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weld+visionFRONIUS MAGAZINE 1.03
WHAT IS COMPETENCE? Some prominent names share their thoughts
R&D: High-performance welding – an overview
ACTIVE WAVE: Peace and quiet while you weld
MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE: Journey to unknown worlds
3 CASE STUDIES: Pöttinger, voestalpine, VW
2Fronius 2003 Editorial
Publisher's imprint:
“weld+vision” is the customer magazine of FroniusInternational GmbHDesign: Reklamebüro GmbHResponsible for contents: Fronius International GmbH,Buxbaumstrasse 2, A 4600 Wels, Austriasales@fronius.com, www.fronius.comRegistered trademarks and tradenames have not generallybeen identified as such. The absence of any suchidentification does not mean that the name in question isan unregistered name for the purposes of product andtrademark law.
Contents3-6 Title
“The strongest will always win without a fight”
7-11 Totally R & D
Quiet, please!
High-performance welding on the up-and-up
12-13 In-house
News from Fronius
14-19 Case-studies:
The “Phaeton” has the safest doors of any vehicle
anywhere
“Lightweight construction makes quite different
demands. Tougher ones.”
Acids don't stand a chance
20-21 The company
On freedom, courage and Nobel Prize winners
22-23 Travel tip
“Hidden Worlds” in the Museum of the Future
Management Team, Heinrich Hackl, Klaus Fronius jun., Brigitte Strauss, Klaus Fronius,from l. to r.: Herbert Mühlböck, Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauss, Volker Lenzeder
A few words on our cover picture:
“Competence” is a multifaceted, multidimensional term,with meanings on several levels. This clearly comesthrough from the answers given us on the subject ofcompetence. Communicating, and imparting knowledge,are paramount here. This is also illustrated by our coverpicture. A seemingly everyday situation where Froniuspeople are addressing a topical issue with greatintensity. And with different approaches and opinions.That's also part of what competence is all about:Exchanging know-how, and continually re-examining itand adapting it in the light of technical dialogue. So asto research still further and be able to discover newinterrelationships.
Editorial
Competence – a multifaceted term that weshall we taking a closer look at in thisissue. Digital competence, mediacompetence, environmental competence,scientific competence, architecturalcompetence … The list could be continued“ad infinitum”. All of these examples referto a particular skill or ability on a technicallevel, however. Yet there are other levels aswell: the social and the emotional. Whichmakes the term even more complex – andeven harder to “get a handle on”. Look it
up in the dictionary, and (apart from veryspecialised uses of the term in the fields ofe.g. microbiology and medicine) you'll finddefinitions like “physically and intellectuallywell qualified”, “an ingrained level ofexpertise”, “mastery of a skill”, “capability”,or “authority; legal power or capacity”.In turn, each of these definitions is alsocapable of being interpreted in variousdifferent ways. This is what the weld+visionteam found when we started work on thisissue, in which we asked four prominent
representatives of the fields of industry,business, art, research and education whatthey understand by “competence”. Readtheir answers in this edition. We can tellyou this much in advance: From what allour interviewees said, it was apparent thatcompetence is more than just an ability orcapacity pure and simple, but rather abundle of qualifications. Only when allthese occur together can we speak of“competence” as we understand it.
3Title
“The strongest always win without a fight.”6 QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPETENCE – AND MANY ANSWERS
“Competence” is a very difficult term to get to grips with. Although each ofus knows it when we see it, the difficulty lies in actually defining“competence” and pinning it down. Clearly, unambiguously and in the sameway for everyone. But would that even be any help? Anyway, theweld+vision team approached the subject from another angle. We quizzedfour personalities about this topic. And not just anybody, but four notedand – what else?! – competent representatives from the fields of industry,business, art, science, research and education. They all had the same sixquestions put to them. Read on to find out what they had to say:
4Fronius 2003 Title
Peter Schwab, voestalpine
1. Competence is a term which can be
interpreted in many different ways. What
do you understand by it?
Competence is such a many-sided
concept because it encompasses such a
wealth of meanings and characteristics:
Factual knowledge and an understanding
of the particular problem, for instance.
Or the determination to put ideas into
practice, coupled with the necessary
willingness – and, of course, authority –
to take decisions. Competence is
something that you just radiate. People
notice it. You end up in a positive
feedback loop: Recognition leads to
greater self-confidence. And this, in turn,
leads to greater competence.
2. In your opinion, what is the essential
prerequisite for competence?
Without a solid foundation of knowledge,
you're not going to get anywhere. As
well as that, you need a determination to
succeed, to see things all the way
through. What you can't achieve on your
own you must achieve in collaboration
with others. Those classic introverted
ivory-tower researchers of times past –
you just don't find them any more. Social
competence is just as important.
3. “Highly qualified but not very
competent” – how would you understand
this?
The problem here is the way in which
you put your knowledge into practice.
Ultimately, that's what you'll be
measured by. Experience plays a rôle
here too, of course.
4. Do you think competence can be
measured? If so, how, and with reference
to what?
The easiest yardstick is success.
Competence is visible. Obvious. People
just sense it.
5. Do corporate culture and loyalty have
anything to do with how many truly
competent people a firm will have?
Yes, definitely. Competence is neither
something you're born with, nor is it
something they can teach you at
university. You have to be given a
chance to “grow into” a job. At my firm –
voestalpine – employee development is
something we do rather well. We give
people a certain area of work, and also
the authority and responsibility to go
with it. The sooner you grow into a job,
the sooner you will become competent.
Mistakes are normal. You shouldn't be
afraid of them.
This is another thing that can be guided
and directed by the company. Loyalty is
another topic. You can't keep good
people with money alone.
6. Is there a final comment that you
would like to make on this topic?
I think that for any firm, Success Factor
N° 1 is, quite simply, how many truly
competent employees it has. No matter
what business you're in. If your company
has got good people, it'll be successful.
The interviewees and theirrelationship with Fronius:
Prof. Horst Cerjak works atthe Technical University ofGraz, Austria. He heads theInstitute of Materials Science,Welding and Forming (IWS),and is one of the five
directors of the International Institute ofWelding (IIW). Dr. Cerjak has conducted anumber of joint investigations with Froniusin the field of arc welding technology.
Gregor Eichinger is the“Eichinger” half of thearchitectural duo known as“Eichinger oder Knechtl”, apartnership which hasachieved Europe-wide fame.
It was he who created the architecturalconcept for the Fronius “Schweissercafé”and who designed the first of these“welders' cafés”.
Peter Schwab is Head ofResearch and Developmentat Austrian steelmakervoestalpine (Group Activities/ R&D Management). Froniusworks with voestalpine in the
fields of steel/aluminium and MIG brazingof coated sheets – voestalpine as thematerials specialist, Fronius as the joining-technology specialist.
