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August 2016
AFRICAN FUSION
29
Above: QA technician, Steven Soobramoney welding
test plates for approvals at ESAB’s new home with
Howden Africa in Booysens.
Left: ESAB’s Pug tractor is ideal for mechanising gas
or plasma cutting.
kits (3.0 m), a 4.5 m gas hose with quick
connection to the machine, a 200 mm
spool of 0.8 mm Aristorod 12.50 wire,
as well as contact tips and drive rolls
for wires between 0.6 and 1.0 mm wire.
“The Rebel EMP 215ic offers out-
standing all-process arc performance
because ESAB has enhanced the control
algorithms from our industrial systems
such as the Warrior™ and Aristo®, gath-
ered input from real world welders and
then incorporated that knowledge into
the Rebel design,” Brightwell says.
With the Rebel’s smart MIG (sMIG)
function, users begin MIG welding
by setting metal thickness and
selecting the wire diameter.
The Rebel will automatically
adapt to any popular steel,
stainless, chrome-moly or
aluminium filler metal/gas
combination and provide
a stable MIG arc. The sMIG
mode enables users toweld
thicker or thinner metal by
increasing or decreasing
wire feed speed, as well as
to raise or flatten the bead
profile (crown) by increas-
ing or decreasing the voltage
(trim). Welders can also adjust
inductance to fine tune arc stability
and control spatter. As users adjust one
parameter, sMIG automatically adjusts
others to keep the MIG arc stable.
Using an exclusive, built-in algo-
rithm, sMIG monitors the operator’s
technique and continuously adapts the
MIG output to provide a stable arc and
superior, repeatable welds. The Rebel
enables experiencedwelders tobecome
more productive and novice welders to
start producing quality welds in less
time. “The sMIG feature takes away the
doubt of weldingwith incorrect settings
and so users can focus on good welding
torch technique. The machine gives us-
ers confidence to weld anywhere with a
ready-to-weld package,” he adds.
For those welders who prefer tra-
ditional MIG and flux-cored welding,
the Rebel enables users to pre-set and
adjust wire feed speed and voltage, as
well as set run-in (creep start) speed,
adjust burn-back control and program
timers for spot and stitchwelding. When
welding, the control shifts to display
amperage and voltage.
Because different types of MMA
electrodes require different controls, the
Rebel lets users optimise performance
by selecting from one of two settings:
Cellulosic Electrodes (E6010, E6011) or
all other Electrodes (E70XX, E308, E309,
E316). To further fine-tune performance,
the Rebel features adjustable arc force
and hot-start control.
With TIG as well as MIG welding,
users can select either 2T/4T trigger con-
trol; 2T for standard operation and 4T
to provide a hold function that reduces
hand fatigue.
Other ESAB Innovations on show
Also on the machine side, says Bright-
well, ESAB will be featuring its full-
featured high-end Aristo equipment
range. “Wewill have anABB robot on the
stand fittedwith ESAB’s AristoMIG 5000i
power source, a Robofeedwire feeder,
an AristoRT robotic torch and aMara-
thon pack of Aristo-rod MIG wire –
all connected to the robot,”
he reveals. “We have
interfaces to
allow us to
connect ESAB weld-
ing equipment to almost any robot
brand, but because of the longstanding
co-operation between ESAB and ABB,
which both have Swedish connections,
a lot of ABB robots are supplied with
ESABwelding equipment,” he tell
African
Fusion
.
ESAB consumables continue to do
well in southern Africa. “75% of our lo-
cal sales are consumables, led by our
OK AristoRod 12.50 advanced surface
characteristics (ASC) solid wire, which
undergoes a unique surface treatment
process instead of being copper coated.
This leads to excellent starting proper-
ties; trouble-free feeding at high wire
speeds and lengthy feed distances; a
very stable arc at highwelding currents;
extremely low levels of spatter; lowfume
emission; reduced contact tip wear and
improved protection against corrosion
of the wire,” Brightwell explains.
ESAB SMAW electrodes, such as the
XcelArc E6013 general purpose elec-
trodes also do well, “but our OK range
of low-hydrogen electrodes, such as the
OK55.00 LH, are among the best in the
world. These are fully tested to Sasol
specs and are vacuumpacked. Also,
because the electrode contains
some metal powder in the flux, the
electrode delivers 125%weldmetal
recovery per kg of core wire – one
of the highest efficiencies and a market
differentiator for us,” he adds.
Also to be featured are ESAB’s new
range of Victor gas equipment, regula-
tors and cutting torches manufactured
to high-end standards. Flash back ar-
restors and ESAB’s Cut Master range of
hand held plasma cuttingmachines will
also feature.
“The Cut Master range of com-
pressed air-based plasma cutters goes
from40 to 120 A, but we can also supply
systems with CNC cutting tables, such
as the ESAB Crossbow, a small cost ef-
fective CNC cutting system,” Brightwell
informs
African Fusion
, before adding
“We will also have our little Pug tractor
on the stand, which is ideal for mecha-
nising gas cutting.
“Following recent changes of our
import and distribution partners in
South Africa, we are settling down nicely
in our new home with Howden Africa.
We are starting to grow again and we
see good opportunities, particularly in
the construction and infrastructure de-
velopment fields north of our borders,”
Brightwell concludes.