quality; smooth wire feeding from a 4-roll drive mechanism; and a very wide range of ESAB welding con- sumables is available for any specific weld- ing application. “Fuel tank con- struction is acceler- ating in South Africa due to our increased dependence on im- ported fuels, a wors- ening shortage of fuel
The ESAB automatic Rail Welder, RW1, is a multi-function
ESAB AGW1 series of tank welders is the best yet for 2G welding construction in jack-up fuel tank construction.
storage capacity, ageing infrastructure and rising energy demand. Well-designed welding solutions such as the ESAB AGW1 tank welder can make the construction of these storage facilities far more cost, time and resource efficient,” Bronkhorst notes.
rail welding system for flat and vertical welding of flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead butt joints. ESAB’s new HCD-500B Stiffener Welder, a double-sided fillet-welding tractor, is the third new mechanised solution being intro- duced by ESAB South Africa this year. Also rail-free, wireless, and battery-powered, this tractor can hold two welding torches to simultaneously place fillet welds on both sides of a stiffener strip. Configured to weld ribs up to 390 mm high, this system is ideal for manufacturing I-beams, T-beams, and reinforced ribs. Underpinning all of the new mechanised solutions is ESAB’s Rustler EM 350C Pro Syn Pulse welding power source, a premium, full-featured modern welding machine. Equipped with the latest inverter technol- ogy, the Rustler MIG PRO combines low en- ergy consumption with optimised welding performance in MMA and MIG/MAG/FCAW for all common base materials. The machine includes welding programs for carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brazing, and flux-cored wires, with the add- ed benefit of synergic control, which saves setup time, promotes consistency, and helps less experienced welders produce optimal welds. “These new Rustlers have simple, intuitive controls and are ideal for small fabricators and welding fleets. This also makes them particularly well-suited for use with our extended mechanised tractor range. Rustler inverters are robust, reliable and energy-efficient, making them ideal for small fabricators and welding fleets, particularly those migrating towards automated or mechanised welding solu- tions,” says Jannie Bronkhorst. “When it comes to welding automation, we at ESAB South Africa can offer best-fit solutions to meet almost any welding need, along with the support to ensure that our customers see the cost and quality ben- efits,” he concludes. http://esabsa.co.za
(ℓ/m) are recorded and displayed. “This new high-precision system is ideal for bore cladding in the exotic mate- rials needed for chemical, oil and gas, and nuclear applications, where uncompro- mising precision and very high-quality are required,” says Jannie Bronkhorst. Jack-up tank construction system “Our new ESAB AGW1 series of tank weld- ers is the best yet 2G welding construction system for jack-up fuel tank construction,” continues Bronkhorst. This construction method is a well- established top-down erection method for large storage tanks, where the roof and top shell are assembled first at ground level. Hydraulic jacks then lift completed sec- tions, allowing each consecutive section of the shell to be welded underneath. The method eliminates the need for cranes and welding at height, increasing safety, speed and efficiency. The ESAB Tank welder is a lightweight, tractor-based SAW welding system de- signed specifically for circumferential welds on storage tanks under construction. The new system uses a flexible aluminium rail attached to the shell using magnets. For welding, ESAB LAF1001 or LAF631 power sources can be used with the ESAB PEK Process Controller. A flux belt is used to hold the SAW weld- ing flux, as in other girth welding processes. This can carry a 20 or 30 kg flux hopper, and a built-in flux recovery system is included. For optimal wire feeding in the 2G position, 1.6 or 2.0 mm wire is recommended. Interconnection cables of up to 50 m are available, depending on customer requirements. Key advantages include easy assembly and preparation for welding, with no need for any welded brackets for mounting the track; digital process control and monitor- ing from the PEK Digital Process Controller for enhancing welding performance and
Application-specific tractor solutions
In addition, three other new tractor solu- tions are being introduced into the South African market to help fabricators meet their quality and productivity needs. Each of these is purpose-designed to meet com- mon mechanisation needs on shop floors. The first is ESAB’s new Fillet Welder, a small, lightweight tractor designed for vertical, horizontal, and overhead butt and fillet weld seams, which delivers precise control of travel speed, weaving speed, weaving angle, and dwell times. This versatile autonomous welding trac- tor is designed for rail-free operation across flat, vertical and overhead positions. With a dual-motorised 4-wheel drive, it offers precise steering and optimal traction, even on curved or uneven surfaces. The system is powered by a lithium battery pack that can supply 10 hours of continuous operation, so no external power supply is required. Easy to operate, the tractor/carriage is driven by a guide wheel and attached to the work surface via magnetic adsorption. The second new tractor, the ESAB auto- matic Rail Welder, RW1, is a multi-function rail welding system for flat and vertical welding of flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead butt joints, using MIG/MAG or FCAW processes. Also wireless and pow- ered by lithium-ion batteries, the system is designed to be operated by a welder, offering adjustment of the travel angle and weld torch position during welding. Tracked using a magnetic guide wheel and an adsorption clutch handle, the ESAB RW1 system can be used on both flat and curved surfaces.
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March-April 2026
AFRICAN FUSION
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