Gases & Welding Distributor articles from January 2006

Gases & Welding Distributor archives from January 2006

Never get flashed.(Products)(Hobart Welders helmets)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Hobart Welders (www.hobartwelders.com) launched a line of variable-shade, auto-darkening helmets that feature a solar-assisted lens to automatically darken in 0.0000833 of a second after an arc start. The XTV line of helmets includes Hobart...

Sawing the moody metal: successfully bandsaw stainless steel with these tactics.(Sawing)(Cover story)
January 1, 2006... Stainless steel is, arguably, the metal most sensitive to bandsawing and blade condition. Variations in throughput and blade life are common even when sawing with the same blade type. One shop may saw through only 1 in.2/min and wear out a...

CGA implements new review process for publications.(GCA commentary)(Compressed Gas Association)
January 1, 2006... The CGA implemented a new work process for reviewing its publications. The purpose of the change is to improve the management of the publication committee's increasing workload and to assist in international harmonization of the process...

Harsco GasServ targets synergy and service: Scott Boyd, vice president sales and marketing Industrial Gas Products, Harsco GasServ, recently shared his insights on his company's new strategy that is designed to build synergies among its divisions and enhance its customer relationships.(Executive Perspective)(Harsco Gas and Fluid Control Groups)(Interview)
January 1, 2006... GWD: How would you characterize Harsco GasServ's relationship with distributors? Boyd: We always maintained excellent relationships with gas distributors. Our supply channels to the distributor market include the buying groups such as...

Welding industry wins significant court victory in Maryland case.(News)
January 1, 2006... The Maryland Court of Appeals handed down a victory to the welding industry on Jan. 6 in a ruling that said business insurance pollution exclusion clauses do not apply to liabilities that may arise from the uses of welding rods. "The...

Airgas expands Star.(News)
January 1, 2006... Airgas Inc. (www.airgas.com) will invest $7.5 million in a 42.5-percent increase in capacity at its Star, Miss., plant. The expansion will add 850 tons per day of liquid carbon dioxide capacity to the 2,000-ton-per-day facility and will include...

Linde makes bid for BOC Group.(News)
January 1, 2006... The German industrial gases giant Linde AG (www.linde.com) made an unsolicited, $13.54-billion takeover offer for British industrial gases giant BOC Group (www.boc.com) in late January, prompting speculation that Linde could become the world's...

Wildfire threat curbs welding in Oklahoma and parts of Texas.(News)
January 1, 2006... The threat of spreading wildfires caused the governor of Oklahoma and officials in several counties in Texas to order bans on outdoor welding and torch cutting, other "hot works" operations and such activities as the discharging of fireworks....

Linde Gas LLC announces restructuring.(News)
January 1, 2006... Linde Gas LLC (www.linde-gas.com) of Independence, Ohio, said it restructured its human resources, technical resources and financial operations in a move to become more efficient. As part of the reorganization, Jack Brull, senior vice...

Welding Distributors Co-op to sell pressure boosters for natural gas.(News)
January 1, 2006... G-TEC Natural Gas Systems (www.gas-tec.com) has named the Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative (www.weldmark.com) as the exclusive distributor for its natural gas pressure booster systems. The company says its torch boosters and...

Hypertherm shares profit from good year.(News)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Hypertherm Inc. had such a good year in 2005 that the company announced it provided $9.3 million to its profit sharing plan for the year. The company's contribution to its profit sharing plan was equivalent to 32 percent of each of its...

Thermatool installs 1200 kW output welder at Malaysian pipe mill.(News)
January 1, 2006... Thermatool Corporation (www.thermatool.com) announced it started a CFI 1200 (1,200-kW output) Solid State Induction Welder at Alpine Pipe Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia. The welding unit was installed on a new pipe mill supplied by Nakata...

Harsco GasServ.(People)
January 1, 2006... Harsco GasServ, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (www.harscogasserv.com), a division of Harsco Corp., named James E. Cline president of international compressed gas services and manufacturing company. Cline also will retain responsibilities for the direction...

Praxair Services Inc.(People)
January 1, 2006... Gerald Miller was named president of Praxair Services Inc., effective Jan. 1. He will have responsibility for Praxair's process and pipeline services, and leak detection and integrity assessment for its storage tanks and pipelines. ...

ORS Nasco.(People)
January 1, 2006... ORS Nasco, Muskogee, Okla.,(www.orsnasco.com) hired Gary Laudt as director of marketing--welding. Alan Kilian joined the ORS Nasco marketing team as director of marketing--power tools, power tool accessories and abrasives.

The National Private Truck Council.(People)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... The National Private Truck Council promoted Patricia S. Burke to the position of vice president for conference services. Burke has been with the organization for more than five years and previously was director of conference and meeting...

Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.(People)
January 1, 2006... Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc., Cleveland, (www.lincolnelectric.com) appointed Michael Whitehead chief counsel for intellectual property. Whitehead joins Lincoln from Calfee, Halter and Griswold LLP where he was a patent attorney. He reports to...

Salvagnini America Inc.(People)
January 1, 2006... Salvagnini America Inc., Hamilton, Ohio, (www.salvagnini.com) named Bill Bossard president of the company's North American unit. Bossard continues in his role as chief marketing officer and will perform a variety of executive duties in his new...

Tucker Induction Systems.(People)
January 1, 2006... Tucker Induction Systems, Shelby Township, Mich., (www.tuckerinductionsystems.com) appointed Micah Black chief engineer/sales engineer. Black will oversee the development and installation of all Tucker induction tooling.

Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.(People)
January 1, 2006... Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., Parsippany, N.J., (www.matheson-trigas.com) announced the following promotions effective Jan. 1, 2006: Ted Schwarzbach to executive vice president, electronics gas group; Rick Kowey to executive vice president, specialty...

Team Industries Inc.(People)
January 1, 2006... Team Industries Inc., Kaukauna, Wis., (www.teamind.com) named Gary Kohel vice president of sales and estimating. Kohel has been with the company for 14 years and most recently held the position of senior project manager.

Tregaskiss Ltd.(People)
January 1, 2006... Tregaskiss Ltd., Windsor, Ontario, (www.toughgun.com) announced Mike Russell joins the sales and marketing team as regional business manager for the company's Pacific Northwest region. Russell will report to Steve Saumier, director of sales,...

Robotic Industries Association.(People)
January 1, 2006... Trevor Jones has been selected president of the Robotic Industries Association, Ann Arbor, Mich., (www.robotics.org). Jones is currently the director of OEM Business Development for Thermo Electron Corporation's Laboratory Automation and...

Aida America.(People)
January 1, 2006... Aida America, Dayton, Ohio, (www.aida-america.com) named Robert Southwell national sales director. Southwell previously served Aida's North American Headquarters as appliance market manager.

Airgas Inc.(People)
January 1, 2006... Airgas Inc., Radnor, Pa., (www.airgas. com) appointed Max Hooper division president, west division, succeeding Al Crichton who will retire in June 2006. Glen Irving has been named president of Airgas West, succeeding Hooper.

Alloy Engineering Company.(People)
January 1, 2006... Mark Checkley has been appointed Midwest technical sales engineer for Alloy Engineering Company, Berea, Ohio, (www.alloyengineering.com). Checkley will be responsible for sales of the company's diverse line of high-temperature and...

Worthington Industries.(People)
January 1, 2006... Worthington Industries, Columbus, Ohio, (www.worthingtonindustries.com) appointed George P. Stoe executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Trace-nitrogen-in-argon analyzer.(Products)
January 1, 2006... The Series 1200 analyzer from GOW-MAC Instrument Co. (www.gow-mac.com) is designed to measure trace amounts of nitrogen in argon. Model 1200-A covers 0-2/0-20 parts-per-million (ppm) and Model 1200-B covers 0-20/0-200 ppm. Detection is based on...

Personal air cleaner and conditioner.(Products)(MST Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... MST Inc. (www.modsafe.com) launched a line of air purification equipment for use with supplied air respirators. The company says its Respiratory Protector Portable CO Removal Systems convert carbon monoxide (CO) into carbond dioxide...

Benzene detector.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Photovac Inc. (www.photovac. com/pr) introduced a portable photoionization monitor that is designed to detect benzene. The 2020gasPRO monitor uses pre-filter tubes from Drager Safety AG & Co. to operate as a single gas detection instrument.

Safe drop zones.(Products)(Blue Giant Equipment Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Blue Giant Equipment Corp. (www.bluegiant.com) offers a line of dock safety equipment that features door and dock guards. The XDS (extra dock safety) series of dock equipment safety guards is designed to prevent forklift trucks from rolling off...

Orbital welding.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Liburdi Dimetrics Corp. (www.liburdi.com) offers a 600-ampere welding system that features the company's Pulsweld technology, and up to eight servos for wire and motion control. The company says its Gold Track VI automated welding system is...

Speedy laser cutting.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Amada America Inc. (www.amada.com) says its FOL 3015NT model is the fastest laser-cutting machine in the world. The system features linear drives in the X, Y and Z axes; a high-speed, dual linear-drive gantry capable of moving the laser-cutting...

Restoring polished appearances.(Products)(J. Walter Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... J. Walter Inc. (www.walter.com) says its Poli-Quick Discs can provide a No. 2 satin finish and a No. 7 polished finish to stainless steel and nonferrous metals. The discs are available with 600 grit, 1,200 grit and 2,000 grit, and are designed...

Abrasive grind and blend kit.(Products)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Rex-Cut Products Inc. (www.rexcut.com) is offering a grind and blend kit that can be used to grind out cracks and remove heavy welds then provide a finish on stainless steel. The Rex-Cut grind and blend kit includes a Sigma Green wheel with...

