New addition to lightweight inverter-based welding equipment

The Aristo Mig 4004i Pulse is a lightweight, multi-process welding power source that can be used for MIG, pulsed MIG, MAG, MMA or TIG welding in applications requiring both high productivity and high quality. Compared with conventional welding equipment, the electronically controlled Aristo Mig 4004i Pulse weighs 70 per cent less and has a footprint that is 70 per cent smaller. This new equipment is therefore easy to transport and much easier to use in confined spaces. Typical applications include the manufacture of trucks, busses, trailers, off-highway equipment, trains and railway rolling stock, as well as wind turbine towers, structural steelwork, shipbuilding/offshore, and general industrial fabrication.

To help in achieving high deposition rates, the Aristo Mig 4004i Pulse delivers a welding current of 300A and voltage of 32V at a 100 per cent duty cycle. At a 60 per cent duty cycle these figures rise to 400A and 36V. The machine operates from a 380-440V (+/-10 per cent), three phase supply at 50/60Hz, and can be powered by a generator when there is no mains supply available.

Pre-programmed synergic lines set the optimum welding parameters when welding with different combinations of material, wire and shielding gas. While the U6 control panel has a memory to store up to 10 welding schedules, the U82 can store 255, plus this panel caters for customised synergic lines.

Another feature that contributes to high-quality welds, even in the hands of less experienced operatives, is the QSet intelligent welding system that automatically fine-tunes the welding parameters "on the fly' so the operative only has to adjust the wire feed speed. In addition, the LiveTig start function electronically limits the start current, and SuperPulse (available with the U82 control panel) controls the heat input for bridging variable gaps with a spatter-free arc. Creep start, gas pre-flow and hot start functions all help to provide a soft and more direct start with less spatter. TrueArcVoltage (applicable when using a torch from the PSF range) measures the actual arc voltage at the contact tip to ensure the welding performance is not adversely influenced by the length of the interconnection cable, return cable or the welding torch assembly.

Lower energy consumption

As well as boosting productivity and enabling lesser-skilled operatives to produce high-quality welds, the Aristo Mig 4004i Pulse and associated equipment also reduces operating costs through lower energy consumption. The COOL 1 cooling unit, used in conjunction with water-cooled torches, switches off automatically after 6.5 minutes of inactivity to reduce energy consumption while the equipment is at idle, as do the cooling fans in the power source. Furthermore, the fourth-generation inverter technology achieves a power factor of 0.94, resulting in further energy savings.

To complement the Aristo Mig 4004i Pulse power source, ESAB is offering the Aristo Feed 3004 fully enclosed wire feeder. This can be specified with the U6 control panel that has a display, function keys and rotary knobs for voltage and wire feed speed (or current setting), or the U82 control that features a larger display, more controls and greater functionality - such as a larger memory, SuperPulse capability and customised synergic lines. For less demanding applications, customers can specify the Aristo YardFeed 2000 with the U6 control panel.

For more information about the Aristo Mig 4004i Pulse power source and other ESAB products, visit www.esab.co.uk.