Germany: voestalpine Böhler Welding delivers seamless flux cored wire for offshore wind farm

Largest project in the world in this segment

The Wikinger wind farm in the Baltic Sea is one of the most extensive investments of this decade, and has been undertaken by a Spanish company. Seventy wind turbines have been installed close to the island of Rügen. Each wind turbine consists of a four-layer sheath and four pillars used to anchor the turbine to the seabed at a depth of 37 to 43 meters. The construction also includes a connecting piece attached above the casing. Using voestalpine Böhler Welding’s flux cored wire arc welding technology, this seamless design offers optimal protection against moisture absorption as well as hydrogen and cracking. The project is due for completion in autumn 2016, and is scheduled to begin operating in 2017.

Seamless flux cored wire from voestalpine Böhler Welding

In order to become the technological leader in seamless flux cored wires, in 2013 voestalpine acquired 90% of Fileur, an international specialist in this segment. A new competence center was also established in Cittadella, in north-eastern Italy. The product’s major strengths include excellent weldability and welding quality, a whole palette of unalloyed and low-alloy steels, and ease of feeding. The reasons for using these wires are obvious: they are seamless low hydrogen wires for the best possible protection against hydrogen and moisture absorption during warehousing or during use in workshops. The customers were extremely pleased with the high quality, good performance, and enhanced mechanical values of the filler welding materials.

Huge commitment: Siegfried Pfleger (welder) and José María Miguel (Managing Director)

Close networking as a success factor

voestalpine Böhler Welding Spanien S.A. worked extremely closely with the Spanish customer during the entire project. A variety of departments at other companies within the voestalpine Böhler Welding Group were also involved. In addition, the management deployed all available resources and put all its energy into the project: local technical advisors, global application technicians, the entire production department, specialized welders, and the Spanish sales network all supported this major order. The Spanish company also offered valuable technical advice which was particularly appreciated by the customer. Consequently, this project represents a major success for the entire voestalpine Böhler Welding Group in the use of flux cored wire in offshore construction.

All together - support and networking across the entire voestalpine Böhler Welding Group