A 300- or 400-amp Q-Gun with a rotatable, medium length 45-degree aluminum neck, Centerfire consumables and a 15-foot cable is included with the purchase of select Miller MIG welders and wire feeders. It can be exchanged free of charge for a new gun with different features.

BEECHER, Ill. 9 May, 2007—Canadian residents who receive a Bernard Q-Gun™ packaged with a Miller Electric power source or wire feeder can now exchange the Q-Gun for one of their choice without having to fill out numerous customs shipping forms.

Through a partnership with Hawkes Electro-Arc Limited, customers can order a new Q-Gun from Bernard’s customer service department and send their old Q-Gun to Hawkes when the new one arrives. The new gun will include a pre-paid UPS label addressed to Hawkes’ main office in Cambridge, Ontario. Customers can simply place the old MIG gun in the new Q-Gun’s box, attach the shipping label, give it to their UPS route driver or drop it off at the nearest UPS drop box or store and Hawkes will take care of the rest.

“Previously, Canadian customers who wanted to exchange their Q-Gun for a new one had to fill out as many as three or four duplicate customs forms,” explained Customer Service Manager Robin Giese. “We want it to be as easy as possible for customers to take advantage of this program, and that’s what this new partnership with Hawkes does. This is the way it works in the US and the response to the program has been great.”

Through a partnership with its sister company, Miller Electric, Bernard includes a 300-amp or 400-amp Q-Gun with 15-foot cable and Centerfire™ consumables with the purchase of select MIG welders and wire feeders. Because some customers need different capabilities from their MIG guns, Bernard will exchange the packaged Q-Gun for one with the features of the customer’s choice.

“We chose MIG guns with features that will meet the needs of about 80 percent of our customers,” Giese said. “But we also wanted to support the 20 percent who have needs that the packaged Q-Gun can’t meet.”

The exchanged Q-Gun must be in new condition and in the original packaging to be eligible for the exchange program. Bernard’s customer service department can be reached for assistance by calling 708-946-2281

Bernard Welding Equipment, located in Beecher, Ill, manufactures premium GMAW (MIG) welding guns, consumables, accessories and manual arc products. For over 50 years Bernard has been an innovator in heavy-duty MIG welding and a proven contributor to improved welding productivity. Bernard Welding Equipment is a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), Glenview, Ill. ITW is a diversified multinational manufacturer of highly engineered components, assemblies and systems.