To answer this question, we will be assisted by Mr. Tomasz Anioł, the owner of a Polish welding wire factory, the creator of the innovative QBAinnovation technology, and the owner of the Tysweld brand – a leader in the welding wire industry in Poland.
In the welding industry, it is often said that “a wire is just a wire” – do you think this is a valid opinion?
Of course not. The wire plays a crucial role in the welding process, especially for the quality of the weld, the welder’s comfort, and even energy savings. I also cannot overlook its impact on the wear and tear of welding equipment or the stability of automated and robotic processes.
Did you always think this way?
When we started 27 years ago as a distributor of welding wire, we probably shared this general opinion, but only until we had direct contact with customers. If you want to sell wire, you talk about the value of your product, but when the customer is only interested in the price, most of them will always say, “a wire is just a wire.” The situation changes when the customer faces issues with the weld, defects, spatter, etc. Then, the blame is always placed on the wire, and they start looking for faults in the defective wire – that’s when the wire stops being “just a wire” and starts to matter significantly.
We have learned a lot from customers who place great importance on their work and product quality. They were the ones who demanded the most from us, and it was from them that we learned how much impact the wire has on the weld, production costs, equipment wear, and many other aspects.
In the photo, Mr. Tomasz Anioł, the owner of the TYSWELD brand.
Are customers very demanding?
It depends. It depends on the industry, the complexity of the project, the level of technological advancement, or even the welder’s approach. There are industries – without diminishing any of them – that do not expect too much from the wire or welding equipment. This is probably because their product, apart from perhaps aesthetics, does not have requirements related to safety, strength, or durability. The situation is different when the same companies use expensive and advanced equipment, such as robots, for their production. In such cases, they seek high-quality wire to power these machines. The most demanding customers are those who create products that impact the safety of their users, such as car chassis and bodies, hydraulic cylinders, trailers, and generally the entire automotive, railway, shipbuilding industries, etc. There are also those who aim to shorten processes or optimize costs. They look for wire that will provide perfectly clean welds without spatter or defects, so they do not have to mechanically clean the welds afterward. And we, as it happens, have products tailored to the expectations of each of them. If the expectations go beyond the standardized range, we develop a product according to their specifications. Targeting demanding customers, we have implemented the ISO 9001 quality system, which we maintain and successfully pass audits year after year. We also hold a range of certifications and approvals.
Is this a difficult market?
Yes, in many ways. We face significant “competition” from imported products – I deliberately put “competition” in quotes because we offer products of a completely different class/quality, and our service, quality of support, technical assistance, delivery guarantees, etc., far exceed their capabilities. However, the actions of these companies contribute to misinformation about the value and impact of welding wire on the process, downplaying technologically advanced products. They do this to compete solely on price, as they have nothing else to offer. The quality of these products is not only low but also highly inconsistent. Moreover, in today’s times, there is no guarantee of stable pricing from them, which disrupts cost calculations and eliminates any assurance of supply stability. We are well aware of the current situation on the seas and oceans.
The second category of competition is the so-called Premium products – those from the higher shelf, so to speak. Essentially, we can talk about one such brand with which we compete on the European market for the title of leader. We compete in terms of quality, efficiency, guarantees, and other rational values that have a real impact on the quality, optimization, and cost reduction of our partners’ production.
Why did you decide to build a factory in Poland and start your own production?
The main reason was the increasing quality demands driven by the development of welding process automation, complex and demanding robots, and more precise welding equipment. It is also worth mentioning that the rapidly growing technology of laser welding is an important area for us. In this technology, perfect feeding – a perfectly straight, non-oscillating wire – is crucial, ensuring that the laser beam always hits the target.
Additionally, over more than a quarter of a century of our development, we have gained a deep understanding of our partners’ needs and their expectations regarding welding wires. We have observed the professionalization of production and the fact that the customers we work with are undertaking increasingly advanced and demanding projects, especially those involving weld strength that meets a range of macro-level requirements. The European market mainly relies on imported products, which poses many risks, particularly in terms of supply stability, costs, and, most importantly, consistent quality. Our competitors, to minimize the risk of losing supply continuity, collaborated with several factories, which in turn led to poor and inconsistent product quality. We, on the other hand, relied on one – the best and most reliable supplier, which allowed us to deliver high-quality and 100% consistent products. However, we took a significant risk regarding supply stability.
