Selecting Contact Tips for Robotic Welding
Contact tips are often referred to as the smallest fuse in the fuse box that is your robotic welding cell. But this small fuse can have a big impact on productivity. In terms of overall efficiency, the contact tip is key.
Contact tips depend upon repeatability to be effective in the welding process. Learn more about the different types of available — and how choosing the right one for your application can improve results and save money.
How do contact tips affect efficiency?
The job of the contact tip is to transfer the welding current to the arc and guide the welding wire as consistently as possible. If either of these two factors degrade, the overall welding process also degrades, affecting quality.
When an operation changes contact tips every few hours, there is an obvious effect on productivity. It requires the weld cell to be shut down, and the operator may have to enter the cell to change out the tip. If the robot is buried inside the welding line, contact tip changeover takes even longer.
Not only are these changeovers inefficient, but they also introduce the potential for mistakes. Every time a human interacts with the robot, there’s a risk of incorrect consumable installation or other improper adjustments that can lead to poor quality welds and costly rework.
fuse in the fuse box that is your robotic
welding cell. But this small fuse can have
a big impact on productivity.
Choosing the right tip depends on the results you’re looking for and the needs of the application. In the automotive industry, for example, choosing a quality contact tip is critical since unplanned downtime is the enemy of a high-volume multi-robot operation. Contact tips in these applications need more wear resistance.
A high-quality contact tip provides a longer life and a more consistent and stable arc. Longer tip life results in more robot uptime, less time wasted on non-value-added labor for tip changeovers and reduced human interaction with the robot that could lead to error. But the contact tip itself isn’t the only factor impacting tip life — the welding wire, part fit-up, robot programming and grounding also contribute.
Types of contact tips
There are several types of contact tips available. Understanding the differences can help you select the best choice for your operation.
1. Copper contact tips: Contact tips made from this material are the most conductive to transfer welding current. But copper is also the softest option and will keyhole (or wear the bore unevenly) much faster. If keyholing is a pain point in your operation, this may not be the best choice. The initial cost of copper contact tips tends to be cheaper than other options.
2. Chrome-zirconium contact tips: This alloy provides better wear resistance and longer life than copper tips, holding up better to the demands and increased arc-on time of robotic welding. They are slightly less conductive than copper tips, but they are still sufficient for most robotic applications.
3. HDP contact tips: HDP tips can last 10 times longer than copper tips — and up to 30 times in some cases — depending on the application and waveform being used. Operations may be able to go from changing contact tips every two hours to only changing tips once a week. HDP contact tips are engineered to endure wear better, providing increased resistance to arc erosion in pulsed welding, as well as spray transfer and CV MIG. The precise fit between the tip and the wire also results in good arc stability to help produce high-quality welds. Because HDP contact tips reduce the impact of the welding current decline over time, they can provide a more stable and consistent arc over the life of each contact tip. These tips work best in applications that use high-quality copper-coated solid wire.
Common pitfalls with contact tips
Once you understand the types of contact tips available, there are numerous factors to consider when choosing the right tip for your application. Here are some common mistakes operations make when choosing contact tips so you can avoid the same pitfalls:
1. Only considering price: Many operations may look only at the price per tip when they purchase contact tips. But it’s important to look beyond the initial price and consider the big picture, which includes the downtime and labor required for changeover, along with any quality issues that may be happening in the weld cell. If a contact tip lasts three times as long, the robot can continue to weld instead of being down for a tip changeover — and there is less human interaction inside the cell .
2. Ignoring ID tolerance issues: The size and cast of the welding wire are important in making a decision about contact tips. Some tips need to be undersized for the welding wire used, while some tips need to match the wire size. And the same exact wire will vary in the necessary contact tip size depending on if the wire comes in a small spool or a 1,000-pound barrel. For most copper and chrome-zirconium tips, it’s recommended to undersize the contact tip by a single wire size when using a 500-pound barrel or greater of wire due to the wire cast. With smaller sizes of wire packaging, use contact tips that match the wire size. The goal is to maintain a clean, consistent contact between the wire and the tip so the weld current is conducted as efficiently as possible.
3. Using poor quality wire: In most cases, poor quality welding wire will lead to poor results from your contact tips. This is due to the lubrication on the wire, as well as the consistency of the wire diameter; inconsistent wire diameter wears the tip faster. Choosing a higher quality wire can improve tip life and produce better results. Also, be aware that wires without a copper coating and cored wires wear tips much faster. Using copper-coated solid wires typically slows contact tip wear.
