ you mention. 

The equipment model in question was manufactured in the 70s and early 

80s, which means that the piece of equipment is fairly elderly. Based on 

several years of experience, I can say that the control card has not been a 

weakness for this machine. In fact, Kempomat 163S has always been a very 

reliable machine. I recommend you contact the nearest authorised Kemppi 

service agent. 

I own a Minarc 150 MMA welding machine. My friend who is a professional 

welder said that the machine’s current cannot be adjusted during welding. 

Is that really the case or can the strength of current be adjusted during 

welding using the machine’s own control knob without harming the 

machine This is not prohibited in the instruction manual, and I would also 

disagree with the piece of advice. 

Minarc 150 machine’s welding current can be adjusted during welding. 

It might be that your friend’s information is based on older technology 

machines whose power was controlled with mechanical switches. They 

burnt if their settings were changed during welding. The power in modern 

machines equipped with electronic control can be adjusted during welding. 

When I weld above my head or moving upwards, the molten pool flows 

downward and the weld grows too high, especially when compared to 

welds performed on the floor. What could be the problem 

Check the suitability of the filler material – i.e., the stick electrode – for 

the work object. Information about the filler material can be found in the 

manufacturer’s product list, which you can request from a reseller of the filler 

material. Ensure 

• that the filler material you are using is compatible with the base material 

(i.e., the piece to be welded), 

• that the diameter of the stick electrode is suitable for the thickness of the 

base material to be welded, and 

• that the stick electrode is suitable for the welding position. The icons on 

the side of the stick electrode package indicate the positions for which the 

stick electrode may be used. 

The problem can also be caused by welding current. The current used in such 

welding is usually considerably lower than that used in welding on the floor – 

i.e., in downhand welding. If you have, for example, used a welding current of 

120 A in downhand welding with a 2.5-mm-thick stick electrode, you should 

decrease the current to 55–80 A to make uphand/upward welding possible. 

The welding current used with a stick electrode should always be within the 

range marked on the package of the stick electrode. 

Technique may have an effect also. The technique used in uphand welding 

differs from that used in downhand welding in that it involves spread motion. 

This facilitates control of the weld pool. It will not flow or drip, and the height 

of the weld will match the requirements. 

Food industry 

requires 

clean 

welding 

seams 

Cleanliness is a top priority for companies 

in the food industry. Especially high 

quality is required from the weld seams 

of equipment used to process raw 

foodstuffs into food products. SteapStailor 

is a French company specialising in 

design, manufacturing, and installation of 

equipment used in processing of liquid 

and semi-liquid raw materials. In this 

demanding work, the company relies on 

Kemppi’s welding equipment. 

Different kinds of milk, processed milk products, animal 

and vegetable fat, spring and mineral water, alcoholic 

beverages, tea, juice, and syrup … all of these are related 

to SteapStailor’s know-how, since the company designs, 

manufactures, and installs process equipment used by 

food-industry companies. 

Founded in 1985, SteapStailor is an expert in liquid 

and semi-liquid material processes, from the processing 

of raw materials to packaging. In the past few years, 

SteapStailor, a specialist in demanding production lines, 

has also expanded its expertise to processes used in the 

production of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. 

SteapStailor operates on three sites in France. The 

company also has activities in other European countries, 

including Russia, as well as Africa. 

Reliability and high-quality service 

The welding solutions have an especially important role 

in the production of process equipment that is under strict 

hygiene control. For demanding welds, SteapStailor 

relies on Kemppi equipment. SteapStailor uses 60 pieces 

of Kemppi equipment, most of them Mastertig 1500S 

models. 

John Morel, production manager for SteapStailor, 

regards reliability and ease of use as the most important 


Text: Pirjo Pöllänen. Photos: Kemppi Oy 

CASE 

features of the Kemppi welding machines. 

“Some of our Mastertigs have been in production use for 

as long as 15 years,” says Morel. 

He nds that the customer service provided by Kemppi’s 

local representatives and their active engagement in cooperation 

also have a major role in making work as 

smooth as possible. 

“Their service is always of the highest quality. The 

Kemppi representative always has machines, torches, 

and consumable parts available, and a suitable machine 

is always available for hire thanks to Kemppi’s large 

product range,” Morel says. 

From Master to Minarc 

SteapStailor has started to replace the old Mastertig 

machines with new machines, and so the company 

has set its sights on Kemppi’s Minarc product family. 

Recently, the company obtained three new MinarcTig 

180 machines. 

A member of the Minarc family known for its reliability, 

the MinarcTig 180, is a small but powerful machine 

that can be used in both MMA and TIG welding. John 

Morel thinks highly of the multi-purpose capability of 

the machine, which makes it possible to use the unit in 

various welding situations. 

” 

“The MinarcTig is an extremely efcient 

but light machine. It is easy to prepare the 

machine for use, and its digital display 

makes welding control easy,” says Morel 

about the advantages of Kemppi’s little 

giant. 

SteapStailor employs 20 welders, who 

primarily work in installation of stainlesssteel 

parts. Their usual tasks include, for 

example, welding together the manifold joints. 

Processing of raw material in the food industry imposes 

special requirements for weld seams, since the quality of 

seams has a signicant effect on hygiene. A weld seam 

must never exceed the nominal diameter of a tube; i.e., it 

must not extend to the tube’s interior. 

It is easy to prepare 

the machine for use, 

and its digital display 

makes welding 

control easy. 


IN CO-OPERATION 

Text: Pirjo Pöllänen. Photos: Cyprus Tourism 

Organisation and Kemppi Oy. 

FastRoot aroused 

enthusiasm 

in Cyprus 

Kemppi’s welding equipment has had an 

important position in Cyprus for over 12 

years. Kemppi’s market share has been 

further reinforced since Kemppi’s entry 

into a co-operation agreement with P.A.M. 

Cyweld in 2006. In March 2007, P.A.M. 

Cyweld as our partner organised a seminar 

in Limassol with the FastRoot welding 

process as the theme. The seminar 

received an enthusiastic reception. 

Pavlos Aristodimou, sales manager at P.A.M. Cyweld, 

regards Kemppi as a major force in the Cypriot welding 

industry. 

“Kemppi has a strong position in Cyprus. As an example 

I could mention that the steam generators of the new 

power plants in Cyprus are welded entirely with Kemppi 

equipment. Kemppi equipment is commonly used not 

only in industry but also in educational institutions. 

Kemppi has been chosen by all technical education 

institutions in Cyprus,” says Aristodimou. 

New welding process tempting 

participants to testing 

P.A.M. Cyweld arranged a seminar on the FastRoot 

welding process last March in Cyprus. FastRoot is 

a MIG/MAG welding process for root pass and thin 

sheet welding of structural steel and stainless steel. The 

process facilitates the work of welders and makes it more 

effective. The process can be used with all positions, 

and it guarantees the desired penetration and spatter-free 

welds. 

Attendees included 180 P.A.M. Cyweld customers, 

from all sectors of the welding industry of Cyprus. 

Jarmo Ruotsalainen, IWS at Kemppi, is happy with the 

seminar arrangements and also with the high attendance 

and the genuine enthusiasm of the participants. 

16 

Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2007

“Also positive is that 

participants were craving a 

chance to test the demonstrated 

features in practice,” says 

Ruotsalainen. 

” 

Dynamic 

attitude 

generates 

remarkable 

Productive Cooperation 

with a 

results. 

Positive Attitude 

P.A.M. Cyweld was founded when friends Aristodimou, 

Marios Ioannou, and Alexandros Pavli decided to 

unite their know-how and establish a business on 1 

January 2006. The company entered a representation 

agreement for Kemppi welding equipment in Cyprus, 

and the rst year of co-operation has already exceeded 

the companies’ expectations. 

“Our hands-on co-operation has worked out very well,” 

says Saila Lehtomäki, area sales manager at Kemppi. 

“We are very satised with our partner. Kemppi has 

already had a good position in the Cypriot markets, 

but in the past year the growth of our sales has been 

exceptionally strong. P.A.M. Cyweld is a dynamic 

and exible unit of three, marching forward with an 

appropriate positive attitude,” adds Lehtomäki. 

Island of Love, Abundant with Contrasts 

Cyprus is renowned as the island of Aphrodite, goddess 

of love and beauty. According to the myth, Aphrodite 

was born from sea foam on the south-western shore 

of Cyprus. Aphrodite is also known as Filomeidas, 

which means ‘one who loves smiles’. Lehtomäki thinks 

the name could as easily mirror the nature of Cypriot 

people. 

