The Cloos GLC 550 A Mc3 is a MIG/MAG power source with pulse and Mc3 digital control. You set the current steplessly from 30 to 550 A; at a 60% duty cycle the machine gives 550 A, and it runs 500 A without a break. The supply is 3x400 V at 50/60 Hz.
What this machine is for
This is a power source for large batch production, for steel structures and for repairs of heavy parts, that is where you weld for a long time and at a high current. The 550 A reserve shortens the time to fuse thick sections, and 500 A at a 100% duty cycle lets you lay one run after another without breaks for the power source to cool. You join carbon steel and stainless steel, and with the right wire feeder and configuration also aluminium and its alloys.
Stepless control from 30 A gives you access to thin sheet, so one station handles both a small part and a heavy structure. The current reserve shortens the time to fuse the joint, and during long sessions the arc stays stable, because the machine does not reach its overheating limit and does not force breaks. The Mc3 control picks the voltage and the wire feed speed once you enter the material, the wire diameter and the gas, so you have the starting settings at once, without going through parameter tables. You save your own sets in the memory and call them up in repeat production, which shortens the training of a new worker and cuts the number of welds to redo.
Pulse raises and lowers the welding current in cycles. The weld comes out narrower and deeper at a lower heat input, and there is less spatter, which matters on stainless steel and aluminium. Crater filling smooths the end of the run and limits cracks at its edge, so the usual trouble with craters at the end of a weld goes away without extra work. On top of that comes inductance control, with which you change the hardness of the arc to suit the material and the gas, and a library of programs, thanks to which you move from mild steel to aluminium by choosing a program and not by setting everything again.
Features and equipment
- Stepless current control from 30 to 550 A, from thin sheet to thick sections, with no change of power source when the job changes.
- Mc3 digital control: once you enter the material, the wire and the gas, the system suggests the voltage and the feed speed, and you correct them for the part.
- A large library of synergic programs for steel, stainless and aluminium wires and for different shielding gases, so a change between materials comes down to choosing a program.
- Saving and editing your own parameter sets in the memory of the machine, for repeat production across shifts.
- The synergic mode limits setting mistakes and spatter, also with a less practised operator, who does not have to pick parameters from tables.
- Pulse with cyclic raising and lowering of the current, giving a narrower and deeper weld at a lower heat input.
- Multi pulse modes and extra programs for ending the weld.
- Crater filling, that is crater fill: the end of the run is smooth and less prone to cracks.
- Inductance control for shaping the hardness of the arc to suit the material and the gas.
- An LED display with buttons and knobs, with icons showing the selected wire diameter and gas type, so you see what you are working with.
- Remote control of the parameters, so you do not walk back to the power source after every correction, which counts when you work on a large structure.
- A torch connector to the EURO standard, depending on the version of the machine.
- It works with gas cooled and liquid cooled torches of different current ratings: for continuous work at a high current you take a liquid cooled torch, for lighter jobs a simpler gas cooled one.
- An efficient cooling system, which holds a high duty cycle at a current close to 550 A.
- A trolley module for moving the set around the shop.
- A housing that protects against dust and splashes, with reinforcement for transport and work in rough conditions.
- Optionally the MMA process, polarity change and high frequency ignition, depending on the configuration.
- A wire feeder mounted together with the power source or separately, depending on the version of the set.
- A stable arc when you work close to the top current, with no sudden breaks for cooling in the middle of a shift.
- Parameter saving for repeat jobs, so the second shift starts from the same settings.
Technical data
| Brand | Cloos |
|---|---|
| Welding methods | MIG/MAG as standard, pulse, synergic modes, optionally MMA |
| Welding current | 30 to 550 A, stepless control |
| Supply voltage | 3x400 V, 50/60 Hz |
| Duty cycle at 40 degrees | 550 A at 60%, 500 A at 100% |
| Control panel | digital display with buttons and knobs, program saving, synergic mode, pulse |
| Cooling in the manufacturer description | forced air circulation, with the option to connect a liquid cooled torch |
| Cooling in the record | liquid |
| Torch connector | EURO, depending on the version |
| Weight | depends on the configuration, typically 35 to 60 kg |
| Special functions | synergic mode, multi pulse, crater filling, inductance control, remote control |
What to watch out for
The supply is 3x400 V at 50/60 Hz, so pick the three phase connection and the cable cross section for work at full current. The product record gives liquid cooling, while the manufacturer description lists forced air circulation with the option to connect a liquid cooled torch, so confirm the configuration before you buy and ask whether a cooling unit module is part of the set. You pick the torch to suit the current and the length of the welds: when you work close to 550 A a liquid cooled torch lasts longer than an gas cooled one, and the nozzles wear more slowly.
The weight depends on the configuration and is typically 35 to 60 kg, so arrange transport after you have seen the actual set, together with whether the wire feeder is integrated or separate. The record does not list a wire feeder, a torch or an earth cable, so confirm the equipment before you buy, and the same goes for a remote control panel and a trolley. Aluminium needs the right wire feeder, rollers for soft wire and a liner, because without them the wire jams in the path, all the more so with a longer torch. Look at the torch connector too: the EURO standard appears depending on the version, so check it if you already have torches in stock.
The duty cycle is 550 A at 60% and 500 A at 100%, and it is the second figure that sets the pace of continuous production. Part of the data in the manufacturer description is given as a proposed specification, so confirm the exact values for this unit with us before you buy. The MMA process, polarity change and high frequency ignition are optional and depend on the configuration, so do not assume them.
How we sell used machines
This unit was checked in our service workshop in Krotoszyn with measurements to PN-EN 60974-4 and a load test. The price includes the first year of the basic service package: an inspection with cleaning of the machine and a validation measurement. Further years can be added. We ship across the European Union, collection in person by appointment.
