A New Generation of Welding.

At HST CREATIVE, mechanical engineering, drive technology, electronics, control engineering and manufacturing technology are not treated as separate disciplines, but as one deliberately engineered mechatronic system. We develop concepts grounded in long-term experience from real industrial applications. For us, development does not end with a drawing. It ends when the solution works reliably in practice.

Our technical and process solutions are backed by in-house engineering and development. Every essential part of an HST CREATIVE machine passes through the hands of our own designers and developers. Load-bearing structures are predominantly engineered as space-frame structures with emphasis on strength, stiffness, precision and long service life. To us, machine design is not the assembly of parts; it is the search for the optimum technical system as a whole.

Standardised machine concepts are systematically tested in our own development centre and subsequently validated in real industrial operation. We evaluate their actual functionality, reliability and behaviour under the conditions for which they were designed. Only operation reveals certain machine characteristics that cannot be fully understood from calculations or a 3D model alone.

For project-specific solutions, we work with the customer from the earliest design stage. We systematically challenge the specification, process concept and individual engineering decisions. Our objective is to identify weak points before they can develop into costly problems during manufacturing or operation.

We place exceptional emphasis on the in-house development of proprietary control hardware and software. The advantage of our own platform is not technological independence alone. More importantly, it allows us to optimise the architecture specifically for welding systems with multiple numerically controlled axes, several coordinated welding power sources and additional supporting subsystems.

The architecture of our control systems is based on a modular concept built around the central HST CREATIVE MBX series PLC and associated digital modules for drive control, switched devices, inputs and outputs. This allows us to tailor the control system precisely to each machine while maintaining a unified technology platform across our equipment portfolio.

For industrial communication we use, among other technologies, CANopen and Ethernet-based data communication. We work with image processing from camera systems, archiving of welding-process recordings, logging of physical process parameters and comparative evaluation of production data. The control system therefore becomes more than a means of operating the machine; it can also become a source of information about the manufacturing process itself.

The user interface is selected according to the complexity and operating profile of the equipment. Simpler machines use our own display-based operator units, while complex systems use industrial PCs with touch interfaces. Hardware, software and HMI are therefore not developed independently. They are engineered as one integrated system for a specific process and way of working.

Machine reliability is not created simply by selecting individually high-quality components. It is created by their correct combination. We therefore evaluate components not only in isolation, but place particular importance on testing them as part of real functional assemblies.

Where an engineering task does not require a premium solution, we use economically rational components. Cost optimisation is a legitimate part of engineering, but never at the expense of the required service life, functionality or safety of the equipment. The most expensive component is not automatically the best one; the right component is the one that best matches its actual function within the machine.

Particular attention is given to electrical and electronic components. Welding is a demanding environment in terms of electromagnetic interference, which is why we place strong emphasis on electromagnetic compatibility, control stability and long-term operating reliability. Electronics must remain dependable precisely where the machine is actually used: in an industrial environment.

Even stricter rules apply to components selected for our own PCBs. Here, purchase-price optimisation is not the primary criterion. We use premium-grade components with the objective of maximising the reliability of our own electronics. Every component has its place, its function and a clear technical reason for being there.

Industrial design is a distinct part of our engineering philosophy. HST CREATIVE machines have their own recognisable design language. We combine modern manufacturing technologies with inspiration from Czech industrial design of the 1960s: technical clarity, originality and confidence. In our view, a machine should not only function well. It should also clearly communicate who created it.

Functional integration is another core principle. A single structural assembly is often designed to perform several functions at once. The result is a compact machine with a high level of functionality relative to its size and mass. Good engineering, in our view, is not a design to which everything necessary has been added; it is a design from which nothing unnecessary remains.

The safety concept is derived from the machine's intended use, the nature of the manufacturing process, the operating method, the frequency of human intervention and the working environment. A fully enclosed automated system for serial production therefore requires a different approach from a specialised machine intended for one-off welding of large workpieces. We treat safety as part of the machine architecture, not as an additional layer added at the end.

The same level of attention is applied to ergonomics, control-element placement, HMI clarity, definition of the working envelope and integration with surrounding systems. Risk assessment is carried out throughout the engineering process. Significant hazards are addressed primarily through technical design and protective measures; residual risks are clearly defined in the documentation and incorporated into operator training.

HST CREATIVE machines are manufactured within our own production structure through HST PRODUCTION. This keeps the complete chain, from manufacturing documentation through individual parts and structural assemblies to final machine assembly and inspection, under our direct control and responsibility.

Our production capabilities include sheet-metal processing, machining, welding and surface finishing. Key manufacturing operations therefore remain within one connected manufacturing system, preserving continuity between engineering, process planning and the finished product.

The process extends from manufacturing preparation and incoming material inspection through laser cutting, CNC bending, welding, machining and painting to final assembly. Each stage is carried out by experienced technicians and skilled tradespeople who understand not only their own operation, but also its importance to the finished machine.

