Lorch stands for Smart Welding. The company always strives to find solutions that improve the future of its customers. With the current key projects, Lorch aims to offer the best solution for the current needs of the customers.
The shortage of skilled workers is increasing and even highly qualified welders need more and more support. The Cobot Welding Package from Lorch is an answer to this challenge.
In general, it is important for all products that technological progress does not increase complexity, but rather makes work easier for our customers.
Therefore, Lorch has developed the MicorMIG and MicorMIG Pulse product series in the field of MIG-MAG welding, which help customers to use high-tech technology in a practical way. For example, customers can ensure production processes via NFC cards and the associated user management to guarantee the highest quality in welding.
For all these solutions, Lorch additionally offers integration into the cloud-based system Lorch Connect. This enables customers to easily get started with Industry 4.0 and connectivity.
Interview with Jonas Kappel, Head of Product Management & Marketing at Lorch Schweißtechnik GmbH.
Easy Engineering: Especially at this time, what are the needs of your customers?
Jonas Kappel: In turbulent economic times, when our customers are struggling with supply chains, prices and competitive pressure, we need to make the world a simpler place for them. Simpler means that we try to provide the highest level of productivity and efficiency, as well as the solutions required for production. In this way, we create reliable investment security. Our customers invest in their future. In doing so, they try to find better solutions to solve welding tasks more efficiently, more productively and at a higher level of quality. The market of our customers requires high quality products, but at the same time, they are under cost pressure. The answer to this must be higher efficiency and productivity. Therefore, we are in close dialogue with our customers, since the welding processes are not always at the productivity level they could be. To solve our customer’s problems and to create solutions according to their needs, we create and develop products such as the Cobot Welding Package, the MicorMIG series and Lorch Connect.
E.E: Why do customers choose your products/solutions?
J.K: We have very close relationships with our customers because we listen to their concerns and care for their needs. Each customer can speak best for themselves. Ultimately, an investment in welding technology has always two considerations. First, a product solution must prove that it is capable of solving the customer’s problem and that it performs well. Does it increase the productivity, quality and efficiency? Secondly, our customers must be confident that they will receive the best and quickest possible support for any issues that may arise after the sale, including service and technical support.
E.E: Can we dig a little deeper into the solutions and products you are using in current projects?
J.K: Let’s start with the Cobot Welding Package:
Collaborative robots, so-called cobots, are easy to operate, can be used quickly and flexibly, and are ideal for small and medium-sized companies due to their very good price-performance ratio. With the “Lorch Cobot Welding Package”, companies can tap into completely new potential in terms of efficiency and welding quality. Digitization and automation not only increase the productivity of every existing welding team significantly, but also make companies fit for the future as they play an important role in compensating for the ever-growing shortage of skilled workers.
The innovative “Lorch Cobot Welding Package”, consisting of a collaborative robot (Cobot), the “Lorch Cobotronic Software” and a Lorch welding system including a high-performance torch, makes it easy to automate welding processes and optimize workflows. Commissioning of the system, including intensive training on specific work pieces, takes place on site at the respective companies.
In doing so, we have realized many different customer projects and successfully implemented them with our customers.
Jonas Kappel, Head of Product Management & Marketing at Lorch Schweißtechnik GmbH
Find more information on:
https://www.lorch.eu/de/loesungen/referenzen/case-hp-kaysser
https://www.lorch.eu/de/loesungen/referenzen/case-hodapp
https://www.lorch.eu/de/loesungen/referenzen/case-resch
Let’s take a closer look at Lorch Connect:
Lorch developed Lorch Connect to support welders and welding supervisors in their workflows and to make their productivity and their own value chain fully transparent and traceable. In our opinion, the solution for small and medium-sized companies is not to build their own large IT infrastructure. This often exceeds the budget of such companies. However, there are exceptionally smart solutions that come from cost-effective connectivity and the consistent use of cloud technology.
For more than ten years, Lorch has equipped its welding systems with “LorchNet”, a uniform digital interface. This has enabled Lorch to create a comprehensive range of welding systems that can be connected fast and easy. Our latest digital addition – “Lorch Connect” – now enables systems to be Industry 4.0 ready without any major installation effort.
The biggest advantage is that Lorch Connect offers a user-friendly and uncomplicated entry into the world of digital welding production. No in-depth IT knowledge, no complex IT installation and no high investments are required. Anyone who knows how to use a smartphone and the internet can easily navigate our solution and will be able to work even more efficiently in no time. As a result, production processes become more transparent by analyzing costs and workflows.
True to our principle “Connect, weld and see clearly”, the installation is extremely simple and provides an immediate overview of the current consumption values generated during welding. Simply connect Lorch Connect to the corresponding Lorch welding system and start transferring the individual welding data generated during the welding process via the gateway to the Lorch Connect portal. There, all data converge and can be easily accessed at any time and from any location via a web browser. An easy-to-use dashboard provides the user with a quick and clear overview of important key figures such as duty cycle, arc times or parameter values and enables him to identify deviations and optimize the parameters.
It is irrelevant to Lorch Connect whether a customer digitizes one system, 200 systems, or more than 1,000 welding stations. What does matter is the customer’s objective. The connection to Lorch Connect can even be advantageous for a small metalworking company with only one welding system. It allows to fully document their welding data. For an operation with 50 welding systems, on the other hand, the ability to measure productivity and analyze daily operations, as well as to see current consumption values at a glance, is certainly important. In addition, the solution also provides indications for process optimization by comparing different welding stations. Both companies – whether they work with one or multiple welding systems – will be able to benefit significantly from digitization – each in their own way.
Find more information on https://www.lorch.eu/de/produkte/digitale-services/lorch-connect
The third product is a MicorMIG/MicorMIG Pulse series of manual MIG-MAG welding systems. Easily upgradable with NFC technology – via NFC cards, this product series covers a wide range of customer needs while offering an outstanding cost/performance ratio, excellent quality and sophisticated technical features.
For more information, check:
https://www.lorch.eu/en/products/manual-welding/mig-mag-welding/micormig-series
https://www.lorch.eu/en/products/manual-welding/mig-mag-welding/micormig-pulse-series
E.E: Please describe how a project typically proceeds?
J.K: In general, it really depends on the project. As soon as we talk about Cobot or Lorch Connect, we always look closely at what the customers’ requirements are. We work on long-term relationships with our customers and our local partners. It is very important for our customers to have a specialized local partner they can fully rely on.
Our partner’s support does not end with the system check, but continues until the system is ready for use and production begins. Even after that, our partner manages the service and helps the customer optimize the product lifecycle to achieve maximum output.
For more information, please contact our Cobot partner in Romania:
Electroconex Echipamente Industriale SRL