“Cypriots are approachable because they are cheerful, 

positive people. I wonder whether Aphrodite has anything 

to do with that, or is it the climate” says Lehtomäki 

with a smile. 

According to one songwriter, Cyprus is ‘a golden green 

leaf thrown into the blue Mediterranean Sea’. The island 

enjoys a truly ideal climate, with over 300 days of 

sunlight annually. 

Cyprus, located in the north-eastern part of the Mediterranean 

Sea, is about 70 kilometres off the Turkish 

coast. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean 

after Sicily and Sardinia. 

Cyprus can be, for many reasons, called an island of 

contrasts. Landscapes vary from the rugged, shady forests 

of the Troodos mountains to long, sunny beaches. The 

island is abundant with small, idyllic villages, but there 

are modern cities as well. History has a strong presence 

on Cyprus and here can be traced back as far as 9,000 

years. Due to this, folklore on the island is amazingly 

rich and diverse. 

On the southern coast of the island lies the city of 

Limassol. It is the liveliest resort area on the island 

and the second largest city of the Republic of Cyprus. 

Limassol is also one of the most important ports of 

Cyprus. 

Festivals and other events are held in Cyprus almost 

weekly. The biggest events hosted by Limassol are the 

pre-Lent Carnival in the spring, including masquerades 

and parades, and the Wine Festival in the autumn. 

The past of Limassol is glorious. In the Middle Ages, 

Richard the Lionheart was wedded to Berengaria of 

Navarre in the city. Crusaders used the mediaeval 

Kolossi Castle in Limassol as their headquarters. Those 

times also saw the coming into being of the sweet dessert 

wine known today as Commandria. 

Pavlos Aristodemou 

(left) and Jarmo 

Ruotsalainen and 

demonstrated the 

FastRoot welding 

process. Attendees 

of the seminar were 

craving a chance to 

test the effective root 

pass welding also in 

practice. 

Festivals and events 

are characteristic for 

Cyprus. The evening 

meal after the 

seminar arranged 

by Kemppi’s 

representative grew 

eventually into what 

could literally be 

called a Kemppi 

festival. 


Photos: Rauno Bottas 

Valtteri goes 

on with speed 

KEMPPI MOTORSPORTS 

Kemppi’s motorsport partner, the 17-yearold 

Valtteri Bottas, has been busy this summer 

racing around Europe in Formula Renault 

North European Cup. 

Fortunately his heavy lead foot has been 

conducted by his cool and reasonable mind, 

so he has made it surprisingly well in his first 

year of Formula level racing. He has made 

very good lap times and ranked among the 

top three in several races. 

In the last race at Hockenheim Valtteri took 

two wins, so his debut in the NEC Formula 

Renault 2.0 series ended with a victory. In 

the final points Valtteri conquered the third 

place. 

The following article is a summary of the 

competition diary of Valtteri and his managerfather 

Rauno Bottas. The diary as a whole is 

published in Kemppi Motorsports website at 

www.kemppi.com. 

Test run at Spa, Belgium on 22 of May: 

Valtteri sets a record for the Koiranen Bros 

Team 

Valtteri continued his successful test runs at 

the legendary Spa circuit in Belgium. There 

was no hesitation from him at this circuit 

known for its great differences in altitude. It 

was even a surprise how well he adjusted to 

the conditions. 

Valtteri clocked the fastest ever lap recorded 

by any Koiranen Bros. Motorsport Formula 

Renault 2000 car at Spa. 

Valtteri seemed to love the legendary circuit. 

’It was damned cool’, he said of the track after 

the first testing run. 

Zandvoort on 25-27 of May: 

Valtteri makes a flying start to the season 

Valtteri experienced his first Formula Renault 

race at Zandvoort circuit in Holland. His 

success in both of the qualifying sessions 

was moderately high. In the first qualifying he 

was fifth, and in the second he was fourth. 

Valtteri started the first race well, climbing 

to sixth place in the first corner. He recorded 

good lap times throughout the race and did 

some impressive overtaking. He finished 

fourth in the 25-minute race, only 2.8 seconds 

behind the winner. 

The second race was 

started under the safety 

car due to rainy conditions. 

The start was exciting as, for some reason, 

some drivers had not received information 

about the safety car. One of them was Valtteri, 

and he lost a position right after the start. 

Nevertheless, he had a good start and soon 

got close enough to overtake the driver 

ahead of him. His speed was good, and he 

started furious pursuit, putting in the fastest 

lap of the race. At the finish line, Valtteri was 

within breathing distance of the winner, 

Frank Kechele, losing by only 0.5 seconds to 

the German. 

Oschersleben on 6-8 of July: 

Valtteri made it third 

Both qualifying sessions in Oschersleben took 

place on Friday, the 6 July. In the first session 

Valtteri made it fifth, which is not at all bad 

considering that there were some technical 

problems in Valtteri’s car. At the end of the 

session the wheel clamp appeared faulty in 

the front. One of the nuts of the topmost 

suspension arm was slightly loose. 

Fortunately this was noticed, as the second 

time-trial started almost immediately. And 

this time it went very well with Valtteri 

ranking second, only 0.054 seconds behind 

Frank Kechele of Germany. 

The first final started on Saturday. Valtteri got 

a good start but lost one position because of 

the congestion in the first curve. Overtaking 

on the Oschersleben fast track is not easy 

at all. Ryuji Yamamoto of Japan, driving in 

ahead of Valtteri was continuously a little 

slower, but Valtteri did not have enough 

speed to overtake, either. Valtteri arrived at 


the chequered flag on the sixth position. 

One driver was disqualified in the top five, 

and Valtteri ranked fifth. 

The start in the final on Sunday was all the 

better to watch as Valtteri was accelerating 

from the front row to the first curve. He kept 

his second position when coming out of the 

curve. At no time did he have any problem 

keeping his position behind Riki Cristodolou 

of England. 

With only 6 minutes left of the race, Valtteri 

found himself behind Dennis Swart, whom 

he would overtake by a lap. As Valtteri started 

to seek the overtaking line, Swart moved into 

the very same path, and Valtteri had to come 

almost to a halt. Frank Kechele, behind these 

two, took advantage of the situation in the 

next curve and passed Valtteri. Valtteri got to 

the finish as the third, 0.27 seconds behind 

Kechele. 

Assen on 20-22 of July: 

Feverish atmosphere on the pole 

The first final was held on Saturday, the 21 of 

July. Because of his great success in qualifying 

rounds, Valtteri had conquered the first pole 

position of his Formula Renault career! It was 

great to see the car of a Finnish team on the 

pole position. The atmosphere among the 

spectators was quite feverish, as it was for 

Valtteri, too. 

Valtteri got a relatively good start but Tobias 

Hegewald, who started from the inner row, 

got a slightly better one and managed to cut 

in at the first curve. Valtteri was tailing him 

right behind, followed by Frank Kechele, the 

series leader. 

The first lap was a close race among the 

first three cars but the chaps kept their own 

positions. Hegewald managed to break a 30- 

m distance during a few laps, a distance that 

seemed to remain unchanged until Frank 

Kechele tried overtaking Valtteri in the rear 

curve of the track. The overtaking did not 

work, and Valtteri kept his position, however 

slightly more behind the leading car. 

Kechele dropped to fifth position, and Valtteri 

arrived at the chequered flag as the second, 

approximately 2.4 seconds after the winner. 

The second final was driven on Sunday, 22 

July. A moment before the start there was 

a brief rain shower, which was just enough 

to wet the track. The start went well, and 

he managed to keep his position. The race 

was well under control from the beginning, 

and he had no problems maintaining his 

position. 

At the middle of the race, England’s Oliver 

Oakes had to abort because of a gearbox 

failure, which placed Valtteri on the fourth 

position in the second final. At this moment, 

Valtteri is the third in the series. 

Since 17 July, Valtteri has had fever and has 

had to take an anti-inflammatory painkiller 

since then. He drove the race on the weekend 

with slight fever. On Tuesday 24 July he 

visited a local doctor in Germany, where he 

was diagnosed with appendicitis. Antibiotics 

will be tried first, but if they will not help, he 

will be facing surgery. 

Zolder on 3-5 of August 

Clattering of metal and impressive 

overtakings 

Valtteri was again number one in the first 

qualifying round! His lead was 0.1 seconds. 

