Perfect Welding

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Perfect Welding

Dump trucks for tough construction site conditions

Application Story

2023/3/22
Boulders weighing several tons, hot asphalt, or endless loads of gravel day in, day out: the commercial vehicle superstructures from Moser AG Kipper- und Fahrzeugbau based in Steffisburg, Switzerland, have to withstand enormous loads in tough construction site conditions. When it comes to welding steel and aluminum sheets for the dumper and loading systems, Moser has been using Fronius welding systems for 24 years. Significant increases in manufacturing efficiency have been achieved with the Fronius TPS 500i in conjunction with PMC welding characteristics. This has sped up welding processes considerably, especially for out-of-position welding.
Manufacturing halls of Moser AG Kipper- und Fahrzeugbau in Steffisburg, Canton of Bern, Switzerland.

Reduced tare weight: “Always one load ahead”

Moser AG manufactures vehicle superstructures for trucks with a total weight of between 18 and 40 tons, with 40-ton trucks capable of taking more than 25 tons of payload. “The highest possible transport volumes per trip are the top priority in our industry. To enable our customers to transport as much material as possible with a specified total weight, we design our dumpers and loading systems to be as light as possible – without compromising on strength, durability, or user-friendliness,” emphasizes Stefan Rolli, operations manager at Moser AG. 

Depending on the size and number of axles on the vehicle in question, the truck superstructures produced in Steffisburg usually weigh between 3 and 4.5 tons. “The benefit in terms of payload for our customers from using our lighter superstructures compared to competitors is often between 500 and 700 kg per trip. This results in much more efficient use of the vehicles in line with our motto ‘Always one load ahead’,” says Stefan Rolli.   

Customer proximity favors customization

The superstructures custom-made by Moser AG to meet individual customer requirements fit all common truck types. The company, from the Canton of Bern region, is particularly proud that all dumpers and loading systems - from the supplied sheet metal and profiles onwards - are produced at the company's site in Steffisburg. 

“Today, we are the only company in Switzerland that manufactures commercial vehicle superstructures for the construction site sector with such a high real net output ratio. Control over all key production processes and our proximity to our customers mean that we can respond to special requests very quickly and flexibly,” explains Moser operations manager Stefan Rolli. 

More than 200 trucks leave the Steffisburg plant every year, and the manufacturing time for a new dumper is 6 to 8 weeks on average.

Manufacturing processes at a glance

The manufacturing processes at Moser AG are essentially divided into the following steps: The trucks are measured thoroughly after delivery. Once the superstructures have been designed with the help of CAD and production planning, the next steps involve cutting the sheets on a CNC plasma cutting machine, bending them with a CNC press brake, and further mechanical processing in a CNC machining center. 

In the metalworking shops of Moser AG, the components are welded together, finishing the raw form. The truck superstructures are then sandblasted and painted. After installation of the hydraulics, pre-assembly and final assembly take place. Before a truck and its new superstructure leaves Moser AG in Steffisburg for its new destination, it is subjected to a thorough final inspection. 

Welds in all components

“Welds are found in virtually all our components. In day-to-day construction site use, they have to withstand shocks, vibrations, and torsion – for example, when boulders weighing several tons hit the dumper from the bucket of a wheel loader. Since faulty seams have serious consequences, our requirements regarding the professionalism of our welders and the equipment they use are extremely high,” emphasizes Stephan Zingg, design engineer at Moser AG. Particular attention is paid to flawless welds in the load-bearing components such as the dumper substructure or subframe. 

Steel and aluminum up to 70 mm

At Moser, conventional S355 construction steel, steels from S690 to S700, and Hardox 450 in various thicknesses from 3 mm to 70 mm are welded when manufacturing the truck superstructures. The material most frequently used is 4 mm-thick Hardox 450 sheet.

The aluminum sheets processed in Steffisburg generally have a thickness of 2 mm, and aluminum checker plates are 3/4.5 mm or 3/6.5 mm thick. Last but not least, relatively light aluminum alloys are used for the side walls of the dumpers. These are extruded using a casting mold developed by Moser AG, and the MAP Moser Aluminum Profile System enables modular construction of the side walls. Other application areas for aluminum sheets include fenders, covers, and running boards.

