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1961
LAS Verkoopmaatschappij is established as an agency of Cloos Schweisstechnik Germany.
1963
The agency of Ideal Schweisstechnik Germany is brought into being.
1965
LAS Verkoopmaatschappij opens establishments in Belgium and expands its sales area to the entire Benelux region.
1966
LAS Verkoopmaatschappij starts the automation of the arc welding process and the first special appliances are delivered in the Benelux region, mainly to the agricultural machinery industry. This first step towards automation is followed ten years later by robotisation.
1967
LAS Verkoopmaatschappij expands and relocates to larger premises at Slachthuiskade in The Hague.
1978
The first Unimation hydraulic robots are launched on the Benelux market via Cloos Germany.
H.L.J. Valk buys the shares in LAS Verkoopmaatschappij from the original investor, the company Van der Heijden in The Hague.
1979
Relocation from The Hague to the current location in Alblasserdam.
The first hydraulic Unimation robot in the Netherlands is delivered to Kemi in Riethoven. This is a robot for welding applications. LAS Verkoopmaatschappij acquires the dealership for IGM in the Benelux region.
1981
LAS Verkoopmaatschappij starts Valk Inc. in a subsidiary for the sale of IGM robots in the USA. Remco H. Valk moves to the USA to oversee this company.
1983
Remco H. Valk returns from the USA owing to the health problems of Henk J.L. Valk and takes charge of the sale of welding robot systems in the Benelux.
1984
The partnership with the welding wire manufacturer C.I.F.E. is brought into being.
1986
LAS verkoopmaatschappij celebrates its 25th anniversary. This marks the change of name from LAS Verkoopmaatschappij to Valk Welding, mainly in order to simplifier international contacts.
1987
Installation of the hundredth (Cloos) welding robot at the company Tijdink Metaalwaren B.V.
1988
The Panasonic agency in the Benelux is brought about following the visit of Remco H. Valk to Panasonic in Japan.
1989
Cloos Schweisstechnik terminates the partnership with Valk Welding.
In response to the explosive growth of Valk Welding and owing to the age of Henk J.L. Valk, Remco H. Valk takes over the general management of the companies belonging to the Valk Welding Group.
1990
The major breakthrough in the area of arc welding robots has become a fact! The huge success at the Techni Show '90, at which more than 50 Panasonic welding robots are sold, heralds the definitive breakthrough of Panasonic welding robots. That is mainly because they form a competitive alternative for the more expensive European makes at that time.
Valk Welding’s market share rises explosively to 75%! In this peak year a total of more than 90 Panasonic welding robots are sold.
1994
Remco H. Valk takes over the shares in Valk Welding Group from his father, Henk J.L. Valk.
1996
The DTPS offline programming system is successfully installed at a customer’s company for the first time. Stork PMT in Boxmeer takes the software into use as the world's first licensee. This is just the beginning. More than 300 companies (2010) have yet to follow!
Cees Wieringa has a 25% holding in Valk Welding
1997
Opening of new premises at Staalindustrieweg in Alblasserdam.
It is during this year that the partnership with Nachi Robots starts, and the first two robots of this make are sold.
The three-hundredth Panasonic robot is sold to furniture manufacturer and interior fitter Marko in Veendam. Together with Z-Tech Products Valk Welding delivers a large and complete automated production system with a welding lane consisting of three welding robots and a transfer system. The installation achieves a capacity utilisation level of more than 95%. This is unique for this kind of application in the sector in 1997.
1998
Valk Welding delivers its four-hundredth Panasonic welding robot to RoboWeld in Krimpen a/d IJssel.
Valk Welding delivers two Nachi spot welding robots to New Holland Belgium (an agricultural machinery manufacturer). These Nachi robots are used to produce parts for combine harvesters.
1999
Launch of the ‘plug and weld’ robots; low-price welding robots that can be installed by experienced customers themselves.
The Wire Wizard wire feed products are added to the range. These systems make it possible to increase the productivity of welding robots even further.
Valk Welding presents a standard welding robot cell during Welding Week ‘99. The low price level, the quality control system and the short delivery time enable Valk Welding once again to place a highly competitive welding robot on the market.
At Viking a grinding robot is used for the production of a new Dutch phenomenon, the ‘clap skate’.
2000
Valk Welding launches the IntelliARC welding parameter control system.
Valk Welding creates a 70 m2 training area and a Technical & Training Centre of more than 50 m2.
