Winter Issue 2008 ［Vol.12 No.42］

What Does 2008 Hold for the Japan's Welding Industry?

WELDING CONSUMABLES
Forecast for 2008 domestic welding consumables total demand 355,200 tons, increased by 2.2% from the previous year

The priority is to maintain stable supply
To provide total solution with technical service, attractive offer and customer support

The welding industry in 2007 lifted with a continuous lucrative year due to the steady demand from shipbuilding, industrial machinery and automakers and steel-framed constructions.

WELDING MACHINES
Production forecast for 2008
Slightly declined to 147,000 units
produced with the total sales sum of 52.45 billion yen
Dully demand in automobile, but lively still in construction machinery and shipbuilding industries

ARC WELDING ROBOTS
Forecast for 2008
Shipments expected at 14,200 units (up by 0.7% from the previous year) at 54.5 billion yen in sum (up by 0.2%)
Stable supply and enhancement in service required for global operations

“Hanoi Iwatani Welding Seminar 2007”grandly held in Hanoi, Viet Nam
Approximately 350 welding technicians and students gathered
／Iwatani International Corporation

Air Liquide Group
Mr. Benoit Potier, CEO held
a press conference on a visit
to Japan
／Air Liquide Japan Ltd.

Kobe Steel, Ltd.Welding Company
Pursuing QTQ practices
To establish an optimal supply and backup systems fully utilizing the production and sales facilities worldwide
KWE to operate on 7,000 tons production annually, FCW for carbon & stainless steel combined in 2008

Panasonic / Matsushita
Welding Systems Co., Ltd.

Interview at US FABTECH & AWS Show
Current standing and the prospects by the leading manufacturers

A record number of exhibitors from the US and Europe, receiving orders at sites
New developments in the energy industry, shipbuilding to maintain high operations

The targeted sales amount, US$2.5 billion in 2008

The Lincoln Electric Company
●John M. Stropki Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Advanced technology to provide solutions

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products
●Jeff Hoffart Sr. Vice President & General Manager
Equipment, Cutting & Steel Industry Products

Integrating robots and power source to produce 30-40 systems annually

CLOOS Robotic Welding, Inc.
●Hartmut Boegel VP & General Maneger

Intensified sales with welding consumables for stainless steel, (manufactured by Avesta)

Bohler Welding Group USA, Inc.
●Friedhelm Luening President

Specialized in gas and plasma
large-scale cutting machines

MG Systems & Welding, Inc.
●Ronald W Schneider P.E. Vice President Marketing

Wide line-ups from large-scale automatic cutting machines
to potables

Hypertherm, Inc.
●Jeffrey P.Deckrow Regional Director, North America

The targeted sum,US$25 million in 2008

Bug-O Systems
●H.E.Cable Jr. President

Consumables for aluminum application, surpassing 8,000 tons in total sales annually

AlcoTec
●Tom Svoboda President

FABTECH International &
AWS Welding Show

Increased Japanese affiliated exhibitors drawing visitors' attention

Brisk sales talks backed by the lively Japanese automakers

■Kobelco Welding of America
■Daihen Inc.
■Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America
■Motoman Inc.

Friction Spot Joining
Flexible robotic applications appealing to
the plastics industry
Expanding sales in the automotive and agricultural machinery manufacturing markets

■Kawasaki Robotics (USA) Inc.

Duplex Stainless Steel welding consumable used widely in many applications!

■Avesta Welding AB

Photo Report

Driving force of
Koike Aronson, Inc/Ransome

High precision and quality appealing with welding sensor
Participating in Weld India in January and Japan International Welding Show in April

■SERVO-ROBOT GROUP

“G-Coat” titanium welding wire for GMAW and “WSR Series” for ferritic stainless steel welding wire

■Daido Steel Co., Ltd.

Proven turnkey supplier of arc welding robot systems

■CLOOS Robotic Welding, Inc.

Reinforce sales force for“Twister Series” plasma cutting machine
Placing showrooms in Chicago and Boston

■Komatsu America Industries LLC

“LMX VII” and “LMXR II” sales increasing in North America
Materialized high-speed and
high quality piercing process

All-round resistance welding machine manufacturer operating globally
Products widely used at automakers in the world

■Dengensha America Corporation
Ishihara Chemical Co., Ltd. into the limelight with spatter shielding agent
Ishihara Chemical Co., Ltd.