4. Not being open to change: Some companies think the status quo is fine because they aren’t experiencing issues. They change tips in the robotic welding cell every couple of hours, even if those tips don’t need to be changed. Looking at the true length of their current tips or investing in higher-quality tips could optimize efficiency and the overall process — saving unplanned downtime and reducing the need for non-value-added labor hours.
Analyzing the robotic operation
If contact tips are being removed proactively even when there is no keyholing, burnbacks or erratic arcs, there could be potential to get more life out of contact tips.
So how can companies best analyze their robotic welding operation to determine when to change to a different type of contact tip?
Contact tips react differently to different applications, so an important first step is to run trials with varying quality levels of tips. This will provide an accurate comparison and a level set for expectations. Run each tip to failure, including the current brand, rather than proactively changing the tip on a set schedule. Be sure to log the time each part lasted. Ideally, run multiple contact tips in any trial to eliminate any outliers.
This type of trial can help to identify how much labor time is spent on tip changeovers, how much robot uptime can be achieved and what failures are occurring with each type of contact tip.
If an operation previously experienced 10 burnbacks a day and reduces that to zero by using a higher quality contact tip, this can help eliminate unplanned downtime.
Optimizing contact tip efficiency in robotic welding
It’s important to look beyond the purchase cost and consider the big picture to best evaluate the potential productivity, as well as weld quality and efficiency gains of certain contact tips. The benefits can be especially significant in robotic welding applications, where regular contact tip changeovers can be greatly reduced.
How Robotic Welding Supervisors Can Improve the Operation
How Robotic Welding Supervisors Can Improve the Operation
Gaining a good return on investment (ROI) from a robotic welding system doesn’t happen by chance. It’s a matter of optimizing the robot and the robotic welding cell to operate at peak efficiency. And while this task is a team effort, it is led by the robotic welding supervisor.
So, what can the supervisor do to guide the way, while looking at more advanced considerations? Pay close attention and collaborate.
Find opportunities for improvement
Even if a robotic welding system is meeting production and quality requirements, it’s important that robotic welding supervisors commit to a continuous improvement process. Regularly looking for ways to increase efficiencies could provide the ability to produce more parts. It can also help identify issues within the robotic welding cell before they become problematic and cause downtime.
Robotic supervisors should pay close attention to details such as cable and consumable management, parts handling and workflow to pinpoint areas that could be streamlined. The goal is to avoid settling for less than optimal work practices to realize the full potential of the system. Doing so can provide companies with higher productivity and profitability and can set them apart from their competitors.
Rely on available resources
While the robotic welding supervisor may oversee the overall health of a robotic welding cell, the robot operator works hands on with the system daily to load and unload parts. For this reason, they are an excellent resource to rely on for insight into potential or existing problems, such as:
• Excessive spatter
• Poor joint configurations, or
• The need for tooling adjustments
Quality technicians are another internal resource to help the robotic welding supervisor identify any issues and drive performance improvements. In conjunction with welding engineers, they can help rectify issues like overwelding or part distortion.
External sources, such as a robotic welding integrator or equipment manufacturer, can help troubleshoot and offer advice to gain efficiencies. In many cases, they can also offer ongoing training that helps everyone improve their interaction with the robotic welding cell.
This article is the second in a two-part series focused on key information welding supervisors should know to help ensure robotic welding success. Read article one, Best Practices for Robotic Welding Supervisors.
Best Practices for Robotic Welding Supervisors
Best Practices for Robotic Welding Supervisors
With careful planning and attention to detail, companies that invest in a robotic welding system can gain advantages, such as:
• Increased productivity
• High weld quality
• Cost saving
• Parts consistency
The welding supervisor managing the robotic welding cell plays a key role in achieving these results — and with some best practices in mind, can help ensure long-term success. There are some basics that provide a good starting point.
Understand the robotic welding system
To maximize uptime in a robotic welding system, welding supervisors need to look beyond the administrative and operational duties often involved with this position and consider the actual components in the system. Maintenance personnel can often help.
It’s important for welding supervisors to understand how to quickly troubleshoot issues and how to adjust the weld programs, as needed.