Focus on MAG manual welding – frequent out-of-position welding

The vast majority of welds at Moser AG are welded manually using the GMAW process. In addition to considerable welding speeds, this process delivers high deposition rates, while relatively little energy per unit length is input into the dumper parts to be welded. 

For series production parts or repetitive processes, such as welding the subframes of the dumper bodies, a gantry system with a welding robot is used in Steffisburg. The gantry system makes it possible to turn the entire dumper so it is in the appropriate welding position.

 “The characteristics of the weld are provided by the WPS. For the thicknesses of the fillet welds, we generally adhere to the A dimension, i.e., the thickness of the thinnest sheet element multiplied by 0.7,” explains Stefan Rolli.

To withstand the high loads in day-to-day use on construction sites, many welds are welded with a root pass and up to two final runs. In addition to fillet welds, butt welds – with and without an air gap – are also very frequently used. One task that the welders at Moser AG are regularly confronted with is out-of-position welding: from “classic” vertical-up seams on the pipe and sheet metal to overhead welds.

Four generations of Fronius devices

Moser AG has been using Fronius welding systems for 24 years. Today, around 35 devices from four different Fronius generations are used daily in Steffisburg: the Fronius VarioSynergic 4000, the VarioStar 457, the TransSynergic 5000, plus the Fronius TPS 500i since 2018.

Fronius TPS 500i: efficiency through precisely adjustable welding characteristics

“Speed and flexibility in manufacturing are crucial for us, especially in the current situation. By using the Fronius TPS 500i and its welding characteristics, we have significantly increased welding speeds in all key areas. At the same time, there has been a noticeable reduction in the amount of rework required on the welds. Overall, the TPS 500i not only makes the welding processes considerably more efficient, but also the downstream work steps, which subsequently has a positive effect on our entire manufacturing process,” says Moser operations manager Stefan Rolli. 

The welding specialists at Moser AG frequently use the PMC Fronius Welding Package in the PMC Universal, PMC Dynamic, and PMC Mix variants on their TPS-500i devices. PMC stands for Pulse Multi Control and is a further development of the pulsed arc. 

“In general, the PMC characteristics feature a stable, dynamic, and low-spatter pulsed arc. The excellent welding speeds of the TPSi are made possible predominantly by their high processor performance and the corresponding measuring and control speeds,” explains Fritz Loosli, the application engineer and customer adviser at Fronius responsible for Moser AG. The PMC characteristics provide two stabilizer and two correction parameters: an arc length stabilizer and a penetration stabilizer, as well as arc length control and pulse correction.

Up to 40 percent faster welding of vertical-up seams

The welding specialists at Moser AG use the PMC Mix characteristic, among others, because it permits the welding of vertical-up seams without the usual oscillating motion. Overall, up to 40 percent faster welding speeds are possible with the PMC Mix process for vertical-up seams. The technical basis for this characteristic is the process change between a pulsed and dip transfer arc, i.e., the cyclical change between a hot and a cold supporting process phase. The heat input into the material is reduced by this process.

Steel Root is another characteristic that is often used by the welding specialists at Moser AG. This characteristic excels at bridging gaps of 2 to 3 millimeters in size when welding dumper parts. A soft and stable arc is a typical feature of the Steel Root characteristic. The detachment of relatively large droplets creates a viscous weld pool, which can be used to weld larger gaps with ease.

The PMC Dynamic welding characteristic is used at Moser for horizontal fillet welds. It delivers a relatively aggressive arc with high pressure and concentrated focus. Your advantage: High welding speeds with low energy input enable low-distortion welding results and save valuable resources such as gas, filler metal and working hours.

Aside from this, Moser still uses tried-and-tested standard arcs for many welding processes. As a rule, aluminum parts are welded with a conventional pulsed arc.