Hiroshi Yamagata is ChiefDevelopment Engineer atYamaha Motors; he and hisresearch partner ToshikatsuKoike (below) first contactedFronius in their search for asolution to a probleminvolving aluminium pressuredie casting alloy. Since thistime, Fronius and Yamahahave cultivated an excellentR&D partnership in this field.
Projects are currently being planned whichwill be implemented during 2004.
5Title
Hiroshi Yamagata andToshikatsu Koike, YamahaMotors
1. Competence is a term which can be
interpreted in many different ways. What
do you understand by it?
Koike:
There was a famous Chinese strategist
by the name of Sun Tzu who once said
that the strongest will always win without
a fight. For me, that sums up
“competence” very neatly. To give you an
example, there will always be people
who decide to buy a Mercedes without
even bothering to compare with other
makes. For them, Mercedes stands for
competence, and so there's no need for
them to make comparisons.
Yamagata:
Competence has to be something you
can feel in the brand of the product.
2. In your opinion, what is the essential
prerequisite for competence?
Koike:
The company's attitude. It's as easy as
that.
Yamagata:
First we have to define what we see as
being our “competence”, because it
probably won't be completely clear to
everybody – it's important to have a
shared definition of what your
competence is. 20 years ago in Japan,
we were fighting a hard competitive
battle with Honda. We lost, but this was
the time when we began to think about
our core competence. And thinking
about Yamaha's competence – what it is,
and how we define it – has been very
important to us ever since.
3. “Highly qualified but not very
competent” – how would you understand
this?
Koike:
Being highly qualified is one of the
principal aspects of competence; but
true competence calls for much more
than this. Some other key factors, in my
opinion, are: Sensible prices, good
service, a good reputation. In Japan,
tradition is hugely important. A clever
student will generally prefer to apply to
companies that have a corporate history.
4. Do you think competence can be
measured? If so, how, and with reference
to what?
Yamagata:
Yes. But the yardstick will depend on the
person and the scale. The criteria should
be consistent throughout the company.
There have to be precisely defined
measurement criteria.
5. Do corporate culture and loyalty have
anything to do with how many truly
competent people a firm will have?
Yamagata:
Oh yes, very much so! You know,
Yamaha is completely different from
Honda or Toyota. They've each got their
own culture. Even if the rest of the world
thinks that everything in Japan is
identical.
6. Is there a final comment that you
would like to make on this topic?
Yamagata:
Japan is in a special cultural situation.
The archipelago was completely isolated
for 300 years, and the Japanese were
forced to turn in on themselves. This
shaped a culture that is uniquely their
own. Japanese people are conflict-shy,
and they're also not very good at dealing
with conflict. The result of all this is that
the Japanese have a completely different
approach to competition than Europeans
do.
6Fronius 2003 Title
Gregor Eichinger, “Eichingeroder Knechtl”
1. Competence is a term which can be
interpreted in many different ways. What
do you understand by it?
It means fathoming a topic completely,
grasping its significance in its whole
breadth and depth, on both the factual
and the human and cultural levels.
2. In your opinion, what is the essential
prerequisite for competence?
Enthusiasm. Refusal to compromise.
Humility.
3. “Highly qualified but not very competent”
– how would you understand this?
The absence of the dimension that goes
beyond mere technical knowledge.
4. Do you think competence can be
measured? If so, how, and with reference
to what?
Yes. In the case of an individual, by how
calm and collected he or she is. In the
case of a company, by how successful it
is.
5. Do corporate culture and loyalty have
anything to do with how many truly
competent people a firm will have?
Definitely!
6. Is there a final comment that you
would like to make on this topic?
I would say that for an individual,
competence means a fulfilled life, and
that for a company, it is the critical force
that decides whether or not the company
will be able to attract – and keep – the
sort of people who are capable of
sustained enthusiasm.
Horst Cerjak, University ofGraz
1. Competence is a term which can be
interpreted in many different ways. What
do you understand by it?
“Competence” can refer to personalities
and to organisations. In either case,
several different characteristics must be
present at once – for instance, the
highest level of technical knowledge;
broad, long-standing experience;
consistency in advocating and
implementing ideas; continuing
receptivity to new knowledge; the ability
to think and act beyond one's own
horizon, and to see interrelationships at
various different levels (from technical to
social); fairness, and a sense of
responsibility.
2. In your opinion, what is the essential
prerequisite for competence?
Specialist knowledge, experience, far-
sightedness, personality, fairness,
composure.
3. “Highly qualified but not very
competent” – how would you understand
this?
I can best answer that with a personal
motto of mine: “What causes most
mischief in this world is not the
indolence of the talented, but the
laboriousness of the talentless.”
4. Do you think competence can be
measured? If so, how, and with reference
to what?
Yes – if you're “always in demand”,
that's a pretty good indicator.
5. Do corporate culture and loyalty have
anything to do with how many truly
competent people a firm will have?
Of course. If the company's culture is
one which fosters the characteristics I
mentioned in answer to your first
question, then in the course of time,
competent employees will develop who
are loyal to their company.
6. Is there a final comment that you
would like to make on this topic?
Competence pays off! In many cases,
unfortunately, it may not pay off
immediately, as we would often wish (or
even demand), but it will pay off with the
perseverance that comes with it.
7Totally R & D
Quiet please!“QUIET” WELDING CAN MEAN TWO DIFFERENT THINGS: A STABLE ARC; LOWNOISE. BOTH OF THESE ARE FEATURES WHICH HELP THE WELDER TO ACHIEVEMAXIMUM PERFORMANCE. NORMALLY, HOWEVER, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE, ORTHE OTHER – BUT NOT BOTH. THE NEW MAGIC WAVE 1700 / 2200 AND TRANS TIG2200 TIG POWER SOURCES CHANGE ALL THAT. MORE ABOUT THIS IN THEARTICLE THAT FOLLOWS..
What does peak welding performance
depend on? At Fronius, we ask ourselves
this question again and again. Really.
And there's no easy answer. Obviously,
both the welder and the power source
share the responsibility. But there's also
a third level involved here – and that is
the way that the first two factors interact
and communicate with one another. And
it's possible to tweak all three of these
factors to create the pre-conditions for
top performance.
All three? Yes, even the welder himself!
Indirectly, of course. For what use is
even the best welder's competence to
him if there's always something ruining
his concentration? Like the high noise
emissions in TIG welding? Or to take
another example, what use is even the
very best power source to him if he can't
operate it properly? Nowadays, the sheer
complexity of modern welding
installations often does more harm than
good. Well – we've done something
about it.
8Fronius 2003 Totally R & D
Masterpieces for everyone
There really is no need to make welding
any more difficult than it is already. The
new MagicWave 1700 / 2200 TIG
machines for DC and AC, and the
TransTig 2200 for AC, are extremely
quiet, and extremely simple. With their
super-quiet yet highly stable arc, they
not only make for good-looking weld
seams, but for relaxed welders too.
