Advanced Welding and Cutting Systems

In Booth N-6074, ESAB Welding & Cutting Products (Florence, SC) will showcase their new welding and cutting systems with live demonstrations, starting with the new Warrior® 400i MV CC/CV, a multi-voltage, multi-process welding system with the flexibility to automatically accept three-phase primary power ranging from 220V to 460V±10 percent, 50 Hz or 60 Hz. The Warrior 400i MV weighs 133 lb, offers premium welding and gouging performance, provides up to 400 amps at 60 percent duty cycle and has a total output range of 5 amps to 400 amps. Designed with end-user input, the Warrior 400i MV has a simple and clear interface for process selection and adjustment with all controls – including the power switch – on the front panel. It welds .030 in to 5/64 in cored wire and solid wires and features Short Circuit Termination (SCT) technology to provide an automatic burn-back function that, after every stop, leaves the wire-end in perfect shape ready for next start.

For Stick welding, operators can choose from three different modes that optimize arc characteristics for basic (7018), cellulosic (6010) and rutile (6013) performance, plus Hot Start and arc force control for fine tuning. The unit has the low-end control to provide a stable TIG arc down to 5 amps, yet has the power to gouge with carbon-arc electrodes up to 5/16 in diameter. The Warrior 400i MV is designed for highly reliable performance in demanding applications where users require location and process flexibility, including fabrication, construction, pipeline, heavy equipment repair, ship building, power plants, maintenance and repair and rental. In these applications, welders often work at a distance from the power source. “Sun-friendly” displays enable operators to easily see voltage and wire feed speed parameters outdoors. When used in combination with a Tweco® Spray Master® Velocity™ MIG Gun, consumable parts life is improved up to 5X or more in some applications.

A durable external body withstands the elements, while the Warrior’s air tunnel design keeps critical electronics free from dirt, oil and foreign objects, ensuring long-term reliability. Ergonomically designed handles are built to withstand mechanical hoisting and double-bend 14 ga galvanized steel side panels protect against collisions and drops. The control and power cables are held together and protected by fire resistant sheath, and all feature tool-less connections. The Warrior’s inverter-based design provides outstanding arc performance and energy savings in a competitively priced unit, making inverter technology affordable for every welding application. The unit tolerates voltage fluctuations within its 198V to 506V operating range (220V to 460V±10 percent), making it generator compatible and suitable for use in locations with dirty power.

ESAB offers various wire feeders to pair with the Warrior 400i MV, including the new Warrior Feed 404 HD, a heavy-duty bench-top wire feeder designed to feed .030 in to 3/32 in wire at speeds of 50 ipm to 800 ipm in applications such as high-volume fabrication, structural steel fabrication, heavy fabrication (transportation, off-highway, railcar), ship building and more. The heavy-duty Warrior Feed 404 HD can reduce cost of operation by 30 percent to 60 percent compared to other leading brands of feeders because of its drive roll design, which combines two lower gear-driven rollers with two upper idler/smooth pressure rollers to produce considerably less scrubbing of the wire, reducing debris generation by 8 times to 12 times than that typically created from a 4-roll drive system. Reduced debris extends liner life by 30 to 60 percent. An upper idler system also doesn’t mar the wire like a 4-roll drive system, resulting in 4X to 6X longer contact tip life with cored wires. This also means shops only need to buy two drive rolls instead of four, an instant 50 percent reduction in drive roll cost (average feed roll life is four to eight weeks, depending on the application, and drive rolls cost $40 for a set of two).

The standard set by the IEC 60974-5 test specifications calls for one wrap of the gun cable around a 300 mm wire spool. ESAB has wrapped the cable three times around the spool and it still feeds flawlessly. Torque tests show that the Warrior 404 HD delivered the most powerful, consistent and accurate wire feeding over a full range of wire feed speeds, reducing the amount of stress on the motor and gear box, which extends motor life. A fan-cooled motor ensures it runs cool under the most challenging conditions to further extend the life of the motor.

The Warrior 404 HD feeder has all the features that production shops require, including gas purge, wire inch, trigger lock (2T/4T control), burnback, slow run-in speed and the ability to preset wire feed speed and voltage. This is the only feeder with separate digital displays for voltage, wire feed speed and amperage values (operators are used to setting wire feed speed, but QA/QC personnel like to see amperage). The feeder also incorporates SCT technology to sharpen the end of the welding wire at the termination of a weld. By eliminating the ball that typically forms on the end of the wire, the feeder optimizes the wire condition to promote a positive arc start. SCT also eliminates the need for the operator to clip the wire. In an operation with numerous weld stops and starts, the times savings will quickly add up.

