All about welding ... mostly

Last week, I attended the Schweissen & Schneiden International Trade Fair Joining Cutting Surfacing, commonly known as the Essen Welding Show, in Essen, Germany. The show comes around every four years and attracts thousands of attendees, primarily from Europe and Asia.

This was my first time attending the show and my first visit to Germany. I'm on sensory overload from both firsts. Here are some highlights from the show and my observations about the venue.

If you think welding and cutting are archaic processes that have changed very little over time, you're wrong. Every time I attend an industry tradeshow, I'm amazed at the innovation and improvement in welding equipment. The Essen show was no exception. Many of the booths I visited during my three days there featured new machines or prototypes that will be introduced at a later date—most at the FABTECH Intl.® & AWS Welding Show with Metalform in Chicago in November.

I stopped by to see Bug-O and saw a prototype of a new guide system. After showing me the system, Ed Celesti, company vice president of sales and marketing, said, "You have to see this," and escorted me to a Bug-O partner's booth to see a new product he believes is the answer to one of the most vexing problems for wind tower production—cutting precision manholes. Bialystok, Poland-based PROMOTECH showcased its MCM 2000 machine designed to automate cutting and beveling manholes. More than one exhibitor at Essen confirmed that cutting these manholes is by far the most difficult piece of the wind-tower-construction puzzle. PROMOTECH's exhibit drew much interest from both attendees and other exhibitors.

Behind the red door in the Henkel booth was a prototype of a machine that addresses the spatter issue in robotic welding. The company's goal at the show was to sell 20 of the machines for field testing and to introduce it at FABTECH 2010. I'm sworn to secrecy about this baby, so that's all I've got to say about that. If curiosity is getting the better of you, you might contact Paul Spackman, Henkel's global marketing manager, and see if you can break him.

The Hypertherm booth featured a prototype of a machine that uses the company's MTC software to optimize and simplify torch height control. The system is scheduled for introduction at FABTECH and will be ready for sale at the end of the year.

One of the most popular prototypes at the show was Lincoln Electric's next-generation virtual welding machine the VRTEX 360™. Dick Seif, senior vice president, global marketing and automation, showed me this machine that had attendees lined up to try it. The system is loaded with bells and whistles that provide an authentic welding experience minus consumable consumption, making it a green alternative to traditional welder training. This machine also will be introduced at FABTECH and should be on your short list of must-sees.

It would be impossible for me to cover all of the innovations exhibited at the show. The good news is you'll see many of them at FABTECH. Almost all of the exhibitors I visited said that they will be at the show in Chicago in November.

The Essen show venue was amazing and a maze—so many halls. I lost weight walking the show, in spite of the delicious pastries available at venue restaurants and in the press room. I have nothing but praise for Frau Luck and Frau Bender who staffed the press room that became my hangout when I needed to sit.

The parts of Germany that I saw were beautiful. The grounds at the Residenz hlenhorst in M lheim were breathtaking. I would have enjoyed them more if it had not been cool and rainy the entire time I was there.

Based on my visit, what they say about German (and Italian) drivers is true. Ah, the speed and the maneuverability. Makes all the heavy-footed people on Georgia 400 look like clumsy tortoises.

One thing I'm sure about is that I will not return to Germany without first learning the language ... at least enough to help me order food in restaurants where the servers speak little or no English. After establishing I spoke no German and being introduced to the sole server who spoke a little English, ordering my first meal went like this:

• Me (dumb American): "Do you have chicken?"
• Server (polite, patient German): "No chicken."
• Server points to menu item and says, "... you might have at Christmas."
• Me: "Turkey??"
• Server: "Yes!! Turkey!!
• Me: "I'll have it!"

Had it the next night too.

(I didn't have to speak the language to understand the angry looks and gestures of some drivers we encountered on the speedways.)

Auf Wiedershen!

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