Furthermore, we are deeply focused on quality in the full sense of the word and want to have control over every stage of our wire production. Thirdly, our ambition is to serve highly demanding industries – including automotive, aviation, and railways – where the highest quality and full responsibility are the top priorities.
In the photo, the QBA_innovation production line installed at TYSWELD.
Sounds good, so what sets you apart from the competition, in what areas are you better?
We excel in most areas. According to research and observations from our Partners, we have improved the strength parameters of welds by up to 30% compared to top-tier competitors. But let’s break it down. First, what sets us apart is the quality of the wire from the Tysweld PRO line. These are products manufactured using our patented technology, which we call QBAinnovation. It features a series of innovative solutions in the drawing process, such as reducing the mechanical cleaning of rod stock from mill scale residues, complemented by the “Water Jet” method, i.e., cleaning with high-pressure water jets, as well as an innovative pre-coiling method without winding. Additionally, QBAinnovation involves replacing commonly used lime-based drawing soaps with sodium-based soaps – a topic that has sparked a lot of controversy and skepticism in the industry, as no one in the welding wire production has managed to achieve this so far. Yes, it required us to revisit the basics of drawing techniques, and it cost us many trials and errors, but today we are the ones doing it, and hardly anyone else. We have also developed a series of process control points and tools to maintain consistent parameters. In short, we have perfected our technology.
What does this perfection mean – could you elaborate?
We control the wire diameter with an accuracy of 1 micron and the drawing temperature within 5°C. Cleaning the rod stock with water eliminates all, even microscopic, surface damage, and the rod stock is free from at least 99% of mill scale residues before the copper plating process, allowing us to minimize the copper layer to the necessary level. This is definitely a new standard. Many of our Partners have already experienced this and integrated our products into their technologies.
You mentioned your innovative QBAinnovation technology earlier, could you tell us more about it? Is it a secret?
(laughs) Of course, I can’t reveal all the details – after all, it took us a long 4 years of hard work, ups and downs – not to mention the costs – so yes, it is a secret, but don’t worry, I’ll explain what it entails, how it defines our product, and what benefits it brings to our Partners’ processes.
I’ve already touched on our technologies earlier, but now I’ll go into more detail. From the very beginning of the process, we handle the rod stock with extreme care. First, we store it in a closed space under appropriate climatic conditions. We don’t want it to corrode. Second, the internal transport and feeding into the pre-drawing process is done using a special cart and loading system to avoid surface “scratches.” The pre-feeding is done freely, without generating unnecessary stress. Third, after pre-drawing, another one of our patents comes into play – “No Twist,” a technique for pre-coiling without winding. This means we allow the cleaned and pre-formed wire to freely arrange itself in so-called coilers, eliminating internal stresses in the wire. As a result, our wire maintains perfect geometry. Another crucial step is cleaning the rod stock from mill scale residues. We’ve reduced mechanical cleaning and supplemented it with the “Water Jet” method, which uses a strong, concentrated water stream at multiple angles. As I mentioned earlier, this allows us to eliminate over 99% of contaminants, including oxides, without degrading the wire surface. This is invaluable in the copper plating process. We can precisely control the coating thickness, minimizing it to the necessary level. The minimal amount of copper, perfect cleaning of the rod stock, and the replacement of lime-based drawing soaps with sodium-based soaps allow us to produce straight, clean, and smooth wire.
This has a significant impact on the flawless feeding of the wire from the welding torch, which in turn eliminates wire chatter and arc wandering. The arc is perfectly stable as a result. Moreover, the straight and extremely smooth wire reduces unnecessary friction and resistance in welding equipment.
What does this mean for our Partners?
Research provided by our customers and our internal studies demonstrate the exceptional properties of our products, showing their advantages in several areas:
– welds made with our wires are free from inclusions, contaminants, silicates, etc.,
– they reduce the amount of spatter,
– welds are free from internal defects,
– welds withstand higher mechanical loads.
We also conduct studies confirming reduced energy consumption for wire feeding, as well as lower wear on rollers and welding tips. Perfect copper plating ensures excellent adhesion and eliminates the well-known issue of copper flaking. Thanks to this, we extend the service intervals of equipment, reducing maintenance costs. All of the above contributes to the stabilization of automated, robotic welding lines, minimizing downtime and jams, which translates into significant and measurable savings in continuous welding processes.