Having a solid understanding of the functions of the robotic welding gun, welding consumables, power cables, and their impact on quality and productivity is also important. It makes it easier to identify problems and provide the best solution.
Establish documentation and maintenance
Keeping an accurate, detailed log of all activities in a robotic welding cell can help welding supervisors maintain control over changes that could impact performance of the robotic welding system. Information to document includes:
• The names of all employees who enter the weld cell, when they entered and why
• Parts that have been cleaned
• Consumable changes
• Drive roll tension adjustments
• Installation of a new welding wire drum
This documentation provides insight into changes in the robotic weld cell, making it easier for maintenance staff to troubleshoot any issues. It can also help the welding supervisor and maintenance personnel determine the appropriate frequency for a preventive maintenance schedule, which helps reduce unexpected downtime.
This article is the first in a two-part series focused on key information welding supervisors should know to help ensure robotic welding success. Read article two, How Robotic Welding Supervisors Can Improve the Operation.
Understanding Fixed Automatic Welding Guns
Understanding Fixed Automatic Welding Guns
When it comes to automating the welding process, many companies opt for robotic welding systems due to the flexibility they provide and their ability to reach and weld multiple joints. These systems provide the advantages of speed and accuracy and can be reprogrammed to manage new projects.
But these robotic systems aren’t right for every application. In industries such as oil and gas, railcar, structural steel fabrication and shipbuilding, joint configurations are often less complex, consisting of a single part to be welded as opposed to full assemblies. In this case, fixed automatic welding is generally preferred.
About fixed automation welding
Fixed automation welding, sometimes called hard automation welding, is commonly used for welding pipes, structural beams, tanks and vessels in a shop environment prior to them being moved to the jobsite where they will be placed into service. It can also be used for welding steel plates for the general fabrication industry or in the manufacturing of hot water heaters and propane tanks.
Common Factors for Suitable Applications
One common factor in these applications is the need for either longitudinal or circular (inside or outside diameter) welds that require repeatability as opposed to versatility. Other factors that make applications suitable for fixed automation welding include:
1. A high volume of similar parts with low variety
2. Large parts with very long welds or several similar welds
3. Large parts that would be difficult to weld manually
In some cases, fixed automation welding can help companies meet high production goals at relatively low cost. And it is easy for a single operator to oversee and load parts, making it desirable from a labor perspective — particularly given the shortage of skilled welders the industry is facing.
Setups
A fixed automation welding cell can be set up in two ways. The first option requires tooling that holds the part in place, while a fixed automatic gun moves along the weld joint by way of a mechanized seam welder or a track and carriage that holds the gun in place. This option would be viable for a long structural beam, for example.
In the second scenario, the welding gun may be fixed in a single place by tooling while the part, such as a pipe, rotates on a lathe or circumferential fixture during the welding process. In today’s marketplace, there is equipment that can rotate parts in a wide range of diameters and weights.
Tooling for fixed automation welding offers minimal flexibility and can be expensive to adjust for new parts. This is true particularly in comparison to a robotic welding system that can be reprogrammed to articulate and weld in different positions along the X, Y and Z axes.
When investing in the tooling for fixed automation welding, it’s important for companies to determine upfront what their long-term applications will be. Will they continue to weld parts that are straight or circular for the foreseeable future?
Avoiding pitfalls in the process
One very important part of the fixed automation welding system is the welding gun. It is not uncommon for companies to take a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to this piece of equipment. Namely fixturing a semi-automatic gun in place with various components to mimic the performance of a fixed automatic gun. Sometimes this is done out of convenience, due to the shop having an abundance of semi-automatic guns, or because of a perceived cost savings.
Unfortunately, a DIY gun assembly for this process can be time-consuming to set up and maintain, which adversely affects productivity. It also is not optimized for fixed automation welding. Quality may suffer due to off-seam welds or other inconsistencies, leading to rework that further reduces throughput and increases costs. Also, if replacement parts are needed there could be variations in the assembly since it is not set up for this process. Again, this can lead to quality issues.
Instead, it is important to invest in a fixed automatic gun that is designed for the process. These guns have consistent components that can be sourced from manufacturers so that the welds are repeatable. And the gun manufacturers can provide service and technical support.
