At Arc-Zone.com we get a lot of requests for tungsten electrodes made in the U.S.A. And until recently, we weren’t able to offer that.

Sylvania (yes, the lightbulb people) are at present the only US source for tungsten electrodes. Nearly every tungsten electrode comes from China (75%) or Austria, Bolivia, Portugal, and Russia.

If you’re interested in learning more about tungsten production, there’s a great new website that offers some of the most comprehensive information about tungsten and tungsten electrodes for welding that I’ve seen in a while. (Yes, I may be a little biased, but there really is some good information about tungsten there.)

Now, Arc-Zone.com offers Sylvania Tungsten Electrodes, made in the US, and ready for immediate delivery:

• PURETUNG® / Pure Tungsten (Color Code Green)
• 1% Thoriated (Yellow) Tungsten Electrodes
  
• 2% Thoriated (Red) Tungsten Electrodes
  
• 1.5% Lanthanated (Gray) Tungsten Electrodes
  
• 2% Ceriated (Orange) Tungsten Electrodes and
• ZIRTUNG® / Zirconiated (Brown) Tungsten Electrodes
  

Arc-Zone will be stocking the standard 7″ length in diameters, 0.040″ to 1/8″ though other diameters are available. Contact sales –at– arc-zone.com for details.

I’ve been remiss in passing along industry news. Here’s the latest in welding news from Miller, Hobart and Tregaskiss:

FabCO TR-70 Flux-Cored Wire Increases Productivity, Reduces
Downtime on Mild and Low-Alloy Steel Applications

Tregaskiss Offers Self-Shielded Torch for Demanding Welding Environments

Miller Passport Plus Offers A Portable Aluminum MIG Welding Solution

New 900-lb. Recyclable Drum from Hobart Minimizes Downtime, Costs

Miller Offers Rebates on Select Millermatic Welders/Spoolmate Spool Gun Purchases

New Miller Maxstar 150 Includes Multi-Voltage Plugs, X-Case For Increased Portability, Durability

If you have news to share, go ahead and drop me a line… you can email me direct (carmen [ at ] arc-zone.com) or use the fancy Contact Carmen form.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Miller– and all the ITW affiliates– do a great job getting out information about their products. They are always helpful and forthcoming with photos for publication, and some really great collateral. But this one gave me such a laugh I had to share it.

From the Miller Marketing team:

Dear Carmen,

I believe your readers will want to to know that Miller welder generators that use the patented Vault technology boast reliability ratings of greater than 98% according to information just released by the company. “Vault” technology hermetically seals the circuit board and is impenetrable to dust, dirt and moisture.

I’ve attached a high resolution photo of the Vault for your review. Please note that in the photo the Vault is functioning while submerged in a fish tank.

So, if you ever want to TIG weld in a fish tank. You’re good to go with a Miller!

READ THE OFFICIAL RELEASE–>

HOT OFF THE PRESS (as it were) FROM BERNARD:

Packaged with Miller SuitCase 12RC and X-TREME 12VS wire feeders comes standard with Bernard’s Centerfire contact tips

BEECHER, Ill., August 20, 2007—To meet the demanding needs and harsh environments of construction, shipbuilding, heavy manufacturing and rental applications, Bernard introduces its first ever self-shielded flux-cored gun, the Dura-Flux™.

To increase operator comfort, Dura-Flux guns feature a non-metallic trigger that absorbs less heat than metal triggers. The trigger is also made with a sealed microswitch, which keeps out dust and dirt, to provide a long work life. Welders will also appreciate the smaller trigger guard, which improves maneuverability compared to guns with larger heat shields.

“The small trigger guard doesn’t obstruct our access to narrow access joints the way the larger heat shields do,” says Daniel Stinson, Ironworkers Local 492, Nashville, Tenn. “We usually end up removing the heat shields so that they don’t get in the way while welding joints without much room to maneuver, such as the bottom flanges on structural jobs.”

The Dura-Flux is rated to 350 amps at 100 percent duty cycle and can handle higher current loads at reduced duty cycles. It accepts flux-cored wire up to 3/32-in. and is equipped with a heavy-duty monocoil power cable and Bernard’s Centerfire™ contact tips, which last up to three times longer than other brands.
The Dura-Flux gun also features interchangeable power pins and trigger leads for compatibility with both Miller and Lincoln products, along with power pin liners that are easily changed without tools to simplify maintenance.

The Dura-Flux will be packaged with Miller SuitCase™ 12RC and SuitCase X-TREME™ 12VS wire feeders for a limited time beginning in August. The gun’s inclusion comes at no additional charge, a $400 value.
The Dura-Flux gun shipped with Miller SuitCase feeders is configured to meet the precise application requirements of most users. A 15-foot gun with a 6-inch, 60-degree neck is standard. In applications that require a shorter gun, Bernard’s gun exchange program allows welders to exchange the unused Dura-Flux gun shipped with Miller SuitCase feeders for a 10-foot gun.

A variety of jacketed and armored Dura-Flux necks are also available.

Bernard Welding Equipment, located in Beecher, Ill, manufactures premium GMAW (MIG) welding guns, consumables, accessories and manual arc products. For over 50 years Bernard has been an innovator in heavy-duty MIG welding and a contributor to improved welding productivity.

# # #

Arc-Zone specializes in TIG / GTAW Welding equipment, however we do sell MIG guns… you can shop online or give us a call. And keep a look out, we’re launching a new webstore soon, and you’ll see lots of new product, live chat, and more.

We’ve been learning a lot about pipe welding and creating a localized purge dam for a new customer who’s working on a liquified natural gas (LNG) plant.

Purge bladders are popular in Europe. Not so much here in the U.S. In fact, some folks still purge an entire pipe system for welding. You can spend a lot of money on shield gas doing it that way. There are a lot of options for creating a purge dam, but our LNG customer has opted for the inflatable purge bladders as a way to improve their weld quality, lower the purge volume (and gas consumption and expense) and minimize downtime (time waiting to flood an entire system in purge gas).

A few things to keep in mind regarding purge bladders for pipe welding.

First, for pipe IDs larger than 12, it is highly recommended that you use the quick purge system, especially if you’re doing field pipe welding as opposed to pipe fabrication in the shop.

The larger standard inflatable purge bladders can be difficult and cumbersome to situate, and if they are twisted up at all, you can get creases in the bladders which allow oxygen to seep in. This ultimately will negatively affect your weld quality.

The connection between each bladder in the quick purge system is more rigid, which facilitates correct placement of the bladders.

These quick purge systems are brand new products, available now from Arc-Zone.com. Give us a call (800-944-2243 :: toll free US or 760-931-1500 world wide) We can get you a quote or an order right quick!

More amps for your buck!

Well Miller Electric is at it again, introducing a new TIG welding machine, the Dynasty 350. And even with more power, the new machine is more efficient, offering power management technology that will lower your primary power draw. Other features include Advanced AC Controls, Independent AC amplitude/amperage control, AC Waveshaping options, improved pulsed TIG… and much more…

Now Arc-Zone.com doesn’t sell welding machines at this time, however, if you want to make sure you get the most out of your new Dynasty, or whatever your TIG Welding machine, give Arc-Zone.com a call, drop by the online webstore. We’ll set you up with the best TIG Torch for your application, and make sure you’re getting the most out of your machine.

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