What's more, they're so straightforward
to use that they're almost self-
explanatory; weigh only 15 kg; are
completely digitised thanks to their DSP
(digital signal processor); single-phase,
so they can be plugged into any 230 V
power outlet. This means that top
performance is the order of the day –
anytime, anywhere, for anyone.
The welding properties
The TIG power sources are part of a
system whose members have been
progressively harmonised and co-
ordinated so as to perfect the process as
a whole – from ignition all the way
through to the end of the weld, from
tack-welding to shaping the electrode
cap, from efficiency to safety. But let's
take it all one thing at a time. Ignition
plays a major rôle in TIG welding, so that
the welder can start work right away. He
doesn't want to be kept waiting for the
arc when he presses the start-button.
Ignition is possible either with or without
touchdown. In the non-contact mode,
the arc starts immediately with a high-
voltage impulse at the first push of the
button – even with extra-long hosepacks.
The touchdown ignition is especially
valuable in sensitive areas of application
such as hospitals or the chemical
industry. And the important thing here is
to make sure that there are no tungsten
inclusions. The digital process control
takes good care of this.
Noise level: Below 80 dbA at220 A power output
No dream, this, but hard fact: From now
on, TIG AC welding will be a much
quieter business – with a much quieter
arc. The integrated digital signal
processor computes – in real time,
meaning all the time – the waveform that
will permit the highest possible arc
stability with the lowest possible noise
emissions. Even when the machine is
delivering maximum power, the measured
noise still remains below 80 dbA. Welders
themselves know best what a pleasant
difference this makes!
Noise levels when using conventional invertersReduced noise levels when using Active Wave
9Totally R & D
New: Tack welding with TAC
Before you can weld, you have to tack.
The usual way of doing this is by making
slight movements with the torch. With
TAC, one spot is all it takes. Because
here, the arc during tacking is not
continuous, but pulsed. And this
prompts the two weld-pools to merge, in
next to no time. This procedure is
considerably easier and faster than
anything hitherto, and brings with it
another special benefit, too: Gap
bridgeability is improved, without any
filler metal.
For aluminium, a special program has
been developed. In TIG AC welding,
aluminium is normally not welded with a
pointed electrode tip, but with a shaped
cap at the tip of the electrode, and this
often leads to inadequate root fusion.
Especially on fillet welds. The
MagicWave power sources still use a
pointed electrode, but with a much
smaller shaped cap. Perfect root fusion
is the result. The cap is shaped
automatically. All that is necessary is to
clamp the pointed electrode into the
electrode holder, pre-select the cap
diameter, and the arc immediately forms
the shape and size of cap that are
required.
Control everything right fromthe torch
Operator convenience is writ large on
these machines too, of course. However,
there is one of the many remote-control
units that merits special mention here:
The newly developed JobMaster TIG
torch, with its integral, fully functional
remote-control unit. This is truly unique.
No matter where the machine happens
to be, you can always call up all the
settings – any time, anywhere. The
JobMaster's digital parameter display
permits both job-recall and freely
selectable parameters – meaning that
the welder can decide for himself which
parameters he wants to retrieve during
welding. Concentrating on the essentials
– that's the best basis for peak
performance. It's as easy as that.
The new TIG power sources are highlyadvanced welding systems. Here is somemore detailed information about them:
Product properties:
- Entire system is completely digitised:power-source, torches, remote-controlunits, robot interfaces, PC tools
- Digital signal processor (DSP) regulatesand controls the welding process
- Greater mobility, thanks to the powerfactor controller (PFC); permits 220 Awelding amperage from a 230 V plugsocket
- Switching frequency of the inverter: 100kHz (full bridge), meaning very lowcurrent ripple and very high arc-stability;particularly valuable at the lower end ofthe amperage range
Welding properties:
- Extremely high arc-stability, even onaluminium base metal that has had alloxide completely removed from it; noinstability (verifiably so)
- Special program for aluminium: automaticshaping of the cap on the pointedelectrode tip, for perfect root fusion
- Series feature: If welding is performedwith two power sources, both arcs aresynchronised to permit simultaneouswelding on both sides
Technical properties:
- Welding-current range:MW / TT 2200TIG: 3 – 220A / MMA: 10 – 180AMW 1700TIG: 3 – 170A / MMA: 10 – 140A
- Adjustable tungsten electrode diameter: 0 – 4.0 mm
- Sheet thickness: MW 1700 (TIG AC): Aluminium base metal up to 4 mmMW 2200 (TIG AC): Aluminium base metal up to 5 mm
- Weldable rod electrodes:MW 1700: Up to 3.25 mmMW 2200: Up to 4.00 mm
Quiet waters run deep:
10Fronius 2003 Totally R & D
The trend towards higherproductivity in the weldingsector is being shaped bythree requirements: For highpower-source output, highavailability and straightforwarduser guidance. In thisconnection, Fronius canpresent three gas metal arc(GMA) welding alternatives:Strip-wire welding, weldingwith large-diameter flux-coredwires, and the TimeTwinprocess.
It is now possible to achieve deposition
rates of over 25 kg/h with these fully
digitised systems. These high-
performance welding processes are
already being used by the first clients in
automated systems requiring very high
availability. As well as leading
automotive manufacturers, the users
include producers of construction and
earth-moving machinery, manufacturers
of rail vehicles and rolling stock, and
shipbuilders. Greater deposition
efficiency is a key to higher productivity.
There are several ways of achieving this:
Higher wirefeed speeds, bigger wire
cross sections, or having several
electrodes melting off simultaneously.
High-performance welding onthe up-and-up
Metal transfer in 180° phase-displaced pulsed arcs using the “TimeTwin Digital”welding system.
11Totally R & D
Strip-wire welding
In GMA strip-wire welding, the strip-
shaped weld filler metal (which also
serves as the electrode) has a
rectangular cross-section of approx. 4.5
x 0.5 millimetres. This wide cross-section
results in shallow penetration, improved
bridgeability and (with steel) deposition
rates of up to 11 kg/h. Welding speeds
on steel can be as much as 165 cm/min,
and even more on aluminium. To
generate the high welding current of e.g.
900 A that is required, two power
sources work in parallel, jointly creating
a single arc.
Welding with large-diameterwires
The second process is essentially very
similar to the first, the main difference
being that the “welding wires” are round
and up to 3.2 mm in diameter. Using a
basic flux-cored wire with a diameter of
2.4 mm, deposition rates of 25.5 kg/h
are possible.
TimeTwin Digital
TimeTwin is a “tandem” welding process.
In this case, too, there are two digital
power sources working together, only
here each of these TimeTwin Digital
machines produces a separate arc. A
synchronisation unit regulates the
interplay of the two arcs. Welding is
performed with two arcs, each consisting
of background current and pulsing
current. As the phases can be displaced
by exactly 180°, one electrode will be in
the background-current phase while the
other is in the pulsing-current phase.
