FastROOT - Kemppi

Kemppi customer magazine 

2/2006 EN

2 

Foto: Carol Conway. Kuvapörssi Oy 

21 

Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2006 

30 

24 

22 

14 

Editorial 

3 Why do we need rules in the games we play? 

Innovation 

4 FastROOT – a new welding process for root pass 

and thin sheet welding 

22 Speed to robotic welding 

Case 

8 Vaahto Oy acquires FastROOT 

20 Stadler to deliver 32 train units to Finland 

29 EBENER Fassaden-Profi ltechnik GmbH welds with 

Kemppi equipment 

In co-operation 

14 Kemppi, Motor sport, F1 and the British Grand Prix 

2006 

17 Welding theory and practice meet 

21 Stainless steel and aluminum challenges in training 

Design 

24 MinarcMig’s journey from drawing board to Red dot 

awards gala 

Productive welding 

27 Arc Under Control 

on the MasterTig MLS 2300 ACDC power source 

Do it yourself 

30 An empty metallic reel fi nds new life as a wine rack 

What’s up? 

34 Fresh news in short 

Other topics 

New product package provides added benefi t for buyers 

of the FastROOT feature 7 

CE-marking of Arc Welding Equipment in Europe 9 

Impact of cable length on welding arc 11 

Tighter MIG brazing requirements 18 

Questions & Answers 28 

Kemppi Oy Subsidiaries 39 

Kemppi Oy Sales Offi ces 39 

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: Elina Suomalainen. 

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

Subscriptions and changes of address: Kemppi Oy. 

Telefax: +358 3 899 445. 

Printed by: N-Paino, Lahti, Finland, 2006. 

Issued: 3 times a year. ISSN 0784-2708. 

4

Why do we need rules 

in the games we play? 

Just imagine what would have happened 

e.g. in the Football World Cup in Germany 

last summer if there hadn’t been 

common football rules? Or if the rules had 

been diff erent for teams coming from diff erent 

parts of the world? Or if there hadn’t been 

any referees to make sure that the rules are 

followed? 

It’s easy to agree that common rules are 

needed to make sure that things happen in 

a correct and orderly way. This applies for 

sports, society, family-life, business and the 

society in general. In the welding business we 

have a lot of rules that we as manufacturers 

and distributors have to follow. Legislation, 

norms and standards and common business 

practises form a framework for our activities. 

Most of these rules are targeted to protect 

the potential users, our customers, and they 

are directly or indirectly related to health and 

safety. Some rules are needed to make sure 

that a fair competitive environment can be 

secured. 

In the EU the system is based on market control 

– manufacturers of arc welding equipment 

attach a CE-marking to their products 

and thus make a statement that the products 

comply with required rules. However, no 

third party testing or certifi cation is required 

and the game is practically played without 

referees. Needless to say that playing according 

to the rules often means higher costs and 

possible non-respect of the rules by some 

players can lead to a biased competitive situation. 

If the rules initially are there to protect consumers 

and users, but it’s practically impossible 

for them to know if all players really follow 

the rules, then what can they do? Getting 

the equipment tested by a third party is both 

complicated and costly. At least one should 

be aware of the situation and then decide 

which manufacturers and distributors they 

feel are trustworthy and reliable. 

You can read more about the norm and standard 

situation in Europe in the EWA (European 

Welding Association) document that is published 

in this edition of Kemppi ProNews. We 

hope that you also fi nd the other articles and 

stories interesting and benefi cial for your 

business – enjoy your reading! 

EDITORIAL 

ANSSI RANTASALO 

” 

MANAGING DIRECTOR 

KEMPPI OY 

Most of these rules 

are targeted to 

protect the potential 

users, our customers, 

and they are directly 

or indirectly related 

to health and safety. 

Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2006 3

” 

Keeps the arc 

4 

INNOVATION 

stable and 

the welding 

process easy 

to control. 

Figure 2. 

The current waveform 

of the FastROOT 

process when the filler 

drop is transmitted 

to the weld pool. The 

cycle is comprised of 

the arc and short circuit 

periods. 


FastROOT 

– a new welding process for root 

pass and thin sheet welding 

In September 2005, Kemppi 

introduced a new welding process, 

FastROOT, in a welding fair in 

Essen, Germany. FastROOT is 

a MIG/MAG root pass and thin 

sheet welding process suitable 

for structural and stainless steels, 

which facilitates and speeds up the 

welder’s work. It allows for welding in 

all positions, resulting in the desired 

penetration and spatter-free weld. 

Jyri Uusitalo, Welding Engineer, M.Sc. 

FastROOT is a modifi ed short-arc welding process, 

which provides better welding speed and productivity 

than in TIG welding. The FastROOT feature can be 

used in Kemppi’s FastMig Synergic product family. 

Need for developing a new root pass 

welding process 

Kemppi’s customers recently have shown increasing interest 

for developing root pass and thin sheet welding 

processes. The welding industry is looking strongly for 

means to improve welding productivity and quality, as 

the current methods used in root pass welding, manual 

metal arc welding, TIG welding and the traditional MIG/ 

MAG welding, are not methods dedicated to root pass 

welding alone. There are welding machines that utilise 

modifi ed MIG/MAG processes for root pass welding, 

but even they have their restrictions. Kemppi developed 

the FastROOT process in close collaboration with the 

welding industry and could thus take the development 

work forward at a fast pace, specifi cally based on the 

requirements of the manufacturing industry. 

Welded one side 

Layer of capping 

run 

Layer of filling run 

Roor reinforcement 

Face side 

Root of the weld 

Back of weld 

Capping run 

Fill up run 

Root run 

Toe of the weld 

Figure 1. 

The root pass is the first in-groove welding run in 

multiple-run welding. The root cap of the root pass is 

the root-side, one-face welding cap.

The FastROOT welding process 

The FastROOT welding process controls the power 

source’s current and voltage parameters digitally. The 

welding process monitors the short circuit and controls 

the correct timing of the fi ller droplet transmission from 

the fi ller wire into the weld pool. 

The operating principle of the FastROOT process is 

that two mutually different shapes are formed from the 

welding current. These shapes can be referred to as the 

short circuit and arc period upslope stages (see Figure 

2). The FastROOT process is a modifi ed short arc 

process and should not be confused with pulse welding. 

In the fi rst upslope stage, the fi ller material is transmitted 

during the short circuit to the weld pool, while the 

power of the arc is suddenly increased during the second 

upslope stage and sustained at the desired level (see 

Figure 2). Before the fi rst upslope stage, there is a short 

current peak in the welding current during which the 

fi ller material wire contacts the weld pool. During the 

fi rst upslope stage, the rapid increase of the current to 

the desired level accomplishes a so-called pinch force, 

which allows the drop to detach from the tip of the fi ller 

wire. The detachment is ensured by slowly decreasing 

the current. Once the drop has been transmitted to the 

weld pool, the second current-rising stage begins and 

initiates the arc stage. The device control monitors the 

drop detachment moment throughout the arc. The correct 

timing in current decrease and increase guarantee a 

spatter-free pass-over from the short circuit to the open 

arc. The so-called second upslope stage shapes the weld 

pool and ensures suffi cient penetration in the root pass. 

These two upslope stages follow each other, after which 

the current is reduced to the desired base current level 

(see Figure 2). The specifi ed base current level ensures 

that the next fi ller drop will be transmitted during the 

next short circuit. 

Rapid and correctly timed power source control combined 

with the correct shape of the current waveform 

in the process allow for non-interfered and spatter-free 

drop detachment and transmission into the weld pool. 

This keeps the arc stable and the welding process easy 

to control. 

Welding with the FastROOT process 

Kemppi’s FastMig Synergic welding devices allow 

the welder to adjust the wire feed, the level of the second 

upslope stage and the base current level. Figure 3 

compares the effect of increasing base current level on 

the shape of the weld pass with stainless steel. Figure 4 

compares the effect of the second upslope level on the 

shape of the weld pass. 

25 60 

Figure 3. 

Effect of the base current level on the shape of the weld pass. 

–9 0 +9 

Figure 4. 

Effect of the shaping pulse level on the shape of the weld pass. 

Two techniques Starting point 

Starting point 

FastROOT 


• Pulling MIG gun angle 

• Pulling 10°–15° MIG 

• Arc ”carries” weld pool 

gun angle 

• Vertical down welding 

• Overhead 5 to 6 

technique 

straight angle 

MIG /MAG 

• Arc ”carries” weld pool 

• Vertical down welding 

• Straight 90° MIG gun angle 

technique 

• Vertical up welding technique 

• Oscillation: 

• Gun angle pointed to pipes 

– Flat / 12 Yes 

center 

– Vertical / 3 / 9 No 

• Oscillation: Yes 

– Overhead / 6 Yes 

• Oscillation delays on sides 

• In oscillation nodelays 

Starting point 

on sides 

Notice! For fill up and top pass use Synergic MIG with Solid or with Flux Cored Wire 

Figure 5. 

Two techniques for pipe welding. 

Oscillation 

Figure 6. 

Travel technique in root pass welding. 

Point where 

to focus the 

welding arc 

• In oscillation no delays on groove edges 

• Oscillation frequency is faster than in vertical up welding 

• Welding Power regulation according: 

– Opening (3,0–5,0 mm) 

– Root face (0–1,0 mm) 

– Travel speed / Oscillation wideness 

• Penetration increases when MIG gun is more in pulling angle 

Notice! Avoid too large oscillation, try to use max travel speed. 


Program 

Fe -group 

Wire (mm) Material Shielding gas Backing 

903 1 Fe Ar+18%-25% CO2 904 1,2 Fe Ar+18%-25% CO2 913 

Ss -group 

1 Fe CO2 923 1 SS-316 Ar+2%CO2 Ar 

924 1,2 SS-316 Ar+2%CO2 Ar 

933 1 SS-316 Ar+30%He+1%02 Ar 

934 1,2 SS-316 Ar+30%He+1%02 Ar 

Figure 7. 

Synergic curves included in a standard delivery. 

6 


Figure 8. 

T-joint, 1/2V-groove 45 o , root run welded in PG 

position and fill-up run in PF position, air gap 5 - 6 

mm, welding current 146A, voltage 16V, speed 100 

mm/min, energy E=1.4 kJ/mm and heat input Q=1.1 

kJ/mm 

Figure 9. 

Butt joint, V-groove 60 o , root run welded in PG 

position and fill-up run in PF position, air gap 3 - 4 



kJ/mm 

Figure 10. 

Butt joint, V-groove 60 o , root run welded in PE 

position and fill-up run in PE position, air gap 3 - 4 



kJ/mm 

Various techniques can be used when welding 

the root pass. The FastROOT process allows for welding 

the pipe in the downward direction from 12 o’clock 

to 6 o’clock or from 12 o’clock to 9 o’clock, while a regular 

short-arc process allows for upward welding from 6 

o’clock to 9 o’clock (see Figure 4). In the right-hand side 

of the fi gure, the FastROOT process is used for welding 

from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock by moving the torch at 

a 10–15-degree angle. In the left-hand side of the fi gure, 

the FastROOT process is used for welding from 12 

o’clock to 9 o’clock and a normal short arc is used for 

welding from 6 o’clock to 9 o’clock. The welding machine 

also allows for welding so that the pipe is rotating 

and the torch remains, for example, at 2 o’clock. 