In the second qualifying session he ranked 

fifth. 

In the first time-trial, though, one sector was 

yellow-flagged. Therefore, only his secondbest 

time was taken into consideration, and 

the rank was the third. The second time-trial 

went without problems. Valtteri did not get 

more than one free lap because of the heavy 

traffic. The starting position in the second 

final was five. 

The start in the first final was crowded and 

Valtteri had to give in a couple of positions. 

Toward the end, though, he rose to fight 

for the third position with England’s Oliver 

Oakes. In that fight, Valtteri drove right 

behind Oakes in a chicane and slightly lost 

control of his car. He drifted to the dirt and 

lost one position. The chequered flag was 

shown at the fifth position. 

The start in the second final was successful, 

and Valtteri managed to keep his position in 

the first curve, rising one position during the 

first lap. The fight for the third position was 

heated between Oliver Oakes of England 

and Valtteri. Oakes was covering in almost 

every curve. Valtteri had to take great risks in 

his attempts to overtake. 

In one chicane, Valtteri hit the kerb heavily 

and, according to eyewitnesses, the Koiranen 

bros. Motorsport’s Formula Renault rose to 

some 1.5 meters in the air, but fortunately 

landed on its wheels on the track and the 

trackside sand. As a result of the flight, Valtteri 

lost a couple of positions but managed to 

rise to the fifth place at the end after a few 

magnificent examples of overtaking. 


Seated at the head of the 

table, Sir Beville Stanier 

entertained us with stories 

of his family history and 

ownership of the Shotover 

House. 

Text and photos: John Frost, Kemppi (UK) Ltd 

Pigeons, bears, beer, 

and Grand Prix racing 

You may well ask what could possibly 

tie these unrelated items to one Kemppi 

ProNews article. 

Well, the answer is one hot British 

summer weekend in July ’07, enjoying the 

company of Kemppi international sales 

competition winners! 

Sales campaign success 

Kemppi’s international pulsed MIG/MAG 

campaign, Wonderful Curves, offered not 

only extraordinary price advantages but also 

the opportunity to win a superb weekend 

at the Santander British Grand Prix in 

Silverstone. 

The sales campaign was indeed a great 

success, and we hope all of our business 

partners enjoyed the commercial benefits. 

Kemppi would like to take this opportunity 


to thank all participating members of our 

sales network – excellent sales campaigning, 

and congratulations to the lucky campaign 

winners! 

A weekend of fun, sun, and sport 

On Friday, 6th July, the weekend kicked off in 

style, as Kemppi’s VIP guests, the campaign 

winners, were greeted by their chauffeur on 

arrival at London’s Heathrow airport before 

being transported to their accommodation, 

the Eynsham Hall estate in Oxfordshire. 

Now, for all our readers living outside the 

United Kingdom, I understand that we Brits 

are sometimes viewed as being a little odd- I 

mean different. You may consider us to have 

a strong and traditional mindset, being a 

little eccentric, with a sense of the past. Well, 

you’re all probably right, and I’m sure our 

guests on this trip have had a few of their 

opinions reinforced! 

Where better to experience British culture 

than in the beautiful city of Oxford and 

the surrounding countryside Oxfordshire 

provides a heady mix of old and new, ’British 

living’ between the dreaming spires of 

University life and the modernity of youth 

culture, coming together in the fast-paced 

commercial world. 

Pigeons and bears 

Following a light lunch and some relaxation 

at the hotel, we mustered our VIP team 

to the Kemppi minibus and departed 

in pursuit of the first sporting event of 

the weekend programme – an exclusive 

clay-pigeon-shooting competition, set 

against the stunning backdrop and grounds 

of Oxfordshire’s Shotover House, built in the 

18th century. 

This private country house and estate is 

currently the family home of Sir Beville 

Stanier, but formerly it belonged to 

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Miller, who was 


Crown Equerry and Master of the Queen’s 

Horses in 1961–87. He played a pivotal role 

in fostering the Royal Family’s passion for 

equestrian sports. 

There are many mansions and stately homes 

dotted around the British Isles, and you 

could say the place is littered with memories 

of the past. However, this location was truly 

something special for our first event. Though 

it is not normally open to the general public, 

Sir Beville Stanier agreed to open his home 

to our special guests. 

On arrival at Shotover House, we took 

afternoon tea in the magnificent drawing 

room, packed with beautiful paintings and 

furniture, the like of which you see only in 

museums. However, time was passing and 

the shooting competition awaited its guns. 

We left the house, following a brief photo 

opportunity with a huge brown bear, which 

stands at the foot of the staircase. This was 

apparently given to Sir John Miller’s family by 

Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. 

After two hours of excellent shooting 

instruction and stiff competition, the Kemppi 

shooting team retired to the house for drinks 

and dinner in the capacious dining room, 

served and waited on by Sir Beville Stanier’s 

butler, Alan Johnston. Together we feasted at 

the grand mahogany dining table, set with 

ancient family silver and beautiful vintage 

cut-crystal wine glasses. 

Silverstone, here we come! 

On Saturday, the 7th of July, the morning air 

was fresh and the atmosphere was filled with 

anticipation as we arrived at the Silverstone 

racing circuit for the qualifying round. 

For those who have never attended a Grand 

Prix event, please put it on your list to do 

next season. The colour, the atmosphere, 

the pageantry – the smell of motor racing 

permeates your senses as no other sporting 

event can. 

Grand Prix events are so much more than 

just on-track action. So much to see, to do, 

to experience… entertainment in the air 

and on the ground. So what did the good 

welding folk do We made our way to the 

first beer-seller we could find, of course. 

Chilled beer in hand, standing under a 

rich blue summer sky, we soaked up the 

atmosphere in the trade stand boulevard, 

listening to a rock band knock out some 

fantastic covers onstage at the Vodafone 

McLaren Mercedes stand – great! 

We made our way to the grandstands to 

take our seats for what proved to be the best 

qualifying session of the Formula 1 season. 

The competition on track was intense and 

a sporting triumph, with McLaren’s new 

boy Lewis Hamilton taking pole from Kimi 

Räikkönen of Ferrari by barely a tenth of a 

second. The crowd of 80,000 erupted, and 

the scene was set for a thrilling GP race the 

following day. 

What do you do with a bunch of sunburnt, 

thirsty men on a Saturday evening in Oxford 

That’s right, guide them to the excellent 

Oxford pub The Head of the River, along 

the river Isis, known elsewhere in England 

as the Thames. We sat outside under an inkblack 

sky and drank our fill, wondering why 

it is that the girls seem so much prettier now 

than during our own student days – must be 

an age thing. Time for bed! 

A day at the races 

Sunday was race day. An early breakfast and 

we were away: Team Kemppi was on tour 

again, dressed in the splendid Kemppi / 

Spyker F1 ‘Orange Power’ clothing. 


Again the sky was blue and the sun 

was warm and pleasant as we arrived at 

Silverstone. The British Grand Prix is a 60-lap 

race, with a race distance of over 308 km. Each 

lap is 5.141 km long, and the current holder 

of the fastest lap is one M. Schumacher, who 

set a record of 1:18.739 here in 2004. The 

circuit is fast and flowing, and it’s incredible 

to consider that, in spite of the FIA’s F1 

regulation changes since then, this year’s 

pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton qualified with a 

time of 1:19.997 – with two cylinders fewer 

and a restricted engine output. 

Our grandstand seats were located opposite 

the winners’ podium, in the front row 

– offering a perfect view of proceedings as 

the F1 grid formed up for the main event 

of the day. We looked down upon the 

Kemppi-sponsored Spyker cars of Adrian Sutil 

and Christijan Albers, who had qualified 20th 

and 22nd, respectively. The small team were 

making progress, and we were confident 

that they are always faster in race trim. 

One red light on, two, three, holding, holding 

– it seems like an eternity – then green lights 

and go! The noise is immense as 22 F1 race 

cars floor the throttle and launch forward 

for the first corner. Lewis Hamilton goes 

defensive, covering as Kimi moves up on 

the inside. Hamilton cuts back across to the 

outside of the track and leads the pack into 

Copes Corner – fabulous! 

The race was clean and fair, and as always the 

fastest team won on the day. Sadly for the 

British crowd, this day was not to be Lewis 

Hamilton’s fairytale ending to his first British 

Grand Prix event. But for the Finns and the 

Ferrari fans it was a perfect result, with Kimi 

Räikkönen taking a deserved 10 points and 

closing the gap in the World Championship. 

