ESAB showcases new welding products in Ireland

Pride of place went to the two new portable welding machines, the Caddy Mig C160i (pictured) and Caddy Mig C200i. Launched in Europe in June 2010 and now available through ESAB's extensive distributor network in Ireland, these lightweight (11.4kg), rugged and compact machines are suitable for small-scale assembly and repair operations, either in the workshop or the field.

Flexibility is a key selling point of the machines: the polarity can be changed to allow operators to use either solid or gasless cored wires, while having a choice of power supply (single-phase power or portable generator) means they can be used almost anywhere. Ease of use is another winning feature: the user simply selects the plate thickness and the machine automatically sets the right voltage.

Mark Copley, country manager for ESAB Group (Ireland) Ltd, noted that the Caddy Mig appealed to a whole new class of user who preferred to do simple welding jobs themselves rather than buy in professional welding services. He expects the new Caddy unit to be ESAB's best-selling machine by the end of 2010.

Copley also says that ESAB will be introducing several new heavy-duty welding machines in early 2011; the new-generation Aristo 300, 400 and 500 welding units are designed for more demanding industrial welding operations.

Cutting machines

In terms of cutting equipment, ESAB showcased two new models of PowerCut manual cutting machines. The PowerCut 900 cuts metal up to 22mm thick while the more powerful 1600 can work on metals up to 38in thick. Features include: a lightweight steel casing, external torch wrap, easy-to-use digital display and rapid torch exchange. The machines also represent a significant step-up in performance, according to Steve Purnell, UK & Ireland Marketing Manager for ARC equipment: "Performance is a key thing with the new models: the cutting is really superb."

The product showcase also provided an opportunity to view ESAB's latest range of ADC Plus New-Tech protective head-shields (welding masks). With vivid silver, yellow and black livery and a sleek design, the head-shields certainly look good. But it is not just for their design that the head-shields are notable; they incorporate new ADC (angular dependence compensation) technology that gives the welder a bigger viewing area while reducing the level of bright visible light.

ESAB claims to be the number-one welding supply company in Ireland, supplying welding and engineering supply shops throughout the island as well as several customers directly. Customers include Powerscreen, FG Wilson and Caterpillar in Northern Ireland, and Tara Mines, Thermoking and Liebherr in the Republic of Ireland.

Speaking at the event, Copley said that ESAB's primary goal was to cement its leadership in the Irish market: "Our goal is to grow even bigger and maintain our market dominance. This will be done through working closely with our distributor network, offering excellent levels of customer service and continuing with the innovation for which we are renowned."

For more information about ESAB products, go to www.esab.co.uk or follow ESAB UK on Facebook.