Welding Equipment for Shop and Field Work in Offshore Yards

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products (Florence, SC) offers their Renegade™ ET 300iP DC TIG/Stick inverter that features controls for pulsed TIG welding and high frequency (HF) or Lift TIG arc starts options. Now available in Europe, this unit will be available for sale in North America by mid-Q2 2018. The Renegade ET 300iP produces a top output of 300 amps at 40 percent duty cycle, weighs 37 lb and measures 12 in x 7.8 in x 18.11 in. It connects to 230V 1-phase power and 230V to 480V 3-phase power (±10 percent) with auto-sensing functionality and no rewiring required. It has a pulse frequency adjustable up to 999 pulses per second (PPS) and a peak pulse width (or duration) adjustable between 10 percent and 90 percent. Pulsed TIG welding can be used to improve weld puddle control, control the weld bead profile, reduce heat input and increase travel speeds.

“This inverter enables tailoring the pulsed DC TIG welding arc to the application, which is especially useful when welding thin material and working on applications such as stainless steel pipes in process piping and mechanical contracting,” explains Doug Smith, the product business manager for light/industrial arc equipment at ESAB. The Renegade ET 300iP features an intuitive digital readout display that makes it easy to set parameters and read them from a distance in any light, while a remote amperage control with digital display extends operator range by providing extreme accuracy over long distances. It also provides adjustable gas pre- and post-flow, adjustable upslope/downslope, 2- and 4-stroke trigger functionality, offers a remote foot pedal compatibility and includes a water-cooled option. It converts from a water-cooled system to an air-cooled portable system in minutes, and conversion does not require tools.

“Renegade is a next-generation shop and field machine for DC welding. It offers more power and a design that’s easier to move around any jobsite,” adds Smith. “When it can’t be located next to the workpiece, its strong output enables the use of long welding cables and longer work leads.” Renegade ET 300iP can weld with Stick electrodes up to 1/4 in and has gouging capabilities with carbons up to 3/16 in, making it the most powerful welder in its weight class. Other Stick performance features include semi-synergic Hot Start, a process that provides optimal energy during the starting sequence, improves strike performance and reduces sticking. Similarly, the Adjustable Arc Force function enables the operator to adjust the arc characteristics to get a crisp and controlled arc or a softer arc with less spatter, tailoring the arc for different electrodes, applications and operator preference. Preferences can be stored in one of three memory functions.

For those who want superior arc performance in a DC Stick/TIG machine without pulsing controls or HF arc starts, the Renegade ES 300i Stick/TIG welder features easy-to-grab front, rear and top handles that give the operator maximum flexibility for lifting the machine. Operators can easily pass obstacles, climb stairs, pass through manholes and lift the unit onto racks, making this an optimal welding machine for applications such as ship and offshore yards, construction, pipe, repair and maintenance and heavy fabrication.

ESAB also offers the Rebel™ EMP 285ic multiprocess welder for MIG, Flux-Cored and DC Stick and TIG welding. This 70 lb unit is available in two versions: The 1-phase model accepts 90V to 270V primary power, provides a rated output of 285 amps at 40 percent duty cycle and maximum output of 300 amps/36 volts. The 3-phase model accepts 380V to 575V primary, provides a rated output of 285 amps at 50 percent duty cycle and maximum output of 350 amps/36 volts. “Rebel 285ic is the most industrial unit yet, with strong output that enables users to gain the productivity benefits of spray transfer welding with .045 in solid wires and .047 in aluminum wires, as well as weld with the full range of .045 in and .052 in Flux-Cored wires,” notes Smith. The multiprocess Rebel EMP 235ic also handles the larger diameter Stick electrodes and TIG rods.

Smith notes that rather than label Rebel EMP welders with outputs around an arbitrary number such as 250, they are designed around the filler metals most commonly used by the intended audiences. “We focused Rebel 285 on welding the full range .045 in diameter wires, Rebel 235 on .035 in wires and Rebel 215 on .030 in wires” he says. “This allows fabricators to maximize performance and productivity with a full system approach.” He explains how traditional welders with similar outputs category are typically single-process MIG machines that weigh about 200 lb and lack the capabilities of wire performance potential. Rebel 285 offers fabricators a machine with true industrial performance for shop work and the power, portability and multiprocess flexibility contractors need for structural steel erection.

The single-phase unit maintains all the benefits of other Rebel EMP welders. The machine automatically detects the correct single-phase input power from 90V to 270V. It comes wired with a 230V plug; users simply need to attach the supplied power adapter to connect to 120V power. It holds 4 in, 8 in or 12 in wire spools, features dual gas ports with solenoid valves and has optional single- and dual-cylinder carts, remote amperage controls and spool guns for MIG aluminum. Rebel 285 looks identical to Rebel 235 (it uses the same tough case) and features the same TFT LCD color display, Basic and Advanced Mode operation and sMIG (“smart MIG”) technology for quick and easy results when short circuit MIG welding. The sMIG function monitors the operator’s technique and continuously adapts to provide a stable arc and superior, repeatable welds. “You can actually hear sMIG fine-tune the arc after a few seconds of welding, dialing in that perfect ‘sizzling bacon’ sound that signifies proper welding parameters,” says Smith. “This technology reduces downtime when changing parameters, helps train new operators and can improve consistency between welding stations.”

ESAB also offers Tweco® Switchable Magnetic Products that enable metal fabricators to pick, pack and clamp steel sheet, plate, tube and pipe with greater efficiency, convenience and safety. Switchable Magnetic Products offer innovative ways to improve material handling and workholding applications in oil and gas, mining, construction and other fabrication industries. They are used by steel distributors, mechanical contractors and fabricators to lift up or pick, pack and clamp base metal with powerful rare earth magnets. Users can manually switch the magnetic field on and off with a simple twist of a knob (hence the term “switchable”). There are five products in three categories:

• Multi-Angle Products for workholding (welding, cutting, drilling, grinding and beveling). The SMMA 300 model weighs 1.2 lb, features a 150 lb magnet, a 300 amp ground connection for welding and workholding angles of 45/135 deg, 60/120 deg, 75/105 deg and 90 deg. The SMMA 400 features a 400 lb magnet, the same workholding angles, holds both round and flat shapes and doubles as a quick connect vise.
• Lifter Products pick, pack, slide and reposition steel. Ideal for dragging sheet, stacking and destacking, pulling parts out of a burn table or handling scrap. The SMLM 60 features a 60 lb magnet and a pivot handle so that operators can safely move hot, sharp or dirty steel without touching it. The SMLH 600 features a heavy duty swivel hook to hoist steel weighing up to 200 lb.
• 90 Degree Right Angle Product to hold flat or round parts at a 90 deg right angle, making it perfect for code work and precision welding or cutting, including automated plasma cutting. The SMRA 400 features two rails that pivot on a center point and 400 lb magnets that can be added, repositioned and reversed for inside or outside 90 deg angles.

ESAB has also simplified and improved the front-end consumables for their Spray Master™ and Tweco Classic Number Series MIG guns featuring Velocity™ MIG welding consumables. The new nozzle features a heavy duty, high temperature resin and a molded insert that enables the nozzle to screw directly onto threads machined on the conductor tube. In addition to better securing the nozzle, the new design reduces the operating temperature of the nozzle and conductor tube. To reduce the effect of reflective heat, the conductor tube features a high-temperature silicone tube covering. The sleeve also protects the jacket from impacts and helps extend the conductor tube life.

Jeff Henderson, the global business manager for torches and exothermic cutting systems at ESAB, explains how good thermal management of front-end consumables improves performance, extends consumable life and optimizes the electrical and thermal conductive path, which greatly influences MIG gun performance. “The updated Velocity design directly addresses heat-related issues by reducing consumable count, improving thermal conductivity and lowering operating temperature,” he says. “As a result, updated Velocity consumables stay cooler, last longer, produce a more stable weld puddle and improve overall weld efficiency.” These consumables feature threadless, “drop-in” style contact tips and integrate the contact tip seating area directly into the conductor tube.

With medium- and heavy-duty Velocity consumables, the shielding gas flows from the conductor tube through four ports machined into the base of the contact tip. This simplified design eliminates the gas diffuser and enables the shielding gas to keep the tip up to 30 percent cooler. By running cooler, Velocity MIG consumables improve parts life by up to 500 percent or more in gas shielded Flux-Cored, spray transfer and pulsed spray transfer applications. In short circuit MIG applications, Velocity consumables typically last two to three times longer than conventional consumables. A cooler tip also reduces the ability for spatter to stick. The tip needs less cleaning, and any spatter that adheres is easier to remove. Further, spatter generally collects on one part, the nozzle, as opposed to three parts on conventional MIG front ends. “The drop-in style tip also eliminates the hassle associated with burn backs. There’s no need to use vice-grips or welpers when the electrode fuses inside the tip,” adds Henderson.

The Classic Numbered Series is an enhancement of the legendary Tweco Number Series, perhaps the most popular air-cooled MIG guns in the world since their introduction more than 40 years ago. Many operators prefer the paddle-shaped Classic handle because it can reduce hand stress in applications where the operators desire more side-to-side gun manipulation. For operators who prefer a narrower, rounded handle shape or a water-cooled gun option, ESAB offers the proven Spray Master Series.

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