Budding sculptor makes his mark in welding contest

The 2018 FIFA World Cup stirred up the whole Russia. Even those who had never been interested in sports watched the magnificent game of the Russian team with a sinking heart. Years from now, the world will still remember how Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, falling down, repelled the opponent's shot with his foot in the penalty shoot-out after the match with Spain in the 1/8 finals.

People

A Norwegian Rolex owner saved a fine sum of money when the wristband of his valuable timepiece was fixed by welding. The owner tried to take the watch to various watchmakers in Oslo to have it repaired. Several attempts were made to fix the wristband by, for instance gluing, but they all failed. One of these craftsmen suggested welding to fix the wristband but did not want to try it himself, in case the heat was to cause even more damage.

Manual welding

Hundreds of meters of weld seams run through petioles in Jukka Lehtinen’s piece of art. Large flowers extend as high as three and a half meters, and two vast strawberries of steel hang in the air, weighing over 100 kilograms each. This piece of art, commissioned by the Finnish Parliament, was made with Kemppi equipment.

People

Welding safety has become increasingly demanding. The hazards at the arc remain constant, but modern working conditions mean exposure can accumulate over longer shifts and in tighter indoor spaces. As a result, welding PPE needs to be treated as both protection for the welder and proof of compliance. At Kemppi, welding safety PPE is designed and validated in practice through clear requirements, welder-led feedback, and verified compliance with EU PPE Regulation 2016/425, CE marking processes, and relevant EN standards.

Safety, Welding ABC

Eurosatory 2026 highlighted a clear shift in modern defence manufacturing. While defence systems are becoming more digital, networked, and autonomous, their foundation remains physical. From armoured vehicles and artillery to industrial resilience, welding quality, steel structures, and production discipline remain paramount to defence readiness.

Digitalization, Innovation

The AITOOLS1 webinar explored how AI-assisted process control, machine vision, synchronized data, and machine learning models are advancing robotic welding automation, improving quality management, traceability, and production flexibility for demanding industrial production.

Welding automation, Innovation, Digitalization