We are very pleased to have taken a recent order on four Kemppi MasterMig 355 water cooled packages, along with the GTX SuperSnake 15m extended feeder option.

With many of our customers working in the shipbuilding industry, this system is the very best you can buy and perfect for aluminium vessel manufacture, fulfilling the brief for consistently reliable results in a wide range of unusual workspaces or close confines. One of our long standing customers, Aluminium Marine Consultants Ltd. who are based on the Isle of Wight, were delighted with their order, and happy customers mean we're happy too! Their mission of continual investment in state of the art equipment and machinery keeps their production reaching the highest standards possible in marine manufacturing, and we're proud to supply them as another local business.

The Kemppi MasterMig 355's have been designed with the input of professional welders, and the result is a MIG experience which elevates industrial welding performance and makes challenging steel, stainless steel, and aluminium welding tasks effortless and fast.

Along with four Kemppi MasterMig 355 water cooled systems, this recent order included the GTX SuperSnake 15m extended feeder. The SuperSnake provides superb extended reach feeding in-excess of 50 feet, meaning quality welding can be achieved in many different locations and spaces, improving productivity and personal safety - The ultimate synchronized sub-feeding system.

Serving the X5 FastMig and MasterMig systems, the GTX SuperSnake is an attractive alternative to motorised push-pull welding guns with limited reach, or heavy wire feeders with extended cable sets. TheGTX models feature 10/15/20/25m cable package options including a metal protection frame, digital metering, safety isolation switch, wire inch and a gas test buttons as standard. 

For more information on the Kemppi MasterMIg 355 or the SuperSnake GTX, contact Rapid Welding by telephone: +44 (0)2392 214 214 or email: webenquiries@rapidwelding.com.

For product features, options and accessories, visit KEMPPI. 

There’s nothing better when you’re researching a potential new purchase than an independent customer review, and let’s face it, choosing a welding helmet is a bit of a complex task, especially when searching the whole market as there is so much to choose from. With this in mind, we were delighted to offer one of our long-standing customers and experienced welder, Nick, the chance to review the Optrel Panoramaxx CLT 2.0 Auto Darkening Welding Helmet to try out, and he was kind enough to feedback his thoughts. 

First Impressions:

“There’s nothing not to like. But I’ll try and find something - Lol!”

A good start. Aesthetically pleasing, with the promise of high quality and advanced technology you would come to expect from Optrel, initial impressions are good.

On Comfort:

“I’m really impressed with it. It’s the small details. The comfort of the headband is amazing - comfort fit for any size cranium, and the overall weight is very light.”

The Panoramaxx CLT is fitted with Optrel IsoFit® headgear as standard, setting a new standard in terms of wearing comfort. It is the only product worldwide that can be adjusted in width, length, and height to suit any head shape, so that the helmet really does fit "like a glove". The Panoramaxx is also incredibly lightweight at only 550g.

On Visibility:

“Visibility, prior to and during welding is insane. I mean, I could see the grain cut on the material and any contaminants moving towards the outside of the molton weld pool as I was welding. The low-profile wide field of vision, like my free driving masks, is a nice feature and I can only see it being a good thing.”

The colour perception in the light state comes very close to the view through clear window glass and in the dark state you get a detailed and high contrast view of the welding pool in a clarity never seen before. As with eyeglasses, the ADF's frame becomes almost invisible to the welder, increasing the field of view by more than 6 times. 

On Detail:

“The small details of changing the grind function button to one that’s sealed, doesn’t trap grinding dust and stick, is great. It’s easy to locate and use – definitely an improvement. I also really like the easy to grab plastic toggle for pulling the mask down. Sounds silly, but it's something I’ve noticed makes life easier - Lol. Also, I’ve not changed one yet but I imagine, looking at the clips and tabs on the outside shield/screen, the new one will be easier to change.”

In Summary:

“I’ve got some aluminium jobs coming where I hope to put the Panoramaxx through its paces, high amps, bright arc AC. Be interesting to see how the auto shade copes. I currently have my Crystal 2.0 but I am definitely considering purchasing one of these. – a welder can never have enough screens!”

Thanks Nick!

