Människor
Budding sculptor makes his mark in welding contest
17 november 2020
Fabricator, Patrick Knighton, has won the inaugural Kemppi Australia 2020 Art of Welding Competition with his sculpture, Whale Shark.
Maria Skettos
The regional competition was open to anybody over the age of 18 involved with the ‘art of welding’, and a diverse and quality range of entries were received.
The winning entry, Whale Shark is made from mild steel and is about 40cm long. It sits on a hammered base that helps give the illusion of a shadow. MIG welded, the sculpture was heated to achieve the desired color and the pattern then added to help bring the piece to life.
Winning the competition is particularly valuable for Patrick because he is not a trained artist.
Patrick Knighton with his winning piece of art, Whale Shark.
The 32- year-old focuses on his sculptures whenever he finds the luxury of time in between his fabrication work. According to Patrick, running his Perth-based business in Australia, Deadbeat Fabrication, is demanding and time-consuming. “There is always something to do – rust repairs on cars, fabricating bars, trolleys, furniture, and other structures, as well as paperwork. So, finding the time to immerse myself in metal sculpting is not easy but it’s something I love,” he says.
Patrick first discovered his interest in sculpting about three years ago when his brother-in-law showed him how to shape metal to create a sunflower. “Working with your hands to turn nothing into something is pretty special. It is even more satisfying when people appreciate your work,” he said.
Inspired by Australian fauna
In particular, Patrick enjoys metal sculpting because he has the freedom to create whatever he pleases. His inspiration comes mainly from Australian fauna. He is a huge animal lover and the animals found in the Australian landscape are an abundant source of material for his sculpting.
His winning entry was inspired by a trip to Ningaloo in Western Australia. The Ningaloo Reef is one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world and the world’s largest fringing reef system. It is also where the endangered Whale Shark congregate between March and July to feed.
Asked what he found challenging about sculpting Whale Shark Patrick explains, “It was trying to bring this beautiful, gentle creature to life through my work. This meant that I had to rework the head a number of times, welding and reshaping its form and size until I was happy with the visual result. And that’s the thing about my Kemppi welder, I’m always pushing the machine and it never lets me down.”
Maria Skettos
Maria Skettos
An Australian-based Marketing, Social Media and PR specialist and sometime contributor to Kemppi with extensive experience in the B2C and B2B sectors.
Fler blogginlägg
Victorious football boot triumphed in a 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.
Människor
Rolex fixed by welding
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.
Manuell svetsning
Strawberries of steel in the parliament's garden
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.
Människor
How Rapid Welding and Kemppi Built a Partnership That Lasts
Rapid Welding has worked with Kemppi since the company opened in 1990. Co-founder and Managing Director Roy Edwards highlighted the principles behind that 36-year partnership, from choosing the right welding solution and supporting equipment throughout its life to addressing the skills shortage and finding the right place for automation and laser welding.
Automatisering av svetsning, Manuell svetsning, Svetsning ABC
Säkerhet som anpassas efter svetsarens utmaningar och varierande risker
Svetssäkerheten ställer allt större krav. Riskerna vid ljusbågen är desamma, men moderna arbetsförhållanden innebär att exponering kan lagras under längre arbetspass och i begränsade inomhusutrymmen. Följaktligen måste personlig skyddsutrustning för svetsning betraktas både som ett skydd för svetsaren och som ett bevis på att kraven uppfylls. Hos Kemppi utformas och valideras personlig skyddsutrustning för svetsning i praktiken genom tydliga krav, synpunkter från svetsare samt verifierad överensstämmelse med EU:s förordning 2016/425 om personlig skyddsutrustning, CE-märkningsprocesser och relevanta EN-standarder.
Säkerhet, Svetsning ABC
Eurosatory 2026 And the Future of Defence Manufacturing
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.
Digitalisering, Innovation
