• Adrian Smith, Managing Director of K-TIG, and Richard Cho, Managing Director of Hanwha Defense Australia, signing a Memorandum of Understanding recently. (Credit: Hanwha Defense)
    Adrian Smith, Managing Director of K-TIG, and Richard Cho, Managing Director of Hanwha Defense Australia, signing a Memorandum of Understanding recently. (Credit: Hanwha Defense)
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K-TIG Limited and Hanwha Defense Australia recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see the two companies examine how K-TIG’s advanced welding processes can be applied to the construction of armoured vehicles by Hanwha in Australia and potentially overseas.

Traditional TIG welding of thick armour plates to form a vehicle hull or turret involves significant amounts of preparation and multiple passes of welding, each covering two to three millimetres in a single run.

The advanced welding processes utilised by K-TIG allows for at least seven millimetres to be covered in a single welding run, meaning fewer passes and much less preparation in between.

The K-TIG process utilises a high energy density arc which results in modest heat transfer into the plates being joined. The benefits of that include less distortion of the steel plates and, crucially, a much lower chance of affecting the hardness of the armour by excessively heating it.

There are also enormous gains in productivity and quality control.

“We are excited to working with K-TIG to establish how their advanced welding process can be utilised in the local manufacture of armoured vehicles,” Richard Cho, Managing Director of Hanwha Defense Australia, said. “The potential for gains in quality and efficiency are significant. I am optimistic that we can utilise the K-TIG technology and help them further expand its applications to armoured vehicle production within the broader Hanwha group.”

“I am pleased that K-TIG is able to work closely with Hanwha to further commercialise our world-class Australian developed welding technology,” Adrian Smith, Managing Director of K-TIG, said. “We think we can help them supply the best possible product to the ADF.”

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