Mechanisation of MIG/MAG welding

Paul Boughton
Welding equipment manufacturers, Kemppi (UK) Ltd based, has launched MagTrac F61, a new easy to operate, magnetic carriage unit that is a fast and economic way of changing from manual MIG/MAG welding to productive mechanisation.

It is designed to improve welding productivity through mechanisation in shipyards and the offshore industry, chemical and process industries, large steel structure fabrication and other larger fabrication shops by simply connecting it to Kemppi’s semi-automatic FastMig KMS Synergic and FastMig Pulse 350/450 MIG/MAG welding systems.

MagTrac 61, weighing only 6.9kg, is a mechanised rail-less drive method using permanent magnetic suction and 4 guide wheels and runs along guide rollers held onto the workpiece by powerful magnets. It can weld at up to 5 times faster than manual MIG welding, where the average welding speed is around 200-400mm/min, in light mechanisation using MagTrac 61, it can be from 150 -1800mm/min when horizontal fillet welding.[Page Break]

Features of this equipment include its ability to store and remember the heat inputs, the tractor welding speeds, last weld length, total weld length as well as the wire feed speed, welding current and voltage plus other welding information.

It is supplied as a package including the carriage unit, a synergic FastMig power source, an MXF wire feed unit, a Kemppi MMT 42C MIG/MAG welding gun to fit on the carriage and necessary cables. In addition it can be supplied with an optional SuperSnake subfeeder giving up to 15m. additional reach. No auxiliary control cables or transformers are required, because everything is fully integrated into one cable. The torch angle can be adjusted through ±30° and the torch distance through 45mm up/down and forward/backward, whilst its turnable display panel can easily be operated in vertical applications.

It can also be used with Kemppi’s Wise welding performance software solutions, which further increase welding productivity and quality including higher quality roots weld, reduced spatter, reduction in the risk of lack of fusion and automatic arc length adjustment for pulse MIG/MAG welding. Full process control is enabled using Kemppi’s LCD control panel, integrated into the MagTrac F 61 carriage allowing full operational control for both carriage drive and welding parameters alike.

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