Looking at the choices
Guns need to be specified or customized for the application according to the available space, taking into account the distance between the gun and the part and also how far away the wire feeder is. These factors impact neck length and bend or angle, as well as cable choices.
Necks
Necks are typically available in the marketplace in varying lengths, from approximately 4 to 12 inches. Available with either a straight neck or 22-, 45- and 60-degree bends. Companies need to determine the reach required to meet the weld joint, as well as the necessary angle for completing a sound weld.
Cable Lengths
Cable lengths vary from as short as 3 feet to as long as 25 feet. Longer cables are ideal for reaching a wire feeder placed further away from the part, including on a boom. In other situations, a company may mount the feeder directly on the tooling or nearby. In that case, a cableless gun is an option for air-cooled operations. These guns plug directly into the wire feeder via a power pin and do not require a cable. Amperage and duty cycle also need to be factored into the selection of a fixed automatic gun, and both depend on the thickness of the material being welded and the amount of arc-on time required.
Air-cooled fixed automatic guns are typically available from 300 to 500 amperage models, offering either 60% or 100% duty cycle. Duty cycle is defined by the amount of time within a 10-minute cycle the gun can weld without becoming overly heated.
The necks on these guns are particularly durable since they have fewer internal channels than a water-cooled gun and rely on the ambient air to cool them. They are also more resistant to bending, and replacement parts are less expensive.
For higher-amperage fixed automation welding applications that require longer periods of welding on thicker material, a water-cooled gun may be a better choice. These models are typically available in amperages ranging from 450 to 600 amps and offering 100% duty cycle.
Hybrid water-cooled guns are another option. These fixed automatic guns have a sturdy neck similar to an air-cooled model with water channels running external to it. These channels make the guns easier to maintain than water-cooled guns.
Additional considerations
Along with selecting the appropriate components for a fixed automatic gun, it’s also essential to choose high-quality consumables — nozzles, contact tips and gas diffusers. This helps minimize downtime for frequent changeovers and supports production goals. They can also reduce quality issues that could require rework later in the welding operation.
Consumables are available that can be used across different types of welding guns, including semi-automatic ones and fixed automatic guns. This compatibility can be beneficial to simplifying inventory and preventing errors when installing new consumables on either type of gun.
Welding students in Tulsa benefit from Bernard MIG Guns and Consumables | Customer Testimonial
Welding students in Tulsa benefit from Bernard® MIG Guns and Consumables
Tulsa Welding School’s Houston campus needs reliable equipment that can handle any process. Bernard® MIG guns and consumables are the answer. “Bernard (guns) they’re real comfortable in my hand you know. They’re not too big and bulky. They’re not too heavy. The neck ratio on that, is just, they’re awesome. I like them. The lighter the gun can be is great for a welder.”, Greg Langdon – welding instructor.
Blinn Instructors Choose Bernard MIG Guns and Consumables for Dependable Welding Equipment | Customer Testimonial
Blinn Instructors Choose Bernard® MIG Guns and Consumables for Dependable Welding Equipment
“Here at Blinn when we chose welding equipment first and foremost I want something solid. That’s going to be there for me for years. In our labs we have connected all our Miller 22 A wire feeders to Bernard guns. Centerfire is so user friendly that I actually bought conversion kits and changed all our non-Bernard gear over to Bernard consumables” – Blinn welding instructor, John McGee.
Instructors and students at Blinn College have come to rely on Bernard product for molding future welders. Bernard MIG guns and consumables are easy to use and a welder’s best choice in dependability.
