As used throughout this manual: Means Attention! Be Alert!
DANGER!
Means immediate hazards which, if not avoided, will result in immediate,
serious personal injury or loss of life.
WARNING!
Means potential hazards which could result in personal injury or loss of life.
CAUTION!
Means hazards which could result in minor personal injury.
WARNING!
Before use, read and understand the instruction manual
and follow all labels, employer´s safety practices and
Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).
1.2Safety precautions
Users of ESAB equipment have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that anyone who
works on or near the equipment observes all the relevant safety precautions. Safety
precautions must meet the requirements that apply to this type of equipment. The following
recommendations should be observed in addition to the standard regulations that apply to
the workplace.
All work must be carried out by trained personnel well-acquainted with the operation of the
equipment. Incorrect operation of the equipment may lead to hazardous situations which can
result in injury to the operator and damage to the equipment.
1.Anyone who uses the equipment must be familiar with:
○ its operation
○ location of emergency stops
○ its function
○ relevant safety precautions
○ welding and cutting or other applicable operation of the equipment
2.The operator must ensure that:
○ no unauthorised person is stationed within the working area of the equipment
when it is started up
○ no-one is unprotected when the arc is struck or work is started with the
equipment
3.The workplace must:
○ be suitable for the purpose
○ be free from drafts
4.Personal safety equipment:
○ Always wear recommended personal safety equipment, such as safety glasses,
flame-proof clothing, safety gloves
○ Do not wear loose-fitting items, such as scarves, bracelets, rings, etc., which
could become trapped or cause burns
5.General precautions:
○ Make sure the return cable is connected securely
○ Work on high voltage equipment may only be carried out by a qualified
electrician
○ Appropriate fire extinguishing equipment must be clearly marked and close at
hand
○ Lubrication and maintenance must not be carried out on the equipment during
operation
WARNING!
Arc welding and cutting can be injurious to yourself and others. Take precautions
when welding and cutting.
ELECTRIC SHOCK - Can kill
•Install and ground the unit in accordance with instruction manual.
•Do not touch live electrical parts or electrodes with bare skin, wet gloves or
wet clothing.
•Insulate yourself from work and ground.
•Ensure your working position is safe
ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS - Can be dangerous to health
•Welders having pacemakers should consult their physician before welding.
EMF may interfere with some pacemakers.
•Exposure to EMF may have other health effects which are unknown.
•Welders should use the following procedures to minimize exposure to
EMF:
○ Route the electrode and work cables together on the same side of
your body. Secure them with tape when possible. Do not place your
body between the torch and work cables. Never coil the torch or work
cable around your body. Keep welding power source and cables as
far away from your body as possible.
○ Connect the work cable to the workpiece as close as possible to the
area being welded.
FUMES AND GASES - Can be dangerous to health
•Keep your head out of the fumes.
•Use ventilation, extraction at the arc, or both, to take fumes and gases
away from your breathing zone and the general area.
ARC RAYS - Can injure eyes and burn skin
•Protect your eyes and body. Use the correct welding screen and filter lens
and wear protective clothing.
•Protect bystanders with suitable screens or curtains.
0449 265 560
NOISE - Excessive noise can damage hearing
Protect your ears. Use earmuffs or other hearing protection.
•Keep all doors, panels and covers closed and securely in place. Have only
qualified people remove covers for maintenance and troubleshooting as
necessary. Reinstall panels or covers and close doors when service is
finished and before starting engine.
•Stop engine before installing or connecting unit.
•Keep hands, hair, loose clothing and tools away from moving parts.
FIRE HAZARD
•Sparks (spatter) can cause fire. Make sure that there are no inflammable
materials nearby.
•Do not use on closed containers.
HOT SURFACE - Parts can burn
•Do not touch parts bare handed.
•Allow cooling period before working on equipment.
•To handle hot parts, use proper tools and/or insulated welding gloves to
prevent burns.
MALFUNCTION - Call for expert assistance in the event of malfunction.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS!
CAUTION!