The most important objective in the motion technique is 

to maintain the arc on top of the weld pool and not on its 

side (see Figure 6). There is suffi cient power in the arc 

to make the fi ller wire push through the weld pool at the 

sides, causing root-side spatter. The arc must be kept on 

top of the weld pool during the oscillation. The welder 

should not wait at the sides; instead, the direction of motion 

must be changed immediately after the oscillation 

ends. The oscillation is faster than in regular vertical up 

short-arc welding. The FastROOT process allows for 

welding without the oscillation. This increases the travel 

speed but the weld run surface will not have as smooth a 

shape as with the oscillation technique. 

Applications of the process 

The FastROOT process has been developed particularly 

for root pass welding but can also be used for thin 

sheet welding. The most commonly welded materials 

are structural and stainless steels. Figure 7 lists the 

synergic curves included in a standard FastMig Synergic 

welding machine delivery. In addition to these, it 

is possible to create customer-specifi c curves designed 

for various production needs in the machines. The fi rst 

customer-specifi c curves have been created for ferritic 

stainless steel EN 10088 1.4539 -904 L and EN 10088 

1.4464 – 22%Cr duplex steel. In addition to these, there 

are stainless steel welding curves designed for various 

shielding gas mixtures. 

The fi rst users of the FastROOT process include Norwegian 

companies in the offshore industry. The customers 

have characterised the process as easy to use and 

adjust. The spatter-free results in welding pipe steel has 

also received praise. The process is currently in daily use 

in the Ormen Lange project in Norway. It is the secondlargest 

marine gas fi eld project with the greatest demand 

for pipelines in the world. 

Offshore customers had welding tests carried out on 

the process using different types of joints and welding 

parameters. The test results and welding parameters are 

presented in fi gures 8-10.

Summary 

The FastROOT welding process and 

its implementation comprise a new, modifi 

ed short-arc welding method for root 

pass and thin sheet metal welding. The 

synergic welding curves allow for welding 

structural and stainless steels in all 

positions. The easy adjustment and userfriendly 

nature of the process provide the 

welders with excellent arc manageability. 

n 

Benefi ts of the process 

include: 

better productivity and speed 

than with TIG welding 

spatter-free 

same equipment for welding root 

passes and fi ller passes 

easy welding 

good root surface and root-side 

shapes 

low need for post-welding 

fi nishing 

fl exibility and ease of use 

possibility to weld in all positions 

New product package provides added 

benefi t for buyers of the FastROOT feature 

Buyers of FastROOT will receive a DVD 

product package containing a wealth 

of useful information in addition to the 

new welding feature. The package assists 

the user in the installation of FastROOT 

and getting the most out of the new welding 

method. 

Available for use with Kemppi’s FastMig Synergic 

welding machines, the optional Fast- 

ROOT feature has attracted 

a great deal of interest among 

Kemppi customers. FastROOT 

is a MIG welding process modifi 

cation which brings a whole 

new class of user-friendliness 

and effi ciency to root pass 

welding. 

A FastMig machine equipped 

with the FastROOT feature 

can control welding parameters 

as well as the formation 

of a short circuit during welding, 

so that droplets fall off the 

end of the fi ller wire into the 

molten weld pool at precisely 

the right time. This makes it easier to control 

the arc and signifi cantly reduces the formation 

of spatter. 

Additional information on the technical 

specifi cations and user experiences of the 

FastROOT welding method is presented 

in this magazine and on Kemppi’s renewed 

website. 

Easy-to-understand activation instructions 

FastROOT is easily installed in the welding 

machine by entering an activation code 

consisting of 16 three-digit codes on the machine 

control panel. 

The new product package includes a machine-specifi 

c activation code as well as 

printed quick guide for installation of the 

code on the welding machine control panel. 

These instructions make implementation of 

the new feature as easy as 1-2-3. 

In addition, all the phases necessary for activation 

can be viewed on the installation 

DVD, which clearly shows the selections to 

make and data to be entered on the control 

panel. 

Instructional video on technique 

In addition to the activation instructions, the 

product package contains a wealth of other 

information. The FastROOT feature and its 

benefi ts are presented in full detail, but the 

package also includes basic information on 

FastMig welding machines. 

The FastROOT root pass welding technique 

and its special features are presented in text, 

The new DVD product package contains 

useful information, instructions, images 

and videos for installation and use of the 

optional FastROOT feature. 

images and welding demonstration videos. 

Root pass welding with the FastROOT 

method is easy for experienced welders, but 

there are certain items pertaining to it that 

should be taken into consideration. Having 

a familiarity with these is what makes Fast- 

ROOT an exceptionally productive method 

for root pass welding. 

All Kemppi FastMig Synergic welding machines 

are FastROOT compatible. The Fast- 

ROOT feature can be ordered from a Kemppi 

representative when placing an equipment 

order or separately, for use with an already 

purchased FastMig Synergic machine. 

The FastROOT product package is the fi rst 

Kemppi materials package providing such 

comprehensive support for the eff ective 

installation and use of an optional Kemppi 

equipment feature. As Kemppi expands its 

welding solutions off ering, similar product 

packages will also be made available for other 

optional features. 

Jukka Pohjola 

Technical Editor 


8 

CASE 


Jukka Pohjola, Technical Editor 

Vaahto Oy acquires 


The large spiral heat exchangers manufactured 

by Vaahto Oy of Hollola, which is 

part of the Vaahto Group, can have welding 

seams hundreds of metres long. Almost 

all the welds are pressure-bearing, 

so the work requires great precision both 

from the welder and the welding equipment. 

Vaahto Oy has acquired Kemppi’s FastMig equipment 

with FastRoot installed, for the purpose of speeding 

up welding work and facilitating the uniformity of the 

welds. 

Metal plate up to 2 metres wide unrolls from the roller 

onto the line, and then spacer studs are automatically 

stud-welded to the plate. The purpose of these is to keep 

the spirally-rotated metal plates separate, so that there is 

a channel between the plates for medium fl ow distribution. 

This is how the large spiral heat exchanger starts to 

take shape at Vaahto Oy’s Hollola plant, for delivery to 

the pharmaceutical industry in the USA. 

Vaahto Oy is a worldwide manufacturer of equipment 

for the paper and process industries. The spiral heat exchangers 

produced at the Hollola factory are used all 

over the world in such industries as pharmaceuticals, oil 

refi ning, paper, and paints and pigments. 

Spiral heat exchangers are more easily cleaned and less 

prone to fouling than tube heat exchangers. Furthermore, 

they offer greater heat transfer effi ciency in relation 

to their size. 

Weld quality an important factor in the 

production process 

Workshop manager, Sami Ketola, who is in charge of 

the manufacture of heat exchangers, says that the manufacture 

of just one heat exchanger requires hundreds of 

metres of welds, so their quality and the productivity of 

the welding work are essential elements in the production 

of spiral heat exchangers. 

Almost all welds are pressure-bearing, which sets particularly 

demanding requirements both for the welder and 

the welding equipment. Spatter is not allowed and each 

weld is checked at least visually, but usually also with 

penetration fl uid or by some other NDT methods. 

When spacer studs are attached to the metal plate, the 

plate is rolled into a large spiral, and the ends of the roll 

are closed with welds. With special metal qualities, this 

work stage might last weeks or even a month. ”There 

the shield gas fl ows and the arc burns for a long time,” 

explains Mr Ketola. 

It is for the speeding up of such time-consuming work 

stages that Vaahto Oy has acquired Kemppi’s FastMig 

welding equipment with FastROOT process, for 

speeding up root pass welding. 

”We intend to replace mainly TIG welding with 

FastROOT, and thus increase the productivity of welding 

work and of course also to increase the uniformity of 

welds,” says Mr Ketola. 

Vaahto Oy already has long experience of Kemppi’s 

welding equipment. Confi dence in the operation of the 

equipment has increased with the years of experience, 

and, at least on the basis of the early stage, FastROOT 

seems to meet the set targets very well. n

CE-marking 

of Arc Welding 

Equipment in Europe 

Since 01.01.1996 the European directives, legislation 

and harmonized standards have obliged all manufacturers 

and distributors/importers of arc welding equipment 

to make sure that the equipment that they manufacture 

and/or sell comply with at least the following: 

• 1973/23/EEC (LVD) 

• 1989/336/EEC (EMC) 

The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) defi nes the compliance 

with several health, safety and technical requirements, 

such as: 

• isolation of transformers (risk of electric shock) 

• accessibility of live parts (risk of electric shock) 

• thermal protection and duty cycles (10 minutes in 40 

degrees C) 

• safety in case of a malfunction in the equipment 

• mechanical safety and durability 

Information related to these issues has to be clearly 

available on the rating plate of the equipment and in 

the relevant documentation (manuals etc.). 

The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC) 

defi nes the effects of electromagnetic emissions and immunity. 

This means in practise that: 

• arc welding equipment shall not emit electromagnetic 

disturbances, potentially causing malfunctions 

in other types of equipment (e.g. elevators, cranes, 

power tools, information and telecommunication 

equipment) that could lead to serious consequences 

• arc welding equipment shall be resistant to electromagnetic 

disturbances emitted by other types of 

equipment or coming from the mains. 

The fulfi lment of the above mentioned criteria is indicated 

with a CE-marking that is attached to the equipment. 

However, the CE-marking does not guarantee that 

the equipment has been tested by any neutral third 

party laboratory or even the manufacturer. This, unlike 

many consumers and industrial buyers may assume, 

is the current situation in Europe. The CE-marking is 

only a statement made by the manufacturer or the 

distributor/importer. 

When purchasing arc welding equipment, it is indispensable 

to seriously consider these issues and to evaluate 

the trustworthiness of the manufacturer 

and distributor/importer of the equipment. 

In addition to the above mentioned 

health, safety and technical issues also the 

reliability in use and the true welding performance 

can vary a lot. 

Abusive use of the CE-marking is subject 

to prosecution. n 

For more information: 

http://www.european-welding.org/ 

http://www.iec.ch/ 

http://www.cenelec.org/ 

All Kemppi welding equipment has since 01.01.1996 

fulfi lled all these requirements and all Kemppi equipment 

is tested both at Kemppi laboratories and certifi 

ed European testing facilities. 

” 

When purchasing arc 

welding equipment, 

it is indispensable 

to evaluate the 

trustworthiness of 

the manufacturer and 

distributor/importer of 

the equipment. 


10 

Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2006

Impact of 

cable length 

on welding arc 

In practical welding situations there is 

always a power cable running between 

the power source and arc as shown in 

Figure 1. As a result, the arc voltage can 

never be the same as the voltage in the 

power source poles. The impact that 

cable length has on the arc depends 

on a number of factors, which will be 

discussed below. 

Cable voltage loss and its compensation 

The arc voltage is always lower than the machine’s pole 

voltage. A drop in voltage depends on both the cable 

cross-section and length. This is illustrated by the follow 

examples: 

Example 1: 

Cable length 5 m + 5 m (welding cable + return cable) 

Cable cross-section 50 mm² 

Welding current 150 A 

=> Cable voltage loss 0.55 V 

Example 2: 

Cable length 50 + 50 m 

Cable cross-section 50 mm² 

Welding current 250 A 

=> Cable voltage loss 9 V 

In Example 1 the voltage loss is so low that it is practically 

meaningless, but in Example 2 the loss can be 

signifi cant in some case. 

The simplest way to reduce cable loss is to reduce the 

cable length and increase the cable cross-section. Another 

option is to build a power source with enough voltage 

to compensate for any cable loss. 

The meaning of cable loss with different 

methods 

MMA Welding 

MMA welding typically uses a standard power source, 

which feeds the load constant current regardless of the 

voltage. As a result, MMA welding is not especially 

sensitive to long cables, provided that the power source 

voltage is adequate. Consequently, MMA welding power 

sources, especially large models, are built so that they 

Tapani Mäkimaa, R & D Engineer 

” 

can provide much more voltage 

than the arc actually needs 

whenever necessary. Considerably 

higher currents than in 

steady state are needed during 

ignition and droplet short-circuit. 

