ESAB, the global leader in welding equipment and consumables, recently held a successful open day at the manufacturing site in Diss, Norfolk of sister company, GASARC. The popular event was used to introduce the Rebel – the smallest, most powerful, full-featured portable welding machine on the market.
Richard Craig, business development manager for ESAB, explained: “We are proud to be launching the new Rebel machine here. However, the purpose of this event is also to support our distributor customer base and offer distributor training on the Rebel machine.
“On top of that, we are giving our colleagues in GASARC – which manufactures and supplies specialty gases and gas equipment – the opportunity to see how ESAB operates and what it can supply.”
GASARC has been part of the ESAB group for two years. Gareth Toyer, GASARC’s director of sales and marketing, said: “An event like this helps us collectively to support the industrial and specialty gas sides of the business together as one.
“It provides an excellent opportunity to bring the companies together. Although ESAB might be targeting an industrial customer, that it sells thousands of pounds worth of products to, we also supply speciality gas control products for laboratory and process type applications. So there is a real synergy between what we can supply and what ESAB offers.”
ESAB’s demo bus, which travels all around Europe, was a central feature of the open day. It is a fully-featured, self-contained unit with its own on-board generator as well as gas, air conditioning, and heating so that it can be operated independently of any external power supply. All the equipment contained within the demo bus can be demonstrated.
Mr Craig explained: “Customers of our distributor, Elmdale, have been visiting us throughout the day and have the opportunity to see both our products plus a couple of extra, related stands as an added attraction. So, 3M abrasives and Nederman fume extraction are featured.”
He added: “We work very closely with our distribution network; it is the key to our success. Most of the distributors we work with have been with us since ESAB first came to the UK in the 1960s. We have strong, close and well-established working relationships, with all of our key distributor partners.”
Tony Hewitt of Elmdale is impressed by the way ESAB operates. He said: “The company clearly has a brand strength in pretty much all sectors of the market. From our point of view, we appreciate the support we get from ESAB, both as a partner in general, but also in the field. We have a lot of interaction with ESAB’s field-based team in helping, supporting and proactively promoting the products to our customer base. This is probably one of the biggest strengths we see from our partnership.”
The Rebel is a multi-process, multi-voltage single phase 110/240V machine. Its ability to maintain a smooth, stable arc, even though input power fluctuates, is especially useful when connected to generators. The Rebel will deliver 5 to 140A of welding output on 120V primary and 5 to 240A of welding output on 230V input power to use with mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium.
This easy-to-operate, go-anywhere, weld-anything machine offers exceptionally high performance. Whether you are welding MIG/MAG with solid or flux-cored wire, MMA or Lift TIG, Rebel will perform as if it was made to run that particular process.
Rebel also has a unique feature called smartMIG (sMIG), which is so intuitive it makes it easy for the unskilled operator to use the machine. For the experienced user, the exclusive built-in sMIG arc control constantly monitors the weld and adapts for superior, repeatable welds with less spatter.
Mr Craig said: “We have presold many Rebel units already. Its reception in the market has been phenomenal. We have never had a machine where we’ve taken so many pre-orders so far in advance.”
Deliveries of the Rebel – which features a sturdy, five-handle roll cage, steel unibody construction and IP23S-level protection – start in August. Rebel is backed by comprehensive after sales service and support, and includes an industry-leading three-year warranty.
ESAB is one of the only companies in the UK to supply virtually everything for welding or cutting from welding gloves through consumables to a totally automated wind tower solution if that is what’s required.
