Welding Systems Ready for Every Challenge
The next generation of welders, guns and torches are prepared to handle your job shop’s application challenges. The latest innovations and advances in MIG/TIG welders, guns and torches link fabricators to a wide range of products to successfully overcome hitches in the fabrication process.
Posted: February 23, 2022
The Problems with Push-Pull and Spool Guns That FreedomDrive™ Solves
There are many challenges that can arise when using push-pull equipment. When it comes to ensuring consistent wire feeding, you can experience issues or limitations — some being tied specifically to your push-pull welding gun. The FreedomDrive from ABICOR BINZEL USA (Frederick, MD) was designed to resolve many issues experienced in push-pull welding applications. Let’s consider three common problems welders face when welding with a push-pull or spool-welding gun and how the FreedomDrive can provide a better solution.
Weight
Typical push-pull guns are cumbersome and create an uncomfortable experience for welders. The additional weight of a gear-motor and/or wire spool, located directly at the gun handle, leads to increased welder fatigue, which often results in decreased production.
The FreedomDrive moves the weight out of the operator’s hands and places it approximately six feet rearward within the cable. The result is up to a 55% weight reduction for welders compared to standard push-pull guns. D-rings are placed on both ends of the FreedomDrive to provide secure mounting points for positioning the drive in the optimal location. This is especially helpful for aerial work, welding large products like tanks, trailers, boats, buses, or similar large objects. Creating mobility and comfort is what sets the FreedomDrive apart from standard push-pull MIG guns.
Accessibility
Accessibility is a major issue due to the longer lengths of push-pull gun handles. In the case of pistol grip push-pulls, the T-handle shape further reduces accessibility.
Another issue are spool guns, which combine the features of a pistol grip T-handle with a 4″ diameter wire spool mounted on top. FreedomDrive utilizes an ergonomic handle with a ball and socket joint; providing unmatched comfort and accessibility to welds, which would have been strenuous or impossible with traditional push-pull spool guns. By moving the drive mechanism further rearward from the handle, the FreedomDrive can be paired with one of our lightweight ABIMIG™ guns. ABIMIG necks are rotatable 360° and can be easily exchanged for a variety of necks to access complex welding joints.
Maintenance
Traditional push-pull guns are considered difficult to repair. Due to the added weight, failures often occur to the gear-motors when the gun handle is dropped repeatedly.
FreedomDrive uses a standard MIG gun front end, so accidentally dropping this working part of the welding gun will cause no significant damage. The drive assist module is located approximately six feet behind the gun handle where the risk of dropping the unit is reduced.
Maintenance is also improved thanks to the modular three component design. The three modules consist of the front gun cable, FreedomDrive module and rear cable. Any defective component can quickly be exchanged, allowing the operator to resume work while the problem component is repaired.
There are a host of reasons to make the switch from traditional push-pull guns to the FreedomDrive; freedom from the weight, freedom from accessibility issues, and freedom from the typical maintenance concerns.
Fronius iWave: Innovative Three-in-One Product
The iWave from Fronius International GmbH (Filderstadt, Germany) is an intelligent, high-end series that sets new standards in quality, flexibility and connectivity. The TIG power source enables perfect weld seams to be produced on all weldable materials. It also possesses multiprocess capability and comes with a host of innovative features. The modular system design assures a customized solution whatever your welding requirements — both now and in the future.
The innovative Option CycleTIG provides for maximum control over the arc and targeted heat input. The series is available as of now in power categories 190 A to 500 A. The Multiprocess PRO capability is important if you are switching between different welding tasks on a day-to-day basis. The iWave is ideally suited for manual metal arc welding — even with cellulose electrodes. The Multiprocess PRO option provides the user unlimited access to all MIG/MAG processes in power categories from 300 A.
The iWave is also flexible and customizable. Starting with standard TIG or standard MIG/MAG applications, the iWave enables upgrades to the full Fronius range, including the Cold Metal Transfer (CMT), Pulse Multi Control (PMC) and Low Spatter Control (LSC) welding packages.
Bluetooth, WLAN and NFC capabilities come standard on iWave. It is the first TIG power source on the market with a Real Energy (kJ) display and analysis feature. In addition, Power Factor Correction (PFC) provides for efficient energy consumption and no-load power consumption is always below 50 W.
The Next Generation of Welding Technology: Welbee II
The Welbee II is the next generation of advanced welding technology from OTC DAIHEN Inc. (Tipp City, OH). The company is the world’s No. 1 supplier of advanced welding and robotic systems. Suitable for manual or robotic welding, the Welbee II features an updated, digital operator interface and a new SmartPulse technology, ready to meet the challenges of this new generation of welding. It incorporates larger and brighter current and voltage digital display, an LCD screen summarizing welding conditions, access to detailed settings of internal functions, error code descriptions and on-demand help.
New SmartPulse technology eliminates undercut and reduces weld spatter via automatic adjustment of the pulse welding waveform. Wire tip conditioning locked to OTC DIAHEN’s advanced Synchro-feed technology is now available for DC and DC Low Spatter weld modes.
Multiple models of Welbee II are available, with welding modes including DC, DC pulse, DC Wavepulse and DC Low Spatter mode. The Welbee II features technology to tackle all your materials: steel, stainless, aluminum, galvanized, galvanneal, and exotics like titanium, Inconel and CuNi, while incorporating solid wire, flux-cored and metal-cored wires.
Ready to Connect: ESAB Aristo 4004i and 5000i Welders
ESAB Welding & Cutting Products’, Annapolis Junction (MD) announces that its Aristo® 4004i Pulse, Aristo 5000i and Aristo U5000i advanced welding power sources are sold exclusively as WeldCloud-enabled systems. The Aristo 500ix will continue to be sold as a WeldCloud-optional system. To encourage use, ESAB will offer Aristo purchasers a free three-month trial period, which can be activated at any time.
WeldCloud is a suite of online data management applications that enables users to improve overall operational efficiency by monitoring, capturing, tracking and analyzing data to make intelligent decisions based on accurate information. WeldCloud-enabled machines feature an embedded communication module that digitally connects the machine to WeldCloud via WiFi. There are three WeldCloud solutions to meet the needs of various welding professionals.
“WeldCloud does not require a sophisticated IT department, and it is extremely scalable,” said Jon Hofmann, Global Product Director – Digital Solutions, ESAB. “Any operation facing a skilled welder shortage or is challenged to meet customer demand can benefit from an Aristo connected system.”
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