During a short-circuit, 

however, the amount of voltage 

required by the electrode 

is small, which means that 

voltage loss is not a major concern. In practice the cable 

length is only limited by the available voltage in the 

power source. If unusually long welding cables are required, 

the user must check whether the available voltage 

is adequate. In this case it may be necessary to use 

thicker cables. Cable voltage loss can be determined 

either by calculating it or looking at the curves like in 

Figure 2. 

TIG Welding 

As with MMA welding, long cables can be used for DC 

TIG welding. Very thin copper braids, whose voltage 

loss can be unexpectedly high (with a nominal voltage 

of 10 V or more), are sometimes used in long, watercooled 

TIG torches. On the other hand, because the TIG 

10 

5 

Power source 

Figure 1. Typical welding situation. 

voltage loss / V 

70 mm 2 cable voltage loss 

Un Uk 

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 

Another option is to 

build a power source 

with enough voltage 

to compensate for any 

cable loss. 

cable length / m 

Figure 2. Welding cable voltage loss as a function of 

length at different currents. 

400A 

300A 

200A 

150A 

100A 


12 


welding arc voltage is low, the above problem 

rarely has any real impact. Current AC TIG machines 

use a squarewave or modifi ed squarewave, whose rising 

and falling edges are extremely steep. As a result an 

AC TIG can in some circumstances be sensitive to cable 

length, for reasons which are addressed in connection 

with pulse MIG welding. 

MIG/MAG welding and pulse MIG welding 

Conventional MIG/MAG welding uses a constant voltage 

rectifi er, whose generated voltage depends very little 

on the current. In addition to this, the conventional MIG/ 

MAG process only works well with a constant voltage 

rectifi er. As a result, the MIG/MAG process is considerably 

more sensitive to cable loss than the MMA process. 

Short arc welding in particular is, merely due to its 

low voltage, more sensitive to cable loss than a spray arc 

process, which allows signifi cant cable losses in practical 

use. In either case cable loss can be compensated by 

increasing the voltage of the power source. Flux-cored 

welding works well with very long cables; it is here that 

fl ux-cored welding is more reminiscent of MMA welding 

than short arc welding. 

In pulse MIG welding cable impact differs considerably 

from other processes. It is for this reason that the matter 

will be discussed in greater detail below. 

Dynamic losses 

If pure DC is running through the wires or the current 

changes slowly, the wires’ voltage loss can be calculated 

as a product of the wire resistance and current. Indeed 

this is precisely the point in MMA and DC TIG welding. 

On the other hand, current changes in short arc MIG/ 

MAG and pulse MIG welding are so fast that the impact 

of the changes must be given attention. The physical 

explanation of the phenomenon is that current running 

through a wire generates a magnetic fi eld, whose changing 

requires energy that must fed into the fi eld with a cable. 

This always takes time. If the welding current needs 

to be altered suddenly, such as with a pulse MIG, the 

current and the magnetic fi eld energy must be altered at 

the same time. 

The longer the cables are, the greater the amount of energy 

that needs to be moved and the more time it takes. 

The technical term describing the slowness of the abovementioned 

change in current is called inductance. It is 

determined by not only the cable length, but also its diameter 

and placement. Inductance is at its lowest level 

when the cable is routed in a hairpin loop or a single 

large loop. If the cable is instead reeled, inductance can 

rise to a very high level. This is illustrated in Figure 4. 

According to one laboratory measurement, a 25 m cable 

routed as shown in Figure 3B generated an inductance 

of 20 μH, but when reeled as shown in Figure 3C the 

same cable’s inductance was 110 μH, i.e. over fi ve times 

more. Although this kind of increase in inductance will 

cause a noticeable change in short arc welding, it will 

not make welding impossible. However, the impact this 

has on pulse MIG welding is so powerful that it is for all 

intents and purpose no longer possible to weld properly. 

The inductance of a reeled cable depends on the length 

of the cable, primarily due to the fact that doubling the 

length of a cable coiled around a reel effectively quadruples 

the inductance. The impact that the reel dimensions 

and placement have is minimal compared to cable 

length. It makes no real difference whether a cable reel 

is coiled around the bars of a transport cart or lying on 

the fl oor. 

Increasing the cable’s copper cross-section reduces inductance 

only marginally. Where practical work is concerned, 

it is recommended that welding cables be kept 

as short as possible. A better alternative to reeling is to 

shorten excess cable, provided that the power source is 

close to the welding point. If it is for some reason impossible 

to cut any excess cable, uncoiling the cable into 

loops (as shown in Figure 3A or 3B) will signifi cantly 

reduce inductance. An excellent way to reduce cable inductance 

is to connect the return lead to the workpiece 

next to the power source, if possible. According to fi ndings, 

a workshop scale workpiece also serves as an excellent 

return lead where inductance is concerned. In this 

case only the torch cable has an impact on inductance. 

Below is an examination of how cable inductance is 

dependent on cable geometry. The external inductance 

of the cable in Figure 3A can only be calculated using 

the law of perforation, thus resulting in the following 

inductance formula: 

L = u0*l*ln(a/r0)/pi (1) 

where 

u0 vacuum permeance 

l loop length (half the cable length) 

a distance between the cables 

r0 cable copper cross-section 

In addition to this, the situation is also affected by frequency-dependent 

internal inductance, for which the 

formula is: 

Z = (k*l)/(2*pi*r0*s)*J0(k*r0)/J1(k*r0) (2) 

where 

Z cable inductance 

k (1-j)sqr(f*s*u) 

s conductivity 

J0 and J1 Bessel function of the first kind 

At low frequencies (abs(k)

A. 

Low inductance 

B. 

Medium 

inductance 

C. 

High inductance 

Figure 3. Impact of cable geometry on inductance. 

As the frequency increases the internal inductance decreases 

inversely proportionally to the square root of the 

frequency. 

In the 3B case the external inductance can be deduced 

using the Neumann integral, thus resulting in the following 

formula: 

L= u(2r-a)((1-k*k/2)*K(k)-E(k)) (4) 

where 

u permeability 

a cable radius 

r cable loop radius 

k*k 4r(r-a)/(2r-a)^2 

E(k) complete elliptic integral of the first kind 

K(k) complete elliptic integral of the second kind 

Figure 4 shows a pulse MIG machine (1.2 mm AlMg 

wire) pulse current as well as voltages at the machine’s 

poles and near the arc when using short cables. As can 

be seen here, the form of the pulse current is regular and 

the machine’s pole voltage does not differ drastically 

from the arc voltage. 

In Figure 5, on the other hand, a 25 m cable has been 

reeled, thus corrupting the pulse completely. If the same 

cable makes a loop (as shown in Figure 3A), the pulse 

form will remain good as can be seen in Figure 6. The 

same fi gure also shows that the voltage pulses at the 

machine’s poles are a great deal higher than in the arc. 

Figure 4. 

Pulse MIG machine current (bottom 

picture) and voltage at machine poles 

(middle picture) and near the arc (top 

picture), when using short cables (3 m 

torch and 5 m return cable). 

This is due to the fact that the power source automatically 

compensates cable losses and maintains a desirable 

pulse form. A conventional MIG/MAG power source is 

incapable of doing this type of compensation, but in the 

above-mentioned situations the arc properties of a conventional 

power source would be altered. 

The impact of cable length on pulse MIG welding is discussed 

in greater detail in ProNews issue 1/ 2004. n 

Figure 5. 

Pulse welding as in picture 4, but with a 

reeled 25 m cable. 

Figure 6. 

Same as in picture 5, but with 25 m cable 

reel uncoiled into a narrow loop. 


” 

With determination 

14 

IN CO-OPERATION 

and sheer hard work, 

the small team can 

provide a few nasty 

shocks for the big 

boys. 


Kemppi, Motor sport, F1 

and the British 

Grand Prix 2006 

Kemppi have long been associated with 

the design and manufacture of innovative, 

technical welding solutions for 

industry and extreme welding environments, 

and motor sport carries no exceptions 

in its demands for having the right 

welding product at the right time, in the 

right place. Travelling motor racing teams 

demand compact, lightweight and precise 

welding equipment that meets their 

special needs for welding lightweight alloys. 

For once, small is best 

Considering logistics alone, F1 

Grand Prix racing is probably the 

toughest motor sport environment. 

The GP racing teams carry many 

tons of technical equipment to remote 

corners of the globe throughout 

the racing season, providing a 

highly technical sporting spectacular 

for the millions of motor racing 

fans worldwide. When it comes to 

welding equipment, like so many things in Formula 1, 

size and weight really does matter, and for once small is 

best. The bigger and heavier the gear the greater the cost 

in transport, inconvenience and ultimately lower overall 

performance of the team. 

John Frost, Sales & Marketing Director, Kemppi (UK) Ltd. 

A history with motor sport 

Kemppi links with international motor sport have covered 

many racing formulas over the years including the 

FIA world Rally series and of course FIA F1 Grand Prix 

racing, plus FIA F3, Formula Renault and many other 

regional series – Where there’s motor racing, there’s 

welding and that’s Kemppi business! 

Kemppi fi rst established the supply of welding equipment 

into the F1 Grand Prix scene with Jordan GP Ltd, 

supplying MasterTig AC/DC TIG equipment during the 

1997 race season and continued as a technical supplier 

throughout 1998 and 1999; racing seasons where the 

Jordan GP team enjoyed three excellent GP wins with 

world class drivers Damon Hill (1996 World Champion) 

and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. 

Technical solutions to technical issues 

In 1999, Kemppi supplied an additional MasterTig 

2500W water cooled machine at very short notice to the 

Monza race track in Italy, to enable the repair of newly 

designed gearbox cases that had badly cracked during 

Friday practice on both Damon and Heinz’s race cars. 

The cases were stripped, cleaned and following weld 

repairs both cars made it through qualifi cation and the 

full Sunday GP race distance. A strong points fi nish resulted 

with Frentzen fi nishing fi rst for the best result of 

the season. 

Kemppi MasterTig AC/DC provided the Jordan GP team 

state of the art solutions to traditional welding equipment 

packaging and weight management issues that affected 

both cost and convenience of having TIG welding 

equipment in the garage during a race weekend. Kemppi


16 


Mastertig AC/DC allowed the team to easily 

travel with the right welding facilities for trackside repair 

and modifi cation as necessary to a variety of parts. 

A sea of change 

But time and technology wait for no man and, as with so 

many F1 teams over the years Jordan began to struggle 

with the signifi cant fi nancial and technical demands of 

the sport. Slowly the team slipped back in performance 

and eventually, during 2004, sold their business and resources 

to what is now the Midland F1 team. 

Throughout the intervening period Kemppi maintained 

its supply of welding equipment, remaining loyal to the 

team during very diffi cult times for the ‘on track’ racing 

performance, business and people. Kemppi fi gured that 

after enjoying all that success over seven racing seasons 

with the Jordan team, we should try and support the sport 

and new team during the diffi cult days as well. 

New technology and opportunity 

Renewing our supply contract with Midland F1 for 2006 

also provided the opportunity to renew our equipment 

offer to the team. Launched at the German Essen Welding 

Show the previous September, Kemppi introduced 

the most technically competent, compact ACDC TIG 

welding machine available on the world market. 

