Intuitive Gas Regulator Provides Superior Safety and Performance for All Common Gases
Victor®, an ESAB Welding & Cutting Products (Florence, SC) brand, launched their EDGE™ Series 2.0 heavy duty gas regulator that was named a winner of this year’s iF Design Award in the Product-Industry/Skilled Trades category by Germany’s oldest independent design organization, Hannover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH (Hannover, Germany), which has awarded this prestigious award since 1953 to highlight the best in design all over the world.
“Our Voice of Customer feedback program indicated that customers want a regulator that’s more intuitive, easier to see and highly protected,” said John Henderson, the director of product development for Global Gas Equipment at ESAB. “This award validates our efforts to achieve innovations that respond to customer needs and improve the customer experience.”
“We designed EDGE 2.0 with a purposeful appearance,” noted Bob Boyer, the principal engineer for gas equipment and the mechanical engineer who led the design team. “As a result, this regulator is a perfect blend of aesthetic innovation, superior functionality and ease of user interaction. There is no waste. There’s nothing on the regulator that doesn’t need to be there. We’re extremely honored that this award recognizes these accomplishments.” Boyer explains that until Victor launched EDGE 1.0 in 2009, regulator design had changed very little since the company introduced the modern gas regulator in 1913. With the original design, he created a safer regulator through three primary design functions:
- SLAM™ (Shock Limitation and Absorption Mechanism) technology built into the adjusting knob, permitting the knob to absorb the impact in the event of a cylinder fall.
- Designing the pressure gauges so that they were an integral part of the regulator body for superior safety and protection.
- Incorporating a particle trap so the regulator could pass ASTM G-175 promoted ignition test.
EDGE 1.0 set the new standard for regulator safety and performance. EDGE 2.0 takes safety and performance to new levels, and it now puts user-interaction at the forefront. “The new design makes operation more intuitive while reducing the potential for mistakes. Its design is really a vision for what gas equipment should be,” added Boyer.
For example, on legacy regulators, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the high-pressure gauge (which measures the cylinder contents) and the low-pressure gauge (delivery pressure to the torch, which is extremely critical for safe and effective operation). The new design features an extra-large 2½ in diameter delivery gauge, as well as using a high-contrast, color-coded gauge face that enable users to more easily see and set delivery pressure. The cylinder pressure gauge is smaller and offset to create a difference in depth perception. Even from a distance, operators can tell if they have sufficient cylinder contents and if delivery pressure is within safe and acceptable ranges. For further clarification, HP and LP are molded into the gauge guards.
Where EDGE 1.0 had a blockier design, EDGE 2.0 features a smooth, sloped profile at the point where the regulator connects to the cylinder. The new profile provides better hand and wrench clearance, and it eliminates a point where users often banged their knuckles. “It doesn’t just look good, it looks good for specific reasons,” stated Boyer. Other improvements are not obvious on the surface, such as a stainless-steel diaphragm that delivers increased precision and more consistent flow performance, as well as a more precise gauge mounting design and several reparability improvements. EDGE 2.0 is available for all common gases, including acetylene, L.P. (propane), oxygen and inert gases.
ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, PO Box 100545, 411 South Ebenezer Road, Florence, SC 29501, 843-669-4411, Fax: 843-664-4258, www.esab.com.