Protective clothing.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Torch Wear's (www.torchwear.com) new protective overalls, aprons and coats are made from CarbonX fabric. The fabric is made from oxidized polyacrylonitrile fiber that has been spun with an aramid strengthening agent. The company says the fabric...

Earplug dispenser available.(Products)(Howard Leight LS-400)
January 1, 2006... The Howard Leight LS-400 Leight Source plastic earplug dispenser from Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group (www.hearingportal.com) is designed for wall mounting or tabletop use, and can dispense as many as 400 pair of earplugs. The company says...

Safety slide.(Products)(Fortress Interlocks)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Fortress Interlocks (www.fortressinterlocks. com) introduced a new design for its safety slide that controls access to enclosed areas or to machines. The safety slide is designed for use with the company's AutoStop gate switch unit and has an...

Speedy robot.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Panasonic Factory Solutions Co. (www.panasonicfa.com) developed a family of robots powered by the company's embedded arc control (EAC) technology that merges the robot, welder and wire-feeder controls into one unit housed within the robot...

Northrop Grumman Corp.(Snapshot)
January 1, 2006... Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Ship Systems sector (www.northropgrumman. com) has three shipyards along the Gulf Coast that were in the path of Hurricane Katrina. The shipyard in Avondale, La., (Northrop Grumman's New Orleans Operations) had the...

Laser Systems Product Group.(Snapshot)
January 1, 2006... According to a recent report from the Laser Systems Product Group of the Association for Manufacturing Technology (www.mfgtech.org), industrial laser shipments were up 10 percent in 2005. Shipments of industrial laser equipment and systems...

Airgas, Inc.(Snapshot)
January 1, 2006... Airgas, Inc. (www.airgas.com) announced Jan. 4 that it acquired Oxygen Service Company, Inc., headquartered in Macon, Ga., and with four other locations in central and southern Georgia. Airgas separately announced it also acquired...

National Association of Manufacturers.(Snapshot)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... A recent survey by the National Association of Manufacturers, that included welders and fabricators, shows that U.S. manufacturing businesses will have a diminishing ability to compete globally because of a growing shortage of qualified...

Microtech Welding Corporation.(Snapshot)
January 1, 2006... Microtech Welding Corporation, a precision microscopic and laser welding service based in Fort Wayne, Ind., relocated in early January 2006 to a new production and office building. The company's 7,500-square-foot, $400,000 building was...

On Dec. 20, an Illinois appellate court upheld a 2001, $1-million negligence and product liability award against Lincoln Electric Company, Hobart Brothers Company and Airco/The BOC Group, Inc.(Snapshot)
January 1, 2006... On Dec. 20, an Illinois appellate court upheld a 2001, $1-million negligence and product liability award against Lincoln Electric Company, Hobart Brothers Company and Airco/The BOC Group, Inc. The liability award came from a four-week trial in...

G-TEC Natural Gas Systems.(Snapshot)
January 1, 2006... G-TEC Natural Gas Systems (www.gas-tec.com) named the Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative (www.weldmark.com) as the exclusive distributor for its natural gas pressure booster systems. The company says its torch boosters and refuelers...

Gaining distance from fume litigation.(Viewpoint; gas industry cases)
January 1, 2006... The law, I once was told, is not about the truth. It's a contest between different versions of the truth. The man who told me this was a distinguished judge. I was a rookie reporter honored to join him in chambers while a jury deliberated...

Giving it the gas.(Web Wise)
January 1, 2006... Acme Cryogenics has redesigned its website, www.acmecryo.com, to limit confusion and the time that it takes to load pages. The company says the new design includes an easy-to-navigate product catalog, clean, structured product pages, and...

Blogging for news.(Web Wise)
January 1, 2006... Northwire Inc. has added a weblog to its website at www.northwire.com/weblog. The company has built RSS (resource description framework site summary) syndication into the site so subscribers who have RSS newsreader software on their...

Robotic shopping.(Web Wise)
January 1, 2006... Kuka Robotics Corp. has launched an Internet site at www.kukaregistration.com to provide help and information to manufacturers who are considering purchasing robotic packaging equipment and systems. The site offers case studies, references,...

Many mini-websites.(Web Wise)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Miller Electric Mfg. Co. has launched three additions to its www.millerwelds.com site. The first, www.millerwelds.com/ams, is for the company's advanced manufacturing systems group, and provides details and provides details about the Axcess and...

Seizing the future: Weldstar invests today with an eye toward tomorrow.(Feature)
January 1, 2006... No one would accuse Weldstar Inc. (www.weldstar.com) of being unconcerned about the future, although Joseph V. Winkle, vice president of finance, says the company does not focus on a five- or 10-year business plan but looks at what it can do...