The ESAB AristoRob 500 A U8 is an inverter MIG/MAG power source prepared for work in a robot cell and for hand welding. You set the current from 16 to 500 A, at a 60% cycle the machine gives 500 A, and it pulls 400 A without stopping. The supply is 400 V, three phase.
What this machine is for
This is a power source for plants that weld automatically or work to a written procedure. The power block switches at a very high frequency and works with pulse width modulation, so the arc dynamics are sharper than in transformer sources and the answer to a change of conditions is faster. The control circuits have galvanic separation, which on integration with a robot limits the effect of electromagnetic interference on the cell controller, and in practice means fewer accidental stops of the cycle. The machine also handles hand welding, because the panel gives synergy and the SuperPulse function straight to the operator.
A current of 400 A at a 100% cycle sets the pace of continuous production, and 500 A at a 60% cycle stays for the thickest joints. The bottom of 16 A gives access to thinner material, so one source handles both thin sheet and a thick section. The housing is in class IP23 with the letter S, and the Cool 2 liquid cooling module keeps the power components in a safe temperature range also at 500 A, which in multi shift work turns into fewer stoppages.
The control is run by the U82 panel. This is an industrial computer that holds up to 255 synergic lines saved as Jobs. Each program covers the current and the voltage, and on top of that the slope times and the crater filling parameters, so the robot switches between them within one cycle, depending on the geometry of the joint. Thanks to the parameter lock the operator will not change the settings on his own, and the process engineer knows what the machine ran on. The panel also writes data to an external medium, which helps where the parameters have to be documented, for example to ISO 3834, in power generation or on offshore structures.
Features and equipment
- SuperPulse: two processes laid over each other in one cycle, for example pulse with pulse at another frequency or pulse with a short arc. The phase of higher energy gives the penetration, the cooler one lets the metal freeze, so you hold both the weld face and the amount of heat.
- SuperPulse cuts welding distortion by 20 to 30%, which on thin walled structures saves flame straightening. It also helps on aluminium alloys of the 6xxx series, where too much heat input leads to hot cracks and to a drop of hardness in the heat affected zone.
- QSet: the circuit analyses the short circuit frequency in real time and picks the inductance and the voltage itself, so that every droplet transfer is repeatable and the spatter small.
- QSet learns the arc over a dozen or so seconds and corrects the characteristic in milliseconds, so the process stays stable also with a cheaper gas mixture and a wire with a poorer surface.
- TrueArcVoltage: the voltage measured straight at the contact tip. It compensates the voltage drop on long cables, so the penetration is the same at the source and on a boom 15 m long.
- SCT, that is Short Circuit Termination: a series of micro short circuits just before the feeder stops tears the droplet off the end of the wire. The wire end stays sharp, the next ignition is immediate and free of spatter, and the wire does not stick to the pool.
- U82 panel with memory for up to 255 synergic lines, described as Jobs, with a full map of the arc dynamics.
- Recording of the real parameters to an external medium, for documenting the process.
- Parameter lock, which limits changes of the settings made at the station on an operator own initiative.
- Digital communication over the CAN-bus through the U82 panel and Anybus modules.
- Support for the Profinet, DeviceNet and Ethernet/IP protocols and for standard inputs and outputs, that is work with the controllers of ABB, Fanuc, KUKA and Yaskawa robots.
- Pulse width modulation in the power block and galvanic separation of the control circuits.
- Cool 2 liquid cooling module, which lowers the temperature of the power components during work at a high current.
- Hand work with full synergy and with the SuperPulse function available to the operator, despite the robot origin of the machine.
- Programs switched during the cycle, so one weld can be run with a different set of parameters than the next.
- Housing in class IP23 with the letter S, prepared for the conditions of a production hall.
Technical data
| Brand | ESAB |
|---|---|
| Type | inverter MIG/MAG power source for robot and hand work |
| Welding current at a 60% cycle | 500 A |
| Welding current at a 100% cycle | 400 A |
| Current range | from 16 to 500 A |
| Supply | 400 V, three phases |
| Fuse | 35 A |
| Digital communication | CAN-bus, U82 panel, Anybus modules |
| Protection and insulation class | IP23 and S |
| Processes and functions | SuperPulse, QSet, TrueArcVoltage, SCT |
| Program memory | up to 255 synergic lines |
| Cooling in the maker description | liquid, Cool 2 module |
| Cooling on the card | gas |
What to watch out for
The supply is 3 x 400 V with a 35 A fuse, and the protection class is IP23 with the letter S, so the machine suits a hall and not open rain. The product card gives gas cooling, while the maker description lists the Cool 2 liquid cooling module, so confirm the configuration before you buy. For the circuit the maker recommends a coolant of low conductivity, because the protection of the power block depends on it. The duty cycle is 500 A at 60% and 400 A at 100%, and it is the second figure that sets the pace of continuous production.
The card does not list a wire feeder, a torch or interconnection cables, so agree the equipment before you buy, and the same goes for the communication module for your controller. The U82 panel itself handles the CAN-bus, and the Anybus modules add Profinet, DeviceNet and Ethernet/IP, but the module you pick has to fit the robot you have in the hall. The card gives no weight and no dimensions, so plan the transport and the way into the bay after you have seen the unit. For hand work check whether you have the full torch control, because the source comes from a robot cell, where the trigger is often run from the robot cabinet.
The SuperPulse, QSet, TrueArcVoltage and SCT functions work on the programs saved in the panel, so with an unusual wire or gas you set the parameters by hand. TrueArcVoltage needs the voltage measurement at the contact tip connected properly, otherwise the compensation will not act. For aluminium prepare rolls for soft wire, a teflon liner and argon.
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.
