WIA (Welding Industries of Australia) General Manager Alan Hamilton says the welding market has changed significantly over the past decade both in Australia and overseas.
“For the Weldmatic brand to survive in an increasingly competitive industry, we have made the difficult decision to outsource the manufacturing of our metal inert gas (MIG) equipment range,” said Mr Hamilton. “This decision was not taken lightly and we are proud to have retained our Australian manufacturing operations for as long as we could.”
“We haven’t opted for an off-the-shelf option,” Mr Hamilton added. “Instead, we have engineered every aspect of the product with our partner company, and selected the highest quality components to retain the exceptional quality, performance and reliability that the Weldmatic brand is renowned for.”
“By outsourcing manufacturing, we have achieved very competitive price points for a high quality product, enabling us to reposition Weldmatic, making it even better value for money,” he said.
WIA Equipment Product Manager Brett Blackwell says WIA takes product quality very seriously. “Our machines are still built to exacting specifications and we guarantee there will be no reduction in product quality. The Weldmatic range will continue to produce a superior arc for continuous, high quality welds.
“We’ve taken this opportunity to fine-tune the performance across our range, and we think our customers will be very impressed with the result.”
Mr Blackwell says that the Weldmatic range of high performance MIG machines is designed to withstand tough environmental conditions and rough use.
The range comprises of both single- and three-phase options to suit a wide range of applications.
There are two options in the single-phase range: the new Weldmatic 190 and the high performing Weldmatic 270. Both machines have been purposely designed for rural workshops, light industrial fabrication, hire fleets and serious do-it-yourself work.
The Weldmatic 190 offers the highest output in its class, and a new spool holder design to make spool changing quicker and easier.
The heavy-duty three-phase machines include the Weldmatic 356, 396 and Fabricator, designed for medium to heavy fabrication. The Fabricator in particular has been engineered to handle the toughest fabrication and industrial applications.
To support the relaunch of the Weldmatic brand in the Australian market, a marketing campaign incorporating a competition component will commence mid-February 2011.
By purchasing a Weldmatic MIG machine and registering their details online, customers will go into the draw to win major prizes, cash and weekly product prizes. Customers who register online will also receive an additional twelve months warranty covering parts and labour, which will be supported by an Australia-wide service network.
For more information, visit www.welding.com.au or contact WIA’s Customer Service Team on 1300 300 884.