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Flash Wizard: Geismar’s mobile welding solution gains ground internationally
The Geismar brand is accelerating its growth in the mobile flash butt welding segment, drawing on the expertise, know-how and production capabilities of its extensive Alsace production unit.
Since the presentation of its first mobile flash butt welding container at the IAF railway exhibition in Münster in May 2022, a dozen contractors and railway network managers have taken delivery of their machines. From Mozambique to Ireland and from Denmark to Tanzania, Geismar’s mobile flash butt welding heads are proving to be a practical and effective solution for producing high-quality welds on track that comply with the EN 14587-2 standard. In order to better meet demand, the rail-road welding trucks, known as «Flash Wizard», are now designed and assembled at Geismar Alsace’s historic site in Colmar.
Presentation of the Flash Titan at IAF 2022
A practical and versatile solution, suitable for all types of railway infrastructure:
The technique of flash butt welding rails has long been the monopoly of large rail-welding factories. Welding plants are equipped with flash welding lines that can mass-produce kilometres of continuous welded rails (CWR). Now, mobile welding heads make it possible to bring this technology to the track and produce high-quality, uniform and particularly strong welds.
Geismar mobile flash butt welding heads are available in three power ratings: Flash 600, Flash 1000 and Flash 1200. In most cases, the welders are delivered mounted on a rail-road truck specifically designed and developed by Geismar: the Flash Wizard. The combination of the mobile welding head and the rail-road platform offers great flexibility of use.
Geismar’s engineers have designed the Flash Wizard to be effective on any type of terrain and any type of track. The road chassis can have 3 or 4 axles, while the rail section consists of either two single-axel lorries, one lorry and one bogie, or two bogies in cases where extreme curve radii require it.
With travel speeds of up to 90 km/h on roads and 30 km/h on tracks, teams can respond quickly and efficiently anywhere on the network. An on-board camera system facilitates and secures rail-mounting operations. Once on site, the Flash Wizard can on-rail in a matter of minutes and is ready to travel on the tracks.
Geismar’s Flash Wizard rail-road trucks are designed to work day and night in all latitudes and environments: urban areas, arid deserts, tropical heat, and winter cold. The Flash Wizard is operational in temperatures ranging from -20°C to +40°C.
In-track welding – Mozambique
A commercial success in a strategic segment:
The versatility of Flash Wizard trucks has already won over many customers around the world. Eight Geismar welding trucks are already in operation in Mozambique, Ireland, Tanzania, Mauritania and Algeria. Customer satisfaction is very high, to the point that three of them have already placed orders for a second Geismar welding truck.
Thanks to their spacious cab, up to three operators and their equipment can travel on board the Flash Wizard for rapid transport to the site of operation. Excellent visibility, braking systems, work area lighting, side stabilisers and radio-controlled deployment of the welding head enable operators to work in complete safety.
Since July 2025, four rail-road vehicles have already left our Colmar factory, which continues to ramp up production in this strategic market segment. These are mainly welding trucks, but also include a tramway maintenance vehicle. Other configurations are also in the pipeline at our Alsace Design Office, and the segment benefits from the support of a dedicated project manager.
A promotional video illustrating some of the advantages of the Flash Wizard range of rail-road trucks was also filmed at the Colmar site.
Unrivalled in-track welding quality:
Compared to the most widely used technique of aluminothermic rail welding, spark welding offers numerous advantages.
- Ease of use: Simply operate the lifting arm to position the welding head above the rails and start the automatic welding process.
- Quality of results: Spark welding is the only technique that preserves the nature of the rail material. It ensures perfect continuity of the same material. The welded rails then form a single unit, greatly increasing the strength of the weld. Geismar welding heads can thus produce welds that comply with the EN 14587-2 standard.
- Durability: Flash welding rail joints are on average 30% stronger than those made using the conventional aluminothermic process. They offer better resistance to mechanical fatigue, better resistance to breakage and better running quality.
- Speed of the process: The Geismar Flash Wizard welding head can weld all types of rails in 3 minutes, including deburring.
In general, the widespread use of flash butt welding contributes significantly to improving the quality, durability and safety of railway networks.
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