As has been widely reported, the Australian mining sector is a key component of Australia’s recent economic buoyancy, a major driver of our nation’s economic strength and prosperity.
The ever increasing need for raw materials has not only aided the mining companies themselves, it has also provided solid growth within many of the support industries associated with the mining sector. By virtue of the industries reliance on heavy duty equipment for the extraction, processing and transportation of minerals, the need for welding products to build and maintain such equipment has also increased dramatically.
Thermadyne, through strong brands such as Cigweld and Stoody, is a major supplier to the mining industry for the fabrication and repair of major equipment for the excavation, loading/unloading and transport of Australia’s mineral resources.
The increasing demand of welding products supplied to the mining sector and the additional demands being placed on quality, OHS, reliability and serviceability of products has forced many welding suppliers to re-engineer fit for purpose products that withstand the rigors of the industry.
Thermadyne’s key brand Cigweld has been at the forefront of this shift, realising the need to design and introduce dynamic products that satisfy the ever increasing requirements of the sector.
Synergic Pulse Welding Machines
At the forefront of technology is Cigweld’s range of Professional Synergic Pulse welding power sources. The Synergic Pulse series is a complete range of digital microprocessor controlled welding units that are designed to meet the rigorous demands of the mining industry. With features such as multi-process capabilities (Mig, Stick Tig), Twin Synergic pulse, VRD (Voltage Reduction Device) and 90 pre-set Synergic Pulse programs, the units are suitable for a broad range of applications. The units are also fully compliant to AS60974.1 and AS1674.2. This ensures that all relevant safety aspects have been addressed, particularly given the harsh operating nature of many mining related applications.
Engine Driven Welding Machines
Thermadyne’s comprehensive Cigweld welding equipment range also comprises of Engine Driven welding power sources. Give that many mining applications involve site work that does not have mains power readily available, portable Welding Engine Driven welding power sources are widely used within the industry. The Cigweld range provides both Welding outputs and with Auxiliary power for running devices such as hand tools. The range comprises of units form 190A through to 500A depending on the specific requirements of the user.
Cigweld Flux Cored Wires
The wide range of Cigweld flux cored welding wires feature prominently around Australia in most major fabrication workshops. These high quality welding wires provide excellent performance, high productivity and optimum weld properties.
Flux Cored Wires feature many distinct benefits:
1. High deposition rates to give high welding productivity.
2. All positional welding capabilities.
3. Ease of operation.
4. Wide range of alloy types and shielding gas options.
Futhermore, Cigweld offers an enhanced range of flux cored wires featuring a seamless copper-coated steel tube construction. As opposed to conventional, seamed type flux cored wires, these seamless types offer certain significant advantages:
1. Far lower moisture pick up giving much lower susceptibility to hydrogen cracking.
2. Copper coated finish giving smoother feeding, better current transfer through the welding tip and lower wear of tips and liners.
3. Very low susceptibility to rust.
Stoody Hardfacing
Stoody, another industry leading Thermadyne brand, is a world-wide leader in the manufacture of hardfacing and high alloy wires and electrodes.
Due to the intensive nature of the mining industry in terms of the abrasiveness and volume of the minerals being mined, the hardest and toughest products are required to protect and rebuild these critical mining components. Stoody has 90 years history in the hardfacing business and has a product to combat any abrasive, erosive or thermal wear problem.
The Gas Welding and Heating System
The oxy–fuel process is widely used by the mining industry for welding, cutting and heating. The equipment for such a process can be found in virtually every mine site, construction site, factory, maintenance and fabrication shop.
The gas welding, cutting and heating system is made up of many items that must be connected together in a safe and correct manner to allow the process of gas welding, cutting and heating to take place.
These are the three main process that are normally carried out with an oxy-fuel flame however many other process such as hardfacing, flame cleaning and flame spalling can be undertaken.
Welding
Welding is the process of joining similar or dis-similar materials together with an oxy–fuel flame. There are two basic methods of welding. The first being to ‘fuse or melt’ the two parent metals together with a filler rod of a similar composition (i.e. ‘Fusion Welding’). The second being to join the two parent metals with generally a non-ferrous filler rod . In this process the two parent metals are not melted and the joint is formed by the filler material that bonds to the parent metals.
Cutting
Oxy-fuel cutting is one of the best known and widely used processes in the gas equipment system. Cutting is either accomplished manually with a hand held cutting blowpipe or by machine for large repetitive cutting operations. The process for severing a wide range of carbon steels is to preheat the steel to its ignition temperature (bright red/orange) and then rapidly oxidising the metal by means of a controlled jet of oxygen. The pressure of the cutting oxygen is adjusted so that the molten oxide is blown away as fast as it is formed, thus producing the kerf (cut width). It is primarily a chemical process.
The oxy-fuel cutting process has considerable advantages over other forms of cutting because it is fast, efficient, portable and operates at low noise and fume levels.
Heating
This process is used for the controlled and uniform heating of metal without melting the top surface. Heating is most commonly used for bending, straightening, pre and post heating and contra heating of structural steel shapes.
Whether welding, cutting or heating , oxygen and a fuel gas are required. These gases are normally supplied in cylinders although supply in factories and workshops can be via a reticulated system. When setting up, it is important to ensure that the entire system is free of leaks and in proper working order. The process and equipment should be matched to the fuel gas selected (i.e. Acetylene, LPG or Propane) and there needs to be an adequate supply for the task to be undertaken.
If used correctly and maintained in proper working order, gas equipment will provide years of trouble free operation.
COMET Edge has taken regulators
CIGWELD have introduced a new member to the family, the COMET Edge Regulator which is significantly advanced in both its features and design.
This is the biggest revolution in regulator design in over 20 years, incorporating added gauge guards that ensure the regulator fits snugly within the cylinder profile protecting it from hard knocks and the accidental damage of a falling cylinder. This unique design feature guarantees a robust and durable exterior unsurpassed by other regulators on the market.
In addition to the gauge guard, the COMET Edge boasts an encapsulated seat for precise pressure and flow control, colour coded pressure gauges and control knobs, a Gas Guard safety device and most importantly the reassurance of quality through a five year warranty and compliance with AS4267.
CIGWELD Company History:
J.B Arnold commenced operations in Australia in 1922 as manufacturers of gas welding equipment, before establishing CIG (Commonwealth Industrial Gases) in 1935. CIGWELD branched off as CIG’s equipment division in 1985 with a focus on welding and gas equipment, before separating completely in 1989. Comweld Group Pty Ltd (trading as CIGWELD) was acquired by Thermadyne in 1996 and since then has expanded its product portfolio to include other prominent global welding and cutting brands such as Tweco, Thermal Dynamics, Arcair and Stoody.
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