Keith Saunders, product manager for cutting systems and PPE at ESAB South Africa, introduces three new product lines now available to South African fabricators: the Renegade eVolt battery powered welder; the Swift-Cut Pro CNC plasma cutting system; and the Cutmaster+ family of manual air plasma cutting machines.
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ESAB’s new Renegade VOLT™ ES is a portable, cordless battery powered, Stick (SMAW) and Lift TIG (GTAW) welder that uses four 12 Ah DeWalt batteries to provide enough the power to consume up to 33 E6013 electrodes on a single charge.
“Our new ESAB Renegade VOLT™ ES is a portable, cordless, battery powered Stick (SMAW) and Lift TIG (GTAW) welder with the versatility to operate off built-in batteries, mains power or in AMP+ Hybrid Mode,” says Keith Saunders, product manager for ESAB South Africa. “This makes it ideal for welders operating in remote, offsite, or hard-to-reach locations without easy access to mains power,” he says.
When used as a cordless welding machine, the welder runs on 6 Ah, 9 Ah or 12 Ah DEWALT® FLEXVOLT® batteries, which provide exceptional power and runtime using patented technology that can automatically switch the voltage from 20 V to 60 V for powering more than 250 high powered cordless tools. “Using four 12 Ah batteries, which are included in the Renegade VOLT 200i package, these batteries provide the power to consume up to 33 E6013 electrodes on a single charge,” he adds.
In AMP+ Hybrid Mode, Renegade VOLT supplements AC mains power with battery power to prevent nuisance trips on smaller breaker sizes – such as 10 A or 16 A breakers – or to enable welding to continue when load shedding kicks in. In this mode, the batteries can also provide additional welding output when welding. “What's also nice is that, whilst the batteries are charging and if the power should come on, you can plug this directly into the wall and start welding,” Saunders continues.
Renegade VOLT features a rugged industrial design with durable, impact-resistant housing and multiple lift points for effortless operation and transport in the field. The bright, intuitive colour-screen and user interface is designed for outdoor use, even in direct sunlight, and features a battery status display and remaining arc time calculator.
Special welding features include hot start, arc force, memory storage and a cellulosic (6010) mode to optimise performance based on the application or user preference. The 200i, for example, can deliver 200 A from a 230 V single-phase mains supply and up to 140 A on battery power.
“The system gives access to power when you have none and it can be used off mains power when you do have it, even when that power is unreliable. It is a state-of-the-art battery powered machine that is made for use in tough onsite environments,” he says.
Swift-Cut Pro CNC plasma cutting system
“The Swift Cut Pro is part of our automation offering. The integrated systems are robust in design and are supplied either with water or air extraction table and the ESAB A120 or m2 200i plasma power source,” Saunders informs African Fusion. “The Swift-Cut Pro range offers high speed, precision cutting at a low investment cost. It is easy to use, simple to learn and operate, and we offer exceptional aftercare and support,” he says, adding that the range is industry’s ideal solution for affordable in-house plasma metal cutting and a water jet system, the Swift-Jet Pro, is also available for cutting materials such as ceramics and granite.
For fume extraction, the tables come in two variants – a water table or a fume extraction table – and typically use an ESAB Cutmaster A120 plasma cutting machine. ESAB is offering the tables in four cutting sizes: the 1250 Pro with a cutting envelope of 1.25×1.25 m; the 2500 Pro, 2.5×1.25 m; the 3000 Pro, 3.0×2.5 m; and the Swift-Cut 4000 Pro, which is suitable for cutting 4.0×3.0 m sheet sizes.
“The system comes with an ergonomic operator’s console with touch screen and keyboard/mouse inputs, and easy-to-use SwiftCAM and SwiftCNC software included as standard. It takes less than five days to install and within two days of training an operator can be up and running with production cuts.
“The installation is uncomplicated and the programming software is easy to learn and use,” he assures.
The new Cutmaster+ plasma cutter
The Cutmaster+ family of handheld plasma cutting machines has a new TFT display and a large single button control knob. “Inside, the system has been completely redesigned with attention to every detail, from how it's mounted to the case, how cooling air flows through it, and how the compressed air flows through the machine – all with a view to ensuring the electronics inside are far better protected,” says Saunders.
“It is also far lighter and the costs have been reduced – and it can be used with older torches, so there is a saving for people who are already using ESAB plasma cutting systems,” he adds.
Highlighting the features of the Cutmaster 70+, he says that this 70 A machine can pierce through 20 mm material to deliver a true cut finish, and from a plate edge it can produce a hand quality cut in 30 mm plate and a rough cut through thicknesses of up to 38 mm.
The Cutmaster+ family comes with the SL60 1Torch, which features the 2T/4T function, a safety trigger lock and double-tap trigger to conserve bottled air. It can accommodate switching between normal and grate cutting modes and includes post-cut air purge to expand consumable life.
“The Cutmaster Black Series consumables included in these systems offer up to 60% longer life. And for peace of mind, these systems come with a three year warranty on the plasma cutter and one year warranty on the torch, which is an industry benchmark,” he says. “This really is a total plasma cutting package,” Saunders assures.
This makes them ideal tools for general fabrication of steel structures; manufacturing and repair of products and components such as automotive and truck bodies and agriculture equipment; and everyday plant maintenance and repair.
ESAB Richard’s Bay
Having signed an ongoing agreement for the supply of ESAB AristoRod 12.50 welding wire to a large fabricator in Richard’s Bay, ESAB is in the process of establishing a permanent presence there as an extension of its Durban branch. “We've employed new staff and secured a warehouse, and our new Richards Bay branch will be fully functional by April 1. We intend to carry stock from across our range there to help us service the whole area,” Saunders informs African Fusion.
The non copper coated OK AristoRod 12.50 wire is a manganese-silicon alloyed solid wire for GMAW of general structural, pressure vessel, ship building and fine-grained carbon-manganese steels. High wire speeds and lengthy feed distances are made possible owing to ESAB's Advanced Surface Characteristics (ASC) Technology, which delivers improved quality and higher productivity.
“As a market leader in southern Africa, our growth has been exceptional and this is testament to our product quality and our service and support offering. The South African fabrication industry is tired of being sold cheap, unreliable equipment and consumables that cannot do the job. Our clients want robust, trouble free welding equipment and consumables that help them to raise their productivity levels, while overcoming the power issues we are all experiencing,” Keith Saunders says.
“Rework is a business killer, especially in welding, and those who understand this no longer buy cheap,” he concludes.
