Based in Tauranga, New Zealand, Clarke Engineering specialises in heavy equipment repair and maintenance, including truck bodies. According to the company’s founder, Mr Bruce Clarke, the company regularly performs welding tasks on heavy vehicles and always has an eye on new welding equipment that appears in the marketplace.
‘In this case we were after welding equipment that would allow us to join 14mm plates to the body of a 60 tonne trailer in one long, continuous weld. We did some research and identified a number of options for such butt welding, but we were particularly impressed with the Kemppi FastMig X Black,’ said Bruce.
Mr Niki Bohlmann from Welding Engineers Ltd demonstrated the FastMig X Black for Bruce and his team. The Kemppi FastMig X Black offers high quality MIG/MAG pulse welding. It is perfect for high quality pipe welding, and plate and root welding from one side without backing. The FastMig X Black also offers diverse welding. It can be used to weld high strength steel and special alloys as well as aluminum.
‘What impressed us the most about this machine is the fact that you can select your own settings for the task at hand. Plus it has enormous capability and versatility which means you can use it for various welding tasks,’ said Bruce.
To weld the 14mm plates to the trailer transporter, Bruce used the Kemppi FastMig X Black’s pulse function. ‘The pulse function allowed us to weld at a constant, specific pace without burning through the metal. We teamed the FastMig X Black up with the Kobelco MX-A70C6LF 1.2mm metalcore wire and then set the frequency and amplitude to the level we required. The results were outstanding. The look and penetration of the welds are stunning,’ explained Bruce.
‘I doubt that we would have achieved similar results with a different machine. The Kemppi FastMig X Black’s versatility together with the WiseFusion function provides the welder with real choice so that a quality result can be achieved,’ he added.
According to Bruce, the company has also experienced increased levels of productivity since purchasing the machine. ‘When we combine premium grade wire with the FastMig X Black there is little need for rework, which means we can get through our welding jobs far quicker to accomplish more,’ he said.
