Vertical integration at Langzauner: Part 2 – Welding technology
At Langzauner, we are proud to build every single one of our custom machines in-house. In our series on vertical integration at LZ, we would like to introduce our welding technology department in part 2:
Welding technology plays a pivotal role in production
Welding technology plays a pivotal role in custom machine construction at Langzauner, as it is essential for satisfying specific customer requirements in plant construction. With 15 skilled workers in the welding shop and state-of-the-art technology, Langzauner meets the highest standards for precision and quality.
Before the actual welding takes place, numerous work steps are carried out that have a significant influence on the quality. “After cutting to size, all components are sandblasted to remove the scale. The next step is measuring each element again to check the dimensional accuracy; only then is the tacking and welding carried out. There is still a great deal of manual work involved in our production. “I particularly value this, because you can personally contribute your experience and expertise,” explains welding technician Jan Strasser.
Welding technology requires high precision
It is not only manual welding skills that are relevant at Langzauner, a deep technical understanding is also required to comprehend and implement construction plans. “Accuracy in reading technical drawings is very important for our work. As an experienced welding technician, you know what to look out for and can also read large drawings faster in order to grasp all the information pertinent to welding,” explains Jan Strasser. Production Manager Stefan Strasser adds: “Reading plans, understanding complex components – as a welding technician at Langzauner, you have to use your head a great deal during work and you have to be fully focused at all times.”
Combination of manual and fully automatic welding
Langzauner uses state-of-the-art welding technology: “Whether fully automatic welding robots or manual welding processes, we make sure that the technical equipment is optimally suited to our production requirements. We want to achieve high quality with high levels of efficiency, and it is also important to us that all our welding colleagues are ideally trained in the various systems,” emphasizes Stefan Strasser.
Jan Strasser explains the choice of suitable welding processes: “We combine fully automatic and manual welding. Langzauner mainly carries out MAG welding, but we also use TIG welding for smaller components. Large parts that take a long time to produce are manufactured using the welding robot – this is more efficient and is carried out by specially trained colleagues. In manual welding, you have to master multi-layer welding in particular.”
Stefan Strasser adds: “For each component, a structural analysis is performed to determine what type of weld seam is required. This means that our welding technicians know exactly what work is to be carried out and how to do it in order to achieve the specifications. Each workpiece also undergoes a detailed inspection at Langzauner. Quality is our top priority and we can only achieve this with first-class personnel, which I’m pleased to say is exactly what we have in our welding shop.”
Short round of questions for welding technology
What is different for welding technicians at Langzauner than in other manufacturing companies?
Jan Strasser: “We work on many different orders. In other companies, welders always do the same thing, day-in, day-out. At Langzauner you are constantly challenged, so the work never gets tedious.”
What is the working atmosphere like in LZ production?
“Brilliant! We work well together, because everyone has a good sense of humor. It’s always a good laugh, and you need that in your day-to-day work,” explains Jan Strasser.
How important is working in a real family business to you?
“It’s very important to me. If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have such a good relationship with our boss. Production is also frequently in contact with everyone in the office because everyone knows everyone else here.”
Why should I apply to LZ as a welding technician?
Jan Strasser: “Because you have a new challenge with every component. Sometimes we produce large components, sometimes small ones – our work is greatly varied and you learn a lot.”
Does this sound like a dream job?