The latest MasterTig MLS 2300 ACDC has a weight 

of 15kg and current output of 230A, plus an excellent 

40% duty cycle. At half the size and weight of its predecessor, 

this combination of performance and packaging 

made perfect sense to Midland’s race team fabricators 

and quickly lead to the supply of four machines to replace 

older Kemppi technology for workshop and trackside 

use. 

For 2006 the results on track have been mixed in terms 

of world championship points, but Midland F1 have created 

a stable technical platform that has proved to be one 

of the most reliable race car packages on the F1 grid. 

From this base they hope to develop with their partners 

over the coming years. After all, they have proved in a 

previous life that with reasonable resources, determination 

and sheer hard work, the small team can provide 

a few nasty shocks for the big boys – characteristics 

Kemppi people also hold close to their hearts. n

➝ Arcs burned and guns 

moved steadily in the 

hands of professionals 

during welding exercises. 

➝ ➝ Harry Kohonen (at 

left) and Ari Niiniketo 

felt that the Kemppi 

welding course was a 

welcome addition to the 

maintenance of their 

professional skills. 

Welding theory and practice 

meet 

A group of Neste Oil machine and deck 

repair personnel got a welcome change 

in their daily routines when Kemppi held 

a three-day welding course in Kemppi’s 

Okeroinen plant in Lahti. The purpose of 

the course was to provide people using 

practical welding applications with the 

opportunity to learn the latest in welding 

theory and give invaluable practical tips 

from colleagues and Kemppi welding 

consultants. 

One Friday morning in May, the red light over the door 

to the Kemppi showroom indicated that the auditorium 

was indeed occupied. Lappeenranta University of Technology 

Welding Technology Professor Jukka Martikainen 

was there delivering a lecture to Neste Oil repair 

men. 

The lecture was part of a custom-tailored, three-day 

welding course, which Kemppi occasionally organizes 

for its customers at its Okeroinen facilities. This time 

Neste Oil’s repair personnel had come to Lahti to learn 

about the welding industry’s latest theoretical knowledge, 

while improving their professional skills through 

practical welding exercises, using various techniques. 

The course ran from Wednesday to Friday, with each 

course day fi lled with lectures and hands-on exercises. 

On the fi rst day of the course, Product Manager Juha 

Nykänen of Kemppikoneet gave an overview on the 

Jukka Pohjola, Technical Editor 

fundamentals of various welding 

processes as well as machine maintenance 

and Erkki Seppälä of Impomet 

Oy talked about fi ller materials used 

in repair welding. 

Interplay between theory 

and practice 

Jukka Martikainen is one of the leading 

minds in welding theory in Finland. 

His area of expertise is welding technology, most 

notably metallurgy and quality control as well as welding 

instruction and research. 

On two days of the Kemppi course, Martikainen delivered 

lectures on matters related to repair welding. Renowned 

as an engaging and enthusiastic speaker, Martikainen 

did not address this audience as he would engineering 

students, instead focusing on practical things. 

”This kind of course should only be addressing real-life 

cases,” stated Martikainen. ”The listener should have 

the sort of reaction: ‘Oh yeah, I just had a job like that 

recently’.” Then you can have a real dialogue between 

representatives of theory and practice, and that, if anything, 

is what’s most fruitful for both sides.” 

Martikainen hopes that this dialogue would also be benefi 

cial to his listeners. He himself says that he has received 

a great deal of useful information when giving 

lectures to people actually working with welding. These 

kinds of opportunities always open new perspectives. 


” 

The listener should 

have the sort of 

reaction: ‘Oh yeah, 

I just had a job like 

that recently’. 


18 


”In this course the participants are people who 

sail the seas, where something can always break and 

need immediate repair. This is not the time or place to 

go over all the fi ne points of metallurgy, but rather to 

present methods which can be used to deal with unexpected 

repair situations. 

Professor Martikainen explains that the welding industry 

has recently made small, but signifi cant advances. There 

are no single revolutionary innovations to speak of, but 

today’s most important trend on the welding equipment 

market has more to do with the integration of various 

sectors to form a single, competitive package. 

Participants learn new tricks from their 

colleagues during the course 

Even though a welder is more likely to be a practical, 

hands-on type than someone who enjoys attending lectures 

and discussing theory, the Kemppi course was 

praised also for the practical orientation of its theoretical 

aspects. 

The greatest praise, however, was reserved for the welding 

exercises as well as the discussions with Kemppi 

welding experts and other welders working in the industry. 

The sharing of thoughts and ideas among colleagues 

was considered a very welcome way to develop one’s 

own skills and get practical new tips to help in working. 

”The best thing about this course was that we got advice 

from professionals,” says course participant, Harry 

Korhonen. ”When you usually just talk to do-it-yourself 

guys, this level of industry expertise naturally makes 

quite an impression.” 

Ari Niiniketo also praised the course arrangements. This 

was the fi rst time he attended a course like this, where 

theory meets practice in such a productive way. 

Kohonen and Niiniketo, on a coffee break 

from the course, feel that the need for the 

course is also important simply for the 

fact that today’s welding equipment is 

so complex that being able to make 

use of every fi nesse and feature requires 

a great deal of know-how. 

The course ended on Friday afternoon 

with TIG and electrode welding exercises, 

which was followed by a closing 

discussion forum. n 

Welding Technology 

Professor Jukka 

Martikainen is an 

experienced lecturer. 

At the Kemppi 

course his lectures 

were more practical 

in nature than his 

lectures at university. 

Tighter 

MIG brazing 

requirements 

High-strength steel standard for the 

automotive industry 

Reducing vehicle weight is a key objective of the automotive 

industry. Even though the effi ciency of engines 

has improved, manufacturers have had to increase power 

output in order to ensure performance, as the increase 

in safety equipment has increased vehicle weight. Due 

to today’s high fuel prices, manufacturers are looking 

for areas where weight can be saved. A slight savings in 

weight is provided by high-strength steel, which when 

used can result in as much as 30% lighter solutions than 

normal steel, without compromising on body strength 

ZST340 high-strength steel is used a great deal in the 

European automotive industry. An even stronger alternative 

is boron steel, whose yield strength can be even 

more than 1200 N/mm 2 . Boron steel is used in body 

window frames, B pillars, crossbeams and roof roll bars 

(safety arch). Boron steel is used in such models and 

makes as the BMW E60, Saab, Volvo XC90, Porsche 

Cayenne and VW Touareg. 

Stronger fi ller materials 

Copper-based MIG brazing wire, which was introduced 

with zinc-coated panels, has developed in pace with 

various types of steel. Due to its lower melting point, 

there is less vaporisation of zinc from the brazing joint 

as well as less heat generated. Indeed, there have been 

no great changes in the melting points of fi ller materials 

because the quantities of primary alloy materials have 

mostly remained the same. The old norm SG-CuSi3 

DIN 1733 has been replaced by EN 14640 S CU 6560. 

Previously, steel strengths were much greater than the 

MIG brazing fi ller materials used. Today, there are fi ller 

materials, such as bedra® CuSi3Mn wires, whose tensile 

strength can exceed 1000 N/mm 2 . Such strength sounds 

unbelievable, but it gives the engineer the possibility of 

designing even stronger and, more importantly, safer 

structures. Kemppi has tested these strong fi ller materials 

with the Kemppi Pro Automotive and Kempact

Pasi Raekorpi, Welding Engineer 

2800 Pulse machines. MIG brazing is extremely effective 

with these wires, whether using a synergic 1-MIG 

or a pulse MIG. There are subtle differences between 

various commercial grades, but the adjustability of the 

machines make it possible to apply optimal values. 

Automotive manufacturers demand 

consistency in fi ller materials 

The automotive industry places great demands on its suppliers 

– production must stay running around the clock 

with no interruptions. In order to guarantee customer 

satisfaction, even fi ller material manufacturers have 

been forced to reassess their production and the consistency 

of their products. When changing wire lots, there 

is no time to retrieve values – production must continue 

without interruption. The high level of automation at 

automotive manufacturing plants further emphasises the 

importance of consistency. Filler material manufacturers 

whose wire production is based on its own raw materials 

have the possibility of achieving the required consistency. 

This makes it easier to establish a comprehensive 

service entity around a good product. 

Numerous welding processes in 

manufacturing, not in repair work 

Automotive manufacturing plants use such techniques 

as MIG brazing, MIG/MAG, hybrid, spot and laser 

welding in the assembly of new car bodies. Where MIG 

brazing is concerned, automotive plants have specifi ed 

that the penetration of copper into the steel may not exceed 

half of the steel’s plate thickness. Filler materials 

manufacturers have tackled this problem in co-operation 

with steel and welding machine manufacturers and 

found a solution. Kemppi’s assignment was to study and 

optimise MIG brazing parameters. The values sought for 

forming the arc were set in order to prevent putting too 

much energy into the weld pool. As a rule, either I 1 

(Argon) or M 12 (Argon + 2.5% CO 2 ) shielding gas is 

used in MIG brazing. In certain conditions the active gas 

component O 2 or CO 2 stabilises the arc, but easily heats 

up the joint. Even a 0.5% O 2 mixture can easily be seen 

in the joint. Selection of the gas mixture is determined 

by such factors as the thickness of the base material and 

zinc coating. The Kemppi Pro Automotive has synergic 

programs for both gas alternatives and the Kempact 

2800 Pulse for pure Argon. Both machines work with 

other gas mixtures, as their wide range of controls can 

set the arc as desired. 

Co-operation and research 

needed 

As continuous developments are being 

made in fi ller materials and steel, so too 

must material properties and special 

characteristics be taken into consideration 

in the manufacture of welding machines. 

A key to development is Kemppi’s 

excellent relationships with major 

fi ller material and steel manufacturers, 

research institutes and automotive manufacturers. 

The result of this co-operation 

is state-of-the-art products for customers 

all over the world. n 

MIG brazed joints on a 

BMW E60 body 

” 

Reducing vehicle 

weight is a key 

objective. 


” 

Stadler relies on 

20 

CASE 

Kemppi machines 

for aluminium 

welding. 


Stadler to deliver 

32 train units to Finland 

Switzerland’s leading rolling stock manufacturer 

Stadler Bussnang AG will be delivering 

32 new train units for use in local 

commuter traffi c for the Greater Helsinki 

area. Because the quality of welds on the 

aluminium structures of the rolling stock 

is to be uncompromising, Stadler uses 

Kemppi Pro and Pro Evolution machines 

on the most demanding welding jobs. 

The ordered Flirt trains are approximately 

75 metres in length and have a passenger 

capacity of approximately 250 for each 

unit. By Finnish standards, the train order 

is a major one, as the ordered units will 

be carrying 40% of the Greater Helsinki 

area’s rail traffi c. 

Aluminium has for years held a dominating 

position in vehicle manufacturing, due to its low 

weight and excellent mechanical properties. Stadler has 

used aluminium in its products for decades. 

Head of aluminium structures Bernhard Eisenegger, 

who also has years of experience in working with aluminium, 

will be celebrating his 30-year career with the 

company next year. 

“At fi rst we manufactured products primarily for the 

Swiss market, but now our rolling stock is delivered all 

over the world,” explains Eisenegger. 

Stadler relies on Kemppi machines for aluminium welding. 

The fi rst Kemppi machines were purchased by the 

company nearly 30 years ago - today, the aluminium 

section has a total of 50 Kemppi Pro and Pro Evolution 

welding machines. 

“We’ve been especially satisfi ed with the reliability and 

adaptability of the machines, and the quality of welds,” 

says Eisenegger. “For our most demanding jobs, we use 

the Kemppi Pro Evolution 4200 MIG machine with the 

MXE control panel. 

