Wireless Remotes Increase Productivity, Save Time and Improve Safety

The new CrossLinc® Remote from The Lincoln Electric Company (Cleveland, OH) allows operators to adjust welding settings at the arc, including current for stick and TIG welding or voltage on select wire feeders. The new remote streamlines welding operations setup, delivers higher productivity, improves job site safety by eliminating additional control cables, and saves time by reducing return trips back to the welding power source. With local control at the arc, operators can dial in the exact settings required for each weld, enhancing weld quality and driving down weld defects. The CrossLinc Remote is ideal for construction, shipyards and other industries and is compatible with all CrossLinc equipped Flextec® welders, allowing fleet owners and rental operators to take advantage of CrossLinc Technology when using stick, TIG and wire-fed welding processes.

The new CrossLinc Remote auto-detects the mode setting at the power source to allow for control CC or CV processes. It also displays actual voltage or current while welding. When in SMAW mode and DC output, the remote uses polarity sensing to automatically optimize power source settings for scratch-start TIG operation. This permits fast process changes between stick and TIG welding. Operators can turn this feature on or off, depending on preference. Users also can choose to display current or voltage during welding, reset the machine to factory default settings, and use an arc timer. A digital meter indicates polarity and an LED display indicates if the voltage or amperage display is preset or actual values. The remote also includes a memory function to recall where it was set in the event it is disconnected so the unit will power back up at the last-used settings. The remote features CrossLinc-connection sensing and amp/volt indicator lights, as well as Tweco®-style male/female pigtails and strain relief for the voltage sense wire. A steel case and rubber corners ensure durability. A foldable handle provides easy transport and a place to hang to the remote at the worksite.

Lincoln Electric has also added their wireless remote capability to the rugged and economical SAE-300® MP welder with a Kubota® engine and standard gray paint. The factory-installed wireless remote control allows the operator to activate the glow plug from anywhere between 1 second and 30 seconds. Users also can remotely start or stop the engine, activate high or low idle or adjust the Fine Current Control output. The small, weather-resistant control units fit right into operators’ hands and have a 400 ft (122 m) range, depending on site obstructions. They also stow easily in trucks or job boxes. Factory-installed wireless remote controls are also available for two versions of the Cross Country® 300 engine-driven welder: the textured, stainless-steel case and gray-painted-steel case, as well as the textured, stainless steel case SAE-300 MP Perkins® welder. The wireless remote controls are not currently offered as a standalone accessory, nor can they be retrofitted into older, non-wireless Cross Country and SAE-MP 300 models. To see Bulletin E6.163 for details, please click here.

Lincoln Electric also offers their new lightweight and portable APEX® 30M mechanized controller for orbital welding with digital control and wire feeding packaged as a single unit. This controller can be located up to 100 ft (30.5 m) from the welding power source while still giving the operator full system access through the pendant, making this controller a completely versatile solution for field and shop applications. The APEX 30M controls and monitors processes for consistency and logs data for reporting and archiving needs in a variety of applications: structural, maritime, power generation, process piping and construction. Operators can combine the APEX 30M with a HELIX® M85 orbital weld head and a Power Wave® S series welder or Vantage®/Air Vantage® ArcLink®-enabled engine driven welder/generator to create a completely versatile solution.

On the job, this compact unit requires minimal setup and eliminates additional equipment, such as cranes, fixtures and platforms and simplifies cable management for easy portability. “The APEX 30M mechanized controller, designed with the operator in mind, can be located up to 100 ft from the welding power source to allow the operator to focus on the weld, not the equipment,” said Carlos Richmond, the product manager of mechanized automation at Lincoln Electric. “This new system offers portability and versatility of use and greater efficiency for achieving superior orbital MIG welds.” Available accessories include the APEX operator pendant, Power Wave Advanced Process Module, Power Wave STT® Process Module and the HELIX Quick Release Track Ring and Shoe Extensions.

Lincoln Electric also offers their new, innovative RP6™ Weldable Rust Preventative Fluid, an oil-based fluid that provides up to six months of indoor corrosion protection by preventing rust on ferrous metals, while not adversely impacting the welding process. This fluid is an ideal solution for welding applications in heavy fabrication, automotive, steel storage and agriculture, and any welding application where raw materials may be subject to corrosion prior to welding. The weldability of RP6 has been verified through rigorous third-party testing. Coated metal samples were welded, scored and X-rayed. The analysis determined that the use of this fluid did not result in any contributable instances of welding-related defects. Metals treated with RP6 require minimal cleaning prior to welding.

The chemical makeup of RP6 fluid results in increased productivity, as well as time and cost savings. After applying it there is no need to grind, shot blast or chemically clean the joint prior to welding. In addition, the thin film coating of this fluid requires less product applied per square foot when compared with competing products. This ready-to-use fluid can be dipped, sprayed or brushed onto ferrous metals. RP6 comes in 55 gal drums and 5 gal pails. To see more information on this weldable rust preventive fluid in Bulletin E14.901.1, please click here.

Lincoln Electric has also brought manufacturing for their weld fume extraction equipment and systems in-house for greater control over the process. Because all fume removal solutions now are produced in-house, customers will have access to a complete line of products designed to be simple, reliable, effective and affordable. “World class manufacturing processes and testing procedures are the fundamental building blocks for quality products. Controlling the entire manufacturing process ensures that these fume extraction systems meet our quality standards and are the most reliable products for users,” explained Deanna Postlethwaite, the business unit manager of environmental systems for Lincoln Electric. “These solutions are vital to improving jobsite safety.” As evidence of their focus on quality manufacturing, the company now offers a three-year warranty on fume extraction products, compared to the one-year or two-year warranty offered by competitive manufacturers.

Making their weld fume extraction systems in the U.S., of U.S and foreign content, will result in quicker lead times and improved service and support. The first of these to launch will be their portable, mobile and stationary fume extraction equipment that is designed specifically for ease of setup, operation and maintenance. Pricing for the entire product line has been adjusted to reflect their commitment to providing the lowest total cost of ownership for their weld fume control products. Customers can now can enjoy a cost savings of up to 30 percent over the lifetime of that equipment. Pricing on all fume extraction filters and accessories has also been adjusted, and can be purchased direct from the company through their online store at weldfumefilters.com.

The Lincoln Electric Company, 22801 Saint Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44117-1199, 888-355-3213, www.lincolnelectric.com.