This results in metal-particle transfers
that are also phase-displaced. Pictures
taken by high-speed cameras clearly
show the rhythmically alternating
electrode melt-off.
System periphery
Because system solutions are so
important in welding, Fronius is
increasingly adding periphery solutions
to its offerings of welding hardware,
software and production support. For
instance, a new – and also automated –
gas-nozzle cleaning system to
complement high-performance welding
and increase its availability:
Robacta TouchlessCleaner is the name
of this device which – as its name
implies – touchlessly removes the spatter
that accumulates on the gas nozzle
during welding. Instead of damaging the
contact tube with milling cutters and
changing the Tool Centre Point (TCP), a
cooling fluid generates initial thermal
tensions, followed by an electromagnetic
impulse which dislodges the spatter ring
right out of the nozzle.
The “environment” of these exacting
welding solutions is not complete
without an innovation called
“WeldOffice”. This software now makes it
possible for power sources, components
such as robots or handling-systems, and
a monitoring/visualising PC to
communicate with one another by
Ethernet. Limit violations and data
evaluations point to any maintenance or
“fine-tuning” that may be needed.
Messages about this – e.g. by e-mail to
the person in charge – will then trigger
re-supply with wear-out parts, and
efficient maintenance management.
Particularly in multiple-shift production
operations, this contributes to high
system availability and productivity.
Example of a TimeTwin Digital configuration.
1 Power sources2 Wirefeeders3 Remote control4 Robot control5 Robot interface6 Torch7 Wire supply
WeldOffice lets you collect, visualise, evaluateand archive the welding data from all yourpower sources at one central point.
The TPS 9000 welding system consists of twoTPS 5000’s and puts out up to 900 A of power; it isdesigned for e.g. welding large diameters of wire.
12Fronius 2003 In-house
37th “WorldSkills”Competition with Fronius asmain sponsor
For the second time, it will be the turn of
St. Gallen, Switzerland, to host the
international vocational championships
organised by WorldSkills, an organisation
which promotes vocational education
worldwide. Some 700 young people from
nearly 40 countries are expected to
gather here between 19th and 22nd June
2003. They will be competing in 39
different trades from the fields of industry,
the crafts and the services sector, taking
in anything from instrument making to
carpentry, from ladies' dressmaking to
graphic design – and, of course, from
sheet-metal work to autobody repair. For
the welding work, Fronius will be loaning
the following systems: TT 1700, MW 1700
and MW 3000. WorldSkills Competitions
have been taking place since 1950. They
are held every two years, in a different
country each time. This year, however, St.
Gallen will be the contest venue for the
second time, having made a great job of
hosting these “vocational Olympics” back
in 1997. Reason enough for Fronius to
offer the youthful contestants the best
possible equipment to work with –
because superlative welding results can
only be achieved with superlative welding
machinery.
Customer-synchronisedmanufacturing in âesk˘Krumlov
Fronius celebrates 10 years in the Czech
Republic – and the 47,600 VarioStar
machines produced there during this
period! As well as being a jubilee year,
2002 also saw the start of another
important project: Kanban production. It
took nine months' intensive work to set
up this model production system: Now
that it has been fine-tuned, it means
25% higher productivity, a 75%
reduction in in-plant movement times,
and an 80% reduction in the production
turn-around times. On top of this highly
efficient 2-day production cycle comes
its tremendous flexibility, for “customer-
synchronised manufacturing” also means
that the production people know which
customer each machine is for, and
produce it exactly as this customer
ordered it. The production operations are
currently optimised for an annual output
of 6500 VarioStar and VarioSynergic
machines and the respective wirefeeders
and cooling units, which are exported to
60 countries worldwide. And what about
all that storage space that's been freed
up in the production building? “Perhaps
we'll put a Schweissercafé in it!”,
chuckles Vaclav Jilek, technical manager
of the âesk˘ Krumlov plant.
New welding technologycentre in the UK
TPS Fronius Ltd has been a familiar
partner of Fronius' in Great Britain for
many years now. Until recently, there
were two branches: Kilmarnock
(Scotland) and Bilston (near Birmingham).
Now a third has opened for business,
although strictly speaking this is more
than just a branch, but a “welding
technology centre” – a highly specialised
competence centre. The desire to be
closer to customers, and to ensure rapid
and capable after-sales service,
prompted the company to invest in
premises at Alton, Hampshire, SW of
London. Currently numbering five people,
the team is headed by Keith Palmer, a
trained metallurgist. To begin with, the
team will be concentrating on five major
groups of clients: CrNi steel fabricators,
aluminium fabricators, shipbuilders,
dealers and other existing clients. It is
also planned to organise regular
workshops with customers to exchange
news, views and experience on welding-
engineering issues.
News
13In-house
High-ranking official visit from Romania
Fronius were honoured to receive an
illustrious visitor last autumn: On 24th
October, the Romanian president Ion
Iliescu came to visit Fronius in Wels,
together with an official trade delegation.
He was accompanied by representatives
of the Province of Upper Austria. Amid
an impressive police escort and
encircled by a huge number of security
officers, the delegation arrived early in
the afternoon. The reception committee
was already waiting, among them Günter
Fronius, who greeted his visitors in
Romanian. A gesture which broke the ice
immediately. After a technology-centred
tour of the new robot facility, Klaus
Fronius presented the Romanian
president with a special-edition
TransPocket 1500. Ion Illiescu voiced his
thanks for the cordial welcome extended
to him at Fronius, and spoke about his
own experience of welding as a young
man. In so doing, he astonished all those
present with his welding know-how.
Fronius not only has good diplomatic
relations with Romania, but excellent
business ones, too. In particular, since
1997 there has been a close partnership
with CM Metal Trading.
New, 500 m2 large robot facility
Robot welding continues to grow apace.
Fronius has helped to shape this
development right from the outset, and
is now a noted supplier in the field. And
a full-liner, at that, for Fronius offers all
manner of components for welding-
robots, from the power-source all the
way down to the contact tube. A
perfectly harmonised system with
defined interfaces so as to make it
suitable for every robot manufacturer.
“Plug & Weld” is the motto here. Now
Fronius have resolutely gone a step
further – by opening the new robot
facility in Wels in September 2002. On
500 m2 of floor space, the facility houses
6 different welding-robot configurations
for carrying out welding trials. 120 trials
a year are planned, all of which will of
course be documented. Every trial is
dealt with as a project for which the
optimum solution is elaborated in close
collaboration with the client.
Macrosections are then used to
investigate the results for internal
defects as well. The Fronius partner
companies, i.e. the respective robot
suppliers, give their welding robots
regular maintenance and keep them right
up to the very latest technical standard.
