KEMPPI’s future proof manufacturing
Kemppi, the leading European arc welding technology company in India, redefines what is possible in the connected welding world. With its roots in Finland, this innovator of digital welding continues to grow in India.
“Innovation has always been at the core of Kemppi’s operations. We like to think that by continuously challenging conventional ways of manufacturing, it is possible to create new, more productive and safer ways to manufacture. Today, welding innovation is enabled by digitalisation. We talk about the Internet of WeldingTM, meaning globally connected manufacturing from the welders on the shop floor to universal multi-site welding management,” says Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Managing Director of Kemppi India.
Kemppi – Company facts
• Founded in 1949
• Specialised in arc welding
• Headquarters in Lahti, Finland
• Over 600 employees
• More than EUR 110 million in revenue
• Offering consists of MIG, TIG, stick (MMA) for manual, mechanised and automated welding, welding software, and expert services
• Offices in 16 countries and the APC hub in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Two production plants in Lahti, Finland, and one in Chennai, India
• Distributors in over 60 countries
• Clients worldwide: regular export to over 70 different countries
• Owned and headed by the Kemppi family
• ISO3834-2, ISO9001, and ISO14001 certified
Manufacturing is estimated to have an enormous impact on the well-being of Indian economy according to the Make in India initiativeof the current Government. Currently contributing 14% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the share of manufacturing is estimated to be up to 20% of the GDP of India in 2020.
“Achieving this growth demands a lot from all links in the manufacturing value chain. That is where digital welding can help by simplifying welding production, traceability and WPS management,” states Mohapatra.
Enormous need for qualified welders by 2020
With customers in railway, power, automotive and shipbuilding industries, Kemppi offers complete solutions of welding equipment, software and services for manual, mechanised and automated welding worldwide. In the last few years, welding quality management has been in the spotlight across several industries.
“In India, manufacturing companies are searching for more quality systemswhich are integrated with EN/ASMEstandards. There will be an enormous need for qualified welders within the coming years. It has been estimated that India needs up to five million new qualified welders by 2020. This is a challenge for the whole manufacturing industry, and Kemppi wants to take a central role in this development,” Mohapatra continues.
Kemppi works closely together with national welding institutes, universities, and other professional development organisations. It is a member of a network covering 25 universities and colleges in India targeting to develop modern welding skills. The new skillset combining MIG, MAG, MMAand TIGwith new generation technology is critical in ensuring the quality of welding in the midst of new materials andtechnologies, complex end-products and versatile customer demands.
R&D&I as the heart of Kemppi
“Research, development and innovation (R&D&I) form the heart of Kemppi. 10% of our annual turnover is allocated to R&D activities, and up to 50% of our development resources is dedicated to product testing. All this builds on our understanding of our customers’ needs and challenges as well as our commitment to solve them as intelligently as possible,”saysMohapatra to describe the core of the company.
Investments in R&D have certainly paid off. Kemppi was the first company in the welding world to introduce the inverter power source already in the 1970s. Since then, inverter technology has established its position as the most common power source technology in the world. The company continued to redefine existing technology solutionsand was the first manufacturer in the world to use digital welding technology already in 1993.
Quality welds require quality equipment
The full potential of the Internet of WeldingTM was harnessed when Kemppi launched WeldEye, the universal welding management software in 2016. Last yearalso saw the rise of the most intelligent industrial welding system, the X8 MIG Welder, with native connectivity to the Internet, extremely precise and fast control of the arc, digital WPS feature, and an advanced yet practical Control Pad for the remote control of the welding system.
“We also have our own component development to ensure our customers get sustainable premium products. The truth is that you cannot expect to have quality welds without quality equipment,” summarises Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Managing Director of Kemppi India.
– P.K. Balasubbramaniian