Poor wire feeding is a common problem encountered in many welding operations. Unfortunately, it can be a significant source of downtime and lost productivity — not to mention cost. Poor or erratic wire feeding can lead to premature failure of consumables, burnbacks, bird-nesting and more. To simplify troubleshooting, it’s best to look for issues in the wire feeder first and move toward the front of the gun to the consumables. Finding the cause of the problem can sometimes be complicated, however, wire feeding issues often have simple solutions. When poor wire feeding occurs, it can be related to several components in the wire feeder. 1. If the drive rolls don’t move when you pull the trigger, check to see if the relay is broken. Contact your feeder manufacturer for assistance if you suspect this is the issue. A faulty control lead is another possible cause. You can test the control lead with a multimeter to determine if a new cable is needed. 2. An incorrectly installed guide tube and/or the wrong wire guide diameter may be the culprit. The guide tube sits between the power pin and the drive rolls to keep the wire feeding smoothly from the drive rolls into the gun. Always use the proper size guide tube, adjust the guides as close to the drive rolls as possible and eliminate any gaps in the wire path. 3. Look for poor connections if your MIG gun has an adapter that connects the gun to the feeder. Check the adapter with a multimeter and replace it if it’s malfunctioning. Using the wrong size or style of welding drive rolls can cause poor wire feeding. Here are some tips to avoid problems. 1. Always match the drive roll size to the wire diameter. 2. Inspect drive rolls every time you put a new spool of wire on the wire feeder. Replace as necessary. 3. Choose the style of drive roll based on the wire you are using. For example, smooth welding drive rolls are good for welding with solid wire, whereas U-shaped ones are better for tubular wires — flux-cored or metal-cored. 4. Set the proper drive roll tension so there is sufficient pressure on the welding wire to feed it through smoothly. Several issues with the welding liner can lead to erratic wire feeding, as well as burnbacks and bird-nesting. 1. Be sure the liner is trimmed to the correct length. When you install and trim the liner, lay the gun flat, making certain the cable is straight. Using a liner gauge is helpful. There are also consumable systems available with liners that don’t require measuring. They lock and concentrically align between the contact tip and power pin without fasteners. These systems provide error-proof liner replacement to eliminate wire feeding problems. 2. Using the wrong size welding liner for the welding wire often leads to wire feeding problems. Select a liner that is slightly larger than the diameter of the wire, as it allows the wire to feed smoothly. If the liner is too narrow, it will be difficult to feed, resulting in wire breakage or bird-nesting. 3. Debris buildup in the liner can impede wire feeding. It can result from using the wrong welding drive roll type, leading to wire shavings in the liner. Microarcing can also create small weld deposits inside the liner. Replace the welding liner when buildup results in erratic wire feeding. You can also blow compressed air through the cable to remove dirt and debris when you change over the liner. Welding consumables are a small part of the MIG gun, but they can affect wire feeding — particularly the contact tip. To avoid problems: 1. Visually inspect the contact tip for wear on a regular basis and replace as necessary. Look for signs of keyholing, which occurs when the bore in the contact tip becomes oblong over time due to the wire feeding through it. Also look for spatter buildup, as this can cause burnbacks and poor wire feeding. 2. Consider increasing or decreasing the size of contact tip you are using. Try going down one size first, which can help promote better control of the arc and better feeding. Poor wire feeding can be a frustrating occurrence in your welding operation — but it doesn’t have to slow you down for long. If you still experience problems after inspecting and making adjustments from the feeder forward, take a look at your MIG gun. It is best to use the shortest cable possible that can still get the job done. Shorter cables minimize coiling that could lead to wire feeding issues. Remember to keep the cable as straight as possible during welding, too. Combined with some solid troubleshooting skills, the right gun can keep you welding for longer.
In many cases, equipment-based solutions can be a means to gain success in the robotic welding operation. They can mitigate costly risks and eliminate issues that lead to inefficiencies. And often, these issues are related to a small but significant part of the robotic welding process — the welding consumables. Changing over consumables can be a time-consuming part of maintaining the welding cell, especially if it is done multiple times during a shift. Changeover can also negatively impact productivity and quality if the consumables are installed incorrectly. Unfortunately, given the industry’s current lack of skilled welders, that may be a common occurrence. Welders simply have less experience with proper installation processes. To address this problem, many companies tend to spend more time and money on training and troubleshooting. They may even have to find workarounds to problems in the weld cell as employees get up to speed. All of this occupies resources. Welding consumables — the contact tip, gas diffuser and nozzle — can be a major source of downtime in robotic welding operations, unplanned or planned. During installation, cross-threading of contact tips by less experienced welders is a common occurrence that can result in unplanned downtime. Cross-threading leads to multiple problems beyond the lost productivity for contact tip changeover. First, it