User-friendliness on the welding system and directly on the welding torch

In addition to its welding characteristics, the TPS 500i’s high degree of user-friendliness also helps to make welding processes simpler, faster, and more efficient. The large clear text display on the TPSi is adapted to the welding environment. It is easy and intuitive to use in the respective local language, even when wearing gloves.

In connection with the user-friendliness of their equipment, it is essential for the welding specialists at Moser AG to be able to make adjustments directly on the welding torch: “Dump trucks are components that can’t exactly be moved back and forth quickly and easily, so our employees move around the components. To give our welders maximum freedom of movement, all our welding systems are equipped with 10 meter-long hosepacks,” explains Stefan Rolli. 

The welders use lightweight PullMig welding torches in the JobMaster version with their TPS-500i devices. The water-cooled welding torches are equipped with a small electric motor in the torch handle, which ensures smooth wirefeeding through the 10 meter-long hosepack. 

Fewer trips – greater efficiency

With the “EasyJob” JobMaster setting, users have the option of saving up to five welding jobs directly on the welding torch and rapidly switching between individual jobs. Being able to call up all the important welding jobs for their day-to-day work directly on the welding torch means they save themselves numerous trips between the welding system and the component. This makes day-to-day work not only more convenient, but also significantly more efficient.

“We have been using Fronius welding systems for 24 years because we see Fronius as a partner who stands for quality, reliability, sound advice, and innovative products. The ongoing technical developments, such as the TPS 500i most recently with its welding characteristics, contribute significantly to our performance, especially in terms of the speed and flexibility of our manufacturing process. The welding systems from Fronius help us to provide our customers in the Swiss construction site sector with the quality they rightfully demand from us,” concludes Moser operations manager Stefan Rolli.



General terms and conditions

1. Applicability

1.1 All deliveries and other services effected by ourselves, and all payments made to us, shall be exclusively governed by these Terms of Delivery and Payment. Insofar as applicable provisions may be found to be missing therefrom, the General Terms of Delivery of the Austrian Electrical and Electronic Industries shall apply in a subsidiary manner; in all other regards, Austrian laws and regulations shall apply. If any business terms of the Ordering Party’s are at variance with these General Terms of Delivery and Payment, we shall only be bound by such divergent terms if we have expressly recognised the same by letter or by telefax.

1.2 In taking delivery of the goods and/or service, the Ordering Party acknowledges the exclusive applicability of our Terms of Delivery and Payment.

2. Offers

2.1 Our offers are without engagement and subject to alteration, unless the offer makes express mention of a period of engagement. Documents pertaining to our offers – such as drawings, illustrations, samples and patterns, and dimensional, weight, performance and consumption data – contain or themselves constitute only approximate data and are not deemed to be specially agreed characteristics unless otherwise provided. We retain the right to effect modifications for engineering reasons.

2.2 We reserve the proprietary rights and copyright to all cost estimates, drawings and other documents; these may neither be disclosed to any third party nor used for the purposes of any third party.

3. Acceptance of the order; supplementary agreements

Acceptance of an order, and any undertakings or supplementary agreements made by our employees, as well as amendments and alterations of any kind, shall not be binding upon us until we have issued written confirmation by letter, telefax or e-mail.

4. Price and payment conditions; offsetting

4.1 Prices are always the list prices valid on the date of delivery. They are ex-works prices (EXW [Incoterms in the latest version]), exclusive of packaging, insurance, loading at the factory and value-added tax; the packaging will not be taken back.

4.2 Payments are to be made net cash, without any deduction and free of charges, within 30 days of the invoice date. It shall be for us to decide which claims or partial claims of the Ordering Party’s may be offset against such payments.

4.3 If any changes in order execution are necessitated by circumstances where risk is borne by the Ordering Party, then this latter shall bear all additional costs thereby incurred.

4.4 If the payment period is exceeded, we shall be entitled to charge default interest at a rate of ten percentage points above the applicable base rate announced by the Austrian National Bank, plus the collection costs, such amounts to total at least 12% p.a. of the overall claim. This is without prejudice to any further consequences of default in payment.

