EWM Tetrix 230 AC/DC with Comfort 2.0 puls control is a single phase TIG AC/DC power source with an MMA mode and liquid cooling. You set the TIG current from 3 to 230 A, at a 40% duty cycle the machine gives 230 A, and in continuous work 170 A. The set is complete: an EWM torch 8 m with control, a cooling module, a side trolley and an earth cable 4 m.
What this machine is for
The basic task is work on aluminium alloys with alternating current and on thin walled joints in high alloy steels. In AC mode you change the frequency from 50 to 200 Hz, and also the shape of the wave. The sine course gives a soft and quiet arc for small parts, the square wave forces a fast change of polarity and breaks the oxides up the hardest, and the trapezoid is a setting between aggressive cleaning and comfort of work. The aluminium oxide layer melts much higher than the metal itself, so it is exactly these settings that decide how much energy goes into cleaning and how much into fusion.
The second area is welding with a covered electrode. The MMA mode works from 5 to 180 A, with a duty cycle of 180 A at 40%, 150 A at 60% and 120 A at 100%. You have Hot Start, which raises the current at the start, Antistick, which protects the core of the electrode when it sticks, and a pulse in MMA mode, which makes it easier to run welds in forced positions, for example vertical up, without undercutting the edges. Thanks to that one power source handles both a precise part in acid resistant steel and an ordinary structural repair with an electrode, without hauling a second machine to the job.
The single phase supply with a voltage tolerance from minus 40 to plus 15 percent sets this machine apart in the workshop segment. The power source works from weak circuits, through long extension leads and from generators with an output from 7.4 to 8.1 kVA, and the PFC power factor correction circuit lets you draw 230 A from a 230 V socket protected by a 16 A fuse. The manufacturer aimed this set at workshops working aluminium alloys and high alloy steels, at plants working thin sheet and apparatus, at assembly teams working from a generator and at engineers introducing repeatable tacking in series.
Features and equipment
- TIG current range from 3 to 230 A and MMA from 5 to 180 A: one machine handles thin parts and typical work with an electrode.
- Comfort 2.0 panel with a Click-Wheel knob: you run the settings with one control, without jumping around a menu.
- Pulsing up to 15 kHz: micro vibrations break up the dendritic structures in the pool, so the weld is fine grained and the arc narrower and quieter, which makes work on foils and thin walled pipes easier.
- activArc: the circuit measures the voltage drop when the arc shortens and adds current, so the plasma column stays concentrated and the electrode does not stay in the weld.
- spotArc: a short, dosed heat impulse makes a flat tack point with a small heat affected zone.
- spotmatic: the automatic mode triggers the points without pressing the button on the torch, which shortens the tacking of repeated parts by as much as 50%.
- AC Special: an asymmetric wave course directs the energy into the thicker part of the joint, so you join sheet 1 mm to a part 10 mm without burning through the thin edge.
- AC wave shape control: sine, square or trapezoid, depending on whether quiet or cleaning force counts.
- Automatic AC frequency: the controller raises and lowers the hertz itself depending on the set current, at low currents it holds the arc stiff, at high ones it protects the tungsten tip.
- JOB memory for 100 programs: switching the task brings back the AC balance, the gas times, the slope up and slope down of the current and the electrode diameter.
- Hot Start and Antistick in MMA mode: a sure start and protection of the electrode on a short circuit.
- U31 liquid cooling module on a side trolley: the liquid takes the heat off the torch during long work with alternating current, where gas cooling is no longer enough.
- EWM torch 8 m with control: you correct the parameters from the working position, without going back to the power source.
- PFC power factor correction circuit: the machine draws the full current from one phase and loads the installation less than a source without this circuit.
- blueCool fluid based on propanediol: a very low conductivity protects the lines in the torch against electrochemical corrosion and stray currents.
Technical data
| Brand | EWM |
|---|---|
| Type | inverter TIG AC/DC power source with an MMA mode |
| Type of current | AC/DC |
| Supply and fuse | 1 x 230 V (from minus 40 to plus 15 percent), 16 A |
| TIG welding current range | from 3 to 230 A |
| TIG duty cycle at 40 degrees C | 230 A at 40%, 200 A at 60%, 170 A at 100% |
| MMA duty cycle at 40 degrees C | 180 A at 40%, 150 A at 60%, 120 A at 100% |
| MMA welding current range | from 5 to 180 A |
| AC frequency | from 50 to 200 Hz |
| Pulsing frequency | up to 15 kHz |
| Open circuit voltage | 45 V, VRD support |
| Work from a generator | from 7.4 to 8.1 kVA |
| Protection rating | IP23 |
| Power source dimensions | 539 x 210 x 415 mm |
| Power source weight | from 18.3 to 18.8 kg |
| Torch cooling | liquid |
What you get
- EWM Tetrix 230 AC/DC Comfort 2.0 puls power source
- EWM TIG torch 8 m long with control
- U31 liquid cooling module
- side trolley
- earth cable 4 m long
What to watch out for
The product sheet gives a 400 V supply in the attributes, while the manufacturer description clearly speaks of a single phase machine 1 x 230 V with a 16 A fuse, protected against plugging in a 400 V plug by mistake. Confirm the configuration before you buy, because the preparation of the station depends on it. A voltage tolerance from minus 40 to plus 15 percent and work from a generator from 7.4 to 8.1 kVA are an advantage in the field, but with a weak supply the machine will not give the full current. The TIG duty cycle is 230 A at 40%, 200 A at 60% and 170 A at 100%, and in MMA 180 A, 150 A and 120 A respectively.
You fill the cooling system with EWM blueCool fluid based on propanediol with a very low conductivity. Plain water causes electrochemical corrosion and electrolysis inside the torch, and cheap flammable liquids are a fire risk, so check what the system is filled with and what its level is. The open circuit voltage is 45 V with VRD support, the protection rating is IP23. The power source weighs from 18.3 to 18.8 kg with dimensions of 539 x 210 x 415 mm, you carry it on your own, but together with the side trolley and the cooler it is a station to be rolled.
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.
