Redefining Multiprocess Welders

(4) A low primary power draw of just 39.5 amps and excellent generator performance due to a wide operating voltage range of 187–286 VAC (single-phase only). It provides a rock-steady arc and rated output when connected to 8.2 kVA generator power.

(5) Inverter-type performance that incorporates the controls and adjustments commonly found on industrial class units. This includes:

• MIG inductance control to improve arc stability and reduce spatter.
• Wire sharp to improve arc start repeatability.
• MIG spot and stitch welding control (techniques commonly used on sheet metal where users set On/Off and dwell time).
• Stick Hot Start to improve electrode starting.
• Stick Arc Force Control to adjust arc characteristics for all electrodes (including E7018 for structural steel and E6010 for pipe welding).
• LIFT TIG for arc starting without high frequency.
• 2T (On/Off) and 4T (latch) trigger control to reduce hand fatigue.

The Fabricator 252i appeals to welders of all skills and ages. Operators who want the simplicity of basic operating functions will find the familiar adjustments for voltage and amperage and an intuitive push button for process selection.

Settings for inductance (MIG) and arc force control (Stick) are located on a set-up chart inside the wire feed compartment door. For operators who want advanced functions (e.g., stitch or spot welding) or want to tailor arc starts, gas pre- and post-flow, run-in speed, burn-back and downslope parameters, Thermadyne designed the 252i with a sub-menu easily accessed from the front panel and set using the digital displays.

Like other multiprocess inverters, the Fabricator 252i lacks an AC output for TIG welding aluminum. However, like other MIG welders in its class, the front panel is “spool gun” ready with a 10-pin receptacle. To control cost and size, the Fabricator 252i does not offer high-frequency (non-contact) TIG arc starts.

Some welding codes (notably those for process piping) require HF arc starts. For these applications, Thermal Arc recommends its 201TS TIG/Stick inverter (itself a highly portable unit at 21.6 lb).

REAL WORLD BENEFITS
“The 3-in-1 welder is great for us because if we’ve got several employees, one machine sets up a station,” says Matt Zajac, the co-owner of Sic Fabrications (Maumelle, AK; a Little Rock suburb). His company’s work includes metal fabrication in their shop, construction work (both on-site fabrication work and heavy equipment repair), metal art, ornamental iron work and just about anything brought to them.

“Instead of having two or three machines at a station, you’ve got one machine where that fellow can do several jobs,” says Zajac. “You don’t have to switch back and forth or roll machines in and out. The 3-in-1 welder is right there and ready to go.”

Like most small businesses, Sic Fabrications started out with second-hand equipment. That changed, however, when Sic Fabrications created a new top-pour design for a concrete form that increased production from 240 ft to 2,500 ft of “New Jersey” barriers per day.

With these forms requiring both Stick and MIG welding, and the company also using the TIG process for metal art, Sic Fabrications purchased its first new welders: four Fabricator 252i units.

“When it came time to write the checks, even though we were spending about $3,000 per machine, we weren’t nervous,” says Zajac. “Before the 3-in-1, the alternative would have been to spend twice as much money.”