If you want to find out more about the Optrel Panoramaxx CLT 2.0 Auto Darkening Welding Helmet, visit Rapid Welding online > www.RapidWelding.com

Or contact the team:

Email: webenquiries@rapidwelding.com

Tel: +44 (0)2392 214 214

Last month Isle of Wight’s CECAMM College hosted an Open Day, with students and staff on hand to showcase some of the great things they do including Marine, Electronics, Composites and Mechanical Engineering. 

We paid a visit before the big day to see the Lincoln Electric VRTEX 360 Compact Virtual Welder Training System in action (See our January BLOG), and we’ve been looking forward to catching up on how they’ve been getting on with it ever since!

The general feedback is that the VR system is amazing!

Obviously, the machine is for students to learn valuable skills and different types of welding on, but throughout the open day the staff and visitors seemed to enjoy having a go too!

Having loaned the VRTEX 360 for the event, CECAMM have now taken delivery of their own machine and one of the main reasons for the purchase was because of the huge value it brings to an educational setting. Prospective students can have a go at something they would come across in the workshop or work setting, but without the additional health or safety measures or PPE - which would happen with real-life welding, or even the possibility of not being able to have a go at all.

Welding learners can practice welding techniques in a safe virtual reality environment that brings the tools, settings, materials, visuals and sounds of the welding process to life. 

The VR System certainly enhanced CECAMM s open day but importantly, it’s also started up discussions about sustainability for the college’s current students: The students can get a feel for welding before moving on to using materials, which means that welders can practice real-world cutting applications with no hold ups, and it also means that waste will be greatly reduced.

The welding industry is facing a global skills shortage, and as Rapid’s Managing Director, Roy Edwards said, “(Lincoln Electric VRTEX Virtual Welding Systems) take the students from PlayStation to welding station. This engaging and measurable teaching aid goes a long way to inspiring our future welders, helping bridge the very real skills shortage we are all currently suffering from. Well done to CECAMM for making this investment.”

Follow CECAMM for news about their excellent facilities and teaching: HERE

Find out more about the Lincoln Electric VRTEX Virtual Welder Training Systems: HERE 

Workshop Assistant

Rapid Welding & Industrial Supplies Ltd

Location: Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire

Job Type: Workshop Assistant

Working Hours: 41.5 Hours per Week Monday to Thursday 0800 to 1700 Friday 0800 to 1600 30 minutes paid lunch

Salary: £15250.00 to £20500.00 Initially depending on age and experience Bonus Scheme OTE £1500+ p.a. (subject to initial probation of 3 months) Holiday: 20 paid days per year + bank holidays (Some leave mandatory for business closure between Christmas & New Year) Additional: Company clothing, PPE and tools supplied.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Rapid Welding & Industrial Supplies Ltd have been in business for over 30 years and is one of the largest independent welding suppliers in the UK. From our Head Office in Portsmouth we ship welding plant and consumables, worldwide, on a daily basis whilst our Service Centre in Hedge End, Southampton provides factory trained service engineers to meet our customers requirements.

JOB OVERVIEW

An Electrical Maintenance Engineer is required for our busy, expanding, welding machine supply company and will be Based at our busy workshop at Hedge End, the focus will be:

· Preparing equipment for Service Engineers

· Visiting customers sites to assist Service Engineers

· As part of a small team there is a general level of additional support required for your colleagues

· On the job and manufacture training will be provided.

Last week we had the pleasure of visiting CECAMM, the Isle of Wight’s centre of excellence for engineering education and training. Opened in 2017, CECAMM offers students the chance to gain knowledge and skills to enter their chosen field through engineering courses and apprenticeships, with the aim to create a world-class workforce and boost long-term economic success for the island.

The facilities at CECAMM are impressive to say the least. A modern purpose-built building, CECAMM has workshops and classrooms for study programmes such as Boat Construction and Design, CNC Programming, Fabrication, Marine Engineering and MIG, MAG and TIG Welding - it was for the latter programme that the college purchased three new Kemppi FastMig X's and three Kemppi MLS 3003 AC/DC Tig machines from Rapid for their welding bays!

There’s a huge range of industry standard equipment and machinery on hand to the students, and while CECAMM is a state-of-the art facility, learners have access not only to the very latest equipment but also older machines as well, affording the future generation of welders and engineers a broad range of experience and skills reflective of the demands of a real-world workplace.