An energetic spirit retires
At the end of last year, a fascinating careerdrew to a close: Ing. Alois Furthner retired.He had been working in the welding fieldever since 1958 – to begin with, in thestructural steel and apparatus constructiondepartment at voestalpine Linz, and then forthe last 12 years of his career at Fronius. Asa senior welding technologist, Mr. Furthnerwas something of an “oracle” in theTechnology Centre, particularly when itcame to materials or processes. However,his main professional expertise was in thefield of steel/aluminium joins, where he wasgreatly involved in the latest Froniusdevelopments. Bowing out of the world ofwork certainly did not come easily to him.Nevertheless, all his colleagues join inwishing him a retirement that is no lessinteresting and fulfilling than his career was!
Farewell after nearly half a century at Fronius
There can't be anybody at Fronius whodoesn't know him – that dapper,bespectacled gentleman. Grey hair, greeneyes, a friendly smile. Richard Braunegger isthe name. He'd been with the firm almostsince it began. He joined Fronius in 1957 asan apprentice electrical fitter; soon he was adeputy foreman. From 1977, he wasresponsible for production of theFROMIG/COMPACT gas-shielded units andthe MAX/Primus welding transformers, and afew years later, for all plant management. Inthe mid-1980's, he was promoted to theexecutive management team and becameHead of Personnel; in 1993, he became a“procura” holder under Austrian commerciallaw. In his last 20 years with the firm, his areaof work was very wide-ranging: personnel,maintenance, investments, the QM system,environmental officer .... Now Mr. Brauneggeris enjoying a well-earned retirement. After 46years. Fronius will always remember himfondly and wishes him all the very best !!
14Fronius 2003 Case study
The VW Phaeton is precededby a “legendary” reputation asa super-car of the luxuryclass, offering supreme travelcomfort and the very highestsafety standards. In order todo justice to this reputation inevery regard, and evensurpass it in practice, themanagers and designengineers at VW haveinvested in state-of-the-artjoining technologies.
PICTURE AT LEFT:Inside view of the world's stiffest and strongestvehicle door. Aluminium pressure-die-cast partsare joined to aluminium die-cast mouldings.PICTURE BELOW:The Fronius LaserHybrid welding head has morethan proven its worth on the Phaeton door at VW.
The “Phaeton” has the safestdoors of any vehicle anywhere INNOVATIVE SOLUTION IN LASERHYBRID-WELDED LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINIUMCONSTRUCTION
The four doors of the“Phaeton”
The Phaeton's doors comprise a frame
construction made of aluminium
castings, sheets and extruded sections,
which give the vehicle its unrivalled side-
impact protection. When it comes to
joining important parts, VW's auto
engineers have a clear preference: The
LaserHybrid weld process from Fronius.
Series production of the aluminium
doors for the Phaeton has been running
very successfully at VW's Wolfsburg
plant since October 2002. “Our declared
goal was to build the strongest and
stiffest door on any passenger car,
anywhere”, is how Dr. Thomas Graf,
manager of the aluminium die-casting
plant, unambiguously sums up the goals
and aspirations of this product
innovation. Among the joining techniques
used here, laser welding and Fronius
LaserHybrid welding take pride of place.
Why LaserHybrid?
In order to largely eliminate the
drawbacks of pure laser welding at
important, safety-critical locations, VW's
aluminium die-casting plant opted to use
LaserHybrid welding technology. In this
process, laser welding and arc welding
are combined in such a way that not only
do the advantages of both processes
complement one another, but additional
synergies result as well.
“For us – and more particularly, for the
doors of the Phaeton – LaserHybrid is
the best solution”, notes Dr. Thomas
Graf. “As compared to laser on its own,
we've increased the bridgeability from
theoretically zero to as much as 0.4 mm,
and we benefit from the high process
stability of the arc while still getting the
high welding speed of the laser. As well
as saving energy because less laser
output is needed, we have the advantage
of the clean wetting to sidewalls that the
process gives.” For Graf and his staff,
this joining process is far more than a
mere compromise between arc and laser.
All in all, there are 3570 mm of
LaserHybrid-welded seams on a Phaeton
door. This is three times as much as the
seams welded using laser only. “For the
geometries of join and the combinations
of materials that we are dealing with
here, LaserHybrid is simply the N° 1
choice of process” says welding
supervision officer Karsten Lempereur,
explaining his clear preference.
Two years' development workfor the stiffest doors in theworld
An experienced welding expert, Karsten
Lempereur (40) was responsible for
seeing this project through from the
original decision to the final
implementation of a viable series
solution in actual production practice. As
a welding practitioner, Lempereur is also
convinced that LaserHybrid welding has
a bright future. “We production people
worked for two years on optimising the
processes until we achieved the desired
process reliability”, explains Lempereur.
Optical and endoscopic measuring and
testing methods ensure that every door
meets the most exacting criteria. “For
VW, the huge amount of work that went
into achieving the quality of this
aluminium frame construction is primarily
an investment in getting experience in a
high-tech field that will pay off for us in
the future”, explains Lempereur. In their
R&D activities, Fronius were quick to
spot the potential of LaserHybrid, and
were the first to develop this process up
to a standardised industrially viable level.
A tried-and-tested partnership has grown
between the people at VW's aluminium
die-casting plant and Fronius. To begin
with, Karsten Lempereur travelled to
Wels in October 1999 to spend time
becoming better acquainted with the
technology in Fronius' Development
Centre. After this came the task of
adapting the components, defining the
characteristics, and setting the
parameters at VW in Wolfsburg. “Three
specialists from Fronius supported us
right through until production start-up. In
fact, they passed on much of their
invaluable user knowledge to us straight
away.”
Experience and convictions
Today, the people at VW view the past 2
years of development work as a highly
constructive and vital period. “The
process as a whole was a growth
phase”, is how Dr. Graf sums it up. They
now effortlessly master the programming
of the digital welding systems. Dr. Graf
awards “top marks” to the Fronius
products that they are using, and
expects equally high-quality services to
go with them. This is right in line with
Fronius' philosophy of providing
solutions that take in the wider context.
Part of this, of course, is a high standard
of after-sales care. For Dr. Thomas Graf
and Karsten Lempereur, there is no
doubt that developments are moving in
LaserHybrid's direction: “I'm quite
convinced” says Departmental Manager
Dr. Graf, “that in the medium term, at
least, this will become a process in its
own right, with widespread acceptance
in the long term”.
Laser beam
Gas nozzle
Electrode
Pulsed-arc
Fusion zone
15Case study
Schematic representation of the LaserHybridprocess
16Fronius 2003 Case study
“Lightweight constructionmakes quite differentdemands. Tougher ones.”THE PÖTTINGER COMPANY UPGRADES ITS WELDINGMACHINERY TO THE STATE-OF-THE-ART
Fronius as the guarantor of a successful series: Yet another “Europrofi 3” mainframebeing welded by Pöttinger staff on the production line for self-loading wagons.