The manufacturing system is designed for low-volume production in the range of hundreds of machines per year while applying principles of standardisation, quality management and repeatability associated with high-volume manufacturing. This allows us to retain the flexibility of project and small-series production without giving up the discipline of serial manufacturing.

Assembly is organised in two dedicated workshops, one focused on serial-production machines and the other on project-specific machines. Each uses a different working model because repeat production and the construction of a unique machine require different organisation, workflows and levels of individual responsibility.

Mechanical assemblies are built and aligned to the accuracy required by each machine. On selected structures, tolerances are controlled in the order of tenths of a millimetre per metre of length. This level of accuracy requires the correct engineering concept, purpose-designed fixtures, precise measurement and, above all, experienced specialists.

Electrical integration uses a system of predefined engineering modules. These assemblies are produced and tested in the electrical workshop before they are installed in the machine. Final electrical installation and integration of the control system then proceed as a separately managed process with clearly defined inspection steps.

Mechanical, electrical and control systems must ultimately operate as one functional machine. We therefore do not treat final quality as the sum of several correctly assembled subsystems. It is created within one connected process by people who understand the engineering, the technology and the way the machine is expected to work in practice.

Our manufacturing operation includes an in-house metrology facility where key structural assemblies are inspected before release to final assembly. We use 3D metrology systems and scanning technologies to verify dimensions, geometry and the mutual relationships between individual features and assemblies.

The assembly of every machine is continuously monitored by a quality technician. We verify not only the quality of execution, but also conformity between the machine being built and the exact customer-order specification.

According to precisely defined procedures, we functionally test 100% of manufactured machines. Where the configuration includes welding power sources, we also verify digital communication, analogue interfaces and their actual behaviour under operating states corresponding to the intended use of the equipment.

Every completed machine then undergoes final inspection by a quality specialist. The results are recorded in an inspection protocol and archived against the individual machine. The long-term outcome of this system is a failure rate below 0.2% of all manufactured machines during their first two years of operation.

Engineering and manufacturing form one connected system at HST CREATIVE. Experience gained during production is fed directly back to our designers and progressively improves design quality, manufacturability and economic efficiency. In our view, a good design must succeed not only on the engineer's screen, but also in the hands of the people who actually manufacture and assemble it.

A formal manufacturing-feedback system converts recurring observations into specific changes to engineering, documentation, production procedures and internal standards. Individual experience is therefore not lost between departments; it becomes a permanent part of the system and gradually strengthens the HST CREATIVE engineering methodology.

Direct shop-floor contact is equally important. Our designers regularly work with production personnel and gather practical feedback from process engineers, skilled tradespeople, assembly technicians and quality specialists. The production floor is one of the places where engineering continues to learn.

For project-specific machines, this connection is even closer. Designers actively participate in assembly, follow the machine as it is built and are present on the shop floor during critical stages. If a deficiency or a better solution is identified, the feedback returns immediately to engineering. From concept to finished machine, technical responsibility remains within one team, and every machine built becomes experience for the next one.

Metal welding is the technological core of HST CREATIVE, and our machines are directly shaped by the demands of this industrial process. Precision positioning, the power required to manipulate heavy weldments, process dynamics and digital control are among the fundamental areas on which we have focused for many years.

Numerically controlled motion axes and fully coordinated peripheral systems connected through industrial communication form the basis of process accuracy and repeatability. We apply the same principle when welding delicate components weighing only a few tens of grams and when handling a pressure vessel weighing twenty tonnes. The dimensions change. The requirement for precisely controlled motion does not.

We integrate electric-arc welding processes, work with plasma technologies and apply laser welding. This is not limited to connecting a welding power source to a machine. We transfer knowledge of the process itself into the machine concept, control architecture and method of use. When introducing a new technology, the customer therefore receives not only a machine, but also process know-how that can significantly accelerate implementation into production.

Long-term systematic development has given us precision torch weaving, accurate welding-wire feeding and precise shielding-gas control. We use and continue to develop adaptive seam tracking, real-time correction of the welding position based on workpiece deformation, continuous temperature measurement with evaluation of overheating risk, and camera systems for direct observation of the weld pool. The machine is therefore not limited to executing a predefined motion path; it can monitor and actively respond to the welding process.

General mechanical engineering is the foundation of our market activity. For this sector we manufacture standardised universal machines for circumferential and longitudinal welding across a broad range of products. Individual operations can be combined and, in suitable applications, can achieve automation levels comparable with robotic cells while retaining a key advantage: an operator-oriented control system that does not require a robotics specialist to program it.

Pressure vessels and tank manufacturing are another major field, from smaller products to assemblies weighing many tonnes. Our applications include pressure vessels, cryogenic storage tanks and tanks for the food, energy and chemical industries. We address not only welding itself, but also the often time-consuming, frustrating and potentially hazardous process of fitting and assembling tank sections before final welding. For this purpose, we manufacture an assembly line with twelve controlled axes.