What a great weekend in the company of 

a fabulous set of people. Thank you to Odd 

Einar Polden, Adrian Mihail Campurean, Sven 

Christensen, René Köhnke, Mikko Väisänen, 

Michael Summers, Sir Beville Stanier, and 

Terry Fricker. 


DO IT YOURSELF 

Formula One 

racing car 

What about welding a Formula One 

style racing car for yourself This may 

sound like a crazy idea, but we assure 

you that you can do it! All you need is 

a Kemppi MasterTig MLS 2300 AC/DC 

welding machine purchased in a special 

Motorsports campaign package that 

comes with an aluminium car kit. 

Due to the great popularity of the Kemppi 

F1 welding competition, the campaign 

packages have already been sold out, so 

there are a lot of skilled welders around the 

world working on a formula 1 car at the 

moment. The F1 welding competition itself 

is due on November 30th 2007. 

No matter whether you have the campaign 

package or not, here are the instructions on 

how to weld a fine racing car model. You just 

collect the necessary aluminium pieces, start 

your MasterTig and do as Simon says. He 

is Simon Claridge, a Spyker F1 race team 

fabricator and welder. 

Check the settings 

Establish the ignition current, and upper 

maximum current limits if working on a foot 

remote R11F. Also, check the arc frequency - 

higher arc frequency in AC can help to focus 

the arc column when tacking. Your gas flow 

rate should not exceed 8-10 litres pm. 

After pre-forming and checking the various 

components, use a Scotch-Brite type 

oxide remover to prepare the surfaces to be 

welded. 

Using a proprietary degreasing agent, 

carefully clean the components. 



Limited fitting is required, but some 

location points may need tidying before 

fitting and welding, I use a variety of small 

files for this type of work - check fit-up is tight 

before welding. 

The basic joint used for the model cars chassis 

is closed outside corner - although there is a 

small overlap of the plates to help assembly 

and welding. The components are nicely 

designed, laser cut and precise – trust the 

dimensions, they’re very accurate providing 

your formed sections are correct - use the 

upper body chassis plate as a template for 

forming body side components, including 

air intakes - double check before welding. 

Ensure that the component is oxide free 

and degreased. Check the location and prefitting. 

This forming on this component must 

be accurate - double check and adjust if 

necessary! 

If possible, work on a decent, flat surface 

- preferably like the fabrication table in 

the picture. This acts as a good heat sink 

and helps to prevent distortion. Lay out 

the components of the model ensuring 

everything is to hand and ready for use. 

Carefully place small, accurate tack welds 

along the chassis straight side only - every 

50mm. Remember, you should have welded 

the tabs through on the undersides from 

the ‘curved form section’ of this component 

and chassis side - this follows the form of 

the upper chassis plate. The end of this plate 

must align accurately with the rear of the 

models base plate. 

This component should sit flush with the 

side wall panel. The final weld is finished flush 

where it joins the side wall panel. Ensure it 

sits square and tight to the base plate. 

Once you have located the side wall tightly 

in the base plate, fully weld the tabs that 

protrude through. Don’t over do it, as the 

excessive heat will melt the material directly 

above the tabbed area - this will be visible on 

the finished model and will require re-work if 

you make a mess. 

24 Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2007 

Prepare the cooling air intakes for each 

side of the model - the radiators normally 

sit just inside this area on the race car. The 

components need to be formed carefully 

and should follow accurately the shape of 

the upper body chassis closer plate in this 

area - take your time here, as poor fabrication 

will be very visible. 

Before fitting the nose side panels, prepare 

the suspension wishbones. There are two 

sizes on each side. The fattest sits on top, 

with the ’thick section facing forward. Check 

the fit-up and weld the tabs on the inner 

surface - it’s difficult to access this area when 

the sides are welded onto the car - best to 

do it now!

Don’t go too mad with the welding current, 

as burn through will spoil the appearance 

and require rework. Check the orientation of 

the component before welding - remember 

these components are handed! 

Don’t worry, everything will line up in the 

end – don’t panic captain! 

The nose side panels run through past the 

air intakes. The forward vertical surface of 

the air intake component abuts the side 

panel and ‘IS NOT NORMALLY WELDED’ at it’s 

intersection with the nose wall. 

Carefully adjust the 

material as you bring 

the side walls and 

nose base together 

for tacking. The nose 

base plate should 

have been preformed 

ready for 

this operation. The 

material on the base is thicker than the rest 

of the car, so it’s more difficult to ‘pull’ into 

position and can load the small tack welds 

to breaking point if no pre-forming is carried 

out on the base plate. A quick visit to the 

folding machine is all that’s required here. 

The aluminium will move as it heats and 

cools during the fabrication process. It will be 

necessary to mechanically adjust the parts to 

align them for tacking. 

Ensure you maintain the slightly lapping 

‘outside closed corner’ joint as you carefully 

tack weld the underside of the nose. 

In this shot you can see how the various 

components come together at the front of 

the car. The joints should be tight and the 

weld tacks accurate - too big and they will 

effect the visual finish as you complete the 

final weld seam. 

We are now ready to close the box! Take 

the top chassis closer plate and prepare as 

all previous components. No pre-forming is 

necessary here, as this plate will now follow 

the form of the top surfaces of the side 

panels, giving a nice flow to the body surface 

- very F1. 

 


Check the fit up and decide where 

you’re going to start tacking. I started near 

the air intakes and worked my way down the 

nose. Now listen up! I think (speaking from 

experience!) it’s best to weld the air box into 

position first – it’s very tight trying to do this 

after the top chassis plate is in position! Read 

on! 

Remember to adjust the materials to suit the 

joint. Once you’ve got a fixed point with a few 

tacks in place it’s easy to move the materials 

into position. 

We can all make mistakes, and mine on 

this project so far was taking the top plate 

into position before fabricating and taking 

the air box into place– I wish I’d done that 

first. It’s very tight for space inside the body 

when the lids on, and even leaving the rear 

section of the chassis plate free of tack welds 

still proved difficult– so fabricate the air box 

first and carefully weld it into position on the 

top chassis plate before fitting to the side 

panels. 

If you need to make adjustments to the 

model components during fabrication to 

improve the fit-up, just go ahead. I found I 

need to reduce the height of the closer plate 

on the front of the air box – this may be due 

to the way I chose to assemble the parts 

– but a grinder worked wonders! 

Gentle persuasion is the name of the 

game! 

Small is beautiful, and so are tack welds - 

keep everything under control and keep it 

neat around the air intake areas - it pays off 

in the finished model. 

Kemppi F1 Model construction 

guide Health & safety notice: 

Kemppi and Spyker Formula One team 

recommend the use of appropriate 

clothing and eye protection for welding 

fabrication processes. Images in this 

feature may represent an inappropriate 

clothing choice for the operations being 

carried out. Spyker F1 team clothing 

presents sponsor/partner logos. Spyker 

fabrication personnel adopt all necessary 

clothing during the normal course of 

their duties. This feature presents only 

light current tacking operations. 

Simon says... 

The model is really starting to come together 

now. 

Read more about Kemppi world welding 

competition in Kemppi website at 

www.kemppi.com. 

When fitting the air box to the car top plate, 

remember that the joint between the two 

plates is not normally welded – so keep this 

joint as tight as possible - take your time here 

and draft in some help if required to hold the 

air box down onto the top plate - that’s why 

I think it best done the other way around as 

stated above - the plate will easily follow th e 

shape of the air box if it were free to do so! 

So here we have the basic and completed 

(well almost completed) Kemppi model car 

chassis ready for welding! 

I’ve run out of time for now as I’ve got to pack 

up for the Hungarian Grand Prix. I’ll get back 

to the model making on my return. 

Happy welding and as Kemppi says: Enjoy! 


The welder’s dance 

I don’t know if I was suffering from spring 

fever or some other mental condition last 

spring when I promised my wife I would go 

along with her to a ballroom dancing course 

this autumn. How far away autumn seemed 

back then! 

Now summer is over, and the evenings are 

getting dark. The mornings are frosty in 

Finland. The birch trees in the park at Kemppi’s 

site in Okeroinen have shed their leaves and 

sway restlessly as they await the coming of 

winter. It’s true: autumn has arrived, and the 

dance classes have started up. And my wife 

hadn’t forgotten the promise I made in the 

spring. 

