Eelding and cutting technologies speicalist ESAB has marked the first six months of 2013 with a succession of major new product launches. The company took the opportunity to show these to journalists at an event at the UK head quarters in Waltham Cross this week.
The new products include multi-process welding and MIG power sources together with gas welding and cutting safety equipment. They underline the company’s commitment to the development of the most technologically advanced and reliable welding products whilst ensuring that the welding professional’s safety and comfort are paramount.
The WarriorTM multi-process welding power source with wire feeder has been developed to meet the needs of the market in terms of reliability in operation, the need to minimise downtime and to achieve maximum welding productivity. It is a tough, heavy duty machine designed to fulfil applications within the shipbuilding, railway, mobile machinery, power generation, construction, pipe welding, general fabrication, repair and maintenance sectors.
Warrior will perform MIG/MAG, Flux-Cored Wire (FCW), Manual Metal Arc (MMA) and TIG welding tasks as well as Arc Gouging. It features inverter technology for energy savings and high functionality, delivering up to 500 amps @ 60% duty cycle. It welds 0.8mm – 2.0mm flux-cored and solid wires, carbon arc gouges with electrodes up to 10mm diameter and has a full range of MMA capabilities. The wire feeder features a high-torque 4-roll drive, offering superior feed even with long MIG/MAG welding guns.
Ease of use is provided through the convenient positioning of the power source’s controls on the front panel. A simple and clear user interface makes it easy for anyone to start welding within a few seconds.
When it comes to welder safety, the Warrior TechTM welding helmet meets the needs of welding professionals requiring a high specification, ergonomically designed lightweight helmet that provides protection from dangerous UV/IR radiation, heat and spatter.
Four welding arc sensors provide high response levels and a wider sensory coverage than many alternative helmets of this type. It has a wider than normal 98mm x 48mm viewing area that increases spatial awareness. Shade adjustment between DIN9 and DIN13 is provided with its automatic shade darkening filter (ADF) lens that offers excellent optical quality.
The helmet offers optimal performance for most fabrication and out-of-position welding. Its sensitivity control is a useful adaptable feature when welding with low amperages, whilst the delay control allows the welder to set how long the lens stays dark after the welding arc stops. The helmet’s headband is fully adjustable over the head and for enhanced comfort, the angled front pad sits flat on forehead to reduce frontal lobe pressure.
It is estimated that up to 50% savings on shielding gas usage can be made with the new ESAB Elite OptiflowTM gas regulator. With payback achievable in just a few months, the savings to be made can make a dramatic improvement to gas welding profitability.
ESAB Optiflow has an optimum start flow that is just a quarter of a traditional regulator. This is achieved through the inclusion of a two-stage reduction valve that has been developed specifically for use with welding shielding gases. The more welding that is undertaken with Optiflow, the greater the savings. Typically, if a user normally consumes around five tons of welding wire per year, with half of the welds being long welds and the rest being spot welds, Optiflow could save up to 2000 Euros per year.
Optiflow’s ensures that the gas flow is very accurately regulated and kept constant even when the pressure in the cylinder drops. From an environmental viewpoint, Optiflow can produce up to 50% more welded joints with the same amount of gas, meaning less environmental impact and a reduction in the amount of gas that might require transportation.
Typical applications for ESAB’s new Aristo Mig 4004i PulseTM power source include the manufacture of trucks, buses, trailers, off-highway equipment, trains and railway rolling stock, as well as wind turbine towers, structural steelwork, shipbuilding/offshore, and general industrial fabrication.
This lightweight, multi-process welding power source can be used for MIG, pulsed MIG, MAG, MMA or TIG welding in applications requiring both high productivity and high quality. Compared with conventional welding equipment, the electronically-controlled Aristo Mig 4004i Pulse weighs 70 per cent less and has a footprint that is 70 per cent smaller. This new equipment is therefore easy to transport and much easier to use in confined spaces.
To help in achieving high deposition rates, the Aristo Mig 4004i Pulse delivers a welding current of 300A and voltage of 32V at a 100 per cent duty cycle. At a 60 per cent duty cycle these figures rise to 400A and 36V. Pre-programmed synergic lines set the optimum welding parameters when welding with different combinations of material, wire and shielding gas.
The QSetTM intelligent welding system automatically fine-tunes the welding parameters ‘on the fly’ so the operative only has to adjust the wire feed speed. In addition, the LiveTigTM start function electronically limits the start current, and SuperPulse controls the heat input for bridging variable gaps with a spatter-free arc. Complementing the Aristo Mig 4004i is the the Aristo Feed 3004TM fully enclosed wire feeder.
ESAB’s PowerCut 700TM and PowerCut 400TM portable plasma cutting packages are designed to be used on all electrically conductive materials in production, assembly, repair and maintenance applications. Well balanced and featuring a convenient carrying handle, they can be carried easily between work sites or to precisely where they are needed in the workshop.
Both models can also be powered from engine-driven welders when working remotely without access to a mains power supply. The PowerCut 700 can be fitted with a CNC interface so that it can be connected directly to a cutting table.
Supplied complete with a lightweight and ergonomic PT-39 plasma torch and a kit of wear parts, the PowerCuts can cut a range of material thicknesses. The 700 version achieves a maximum thickness of15mm for a high-quality cut or 20mm when the finish and speed are less important. With the 400, 10mm is the maximum high-quality cut thickness or 13mm for a lower quality finish. A notable feature of the cutters is Dynamic Arc ControlTM that controls the pilot arc when cutting grate or mesh for continuous operation without any arc outages.
For more information about ESAB products, www.esab.co.uk or call 0800 389 3152.