Rapid has close ties to the Isle of Wight and a strong customer base, and we were delighted to have the opportunity to supply CECAMM once again with the latest cutting-edge training technology aimed at cultivating young welding talent efficiently, and this was the reason for our visit, to see the Lincoln Electric VRTEX 360 Compact welding simulator in action in a ‘classroom’ setting.  

Fully portable, the VRTEX 360 Compact can be set up anywhere and offers the following simulated processes:GMAW (Short Circuit, Spray, Pulse), GTAW (with Filler, Pulse with Filler, without Filler), FCAW (Gas Shield, Self shield), SMAW (E7018, E 6010, E60139). As one student interacts with the system, the rest of the group watches and learns through observation and group discussion. It was encouraging to witness a group of students in a session provide real-time feedback to each other, offering tips and making corrections – peer learning in all its effective glory.  One tutor noted that in a two hour session with the VRTEX 360 Compact, they hadn’t seen any of the students take their phone out once, highlighting instead the engagement shown and how the learning experience promoted discussion and inclusion, as well as a bit of healthy competitiveness! The VRTEX 360 Compact is definitely not going to be kept in a box for special occasions at CECAMM, this is going to be an invaluable training tool used on a daily basis! 

From a teaching perspective, the tutor explained that the VRTEX 360 Compact would make learning sessions much more effective and productive. Rather than teaching one student in a welding bay, they can teach a whole group of students together, before heading off into individual welding bays. It’s a great tool to digitally follow performance, progress, and improvements as well as maintaining a training record.

Fully portable, the VRTEX 360 Compact can be set up anywhere and even be linked to a big screen to allow for bigger audiences! The whole VRTEX 360 Compact set up is flexible enough to be taken into schools, encouraging young people to discover welding and consider it as a career choice. CECAMM are also hosting an open day this coming Saturday, so why not see for yourself the VRTEX 360 Compact in action?

As well as engaging our future welders, the VRTEX 360 Compact has other uses too. Qualified welders may want to prove their level of skill, or it may be a requirement of employment. The VRTEX 360 Compact allows greater flexibility in carrying out industry skill tests so welders can get to work.

Let’s talk waste! There can be a lot of waste in a welding college, and the cost and availability of steel to practice with can prevent delays in learning. Not a problem with the VRTEX 360 Compact system, which is easy to set up so welders can practice real-world cutting applications with no hold ups.

All in all, the VRTEX 360 Compact provides excellent welding training and optional thermal oxy-fuel cutting training in one virtual device. This one-of-a-kind feature allows the future generation of welders and engineers to develop their skills with the most current equipment available, helping them prepare for the future and hopefully successful and rewarding careers, They will certainly have an excellent start at CECAMM! 

Rapid’s Managing Director, Roy Edwards said, “Taking the students from Playstation to welding station. This engaging and measurable teaching aid goes a long way to inspiring our future welders, helping bridge the very real skills shortage we are all currently suffering from. Well done to CECAMM for making this investment.” 

Discover your future - CECAMM'S Open Day is Saturday 29^th January 22.

For more information about CECAMM and how to apply for engineering courses and apprenticeships, please visit their website: www.cecamm.co.uk.  

Visit Rapid to discover more about the Lincoln VRTEX® 360 Compact Virtual Reality Trainer. 

Electrical Maintenance Engineer

Rapid Welding & Industrial Supplies Ltd

Location: Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire

Job Type: Electrical Maintenance Engineer

Working Hours: 43.5 Hours per Week Monday to Thursday 0800 to 1730 Friday 0800 to 1600 30 minutes paid lunch

Salary: £27000.00 initially depending on experience.  Bonus Scheme OTE £3000+ p.a. (subject to initial probation of 3 months)

Holiday: 20 paid days per year + bank holidays (Some leave mandatory for business closure between Christmas & New Year)

Additional: Company clothing, PPE and tools supplied.

COMPANY OVERVIEW 

Rapid Welding & Industrial Supplies Ltd have been in business for over 30 years and is one of the largest independent welding suppliers in the UK. From our Head Office in Portsmouth we ship welding plant and consumables, worldwide, on a daily basis whilst our Service Centre in Hedge End, Southampton provides factory trained service engineers to meet our customers requirements.