can negatively affect tool center point (TCP), causing the robot to weld off-seam and create quality issues like lack of fusion or poor penetration. Personnel overlooking the robotic welding cell then need to stop production to address rework and/or scrap the part. Cross-threading can also create a keyhole, or uneven wear, in the bore of the contact tip. A keyhole the size of only half the diameter of the wire can result in the robot welding off-seam. Many times, a cross-threaded contact tip will stick inside the welding gas diffuser. Without another gas diffuser readily available, the operator has to make a trip to the tool crib for a new one. Meanwhile the robot is offline and not producing parts. Plus, a company incurs costs for both the contact tip and the diffuser’s replacement. Companies that invest in power sources with a pulsed waveform capability — particularly in the automotive industry — often schedule planned downtime. Pulse waveforms improve productivity and quality by increasing travel speeds, providing a more consistent arc and reducing spatter. However, the pulsing action of the arc electrically and mechanically erodes the contact tip, leading to faster wear. It is necessary to plan downtime as a preemptive strike against contact tip failures before the chance of associated weld quality issues arise. Both unplanned and planned downtime cost money and occupy available labor for non-value-added activities — tasks that don’t support throughput and productivity. There is a new welding consumables technology that can help. To address the issue of cross-threaded contact tips, Tregaskiss designed its AccuLock™ R consumables. The design is intended to support higher throughput, provide a long service life and ensure good weld quality. The AccuLock contact tip features a long tail that concentrically aligns within the diffuser before the threads engage. The threads are also coarse, so they require minimal rotations to install. This design virtually eliminates the risk of cross-threading and provides three key benefits to the robotic welding operation: The contact tips also have greater mass at the front compared to other designs, along with a taper that mates securely with the gas diffuser. The tapered surfaces ensure optimal conductivity, reduce heat and keep the consumables locked in place. These features — combined with the fact that 60% of the contact tip is buried in the diffuser, away from the heat of the arc — make the consumables last longer. Extending the product life means there is less need for changeovers. AccuLock R consumables can also address the accelerated wear of contact tips caused by pulsed waveforms. In addition to offering the contact tips in copper and chrome zirconium, Tregaskiss has an AccuLock HDP option. The HDP contact tips last more than 10 times longer than copper tips in pulsed MIG welding applications. As a result, companies can reduce unplanned downtime for contact tip changeover — and make those changeovers faster because of the easy-to-install design. AccuLock R consumables can be implemented easily. Switching from many other consumables typically doesn’t affect TCP or robotic programming; however, it is best to consult directly with Tregaskiss to confirm this is the case. For companies that have both robotic welding and semi-automatic welding operations, the AccuLock R consumables can simplify complex inventories. The contact tips are part of a Common Consumable Platform™ and can be used across a wide range of Tregaskiss® robotic and fixed automatic MIG guns, as well as with Bernard® semi-automatic MIG guns (ranging from 200 to 600 amps). This common contact tip can reduce inventory costs and lessens the opportunity for operators to install the wrong consumable. The AccuLock R gas diffuser also has a blue o-ring to distinguish it from other diffusers. When companies find equipment solutions, like the AccuLock R consumables, that help reduce troubleshooting and downtime in their robotic welding operations, opportunities can increase. The ability to improve productivity and quality is at the forefront of those. But there may also be more time available to optimize the weld cell, make positive changes to workflow or material handling and seek out cost savings.In some cases, companies may also uncover issues in the weld cell that were previously masked by frequent contact tip changeovers. Now, however, there is more time address those to generate greater efficiencies in the operation. In short, with the right consumables, there is more time to focus on reaching improvement targets and increasing throughput — and on implementing training that can help achieve those goals.
For a cleaner, more compliant work environment, get right to the source and extract fumes at the weld with the Bernard Clean Air fume extraction gun. Build your ultimate MIG gun. Choose from a variety of necks, handles and trigger styles to optimize welder ergonomics and weld access. Then standardize with a single line of consumables to simplify maintenance and contain costs. You can count on Bernard BTB semi-automatic air-cooled MIG guns to deliver industrial-grade performance and reliability in the most demanding and abusive environments.
Now mobile friendly! Configure your Bernard semi-automatic MIG gun – anytime, anywhere.
Bernard AccuLock S consumables provide error-proof liner replacement every time — no measuring required! Dual-locked in the contact tip and power pin AccuLock S liners guarantees optimized wire-feeding. TOUGH GUN TA3 robotic air-cooled MIG guns are compatible with various through-arm style robots and provide outstanding precision and reliability. Configure to be the durable and reliable solution for best in class welding.
Engineered for hard tooling automation applications, Tregaskiss fixed automatic MIG guns are simple to maintain, durable and repeatable. They are available in air-cooled and water-cooled models.