This product is solely intended for arc welding.
WARNING!
Do not use the power source for thawing frozen pipes.
CAUTION!
Class A equipment is not intended for use in residential
locations where the electrical power is provided by the
public low-voltage supply system. There may be
potential difficulties in ensuring electromagnetic
compatibility of class A equipment in those locations,
due to conducted as well as radiated disturbances.
NOTE!
Dispose of electronic equipment at the recycling
facility!
In observance of European Directive 2012/19/EC on
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and its
implementation in accordance with national law,
electrical and/or electronic equipment that has reached
the end of its life must be disposed of at a recycling
facility.
As the person responsible for the equipment, it is your
responsibility to obtain information on approved
collection stations.
For further information contact the nearest ESAB dealer.
ESAB has an assortment of welding accessories and personal protection equipment
for purchase. For ordering information contact your local ESAB dealer or visit us on
our website.
The A6TF F1 / A6TF F1 Twin automatic welding equipment is designed for Submerged Arc
Welding (SAW) of butt and fillet joints.
All other applications are prohibited.
Intended for use in combination with PEK and ESAB welding power sources LAF, TAF or
Aristo1000.
NOTE!
Aristo1000 only together with PEK with serial no. 747-xxx-xxxx or later.
2.2Welding method
2.2.1Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
•Submerged Arc Light duty
Submerged Arc Light duty with a Ø20mm connector permits a load up to 800A (100%).
•Submerged Arc Heavy duty
Submerged Arc Heavy duty with a Ø35mm connector permits a load of up to 1500A.
This version can be equipped with feed rollers for single or twin wire welding (twin-arc). A
special knurled feed roller is available for flux-cored wire, which guarantees even wire feed
without the risk of deformation due to high feed pressure.
2.3Definitions
SAWThe weld bead is protected by a cover of flux during the welding.
SAW Light dutyPermits welding with lower current load and thin wire.
SAW Heavy dutyPermits welding with lower current load and thick wire.
Twin-arc weldingWelding with two wires in one welding head.
2.4Horizontal welding
The products described in this manual are designed for horizontal welding.
NOTE!
Do not use A6 Mastertrac Tandem when welding on inclined planes.
Fit the control unit, wire feed unit and flux hopper, among other things, on the carrier.
4.3.3Wire feed unit
The wire feed unit guides and feeds the welding wire into the connector.
4.3.4Manual slides
The horizontal and vertical position of the welding head is adjusted by way of linear slides.
The angular motion can be freely adjusted using the rotary slide.
4.3.5Connector
Transfers welding current to the wire during welding.
4.3.6Motor with gear (A6 VEC)
The motor feeds the welding wire.
For more information regarding A6 VEC see Instruction manual 0443 393 xxx.
4.3.7Flux hopper / Flux tube / Flux nozzle
The flux is filled into the flux hopper. It is then transferred to the workpiece through the flux
tube and the flux nozzle.
The amount of flux to be dropped down is controlled by way of the flux valve fitted to the flux
hopper.
For more information, see section "Refilling with flux powder".
To prevent the reel from sliding off
the hub: Lock the reel in place by
turning the red knob as shown on
the warning label attached next to
the hub.
4.5Adjusting the brake hub
The brake hub is adjusted at delivery. If readjustment is required, follow the instructions
below. Adjust the brake hub so the wire is slightly slack when wire feed stops.
Adjusting the braking torque:
1.Turn the red handle to the locked
position.
2.Insert a screwdriver into the springs
in the hub.
○ Turn the springs clockwise to
reduce the braking torque.
○ Turn the springs
counter-clockwise to increase
the braking torque.
NOTE!
Turn both springs the same amount.
4.6Connections
4.6.1General
•The PEK must be connected by a qualified person. See separate instruction manual.
•For connection of A6GMH, see separate instruction manual.
•For connection of A6PAV, see separate instruction manual.
Read and understand the instruction manual before
installing or operating.