I’ve got nothing against ballroom dancing, 

even though I know that some ”real men” 

think that couple dancing is a silly thing to do. 

Even though dancing is generally accepted 

as a social event, one does suspect in the 

back of his mind that it is a bit ridiculous. 

But there may well be rewards on offer 

to a keen and skilful dancer afterwards, 

which would more than make up for any 

embarrassment on the dance floor. That’s 

what I’m counting on, anyway. 

In my time I’ve worked as a drummer in 

a dance band, so I’ve often observed the 

sweaty dance crowd from my position on the 

stage, as serious-looking men concentrate on 

steering women from one side of the floor to 

the other. I had no great urge to participate 

in that activity myself. 

But now, as I mentioned above, I have 

already learned to feel pleasure from moving 

to the rythm of the music. I have become 

acquainted with the steps for the foxtrot, the 

Finnish ”humppa”, the waltz and the tango. 

It’s already starting to feel really good to be 

part of that shared ritual, which to outside 

observers might appear a bit like a mating 

ritual of some mammalian species. The only 

thing missing is David Attenborough‘s voice 

describing the events in the cool, factual 

style of a TV nature documentary. 

When learning the new dances, I started to 

wonder what a welder’s dance would be like. 

Which dance would best portray the nature 

of a welder’s work 

The marvellous humppa piece called ”The 

Joyful Welder” composed by Kemppi’s 

musical maestro Urpo Poussu tells about a 

happy welder who, after the end of a day’s 

work, puts on his dancing shoes and heads 

out onto the dance floor. But is a bouncy 

Finnish ”humppa” dance the best way to 

portray the welder’s steady, precise work Or 

would a better welder’s dance be the fiery 

tango, where you first take a reverse step - a 

kind of upslope - and then proceed steadily 

from start to finish 

The tango has an honest, earnest, and 

determined flavour that is often present also 

in practitioners of welder’s work, as seen 

in the film The Man Without A Past by the 

Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki. In that film, 

a welder who was already beaten to death 

gets up and begins a new life. 

JOYSTORY 

Kuvakori.com 

In any case, movement in the world of 

ballroom dancing is entirely the men’s 

domain, as it probably is in the world of 

welding still, even these days. On the dance 

floor, the man decides where to go, how to 

move and when. The lady’s task is simply 

to be skilful enough to follow along as 

obediently as possible. 

Things may be different at home, but a man 

can at least enjoy a fake feeling of authority 

for a little while. 

-jupo 


CASE 

DT Hi-Load develops 

lightweight and durable 

trays for mining trucks 

The loading and transportation of mined 

minerals comprise a significant part of 

the expenses of the mining industry. 

Therefore the properties of transportation 

equipment are an essential factor in the 

productivity calculation of any mining 

company The Chile-based company 

DT Hi-Load has designed a unique tray 

structure for off-road mining trucks. The 

new design reduces the weight of a tray 

by up to 50% while providing better load 

capacity. 

DT Hi-Load started in 1996, when the engineer Cristian 

Feuereisen and the former president of Komatsu-Chile, 

Franco Giangrandi, devised a new type of structure 

for the trays used in the off-road mining trucks. The 

new structure has only one layer of steel instead of the 

standard two. This idea was rst considered madness, 

just like all good ideas are. 

Traditionally, the body of a tray is manufactured of 

regular steel and then coated with protective layer made 

of anti-wear steel. In the new structure designed by 

Feuereisen there is only one layer of anti- wear steel and 

the tray has a unique dome-like shape. Such a structure 

is well tolerant of heavy impact caused by modern, 

heavy-duty loading machines, as the ingenious shaping 

of the tray directs the greatest strain to the thickest parts 

of the tray body. 

There were no tested welding methods for anti-wear steel, 

and therefore the structural strength of the tray could 

initially not be conrmed. Alfredo Garcia-Huidobro, 

director of production at DT Hi-Load, describes the start 

of planning as a leap into the unknown. 

“After initial failures, we started getting promising 

results. Finally we succeeded in developing a tray 

body with several curved parts and particular strength 

resulting from the shape. The tray was manufactured of 

special steel developed in Germany specically for this 

project.” 


” 

Lightweight tray 

They really keep increases mining 

productivity 

up with the 

Although there are 

worker even in considerably larger 

companies in the 

difficult jobs. 

industry, DT Hi-Load is 

successful in the everincreasing 

competition by offering unique, unrivalled 

products. 

The company has developed trays for some ten years, a 

process which is still active. Thanks to the tray structure 

developed by DT Hi-Load, there have been up to 50% 

reductions in the weight of the tray. 

This weight loss can be seen as direct increase of loading 

capacity and the subsequently increased protability of 

mining companies. Transportation costs are estimated to 

have dropped by 10–15 percent with the reform. 

“One has to bear in mind that loading and transportation 

costs make approximately a half of the total expenses, 

peaking at 60% at old mineral deposits, where distances 

may be considerably longer than with newer mines,” 

Huidobro emphasises. 

Kemppi machines are durable in 

demanding environments 

As there were no welding experts working for DT Hi- 

Load, they needed to seek external welding know-how. 

That is why they contacted Indura S.A. and asked them 

to recommend the best welding equipment on the market. 

Indura recommended the Kemppi PS 5000 equipment. 

“We were not looking for the least expensive alternative 

on the market. Instead, we considered the product support 

available more important. We have been working with 

Kemppi solutions for several years now and found them 

to be extremely reliable,” Huidobro comments. 

“We often need to weld in difcult working environments 

where dust, dirt, snow and ice cause difculties for 

equipment. However, Kemppi’s solutions perform 

excellently in these environments. Sometimes it seems 

to us that Kemppi machines just cannot be broken, no 

matter how rough and tough you get with them.” 

The company currently has more than 40 Kemppi 

welding machines. A little over 30 of them are PS 5000s 

equipped with a FU30 wire feeder unit. The remaining 

units are FastMig Synergic and ProEvolution machines. 

All machines use primarily a 1.6-mm ller wire, and all 

of them have been calibrated the same way. 

“We monitor the functioning and the usage of all welding 

machines centrally, and therefore each welder has the 

required measurement tools, such as current and voltage 

meters with them at all times,” Huidobro explains. 

Only the best welding machines are good 

enough for product development 

DT Hi-Load is continuously seeking new development 

areas where it could utilise its expertise with metal 

structures. Currently, the company is working on a new 

type of aluminium boat whose structure is optimised for 

more efcient utilisation of fuel. 

These vessels are catamarans designed for passenger 

transport. Their new type of structure allows for easy 

manoeuvrability and exceptionally long operating 

distances without refuelling. 

Also in this development project, DT Hi-Load adheres 

to the same principle as with other operations: the tools 

used must be the best possible. 

ProEvolution 4200 power sources were obtained for the 

welding work needed in product development. They 

are equipped with ProMig 530 wire feeders and MXE 

control panels. The cooling device is Procool 30, and 

the welding guns are WeldSnake WS35 and WeldSnake 

WS42W. 

Juan Carlos Rojas has been working as a welder for 

a long time. For ten years now, he has worked for DT 

Hi-Load. Rojas praises the durability and reliability of 

Kemppi machines. 

“In my career, I have worked with a variety of welding 

devices. Kemppi machines stand out from the crowd as 

they really keep up with the worker even in difcult jobs. 

The arc remains stable and the weld quality is excellent 

even in difcult environments,” Rojas praises. 



In this article, Jyri Uusitalo, welding engineer at Kemppi 

(M.Sc.), and Kemppi R&D engineer Tapani Mäkimaa (M.Sc.) talk 

about the influence of heat input on welding. The information 

presented is based on both theory and information gathered in 

practical tests. 

Heat input plays 

an increasingly 

important role 

in welding design 

With the constant development of welding materials, the 

importance of heat input considerations is only growing 

in welding design. The emergence of stronger steel 

materials increases the probability of favouring lower 

heat input processes, or ’cooler’ welding processes. 

The recent developments in MIG/MAG welding 

processes have made it possible to reduce arc energy 

levels from those used in conventional MIG/MAG arc 

processes. The lower amount of arc energy used in 

Kemppi’s new Fastroot and AAA-MIG processes makes 

them cooler than the conventional short-arc welding 

processes. This is enabled by new methods related to 

power supply technology and new software solutions. 