The Kemppi Pro Evolution machines are equipped with 

8-metre push-pull guns and the connected ProSync 

synchronization unit. This ensures a problem-free and 

steady wire feed on long welds. 

These guns are water-cooled and the ProCool 20 water- 

cooling unit ensures that the gun stays suffi ciently cool 

under demanding welding conditions. 

“Insuffi cient gun cooling results in welding errors, such 

as porous weld seams, and can cause problems in the 

wire feed,” reminds Eisenegger. n

➝ Teachers have 

chosen Kemppi, 

confirm teachers 

Mauri Immonen 

and Jari 

Koikkalainen. 

➝ ➝ Sami 

Loponen 

makes himself 

familiar with the 

adjustments of the 

new machines. 

Stainless steel 

and aluminum 

challenges in training 

Talented plater-welders leaving school 

are highly desired on the Finnish job market. 

Industry veterans are approaching 

retirement age and the industry needs 

fi ve thousand new experts every year in 

Finland. 

Vantaa Vocational College Varia’s three-year machinetool 

and plater-welder training program strives to ensure 

that its students receive as wide-ranging a professional 

expertise as possible. 

”The media has been prattling on for years about how 

there’s no work for plater-welders. This is evident in the 

low number of applicants. The situation now is good and 

the number of students applying to the training program 

as their main course of study is increasing constantly,” 

exclaim teachers Mauri Immonen and Jari Koikkalainen. 

“Students in their third year were already being offered 

job contracts in the spring, because companies want to 

get youths with developmental potential on their payrolls.” 

Close cooperation with companies 

Vantaa Vocational College Varia works in close coop- 

Text and photos: Pirjo Pöllänen 

eration with companies. First year students 

spend at least a day and a half every week 

doing practical welding exercises. During 

the third year, three out of the fi ve study 

units are on-the-job learning, where students 

do real work at a company. 

”Many students are offered full-time jobs 

during these study units starting after they 

complete school.” 

Immonen is in contact with companies on 

a weekly basis. He himself will also be leaving for an 

eight-week “internship” this autumn. The teacher, who 

possesses IWS certifi cation, wants to see how the introduction 

to the workplace works in real life and what 

kind of expertise the industry is looking for. 

”I also want to learn more about machining stainless 

steel. The material is in a league of its own compared to 

black iron,” he remarks. “Although the basic vocational 

training for plater-welders has remained the same over 

the years, we take industry’s needs into consideration. 

Right now there is increasing demand for stainless steel 

and aluminum machinists.” 

Koikkalainen notes that students can request in-depth 

instruction and additional training in the processing of 


” 

Companies want 

to get youths with 

developmental 

potential on their 

payrolls. 


22 


different materials. Welding during classes is 

possible even with aluminum. 

“The goal is naturally to give youths as wide ranging a 

professional skill as possible.” 

International student exchange 

Varia works in cooperation with a vocational college in 

Vantaa’s German sister city Frankfurt (Oder). German 

students spend two weeks in Vantaa in the spring learning 

fundamentals of the industry. 

”The students are paired up –one Finnish with one German 

student– and they speak English with each other. 

This helps in communication because this isn’t a matter 

of speaking in one’s mother tongue.” 

Finnish students get to go on an exchange visit to Germany, 

provided that they have passed all their courses. 

Immonen is currently in the process of similar partnerships 

with educational facilities in Holland and Italy. 

Upgraded welding workshop 

Varia’s machinist and plater-welder training program 

was further improved with the spring 2006 opening of 

the school’s new welding workshop, which was built 

in connection with the school’s expansion. Previously, 

there were only 18 welding stations, thus requiring the 

students to be divided into several groups to do their 

welding exercises. The new welding workshop boasts 

20 state-of-the-art welding stations. In connection with 

construction of the new welding workshop the school 

purchased 22 Kemppi Pro Evolution 3200, 11 MasterTig 

MLS 2300 ACDC and 11 MasterTig MLS 3000 

welding machines. These machines supplement the 

school’s existing inventory of thirty some Kempomat, 

Kempomig, Mastertig and Kemppi Pro Evolution machines. 

”Now we have machines we can use to teach the welding 

of all types of materials,” say Immonen and Koikkalainen, 

satisfi ed. 

”Kemppi is the choice of instructors, as a large percentage 

of Finnish industry uses Kemppi machines,” they 

explain. 

The new welding workshop with its state-of-the-art 

equipment allows Varia to offer special welding courses. 

Indeed, the customer work done by third year students 

can now be done even more easily. Students have constructed 

made-to-order boat trailers and trailers. The 

workshop has even produced a start gate for greyhound 

racing. n 

INNOVATION 

Speed 

to robotic 

welding 

Kemppi will strengthen its position 

as a welding automation equipment 

manufacturer with the launch of its new 

Kemparc Synergic product range at the 

Euroblech 2006 fair, which will be held in 

Hannover, Germany on 23-28 October. 

Robotic welding is typically a fast, tacking-style welding, 

where the welds are short, lasting only a few seconds. 

A welding robot can make thousands of these 

kinds of welds in a day. 

Text: Jukka

Pohjola, Technical Editor. Kemparc Project Manager: Markus Laurell 

Such a fast welding pace demands extremely fast communication 

between the robot control system and the 

welding equipment connected to it. Even the slightest 

delay in a single weld can have a profound impact on 

productivity, when there are thousands of welds made 

on a daily basis. 

When Kemppi set out to develop new product ideas for 

its welding automation equipment range, three primary 

goals were specifi ed for R&D: rapid response times, 

high power welding capabilities and steady wire feed. 

The R&D effort produced a new addition to Kemppi’s 

welding automation product range as an extension of 

the well-known Pro line: the new Kemparc Synergic 

product range, which uses Kemppi’s latest power source 

technology. 

Speed and effi ciency 

The new Kemparc Synergic welding automation equipment 

brings considerable productivity benefi ts to robotic 

welding. The equipment’s internal data transmission is 

extremely fast, and the fi eldbus-based communication 

between the control system and Kemparc is much more 

” 

effi cient than before. 

Kemparc Synergic is also an effective solution 

for situations in which the user wants 

to improve the productivity of welds made 

on thick materials by increasing the equipment 

melting effi ciency. In such cases two 

Kemparc power sources can be joined with 

a parallel connection to form a single power 

unit, thus allowing the melting effi ciency and 

welding automation productivity to be increased, 

without the need for an outsized power source. 

There are already numerous Kemppi customers which 

have made such a parallel connection with earlier machine 

versions. 

State-of-the-art Kemppi technology 

The Kemparc Synergic system consists of the Kemparc 

DT 400 wire feed unit, which is considerably smaller and 

lighter than earlier versions. The wire feed 

mechanism uses Kemppi’s new, four-wheel 

DURATorque technology, which ensures 

a steady and trouble-free wire feed. 

The synergic curves on the equipment control 

panel provide assistance to the programmer, 

especially in looking for the right 

parameters. The user can select the thickness 

of the plate to be welded on the control 

panel, after which the machine will automatically 

fi nd the right weld parameters. 

When this is done, only very little fi ne tuning 

is necessary. 

Equipment calibration on the robot is also 

facilitated, because when using synergic 

curves it will stay in the right area the entire time. 

The system’s 90 memory channels make programming 

the robot simple. Because welding parameters, process 

data and special functions are each saved on their own 

memory channel, the program only requires accessing 

the appropriate memory channel. If, for example, the 

WPS specifi es the parameters to be used for the weld, 

the programmer does not need to adjust them at all. 

A new welding process designed especially for the needs 

of automated welding is also being developed for the 

Kemparc Synergic system. n 

Such a fast 

welding pace 

demands 

extremely fast 

communication. 


24 

DESIGN 


MinarcMig’s journey 

from drawing board to 

Red dot awards gala 

Winning one of the world’s most prestigious 

industrial design award is no easy 

task. The product has to be functional 

and innovative in every way. The objective 

of designing good products, however, 

is not to win prizes. Prizes are the 

result of hard, motivated work, say the 

designers of Kemppi’s award-winning 

MinarcMig Adaptive machine. 

Jonne Valola and Jarkko Havia, Industrial Designers 

The easiest way for visitors to get to the red dot design 

museum from the main railway station in Essen is by 

tram. After a twenty minute trip, the visitor is greeted 

by an impressive sight: a giant, two-legged steel tower 

called ”Dobbelbock”. The red dot design museum is located 

in the historic Zollverein Mine Complex, whose 

symbol is that tower. The enormous pulleys at its top 

were long ago used to bring coal up from the depths of 

the mine. 

Even though there is no more mining in Zollverein, the 

area is being preserved for future generations as a memorial 

of the Ruhr Valley’s rise and golden age as a centre 

of heavy industry. Zollverein has also been preserved for 

its architecture, as the extraordinary objective of this industrial 

environment is to unite carefully planned order 

and harmony with the enormous scales of the mine in 

a completely unique way. Today, Zollverein is home to 

museums and businesses, and plays host particularly to

architectural, art and cultural events. The red dot design 

museum is located in the apartment block-sized ‘boiler 

house’ of the mine. 

The red dot design museum is the world’s largest museum 

dedicated to industrial design, and there are over 

1000 red dot design award-winning products on display 

in its 4000 m 2 exhibition hall. The red dot design award 

is one of the most prestigious industrial design awards in 

the world, which bestows international renown and recognition 

upon those award-winning products. This year 

Kemppi’s MinarcMig 180 Adaptive welding machine, 

which won the Red dot award in the spring of 2006, will 

be proudly displayed in the museum. 

Foundation work for the award started 

years ago 

Even though the visitor can easily get to the museum by 

tram, our welding machine’s journey to the museum’s 

exhibition hall took an enormous amount of hard work. 

Kemppi introduced several new products at Essen’s Schweißen 

& Schneiden trade fair in 2005. While at the fair, 

we also visited the red dot design museum. While looking 

at the products on display, we began thinking about 

participating in the design competition. Of our new machines, 

we felt that the MinarcMig Adaptive was just 

the kind of product that had a chance of succeeding, because 

its user interface was new and innovative and its 

size and weight were in a class of their own. 

The honor as well as a debt of gratitude for the red dot design award goes to 

all Kemppi employees, exclaim the design team. 

The actual work behind the MinarcMig’s 

success was done long before any decision 

was made to enter the red dot design competition. 

The idea for a small, user-friendly 

MIG/MAG welding machine had been pending 

at Kemppi for a long time. The combination 

of compactness and ease of use was 

not, however, possible without a new type of 

technology, because components at that time 

were too large, and user-friendliness required 

control technologies totally different from 

what had been used up to that point. 

In 2002 a real effort to fi nd solutions was begun. One 

prototype after another was made, and the work began 

to pay off. Compared to the original prototypes, the new 

versions were considerably smaller, a completely new 

solution for the wire feed mechanisms was developed, 

and the machine was smarter than ever before. When the 

prototype had the right size and features, R&D began. 

How would it be used? How could it be made as small 

and light as possible? What would it be made of? How 

would it be assembled? 

A large team of people were involved in the design of 

MinarcMig. A wide range of expertise was needed before 

the product began to take shape. Fortunately the 

product idea was easy to understand: we had to make 

” 

Good products 

are not designed 

because they 

might win an 

award. 


26 


a compact, user-friendly machine, and each 

member of the design team would come up with solutions 

to problems for their respective areas of expertise 

in order to achieve the goal. This is precisely how good 

and carefully executed products are born: the co-operation 

of people coming from a wide variety of backgrounds 

who like to look at things from multiple points 

of view. Good products are not designed because they 

might win an award – awards are the proof that the products 

are well designed. 

