Engine-Driven Welders - Advice:
Engine-driven welders are usually used when an electric power source is not available for arc welding. These are mainly outdoor applications, although, engine-driven welders are also often used for indoor applications when it's not convenient to supply power to electric "plug-in" arc welders. These indoor situations can include everything ranging from minor repair jobs to major plant shutdowns. When operating an engine-driven welder indoors, use in large spaces with good ventilation or perhaps vent the exhaust outside. We have a wide range of Lincoln environment ventilation systems.
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Engine-driven welders are mainly multi-process machines that are capable of a wide range of welding jobs and applications - stick welding, MIG welding, flux-cored welding, TIG welding and arc gouging. Stick welding demands the least amount of accessories, where-as MIG welding processes can require a wire feeder and accessories, gun and cable assembly, and shielding gas. TIG welding can be accomplished with these machines by simply adding a TIG Torch, a remote output control and shielding gas.
Some engine-driven welders can also double-up as generators, and may provide enough single- and/or three- phase AC power to operate a TIG welder.
Since many options are available with engine-driven welders, deciding on the right system can be a little overwhelming. Here are a few things to consider:
The basic things to take into account when choosing your engine-driven welder are your application, the process, the engine type (gasoline, diesel or liquified propane gas), the welders' portability needs and the AC generator power requirements.
Application-
The first thing to consider when choosing an engine-drive, is the application.
You will need to ask yourself these questions:
1. Is this a new construction or a repair job?
2. What is the size of the project?
3. Is there a particular welding process you would like to use? (You may want to stick with a process which you feel most comfortable with, or there may be a particular process required for the job)
4. Is this a pipe welding project? (The equipment chosen would need to produce an arc that is suitable for this type of work)
5. Will the job require arc gouging? (Arc gouging is a type of repair work that is usually done in industrial jobs)
6. What type of materials need to be welded? (Often, the material most commonly used is a mild steel plate.
However, if you are planning on using another material, such as aluminum, the welding will require different equipment)
Using the information derived from these questions, you must then choose a suitable welding process.
Process descriptions-
Stick Welding -
CC (constant current) stick welding is the most common choice for most field work. Electrode (welding rod) diameters that are most commonly used are 3/32", 1/8" and 5/32". Standard equipment will handle a wide variety of construction and repair applications. Output is measured in amps, up to 200 amps is sufficient for the electrode sizes mentioned. Most standard equipment is DC (direct current) output for best arc stability. Usually a 200-amp welder is able to get the job done.
Pipe Welding -
This form of welding is most often done with stick electrodes. Look for equipment which specifies it will pipe weld, this means that suitable arc characteristics are specifically provided for this process. Electrode diameters are typically 5/32" and 3/16". 200 amps is usually sufficient for this process.
Arc Gouging -
Arc Gouging is the process used to removing metal. It is most commonly done in the stick mode. An arc is used with a carbon rod in order to melt metal and compressed air blows the molten metal away. Gouging is used to remove bad welds and also to repair cracks. Most operators use their equipment with 400 to 600 amps for a higher rate of productivity with 5/16" or 3/8" diameter carbon rods. However, smaller rods can be used with lower amperage.
Wire Welding -
CV (constant voltage) wire welding requires a wire feeder. The main benefit of wire welding is greater productivity as more weld metal can be deposited than for stick, during the same amount of time. Although wire welding is much less common when compared to the above processes, the application is growing. The engine-driven welder must have a CV-wire capability. Since most engine-driven welder work is outdoors, the use of self- shielded flux-cored wire (which requires no shielding gas) is highly recommended in order to keep the process simple.
When welding under windy conditions, the shielding gas that is associated with gas-shielded processes (gas- shielded flux-cored wire or solid wire) might be blown away, ultimately resulting in poor quality welds. Their output is measured in Volts and Amps. Wire diameters are typically .035" and .045", although 5/64" is often used for a higher productivity. A welder with 30 volts and 300 amps is often sufficient for most welding applications up to 5/64" wire.
TIG Welding -
This process is a slower yet more precise type of welding, well-suited for thin materials and unusual alloys. A TIG torch and shielding gas are required. If you are welding on aluminum, an AC weld output is required from the engine-driven welder, and a high-frequency generator is attached in order to start and sustain the arc. Alternatively, an AC TIG welder can often be powered from an engine-driven welder's AC generator (if at least 8,000 watts is available). Most TIG welding is usually done below 100 amps.
Plasma Cutting -
This is a metal cutting process which utilizes an arc and compressed air. The engine-driven welder's AC generator can usually supply power to a plasma cutter. At least 8,000 watts of power is recommended for this process of welding.
After you have chosen the correct welding process, and you are sure that an engine-driven welder is needed for the application, you must choose the engine type.
Engine Type-
After the application has been defined, and the welding process has been selected, the next step is to choose the engine. The choices are Diesel, Gasoline or Liquid Propane Gas (LPG). A diesel engine offers better fuel economy than that of a gasoline engine, and like-wise, diesel fuel does not ignite as easily as gasoline. Refineries almost always require diesel-fueled machines rather than gasoline-fueled machines. Another thing to take into consideration for large jobs is whether the fuel is being supplied at the job site. If so, it will usually be diesel, but whatever the fuel, the cost savings will usually determine the engine choice.
Gasoline engines are sometimes the more preferred in cold weather climates because they start easily without extra starting aids, such as winterized fuel for colder weather and ether start kits.
LPG is a much less common fuel choice, but becomes an important alternative choice when both diesel and gasoline exhaust emissions are not permitted for indoor welding applications.
A spark arrester may also be required in forest and oil service areas.
Portability-
In some cases, the need for a machines' portability will be the main factor in equipment selection. If an engine-driven welder needs to be carried or lifted to a specific work area, having a small gasoline stick welder will generally be the best solution.