General safety regulations for handling the equipment can be found in the "SAFETY"
chapter of this manual. Read it through before you start using the equipment!
Return cable
Before starting the welding, check that the return cable is connected. See section
"Connections".
5.2Loading the welding wire
1.Mount the wire drum according to the instructions in the "Installation" chapter.
2.Check that feed roller (1) and contact jaw or contact tip (3) has the correct dimension
for the selected wire size.
3.For A6TF F1 Twin:
○ Feed the wire through the wire guide (8).
4.When welding with fine wire:
○ Feed the wire through the fine wire feed unit (6).
Ensure that the straightener is correctly adjusted so that the wire emerges
straight out through the contact jaws or contact tip (3).
5.Pull the end of the wire through the straightener (2).
○ For a wire diameter greater than 2mm, straighten out 0.5m of wire and feed it
by hand down through the straightener.
6.Locate the end of the wire in the feed roller (1) groove.
7.Set the wire tension on the feed roller with the knob (4).
NOTE!
Do not tension more than is required to achieve an even feed.
Use automatic welding equipment A6TFF1(SAW) where the
following are included:
•Wire feed unit (1)
•Connector D35 (2)
•Contact jaw (3)
Ensure that a good contact is achieved between the contact
jaws and the wire.
5.4.2For twin wires 2×2.0–3.0mm(D35)
Use automatic welding equipment A6TFF1Twin(SAW) where the
following are included:
•Wire feed unit (1)
•Connector Twin D35 (2)
•Contact jaw (3)
Ensure that a good contact is achieved between the contact
jaws and the wire.
•Guide tubes (4, 6)
5.4.2.1Accessories
•Fine-wire straightener (5) to be fitted on top of the clamp of the
wire feed unit (1).
NOTE!
When mounting the fine-wire straightener, remove the
plate(7) if it exists.
NOTE!
Do not remove the protection plate (8).
5.4.2.2Adjustment of the wires for twin-arc welding
Position the wires in the joint so as to achieve optimal weld quality by rotating the connector.
The two wires can be rotated so that they are positioned one after the other along the line of
the joint, or in any position up to 90° across the joint, i.e. one wire on each side of the joint.
All warranty undertakings from the supplier cease to apply if the customer attempts
any work to rectify any faults in the product during the warranty period.
NOTE!
Before doing any kind of maintenance work, make sure the mains cable is
disconnected.
For maintenance of the control unit, see separate instruction manual.
6.2Daily
•Clean flux and dirt off moving parts.
•Check that the contact tip and all electrical cables are connected.
•Make sure all screwed joints are tightened.
•Check that guides and drive rollers are not worn or damaged.
•Check the brake hub braking torque. Tighten if the wire reel continues to rotate when
the wire feed is stopped. Loosen if the feed rollers slip. As a guide, the braking torque
for a 30kg wire reel should be 1.5Nm.
To adjust the braking torque see section "Adjusting the brake hub".
6.3Periodic
•Check the wire feed motor brushes
once every three months. Replace
when they are worn down to 6mm.
•Inspect the slides, lubricate them if they
are binding.
•Inspect the wire guides, drive rollers
and contact tip on the wire feed unit.
Replace any worn or damaged
components, see section "WEARPARTS".
•If the carriage travel becomes jerky,
check that the chain is correctly
tensioned. Tension the chain if
necessary.
•To tension the chain undo the nut (*1) and turn the cam, then tighten the nut.
Repair and electrical work should be performed by an authorised ESAB service
technician. Use only ESAB original spare and wear parts.
A6TFF1 and A6TFF1Twin are designed and tested in accordance with the international
and European standards EN60974-5, EN12100-2 and EN60974-10. On completion of
service or repair work, it is the responsibility of the person(s) performing the work to ensure
that the product still complies with the requirements of the above standards.
Spare parts and wear parts can be ordered through your nearest ESAB dealer, see
esab.com. When ordering, please state product type, serial number, designation and spare
part number in accordance with the spare parts list. This facilitates dispatch and ensures
correct delivery.