Westermans Is Taking Over The Agency For PEI Resistance Welding Solutions In The UK And Ireland.
If you were a Sureweld customer or are interested in resistance welding equipment, we have big news to share! Westermans International is taking over the agency for PEI resistance welding products from Sureweld, as of the end of January 2024.
We shared 35 years of history with Sureweld and have built a massive wealth of expertise supplying PEI welding equipment as their authorised re-sale partner.
Richard Papworth, Sureweld owner of over 40 years is retiring, and the business will be closing its doors. But, since we shared so many years with Sureweld and their team, we’ve come to an agreement to take over the PEI agency for resistance welding equipment and care for their previous customers. Going forward, Westermans International will supply resistance welders directly and provide support to past and future clients in the UK and Ireland. You will have backup and service from Westermans International, PEI, and experienced Sureweld technicians, ensuring a smooth transition if you are a previous Sureweld customer.
Craig Westerman, Sales Director, said that taking over the PEI agency was an easy decision. “We are very familiar with their machines, share the same values, and have trust in PEI’s ability to deliver exceptional quality resistance welding equipment. It’s great to work directly with such a strong European manufacturer”.
Who We Are – Westermans International
We buy, sell, and rent new and used welding equipment, and our stock includes top-of-the-line brands. We are proud of providing equipment with high-quality standards and bespoke solutions to our clients globally for over 50 years. Westermans International is located in Groby, Leicestershire, UK, with our 30,000 sq. ft facility of modern offices, warehouses, and workshops.
We are a family-owned and run business with a highly passionate team about welding, especially welding and cutting power sources, positioners, fume extractors, and specialised welding equipment. If it welds or assists in the process, we want to know more about it!
PEI-Point SRL – High Standards And Reliability
PEI-Point SRL is a renowned Italian manufacturer with a long history in the international market. We’ve worked with their equipment for a long time and have seen first-hand the value their machines bring to small and large shops and manufacturers.
PEI is a proven, reliable brand with high standards and strong company values, like sourcing most of their resources locally. So, taking over the PEI agency was an easy decision for us. We understand their machines, share the same values, and believe in their ability to deliver exceptional quality spot, seam, and projection welders.
We are looking forward to supplying automotive, appliance, aerospace, and manufacturing industries in the UK and Ireland. Every resistance welding machine delivered to a small shop or a large production facility improves productivity, makes the job easier, and helps businesses meet goals and serve their local or global clients and communities.
Resistance Welding Equipment
Resistance welding plays a major role in the production of many everyday items. The best example is the automotive industry, where resistance welding equipment is used to fuse auto body parts during the production process and repairs.
This welding method uses the resistance of the current flow through the base metals to heat, melt, and fuse the two metal parts under the pressure applied by the electrodes. It’s the most straightforward autogenous welding process that’s extremely fast and reliable.
Once the base metal is placed between the two electrodes, the resistance welding power source releases a current that flows through the electrodes in a closed circuit. But, the electricity also flows through the welded metal, which is where the magic happens. Electrodes are made from copper alloys, so the current flows through them without much resistance. However, carbon steel and many other materials have high resistance to electrical flow, which causes extreme heat and melting of the material. At the same time, electrodes clamp and apply pressure at the point of contact, causing the two materials to fuse in a spot or a seam weld.
However, while this process sounds simple in theory, the power source must output current with high accuracy. Too low of a current density wouldn’t produce a desirable weld quality, while too high of a density would cause molten metal to be expelled from the weld. Likewise, timing the electrode pressure action for efficient cooling and weld fusion is an important step for maximum productivity of resistance welding processes. In addition, optimal current duration is vital to prevent excessive heating of the electrode faces, which could reduce their service life. This is why it’s paramount to use high-quality brands to maximise your productivity and ROI.
The three primary types of resistance welding are spot, seam, and projection resistance welding, and we supply PEI equipment for all three.
Spot Welding Equipment
Spot welding machines create welds between or on overlapping sheet metal, and their weld cross section is circular. There are several spot welding machine types:
- Rocker arm spot welders are free-standing machines with heavy bodies for stability and have electrodes with a large reach. The arm depth is adjustable, and the electrodes can rotate to weld at an angle if necessary. They are designed for versatile applications like fabrication or large part repairs. But, they require you to bring the part to the welder since these aren’t movable machines.