Tysweld PRO wires, produced with QBAinnovation technology, enhance weld quality, reduce costs related to weld processing, operation, and maintenance of welding stations, shorten and stabilize the welding process, and improve welder comfort, making it a significant innovation in my opinion.
Readers may not see it, but you speak about this with great passion. In your company’s promotional brochure, I read the sentence: “We produce welding wire with passion and mission” – can welding wire really be produced with passion?
(laughs) Indeed, it can. When we decided to launch the factory, I was convinced that if I bought the best drawing line available on the market, all I had to do was press the green button, and everything would be fine. Nothing could be further from the truth. We spent four years implementing technology and innovations. There were ups and downs. At a very early stage, we faced challenges that affected the quality of our products at that time. It was this overcoming of challenges and the determination to achieve the highest quality that ignited my passion. It turns out that it is an incredibly complex and intricate process, full of micro-details, any of which can completely derail it. We make decisions at the molecular level and pay special attention to avoid degrading the chemical composition of our wire. Don’t you think that’s fascinating?
You speak with such conviction that I’m starting to feel it myself. Even when you were showing me around the office and production hall, I felt that this was something more than just ordinary production. It was palpable in the interactions with the employees and production line operators. There’s an incredibly familial atmosphere here…
Oh yes, we take great care of that. We are a family-owned business, and we want to remain one. I’m glad you noticed it; it’s very important to me. We strive to surround ourselves with competent people who also share our values and passions. Simply put, we are looking for kindred spirits 😊 but I apologize for interrupting your question.
No problem. I was getting to the second part of the slogan I mentioned earlier. It’s about the mission – what is your mission?
One day, we asked ourselves that question and then posed it to our partners, inquiring why they choose our offerings. It turned out that, naturally – thanks to our passion for what we do – we became a part of our clients’ businesses. We listened attentively to their expectations and needs, flexibly and individually tailoring our offerings, also providing technical support. We took great pride in the praise and recognition from our clients, but we also carefully analyzed their criticisms, comments, and any complaints. Our clients were never left alone. These are their opinions.
Today, not much has changed in that regard. Yes, our goal is to produce and sell wire, but our mission is a relationship based on mutual exchange of benefits, experiences, knowledge, and the improvement of processes and products. Our mission is collaboration, not just sales. Let me quote a few selected statements that are our motto:
“Our mission is the continuous search for and delivery of solutions that enhance the quality of our partners’ products and the comfort of their employees’ work. To be a partner providing raw materials that significantly contribute to the improvement of welded joint quality and the stabilization and shortening of their production process.
To be an integral part of our partners’ processes, to listen to them, share knowledge, and jointly overcome challenges. To deliver maximally personalized and effective solutions and to be an inspiration for development, process improvement, and innovation.”
And in our understanding, simply not to change, to remain the same company with an increasingly refined product and service.
I have one more topic on my mind. You mentioned during our walk around the company and in one of the points of your mission about the personalization of solutions – what did you mean by that?
We are a wire manufacturer. As you could see, we have an advanced technological line, our own research and development department, and a laboratory. We possess the intellectual, technical, and technological competencies to respond to every inquiry from our clients. There are industries that require very specialized products from us, starting from the chemical composition of the wire, through diameter, to the size of the spool on the packaging. There are also different expectations regarding deliveries and even the reuse of packaging. Each client has the opportunity to audit production at any time, without special arrangements. We operate in an extremely flexible and transparent manner.
Reusable packaging? Is it cost-effective?It is a necessity and it is cost-effective. We are currently working – more precisely, we are already testing returnable barrels with several clients. We place great importance on sustainability and ecology. Many of our clients are required to account for their carbon footprint, and a high level of it increases production costs due to related fees.
Our technology is very modern, so we are already very competitive in this area from the outset. Additionally, we are starting an investment in a 1MW photovoltaic farm, which will cover 70% of our overall energy demand.
We are also working on optimizing the logistics of raw material deliveries and order fulfillment.
Mr. Tomasz, thank you very much for the conversation and the opportunity to tour the company. To be honest, I arrived at your invitation with mixed feelings. After all, what can one say about wire production – yet it turns out that we can talk about it for hours, and unfortunately, we are limited by the format of this publication. I am truly impressed by your passion, the technology, the quality, and the cleanliness of the facility – which I believe is exceptional in the industry. Additionally, thank you for the incredibly warm welcome and the time spent in such a pleasant and familial atmosphere.
I also want to thank you for accepting the invitation and for the enjoyable conversation.