What is heat input 

The heat input of welding refers to the heat quantity 

received by a base material, the weld. The heat quantity 

is given on a per-unit-weld-length basis. 

In heat input calculation, the concept of arc energy (i.e., 

welding energy) is used. Arc energy refers to the energy 

produced by the welding arc per unit weld length, given 

in kilojoules per millimetre or centimetre. 

The difference between arc energy and heat input in arc 

welding processes (except for submerged-arc welding) is 

20 to 40%. The difference is caused by the fact that some 

of the heat of arc energy is lost as radiation, conduction, 

and spatter. This reduces the effect of the heat on the 

cooling rate of the weld. This phenomenon is taken into 

consideration in calculating the thermal efciency of a 

welding process. 

Material-specic minimum and maximum values for 

heat input have been set. Exceeding these maximum 

values decreases the ductility and strength, whereas 

falling below the specied minimum values increases 

hardness. The effect of high heat input on ductility is 

usually greater than that on strength. The higher the 

notch toughness and strength of the processed steel and 

the lower the plate thickness, the more the heat input 

must be reduced. 

Heat input calculation 

Arc energy (E) and heat input (Q) are calculated 

according to the following formulae: 

E = (UxIx60)/(vx1000) [kJ/mm] 

U = voltage [V] 

I = current [A] 

v = travel speed [mm/min] 

Q = kxE [kJ/mm] 

In the heat input formula, the constant factor (k) is 

the welding-process-specic thermal efciency. For 

example, in MIG/MAG welding, its value is 0.8. 

Arc energy can also be calculated on the basis of electrical 

power. Electrical power is calculated by multiplying 

current by voltage. The situation is straightforward as 

long as the current and voltage stay at certain levels. In 

welding, however, both current and voltage change as 

a function of time and, therefore, calculation of power 

becomes more complicated. 

Calculating welding current and arc voltage is easy, but 

calculations relying on these gures may yield incorrect 

results. Electrical power can be successfully calculated 

by multiplying the instantaneous values of current and 

voltage and by calculating the average value of the 

instantaneous values mentioned. This principle is applied 

in most power meters. Calculating and multiplying 

the average current and voltage values may, however, 

produce either too low or too high values. 

 


Example 1: Pulsed-arc welding Example 2: Short-arc welding As the above examples indicate, the actual 

arc power may deviate signicantly from the product 

of current and voltage. Although the curve form in 

the examples is idealised, the results of calculations 

performed in real-world welding situations are quite 

similar. 

A rule of thumb developed after experimental and 

mathematical examination is that the difference between 

actual power and the power calculated on the basis of 

averages is largest when low power levels are used in 

pulsed-arc and short-arc welding. As power increases, 

the differences decrease but do not vanish completely. In 

spray arc welding and DC-TIG welding, there are only 

insignicant differences. 

I p 

= 400 A I 0 

= 50 A 

U min 

= 18 V U P 

= 32 V 

t 1 

= 1,5 ms t 2 

= 6 ms 

average current Iav I av 

= 120 A 

average voltage U av 

= 20,8 V 

product of averages U av 

x I av 

= 2496 W 

actual power P = 3280 W 

I p 

= 250 A I 0 

= 40 A 

U P 

= 21 V 

t 1 

= 4 ms t 2 

= 10 ms t 3 

= 2 ms 

average current I av 

= 79 A 

average voltage U av 

= 15,75 V 

product of averages U av 

x I av 

= 1244 W 

actual power P = 906 W 

Heat input examination in MIG/MAG arc 

processes 

In the examination, welds were made on a plate using a 

pulling and a pushing torch angle. In each process, the 

wire feeding speed was 3 m/min. The parameters used in 

the examination were as follows: 

• pushing torch angle: 6° 

• pulling torch angle: 70° 

• welding position: PA 

• stick-out length: 17 mm 

• travel speed 0.35 m/min 

Table 1. Pulling torch angle, FR-MIG as the coldest process 

Process Torch angle I [A] U [V] P [W] E [kJ/mm] Q [kJ/mm] EP [kJ/mm] QP [kJ/mm] % 

FR-MIG pulling 70 º 75,14 16,86 1304,00 0,211 0,169 0,224 0,179 

1-MIG pulling 70 º 85,66 16,96 1380,50 0,247 0,197 0,237 0,189 5,54 

MIG pulling 70 º 89,17 17,17 1465,00 0,262 0,210 0,251 0,201 10,99 

Pulsed pulling 70 º 59,27 20,85 1727,00 0,212 0,170 0,296 0,237 24,49 

Table 2. Pushing torch angle, FR-MIG as the coldest process 

Process Torch angle I [A] U [V] P [W] E [kJ/mm] Q [kJ/mm] EP [kJ/mm] QP [kJ/mm] % 

FR-MIG pushing 6 º 72,62 16,56 1167,67 0,206 0,165 0,200 0,160 

1-MIG pushing 6 º 83,86 16,82 1286,17 0,247 0,198 0,220 0,176 9,21 

MIG pushing 6 º 83,25 16,89 1342,60 0,241 0,193 0,230 0,184 13,03 

Pulsed pushing 6 º 57,46 21,24 1690,50 0,209 0,167 0,290 0,232 30,93 

” 

Thus, there are good grounds 

to say that the Fastroot process 

is, depending on the welding 

application, approximately 5 to 

10% colder than the synergetic 

and regular short-arc welding 

process and about 25 to 30% 

colder than the pulsed-arc 

welding process. 

Table 3. The height and width of the test welds from 

the surface of the plate 

Process Torch angle Width [mm] Height [mm] 

FR-MIG pulling 70 º 4,9 2 

FR-MIG pushing 6 º 4,5 2 

1-MIG pulling 70 º 5,3 2 

1-MIG pushing 6 º 5,2 2 

MIG pulling 70 º 5,25 2 

MIG pushing 6 º 5 2 

PULSE pulling 70 º 5,4 2 

PULSE pushing 6 º 6 1,75 


• wire feeding speed 3 m/min 

• shielding gas Ar+25%CO 2 

• gas ow: 15 l/min 

• ller wire: 1.0 mm G3Si1 

• material to be welded: S235 t = 2 mm 

Current, voltage, and power were calculated with an 

oscilloscope and heat input on the basis of the power 

supplied by the oscilloscope. Thus, it was possible to 

eliminate error, and the actual values were obtained. The 

accuracy of the results was increased by making at least 

ve welds and measurements in each welding case. 

The results of the welding tests are illustrated in tables 

1 and 2. Columns I, U, and P give averages measured 

with an oscilloscope over a set period of time. Columns 

E and Q contain the values of arc energy and heat input 

calculated on the basis of I and U averages. Columns 

EP and QP contain the values calculated on the basis 

of measured power. These values are the most realistic 

ones. In the percentage column (‘%’), the coldest process 

is on the uppermost row. The values also indicate the 

difference of the heat of the other processes from that 

of the coldest process, as a percentage. Table 3 gives the 

measurements of the welds on the surface of the plate. 

Analysis of results 

The results indicate that FR-MIG – i.e., Kemppi’s 

Fastroot process – is the coldest of the three welding 

processes tested. With a pulling torch angle, the 

difference is 5.5% from the 1-MIG process and 11% 

from the MIG process. Pulse welds are considerably 

hotter, by as much as 25%. 

With a pushing torch angle, the difference between the 

Fastroot process and other processes is even greater. The 

difference from the 1-MIG process is approximately 

9%, that from the MIG process is about 13%, and the 

difference from the pulse process can even exceed 30%. 

Thus, there are good grounds to say that the Fastroot 

process is, depending on the welding application, 

approximately 5 to 10% colder than the synergetic and 

regular short-arc welding process and about 25 to 30% 

colder than the pulsed-arc welding process. 

The images presenting the welds show that, with a 

pulling torch angle, penetration is greater than with a 

pushing one. This is probably caused by the fact that, 

with a pulling angle, heat is more accurately directed 

to the welded material and arc energy more precisely to 

the weld pool. With a pushing torch angle, arc energy is 

directed to the front of the weld pool. Therefore, thermal 

effect is directed more toward the ’cold’ part of the 

welded material, which decreases penetration. 

Spatter 

In the test, pulling torch angles created less spatter than 

pushing torch angles. This was caused by droplets’ 

detaching phase in short-arc welding processes. With 

a pulling angle, the arc is more accurately directed to 

the molten weld, and the arc pressure on the end of the 

ller wire is lower than with a pushing angle. With a 

pushing torch angle, it is possible that, after a droplet has 

detached, the arc pressure may spatter a small portion of 

the molten metal gathered at the tip of the ller wire. 

