When Crossland Tankers purchased Massey Tankers of Burnley in early 2003, forming Crossland Tankers (Burnley), it became clear that the efficiency of the welding at the Burnley factory was not as high as that in Northern Ireland. Because Esab equipment had been used for many years by Crossland with excellent results, the decision was taken to re-equip the Burnley factory with up-to-date welding sets from Esab. Initially six AristoMig 400 welding sets were purchased, and these were soon followed by another five. These welding sets are used to fabricate chassis and tanks for road tankers used to transport milk, water, liquid waste and dangerous goods (ADR tanks). Much of the welding is on stainless steel, requiring high-integrity welds with a good visual appearance. The AristoMig 400 units were supplied along with integral water cooling pumps, MA6 control panels, AristoFeed wire feeders and water-cooled torches capable of maintaining a consistent weld quality for weld runs up to 6m long. The AristoMig 400 benefit from an Alutech extruded aluminium chassis that helps to save weight, and the IGBT inverter technology ensures performance and reliability. One of the main advantages of the MA6 control panel is that it is pre-programmed with synergic lines, plus it can store up to 10 sets of weld parameters. This is ideal for Crossland Tankers, as it helps to ensure consistently high-quality welds from all welding operatives, including those with less experience. For welding the stainless steel tanks, Crossland Tankers uses Esab OK Autrod 16.32 for its good corrosion resistance, particularly in acid and chlorinated environments.