4.5 It is inadmissible for the Ordering Party to withhold payments or to offset these against counter-claims which are contested by ourselves.

4.6 Where the Ordering Party holds claims against ourselves, we are entitled to offset these against our own claims against the Ordering Party, at any time.

4.7 For services performed under contracts for work and materials (installation, repairs, maintenance and other such work), we shall charge the hourly rates and materials-prices applicable at the time of completion, plus our applicable surcharges for any overtime, night-time, Sunday and public-holiday working; travel and waiting times are counted as working hours. Travel expenses and daily and overnight allowances will be invoiced separately.

5. Performance, shipping and default

5.1 The delivery period commences with the mailing of the order confirmation note, while the performance period for installation, maintenance or repair work commences when the equipment is handed over. On no account, however, shall the delivery or performance period start to elapse sooner than 14 days after the time when the Ordering Party has furnished us with the documents (e.g. engineering drawings, plans etc), permits or approvals which it is responsible for procuring, or when it has made the agreed pre-payment. The delivery or performance deadline is deemed to have been met if we have notified the Ordering Party prior to such deadline of our readiness to deliver or perform; in cases where a special agreement obliges us to dispatch or deliver, the delivery or performance deadline shall be deemed to have been met if the object of delivery or performance has left our factory prior to such deadline.

5.2 Delivery or performance periods are extended for the duration of any unforeseen impediments lying outside our sphere of influence, such as stoppages, major personnel outages, unlawful strikes, delays in supplies of essential raw materials or components or the like, as well as by circumstances where risk is borne by the Ordering Party, to the extent that these impediments and/or circumstances are of material relevance to the failure to meet the deadline. Impediments and/or circumstances of this nature also annul the consequences of a default for which we would otherwise be liable, for the duration of such impediments; any contractual penalty obligations which may have been agreed for specific instances shall entirely cease to apply. Immediate notification is to be given of the beginning and end of such impediments. We are entitled to terminate the contract, in whole or in part, if such impediments should occur. In this case, unless the Ordering Party proves gross negligence on our part, damages claims from the Ordering Party shall be inadmissible.

5.3 If agreed delivery or performance deadlines, or deadlines that have been extended in accordance with 5.2 above, are exceeded by more than four weeks, the Ordering Party shall be entitled to terminate the contract, having granted us at least 14 days’ extra time by notice given to us in a registered letter. Unless the Ordering Party proves gross negligence on our part, damages claims from the Ordering Party shall be inadmissible in this case.

5.3 If agreed delivery or performance deadlines, or deadlines that have been extended in accordance with above, are exceeded by more than four weeks, the Ordering Party shall be entitled to terminate the contract, having granted us at least 14 days’ extra time by notice given to us in a registered letter. Unless the Ordering Party proves gross negligence on our part, damages claims from the Ordering Party shall be inadmissible in this case.

5.4 If the Ordering Party incurs a loss from a delay for which we are liable, then it shall be entitled to compensation amounting to 0.5% per whole week - up to a maximum of 5% - of the value of that part of the delivery which cannot be used in time or for its intended purpose as a result of the delay. For other services, the compensation shall be 5% of the remuneration. Any damages claims going beyond the above shall be inadmissible, as shall claims for damages in consequence of delays on the part of our suppliers, unless gross negligence is proven on our part.

5.5 In cases where we have undertaken to effect shipping, the mode and route of shipping shall be for us to decide. Goods are always shipped at the Ordering Party’s risk and expense. We shall only be liable for damage if gross negligence is proven on our part. We shall only take out transport / breakage insurance by order and for the account of the Ordering Party.

5.6 We are entitled to effect part-deliveries.

5.7 Our compliance with the delivery period shall be contingent upon the Ordering Party having fulfilled its contractual obligations in all pending, still-to-be-completed business transactions.