After the Essen trade fair in the autumn of 2005, it was 

decided that it was time to put ourselves on the block. 

We were very interested to know what kind of rating the 

MinarcMig would get from the jury, which does not see 

welding machines as merely being welding machines, 

The award ceremony was attended by the following 

Kemppi representatives (from left): welding 

technology director Pasi Hiltunen, R&D engineer Jani 

Hämäläinen, industrial designer Jarkko Havia, 

marketing director Hannu Jokela and industrial 

designer Jonne Valola. Also the director of Kemppi’s 

German subsidiary, Joachim Kalwe, who is missing 

from the picture, was present at the ceremony. 

but as an entity in which the success of the product idea 

and execution are evaluated. So, ideas were put into action. 

Even participation in the competition demanded a great 

deal of work. How would it be possible to explain, for 

example, the control method of the MinarcMig Adaptive 

to a jury, whose members’ knowledge of welding was a 

complete mystery to us? In the fi rst phase the jury evaluated 

the entries based on a brief description and photo. 

When we made it to the fi nals, it was time to send the 

machine itself for evaluation. In February of 2006, we 

received the big news: we had won the red dot design 

award on the fi rst try and as the fi rst welding equipment 

manufacturer in the world! 

Kemppi product present 

at the Oscars of industrial 

design 

The red dot design museum in Essen 

was the venue for the June 2006 ’Oscars’ 

of industrial design, which was 

also attended by representatives of 

Kemppi’s product design team - only 

this time not as visitors, but as prize 

winners. 

According to the Kemppi reps, it was 

mind-boggling to think that just a year 

before they had been admiring the 

award-winning products, and now the 

result of their own hard work had been 

awarded a prestigious place of honour 

for all to admire. 

“The Red Dot competition features 

companies of different sizes, but when 

you look at the products that win the 

award, you realize that the company 

doesn’t need to be gigantic and manufacture 

millions of products to receive 

the Red Dot recognition. It was great to see that the 

product we make is up to par for comparison with products 

of global enterprises. It strengthens our confi dence 

in our vision and talents. 

The team feels that the award will increase their motivation 

to surpass themselves again and again, so that 

Kemppi can offer its customers easy to use and effective 

welding machines. n

Arc Under Control 

on the MasterTig MLS 2300 

ACDC power source 

The new control technology on the 

MasterTig MLS 2300 ACDC power 

source allows for an even broader range 

of possibilities for more precise balance, 

frequency and waveform control. These 

can signifi cantly increase AC-TIG welding 

productivity. 

Balance control 

Aluminum welding requires AC, because negative current 

alone cannot remove aluminum oxide. The problem 

with using positive current is that it puts a heavy load 

on the electrode. On old machines the electrode positive-electrode 

negative (EP-EN) ratio was 50:50, which 

required the use of a round-tipped electrode. 

On modern power sources, however, it is possible to 

control the balance, i.e. the relative percentage of EP- 

EN. When this ratio is clearly EN, it is possible to weld 

with a sharp-tipped electrode, which provides numerous 

benefi ts: The arc cone is narrower and can be aimed with 

greater precision, thus making the welding of fl ange and 

lap joints considerably easier. The travel speed can also 

be increased, penetration is deeper and the weld bead 

is narrower. Increasing the EN also adds power for the 

piece being worked using the same current. 

Tapani Dahlström, Welding Engineer 

Balance values: 0%, -40% and -80% 

There are no hard and fast rules for fi nding the optimal 

balance because the right balance depends on the piece, 

particularly the thickness of its oxide layer, as well as its 

cleanliness. 

A rule of thumb is that one should use as much EN in the 

ratio as possible when welding. 

The limit, however, will be reached when the EP is no 

longer capable of removing the oxide layer and impurities. 

An indication of this is when the weld pool is no 

longer fl uid, there are black impurities in it and the weld 

surface is dull in appearance. 

The MasterTig MLS 2300 

ACDC power source has a factory-preset 

balance of -25 %, 

where 67.5% of the current is 

EN and 32.5% EP. This is a 

good starting point for many 

situations. Welding castings and 

repair welding generally require 

an increase in EP, while the 

EN can be increased for clean, 

pre-treated workpieces. An additional 

feature on the machine 

is electrode thickness help feature, 

which notifi es the user of 

the smallest possible electrode 

PRODUCTIVE WELDING 

The arc can be 

aimed better 

when using a 

sharp electrode 

Low AC frequency High 

Frequency impact on weld cone 


diameter that can be used to weld with a sharp 

tip based on the current and balance being used. 

Frequency control 

The arc cone can be further narrowed by increasing the 

AC frequency. On conventional machines, frequency 

was limited to 60 Hz. The frequency adjustment range 

on the MasterTig MLS 2300 ACDC power source is 

50-250 Hz. However, the factory-preset is 60 Hz, because 

increasing the frequency considerably increases 

the noise level. For example, when welding at 100 A the 

noise level rises from 82 dB(A) to 91dB(A), when the 

frequency is increased from 60 Hz to 250 Hz. 

The frequency should be increased if there are diffi culties 

focusing the arc. This often occurs when welding at 

low frequencies. 

Waveform control 

The MasterTig MLS 2300 ACDC power source offers 

two waveforms: squarewave and sine wave. Both are, 

however, modifi ed slightly from the theoretical wave- 

” 

A rule of thumb is that 

form. The squarewave has rounded corners because 

it dampens the noise level considerably. On the other 

hand, when using the sine wave the zero-line is crossed 

at maximum speed, thus making half-wave ignition as 

good as when using a squarewave. Because a squarewave 

can be aimed more effectively than a sine wave, it 

is installed in the machine as a factory-preset. The drawback 

with the squarewave is the 2-4 dB(A) higher noise 

level, i.e. if the noise is too loud, the user can switch to 

sine wave. n 

28 

one should use as much 

EN in the ratio as possible 

when welding. 


Questions & Answers 

I hava a Minarc 150 MMA welding machine, which I generally use to do all 

sorts of repair work. Right now I’m fi xing a mount fi tting on the pier at my 

summer cottage which was broken by pack ice. There are no power outlets 

at the shoreline – the closest outlet is 30 metres away at the sauna. What 

can I do? Taking the pier apart and moving it to the sauna isn’t a very appealing 

idea. 

The Minarc 150 will work perfectly with a 50 metre extension cord. Just make 

sure that the cord is of high quality and its diameter is at least the same as 

used on the welding machine itself. Indeed, the Minarc 150 will also work 

with a generator set. The power output of the generator set must be at least 

6 kVa. 

How is it possible that I can weld with my machine even though the negative 

cable isn’t connected? 

Most likely the workpiece and structural ground (the frame of your welding 

machine) are in contact with one another, and the welding current is traveling 

along the welding machine’s grounding cable. In this case the risk of damage 

to the grounding cable is extremely high. In order to ensure safe operation, 

it would be wise to take the machine to an authorized Kemppi service centre 

for a check-up. The problem can be avoided by isolating the workpiece and 

structural ground from one another. 

Is it cheaper to repair a welding machine at the Kemppi plant than it is at 

an authorised service centre? 

No. Actually, the Kemppi plant does not do any repair work on customer 

machines whatsoever. Repairs are only made at authorised Kemppi service 

centres. 

Our new FastMig Basic KM machine shows a maximum wire feed of 100 

m/min. Is such a high wire feed rate even possible? How can this fault be 

fi xed? 

This isn’t a fault. The FastMig Basic KM display doesn’t show the wire feed rate, 

but rather the percentual value of the maximum wire feed rate. The percentual 

reading has been chosen, because the FastMig Basic KM power source 

can be used with diff erent wire feed units, and the power source has in this 

case no way of reading the wire feed unit’s feed rate. 

For how long are spare parts for a Kemppi machine no longer in production 

available? 

Spare parts are available for 10 years. 

If a MIG welding machine has a current display, why does the readout fl uctuate 

tens of amperes while welding? 

A MIG welding machine is a constant current source, in which the voltage 

stays nearly constant while welding. Conversely, the power readout can vary 

tens of amperes depending on the stick-out length. The longer the free wire, 

the lower the current value, and vice versa.

Horst Niederhausen, Regional Sales Manager, Kemppi GmbH 

The Kempact Pulse 3000 welding inverter in action 

on the Mercedes-Benz Museum construction site. 

EBENER Fassaden-Profi ltechnik GmbH 

welds with 

Kemppi equipment 

German company EBENER GmbH has 

a staff of some 100 employees in Bad 

Marienburg. It designs, manufactures and 

installs high-quality facades in a variety 

of materials. State-of-the-art technology 

and a highly-skilled staff make EBENER 

a German market leader in facade profi le 

engineering. 

In recent years modern architecture has fundamentally 

changed the form of facades. EBENER is constantly 

adapting to these changes and is therefore an innovative 

partner in facade construction. EBENER does justice to 

modern architectural trends. More and more architects 

are using metal and glass combinations with 4-10 mm 

thick aluminum profi les and cut trim pieces in their 

plans. 

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart 

A masterpiece made by craftsmen! The truly unique 

structure of the new Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart 

is considered a successful and critically-acclaimed 

project. Several thousand three-dimensional sheet struc- 

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart 

tures made of 3 and 4 mm aluminum were welded over 

a total area of 8000 m² using Kemppi’s new Kempact 

Pulse 3000 welding inverter. Construction took a total 

of 33 months and cost EUR 150 million. The structure 

weighs 110,000 tons and has a surface area of 48,000 

m 2 . 

The Kempact Pulse welding inverter handled even the 

most demanding welding jobs easily, meeting all expectations. 

The decisive factors in choosing Kemppi’s latest 

generation of digital inverters were their outstanding 

welding performance, double pulse capability, adaptability, 

light weight and user-friendliness as well as reliability 

and high quality. A wide mains voltage tolerance 

and power generator compatibility signifi cantly increase 

the range of possibilities. 

Kempact Pulse 3000 ensures optimum process control 

in all conditions and exceptional ignition properties with 

any material and shielding gas. Kemppi’s WeldSnake 

MIG gun (WS 35) had no problem dealing with even a 

six-meter welding radius. 1.0 mm welding wire (AlMg 

3) and Argon shielding gas were used in welding. n 

Further information: www.ebener.de 

CASE 


30 Kemppi ProNews 2 • 2006 Foto: Kari Siren. Vastavalo.fi

Text: Jukka Pohjola, Technical Editor 

Welding expert: Jouni Karhu, Welding Instructor 

An empty metallic reel 

fi nds new life 

as a wine rack 

When the wire reel on a MIG welding machine 

runs out, there is nothing left but an 

empty skeleton. This is usually nothing 

more than garbage, but its symmetrical 

form sparks the imagination, compelling 

the user to fi nd some other use for it. 

Aker Yards Helsinki shipyard did not send 

one empty wire reel for metal recycling, 

but instead welded it into something every 

home has a use for: a wine rack. Anyone 

can weld together such a wine rack 

using, for example, an empty Kempact 

wire reel. 

A welding machine can be helpful to the user in some 

of the most surprising ways. If, for example, the welder 

also happens to be a wine connoisseur, there is a handy 

solution for wine bottle storage right inside any Kempact 

or other MIG welding machine. When the wire reel 

runs out, the reel body and a few connecting pieces can 

be welded together to construct a wine rack that is guaranteed 

to attract attention and even get a few ‘oohs’ and 

‘ahhs’. 