17Case study
“Our welding machines were getting
obsolete. It was time to invest in new
ones. And so of course we wanted the
very latest and best. Fitness for the future
was one of the main criteria here”, says
Johann Renoldner, welding-shop foreman
at Pöttinger. “We drew up various criteria
and gave each of these a different
weighting”, he continues. A total of five
noted welding-machinery manufacturers
were invited to present their products and
put them through a series of tests.
20 criteria were evaluated, among them
the reliability with which welding
parameters can be transferred and
reproduced, pulsed-arc welding
behaviour, welding of light-gauge sheets,
multi-functionality, update-functions etc.
The choice fell upon the fully digitised
Fronius power-source TPS 4000.
Lightweight construction – anincreasingly “weighty” factor
The trend in agricultural engineering in
general, and at Pöttinger in particular, is
towards lightweight construction. More
and more so, in fact. Because the
challenge of producing machines which
are both lighter and more efficient is
being faced by the agricultural
engineering sector, too. The advantage of
products like these is that they have
higher strength, yet weigh less, meaning
less soil compaction, and reduced fuel
consumption. However, welding high-
strength thin sheets (e.g.: 25CrMo4)
makes much higher demands of the
welding process, as the specified welding
parameters have to be adhered to exactly
when alloyed thin-walled steels are
welded. In the medium power range, all
machines are equally good. It is at low
welding amperages that the “chaff is
separated from the wheat”.
In MMA welding, too, Pöttinger is now
making increased use of pulsed-arc
technology. Here, the ignition parameters
are fine-tuned to the diameter and the
quality of the wire. Smooth, jerk-free
ignition is the result. At the end of the
weld, a controlled current pulse sheds
the molten droplet – preventing a solid
globule from forming at the tip of the
electrode. The result is a spatter-free
weld seam.
Prototype-productionparameter records are 100%transferable
In its development effort, Pöttinger
attaches great importance to being able
to transfer to its production operations
the exact welding parameters that were
determined in the course of prototype
manufacture. Once a weldment has
passed all the extensive tests, the
welding parameters that were used are
transferred to series manufacturing. The
TPS 4000 facilitates just such an
approach, as it stores every single
parameter numerically, in “jobs”. As these
machines are fully digitised, they can
easily be updated via software. In this
way, users can always keep right up with
the “state-of-the-art” and are prepared
for whatever tasks the future may bring.
No matter which types of steel, sheet
metals and processes may be important
tomorrow, the capability of these power
sources lies in their integrated expert
knowledge. And this can be updated at
any time.
A successful family firm
Pöttinger is a 4th-generation family firm.
It was founded in 1871 in Grieskirchen,
Upper Austria, where it is still
headquartered. Founder Franz Pöttinger
introduced the first forage cutting
machine to Upper Austria. This was
followed by further trail-blazing
developments such as hay rakes, self-
loading wagons, flywheel maize
harvesters, or the forage loader wagon.
In 1987, the company started a new line
of business: Waste disposal technology.
Today, Pöttinger is represented in over 40
countries spread across all continents,
and in 2002 it posted its highest-ever
turnover: EUR 124 m. As well as the
firm's HQ and main production facility in
Austria, there are two production
locations in Germany, one in the Czech
Republic and a sales office in France, all
of which are important pillars for the
company. With its workforce of over 900,
Pöttinger offers its customers side and
front-mounted and towed machines for
tillage and harvesting, together with
related services. Competence and quality
are paramount here, of course. Which is
why Pöttinger are all the choosier about
who they work with. The firm was – and
is – extremely satisfied with its decision
to work with Fronius. The 23 new
machines are already in action, highly
successfully, achieving very high levels of
process reliability, even on critical welds.
December 2002: the Upper Austrian agricultural machinery maker Pöttingerdraws up a “shopping list” for 23 new welding installations. An intensive timeof sounding-out possible suppliers and testing their equipment begins … andFronius ends up being the winner.
18Fronius 2003 Case study
In chemical apparatusconstruction, as well as in thefields of environmental andoffshore engineering and tankconstruction, cladding of steelsheets is playing an evergreater rôle. In addition to thecost advantages over mono-material sheets, an innovativenew method for weldingcorrosion-resistant compositematerials now provides evengreater long-term economy.
First, the welder joins the unalloyed
carrier material using identical filler metal.
The groove left in the acid-resistant
cladding layer can now be filled by the
user in an innovative way, using the
highly efficient MAG TimeTwin process.
Welding trials at Fronius have clearly
demonstrated that the surfaces created
in this way have a corrosion resistance
which is as good as that of the overlay
material. Welding two wire electrodes
with the MAG TimeTwin process, a
variant of tandem welding, ensures high
economy as a result of the high
deposition rates and welding speeds.
Trial welds have now documented the
suitability of this process for corrosion-
resistant overlay materials such as the
highly acid-resistant Alloy B2. Steel
sheets that are clad with this alloy are
more economical than mono-material
sheets – the thicker the sheet, the bigger
the savings. These savings can be as
much as 80%. When welding the clad
sheets, the welder starts by joining the
carrier materials. The fully mechanised
TimeTwin process then fills the groove
that is left between the approx. 4 mm
thick cladding layers with filler metal
(supplementary cladding). For Alloy B2,
the specialists of the Fronius Technology
Centre optimised the welding parameters
in such a way that the groove is filled in 3
passes of identical composition and
parameters, finishing with a two-bead
cover pass. The multi-pass structure
helps keep dilution to a minimum. This
means that the cover pass – which will
later be exposed to the aggressive media
– consists of almost pure filler metal. In
this way, the corrosion resistance is
preserved. This is proved by tests with
aggressive hydrochloric acid, which show
that the surface of the groove filling is
just as acid-resistant as Alloy B2. The
TimeTwin process melts off both wire
electrodes, with virtually no spattering.
The appearance of the seam is almost
indistinguishable from that achieved by
the manual TIG process. The same
applies, analogously, to the excellent hot-
cracking behaviour of the supplementary
cladding. However, deposition rates of up
to 8 kg/h and welding speeds of up to
70 cm/min speak clearly for the TimeTwin
process.
Acids don't stand a chance WELDING CLAD SHEETS EFFICIENTLY
Macrostructure: In MAG TimeTwin welding, the groove in the cladding layers is filled in 3 passes of identical composition and parameters,
finishing with a two-bead cover pass. As well as the fine appearance of the seam in the third overlay pass, multi-pass welding also achieves
the desired reduction in iron-dilution.
19Case study
Welding wire Nimofer S 6928 (FM B2 – batch n° 78230) diam. 1.0 mm
C Si Mn P S Al Cr Ni Mo Fe
0.003 0.01 0.55 0.003 0.002 – 0.69 69.45 28.05 1.62
Weld metal FM B2 Groove: 13x5.5mm
Pass Fe Mo
1. 5.9 27.22. 2.7 27.93. 1.96 28.0
Multi-pass welding, with passes of identical compositionand parameters, is the only way of ensuring that thecover-passes that will later be exposed to the aggressivemedia have a chemical composition that is equivalent tothe overlay material Alloy B2 – meaning a high level ofcorrosion resistance.
