2. What type of welding do you need?

You need to access what you will be using the welding for. The welding process, and welding machine, you would require for heavy duty production welding would very much differ from the welding machine most suitable for occasional repair and maintenance welding.

For example, the Weldman Inverter Welding Machines are built for heavy duty production welding. This is reflected in its power components that are efficiently cooled, so as to deliver high welding currents for long hours at high rated duty cycles (70%).

Also, if you are going to be moving around your welding machine a lot, you might want to look into a small portable welding machine, instead of a large and bulky welding machine that is difficult to move.

When buying a welding machine, other factors to also consider would include the type of electric supply your welding machine will have access to. This is because you may not have access to both single phase and three phase electric supply, in the location you want to use your welding machine.

For advice on the type of welding machine suitable for you based on your welding needs, feel free to contact our friendly welding experts for some advice!

3. What welding processes would you be using?

Different welding processes have different advantages and disadvantages. For example, if you require high speed welding, you will probably be looking at MIG Welding. For very high quality welding (E.g. When building leak proof tanks), you will have to use TIG Welding.

But what if you have varying uses, and varying welding processes that you want to use?

Don’t worry!

Because you can still get multi functional welding machines that cover a full range of welding processes, whether you want MMA welding, MIG welding or even TIG welding.

4. How long do you want your machine to last and what’s your budget?

If you want a cheap welding machine, to last just a few years, you could consider looking at manufacturers in China for your procurement needs.

However, many companies are looking for welding machines that are long lasting and durable! Because many a time, paying more at the start for quality and durability, is only going to save you lots of money in the long run especially if you are buying a welding machine for long term use.

For example, some of our clients have been using our locally manufactured Weldman welding machines even after 17-18 years!

One of the reasons why our machines are so durable is because we not only use high quality parts sourced from all over the world in our machines, but also conduct thorough quality checks in each and every stage of our manufacturing process.

Other ways Weldman Welding Machines are durable and suitable for long term use include:

• The Power semiconductor component’s lifespan is enhanced by thoughtful and strategic design of forced air-cooling system.
• The inlet air cools the heat sink fins and powers magnetic components. The power semiconductor components and their live terminals are not in the airflow path and are thus protected from dust and moisture. Hence, the maximum temperature of the heat sink is 70 Degree Celsius.

5.  How power efficient do you want your machine to be?

Some welding machines may be cheap in terms of the raw cost of the machines themselves, but expensive in terms of the energy consumption.

Its similar to cheap printers, where you can save on costs on the printers themselves, but you end up having to spend so much just for the printer inks.

Pointless, isn’t it?

That is why at Lincoln Machinery we ensure that our Weldman Inverter Welding Machines are highly energy efficient. The energy cost saving can be up to 90% in no load and up to 30% in load condition when compared to conventional machines. Weldman inverter welding machines consume less kVA compared to conventional machines due to high power factor. This leads to lower size supply cables and associated switches, MCBs etc. too.

Substantial fuel saving is achieved when these inverter welding machines are powered by diesel generators. Less fuel usage leads to less emissions and consequently less costs and less environmental pollution as well.

To verify the cost effectiveness achieved by less fuel consumption, we also did some experiments and cost calculations ourselves – and here is what we found!

Input KVA=Square Root 3 x Input Voltage x Input Current from Mains/1000

Power Consumption (kw) = Input KVA x Power Factor

Cost ($) = Power Consumption (kw) x Time (hr) x Cost per kwhr ($)

Indeed, Weldman Inverter Welding Machines can save you $1550 a year, based on taking a reasonable estimate for the usage time of these welding machines.

Multiply that by 10 years, and that’s more than $15000 in cost savings for you and your company!

6. What Suggested Welding Parameters do you have to comply to?

This will mainly depend on your company rules and regulations, and where you are going to carry out your welding process. Some areas may be sensitive to high currents and voltages, where as others may require lower ones.

Many welding machines have strict voltage and current requirements you must adhere to, and you would not be able to make any adjustment to the machine’s operating voltage and current.

At Lincoln Machinery, however, you can customize even your voltage and current specifications of your welding machine to your needs!

Here are the repair guidelines we offer our clients: 

Dust and other particles inside the machine should be removed by soft brush(Cleaning).

Compressed air blow will cause air pollution and high-pressure air blow will damage the PCB etc. Check for any loose connections or damaged cables.

Wear and tear is inherent particularly in electro-mechanical and moving components. Regular inspection and maintenance of torch, torch accessories like the contact tip, liner and wire feeder parts like drive rolls & pressure rolls should be carried out for trouble free operation. This will reduce the repair costs and improve the performance, reliability and safety of your welding machine.