Welding products sup- plier Weldamax plans to launch a complete online product catalogue on its company website to provide customers with the technical specifications of products, which will enable them to compare the company’s products with other brands.

Weldamax MD John Smithyman tells Engineering News that the company’s new online product catalogue will assist in ensuring that all existing and potential customers will have easy access to the company’s range of product options.

The online catalogue contains more than 3 600 products, including the relevant technical specifications for each product.

Currently, the company estimates that it has a share of between 12% and 14% of the local welding supplies market, but aims to expand its market share to about 20% in the next five to ten years, while also expanding its footprint into the rest of Africa.

International Import Impact

Smithyman notes that Weldamax has reworked its operations over the last 12 years – by importing the bulk of its products from North America, Asia and Europe – to not only trade more effectively but also enhance and complement the company’s range of products.

He explains that South African companies could previously manufacture the bulk of the welding equipment required for the local market cost effectively.

However, Smithyman notes that Asian countries produced welding products at lower prices and increasingly good quality-assurance levels in the last ten to 12 years.

“Therefore, considering these factors, it has made better business sense for welding equipment suppliers, such as Weldamax, to use imported Asian products.”

Moreover, he points out that many of the Asian- and Europe-based companies invest millions of dollars in the research and development (R&D) of new and improved products.

“One of our Chinese machine suppliers has 160 qualified engineers working for it, enabling the company to undertake continuous R&D to improve existing and developing new products,” Smithyman highlights.

Further, he says this Chinese company undertakes quality testing throughout the manufacturing process, from the time the materials used for producing products arrive until the product is completed and ready for delivery.

“It is also important to ensure that the suppliers are reliable and South African companies need to establish a strong working relationship with them through face-to-face interaction,” Smithyman emphasises.

New Product Offerings

Weldamax is continually looking for new value-added products to complement its range. For example, since Weldamax introduced the Thermamax Alpha Arc Evolution direct current (dc) series inverters in December last year, it has, to date, sold more than 1 000 units.

“The Alpha Arc Evolution dc series inverters are lightweight, portable and generator friendly,” says Weldamax business development manager Thomas Taljaard.

He notes that the inverters can be used with mild steel- and stainless
steel-coated electrodes, as well as tungsten inert gas welding.

Local Focus

Smithyman says the local welding industry is highly competitive, as most distributors stock more than one company’s range of products.

Over the last ten months, the company has also opened bran- ches in Roodepoort, Johannesburg and in Polokwane, Limpopo.

Additionally, Smithyman points out that the company also has a long-standing agreement with industrial and speciality gas manufacturer and supplier Air Products, whereby Weldamax, through its Unique Welding Alloys and Selrod Welding divisions, supplies packaged gas to end-users.

“This makes Weldamax Air Products the largest local packaged gas distributor,” he states.

African Ambitions

Smithyman laments that there has been a significant decline in local welding work over the last five years, owing to the stagnation of the economy and the downturn in the manufacturing, construction and mining sectors.

Therefore, Weldamax management has set its sights on increasing its supply network into the rest of Africa, where the mining, construction, manufacturing and agriculture industries are growing steadily.

“Weldamax is forming partnerships with established equipment distributors in the sub-Saharan African region to distribute the Thermamax range of products and other product ranges that we stock,” he explains.

Smithyman adds that Weldamax recently invested in enhancing its sales and marketing resources.

He empha- sises that trading conditions in countries outside South Africa make it logistically challenging to provide quality services.