JOB OVERVIEW

An Electrical Maintenance Engineer is required for our busy, expanding, welding machine supply company and will be Based at our busy workshop at Hedge End, the focus will be:

· Servicing and repairing of welding and welding related equipment

· Visiting customers sites to carry out servicing/validation/repairs

· As part of a small team there is a general level of additional support required for your colleagues

· On the job and manufacture training will be provided.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

· Electronics/Industrial Controls: 1 year (Required)

· Experienced in electronics / industrial controls. We can teach the electrical requirements for welding machines, so experience working with welding plant, whilst desirable, is not essential

· Welding plant: 1 year (Preferred)

· Minimum C grade in GCSE Maths & Science

· Qualifications in an electrical or mechanical discipline would be beneficial

· IT literate

· Calm under pressure

· Excellent communicator across all colleague levels

· The role will be fast-paced and challenging therefore you must have an adaptable and flexible attitude and approach, be prepared to work alongside your team and be driven to achieve a high level of service

· Driving licence required.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this job vacancy, please submit your CV to vacancies@rapidwelding.com.

Accounts Ledger Assistant

WORKING HOURS: 38.5 Hours per Week, Monday to Thursday 0830 to 1730, Friday 0830 to 1600. 60 minutes lunch

SALARY: £18000.00 HOLIDAY: 20 paid days per year + bank holidays (Some leave mandatory to cover period business is closed between Christmas and New Year)

JOB OVERVIEW Experienced Accounts Ledger Clerk, preferably with Microsoft Navision experience, required for our busy, expanding company. Based in our Portchester head office, the focus will be

• To assist Accounts Manager with the daily running of the accounts function within our business

• To include processing sales & purchase ledger entries, filing, scanning and general account office duties

• Resolve accounts/billing queries from customers • Assist with fraud prevention checks

• Credit control

• Data Entry

• As part of a small team there is a general level of additional support required for your colleagues 

IDEAL CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

• Accounts/Ledger department experience essential, minimum 2 years

• ‘C’ grade GCSE in Mathematics and English Language

• IT literate including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) essential, Microsoft Navision a benefit

• Online payment processing i.e. Paypal, would be advantageous

• Export document experience would be beneficial

• Calm under pressure – strict deadlines to be met.

• Attention to detail & accuracy essential

• Excellent communicator across all colleague levels

• The role will be fast-paced and challenging therefore you must have an adaptable and flexible attitude and approach, be prepared to work alongside your team and be driven to achieve a high level of service

• Discretion – as this role includes access to sensitive business and personal information, a high level of integrity and confidentiality is essential.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this job vacancy, please submit your CV to vacancies@rapidwelding.com

Lift it. Drag it. Pull it: The Kemppi SuperSnake GTX is the ultimate distance wire feeding system for those hard-to-reach welding sites. 

Providing an alternative to the motorized push-pull welding guns with limited reach, or heavy wire feeders with extended cable sets, the SuperSnake GTX features 10/15/20/25 metre cable package options and trouble free, automatic wire loading up to 30 meters from the primary wire feeder.

POWERFUL AND DURABLE WIRE FEED MECHANISM

As you would expect from Kemppi, the SuperSnake GTX brings better welding quality, improved power regulation and a whole host of other great features. 

USERBILITY Easy local control is achieved via the User interface, putting parameter adjustment, voltage control and general fine tuning at the welder’s fingertips. Large rubber control knobs allow for accurate adjustments to be made, and the clear metre display is easy to read in all light conditions and environments. 

THE PACKAGE The strong yet compact metal protection frame secures and supports the cables, connectors, and hoses, and can be easily opened for fast cable package management. The protection frame can also be used for suspending and hanging the SuperSnake GTX above the work area.SAFETY

The safety lock ON/OFF switch prevents welding with the primary welding system powered on; a valuable safety feature during rest breaks or moving welding locations.

For more information on the Kemppi SuperSnake GTX, contact Rapid Welding by telephone: +44 (0)2392 214 214 or email: webenquiries@rapidwelding.com