Mündersbach, 5th January 2012

Ecology and efficiency in harmony

For welding technology leader EWM, "blueEvolution" represents a future of highly efficient, environmentally friendly products

Excellent economic efficiency has for many years been an outstanding feature of EWM Hightec Welding's highly innovative product range. The largest German manufacturer of welding technology is convinced that its time- and resource-saving power sources also offer its customers a competitive advantage. With its ecology initiative "blueEvolution", the established technology leader is demonstrating that cost-effective welding does not have to conflict with sustainability and eco-friendliness. "This is the premise for all our activities in the future", emphasises Susanne Szczesny-Oßing, Managing Director at EWM. "From in-house production to research and development and right up to the implementation of our technologies at the customer, the ecological approach is one of our top priorities."
The company can show impressive figures to back up the fact that using ecological products has really paid off for EWM customers from the most varied of industries, such as the automotive and vehicle construction industries, installation, tubing and pipeline construction, shipbuilding and railway vehicle manufacturing, food and chemical industries, and aerospace. The use of the EWM-developed MIG/MAG welding process "forceArc", for example, has led to considerable cost savings compared with the conventional spray arc technology.
Customers save both time and consumables as there is no included angle – or a much smaller one compared with standard processes – to be dealt with during weld preparation. In mobile crane construction, for instance, wire and gas consumption was reduced by 40% and manufacturing time even by an impressive 50% by structurally adapting the welding point. In conjunction with reduced-energy joining processes, the high efficiency of the inverter technology also reduces primary energy consumption: over 100 hours of welding time, it saves 400 kWh of electricity. With a total cost saving of 56%, EWM is thus helping to significantly reduce the customer´s production costs.
Just like "forceArc", the EWM welding processes "coldArc" and "pipeSolution" also help to minimise the costs for preliminary and finishing work. Moreover, the EWM processes are virtually spatter-free so that resource consumption and the need for grinding work are greatly reduced. "With our high-tech developments we help our customers to significantly reduce their production costs, and, more crucially, to save the environment at the same time", emphasises Szczesny-Oßing. EWM technology also leads the field in lowering the pollutant emissions of welding fumes. With the heat-reduced "coldArc" arc, emissions are up to 75% lower than with a standard short arc, and using the "forceArc" technology leads to a reduction in emissions by up to 60% compared with a standard spray arc.
"For us, "blueEvolution" also means not resting on the laurels of these successes, but to continuously develop both sustainable and efficient products, systems and welding processes", explains Szczesny-Oßing. This includes EWM's joint involvement with other companies in projects supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, like Green Carbody, ENERWELD and the "Effizienzfabrik". "We accept responsibility – both for the environment and for our innovations, which will provide a competitive edge for our customers."

Figures:

Fig. 1: blueEvolution – the ecological initiative by EWM
EWM technology is successfully used in wind turbine construction and the production of high efficiency power plants, for example. It facilitates the use of new materials in lightweight construction, thus saving energy and resources in many areas and helping to reduce CO₂ emissions.
Source: EWM Hightec Welding

Fig. 2: forceArc – spray arc
forceArc – saves 400 kWh of electricity over 100 hours of welding time per welding site!
By using the EWM forceArc process, approx. 4 kW of power can be saved compared with conventional welding machines at the same deposition rate of 13.0 m/min (1.2 mm; G3Si1).
Source: EWM Hightec Welding

Fig. 3: coldArc – short arc, reduction in the emission rate
The innovative EWM welding processes help to reduce emissions: with forceArc® up to 60% and with coldArc® up to 75%.
Source: EWM Hightec Welding

Fig. 4: Efficient welding technology for wind energy
The processes developed by the largest German manufacturer of welding technology are characterised by efficiency and considerably reduced resource consumption. With its "blueEvolution" technology, EWM is also contributing to the environmentally-friendly production of wind energy plants. With significant reductions in power and resource consumption, the company is making sustainable energy generation even more environmentally sound.
Source: Jan Michael Hosan Photography

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