If you are considering purchasing an inverter welder, this blog is for you. An inverter welder is a type of welder which uses an inverter instead of a capacitor. The inverter is what makes this welder more efficient, and it can reduce power usage. This blog will look at what is an inverter welder and how the inverter welder can help you get more done.
Inverter welders are becoming increasingly popular for two main reasons. First, in the pre-digital era, you needed a welder that could work on both AC and DC power. Secondly, inverter welders are typically much smaller, quieter, and more efficient than traditional welders.
Some refer to inverter welders as modern-day “wizards” of welding because of the wide variety of features that most inverter welders possess. These are the most powerful professional welding machines on the market.
They are specially designed to be small, lightweight, and portable. It makes inverter welders ideal for people who need to take a welder along with them on trips, to the Jobsite, or even on the boat.
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What Is an Inverter Welder?
An inverter welder is the most recent technological advancement in welding. Various types of welding systems, including arc welding, have been available for many years. Some older systems used direct current (DC), while others used alternating current (AC). Most people are familiar with the fundamentals of a welding system.
A power supply, a wire feeder, a trigger button, and an electric motor are all part of an AC welding machine. These basic components are replaced by an inverter, a transformer, a switching unit, and a power supply in an inverter welder. An inverter converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). The inverter is the heart of an inverter welder. It produces a high voltage pulse.
This machine’s silicon-based components provide it with critical control over the current rectification and frequency boosting processes. Additionally, it helps in the addition of features like overload protection and machine output power regulation.
Initially, a high DC voltage is created by rectifying a high input voltage of 110V to 240V. The frequency then increases from the standard 50 Hz to a significantly higher value. It ranges between 10,000 Hz and 30,000 Hz, using a control system, which also transforms the DC voltage to AC.
In order to create the welding arc, this high-frequency AC voltage is ultimately transformed into an output DC voltage of 20V to 50V. The size of the transformer rapidly shrinks because of its high frequency. It makes it possible for the welding machine to be much smaller.
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What benefits do inverter welders offer?
Compared to conventional transformer-based devices, inverter-based products have several benefits:
Efficiency in terms of power
It means that you get less heat energy from the electrical supply. It can help you to reduce the amount of energy that you use. Because of this, it becomes more economical to operate the inverter-based device compared to a conventional device. The inverter-based device can use a low voltage to achieve high power levels. In addition, it can produce more than one hundred percent power.
Compact Weight and Size
An inverter welder offers the most major and impressive benefit over standard machines. For instance, a 50-kilogram transformer-based machine can have an output capacity comparable to an inverter that weighs less than 5 kg, is the size of a suitcase and can be carried comfortably over one’s shoulder.
Flexible Control
The inverter welder has an inbuilt control mechanism that allows you to easily switch on or off the welding current. It also has a flexible control feature that allows you to adjust the power as required. It is different from conventional welder devices, which need manual adjustments.
Moreover, the inverter welder can be operated from a remote location. If you wish to operate the inverter welder from a distance, then you must connect the inverter with a computer using a suitable cable.
Use of Generator Power
Due to their high efficiency, inverter welders can work on smaller portable generator sets than typical transformer machines, making the use of generator power much more practical. It should be reminded that using generator power carries some dangers.
Duty Cycle
Again, because of the difference in transformer size, inverter-based machines can typically achieve substantially higher duty cycles. Even if the smaller parts of an inverter machine heat up quickly, cooling them down is simpler and quicker. However, because the components in conventional “transformer” welders are larger, they have a tendency to retain heat and cool more slowly.
DC Output
Many traditional transformer MMA (stick) welders only have an AC output, which means the kinds of electrodes they may use to weld are constrained. However, the current is considerably more readily rectified into DC in inverter-based machines, allowing them to weld various welding electrodes.
Additionally, it means that some MMA (stick welding) inverters can do DC TIG welding, which is not possible with traditional AC equipment.
Functions
The electronic components of inverter machines make it much simpler to add new features (like TIG mode) and improve the controllability of already-existing features.
What is IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) Technology?
IGBT, or “Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors,” is an abbreviation. All Weldclass Inverter welding equipment features these high-speed switching components to help regulate voltage.
Some inverter devices employ outdated MOSFET or transistor technology. IGBT technology has a number of advantages over MOSFETs, the most significant of which is that IGBTs are far more reliable and resistant to damage or failure since they are less susceptible to power fluctuations from the mains and generators.
AC or DC Inverter Welders?
Most inverter welding machines accept AC input power but deliver DC output power. Currently, only a few machines offer both AC and DC output.
The rectifiers and step-down transformers inside the machine accomplish this by converting the input AC to the necessary DC voltages for welding. However, this made it impossible to use this equipment for AC welding tasks.
Newer models now come with options for both AC and DC welding, depending on the materials being joined as well as other variables, thanks to advancements in welding technology.
Due to the ability to execute welds on several materials with a single, portable machine, many welders are now choosing inverter welders with dual AC/DC operating modes.
How Durable Are Inverter Welders?
The lifespan of inverter welders is limited. It can drop much further if they are not properly maintained and stored. Since it contains more pieces, it could easily be harmed if sufficient care is not taken. An inverter welding device has a lifespan of five to six years.
Since they are a new technology, inverter welders are still extensively developed and refined. However, because it is electronically controlled, updates may be made to the program, enabling you to make modest modifications without buying expensive new parts.
It has a substantially lower lifespan when compared to conventional transformer welding equipment. It is currently useless to fix due to the high expense of replacing sensitive components and pricey new technologies.
You must therefore be careful to maintain and preserve the machine properly. If not, your inverter welding machine will sooner rather than later develop serious problems.
Depending on your chosen brand, your inverter welder will last 5 to 10 years. Be prepared to spend a significant amount of money on a product if you want it to last you for a long time.
Final Thoughts
Having a well-stocked toolbox is not always easy. There are many online resources, but knowing where to start cannot be easy. We hope to make your first steps easier by introducing you to an inverter welder.
Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by thinking of all the tools you need to stock your toolbox. Instead, start by thinking about what tools you might find helpful. An inverter welder is a great example of a tool you can use to do several tasks.
We hope you enjoyed our post on what is an inverter welder. Depending on where you live and the work you do, you may need an inverter welder to complete your tasks. Thank you for reading. We would love to hear from you!