The idea for using a wire reel casing for this purpose was 

born at Aker Yards Helsinki shipyard. The gaps between 

radial braces on the round casing were found to be perfectly 

for a 750 ml wine bottle. Furthermore, the radial 

braces are so strong that even when a full wine bottle is 

placed between them the bottle stays put without any 

risk of falling out. 

Each wire reel casing has 

space for eight bottles of 

wine, which are nicely 

arranged around the circumference 

of the casing. 

The structure holds the bottles 

snugly and it could even 

easily be mistaken for avant 

garde design. 

Another benefi t of the 

Kempact wine bottle rack is its environmentalfriendliness, 

as it is indeed made of recycled materials. 

In addition to the empty wire reel casing, other necessary 

parts could be found, for example, on the fl oor of a 

workshop, such as extra and waste materials. 

Building the wine rack begins when the wire reel runs 

out. Install a new reel and save the empty reel. You can 

continue welding with the same welding machine whose 

reel was changed. In this case we are using a Kempact 

MIG 2530 welding machine, which is suitable for both 

hobby use and in workshops and light industry. 

To weld the rack you can use 0.6-1 mm additive wire 

and pure carbon dioxide or an Argon/CO2 gas mix, with 

8-25% CO2. 

Even though two types of wire reels can be used on the 

Kempact MIG 2530 machine, for our purposes, the 

larger or 15 kg reel with 300 mm diameter will be used. 

This will serve as the key part of the wine rack – the 

bottle slots. 

DO IT YOURSELF 


Steps 

Collect the necessary pieces: empty 

wire reel, flat bars for legs, metal 

pieces for feet and steel axle rods for 

side braces. 

A large (15 kg) reel with a 300 mm 

diameter should be used as the 

bottle slots. The reel must also be 

a model with short radial braces, 

whose installation requires a 

separate fitting. 

Bend the steel rods to be used for 

side braces using a 90 mm bending 

tube into links whose diameter 

matches that of the wire reel casing. 

If necessary heat the rods with a 

blowtorch to make bending easier. 

Weld the feet to the curved legs. The 

metal discs used in the model are 

tacked in place before fully welding. 

Weld the side braces to the curved 

legs. The attachment points must be 

symmetrically marked on the curved 

legs on both sides of the casing 

attachment point. 

32 


Bend the flat bars into gentle curve 

by heating them. If necessary, heat 

carefully using a blowtorch. 

Gather the pieces to be welded to 

the wine rack. All pieces used are 

waste metal taken from a workshop. 

Before welding the casing, mark the 

attachment points on the curved legs 

and casing. The casing attachment 

point should be marked between the 

radial braces. 

Then weld the side braces to the 

casing, thus securing the rack 

structure. 

Finish the wine rack with spraypaint. 

The braces on each side also function as carrying handles. 

In this case they are made out of 8 mm steel axle 

rods, each with a length of 740 mm. The rods are bent 

into curves at the halfway point using a 90 mm torque 

tube. If necessary, use a blowtorch to make bending 

easier. 

The curved legs for the rack are made of fl at bar. For 

our model the leg thickness is 3 mm, width 20 mm and 

length 460 mm, but other types of fl at bar you might fi nd 

on a workshop fl oor are also perfectly acceptable. Measurements 

do not need to be overly precise. Bend the legs 

into a gentle curve using a torque tube and, if necessary, 

using a blowtorch. 

For our model, the feet to be placed under the legs are 

made with the round discs punched out of sheet metal, 

but any small metal pieces can be used. For example, lots 

of small waste metal pieces are formed when machining 

sheet metal. These are excellent for this purpose. 

When the side braces are welded to both the curved 

legs and the casing, they work together to form a solid 

structure, which makes the wine rack strong and keeps 

it from falling over, even when fully loaded with eight 

wine bottles. 

Finishing the rack with spraypaint will give it a real design 

look, perfect for even the most elegant dinner party. 

What’s more, this wine rack is not just any old household 

item – it has quite a history behind it: it comes from 

the inside of a Kempact welding machine. n

Foto: Carol Conway. Kuvapörssi Oy 

Fine wine and good food bring 

harmony and well-being! 

Wines can be enjoyed in a wide variety of combinations. 

The question might be: “Do I drink this 

wine with salad, pizza, foie gras or the janitor?” 

In order for a combination of food and wine to make some 

kind of sense, it is unfortunately necessary to fool around 

with some basic tastes: you have to consider the interplay 

between sweetness, saltiness, tartness and bitterness. 

Once again, facts must be separated from opinion. The 

goal of combining wine and food is to achieve harmony. It 

does more than deliver delicious fl avour to your mouth - it 

brings a feeling of well-being to everyone. 

Diff erent ways to choose 

The easiest, generally safest and probably most common 

approach is to make choices based on the principle ”local 

food, local wine”. Over the centuries, all the useless 

tricks and gimmicks have been weeded out of these 

combinations. 

Foods and wines can also be combined by taking their 

characteristics into consideration: fl avours, textures, 

aromas. Full-bodied wines are recommended for spicy 

foods. This does not just mean wines with a powerful 

bouquet, but also an ample texture. For example, the fat 

content of food makes it richer, just as the alcohol content 

makes wine more robust. Aromatic wines should 

be served with aromatic foods. Wines bottled in cooler 

climes which have developed aromas during the growing 

season are well suited to, for example, Finnish dishes, 

which have intensive fl avours. This is due 

to the fl avour of the raw ingredients (long 

vegetable growing season) or the preparation 

(such as grilling or smoking). 

There are also two contrary principles: the 

food and wine have the same characteristics 

and fl avours, thus complementing one 

another, or the wine and food are polar opposites, 

with the diff erences accentuating 

one another. 

In Europe wines are above all beverages to 

be served with meals. Wines are produced to accompany 

food. This is why they are not always at their best when 

served without food. A majority of wines, however, do 

not require the company of food, but they should at least 

have some sort of companion. Society is an essential part 

of the enjoyment, and a great deal more satisfaction can 

be had from a wine over conversation. 

There are several schools of thought when it comes to 

combinations. “Classic combinations” have dominated. 

We have been taught to choose wines from a certain region 

to accompany certain types of food. This is indeed 

the safest approach, but we would wager that, in most 

cases, your favourite wine would also go well with your 

favourite food. Your own taste buds are the best judge of 

taste. So, enough with the fi sh with white wine and meat 

with red! n 

Source: www.viinilehti.fi 

” 

Wines should at 

least have some 

sort of companion. 

Society is an 

essential part of the 

enjoyment. 


34 

WHAT’S UP? 

Kemppi’s new products attracted 

exhibition visitors in Poland. 

The Joy of Welding taking the world by storm 

Jerzy Âciegienny 


Regional Sales Representative Alex Lu of Kemppi 

Shanghai office (second from left) with local dealers from 

Beijing Kenbi and Jinan Kingnet. 

Kemppi’s latest product off ering has 

attracted a great deal of attention at 

trade fairs all over the world. At its updated 

fair booth, athletic animated characters 

welding have stopped and charmed 

fairgoers. “Kemppi’s customer promise 

- The Joy of Welding - says it all and the 

spirit really grabs you,” say fairgoers. 

Chile subsidiary enhances services 

in Latin America. 

Latin America has enjoyed the longest 

unbroken period of economic growth 

in the last twenty fi ve years. The future 

also looks good. Growth is expected to 

continue in almost all countries in the 

region. 

Kemppi has served the market region’s 

welding needs, working in co-operation 

with local dealers for more than 20 years. 

Chile’s own sales offi ce was opened 8 years 

ago in order to develop the distribution 

network in Latin America and increase 

Kemppi’s market share. In January of 2006 

Kemppi’s Chilean subsidiary Kemppi Oy 

Limitada was registered. 

“The subsidiary allows us to further enhance 

customer service in all Latin American 

countries. 

Our objective is to off er the best solutions 

for productive welding. The cornerstones 

of our business are technological leadership, 

customer service, fl exibility and fast 

solutions,” explains Area Sales Manager, Arturo 

Silva. 

“Chile is the natural choice for locating a 

subsidiary. Economic growth is strong, infl 

ation is under control and the country is 

ripe for foreign investments. Chile is a major 

market area for high-technology products. 

In addition to Arturo Silva, the Chile subsidiary 

currently employs a sales assistant 

and technical sales representative. Silva 

believes that the number of employees will 

increase in the near future. 

“Beginning in 2007, we have plans to open 

our own warehouse in order to guarantee 

competitive delivery terms and times. 

Animation figures have stopped 

exhibition visitors all over the world. 

Kemppi’s commitment renowned in 

Poland 

”Trade fairs give us the chance to meet people 

face-to-face and tell them about Kemppi’s 

commitment. The fairs are an outstanding 

time to talk about experiences and various 

technical issues in the welding industry 

with industry professionals. People already 

using Kemppi equipment feel right at home 

at the booth,” says Jerzy Ściegienny, owner of 

Kemppi’s Polish dealer, Centromet, describing 

the off erings and mood of the MACH- 

TOOL Machine Tools Exhibition. The exhibition 

was held in the Polish city of Poznan on 

19-22 June. 

MACH-TOOL has a long history, with its fi rst 

exhibition being held in 1921. Kemppi has 

participated in the exhibitions since the 

1970s. 

”The welding industry’s presence at the fair 

keeps growing every year,” says Ściegienny. 

Kemppi’s fair booth reminds Ściegienny of 

the SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2005 fair held 

in Essen, Germany in the fall of 2005: ”This is 

a logical extension for the fair because you 

can really familiarize yourself with the new 

models exhibited in Essen.” 

Even though he was thoroughly impressed 

by the new models, Ściegienny was especially 

taken with the MinarcMig Adaptive 

180 and MinarcTig 180 machines. 

”The ease of setting controls combined with 

the outstanding arc properties are simply 

stunning. And the design of the machines is 

sheer perfection. 

Adaptive Control off ers professionalgrade 

quality even for hobby users,” adds

Ściegienny. 

In his opinion the Kempact MIG 2530 is also 

a unique MIG/MAG welding machine. ”The 

machine’s power-to-weight ratio is excellent, 

it’s easy to use and its welding performance 

is strong. 

I personally think that the MasterTig MLS 

2300 ACDC will be a big hit on the Polish 

market. It is a powerful, compact and light 

machine, which will give the user an unbelievable 

welding result,” predicts Ściegienny. 

Centromet specializes in the sale of welding 

industry products. In 1996 Ściegienny 

decided to work in closer cooperation with 

Kemppi and was made an authorized dealer 

for Warsaw. “That decision still seems right,” 

he smiles. 

Animated characters also surprised in 

Beijing, China 

The international Beijing Essen Welding & 

Cutting Fair has grown to become Asia’s largest 

and the world’s second-largest welding 

trade fair. It is held on an annual basis, alternating 

between Beijing and Shanghai. 

The fair was held in Beijing this year on 16-19 

May. At the ”Olympics of Asian welding” over 

700 exhibitors from 17 countries showed the 

very latest in welding technology in nine exhibition 

halls with a total area of 40,000 m2 . 

Kemppi’s booth was a standout, stopping 

fairgoers in their tracks. The animated characters 

in a multimedia presentation charmed 

visitors to the booth by introducing them to 

Kemppi’s latest technological achievements 

and products in an original new way. The 

number of new products surprised visitors. 

In St. Petersburg fair: Representatives of OOO ”ZTS Vyborg” 

Alexander Ardashnikov and Igor Grigoriev, General Manager 

of OOO Kemppi, Lauri Leinonen, Managing Director of Kemppi 

Oy, Anssi Rantasalo and Sales Director Kari Kemppi. 