Overlay material: Alloy B2 (3 – 4 mm)
Chemical composition (%)
Nickel RemainderChromium 0.4 – 1Iron 1.5 – 2Molybdenum 26 – 30Carbon max. 0.01Other Co: max. 1
Si: max. 0.08The NiMo28 alloy withstands any concentration ofhydrochloric acid, at all temperatures up to boilingpoint.
Hot-cracking resistantIncreasingly susceptible to hot crackingAt risk of hot cracking
a Sheet batch n° 32911 (14.5 kJ/cm)b Manual TIG process 2294 (14.5 kJ/cm)c MAG TimeTwin TANDEM pr. 2096 (14 kJ/cm)d MAG TimeTwin TANDEM pr. 2096 (7.5 kJ/cm)e Sheet batch n° 32911 (7.5 kJ/cm)f Manual TIG process 2294 (7.5 kJ/cm)
a = 10 – 14 mmb = 25 – 28 mmd = 3 – 4 mmD1 = < 18 mm + 3 – 4 mmD2 = ≥ 18 mm + 3 – 4 mm
g = 1-2 mmG1 = 3 mmG2 = 2 mmk = 50°K = MAG 50°, submerged-arc 60°
r1 = 4 mmr2 = 8 mmS = Safety gap
Bending strain (%)To
tal
len
gth
of
cra
cki
ng
(m
m)
Sample groove geometry of the clad sheets
On sheets up to 18 mm thick, the edges are prepared as a 50° (MAG) or 60° (submerged-arc)V-groove on the base-metal side, and as a U-groove on the clad side (TimeTwin). Sheets thatare over 18 mm thick are prepared as an “X”. The welding sequence is “black before white” (1 to 4).
Iron (%) Molybdenum (%)
Groove Groove
Pass
Depending on the dilution conditions(welding process, parameters,thickness of pass), the 1st pass willhave an Fe content of approx. 6%(13 mm groove) or 12% (25 mmgroove). This will fall to approx. 2%by the 3rd pass. At the same time, the molybdenum content (which iscrucial for the corrosion resistance)climbs from 25-27% in the 1st pass toapprox. 28% in the 3rd pass.
Edge preparation Hot-cracking behaviour
Welding sequence
Influence of the bending strain on the total length ofcracking occurring on the specimens investigated inModified Varestraint and Transvarestraint (MVT) tests– Project: Nimofer 6928 (Alloy B2) roller-clad 16+4 mm – Base metal, TIG and MAG-TimeTwin-Tandem weld deposits – Test-gas: argon + 2% H2In practice, heat-inputs per unit length of up to7.5 kJ/cm are usual. For the unalloyed carrier sheetand for the supplementary cladding, the upper limitin manual TIG and in MAG TimeTwin is twice thisvalue. In the result, the MAG TimeTwin weld-metaldeposit does not show any propensity to hotcracking.
Multi-pass welding and dilution level
20Fronius 2003 The company
What is competence? Whatare “the basics”? Thesequestions, and more besides,have been answered manytimes over in this issue. In thisarticle, read where KlausFronius sees the causes ofthe tremendous competencefound in the Fronius company.
“To give you one example: Not long ago,
we had an interested new client visiting
us. He'd come to Wels regarding a
concrete problem he wanted solved. And
which we'd been working on in the
meantime. In passing, however, the
conversation turned to another, quite
different, problem that he had.
He showed us a 0.8 mm aluminium sheet
and said that sometime in the future, his
company aimed to join such sheets into a
complicated shape – but that a solution
still seemed to be a long way off. A
Fronius staffer then got up, picked up the
'phone, talked with a technician from the
Technology Centre and asked us all to be
patient for a while. So we just had to
'wait and see'. Three hours later, this
technician came back with two perfectly
welded 0.8 mm aluminium sheets. After
On freedom, courage andNobel Prize winnersTHOUGHTS ON HOW COMPETENCE COMES ABOUT.BY KLAUS FRONIUS
21The company
only 3 hours, then, our customer was
holding in his hands the first, but most
important step on the way to a solution
that he had thought was still miles off!
That's competence for you!
This little anecdote is a good example of
how we work at Fronius. In fact, it's
almost prototypical of the company. And
there are plenty more stories like it. What
it shows is that Fronius people are very
self-reliant. They think independently,
they take the initiative, they feel
responsible for all that they do. Without
worrying about things going wrong. They
want a solution, no matter what sort of
problem needs tackling. And if they can't
manage it on their own, they organise
whatever it takes to make it possible.
Even if this means a further training
course – for all Fronius employees have
the freedom to develop their abilities and
to perfect their skills. With the company
picking up the bill.
When you walk through the premises you
can sense a self-confidence in the air
that you'll rarely find in such
concentrated form anywhere else. The
employee is held in high esteem. And it
shows. Not just on the firm's premises,
but in all the products and services that
leave these premises.
Everything is possible.
Everything is thinkable. Everything is
doable. Everything is attainable. Even the
Nobel Prize. This is the basic mind-set at
Fronius. People who think this way enjoy
working here. All 1300 of them,
worldwide. Endeavour, initiative,
enthusiasm, striving for the best, courage
to try unconventional approaches,
inexhaustible readiness to experiment -
these things don't just happen on their
own. Although these attributes may, of
course, be found in every one of us, if
our personalities are not restricted too
severely. And this is the hub of the
matter: not setting too narrow
boundaries, creating 'room to breathe' –
and doing so in structural terms.
The only thing we insist on:The red thread that runsthrough all that Fronius does
Fronius doesn't lay down specific
instructions. Instead, we have a basic
orientation: the path that Fronius wants
to take and the goal that Fronius wants
to arrive at – which is to be the
worldwide Number 1. Moving ahead
swiftly on a non-prescriptive basis such
as this is only possible with employees
who are self-reliant, committed and
courageous. Who each make their own
contribution, day-in, day-out, towards
coming closer to this goal. And with
structures that ensure this degree of
freedom. All these things, together with
high technical know-how, are the main
pre-conditions for Fronius' internationally
acknowledged competence.
Let's take another example: We've had a
presence in the USA for around 1 year
now. And can already point to some great
successes. Like being a partner in the
construction of a 6000 km long petroleum
pipeline from Alaska to Chicago. What
clinched the deal here was the top-
quality, ultra-efficient TimeTwin process.
