Expertise in Aluminium Welding

Swiss company counts on multiprocess welding systems

Allucan AG was founded in 1962 in Bremgarten, Switzerland. The company's portfolio encompasses the production of prototypes and series components for various industries, including railroad, transportation, power and high-current transmission technology, shipbuilding, and aircraft technology. Welding is carried out using sophisticated robotic welding systems and manual welding equipment. When performing manual welding tasks, the aluminium experts turn to the iWave AC/DC Pro 500i multiprocess welding system from Fronius.

Comprehensive service and innovative production

Allucan offers a 360° service from consultancy, design and mechanical processing right to final production. Thanks to flexible manufacturing technologies, the company can produce prototypes quickly and efficiently, while automated processes facilitate the production of higher quantities with consistent quality. Individual customer requirements are transformed into customized solutions with the help of detailed analyses.

Certified quality and innovative strength

The Swiss aluminium experts are committed to quality standards, underlined by certificates in accordance with ISO 9001:2015, DIN EN ISO 3834, DIN EN 1090, DIN EN 15085, and DIN 2303, as well as DNV Workshop Approval. The know-how and experience of the workforce have been key success factors for many years. In the locomotive vehicle construction sector in particular, the company has developed a number of innovative solutions tailored to specific industry requirements.

Feasibility studies and quality controls

Before new components go into production, Allucan conducts comprehensive feasibility studies. First, the design drawings are checked in close collaboration with the customer and adapted if necessary, until the ideal welding conditions for the welding sequence and the layer build-up are guaranteed. During the subsequent process and work sample tests, a range of test methods are used to ensure the quality of the weld seams, including visual inspection, dye penetration, ultrasonic and X-ray tests, all of which are carefully documented to prove compliance with the standards. These tests are further complemented by technological material tests and the production of micro and macrosections.

Once the feasibility tests are complete, the company produces both painted and unpainted component samples for First Article Inspection (FAI) by the customer. Series production can only commence once the customer has given their approval on site at the Bremgarten plant. Before finished components are ready for picking, they undergo a detailed final inspection, which includes a digital 3D measurement using a special mobile camera to check for possible dimensional deviations and distortions. The end products are only delivered once all tolerances satisfy the customer’s requirements.

Transformer enclosures and special housings for electric locomotives

Allucan manufactures lightweight transformer enclosures and special housings from aluminium, which are primarily used in high-performance locomotives and high-speed trains. Such aluminium housings increase the energy efficiency of locomotives, while also complying with strict safety requirements. This demands precisely placed welds with consistent geometries and layer build-ups. Up to 20 or more weld layers have to be produced, depending on the material thickness.

Welding often takes place using the TIG welding process, which brings several advantages. For example, TIG enables the welder to produce flawless, flat welds, which guarantee an optimum basis for the subsequent layer build-up, while the smooth TIG beads minimize the risk of notch effects, which enhances the structural integrity of the welded joints. MIG welding – which is particularly suitable for thicker materials – is used to build up the layers. It allows high welding speeds and offers good control over the weld. This is where the iWave AC/DC Pro 500i multiprocess welding machine excels, guaranteeing welding quality without compromise for every single weld. One particular advantage of this welding machine is the rapid and straightforward changeover from TIG to MIG and vice versa.

CEO Markus Jäger highlights the advantages of the iWave welding system: “Thanks to Fronius, we can switch flexibly between the different welding processes at the touch of a button. This flexibility – in particular the savings in working time and space requirements – is greatly beneficial to us. All Fronius welding machines stand out due their exceptional service life and stability, and especially noteworthy is the availability of spare parts for many years, which ensures that we can continue to rely on the devices in the long term. That’s why they are so popular with us.”

Innovative welding technology

With the iWave AC/DC Pro 500i, the welding experts at Allucan have a versatile device at their fingertips that takes care of every process. Advanced technologies such as CycleTIG enable control of the heat input and guarantee control over the arc. The RPI auto intelligent ignition function ensures fast and reproducible ignitions regardless of the material properties, without a need to manually adjust the ignition parameters. The welding packages Standard, Pulse, PMC (Pulse Multi Control), LSC (Low Spatter Control), and CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) are available to satisfy the various welding requirements.

When it comes to modern connectivity, the iWave is equipped with all the common communication standards. Allucan's welding technicians can quickly and wirelessly connect peripheral devices to the welding machine – such as the high-tech Vizor Connect welding helmet, which, in combination with a fresh air blower, reduces exposure to welding fume by up to 99 %. Furthermore, iWave devices can be integrated into the company network via WiFi in order to carry out firmware updates. The WeldCube Premium welding database is available for seamless documentation of welding data. Intelligent management, statistics and analysis functions – including visualizations – support welding production controlling.

A user management feature allows Allucan managers to define individual access rights for each welding specialist. When the welder logs in with a key card or key fob, the system immediately recognizes their corresponding authorizations thanks to NFC (Near Field Communication). To protect the tungsten electrode during TIG welding, automatic gas post-flow can be activated, with the post-flow time being calculated by the software depending on the set welding current and electrode diameter.

Influence of welding torches and hosepacks on welding quality

When it comes to welding quality, the choice of welding torch and hosepack is decisive. In addition to the iWave, ALLUCAN AG uses innovative high-tech torches from Fronius, which ensure an optimum shielding gas flow. This is essential for uniform gas coverage during welding, because inadequate gas coverage can promote the formation of pores and make the welds susceptible to contamination.

The design of the side wall of the welding torch also plays an important role: a sub-optimal shape can cause turbulence in the shielding gas, which leads to insufficient penetration and the formation of so-called weld flashes – weak points that can impair the structural integrity of the weld seams. Fronius welding torches are fully leak-tight, enable effective cooling and are characterized by their sidewall design, which keeps the arc stable.

(Source: Fronius Deutschland GmbH)