The Triad is now the ESG Plus tungsten electrode grinder. Same manufacturer, same great grinder, new name.
As Miller continues consolidating and solidifying their brand and position in the welding industry, they are evaluating everything in their product line to ensure they’re utilizing their strengths. They’ve opted to no longer offer the Triad Tungsten Electrode Grinder. Instead, Orbitalum Cutting & Welding, manufacturer of the grinder and sister company to Miller, will distribute the ESG Plus tungsten electrode grinder (the same grinder that Miller branded as the Triad).
Tungsten Electrode Grinders and Orbital Welding
The tip geometry, electrode length, and finish of the electrode are highly critical to orbital welding and for a grinder to be suitable for orbital TIG, it must be capable of precision grinding, precision cutting, and polishing–only a few grinders are capable of this: DGP-3-V2, Ultima TIG-Cut, and the ESG Plus tungsten electrode grinder. The DGP-3-V2 is not portable, however, and the wheel would need to be changed to switch between grinding and polishing.
The ESG Plus is the best tungsten grinder for Orbital TIG Welding, except for the Ultima TIG-Cut, which is more than twice the price of a fully outfitted ESG Plus tungsten electrode grinder.
What else has changed for the renamed Orbitalum ESG Plus tungsten electrode grinder?
Weldcraft sold the popular accessories as a kit with the grinder, and the other accessories were limited. As a result, the Mounting Bracket, the Grinding Wand (without the collet), and the Clamping Collet were all sold separately. The options for outfitting the ESG Plus grinders are much broader now, but Arc-Zone carries everything a la carte. We stock all parts and work with both end users and distributors.
Which Accessories are right for YOUR Orbitalum ESG Plus Tungsten Electrode Grinder?
Everyone should get the Mounting Bracket. This tungsten electrode grinder is technically hand-held, but it’s really difficult to operate that way–the Mounting Bracket makes the machine really easy to use.
The Grinding Wand and Clamping Collet are only necessary for grinding electrodes shorter than 2.5″.
There are now 2 different options for the pre-set grind angles. One option is 15, 18, 22.5, 30 degrees, the other option is 15, 30, 45, 60 degrees (these are standard angles for orbital welding applications)
The Cutting Attachment precisely cuts electrodes to pre-set lengths: 12mm, 13mm, 15mm, 17mm.
The protective cover is designed to limit the operators’ exposure to the grinding dust. I’ve used it, it’s fairly effective, but it significantly limits the use of the grinder. I can’t see using it as a part of the regular operation, but it would be good enough to meet safety requirements in a shop environment. It is available for the standard ESG Plus grinder and it’s also available for the Double Decker model.
The ESG Plus2 is the same grinder with the Double-Decker head installed (at a significant savings). The two grinding heads have the same pre-set angles. There is a Coarse Wheel installed for grinding, and a Standard Wheel installed for finishing–I would recommend that anyone buying this option also purchase the Fine Wheel as well, and use it for the polishing process.
Arc-Zone not only offers the ESG Plus 110V (OCW-790 052 486), but also offers this tungsten electrode grinder in a 230V EU style as well.
No matter its name, be assured that Arc-Zone will continue to offer the very best in tungsten electrode grinders in the industry. Check out our Tungsten Electrode Selector Guide (.pdf) or call our technical support team if you need help choosing the best tungsten electrode grinder for your application.