2001
Panasonic introduces the Global Controller, Panasonic’s first fully digital control system with an integrated welding current source.
Valk Welding starts to second programmers.
Valk Welding celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Valk Welding enters the Danish market with the dealership for Panasonic.
The sale of solid welding wire increases to 450 tons a month.
2002
Valk Welding starts the sale of 3M welding masks and fresh air systems.
Valk Welding develops a simplified programming system for Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift Europe (MCFE), which makes it possible for operators without professional knowledge to use a touch screen to switch to a welding programme for one of the four hundred variants.
With a universal angle bending robot for automating existing angle bending machines, Valk Welding offers a user-friendly automation solution for the supply industry.
The service help desk is available 16 hours a day, 6 days a week.
With the delivery of the first welding/cutting robot to Wolter & Dros, Valk Welding sets the trend in robotised plasma cutting in the steel construction industry.
2003
Valk Welding delivers several welding robot systems to a new production facility of Thermo King in China.
Valk Welding extends its range of welding wire with nickel alloy welding wires.
2004
Valk Welding opens its own establishment in the Czech Republic to serve Benelux customers with a production location in that region and to continue to expand to the East European Market.
Launch of a standardised robot cell for the car industry, the first robot cells are delivered to Bosal in France, Turkey and Spain.
With the establishment of Valk Welding France, Valk Welding intensifies its sales and service activities for the French market.
2005
Valk Welding delivers welding robot systems to the Polish, Czech, French, German and Danish establishments of multinationals.
Valk Welding starts the distribution of Wire Wizard wire feed systems for the whole of the European market.
Panasonic introduces the TAWERS arc welding robot, a new generation of welding robot in which the robot and welding machine controls are integrated in a single 64-bit control system.
Launch of DTPS G2 programming and simulation software, fully geared to TAWERS, Global 2 control and 3D Solids.
Valk Welding completes a major robot project for Polish trailer builder Wielton. This is a new market in which Valk Welding will focus throughout the whole of Europe in the years to come.
Valk Handling now starts to use Fanuc robots for handling projects.
Valk Welding delivers a laser welding robot to Versteeg Metaal Groep for the welding of balcony railings.
2006
Valk Welding commissions a new assembly facility with a surface area of 4000 m2.
Valk Welding delivers the 25th robot system to MCFE Almere.
A quarter of Valk Welding’s turnover is now achieved outside of the Benelux region.
The newly introduced pneumatic disconnection mechanism prevents damage to the robot arm and reduces the number of service interventions and program corrections.
2007
As well as MIG and MAG, the Panasonic Tawers welding robot can now also be used for the TIG welding process.
With the Arc Welding Monitoring system Panasonic is the first to offer a total integrated solution for welding data registration in a single machine.
Valk Welding obtains the NEN-EN-ISO 9001:2000 certificate for the delivery of welding wire and welding accessories in Europe.
Valk Welding sets up a dealer and distribution network for Wire Wizard wire feed systems for Western/Eastern Europe and Russia. Valk Welding attends Weldex 2007 in Moscow.
2008
East European countries account for 50% of the turnover in welding robot systems and consumables.
Valk Welding Denmark takes new business premises in Nørre Aaby (Mitelfahrt region) into use.
Voortman Automation integrates Valk Welding plasma cutting robot in beam coping systems.
2009
With the incorporation of Valk Welding France Atlantique, Valk Welding extends its activities to Southwest France.
With the Replacement programme Valk Welding makes investment in the latest welding robot technology an attractive option.
Valk Welding CZ s.r.o. moves to larger premises.
Valk Welding delivers mega-welding robot system to Bollegraaf Recycling Machinery for the welding of complete frames (25 ton product weight).
Valk Welding obtains the RAB Robotics Safety Mark.
Dealer network extended through partnership with Lasaulec in the Netherlands and Palmaers in Belgium.
2010
Voortman and Valk Welding start the development of an automated welding system for steel construction.
The welding wire search system is successfully applied as an alternative to gas head searching, which greatly increases the flexibility of the welding robot.
Valk Welding starts with the sale of welding and cutting robot systems on the German market. Valk Welding now completely covers Western and Eastern Europe.
2011
22 March 2011: Valk Welding celebrates its 50th anniversary!
2011
Introduction of G3, Active Wire and Easy Programming during the Welding Week in Antwerp (Belgium).
2012
With the takeover of ADK Techniek, Valk Welding expands its delivery program with, welding colums, longitudinal welders, rotary welders and dedicated systems in various executions.
