March 10, 2022 - ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, Annapolis Junction, Maryland, has launched its RobustFeed Pro Connect communication module so that users of competitive welders can increase performance and uptime by connecting to ESAB’s RobustFeed Pro portable wire feeder. RobustFeed Pro Connect works with Lincoln CV, Invertec V350 and Flextec 650 power sources and Miller Dimension and XMT models.
“No other wire feeder on the market can match the productivity, reliability and durability benefits of RobustFeed,” says Jeff Chittim, North America Senior Product Manager – Heavy Industrial Equipment, ESAB. “RobustFeed offers the industry’s only IP44 protection class rating. A completely-sealed wire feed compartment protects the wire from dirt, grinding dust and other contaminants that can cause issues with weld quality and feeding reliability. An optional heat kit drives off moisture, further protecting wire integrity.”
RobustFeed users include traditional portable feeder applications in the ship, boat, civil construction, offshore, railcar and heavy maintenance industries. In addition, users include structural steel, tank, vessel, trailer, mobile equipment and general fabrication that want to improve uptime and maintain wire feed performance in harsh industrial conditions.
The controls, power and gas cable connections are protected inside the housing. Its double-wall case design has special zones to provide impact and abrasion resistance, and a reliable strain relief removes gun cable stress. A twist-lock design secures the power cable at the rear of the unit, and gas and cable connection points are located inside the case. This design elimates the risk from the cables shearing if operators drag or lift the feeder, such as between levels of a job site or in the hull of a ship.
RobustFeed Pro is part of an entire family of RobustFeed wire feeders and Heavy Industrial Warrior® and Aristo® power sources, covering the needs of almost all shop and field welding applications. To request a demonstration, contact your ESAB representative or use ESAB’s online Demo Box request form.
Better Feeding Performance
The RobustFeed Pro PreciDrive wire feed system combines high precision, power and reliability to feed solid wires up to 5/64-in. and cored wires up to 3/32-in. It delivers better arc starts and stops without backlash or play in the gears, and features a 4-wheel drive system where competitive feeders have a 2-wheel drive system. PreciDrive provides more wire gripping area and more pushing force without deforming soft cored and aluminium wires, a common source of feeding problems.
“Good weld quality depends on positive arc starts, steady wire feeding and controlled weld termination,” says Chittim. “PreciDrive outperforms all competitive portable feeders and even most shop-style feeders. It promotes better weld quality in almost any application.”
Ergonomic Portability
When carried by the middle handle, RobustFeed rests comfortably against the side of the operator’s body when walking longer distances. It features three comfortable handles — all are crane certified — and two additional lifting points for best-in-class portability and maneuverability.
For greater mobility, an optional wheel kit mounts on either the bottom or side of the feeder so operators can easily move the feeder under low objects. To keep digital voltage and amperage meters oriented for easy viewing (e.g., horizontally), the control panel can be rotated 90 degrees. In addition, the RobustFeed is also designed to mount on top of a power source, so it can be used as a traditional benchtop feeder as well.
