Wire feed unit ABIDRIVE LASER
Wire feed unit for manual and cobot laser applications
The ABIDRIVE LASER wire feed unit takes welding with a hand-held laser to a new level – more precise, more flexible, more efficient. Also ideal for use with welding cobots.
Advantages of the ABIDRIVE LASER wire feed unit
The ABIDRIVE LASER wire feed unit for cold wire feeding enables highly precise weld seams to be achieved reliably in both manual laser welding and laser welding with a cobot. The strength of the ABIDRIVE LASER lies in its powerful motor control unit and four wire feed rolls, which are all driven. ABICOR BINZEL builds on the concept of the four-roll drive, which has already been used thousands of times in the proven MFS wire feeder system for tactile laser welding with robots.
This means that whatever you set with the control knob is exactly what is fed. This guarantees consistent, precise wire feed – even at distances of up to 10 meters from the wire feeder to the process.
ABIDRIVE LASER is available in two versions:
- EU version with Schuko plug
- US version with NEMA plug
The scope of delivery includes:
- Power cable with plug connection for EU or USA
- First set of wire feed rolls: 4 rolls, U-groove, 1.0/1.2 mm
- Wire spool holder
The advantages:
- Very robust workmanship and good sealing
- High wire feed quality, repeatable precise wire feed thanks to four-roll drive
- Rotary/push control can be operated quickly and easily, even with welding gloves
- Suitable for any voltage/mains frequency: 100–240 V / 50–60 Hz
- Highly automatable (e. g., cobot welding), analog with 0–10 volts or via PMW signal
- Compatible with all common hand-held laser systems
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Can be expanded to dual wire laser welding
Precise
The ABIDRIVE LASER wire feed unit from ABICOR BINZEL is a very robust device that is ideal for industrial use. The high-quality motor control unit, together with the four driven wire feed rolls, ensures consistently precise wire feeding during hand-held laser welding.
Automated
The ABIDRIVE LASER is also ideal as a reliable wire feeder for laser welding with a cobot. Its remote control allows for easy integration into your automated system, guaranteeing flexibility and productivity even with changing workflows.
User-friendly
Adjusting the wire feed is simple and easy to use. Instead of a touchscreen display – which is difficult to operate when wearing gloves – the ABIDRIVE LASER features a practical rotary knob. Simply select the desired feed rate and confirm by pressing the rotary knob. What you set is exactly what is fed. No more, no less.
Expandable
If you need an additional wire to achieve the required design throat thickness (A value), simply expand your ABIDRIVE LASER with the expansion set for two wires (dual wire). The advantage: you still only have one drive. A second wire feed unit is not required!
Precision is very important in hand-held laser welding, and wire feed is a key factor for success. Irregular wire feed can be caused, for example, by the wire feed rolls not gripping properly, the welding wire being very soft, the wire feed distance being very long, or the cable assembly being moved around a lot. The consequences are uneven penetration and an uneven seam, porosity, or bonding defects. To ensure that the molten wire flows cleanly and to avoid spatter or adhesion, the filler wire must melt evenly and precisely in the laser focus. This is the only way to achieve a clean, even weld pattern.
The wire feed rolls and their drive in the wire feed unit play an important role here: they ensure that the additional material is fed to the process reliably and with millimeter precision at the set speed. The wire feed rolls integrated in the ABIDRIVE LASER, together with the reliable drive, enable precise wire feed.
Functions
- You can adjust the wire retraction function using "Retract Distance"
- The Re-Feed function allows you to set an adjustable time delay
- You can delay the start via "Start Delay" function
- The remote control can be operated via either an analog signal of 0 V to 10 V or a PWM signal of 1 kHz
ABIDRIVE LASER incl. dual wire expansion set
Front view with function display
Technical data
| Type | ABIDRIVE LASER |
| Mains voltage: | 100 V–240 V/50 Hz–60 Hz |
| Max. power consumption: | < 2 A |
| Main fuse: | 16 A, time lag |
| Protection class: | IP54 |
| Wire spool diameter: | Max. 300 mm (11.81 in.) |
| EMC classification (according to EN IEC 61000-6-2:2019): | A |
| Weight without wire spool: | 20 kg |
| Ambient temperature: | –10 °C to +40 °C |
| Relative humidity: | 10 % to 90 % |
| Dimensions (L x W x H): | 580 x 270 x 560 mm |
What does a wire feed unit do?
A wire feed unit ensures clean, even seams during manual laser welding thanks to its precise wire feed. The ABIDRIVE LASER wire feed unit guides the filler material reliably and with millimeter precision to the welding point or laser focus – even with soft wire or long feed distances.
What is hand-held laser welding?
In hand-held laser welding – also known as manual laser welding – the welder guides the laser beam over the workpiece using a hand-held laser torch. The process is particularly suitable for thin sheets, as the heat input and thus distortion are low. With the right wire feeder, clean weld seams can be achieved, rework is reduced, and efficiency is increased. Manual laser welding is easier than TIG welding, fast, and can be easily automated.
Why is precise wire feed important in manual laser welding?
Precise wire feed is crucial for consistent seam quality and process stability in manual laser welding. Fluctuations in wire feed alter the energy input and lead to irregular penetration, porosity, or bonding defects. At the same time, the filler wire must melt precisely in the laser focus so that the molten wire flows cleanly and spatter or adhesion is avoided. This is the only way to achieve a clean, uniform weld pattern that meets the high demands of industrial applications.
In addition, stable wire feed facilitates manual guidance: the welder can work calmly and evenly without having to constantly make corrections. This not only reduces variations in the seam, but also minimizes the effort required for reworking, such as grinding or re-welding. Precise wire feed thus increases both efficiency and quality, making the wire feed unit an indispensable tool for hand-held laser welding.
What is special about the ABIDRIVE LASER wire feed unit?
The ABIDRIVE LASER wire feed unit enables high-precision weld seams in manual laser welding and with cobots. Its powerful motor control unit and four driven wire feed rolls ensure that the set feed rate is implemented reliably and consistently – even over distances of up to 10 meters. It can be flexibly expanded to feed two wires at the same time or to integrate a push-pull drive.