Welding is considered to be the backbone of the manufacturing sector. Being an industry leader in welding, Kemppi has been supporting developments in the Indian manufacturing sector with its state-of-the-art welding machines that offer the industry’s best features. A pioneer in the industry, Kemppi has introduced the world’s first inverter power source, digital power source, Universal Welding Management software and many more. In this interview, Ajay Trikha, Managing Director - India, Kemppi India Pvt Ltd, highlights on the demand for automation and robotics in welding and the company’s growth plans.

As the head of an internationally leading welding company KEMPPI, what are your priorities at present? How do you intend to take Kemppi India's growth story forward?
The prime focus during this pandemic time is the health and safety of our employees and customers along with the business continuity. The Covid-19 pandemic has left the market still unstable. As a team, we are tackling this situation to ensure that our customers are not getting affected and we have been successful in providing timely solutions for our customers. We have defined proper guidelines for ensuring the smooth flow of business.

How is Kemppi fulfilling the welding needs of the manufacturing industry?
The manufacturing industry is booming in India. Welding being the backbone of the manufacturing industry, Kemppi provides the industry's best solution for welding applications. Our government is encouraging the manufacturing sector with many new schemes and is going to witness a boom. Kemppi being an industry leader in welding, offers innovative welding solutions to the manufacturing sector in India. Our state-of-the-art welding machines offer the industry's best features. Kemppi is committed to providing customers the best welding solutions.

What are the key challenges before welders today? How is your company helping them solve these challenges?
There is dearth of skilled welders in our country. Welding being a profession that requires dexterity, we need to focus on upskilling our welders by providing them access to modern technologies in welding. Kemppi India is playing a major role in this. As you all know we are associated with many institutes across India which include ITIs, SDIs, engineering colleges, NGOs, etc. Since the inception of Kemppi in India, this has been an area of importance for us. To facilitate further, we organise many events and programs for students and welders to motivate them to develop a successful career in welding – Women Welder Competition, Young Engineers Competition, to name a few.

Is demand for automation and robotics growing in welding? What are the growth drivers?
The pandemic situation has triggered demand for robotics and automation in all the sectors, not only in welding. We are witnessing a huge demand for robotic welding applications. Our A7 Robotic welding equipment offers the best solution for robotic welding applications. Kemppi A7 welding machine can be easily integrated with any robot brand. The booming automobile sector is a clear indicator for the future surge in demand for robotic solutions. Our products are equipped with the most advanced technologies in the market. This makes Kemppi the preferred partner for many welding robot manufacturers.

Any plans to launch new products in India in the coming months? If yes, please elaborate
Kemppi is the pioneer in the welding industry. We have introduced many breakthrough technologies in the welding market. Our products have received many prestigious awards including the Red dot design award. Yes, there are upcoming product launches. Soon, we will be sharing the official updates.

What are the main hurdles for the growth of the welding industry in India? What are probable solutions for it?
The pandemic has affected the welding industry also. We can see the repercussions in almost all sectors of manufacturing except a few. The availability of skilled welders is another challenge faced by the welding industry. As a pioneer in the welding industry, we are always committed to upskilling the welders. Kemppi has always been with the welders, taking feedback from them and we are committed to providing solutions for their welding challenges. Welders are our heroes. We strive to deliver the best possible tools for them by combining user-centricinnovations with supreme quality. Our new brand slogan itself depicts the same, “designed for welders”.

How important is skilled manpower for the success of the welding industry? How is your company helping in skill development in the welding industry?
Welding is a skill that requires dexterity. The skilled manpower is one of the parameters in producing quality welds along with other technical parameters. The welders gain this hand flexibility over the years through practice. Kemppi has always been playing a major role in training and upskilling welders. Over the years with our tie-up with major skill development institutes, educational institutes and other NGOs, we have successfully trained welders and helped them to explore new arenas in welding. Students in various technical institutes with whom we have tie-ups get the opportunity to practice welding our new machines and thus they get the chance to stay abreast.

Is rising raw material prices a concern for the welding industry?
Yes, like any other industry, we are also facing challenges with the increase in price of raw materials. There is a gap between the supply and demand of quality raw materials. This is a challenge and will be a challenge for the industry.

What are emerging trends in the welding industry?
The welding industry is rapidly changing. Welding machines are getting smarter with Industry 4.0 connectivity and integrated software solutions. The modern welding machines are highly sophisticated; you can control the welding process from long distances. The welding parameters can be altered remotely, and we can track each weld parameter on our smartphones from a remote location. Kemppi is the pioneer in the welding industry. We have introduced the world’s first inverter power source, digital power source, Universal Welding Management software and many more. Our welding machines are Industry 4.0 ready. WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) is an area of focus for the welding industry. We have successfully designed multiple projects using WAAM in our solution centers which are equipped with state-of-the-art Kemppi A7 Robotic welding machines.

What will be the effect of the rise in electric vehicles on the demand for welding?
We are in a phase of transition, frompetroleum-powered cars to electric. Our government is facilitating this transition to be faster with many schemes like FAME. Indian manufacturers along with other globally renowned manufacturers are setting up their EV car production units in our country. Welding is one of the major processes in automobile manufacturing, and this growth in new production units has created a demand for advanced machines. This has a positive impact on the demand for welding machines. As in other industrial segments, Kemppi is the preferred partner for many automobile manufacturers. We are committed to boosting the quality and productivity of welding.

What are your growth plans for your company?
As I mentioned earlier, we are working together as a team to provide the best services to our customers, ensuring the safety of our team and customers during these unprecedented times. Year 2020 was unpredictable, novel challenges are coming up, and the same trend is continuing. The industrial sector is recouping from the effects of the pandemic. We have upgraded our product line with new products including X5 Fast Mig, new torches.

As a team, we are committed to providing the best experience to customers. We strive to deliver the best possible tools for them by combining user-centric innovations with supreme quality. Kemppi’s design focuses on developing arc stability and welding properties and improving the welding experience of individual welders.