Our special-purpose machines are also used in the aerospace and space industries, defence applications and the manufacture of precision measurement equipment. These sectors particularly demonstrate our ability to combine precision mechanics, controlled motion and welding-process knowledge into one functional system.

The automotive industry uses our equipment primarily in applications where a conventional robotic system is not the optimum solution. We engineer integrated production systems capable of assembling components, welding them and placing finished parts at defined locations without operator intervention. Other important applications are those in which high motion dynamics, rapid positioning and minimum cycle time are decisive.

Our process-engineering work can begin before an order is placed. Together with the customer, we analyse the intended production process, required productivity and expected level of automation. The most complex solution is not always the best one. The objective is to identify the technology that genuinely makes sense for the specific production task.

Where the project allows, we validate the process on samples or through dedicated process trials. For more demanding applications, we also develop the necessary fixtures, clamping systems and other elements that directly affect welding behaviour. Many problems that initially appear to be related to the welding power source actually originate in the overall process concept.

Our process-engineering work does not end when the machine is delivered. During implementation of a new technology, we support process setup, machine programming, operator preparation and, where required, parameter optimisation for new products. A successful installation is not the moment when the machine is switched on; it is the moment when the customer can use it for stable and repeatable production.

We also provide long-term process support. Knowledge of the individual machine, welding process and the customer's production programme enables us to address new products and process changes without returning to the very beginning. The know-how therefore remains available to the customer throughout the operating life of the equipment.

An industrial machine creates value only when it is producing. We therefore do not treat service as a separate activity that begins only after a failure occurs, but as part of the technology lifecycle. We provide warranty and post-warranty support and, depending on the equipment, planned preventive maintenance.

A key advantage of our own mechanical design, electronics and software is direct access to the technical fundamentals of the machine. A service technician does not have to work only from the external symptoms of a fault. When necessary, the documentation and the knowledge of the people who designed, programmed and manufactured the equipment are directly available. This removes the anonymous barrier between service and development.

Every HST CREATIVE machine has an individual manufacturing identity. Its serial number is linked to technical documentation, information about the actual machine configuration and the history of service interventions. When resolving a problem, we can therefore return to the specific machine and its real history rather than relying only on a generic machine type.

In addition to resolving acute faults, we support routine maintenance, preventive service and long-term service relationships. The objective is not merely to repair a machine. It is to maintain its function, accuracy and reliability for as long as the customer expects it to operate. In our view, responsibility for a good machine does not end when it leaves our factory.

The HST CREATIVE Customer Portal provides a structured way for customers to communicate directly with our team throughout the support process. Instead of relying on disconnected email conversations, each new request becomes a dedicated ticket that keeps the original message, subsequent replies and relevant information together in one continuous communication thread.

Customers can describe a request, add the necessary technical or commercial details and continue the conversation as the case develops. HST CREATIVE specialists respond within the same ticket, so both sides can immediately understand what has already been discussed and what still needs to be resolved. Product enquiries, quotations, technical consultations and support requests can therefore enter one structured workflow, creating a clearer and more transparent support process than conventional inbox-based communication.

Every conversation created through the Customer Portal remains connected to the customer's account, creating a complete communication history that can be revisited whenever necessary. Customers can return to an earlier enquiry, review previous replies and understand how a request developed without searching through old emails.

Technical communication rarely consists of text alone. Photographs, drawings, screenshots, documents and other supporting information can remain attached to the same request together with HST CREATIVE replies. The question, supporting material, clarification and final response can therefore be reviewed as one continuous case, without reconstructing the case from separate sources.

The HST AI Assistant is being developed as a new way to navigate HST CREATIVE machines, technologies and available solutions. Instead of requiring customers to understand every product family, technical parameter or configuration before contacting us, the assistant will allow them to describe the application, workpiece or production objective in natural language.

The assistant can progressively identify relevant information, explain differences between machines, clarify terminology and guide the discussion toward relevant HST CREATIVE solutions. It is also intended to make approved technical knowledge easier to access through direct questions about equipment, operating principles, configuration options and technical topics. The objective is not to replace engineering judgement, but to make HST CREATIVE engineering expertise easier to access from the very beginning of a project.

The HST AI Assistant is also being designed to support the early stages of a new project through adaptive project consultation. A customer may initially know only the workpiece, approximate dimensions, mass or the production process they want to improve. The assistant can ask for additional information, explain why specific parameters matter and help transform an initial description into a more complete technical requirement without forcing every user through the same static form.

When a question can be answered immediately, the assistant can provide guidance directly. When deeper engineering evaluation is required, the conversation can move toward real HST CREATIVE specialists while preserving the information already collected as valuable technical context. The long-term vision is to connect the HST AI Assistant and Customer Portal into one continuous workflow: ask, understand, clarify, escalate and continue with HST CREATIVE.