As a rule, the majority of welding fabrication takes place within in the confines of four walls, but welding operators working in sectors like pipeline, petrochemical and construction are now working in more rugged, outdoor settings, for extended periods of time and on higher-grade materials. This increase in fieldwork translates into the need for higher-performance welding technology and equipment that can deliver repeatable results under the most unpredictable conditions.

Looking at this growing market segment, Lincoln Electric challenged its development team to work out a new power source that would meet the rigorous demands of field contractors.

Lincoln started engaging customers directly, to capture their daily field experiences accurately, as well as varying job and application demands. Among their shared insight was the need for a multi-process machine delivering excellent arc response, consistent performance with various input power levels, greater efficiency and better control over processes and procedures. And, these features need to be housed in a rugged, portable package that is easily transported between jobsites. The result is Lincoln’s new Power Wave^® S350, which the manufacturer calls “the next generation” in its Power Wave family of products.

Convenience in the field — The S350 is a multi-process power source providing stick, DC TIG, pulsed DC TIG, MIG, pulsed MIG and flux-cored welding. The Surface Tension Transfer (STT^®) process is available also as an add-on module to the S350, making it a compact solution for pipe-welding in the field.

This expanded welding process offers benefits to contractors who have expanded their own range of services in recent years, as a way to differentiate themselves from fabricating competitors. Contractors are able to purchase one machine that performs across varying applications, job requirements, and materials.

The next consideration was the machine’s ability to perform continuously under a variety of temperature ranges and weather conditions. The Power Wave S350 underwent strenuous testing to obtain an IP23 rating designation, while many comparable machines retain only an IP21 rating. This industry-accepted Ingress Protection Rating (IP) system describes the protection provided by the enclosure. It takes into account that no object larger than 12.5 mm can enter an opening, that a person’s finger cannot enter the enclosure and touch a hazardous part, and that the enclosure will prevent spraying water from affecting the electrical safety systems inside the machine, while the machine is shut off.

As a comparison, the water test for the IP21 rating mimics a leaky roof, a realistic scenario on a shop floor. In the IP23 test, water is sprayed at a 30-degree angle for a minimum of five minutes to simulate driving rain, ensuring the machine is not impaired if it is stored outside or traveling on a truck bed.

To help meet the IP23 rating, Lincoln housed the power electronics in a compact, durable, reinforced case design with protective molded corners, offering additional protection during transportation. Also included are convenient handles for easy transfer.

All about power — Power requirements can vary widely, so the S350 includes patent-pending PowerConnect^™ technology. This is an input power regulation technology that automatically adjusts to input power from 200 to 600 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz, and single phase or three phase. The machine adjusts for differing input power levels around the globe, allowing it be plugged in and used immediately without operator adjustment.

It also uses the Tribrid^™ power module, which delivers the industry’s highest output welding speed, equaling 120 kHz, or 120,000 cycles per second. With this incredibly high output switching speed, arc characteristics can be quickly adjusted by the machine to account for variances. The ability to adapt the machine’s response quickly to operator or fitment changes at the arc provides measurable advantages by enhancing the welding performance, and contributes directly to overall weld quality.

On the opposite side of the power equation, in many parts of the country, utility companies will pay rebates to companies that replace older technology equipment with that which is more energy efficient. This is matched with many states, as well as the federal government, offering businesses monetary incentives to upgrade equipment.

The Power Wave S350 is a highly efficient inverter power source that maximizes the use of the incoming power. Based on this, it often qualifies for these programs and can provide measurable energy savings over the life of the machine.

However, energy savings alone typically are not large enough for most companies to justify purchasing new equipment. The investment and upgrade must deliver other measurable savings, including but not limited to, improved weld quality, the ability to weld faster and overall improved throughput.

Measurable performance and monitoring — A wide range of variables – different field environments, operators, materials, welding processes and welding styles – can all impact the quality of the weld and productivity levels. So the ability to monitor, track, control and adjust the process at all intervals is invaluable for a company.

Like most machines in Lincoln’s Power Wave^® line, the S350 can be networked and is supplied with the company’s proprietary Production Monitoring^™ software as a standard. It provides critical information and data for four different audiences. For company management, it tracks overall shop productivity. It provides production managers with weld monitoring at the welding machine level, delivering data that can be sorted easily and viewed based on shift, day, week or month.

Welding engineers and quality control managers can view the exact details of each of the individual welds – voltage, current, and speed. And, for the maintenance audience, the system records any and all faults or errors, and it can even report how much wire is left on the spool or in the drum or box. Immediate adjustments can be made, based on the analysis of all of this information, which can help to increase the operation’s overall throughput.

Welding engineers and quality control managers can view the exact details of each of the individual welds – voltage, current, and speed. And, for the maintenance audience, the system records any and all faults or errors, and it can even report how much wire is left on the spool or in the drum or box. Immediate adjustments can be made, based on the analysis of all of this information, which can help to increase the operation’s overall throughput.

With this new generation power source, companies are not limited to hard wiring the machine to the network within the confines of a shop floor. Because the S350’s networking capability uses standard Ethernet protocols, wireless networks also can be used, allowing field teams to have similar capabilities that were previously unavailable.

As Lincoln creates new welding modes or updates the software for the machine, these updates are provided at no cost to the customer via a website. The updates are easily programmed by the customer using the standard Ethernet connection on the S350.

With its digital capabilities, the S350 allows companies to strictly control weld processes and procedures. The welding engineer can develop the procedure, load it into the machine and the machine can be locked down so that the operator must weld within a defined set of parameters. This lock-down feature helps ensure weld quality and procedure control across different operators and shifts.

Next generation — Lincoln Electric’s new Power Wave S350 is an example of the industry’s next generation of welding equipment that directly addresses the demands customers face, in the field and in the shop.

This type of power source provides measurable returns now, and in the future. With the move to digital, software-based, networked machines, welding operators are able to create custom solutions, monitor current activities, and adjust to changing factors like new alloys and base materials.

Bruce Chantry is an Equipment Portfolio Manager with The Lincoln Electric Co.