Lorch Schweißtechnik GmbH is the clear master of speed, wielding advanced welding processes to increase welding speeds and optimise arc performance for specific applications.
The company manufactures arc welding systems for industrial applications, demanding metal working, as well as for use in automation with robots and collaborative robot systems.
With next generation inverter power technologies and digital control, Lorch delivers cutting-edge performance with faster welding speeds while producing a superior metallurgical weldment.
Lorch latest generation S Series and MicorMIG platforms with “speed” technologies are more efficient, consume less power and can deliver faster welding speeds. Lorch South-Pacific Managing Director, David Wilton explains that speed translates to productivity and reduced operating costs. To achieve that, the welding processes needs to be optimised and that starts with a digital welding machine.
“The Lorch platform, is a 100 per cent digital system, enabling advanced welding processes that are completely driven and controlled by software,” Wilton said. “That is the difference of a modern Industry 4.0 welding machine – it’s digitalised and it’s very high speed in its processing speed to be able to do advanced welding processes.”
Wilton said the digital platform represents an evolution of welding processes that are optimised to a new level.
“We can manipulate the welding arc to do different things when it’s controlled by software,” he said.
“We’re doing this to drive productivity, and across the board that’s the main goal, do it faster, do it with superior quality, with superior weld integrity, which means the strength of the weld is literally optimised this way.
“Last but not least, is to actually make the task easier for the operator. The advanced manipulation – you can make it simpler and easier to weld with,” said Wilton.
The Lorch Speed Processes
The Lorch Speed Processes are advanced processes which are suitable for Solid, Flux Cored and Metal Cored wire welding applications. Wilton shared with Manufacturers’ Monthly how they improve everything across the board – speed, quality and ultimately, cost savings.
SpeedPulseXT
With its advanced waveform control technology, SpeedPulse XT enables the quick mastering of pulsed welding. Pulse welding has been around for a long time, it’s ideal for welding thinner materials but it has a fundamental flaw in the fact that the process is slower than a conventional transfer mode and generates a lot of heat in the torch.
“This is now being overcome by SpeedPulse XT, because what’s now happening is instead of one little droplet with each pulse, there’s multiple connected droplets followed by a molten metal flow with each pulse,” said Wilton. “The days have gone for slow, single droplet pulsed welding. Today, SpeedPulse XT with its patented technology accelerates the entire welding process by depositing significantly more volume with each pulse.”
The Lorch SpeedPulse XT is the cutting edge in Pulsed MIG (GMAWP) welding technology delivering extra fast welding speeds, reduced distortion and very low, insignificant levels of spatter, reducing any post weld clean-up time.
“Every time we have a pulse, what that does is it deposits more molten material into the weld pool. When you put more molten material into the weld pool, you physically travel faster to produce the comparable weld size to a traditional single pulse system. This really speeds up the process of pulse welding. So, with the SpeedPulse XT you will get up to 48 per cent faster than traditional pulse welding,” said Wilton. “This also is a proprietary exclusive, owned IP by Lorch and the software enables that.”
SpeedArc (MicorMIG) and SpeedArc XT (S Series)
The SpeedArc is a better, evolved process than the standard MIG (GMAW) or flux core welding (FCAW) because the user has the ability to manipulate the arc to have a much more focused and concentrated arc. This advanced process penetrates deeper, gives a better welded joint and thus provides better structural integrity.
“With the Speed Arc process, we are manipulating and controlling the arc where we can really focus the arc,” said Wilton. “It has a higher arc pressure and much more focused energy at the end of the wire that penetrates deeper into the steel compared to ordinary MIG-MAG machines.
“With the Speed Arc processes, welding can go up to 30 per cent faster than a standard process with the same wire and gas.”
Wilton explained for a structural steel fabricator, one of the biggest costs in welding is the labour time.
“If we can speed the process up and a welder can put down more kilos per hour, achieving higher deposition rates, the job gets done quicker and the cost comes down,” he said.
TwinPulsXT
Real-world applications that commonly used to be completed by TIG welding can now be welded with MIG-MAG processes up to seven times faster, with the ground-breaking capabilities of the new and improved TwinPuls XT. Its results are comparable to TIG.
“What we are producing with digital control is a TIG-like appearance,” said Wilton. “The fish-scale like appearance is normally a visual appearance you get with the TIG process, which is associated with best quality.”
“With an advanced digital machine, we are able to reproduce the TIG-like appearance but do it seven times faster and with an easier MIG (GMAWP) process for the operator, while still looking perfect.”
SpeedUp
Vertical up welding with MIG has always required a great amount of experience, skill and a steady hand to do the conventional “Christmas tree” style weld but the Speed Up option has made vertical up welding straightforward with no weaving required.
“As you can see in the pictures, this weld has been done in a vertical position, so the welder is welding straight up. It’s again, a superior process that is now made much easier through the use of more advanced digital welding technologies to produce a consistent, premium quality result,” said Wilton.
SpeedUp is also possible with Metal Cored wire, vertical seams can now also be produced quickly and easily. A wire change to rutile flux-cored wire is no longer necessary and saves time and money.
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