TPi March 2019

under quality and time pressure. That is why resharpening the electrode is a particularly unpopular ancillary task. It requires the welder to interrupt the production process as such and to leave the workstation.” In order to continue using the electrode for TIG welding, the tip of the tungsten electrode first has to be cut off with a diamond saw, and the region that is free of contamination must be freshly sharpened. Small and mid-size companies often lack the corresponding special equipment for high-quality resharpening.

Photo credit: Gesellschaft für Wolfram Industrie mbH

In orbital welding, the welding head using arc welding technology is moved on a circular path around the round workpiece. In this process the operating point is protected against external influences by inert protective gases

Alternatives from the maintenance workshop are usually complicated but nevertheless fail to deliver a quality equivalent to industrially sharpened electrodes. Welding operations can reduce strain on their personnel by outsourcing resharpening to specialists such as Wolfram Industrie. Product quality is improved at the same time, since the welder can focus on the core task. Each user receives a case with several electrodes from Wolfram Industrie for this after-sales service. The customer returns the electrodes as soon as they are used up. If the tungsten electrodes cannot be resharpened, the tungsten is offset against the next order. “Handling all working materials responsibly is extremely important,” Mr Schaffitz explains. “That is why we support sustainable processes and return the tungsten directly to the Orbitalservice GmbH Orbitalservice GmbH was founded in Heimbuchenthal, near Aschaffenburg in Lower Franconia, Germany, by Dirk Kunze in 2008. The company develops products and solutions for all orbital welding technology fields of application. These include orbital welding systems, open and closed welding tongs, and turning devices. Custom fabrication and contract welding are also offered. The company currently has ten employees at its locations in Heimbuchenthal and Mespelbrunn. Gesellschaft für Wolfram Industrie mbH Originally founded in Berlin, Germany, in 1911 as Wolfram Drahtfabrik GmbH, for the production and processing of tungsten and molybdenum, by the great-grandfather of current managing partner Marion Freifrau von Cetto, the company was renamed Gesellschaft für Wolfram Industrie mbH in 1928. The company’s headquarters were moved to Traunstein in 1943, where additional production buildings were constructed in the 1950s. After the death of the shareholder Helga Freifrau von Cetto, her daughter Marion Freifrau von Cetto as the owner took over management of the company in 1974. In 1991, the company expanded its product range by acquiring competitor Bayerische Metallwerke GmbH in Dachau, Germany, which had been active in the market since 1926. There are currently 57 employees at the Dachau location and 63 in Traunstein.

Orbitalservice GmbH manufactures orbital welding equipment for various industries, such as the automotive sector, aviation and aerospace

Photo credit: Orbitalservice GmbH

construction sites. The challenges vary widely depending on the user. For example, the leeway for optimisation is relatively small in the case of customers with established processes, even if the work is clearly defined. Matthias Schaffitz, application engineer for welding processes at the Gesellschaft für Wolfram Industrie mbH, explains, “When a structural component for aircraft is fabricated, its electrode geometry is a fixed parameter that we cannot change. But for newly developed production processes, we can provide our customers with an electrode that meets their requirements in the initial delivery. Here the sharpening, alloy and tip geometry are tailored precisely to the application.” Wolfram Industrie offers solutions, even for small lot sizes, thanks to semi-finished products, standardised products and know-how accumulated over many years.

Electrode resharpening thanks to after-sales service

Electrodes are always subject to wear in the welding process over time, and require reconditioning. That is why Wolfram Industrie provides after-sales service for electrode users, ensuring lasting optimum results. “Welding is highly complex work and demands great concentration,” says Mr Schaffitz. “The welder is often

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March 2019 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL