Welding Tools for Repairing Agricultural Equipment Under the Open Sky

Welding a clean seam in a protected environment with a stable power supply is tough enough, but even more difficult without electricity in barely passable terrain. Fronius USA’s (Portage, IN) TransSteel, TransPocket, and AccuPocket power sources ensure technicians efficiently repair tractors, combines, and other agricultural equipment.

All three power sources are very intuitive to use and promise a stable arc and reproducible welding results thanks to digital controls. Software updates mean users can benefit from new or improved welding processes without having to buy a new device.

Universal Flexibility

The TransPocket and AccuPocket SMAW and TIG devices are ideal for situations where mobility and flexibility are key.

You’ve got three power options with the 24-lb AccuPocket: the electric grid; a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that welds eight 3.25-mm electrodes or 18 2.5-mm-diameter electrodes per charge; and hybrid mode with the unit drawing power from the battery and a secondary electricity supply, whether the grid or a generator, at the same time.

The reserves in the battery compensate for voltage fluctuations and prevent the mains fuse from tripping in the event of a surge. Because current consumption is very low, it only needs a smaller – and therefore cheaper – current transformer with two instead of eight kilovolt-amperes.

The TransPocket doesn’t have a battery to compensate for voltage fluctuations, but Fronius’ power factor correction (PFC) technology does the same thing. The technology prevents reactive power by automatically modeling input current in such a way that it has a virtually perfect sinusoidal wave. By balancing out voltage fluctuations this way, the technology guarantees a stable arc. Such fluctuations can occur in generator-powered operation, for example, for which single-phase welding systems are designed.

The All-Rounder

The TransSteel is capable of MIG/MAG, TIG, and SMAW welding. A major benefit of single-phase power sources is the wide variety of available characteristics, including those for aluminum and copper-silicon alloys. The unit’s second gas solenoid valve makes it easier to change from a MIG/MAG process to a TIG process. A second advantage is its user-friendliness – the user can be ready to weld in just three steps: enter the filler metal to be welded, the wire diameter, and the gas being used.

Other features include the TAC function as well as spot and interval welding. The TAC function has been designed for tack welding and uses a pulsed arc to set the two weld pools in motion so they merge into one. This function is also useful for welding thin sheets without filler metal. Spot and interval welding are suitable for joining thin sheets too, as the heat input is lower.

Fronius USA, 6797 Fronius Drive, 46368 Portage, IN, 219-734-5701, www.fronius.com.