ExpoWelding

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

MIG/MAG (GMAW)

Gas metal arc welding with a continuously fed wire electrode. MIG uses inert shielding gas, typically for aluminium and stainless; MAG uses an active gas mix and is the workhorse process for carbon steel fabrication.

2

TIG (GTAW)

Gas tungsten arc welding: a non-consumable tungsten electrode creates the arc and filler wire is fed separately. Chosen for thin sheet, stainless, aluminium and root passes where cleanliness and control matter more than speed.

3

MMA (SMAW)

Manual metal arc or stick welding, using a flux-coated consumable electrode. Still the standard for site work, repair and structural steel where wind and access rule out gas shielding.

4

FCAW (flux-cored arc welding)

Arc welding with a tubular wire filled with flux, self-shielded or gas-shielded. Popular for thick sections, outdoor fabrication and higher deposition rates than solid wire.

5

SAW (submerged arc welding)

Arc welding under a blanket of granular flux, used for long straight seams in heavy plate such as pressure vessels, wind towers and girder webs.

6

Shielding gas

The gas or gas mixture that protects the molten weld pool from atmosphere. Argon, CO2 and argon-CO2 or argon-oxygen mixes each change penetration profile, spatter level and bead appearance.

7

Filler metal

The wire, rod or electrode added to a joint. Its classification must match the base metal, the process and the required mechanical properties, and it drives much of the consumables spend at a show like this.

8

WPS and PQR

Welding Procedure Specification and its supporting Procedure Qualification Record. The WPS tells the welder the permitted parameters; the PQR is the test evidence proving that procedure produces sound joints.

9

Welder qualification

Documented testing of an individual welder against a standard such as ISO 9606 or ASME IX, recording the processes, positions, material groups and thickness ranges they are approved for.

10

ISO 3834

The quality requirements standard for fusion welding of metallic materials. Certification signals that a fabricator controls welding coordination, consumables storage, equipment and inspection, and it is frequently demanded by European customers.

11

EN 1090 execution classes

The European framework for steel and aluminium structures, with EXC1 to EXC4 setting increasingly strict requirements on welding coordination, inspection and documentation.

12

Heat-affected zone (HAZ)

The base metal next to the weld that is thermally altered but not melted. HAZ hardness and toughness often govern whether a procedure is acceptable in pressure, low-temperature or high-strength applications.

13

NDT / NDE

Non-destructive testing or examination: visual, penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic and radiographic methods used to verify weld soundness without cutting the joint.

14

Cladding and hardfacing

Depositing a wear- or corrosion-resistant layer onto a cheaper base material. Common in mining, cement, power and tooling, and typically shown alongside welding equipment at regional trade fairs.

15

Robotic welding cell

An integrated package of robot arm, welding power source, positioner, fixturing and safety guarding. The economics depend on batch size, part repeatability and the time lost to re-fixturing.

16

Cobot welding

A collaborative robot arm used for welding, often with simplified programming and force or speed limits. It suits small shops with high mix and low volume that cannot justify a fenced cell.

17

Seam tracking

Sensor-based correction of the torch path during welding, compensating for fit-up variation, distortion and fixture tolerance in automated joints.

18

Weld monitoring and data logging

Recording current, voltage, wire feed and travel data per joint. It supports traceability for structural and pressure work and is increasingly tied to Industry 4.0 production records.

19

Fume extraction

Local exhaust or general ventilation that removes welding fume at the arc. A health-compliance purchase, not an accessory, and increasingly regulated in European workshops.

20

Duty cycle

The percentage of a ten-minute period a power source can run at a stated current without overheating. It decides whether a machine survives production welding or only light repair work.