Valk Welding: Welding Wire references

 

Tow-bar manufacturer Brink switches to welding wire of Valk Welding

 

Unknown, unloved also goes for welding wire. “Once a certain brand is used to satisfaction for welding, it will not easily be abandoned”, says W. Feddes, purchasing manager at towing hook manufacturer Brink International. This leading manufacturer has been working with Panasonic welding robots for over 15 years, but up to recently held on to welding wire from a yellow box.

A company such as Brink, with offices all over Europe, mostly aims at standardisation within the group, taking into account the people on the shop floor. “When switching to another product, you will first have to convince the people on the shop floor”, says mister Feddes. “Valk Welding has been coming here for years as supplier of welding robots and we knew they could also supply good quality welding wire. However, the shop floor saw no reason to switch. Only in case of a problem, we must be able to rapidly find an alternative, in order not to interrupt production. Two years ago we were very unexpectedly confronted with supply problems, and we did some 'blind tests’ with Valk Welding welding wire. That went down well in the shop floor, and switching to Valk Welding  became a fact. Beside price and quality, availability and supplier support form important factors”.

Picture: W. Fedes, purchasing manager at towing hook manufacturer Brink International.

DAF Trucks selects Valk Welding quality welding wire

 

DAF Trucks in Eindhoven has been working with Valk Welding welding wire since the end of the eighties. The loose components production department for the DAF Trucks uses each year 100 tons of SG2 and SG3 solid wire of 1 and 0.8 mm diameter. Here, tubular products, supporting brackets, fuel tanks, etcetera, are being welded manually or by welding robots, and then directly supplied to the assembly line of DAF Trucks in Eindhoven. For the welding process, use is made of wire on reels and in drums. Because of the small a-height and thin walled products, the use of filled wire has never been taken into account (more smoke output than with solid wire). For production engineer Jos Kesseler, the constant and high quality of the Valk Welding welding wire is the most important reason to prescribe the use of this welding wire. “In my previous job, I was already involved in the inspection of welding wire and I was in close contact with the supplier. In case of problems, Valk Welding almost immediately arrived on the site and that was a decisive factor for us to choose their welding wire. Later, the welding wire was supplied with a quality guarantee certificate. If despite the guaranteed constant quality, a problem might occur, the people from Valk Welding will be ready to intervene. We have never thought of using cheaper alternatives, because any costs due to breakdown and downtime will largely exceed this price advantage”. 

Picture: Jos Kesseler, Production Engineer, DAF Trucks.

Dealer Van Valderen supplying quality to smaller user

 

Beside direct supply to end users, the welding wire of Valk Welding also finds its way to the market via a number of dealers. For over 14 years now, Van Valderen Lastechniek Tilburg B.V. has been supplying Valk Welding welding wire to its customers and is one of the larger dealers. Van Valderen also supplies welding wire from other manufacturers, however in the meantime 90% of the wire sold is supplied by Valk Welding.

Managing director Cornel van Valderen knows the fierce competition as regards the standard SG2 wire: “For standard MIG-welding wire, the customer is mostly interested in the price. Therefore, we were unable to sell more expensive brands. However, for us price has never been a primary objective. In the beginning of the nineties, we went in search of a supplier who could supply welding wire of constant quality for a reasonable price. Reliable supply was also one of the paramount factors. Moreover, Valk Welding was cheaper than the more expensive brands, without supplying inferior quality”.

“Indeed, our customers want a low price, but without any concession as regards quality; they expect a constant quality and equal copper-plating, but also good wire unwinding. The customer understands that when using cheaper wire, the reels must be changed more frequently, resulting in the end in a higher price. Good wire should unwind without getting stuck”, explains Cornel. As the Van Valderen customs are satisfied with this welding wire, the turnover for wire on reels and in drums has steadily increased to more than 65 tons each year. Beside SG2 wire, the sale of RVS and aluminium welding wire is also increasing each year in this region.

Picture: Cornel van Valderen of Van Valderen Lastechiek Tilburg.