Photograph taken from the poster of 

Kemppi Mountain Bike and Minarc 

Snowboarder succeeded in the 

photograph competition in Beijing. 

The FastMig Basic and FastMig Synergic 

welding machines were especially popular 

at the Asian fair. The FastROOT welding program, 

which can be used with the FastMig 

Synergic machine, was of particular interest 

to industry professionals. 

Welding demonstrations attracted standing-room-only 

crowds on a regular basis. The 

Kemppi mountain bike and oversized Minarc 

snowboarder poster were also crowd-pleasers. 

The photograph for these was awarded 

third prize in the fair photography competition. 

In Sydney fair: Sales Director Mikko 

Väisänen from Finland and Pat Kenna of 

BOC Australia. 

Machines tested in Russia and Australia 

Kemppi welding machine demonstrations 

also attracted interest at the international 

Svarka 2006 trade fair held in St Petersburg, 

Russia on 30 May–2 June. A large number 

of the fairgoers were welding industry professionals, 

who wanted to try out the new 

products’ features for themselves. The testers 

gave high marks for how easy it was to set 

the machine parameters for diff erent welding 

conditions. 

The next chance for the public to test machines 

in Russia is in November, when Kemppi 

will have a booth at a trade fair in Skolnik, 

Moscow. 

The National Manufacturing Week fair is Australia’s 

largest annual trade fair, which alternates 

between Sydney and Melbourne. This 

year welding industry professionals gathered 

in Sydney on 30 May–2 June. 

“The Kemppi booth was constantly fi lled 

with people and the mood was very enthusiastic,” 

says a report from the fair. 


36 

WHAT’S UP? 

Kemppi’s new website brings its 

services closer to the user 

Kemppi’s new website service was launched 

in August. Started at the beginning 

of the year, the update project added 

a very welcome dose of user-friendliness 

for both Kemppi’s customers and anyone 

interested in welding. 

The website look has been updated to be 

more fresh and inviting. Its content has also 

been expanded to cover a wider range and 

be more customer-friendly. The website now 

off ers a wealth of information on welding as 

well as support for making purchase decisions 

and fi nding the right solutions for different 

needs. 

The revamping of the website supports the 

development of Kemppi from an equipment 

manufacturer to a supplier of total welding 

solutions. For decades, the company has had 

a strong position on the international market 

for welding equipment, and, throughout its 

history, it has mostly operated as a pioneer in 

welding technology and usability. 

Today Kemppi is working harder than ever to 

develop total welding solutions and come 

up with new ideas for the improvement of 

productivity in the welding industry. 

Hannu Jokela, Marketing Director of 

Kemppi Oy believes that Kemppi’s new 

website brings its products and services 

closer to the user. 


Key word: customer-friendliness 

”The key word for our new website, as with 

our other activities, is customer-friendliness”, 

says Hannu Jokela, Marketing Director of 

Kemppi. ”We aim to off er exactly the right 

equipment and solutions to make the production 

processes of each customer as effi - 

cient as possible”. 

According to Mr. Jokela, making welding 

work more effi cient and reducing time-consuming 

work stages are common targets for 

the equipment manufacturer and the customer, 

and they require close co-operation 

between Kemppi and the customer. Kemppi 

has a great deal of experience with this kind 

of co-operation. For example, the success of 

the R&D project for the FastROOT process, 

which was developed for improving the effi 

ciency of root pass welding, was primarily 

the result of this co-operation. 

”We want to be even closer to our customers,” 

stresses Jokela. ”It is here that we have 

a better chance to develop functional solutions 

for each customer’s specifi c needs. The 

purpose of publishing a new website is to 

make Kemppi’s range of products and services 

even more available to the customer.” 

User-friendly search functions and useful 

welding information 

The site off ers very easy ways of fi nding 

welding products and services that can be 

best applied to each specifi c need. Through 

versatile product searches, products can be 

grouped in diff erent ways, and searches can 

be done based on detailed information on 

materials and welding methods. 

Furthermore, the website contains necessary 

information about important welding-related 

matters such as safety factors and standards. 

With the help of a welding ABC, anybody interested 

in welding can fi nd out basic information 

on welding technology and diff erent 

welding processes, the equipment used in 

them and the latest innovations in the fi eld, 

which can increase productivity. The website 

also presents topical welding-related news 

and events. 

Kemppi’s renewed website can be found at 

http://www.kemppi.com. The site was fi rst 

published in English and Finnish on the 15th 

of August and later in Swedish, Norwegian, 

Danish, German, French and Dutch on the 

1st of September. More language versions 

can be expected in the next year. 

Jukka Pohjola 

Technical Editor

Ostrobothnians made 

visit on motorcycles 

One Wednesday morning in August, 

eight large motorcycles rumbled into 

the Kemppi plant yard. The motorcycles 

were ridden by eight strapping Ostrobothnian 

men, all Kemppi customers or 

dealers. This was a somewhat out of the 

ordinary company visit. 

”It was years ago that Mäki-Rahko and I 

somehow got the idea to make a motorcycle 

run from Ostrobothnia to the Kemppi plant 

in Lahti,” explains Jarmo Leinonen of Rautaruukki’s 

Kurikka unit. The Mäki-Rahko he refers 

to is Kemppikoneet Oy’s head of retail sales 

Seppo Mäki-Rahko, who is also an avid amateur 

motorcyclist. 

The twosome had an idea to gather together 

a group of Kemppi customer motorcyclists 

from Ostrobothnia and make a two-day motorcycle 

run to Lahti, where they would also 

Kemppi establishes 

subsidiary in Russia 

he growth of Russia’s domestic mar- 

”Tket is still strong. Investments in new 

technologies and quality are on the horizon 

for future investments,” states Lauri Leinonen, 

General Manager for OOO Kemppi. 

Its new subsidiary will allow Kemppi to 

more eff ectively serve Russian needs in 

welding technologies. 

”The company’s own buff er stock makes 

have the chance to check out the Kemppi 

plant. 

The years passed until this year, when Kemppikoneet 

Oy regional sales representative 

Jari Hannila – also a motorcyclist – fi nally decided 

to put words into action and organize 

the run. It didn’t take long for Hannila to put 

together a suitable eight-man team. 

The men met at 10:00am on Tuesday 8 August 

at an ABC service station. From there, 

the eight bikes rolled out on a course for 

Lahti. The idea was not to see how fast they 

could make the run, but to take it easy and 

enjoy the ride and the beautiful views shimmering 

under the August sun. 

”We rode in 50-kilometer long stretches, 

mostly because we had to follow the pace 

of the smokers in our crew. We rode through 

Alavus, Virrat, Ruovesi, Orivesi…” listed Leinonen, 

like a verse from the song “Route 66”. 

delivery easier. OOO Kemppi also has its 

own training facility for product and service 

training. 

OOO Kemppi was registered on 10 May 

2006. The subsidiary’s operating facilities 

are in Moscow and will initially employ a 

staff of seven. 

OOO Kemppi is Kemppi’s twelfth subsidiary. 

Eight motorcyclists on a company visit to 

Kemppi. 

“Once we got to Lahti we headed over to 

Snow Centre Messilä, where we spent a nice 

night in holiday cottages. 

A good time and useful information 

On Wednesday morning, the men rode from 

Messilä to the Kemppi plant. Kemppi’s Jari 

Hannila explained that the purpose of the 

trip was not only to have a good time, but to 

introduce Kemppi’s production facilities, its 

operations and new products. 

”It was defi nitely interesting information to 

many of the guys, because there were some 

who had never been to the plant before,” 

explained Hannila. ”So, we’ll not only have a 

pleasant memory of the trip, but also useful 

information on Kemppi’s operating methods 

and products. 

”Getting away like this is always good for the 

soul. Nowadays it feels like we can never get 

everybody together for a sauna night or other 

gathering. “This motorcycle run seemed to 

strike a nice chord with everyone. 

The reputation that Ostrobothnians have for 

being stiff was not evident anywhere, when 

the crew sat in the Kemppi showroom joking 

that this would become a tradition, with next 

year’s trip taking them to Central Europe. Or 

was it just joking? 

After a delicious lunch at Kemppi’s Pippuri 

restaurant, the men donned their leathers 

and helmets. The plant yard once again rumbled 

with the sound of motorcycles and the 

eight-man motorcade rolled out, heading 

back toward Ostrobothnia: Orivesi, Ruovesi, 

Virrat, Alavus... 

Jukka Pohjola 

Technical Editor 


WHAT’S UP? 

Addition to the FastMig 

product family 

Kemppi’s FastMigproduct family got 

two new members, as new wire feed 

units were launched for Basic and Synergic 

machines. A 200 mm wire reel can be used 

in the new MF 29 wire feed unit, designed 

for Basic machines. The MSF 57 wire feed 

unit, designed for Synergic machines, can 

be fi tted with both 200 mm and 300 mm 

wire reels. 

The lightweight and compact MF 29 wire 

feed unit is for use with Kemppi KM 300, 

KM 400 and KM 500 power sources. Its most 

typical application areas are the shipbuilding, 

off shore, transport and machining industries, 

whose diffi cult conditions demand 

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ease of mobility from wire feed units. These 

conditions really show off the benefi ts of a 

compact and lightweight unit. 

The unit contains a double-skinned impactresistant 

plastic casing, making it suitable 

for use in demanding outdoor and indoor 

conditions. Designed and manufactured by 

Kemppi, the DuraTorque wire feed mechanism 

ensures a trouble-free wire feed for different 

fi ller wires. Protection sliders, a gas fl ow 

regulator and protective frame for hanging 

are accessories available for the MF 29. 

Representing the very latest in Kemppi 

design, the MSF 57 wire feed unit complements 

the FastMig Synergic product range. 

The model is intended for use with KMS 300, 

KMS 400 and KMS 500 power sources. Kemppi 

customer wishes were taken into consideration 

in the development of the wire 

feed unit, and special attention was 

given to the unit’s usability, troublefree 

wire feed and operating conditions. 

This model also comes with a 

durable, double-skinned plastic 

casing, and the operating panel 

is protected by a tough clear plastic 

cover. Kemppi’s four-roll Dura- 

Torque wire feed mechanism has a 

powerful motor and precision gearing 

and transmission, which ensure a 

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steady and trouble-free wire feed. 

The MSF 57 has two control panel options, 

each in accordance with the welding needs. 

Intended for basic applications, the SF 54 

control panel has a digital display, stepless 

welding voltage and wire feed rate control, 

gas test button, wire feed switch and MMA 

welding option. 

Designed to facilitate demanding welding 

applications, the SF 53 control panel off ers 

the basic features mentioned above as well 

as: crater fi lling, hot start, creep start, synergic 

programs for most commonly used materials 

and memory channels for saving MIG 

parameters. 

Designed for spatter-free root pass welding, 

the FastROOT feature can be ordered as an 

optional feature on the SF 53 control panel. 

FastROOT ensures an easy and fast root 

pass weld, which signifi cantly increases work 

productivity and weld quality. 

The MSF 57 is the professional’s tool of choice 

for demanding work in demanding conditions, 

whether indoors or out. 

Hannu Jokela 

Marketing Director

Kemppi Oy Subsidiaries 

Kemppikoneet Oy 

PL 13 

15801 LAHTI 

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 

Kemppi Norge A/S 

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 Oy Sales Offi ces 

Kemppi Beijing Offi ce 

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 Offi ce 

583 Orchard Road 

Forum # 16-01 / 17-01 

Singapore 238884 

Tel. +65-7371 318 

Telefax +65-7371 107 

e-mail: sam.lim@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

FastROOT - Kemppi

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