5.8 If shipping is delayed due to circumstances where risk is borne by the Ordering Party, then this latter shall bear all resulting additional costs, such as those for storage at our factory, but with a minimum monthly charge of 0.5% of the invoice amount. In such a case we shall also be entitled to grant the Ordering Party a grace period of at most 14 days, and if this period should expire to no avail, we shall then be entitled, at our own discretion, either to make alternative arrangements regarding the article(s) to be delivered and to effect delivery to the Ordering Party within a suitably extended period of time, or to terminate the contract and claim damages for breach of contract. In this latter case, we are entitled, without having to furnish any particular proof, to require 10% of the remuneration for the intended delivery as indemnification. Where appropriately substantiated, we can also claim compensation for any damage over and above this amount.

5.9 In the case of goods ordered on call, or ordered for production with no shipping instructions, delivery must be taken within three months. If this time limit elapses unused, then 5.8 shall apply analogously.

5.10 For services performed under contracts for work and materials (4.7), the Ordering Party is to provide us with the necessary equipment and auxiliary materials (e.g. winches, rails, electricity etc.) in good time and at no charge, even if installation is included in the price (4.1) or if a flat-rate price has been agreed for this. Any works needing to be carried out by the Ordering Party preparatory to installation, e.g. building work, must be completed prior to the arrival of our installation technicians. Furthermore, the Ordering Party must take all safety precautions needed for the protection of persons and property. We shall not accept liability for the ancillary personnel, equipment and auxiliary materials which may be placed at our disposal unless gross negligence is proven on our part.

6. Passage of risk

6.1 Risk shall pass to the Ordering Party as soon as the articles to be delivered, or the articles on which we have performed maintenance, repair or other work, have left our factory. The same shall also apply to part-deliveries or in cases where we have undertaken to bear the shipping charges or to perform delivery, setting-up, assembly, installation or other similar services. If the maintenance, repair or other work is carried out in the domain of the Ordering Party, then risk shall pass to this latter as soon as it has received notification that the work in question has been completed.

6.2 If there is any delay in dispatching or delivering the shipment for reasons for which we are not liable, the risk shall pass to the Ordering Party as soon as it has been notified that the consignment is ready for delivery.

7. Retention of title; rescission

7.1 We shall retain title to the article(s) delivered until our purchase-price claims, and all other claims that we have – on whatever legal grounds – against the Ordering Party, have been settled in full.

7.2 The Ordering Party is only permitted to re-sell the article delivered – even if this has been joined to other items or subjected to processing – in the course of its company’s regular business operations. However, this permission is precluded if the resulting claims are assigned to third parties or are the subject of an assignment prohibition, or if the Ordering Party is insolvent or in default with the performance of its contractual obligations. No other manner of disposition whatever is permitted to the Ordering Party. In the event of distrainment, confiscation or other disposition by third parties, the Ordering Party is to notify us hereof immediately. Our legal expenses incurred in connection with the enforcement of our title are to be borne by the Ordering Party.

7.3 The Ordering Party assigns to us even now its claims and other rights from the re-sale, rental or leasing of the article delivered, even if this latter has been joined together with other items or subjected to processing; the Ordering Party shall make an entry to this effect in its books. If the article delivered is sold or placed into the hands of a third party for such party’s use together with other items (regardless of whether or not it has been joined to any such items or subjected to processing), then the receivables claim shall only be assigned up to the amount of the purchase price owed to ourselves. This is without prejudice to any further damages claims.

7.4 The Ordering Party is only entitled to collect the claims and to assert the other rights to the extent that it has met its payment obligations towards us and is not insolvent.7.5 If the Ordering Party should act contrary to the terms of the contract – in particular by being in arrears with payment or with any other contractual obligation, and/or by being insolvent – we shall be entitled, at our own discretion, either to terminate the contract without granting any grace period or, while leaving the contract in force, to take back the article delivered or to forbid it to be used. We shall also be entitled to sell the taken-back article in the open market; after deduction of a handling fee of 10% of the proceeds thus realised, the remainder will be debited from the total of our outstanding claims against the Ordering Party. Pending return of the article in the event of our terminating the contract, we shall charge the Ordering Party a usage fee of 5% of the original value of the article, unless the actual diminution in its value is even greater.