A critical issue was whether the systems
would also function perfectly at
temperatures as low as -50° C – and they
do. We've also just fitted out the
Caterpillar Research Center with Fronius
equipment. Probably our greatest triumph
in the USA so far has been to win
Benteler as a Fronius client. This major
automobile-industry vendor had been
closely involved with one of our
competitors. Our people visited
Benteler's plant and were asked to solve
concrete welding tasks. Although they
came up with perfect results in a very
short space of time, we were turned
down. It was only three months later – by
which time we only had a small glimmer
of hope left – that Benteler approached
us again and awarded us the entire
contract. Solely on the basis of our
competence. Thing like this are
tremendous 'highs'. For all of us here at
Fronius.”
22Fronius 2003 Travel tip
“Hidden Worlds” is the title of this latest
exhibition. It comprises various projects
that each deal with the invisible
presence of bits & bytes. The permanent
presence of digital data and information-
flows brings about a simultaneous
datasphere which constantly envelops us
like a second environment – but which
remains hidden from us unless we have
the right tools. How can we conceive of
things which are only present in a
“virtual” sense? What traces do we leave
behind us in cyberspace, and how can
we influence what shape it takes? How
do we perceive our own reality?
Set out on a journey that merges the
virtual and the real. One in which the use
of augmented-reality technologies makes
visible all the data-flows that would
otherwise be invisible.
“Hidden Worlds” in theMuseum of the Future A trip to the Museum of the Future is not one journey, but several. For from just this one point of departure, you'll be meeting, discovering,experiencing, feeling and playing completely new worlds. What will revealitself to you here is a totality of impressions, both virtual and real. And themany grey areas in between. After all, what is real? The point of departurethat we're talking about here, by the way, is located beside the Danube inLinz, one of Austria's nine provincial capitals.
23Travel Tip
Bits & bytes on 2000 m2 and5 levels
One of the projects in this exhibition is
entitled “The Hidden World of Noise and
Voice”. It focuses on auditory perception
– and plays around with it. For every
sound generated in this space, the
computer produces animated 3D
graphics whose form, colour and
motions correspond to the pitch, tonal
quality and intensity of the sound.
Special see-through data glasses make
these images visible for everybody.
Human voices become identifiable,
complete with the emotions concealed in
them.
Another project is called “Tool's Life”:
Here, the shadow-like silhouettes of
everyday utensils suddenly spring into
motion when they are gently touched,
bringing the objects' significance and
background factors into view. Then there
is the project with the interactive
machine “Cyclops”: With its movable
spine and its eye, it makes a very human
impression. This “attentive giant” follows
filmed movements, analyses every single
image and translates it into motion. Find
out more on this exhibition at
www.aec.at. “Infotrainers” will guide you
through the centre and help you get
acquainted with electronic art.
A cognitive and creativeworkshop for ideas of the21st century
The Ars Electronica Center (AEC for short)
is a Museum of the Future. The concept
of this internationally noted and well-
known institution is to acquaint the public
with futuristic technology. And by
“public”, we mean a broad public of all
ages. The AEC is located at the interface
between art, technology, society and
science.
The Ars Electronica Festival takes place in
the first week of September every year. It
is the forum for the spheres of art,
technology and society, and in
collaboration with the regional TV station
ORF Upper Austria, it presents
exhibitions, concerts and projects on the
latest developments in media art.
Moreover, in an open symposium,
theoreticians, experts and artists lecture
on their viewpoints and on the status quo
regarding the theme of this year's festival.
Organised under the aegis of the Ars
Electronica Festival, the Prix Ars
Electronica is an international competition
that is also the world's most generous
prize for computer art – since 1987, ORF
Upper Austria have sponsored this prize
to the tune of 100,000 euros each year.
There is also a platform dedicated to
R & D – an innovation laboratory known
as the Ars Electronica Futurelab. This
cognitive and creative workshop was set
up in 1996 and is an important
competence centre for applications-
focused research bearing on new
technologies and media art. International
artists and scientists come together here
to address such issues as virtual
environments, digital surfaces and
interactive space creation. The latest
hardware and software technologies are
used. For instance, the Futurelab
operates the first CAVE outside the USA
that is open to the public. Another major
aspect of Futurelab's work is the ongoing
co-operation with prominent
representatives of industry and business.
Fronius collaborated with the AEC and theIT Institute at the University of Linz todevelop and carry out the “Virtual Welding”project. The “Schweissen & Schneiden”trade fair in Essen in 1997 saw the first-ever demonstration of virtual welding in aCAVE; this was the absolute highlight ofthis fair. The AEC is reckoned to be anexpert in the virtual reality field.
FRONIUS INTERNATIONAL GMBH • Buxbaumstrasse 2 • A 4600 Wels • Tel: +43 7242 241-0 • Fax: +43 7242 241-394 • E-Mail: sales@fronius.com VERTRIEB ÖSTERREICH • Tel: +43 7242 241-310 • Fax: +43 7242 241-349 • E-Mail: sales.austria@fronius.com
FRONIUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH • Liebigstrasse 15 • D 67661 Kaiserslautern • Tel: +49 631 351 27-0 • Fax: +49 631 351 27-50 • E-Mail: sales.germany@fronius.com
FRONIUS SCHWEIZ AG • Oberglatterstrasse 11 • CH 8153 Rümlang • Tel: +41 1 817 99 44 • Fax: +41 1 817 99 55 • E-Mail: sales.switzerland@fronius.com
FRONIUS FRANCE SARL • 13 avenue Félix Louat-B.P. 195 • F 60306 Senlis Cedex • Tel: +33 3 44 63 80 00 • Fax: +33 3 44 63 80 01 • E-Mail: sales.france@fronius.com
FRONIUS NORGE AS • Tegleverksvn., Aaserud Ind. område • N 3057 Solbergelva • Tel: +47 32 23 20 80 • Fax: +47 32 23 20 81 • E-Mail: sales.norway@fronius.com
FRONIUS CESKÁ REPUBLIKA S.R.O. • V Olsinách 1022/42 • CZ 100 00 Praha 10 • Tel: +420 2 72 74 23 69 • Fax: +420 2 72 73 81 45 • E-Mail: sales.praha@fronius.com
FRONIUS CESKÁ REPUBLIKA S.R.O. • Priemyselná 1 • SK 91701 Trnava • Tel: +421 33 551 30 39 • Fax: +421 33 550 17 61 • E-Mail: sales.slovakia@fronius.com
FRONIUS FACKEL GMBH • S.Knjashitschi • Browarskogo R-NA • Kiewskaya OBL.; 07455 • Tel: +380 4494 627 68 • Fax: +380 4494 627 67 • E-Mail: sales.ukraine@fronius.com
FRONIUS USA LLC • Business Center-Eagle One • 10503 Citation Drive • Suite 600 Brighton • Michigan 48116 USA • Tel: +1 810 220 4414 • Fax: +1 810 220 4424 • E-Mail: sales.usa@fronius.com
You'll find the addresses of our international distribution partners at www.fronius.com/addresses
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www.fronius.com
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