About calculation methods 

It is recommendable to use the average power given by 

an oscilloscope in calculation of the heat input of pulse 

welding because, as seen from tables 1 and 2, the heat 

input values produced by calculation of the average 

current and voltage are incorrect. The heat input value 

calculated on the basis of current and voltage in pulse 

welding is fairly similar to that of short arcs, so the 

margin of error to the actual heat input is 25 to 30%. 

Summary 

New welding processes offer new possibilities for 

welding of steel and thin plates. Lower heat input 

enables welding stronger and stronger steels while 

maintaining high quality in the welding. The new MIG/ 

MAG arc welding processes enable lower heat input into 

the object to be welded. These processes also include 

the Fastroot and AAA-MIG short-arc welding processes 

developed by Kemppi. 

In arc energy and heat input calculation, two formulae 

presented in the literature can be used. With these, it 

is possible to calculate fairly accurate welding energy 

values. However, it is difcult to obtain precise arc 

energy and heat input values. In the short-arc process, 

there is little real difference between the average 

calculated using the current and voltage values and the 

value calculated on the basis of the power. With a pulsed 

arc, the difference is so signicant that it must be taken 

into consideration in welding design. 

In measurement of the actual arc energy and heat input, 

the electrical power value given by an oscilloscope is 

used. The oscilloscope multiplies the instantaneous 

values of current and voltage and calculates the electrical 

power on the basis of the average of the instantaneous 

values. 

In the examination 

Kemppi’s Fastroot 

and AAA-MIG proved 

to be low heat 

input welding 

processes. 


Photos: Terhi Räsänen 

IN CO-OPERATION 

Strawberries of steel 

in the parliament’s garden 

Hundreds of metres of weld seams run 

through petioles in Jukka Lehtinen’s 

piece of art. Large flowers extend as 

high as three and a half metres, and two 

vast strawberries of steel hang in the air, 

weighing over 100 kilograms each. This 

piece of art, commissioned by the Finnish 

Parliament, was made with Kemppi 

equipment. 

In 2005, the Finnish Parliament announced an art 

competition with the goal of nding six pieces to 

decorate the extension of the Parliament building, the 

‘Little Parliament’, built next to the Parliament house 

in 2004. In total, 1,700 pieces of art were entered in the 

competition. 

The most prominent and the heaviest of the winning 

pieces, Jukka Lehtinen’s Oma maa mansikka, was 

unveiled on 9 October 2007. It is the only one of the 

winning works to be publicly viewed in front of the 

Little Parliament. 

The arrangement of Lehtinen’s piece is delightful: wild 

strawberries have been planted in the pool, and Lehtinen’s 

sculpture also depicts wild strawberries, but in huge 

size. A ten-ton construction exuding Finnish knowledge 

of metalwork and welding technique emerges from the 

midst of small and fragile natural strawberries. 

FACTS 

The Kemppi machines used 

in making the sculpture: 

• Kempomat 3200 

• Fastmig KM 400, 

MF 33 wire feed unit 

• MasterTig 2200 

Strawberries are an indication of land 

ownership 

There is no need to explain the name of Lehtinen’s piece 

to Finns, since ‘oma maa mansikka, muu maa mustikka’ 

(‘my land’s a strawberry, other land’s a blueberry’) is 

a common Finnish expression generally thought of 

as a metaphor referring to how it feels to be in one’s 

homeland as opposed to abroad. 

Lehtinen gives further signicance to the name Oma 

maa mansikka by explaining its background: “It is not 

actually about the tastes of the berries. Instead, it refers 

to a land-ownership practice from times when forests 

were still felled and burn-beaten to become farmland.” 

He explains: “Burn-beaten lands were regarded as 

The strawberry sculpture in the pool on the roof of 

the Grand Committee’s chamber. 


The petioles of the strawberry were attached with 

tack welds and then welded from both sides. Each 

leaf has almost 100 metres of weld seam. 

Artist Jukka Lehtinen (left) consulted Plant Manager 

Reima Niemeläinen at Holmet many times during the 

machining of the strawberry sculpture. 

the property of the burn-beater, and since such land is 

good for wild strawberries, areas where strawberries 

grew were always owned by someone. Blueberries, by 

contrast, grow in areas that have not been burn-beaten.” 

Thus, to emphasise the signicance of the Parliament 

for the independence of Finland, wild strawberries were 

chosen for the pool beside the Parliament building. 

A delicate ten-ton construction 

Despite its massive form, Lehtinen’s piece gives a 

delicate impression. It seems as if the metal owers 

that reach upward and the metal leaves that are open 

to receive sunlight have grown naturally to take their 

positions. 

The delicacy of the strawberry leaves is, however, 

a result of careful design. They have been made with 

edge planers, following strict calculations. The petioles 

have been welded from both sides, and the owers are 

supported by 85-millimetre-thick Imacro steel beams. 

The sculpture was prepared by Holmet Oy, a company 

from the town of Hollola that provides steel structures 

for use in such applications as earth-movers and luxury 

cruisers. While the company has broad experience in 

the metal industry, making a strawberry sculpture was a 

completely new experience for them. 

Reima Niemeläinen, plant manager for Holmet, says 

that the project was very demanding. It was necessary 

to develop new work methods for certain phases of the 

project, and many situations that the company faced in 

the process were solved with case-specic solutions. 

Kemppi’s welding expertise was utilised 

According to Niemeläinen, the amount of weld seam 

required for the piece was so high that there are good 

grounds to call it a piece of welding art. The sculpture 

” 

has been welded completely with Kemppi’s 

equipment, and the project included other close 

co-operation as well with the two companies. 

“This is such a unique work of metal that, to 

solve certain welding issues, it was necessary 

for us to call a welding expert from Kemppi 

to give us practical instructions,” says 

Niemeläinen. 

Niemeläinen has been familiar with Kemppi’s 

machines for decades, since he has that many 

years of personal welding experience. “The 

best features of Kemppi’s machines are their 

reliability, excellent service, and – of course – 

Kemppi’s location near us,” he says. 

Due to the nature of the construction, its ability to bear 

loads was calculated very carefully and tested with great 

precision. Snow or other kinds of loads will not harm the 

sculpture in any way, nor will wind. 

The solidity of the seams is crucial for the robustness of 

the piece. Therefore, great care has been taken to nd the 

best attachment method and welding process for each 

seam. 

The total length of weld seams in the sculpture is more 

than a kilometre. Most of the welds have been performed 

with MIG machines, but TIG welding has been utilised 

as well. The massive strawberries were made by welding 

two moulded pieces together. One of the strawberries 

weighs 100 kilograms, and the other 150 kilograms. 

Niemeläinen says that it would not have been sensible to 

make a piece of this size and of this form with a single 

mould. 

The enormous strawberry eld beside the Parliament 

building, at one of the most famous locations in Finland, 

is an impressive work of art. At the same time, it is a ne 

specimen of skill of Finns in metalwork and welding. 

This enormous 

strawberry field is 

an impressive work 

of art. At the same 

time, it is a fine 

specimen of skill of 

Finns in metalwork 

and welding. 


WHAT’S UP 

Kemppi Beta 90X welding helmet 

has been upgraded 

Kemppi Beta 90X welding helmet 

combines ADC technology and the 

new headband mechanisms in a unique 

way to stop the disturbing light rays 

coming from the side. 

Kemppi’s welding helmet Beta 90X has got 

a new advanced filter that very efficiently 

stops light rays and reflections entering also 

from diagonal direction. The new filter and 

the more versatile adjustment possibilities 

make Beta 90X a unique safety device both 

for welding and grinding work. 

Kemppi Beta 90X is equipped with an autodarkening 

welding filter. The auto darkening 

welding filter is based on liquid crystal 

technology. When the welding arc is lit, the 

filter immediately darkens before the eye 

is able to react to the light. When the arc is 

extinguished the filter becomes transparent 

again. The filter gets the required energy 

from the welding arc radiation. 

Filter equipped with a delay adjustment 

The auto darkening LCD filter has been 

replaced with a more advanced model in 

the new Beta 90X helmet. The new filter 

allows you also to adjust the delay of the 

filter, i.e. change how fast the filter becomes 

transparent when the arc is extinguished. The 

adjustment range is from 0.2 to 0.8 seconds. 