8. Warranty

8.1 We give no warranty for ordinary deviations in size, weight or quality (or as tolerated by ÖNORM, EN or DIN standards), and also no warranty for information given regarding the suitability of the article(s) to be delivered for the purpose contemplated by the Ordering Party, or for any other particular purpose. 

8.2 Although we warrant the correctness of our processing instructions, user/operating manuals and customer advisory service, compliance with statutory or other regulations when using the articles delivered, and the testing of these articles for the purpose envisaged, shall remain the sole responsibility of the Ordering Party. We shall only be answerable for any instructions differing from our written processing instructions and user/operating manuals if we expressively previously confirmed these deviations to the Ordering Party in writing, either by letter, telefax or e-mail.

8.3 Articles or services supplied must be inspected by the Ordering Party immediately after delivery has been taken of them. Any defects must be reported to us immediately upon being discovered, in a written notice sent by letter, telefax or e-mail quoting the number and date of the order confirmation note, of the delivery note or of the invoice, and the serial and commission numbers. If the Ordering Party omits to make this immediate notification, it may no longer assert any warranty claims or claims for compensatory damages on account either of the defect itself or of any misapprehension as to whether the delivery or service was free of defects. The notice must set out which delivered items or supplied services are affected by the defects, what the defects consist of in detail, and under what concomitant circumstances these defects occurred. Every single defect must be exactly described. Any costs which we incur as a result of unjustified notices or notices that are otherwise at variance with the conditions of use are to be refunded to us by the Ordering Party.

8.4 In the case of corrective and preventive maintenance work, our warranty shall be limited to the services actually rendered. We shall only warrant correct functioning of an installation, machine, Software or the like whose components were not all supplied by ourselves if we provable have undertaken – despite the provision of certain components by the Ordering Party or by third parties – to manufacture the installation (or machine etc.) as a whole, and if the faulty functioning in question is not attributable to incorrect or incomplete information from the Ordering Party.

8.5 Unless otherwise agreed, the warranty period shall be 24 months. From the beginning of the 13th month of this period, however, our warranty shall be limited to making available, free of charge, the items needed for remedying the defects; from this time onwards, any warranty claims going beyond the above shall be inadmissible. This period limitation also applies to the supply of items deemed to be immovable and to work on items which are, or are deemed to be, immovable. The warranty period shall start to elapse upon the passage of risk in accordance with Point 6. The Ordering Party must always prove that defects coming to light during the warranty period were already present at the time of the passage of risk.

8.6 In cases where we do give warranty, we shall – at our own discretion and within a reasonable period of at least 4 weeks’ duration – either exchange the defective article itself, or its defective components, for a defect-free article or defect-free components, or remedy the defect(s), or grant the Ordering Party a reasonable reduction in price, or (unless the defect in question is a minor one) cancel the contract. The warranty period is not prolonged by the exchange of the item or of parts or components belonging to the item. If, however, the remainder of the warranty period – including that part of the period during which our warranty is limited to free provision of the requisite materials in accordance with Point 8.5 – lasts for less than twelve months, then the warranty period for the exchanged items, parts or components shall be extended to twelve months. The items, parts or components thus exchanged shall become our property. We shall not refund the costs for any actual or attempted remedying of a defect by the Ordering Party or by any third party.

8.7 To the extent that is necessary and may reasonably be expected of the Ordering Party, the object of delivery or performance, or the defective part(s) thereof, are to be dispatched or shipped to us immediately at our request, at the Ordering Party’s risk and expense, failing which any and all warranty obligation on our part shall become void.

8.8 The Ordering Party is not entitled to withhold payments on account of warranty claims or other counter-claims not recognised by ourselves.

