Hi everybody - For those of you who weld aluminum, I thought you'd like to know about Miller's new Spoolmate 100 Series spool gun. The Spoolmate 100 puts aluminum welding within easy reach of people who own, or are thinking of purchasing, a Millermatic 140 or 180 MIG welder.

If you're interested in purchasing these products, call or visit your local welding supply distributor.

Here's the official press release:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



New Spoolmate Extends Millermatic Capabilities to Include Aluminum Welding


APPLETON, Wis., September 20, 2007--Miller's new Spoolmate 100 Series spool gun puts aluminum welding within easy reach for owners of Millermatic®140, Millermatic® 140 with Auto-Set™ and Millermatic® 180 MIG welders. The Spoolmate 100 Series plugs directly into any of these welders without the need for a separate control box. With a list price of $218, the Spoolmate 100 Series is designed primarily for the home hobbyist and others who do occasional aluminum welding.

The Spoolmate 100 Series features a recessed contact tip and a clear spool cover to help reduce the number of burnbacks.  A burnback is when the wire “burns” back to the contact tip and melts to the tip.  This ruins the contact tip.
The Spoolmate 100 Series also features dual V-knurled drive rolls to ensure consistent feeding of aluminum, which lacks the column strength to reliably feed through a standard MIG gun. Users can also adjust drive roll tension to match the wire being used. The Spoolmate 100 Series comes standard with a 12-foot gun cable, two feet longer than most competitive spool guns, and comes in a convenient carrying case that also holds extra contact tips, nozzle and wire spool.

Miller recently released the Millermatic 140, Millermatic 140 with Auto-Set and Millermatic 180. All incorporate Smooth-Start™ technology, which initiates the arc in a controlled manner, providing spatter-free starts. The Millermatic 140 with Auto-Set eliminates the guesswork of setting welding parameters; when welding mild steel with C25 gas, the user only has to choose his wire diameter and metal thicknesses and the unit sets the optimal welding parameters.

Miller Electric Mfg. Co. is a leading worldwide manufacturer of Miller arc welding equipment and related systems for metalworking, construction, maintenance and other applications. Miller Electric is a wholly owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), Glenview, Ill. ITW is a diversified multinational manufacturer of highly engineered components, assemblies and systems.