The Kemppi Kempomig 4500SW is an industrial MIG/MAG inverter with a welding current up to 500 A, with 500 A at a 60% duty cycle and 390 A at a 100% duty cycle. Supply 400 V, liquid cooling, an external rotating FU 20 wire feeder and a 10 m interconnection cable. The set weighs 100 kg.
What this machine is for
The 390 A at a 100% duty cycle means welding in continuous mode with no breaks to cool the power source, and the 500 A at a 60% duty cycle gives a reserve for joints of large thickness. This is kit for plants with a heavy production load, for heavy steel structures, shipyards and pipeline works, where the station runs through a whole shift.
Besides welding with wire under gas shielding, the machine handles the covered electrode. In the MMA mode the current reaches 520 A, so you take it for repair work, for gouging and for joining pipelines with very thick walls. A change of method on one power source shortens the changeover of the station and takes a second machine off the workshop.
The design is an inverter one, so the reaction to a change in arc length is faster than in a transformer power source. The result is better fusion and less spatter, and at the same time a lower weight at the same rating. The arc parameters hold also when the voltage in the plant mains swings.
The interconnection cable is 10 m, so the power source stays by the gas cylinder and you walk with the feeder around a three dimensional structure, over a tank or along a pipeline. The FU 20 feeder stands on a rotating base: you turn it towards the part, so the torch bends less and the wire runs more evenly.
The Basic panel goes for manual operation. There is no digital menu, you set the welding voltage and the wire feed speed with potentiometers, steplessly across the whole range. For an experienced welder that is a faster way to the right arc than going through programs, and you change the settings during work with one move.
Typical uses are the production of heavy machines and bridge structures, the shipbuilding industry and the building of vessels, welding of pipelines and of tanks of large size, and repair work in mining and construction. The common ground is a current of 500 A and the need to work at a 100% duty cycle, that is stations where a break to cool the power source costs more than the machine itself.
A reach of 10 m translates straight into comfort at work. Instead of dragging the whole machine around the part, you move the feeder and work freely around the piece. On three dimensional structures, where the welder changes position every few minutes, this cuts the downtime and the damage to cables dragged across the floor.
The set stands on a factory trolley, so in spite of its rating you move it around the hall in one piece, together with the gas cylinder. The lower weight of an inverter compared with a transformer of a similar current makes it easy enough that moving the station does not need a forklift.
Features and equipment
- MIG/MAG and MMA welding on one power source. In the covered electrode mode the current reaches 520 A, which covers repair work and thick walled pipelines.
- A current of 390 A at a 100% duty cycle. You lay the longest welds with no breaks to cool the power source, also on multi shift work.
- An inverter design. A faster reaction to a change in arc length, better fusion, less spatter and a lower weight than in a transformer of this rating.
- An external rotating FU 20 wire feeder. The rotating base turns the feeder towards the part, limits bends in the torch and gives a smooth wire feed at different diameters.
- A 10 m interconnection cable. Reach around large structures, tanks and pipelines without moving the whole welding set.
- Integrated liquid cooling. It takes heat from the torch when you work at 500 A, so the contact tips and gas nozzles last longer.
- The manual Basic panel. Stepless control of the voltage and the feed speed with potentiometers, with no menu and no long setting up of the machine before the first weld.
- A factory trolley. You move the whole system around the production hall together with the cylinder, without breaking the set into modules.
Technical data
| Brand | Kemppi |
|---|---|
| Processes | MIG/MAG, MMA |
| Maximum welding current | 500 A |
| Current at a 60% duty cycle | 500 A |
| Current at a 100% duty cycle | 390 A |
| Current in the MMA mode | up to 520 A |
| Supply voltage | 400 V |
| Cooling type | liquid |
| Wire feeder | external, rotating FU 20 |
| Control panel | Basic, manual control |
| Interconnection cable length | 10 m |
| Set weight | 100 kg |
What you get
- used Kemppi Kempomig 4500SW power source
- external rotating FU 20 wire feeder
- liquid cooling unit, integrated with the power source
- interconnection cable 10 m
- factory trolley
What to watch out for
The supply is 400 V, three phase, and you match the connection and the fuse to the draw at currents close to 500 A. Liquid cooling needs attention: before you start, check the fluid level in the tank, the flow and the tightness of the circuit, and after a longer stop the state of the fluid in the cooling unit. The set weighs 100 kg, so plan unloading with a pallet truck and leave room in the hall for the trolley together with the cylinder.
The Basic panel has no synergic programs and no pulse, you pick the parameters yourself, and it is worth writing down the settings for repeat joints at the station. The record does not list a welding torch or an earth cable, you choose that equipment separately to suit the current and the length of the package, and for gouging a torch and carbon electrodes come on top. Route the 10 m interconnection cable without sharp bends and do not leave it under the wheels of trucks.
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.