8.9 Warranty claims from the Ordering Party are excluded in cases where the installation, user and operating manuals provided by ourselves, or to be requested from us by the Ordering Party, have not been observed, or where the user has not been (fully) obligated to observe such instructions; if the installation work has not been performed properly and in accordance with the relevant Standards, and in particular if was not carried out by licensed contractors; if any corrective maintenance or other work has been performed on the object of delivery or performance without our consent; if it has been improperly operated or used, or operated despite its protective features being faulty, or taken out of the contract territory without our consent, or used contrary to our instructions or for purposes for which it is not intended; and, moreover, where defects are attributable to foreign object damage, chemical influences, overvoltage, the conduct of third parties or to force majeure; the same applies in respect of natural wear-and-tear.

8.10 Our warranty is also excluded in cases where we have been contracted to carry out repair-orders, to alter or modify used items, or to supply such items.

8.11. Finally all warranty claims shall be excluded if the Ordering Party installs third-party components or replacement parts in our delivery items or services provided by us which have not been expressly recommended by us prior thereto.

8.12. In addition to the rights of the Ordering Party in accordance with Point 8.6. regarding the delivery of inverters for photovoltaic systems the guarantee in accordance with the guarantee conditions of Fronius shall apply, available at https://www.fronius.com/en/photovoltaics/products/all-products/solutions/fronius-service-solutions/fronius-warranties/fronius-warranties

9. Damages and product liability

9.1 We shall only accept unlimited liability for damage, of whatever kind, to the extent that the Ordering Party proves that we ourselves brought about this damage either knowingly and wilfully or grossly negligently. If the Ordering Party proves that we have caused damage in an ordinarily negligent manner, our obligation to indemnify shall be limited to the damage actually incurred, and, moreover, to a maximum overall amount not exceeding the total order value. Furthermore, claims of this type may only be enforced at law if asserted within six months of the damage in question becoming known.

9.2 In the event that we are taken to law by a third party where we have produced and delivered in accordance with the drawings, designs, models or other documents provided by the Ordering Party, the Ordering Party shall indemnify and save us harmless.

9.3 When using the installations, machines and other articles delivered by ourselves, the Ordering Party is obliged to painstakingly observe all safety regulations, technical rules, installation regulations, operating instructions and user manuals, and in particular all regulations applying to the electrical engineering field, and to allow only authorised skilled personnel to operate the equipment.

9.4. Any liability for damage caused by the installation or use of third-party components or replacement parts with our delivery items, which have not been verifiably and expressly recommended by us, shall be excluded.

10. Consent to data protection

Client shall agree that Fronius International GmbH and its subsidiaries may collect, process and use personel data (such as name, address, email address), if applicable also by commissioning a service provider, for the purpose of sending information regarding products and services of any kind (e.g. by post, email, newsletter and more). A dissemination to externals in excess thereof shall not occur (excluded are legal or judicial obligations to provide information). The consent may be objected at any time in writing, in the newsletter there is also a link to unsubscribe.

11. Final provisions

11.1 The place of performance for deliveries, other services and payments, and the sole place of jurisdiction, shall be Wels, Austria. However, we shall also be entitled to go to law against the Ordering Party at the court which has “in-rem” and territorial jurisdiction under the relevant regulations for the Ordering Party’s commercial domicile or place of residence.

11.2 The Ordering Party is aware that in international commerce, it is common practice that an agreement regarding the place of jurisdiction can also be entered into, in a formally effective manner, as a result of tacit acquiescence or non-reaction to a confirmatory business letter such as an order confirmation note containing a pre-printed reference to the place of jurisdiction. The Ordering Party is familiar with this commercial usage, especially in the field of business of Fronius International GmbH, and heeds it regularly.

11.3 Legal disputes arising out of the contract are to be governed by Austrian law and by the commercial practice prevailing at the place of performance. The UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, on the other hand, shall not be applicable (Austrian Federal Gazette 1988/96).

12. Special provisions for software supplied together with ordered items or software supplied separately

For software delivered together with other items or for software delivered separately (hereafter “software”) these Terms and Conditions of Delivery and Payment only apply insofar as these do not deviate from the following conditions or from conditions agreed upon separately with the Ordering Party.

