The ESAB Origo MIG 400tw is a transformer, stepped MIG/MAG power source with a built in liquid cooler and a separate wire feeder. The maker gives 400 A at a 60% duty cycle and 280 A at a 100% duty cycle, with a supply from 400 to 415 V, 3 phases, 50 Hz. You set the voltage in 40 steps and change the arc dynamics with three inductance taps.
What this machine is for
This is equipment for heavy welding with solid and flux cored wire of large diameters. A duty cycle of 400 A at 60% and 280 A in continuous work covers thick plate, multi run filling and long beads. The version with the letter w has a built in liquid cooler, without which the torch would not take long work with a spray arc.
The transformer build has a clear point here: such a design takes metal dust, moisture and voltage swings in the mains better than inverter electronics. The maker aimed this model at the building of heavy steel structures, halls, shelters and masts, at the shipbuilding industry and the making of ship sections, at overhauls of mining, construction and farm machines, at the production of tankers, containers and undercarriages and at the prefabrication of thick walled pipelines.
You make the settings by hand: the voltage switch has 40 steps, so you move smoothly between a short arc and a spray arc and match the energy exactly to the material thickness and to the gas. Three inductance taps harden or soften the arc. Lower inductance gives a steadier arc on thin sheet under CO2, higher gives a smoother face in spray welding with argon mixtures. There is no synergic control here, and the choice of parameters stays with the welder.
A separate feeder changes the way you work on large structures. Instead of moving a power source that weighs over 150 kg, you carry the feeder alone and work at the part, correcting the voltage and the wire speed on the spot. The feeder housing protects the spool from metal dust, which has a direct effect on the cleanliness of the weld, and the four roll drive guides the wire evenly also with torches up to 5 m.
With long cable packages the problem is the voltage drop on the cables. TrueArcVoltage measures the voltage closer to the arc and corrects it so that the weld gets as much as you set on the power source. With packages reaching 35 m that is the difference between full fusion and a weld that will not pass testing.
Features and equipment
- Voltage adjustment in 40 steps with a mechanical switch: a high resolution of the settings and a smooth move between a short arc and a spray arc, while the switch resists damage and is quick to handle in gloves.
- Three inductance taps: mechanical adjustment of the rise of the short circuit current, that is of the hardness of the arc and the amount of spatter.
- Built in liquid cooler synchronised with the power source: a steady flow of coolant protects the contact tips, the nozzles and the insulation of the cable package, and an efficient radiator carries the heat away also at a high temperature in the hall.
- Separate Origo Feed 304 or 3004 feeder with a 4 roll drive: it guides the wire without slip also with torches up to 5 m, and the housing protects the wire from dust.
- Adjustment of the wire feed speed and the voltage straight on the feeder: you correct the parameters at the part, not at the power source.
- Wire feed speed from 1.9 to 25 m/min: a range for solid and flux cored wire, large diameters among them, where the deposition rate counts.
- Creep Start: a slowed wire speed at the moment of the start gives a calm ignition, with no bouncing of the torch and no heavy spatter at the beginning of the bead.
- Adjustable Burn-back: you set the burn back time so that the wire does not stick to the pool or to the tip and the free stick out has the right length for the next arc start.
- TrueArcVoltage: compensation of voltage drops on the cables, also with packages reaching 35 m, so the voltage at the arc matches the setting.
- Helper functions: 2T and 4T logic, gas test, wire feeding with no current, thermal protection, galvanised trolley, optional digital meters for current and voltage.
Technical data
| Brand | ESAB |
|---|---|
| Model | Origo MIG 400tw |
| Type | transformer MIG/MAG power source with stepped adjustment |
| Supply voltage | from 400 to 415 V, 3 phases, 50 Hz |
| Welding current at a 60% duty cycle | 400 A |
| Welding current at a 100% duty cycle | 280 A |
| Number of voltage steps | 40 |
| Inductance taps | 3 |
| Wire feed speed | from 1.9 to 25 m/min |
| Weight of the power source with the cooler | 158 kg |
| Wire feeder | separate Origo Feed 304 or 3004, 4 roll |
| Cooling | liquid, built in cooler |
| Wire diameter | up to 1.6 mm |
| Processes | manual MIG/MAG, solid and flux cored wire |
What to watch out for
The transformer design has an advantage and a price. The advantage is resistance to dust, moisture and voltage swings in the mains, which makes the machine fit for workshops where inverter electronics give up sooner. The price is the weight and the lack of automation: you make the settings by hand, and the weight of the power source with the cooler rules out moving the station every day.
The supply is three phase from 400 to 415 V at 50 Hz. The power source with the cooler weighs 158 kg, and the power source alone over 150 kg, so to move it you need a pallet truck and two people. Liquid cooling needs a check of the fluid level, of the tightness of the couplings and of the flow through the hoses before the shift, because at 400 A the circuit runs without a break. The torch has to be liquid cooled and matched to the current, and the rollers and the liner to the diameter of the wire you feed, up to 1.6 mm. You set the roller pressure separately for solid and for flux cored wire.
The machine has no synergic control and no program memory, so you base the repeatability on written down settings: the voltage step, the inductance tap and the wire speed. Before you buy, settle which feeder and cable package belong to this piece and how long the torch is, because the choice of roller pressure and the point of using TrueArcVoltage depend on it. Check also whether the unit has digital meters for current and voltage, because with a manual choice of parameters they make it easier to repeat the settings between shifts.
This unit is sold
This machine has already gone to a customer. Similar units are listed below, and if you want the same model, leave your contact details in the form and we will let you know when the next one arrives.