There is also the Warrior Feed 304, a bench top style feeder with a bobbin cover. Its four-roll drive with tachometer feedback providers superior feeding performance with wire spools up to 60 lb. The MobileFeed 201 AVS (maximum spool size of 8 in) features an impact-resistant, reinforced nylon case. Warrior welding systems provide superior starts and an extremely smooth and stable arc transfer with excellent weld finishes. To further optimize results, ESAB recommends using premium electrodes, such as OK Aristorod 12.50 ER70S-6 solid wire, Dual Shield Flux-Cored wires and Atom Arc 7018 Acclaim Stick electrodes. For more information about Warrior, visit www.esabna.com/warrior.

ESAB will also launch the Aristo® Feed 4004i HD heavy-duty feeder, which has the same drive roll design as the Warrior Feed 404 HD.

Also on display are the newly introduced ET 220i AC/DC and ET 301i AC/DC inverter-based welding systems that offer full digital control of the TIG (GTAW) and Stick (MMA/SMAW) welding arc, input power flexibility and lightweight portability. Advanced TIG features include pulsing the AC or DC output from 0.2 Hz to 2000 Hz, an AC output frequency adjustable from 30 Hz to 200 Hz, an AC balance control adjustable from 10 percent to 90 percent, the ability to tailor arc starts and welding performance based on electrode diameter and a Tiptronic function that saves parameters for 100 TIG welding jobs. Advanced Stick functions include adjustable arc force (“dig”) control and adjustable Hot Start amperage and duration. Both units automatically accept single- or three-phase, 50 Hz or 60 Hz, 208-230V or 460 VAC primary power (±15 percent) with no manual re-linking required. When connected to single-phase power, both units offer a maximum TIG output range of 5 amps to 200 amps. On three-phase power, the ET 220i provides a top TIG output of 220 amps and Stick output of 170 amps; the ET 301i provides a top TIG output of 300 amps and Stick output of 200 amps. The ET 220i weighs 29.5 lb and the ET 301i weighs 35.9 lb; both units measure 13 in x 7.25 in x 19 in.

“The ET 220i and 301i meet the needs of professional welders who demand full control of the TIG welding arc and excellent Stick performance with all electrode types,” says Ken Alrick, a senior welding product manager at ESAB. “The advanced TIG functions enable operators to control the weld bead profile and manage heat input, both of which improve weld quality and productivity.” Alrick notes that the ET 220i and 301i offer more power per pound than other leading TIG welders, and their robust aluminum case and IP23S protection class provide the durability required for shop or field use. The ET series is designed for the shipbuilding, automotive, industrial manufacturing, mobile fabrication, construction, pipe welding and maintenance/repair industries. The ET units are offered as part of a system that includes a water cooler, TIG torch, Tweco® electrode holder and work clamp, Victor® regulator and all required hoses, cables and connectors. An industrial dolly/cart organizes all components, secures a gas cylinder and creates a compact, portable system that operators can easily wheel around the shop or load in a truck (after removing the cylinder).

Compared to conventional welders and less sophisticated inverters, ET inverters improve TIG welding results because they enable operators to tailor welding parameters to match specific applications. For example, many operators like to increase gas post-flow time when welding stainless steel, as well as use a pulsed TIG output to manage heat input, narrow the bead width, increase travel speed and increase penetration. The ET series enables operators to set pulsing rates of 0.2 Hz to 2000 Hz, adjust background current from 1 percent to 200 percent of welding current and adjust the duration of the background pulse

from 1 percent to 99 percent of total cycle time. After determining optimum parameters, operators can then use the Tiptronic memory function to easily store and quickly recall programs for stainless jobs they routinely encounter.

When welding aluminum, the ET series lets operators adjust the amount of time the waveform spends in the electrode negative phase (EN, which does the welding work) and the electrode positive phase (EP, which provides the cleaning action necessary to remove surface oxides). In many applications, operators set EP at 30 percent or less to remove heat from the electrode, increase penetration and maintain a pointed tungsten (which provides better directional control of the arc, as well as bead width). The ET series also enables operators to adjust the welding output frequency from 20 Hz to 200 Hz. Increasing frequency concentrates the arc column and prevents the arc from wandering. As a result, operators can increase travel speed, narrow the oxide etch zone and put in a narrower weld bead. To start, many operators experiment with frequencies from 100 Hz to 150 Hz, especially to prevent overheating thin sections and over-welding on fillet welds. As with pulse parameters, the ET series can store and recall favorite settings to reduce set-up time.

Stoody® plans to introduce several new products during the show, including a new series of nickel-based WC PTA (plasma transfer arc) powders, a new series of cobalt-based PTA powders, several new additions to its nickel-based tungsten carbide hardfacing wires and a new all-position CO2 flux cored nickel super alloy wire. New ESAB brand filler metals with innovative new packaging and point-of-use solutions help fabricators increase productivity, lower total cost of ownership and improve the welding experience.

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, PO Box 100545, 411 South Ebenezer Road, Florence, SC 29501-0545, 843-669-4411, Fax: 843-664-4258, www.esabna.com.