12.1 Scope of use

12.1.1 All rights of intellectual property, such as copyright, trademark rights, design rights, patent rights, utility model rights and know-how, as well as in particular unprotected inventions, commercial experience, trade secrets and such like, independent from the time these were disclosed to the Ordering Party, shall be reserved at any time by us or our licensors. The Ordering Party shall have the right to use the software after payment of the agreed sum exclusively for his own purposes in accordance with the acquired number of licences. With the present contract only the authorization to use the software is acquired. Dissemination by the Ordering Party shall be excluded in accordance with the copyright law. With a possible participation of the Ordering Party in producing the software no rights other than the specified usage laid out in Section 12 are acquired. The Ordering Party may only use the software simultaneously on one device, which one is his decision. Usage of the software shall constitute any long-term or even any temporary duplication (copying) of the software, whether in whole or also only in part, by saving, loading, running or displaying for the purpose of execution of the software and processing of the data contained therein by the hardware. He shall not be authorized to copy the user manual.

12.1.2 The Ordering Party shall be permitted to make copies of the software for archival and data protection purposes on condition that there is no explicit prohibition in the software or any accompanying material (instruction manual, packaging, etc.) and that all copyright and proprietary notices are transferred unchanged in these copies. Retranslations of the programme code (decompilation) exceeding the legal provisions shall not be permitted.

12.1.3. If the software is equipped with technical copy protection, the Ordering Party shall in the case of damage be supplied with a replacement copy after restitution of the data carrier.

12.2 Further rights

In the event of availability of a new software version the Ordering Party shall be entitled to exchange the supplied software package for a similar software package of the new version at our listed update price; the exchange implies the software package as a whole, as it was acquired by the Ordering Party. With the exchange Ordering Party´s permission to use the exchanged software package shall expire. In such an event the Ordering Party shall immediately and completely destroy all copies, partial copies and backup copies as well as altered or revised versions of the software and the copies, partial copies and backup copies made thereof.

12.3 Warranty

12.3.1 The Ordering Party shall note that it is not possible to develop software programmes in such a manner that these are free from defects for every application condition.

12.3.2 We shall warrant that the supplied software fulfils the agreed functions and has the expressly guaranteed properties. Requirement for any warranty is usage according to contract. A defect for which we are responsible shall only be deemed to exist if the software does not function according to the most recent version of the corresponding performance description/documentation and if this is reproducible by the Ordering Party. In order to carefully examine possible occurring defects the Ordering Party shall be obliged to support us in the rectification of any defects.

12.3.3 We further shall warrant that the original software is duly recorded onto a tested data carrier. Excepted here from are previously installed software and third-party software products.

12.3.4 Software defects shall be documented by the user and we shall be notified in writing with immediate effect; otherwise 8.3 shall apply.

12.3.5 The warranty period shall always be twelve months; the period commences with the dispatch of the software package.

12.3.6 If the software package is not usable or defect (12.3.2), we shall exchange it primarily for a new one of the same title or for an adequate alternative solution. If this also proves to be unusable or defect and if we are not in a position to make it usable with adequate effort within an adequate time, but at least within a period of four weeks, the Ordering Party may demand a price reduction or a change. Costs of defect rectification by the Ordering Party or a third person shall not be compensated by us.

12.3.7 In excess of this (12.3.6) we shall not provide warranty, in particular not in the case of the supplied software not meeting the special requirements of the Ordering Party or user, and also not for altered or revised versions of the software (point 12.1.2), unless the Ordering Party can prove that the defects are not connected to the alterations or revisions. The Ordering Party itself is solely responsible for the selection, installation and usage of the software as well as for the results intended therewith.

12.3.8 In the event of unjustified assertion of defects in the software we shall be entitled to charge the Ordering Party with any incurred costs according to valid cost rates.

12.3.9 A change of the end-user shall exclude any warranty claims

12.4 Compensation

12.4.1 All further claims of the Ordering Party or third persons, in particular claims for compensation for damages of any kind, shall be excluded, unless the injured party can prove that the damage was caused by us either intentionally or due to gross negligence.

12.4.2 Otherwise Point 9 shall apply accordingly.