High performance consumables with an armored neck and body plus simple internal connections equal Tregaskiss fixed automatic MIG guns. They are quick and easy to maintain for maximum up-time and throughput. Models available in air-cooled or water-cooled.
Automating spatter removal helps to extend the life of your robotic MIG welding guns and consumables. It can benefit your bottom line, production up-time and throughput. Choose between our TOUGH GUN TT4A reamer (analog model) or our new TOUGH GUN TT4E reamer (Ethernet model) for further enhanced with digital Ethernet communication for better integration.
Tregaskiss TOUGH GUN TT4 reamer is tough on spatter and operates reliably in even the harshest welding environments. Automating spatter removal will help to extend the life of your robotic MIG guns and consumables.
Designed for increased tip life, Tregaskiss AccuLock R consumables can reduce your replacement frequency and related planned downtime.
AccuLock HDP contact tips can increase life by an additional 6-10x or more in pulse welding applications.
Designed for increased tip life, Tregaskiss AccuLock R consumables can reduce your replacement frequency and related planned downtime. AccuLock HDP contact tips can increase life up to 10x in pulse welding applications.
Customize your Tregaskiss robotic MIG gun or reamer for your specific application using our new mobile-friendly online configurators!
Choosing equipment with fewer points of failure and simplified maintenance can help support more inexperienced welders. Bernard AccuLock S consumables can reduce training and shorten your troubleshooting list so you can focus on welding productivity.
Load and Lock for better productivity. Load and Lock to reduce troubleshooting, downtime and rework. Lock and Load with Bernard AccuLock S consumables.
How to Prevent Common Causes of Poor Welding Wire Feeding
How to Prevent Common Causes of Poor Welding Wire Feeding
What’s happening with the feeder?
Take a look at the drive rolls
is the wrong size for the wire being used.Check the liner
Monitor for contact tip wear
Additional thoughts
AccuLock R Consumables Reduce Downtime in Robotic Welding
AccuLock R Consumables Reduce Downtime in Robotic Welding
Consumable challenges
A new consumables solution
Making the change
Bernard Clean Air Fume Extraction MIG Welding Guns
Bernard® Clean Air™ Fume Extraction MIG Welding Guns
Bernard BTB Semi-Automatic Air-Cooled MIG Welding Guns
Bernard® BTB Semi-Automatic Air-Cooled MIG Welding Guns
Video | Configure your Bernard Semi-Automatic MIG Gun Online
Configure your Bernard® Semi-Automatic MIG Gun Online
Bernard AccuLock S Consumables No Measuring Required
Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumables – No Measuring Required
Bernard AccuLock S Consumables Dual-Locked Liner
Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumables: Dual-Locked Liner
TOUGH GUN TA3 Robotic Air-Cooled MIG Welding Guns
Tregaskiss® TOUGH GUN® TA3 Robotic Air-Cooled MIG Welding Guns
Tregaskiss Fixed Automatic MIG Guns
Tregaskiss® Fixed Automatic MIG Guns
Video | Tregaskiss Fixed Automatic MIG Guns
Tregaskiss® Fixed Automatic MIG Guns
Tregaskiss TOUGH GUN Reamer Robotic Nozzle Cleaning Stations
Tregaskiss® TOUGH GUN® Reamer Robotic Nozzle Cleaning Stations
Video | Tregaskiss TOUGH GUN Reamer Robotic Nozzle Cleaning Stations
Tregaskiss® TOUGH GUN® Reamer Robotic Nozzle Cleaning Stations
Video | Tregaskiss AccuLock R Consumables for Better Throughput
Tregaskiss® AccuLock™ R Consumables for Better Throughput
Video | Tregaskiss AccuLock HDP Contact Tips
Tregaskiss® AccuLock™ HDP Contact Tips
Tregaskiss AccuLock R Consumables
Tregaskiss® AccuLock™ R Consumables
Video | Configure your Tregaskiss Robotic MIG Gun and Reamer Online
Configure your Tregaskiss® Robotic MIG Gun and Reamer Online
Video | Bernard AccuLock S Consumables for the Inexperienced Welders
Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumables for the Inexperienced Welders
Video | Bernard AccuLock S Consumables for Better Productivity
Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumables for Better Productivity
