Airgas Offers Gas Blenders To Mix Shielding Gases On Site

Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG) introduced a line of Airgas(r) Gas Blenders to mix Gold Gas( shielding gases on site. The gas blenders and a range of gas supply options were on display in Airgas' booth (#19021) at FABTECH International 2004, North America's largest annual metal forming and fabricating event, taking place October 26-28, 2002 at the I-X Center, Cleveland, OH.

"More and more production welding applications require high volumes of shielding gases that are can be efficiently blended on site," said William Cording, Airgas market development manager for welding and cutting applications. "With an Airgas Blender, you ensure the shielding gas mixture is precise and consistent across a wide range of flow rates."

The wall-mounted blender panels, which come in two sizes - 10x12x5 inches or 22x22x6 inches, can be pre-set to mix two- or three-component blends; one blender model can mix two two-component blends. The pre-set panels cannot be altered on-site, reducing the risk of operator error, and if a component is depleted, the blender includes an automatic shut-off.

Blenders can be used for any gas mixture, including the Airgas Gold Gas shielding gas blends - seven precision blends of argon-based gas mixtures:MO< * SteelMIX(r) Extra for steel and especially for automation applications
* SteelMIX(r) 3 ideal for thinner gauge steel
* SteelMIX(r) high-energy, two-component mix
* StainMIX(tm) 3 three-part mix for stainless steel
* StainMIX(tm) versatile, 2-component pulse gas
* StainMIX(tm) TIG for 300-grade Austenetic stainless TIG
* AluMIX(tm) for all aluminum applications

Output flow rate ranges run from 1-150 SCFH for a blender designed to support up to four welding stations to output flow rate ranges of 2-4,000 SCFH for panels that can serve up to 110 welding stations. The blenders produce an accurate, preset blend over the complete flow range and work with a range of gas supply options, including liquid cylinders, MicroBulk, and bulk tank installations.

"Airgas offers a full range of gas supply options for production welding customers, from cylinders to bulk deliveries, which allows us to grow with our customers as their needs grow," said Cording. "We also have the experience to help customers understand their options to improve welding productivity."

To learn more about the full line of Airgas Gas Blenders and gas supply options, contact your local Airgas branch.