PROCESSES

Welding generator with power boost and new wire welder/generator

Miller Electric Mfg. Co. (www.millerwelds.com) said its new Pro 300 diesel welding generator provides improved reliability through fewer and more robust electronic components.

An optional 4-cylinder, 24-hp Deutz engine provides more power for using larger electrodes and gouging with carbons to 0.250-in. diameter. More power also compensates for less oxygen when working in higher elevations.

The company said the PRO 300 also offers better E6010 performance for downhill pipe welding, and better MIG, flux cored and TIG arc starts. Designed for construction fleets, small contractors and pipe-welding applications, the Pro 300 provides 20 amp to 410 amp of welding power, as well as 12,000 watts of peak generator power.

Also new from Miller Electric Mfg. Co. is the Renegade 180, that the company said is the first all-in-one wire welder/generator that is operable using its built-in generator or 230-V, single-phase wall power. For use by welders who work in a shop or in the field, including farmers, maintenance and repair specialists, contractors and fabricators, the Renegade 180 was designed to eliminate the need to own both a welding generator for field welding and a traditional MIG welder for the shop.

The unit can weld mild steel from 24 gauge — 5/16-in. and produces 5,000 watts Accu-Rated peak power for running power tools, lights and even a plasma cutter. It is equipped with a 12-foot welding gun as standard, but an optional Spoolmate 3035 spool gun and extension allows the gun to reach up to 45 feet away from the power source.

Compactor for small stranded wire

Miyachi Unitek Corp. (www.muc.miyachi.com) has released its new Mini Compactor for compacting smaller gauges of stranded wires.

Based on the Miyachi Unitek 180A/EZ weld head, the compactor may be paired with an inverter welder or a conventional AC welder. Applications for the new compactor include: wire-to-wire welds, component-to-wire welds and wire compaction.

CONSUMABLES

Electrode for out-of-position welding

The Lincoln Electric Co. (www.lincolnelectric.com) has redesignd its Excalibur 7018 stick electrode, part of the company's premium line of low hydrogen stick electrodes.

The flux coating on the 7018 was reengineered to allow for easier striking and re-striking with a more stable arc and exceptional slag control that is beneficial for out-of-position welding.

Typical applications for this electrode include structural steel, bridges and pipe, as well as fittings and tie-ins in the petrochemical and power generation industries. Excalibur stick electrode allows all-position welding of mild steels and some high strength, low alloy steels. It also tolerates steels with poor weldability, such as high sulfur and high silicon steels.

Electrode for low-hydrogen welding

Hobart Brothers (www.hobartbrothers.com) has introduced the Hobart 418 (AWS E7018-1 H4R), stick electrode for general purpose, low-hydrogen welding applications.

The company said the electrode provides excellent arc starts and restarts, produces a nearly spatter-free arc and creates a flat weld bead profile with a fine rippled finished appearance. To minimize post-weld cleaning, the electrode produces an easily removable slag that in many cases is self-peeling.

The electrode provides good penetration and a weld puddle that washes into the sidewalls with no undercutting, both benefits that minimize costly rework. It also has the ability to weld smoothly on moderately dirty or rusty materials.

Due to its low moisture-absorbing characteristics, the electrode is a good choice for conditions of high heat and humidity. It has high impact resistance even at -50F, resulting in its AWS E7018-1 designation.

The Hobart 418 is available in 10-lb and 50-lb hermetically sealed cans and 5-lb and 10-lb plastic re-sealable containers.

Alloy for low/high temperature welding

Arcos Industries, LLC (www.arcos.com) has introduced Arcos 392 (ERNiCrFe-6) high nickel alloy for welding applications where corrosion resistance from cryogenic to elevated temperatures — to 1,800 deg. F — is needed, such as in power generation plants, petrochemical facilities and furnace equipment.

The alloy was developed for cladding steel with nickel-chromium-iron weld metal and for joining steel and stainless steel to nickel-base alloys. Weld deposits can be age-hardened with the degree of hardness depending on the time and temperature.

EQUIPMENT AND AUTOMATION

Abrasive grind and blend kit

An abrasive grind and blend kit for stainless steel that removes heavy welds and leaves the surface ready for graining or final finishing is available from Rex-Cut Products Inc. (www.rexcut.com).

The Rex-Cut Grind and Blend Kit contains two Type 27 wheels: One to grind welds and cracks, and another to remove remaining scratches leaving a 32 rms or better finish. With smooth, chatter-free operation, the combination removes heavy welds and then prepares the surface for graining or final finishing.

Vacuum lifter-tilter

An air-powered vacuum lifter-tilter for handling multidimensional architectural panels and large metal plates is available from Anver Corp. (www.anver.com).

The Anver AT Series Vacuum Lifter-Tilter enables one person to easily lift and tilt panels weighing up to 2,000 lb. With fully adjustable suction cups with extra long suspensions and individual air valves, this lifter-tilter can accommodate large panels with varying dimensions.

Software for sheet metal fabrication

LogiTrace Unfolding Software from ProMotion Controls (www.promotioncontrols.com) is the newest addition to the company's suite of shape-cutting control software.

By providing operators with immediate and automatic 3D views, showing how entered data translates into unfolded parts and final products, the software makes it easy to cut sheet metal for HVAC piping and ductwork. Operators can also input a range of order processing information, make changes on-the-fly and easily save processed data into DXF files.

With LogiTrace, unfolded parts are dimensioned immediately and automatically for fast and easy operator viewing, eliminating guesswork. If parts are too big for the sheet size, the software lets users change the number of welds. The software compensates for sheet thickness, and 3D perspectives help eliminate mistakes. There are 128 module templates to draw from and to work with. Features called Combi-Contour and Combi-Figure enable users to create custom shapes and parts.

Users are also able to enter information for order processing, including material type, thickness, number of parts, and customer numbers. Each part, seam and fold can be automatically saved in both 3D files and 2D DXF formats. One-to-one enhanced part printout is supported. The software is compatible with Autocad, MegaCad, and ME10. DXF-file formats are compatible with virtually all CAD/CAM systems.