It is recommended to adjust the delay longer 

with larger welding currents. A long delay 

is suitable also for pulse welding and TIG 

welding with small currents as it prevents the 

filter from turning transparent if the welder’s 

hand or the welding torch momentarily 

prevents the light from entering the photo 

sensors. 

Effective way of utilising the ADC 

technology 

The new filter also utilises the so called ADC 

technology, i.e. the angular dependency 

compensation. This refers to the ability of 

the filter to stop light that hits it diagonally. 

The value of this feature in the 

new filter is +/-30º, which is 

a considerable improved 

compared to the +/-10º 

value of the previous 

model. 

In practice this 

means that the new 

welding filter is very 

effective in stopping 

light rays and reflections 

entering from the side. 

Furthermore, Kemppi has 

shown resourcefulness in 

combining the advantages of 

the new ADC technology with the previously 

reconstructed fastening mechanism of the 

Kemppi Beta 90X helmet in a clever way not 

yet seen on the market. 

The improved angle of view of the filter 

enables more flexible fastening adjustment 

of the helmet according to the user’s needs. 

The possibility of adjusting the filter in an 

inclined position following the shape of the 

face helps to bring the view window closer 

to the eyes, and thus widen the view area. 

This makes it easier to see the work piece, 

which improves working safety. Also 

the centre of gravity on the helmet 

moves closer to the neck, which 

helps to decrease the strain 

on the neck and add comfort to working. 

Thus the improvements have a direct effect 

on working efficiency and productivity. 

Better fit adds comfort and safety 

The welding helmet is a welder’s personal 

accessory, and its perfect fit is extremely 

important for working safety, efficiency and 

comfort. Adjusting the new Kemppi Beta 

90X welding helmet according to personal 

requirements is easier than ever, because 

the possibilities for adjusting the headbands 

have previously been improved. 

The number of headbands has been 

increased, and there are now two adjustable 

overhead bands instead of only one band in 

the previous model. They improve the fit and 

hold the helmet securely in place both in the 

up and down positions. 

The new band enables more versatile 

adjustments. You can change 

the height of the helmet, 

and adjust the back band 

exactly the way you 

want it. You can also 

adjust the distance of 

the filter if you want 

to widen the view 

area by bringing the 

view window closer 

to the face. 

The advanced features 

of the new welding 

filter and the versatile 

adjustment options of the 

headbands make the renewed Kemppi Beta 

90X a unique safety device both for welding 

and grinding work. 


Welding gun manufacturing involves a great deal of precision work in which high quality can only be achieved through experiencebased 

craftsmanship. 

Kemppi develops 

its welding gun 

production 

Kemppi has substantially invested in 

torch and wire feeder research and 

development recently. 

As a part of organisational changes at 

Kemppi, the company established a new 

product development unit concentrating 

solely on the development of Kemppi’s wire 

feed technology and torch products. 

The majority of Kemppi’s MIG guns and TIG 

torches are manufactured in a factory that is 

located at a scenic spot in the small village 

of Kalkkinen in Asikkala, about 60 kilometres 

north of Kemppi’s headquarters in Lahti’s 

Okeroinen. 

Kemppi Oy’s production site at Kalkkinen 

has a long history. The buildings have 

been used for many different purposes, 

but today they serve as a modern torch 

production facility. 

The Kalkkinen factory produces great 

amounts of air-cooled and water-cooled 

MIG guns and TIG torches, as well as 

hundreds of kilometres of cable each 

year. 

When driving from Kemppi’s headquarters 

in Okeroinen to the torch manufacturing 

plant in Kalkkinen you can see beautiful 

views on Pulkkilanharju ridge, where the 

road bends along the ridge between two 

lake sceneries. 


WHAT’S UP 

Kemppi Oy trade fair 

calendar 2008 

In 2008 Kemppi Oy will be participating in the following trade fairs: 

Techni-show, Utrecht, the Netherlands 11.–15.3. 

Soudage 2008, Paris, France 31.3.–4.4. 

EuroBLECH 2008, Hannover, Germany 21.–25.10. 

ExpoWELDING, Sosnowiec, Poland 21.–23.10. 

Nordic Welding Expo, Tampere, Finland 5.–7.11. 

Kemppi participated at the 

BlechExpo fair in Stuttgart, 

Germany during June, and the 

HI Industri show in Herning, 

Denmark during September. 

Both fairs were exceptionally 

well attended by exhibitors 

and visitors alike. New 

Kemppi products, welding 

demonstrations and Kemppi 

hospitality entertained many 

welding professionals during 

both events. 

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PL 13 

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FINLAND 

Tel. +358 3 899 11 

Telefax: +358 3 734 8398 

e-mail: myynti.fi@kemppi.com 

Kemppi Sverige AB 

Instrumentvägen 2 

Box 717 

194 27 UPPLANDS VÄSBY 

SVERIGE 

Tel. +46-8-590 783 00 

Telefax: +46-8-590 823 94 

e-mail: sales.se@kemppi.com 

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Danholmen 19 

3115 Tønsberg 

Postboks 2151, Postterminalen 

3103 Tønsberg 

NORGE 

Tel. +47 33 34 60 00 

Telefax: +47 33 34 60 10 

e-mail: sales.no@kemppi.com 

Kemppi A/S 

Literbuen 11 

2740 Skovlunde 

DANMARK 

Tel. +45 4494 1677 

Telefax: +45 4494 1536 

e-mail: sales.dk@kemppi.com 

Kemppi Benelux B.V. 

Minervum 7284 

4817 ZM Breda 

THE NETHERLANDS 

Tel. +31 76 571 7750 

Telefax: +31 76 571 6345 

Kemppi Benelux B.V. 

Belgium 

Tel. +32 15 212 880 

Fax +32 15 211 143 

email: sales.nl@kemppi.com 

Kemppi (U.K) Ltd. 

Martti Kemppi Building 

Fraser Road 

Priory Business Park 

BEDFORD, MK443WH 

ENGLAND 

Tel. +44 845 6444201 

Telefax: +44 845 6444202 

e-mail: sales.uk@kemppi.com 

Kemppi France SAS 

65 Avenue de la Couronne des Prés 

78681 EPONE CEDEX 

FRANCE 

Tel. + 33 (0) 1 30 90 04 40 

Telefax: + 33 (0) 1 30 90 04 45 

e-mail: sales.fr@kemppi.com 

Kemppi GmbH 

Otto - Hahn - Straße 14 

35510 BUTZBACH 

DEUTSCHLAND 

Tel. +49 6033 88 020 

Telefax: +49 6033 72 528 (GmbH) 

e-mail: sales.de@kemppi.com 

Kemppi Spolka z o.o. 

ul. Piłsudskiego 2 

05091 ZĄBKI 

POLAND 

Tel. +48 22 7816162 

Telefax: +48 22 7816505 

e-mail: info.pl@kemppi.com 

Kemppi Australia Pty Ltd 

25A, Stennett Road 

Ingleburn NSW 2565 

AUSTRALIA 

Tel. +61-2-9605 9500 

Telefax: +61-2-9605 5999 

e-mail: info.au@kemppi.com 

Kemppi Oy Limitada 

Av. Pdte. Edo. Frei Montalva 

6001-81 

Conchali 

Santiago 

CHILE 

Tel. +56-2-949 1990 

Telefax: +56-2-949 1991 

e-mail: arturo.silva@kemppi.com 

OOO Kemppi 

Polkovaya str. 1 

Building 6 

127018 Moscow 

RUSSIA 

e-mail: info.ru@kemppi.com 

Kemppi Oy Sales Offices 

Kemppi Beijing Office 

Room 1602, Block A, 

Wantone New World Plaza 

No. 2, Fuwaidajie, Xicheng District 

100037 Beijing 

China 

Tel. +86-10-6857 9113 

+86-10-6857 9114 

Telefax: +86-10-6857 8729 

e-mail: sales.cn@kemppi.com 

Kemppi Far East Representative Office 

583 Orchard Road 

Forum # 16-01 / 17-01 

Singapore 238884 

Tel. +65-7371 318 

Telefax +65-7371 107 

e-mail: sam.lim@kemppi.com

Welding is the ultimate means to make more out of metals. To fully exploit 

our state-of-the-art welding equipment and profound know-how, better 

together means a fruitful partnership with us.

Pronews_2_2007_en.pdf - Kemppi

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