- Linear action spot welders are designed to apply pressure in a straight line, unlike rocker arm welders with a pivoting arm. See examples of these machines.
- Bench-top spot welders are designed for smaller shops, especially if the operator is to be seated during use. These spot welders are smaller in size but provide a lot of welding power, with up to 35 kva current output.
- Suspended spot welders are movable with a built-in transformer. Portable spot welders have the significant advantage of allowing you to weld workpieces too large for handling. They can also be complemented with balancers and watercoolers to suit all industrial needs.
- Hand-held light-duty spot welders are ideal for auto body repairs where the size and manoeuvrability of a spot welder are vital.
- Fastspotter single-sided spot welder is a unique solution for jobs where it’s impractical or impossible to access the workpiece from both sides. You can use PEI’s Fastspotter to spot or seam weld the joint from one side only.
- Single-side twin spot welders create two spot welds from a single side. They can also be grouped in a multi-single-sided spot welding configuration for higher productivity and efficiency. Twin spot welders can be suspended from a gantry or boom for applications where the parts are too large for handling.
Pedal vs. Pneumatic Spot Welding Machines
Some pillar spot welding machines use a mechanical foot pedal that works like a treadle-type machine. Basically, pedal-operated spot welders like the PEI BSM 221 allow manual clamping force application. So, the harder you press the pedal, the more force is applied with the electrodes.
Pneumatic spot welding machines like the PEI BSP 226 use electro-pneumatic control to apply precise pressure as defined by the air pressure control unit.
PEI spot welding equipment can be configured in many ways using various electrode shapes and sizes and machine settings. With the correct spot welder selection and adjustment, PEI’s products can spot weld most applications with exceptional results.
Projection Welding Equipment
Projection welding machines are similar to spot welders, but they don’t produce the same end result. With projection welding, the workpiece has “projections” formed during the production process, and these projections are used as points for weld localisation. So, when the welding machine’s electrodes clamp the parts, the prefabricated projections on the workpiece are where the current concentrates and creates welds.
PEI manufactures dedicated single-phase AC or three-phase MFDC projection welders, but some of their spot welders dual as spot/projection welding machines too.
Seam Welding Equipment
Seam welders have the same working principle as spot/projection welders, but they produce continuous welds instead of welds in one spot. Since the contact area between two electrodes must be constant, seam welders have circular electrodes. The sheet metal is fed between the wheel electrodes, which apply pressure and electricity, melting and fusing the two metals with a seam joint.
PEI seam welders can be longitudinal or transversal. The best design depends on your application and the type of welded product. Longitudinal seam welders can let you weld with the material coming out of the machine or going into it. Transversal seam welders have the advantage of the material passing on the sides of the machine, giving you more working space.
Resistance Welding Applications
Resistance welding applications are all around us. The car you drive, appliances in your kitchen, furniture in your living room, machines and equipment in production, hospitals, warehouses, and stores. Likewise, aerospace, defence, transportation, and shipbuilding rely on resistance welding when an economical, fast, and efficient method of joining thin metal sheets is needed.
You can apply resistance welding to almost all metals, including high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel, stainless steel, aluminium, magnesium, titanium, nickel, and copper. This is the most widely applied joining method for thin metal sheets. It’s far more economical and faster than riveting, mechanical fastening, and screwing. So, whenever the disassembly for maintenance isn’t required, or it makes more economic sense, resistance welding is a better option than other metal joining methods.
Westermans – Your Partner For High-Quality Welding Equipment
Westermans International continues to deliver the best welding brands and equipment for all your welding needs. Our PEI agency addition will help us supply the highest quality resistance welding equipment from a reliable manufacturer with exceptional standards. We are proud to continue providing PEI-Point SRL to all UK and Ireland customers and maintaining support for all past and future clients.
Whether you want to buy or sell welding equipment, Westermans International is here for you. Contact our team, and we’ll help you choose suitable machines, depending on your application.
