Semi-automatic or inverter: determine what is better and more profitable for users

A welding machine is used to join metals. It is used in production, industrial, repair, construction and household work to solve problems at various levels. Over the past few years, the demand for welding machines “for their own household” has increased - every master wants to acquire a much-needed tool to use it for their own purposes. But which welding machine should a new user who has never dealt with such equipment choose? There are an incredible number of them. What are their pros and cons? Which welding machine is best for home use?

In this article we will analyze what types of welding machines exist, the operating principle, features and differences of welding machines, the operating principle of an inverter and a semi-automatic machine, how an inverter differs from a semi-automatic machine, which is better: an inverter or a semi-automatic machine.

Types of automatic welding machines

There are four types of welding machines:

• Transformer.
• Rectifiers.
• Inverter.
• Semi-automatic devices.

Transformer type welding machines. Powered by a transformer.Electricity passes through it, a transformer inside converts it, and the output is energy with low voltage and high current. The transformer itself begins to consume more voltage.

Rectifier welding. Essentially, this is the same as transformer ones, but with an additional block. An additional block stabilizes the current - it comes to the transformer as alternating current, and the rectifier makes it constant. Hence the name.

Inverter welding machines. The most popular type of welding machines. Differ from previous sizes. Inverters contain compact and small transformers, but the power of such devices is greater than that of large ones. The current is also stabilized and becomes constant with the help of a rectifier.

Semi-automatic machines are the second most popular type of welding. They can be based on any of three types of power sources. Because of this, their weight, dimensions and price vary. A semi-automatic machine differs from an inverter in its operating principle - in inverter welding, electrodes are used, while in semi-automatic welding, wire is used.

Pros and cons of inverter welding

Pros:

• Small size and weight.
• Small price.
• Easy to transport.
• High power.
• Suitable for most welding applications.
• They won't light up.
• Quality of work/seams.

Minuses:

• Not suitable for all metals.
• Not suitable for small, decorative, painstaking work.

Pros and cons of semi-automatic welding machines

Pros:

• Seam quality.
• High protection of internal elements.
• Additional functions - material heating.
• Suitable for all metals.
• Can be used for small, decorative, painstaking work.

Minuses:

• Big sizes.
• High consumption.
• Additional consumables are needed - a gas cylinder, wire.
• Not suitable for all jobs.

Design and principle of operation of an inverter for welding

A classic inverter consists of:

• Rectifier. Together with transistors, it stabilizes the current and makes it constant.
• Filter. It protects the inverter's internal components from debris and interference that could damage the device.
• Inverter. The inverter itself consists of a radiator that removes heat, transistors and a transformer.
• Control panels. On/off button, voltage regulators.

Electricity from the network goes to the transformer, where the voltage decreases and the current increases; passing through the rectifier-transistor, the current becomes constant, then passes through the noise filter and goes to the electrode. A circuit is created from the metal through the return and welding cables to the electrode. When the electrode is brought close to the metal, the circuit is closed, a current arc with a high temperature is created, the metal and the electrode melt, which together form a connecting seam.

Design and principle of operation of a semi-automatic welding machine

The semi-automatic welding machine consists of:

• Shielding gas cylinder.
• Gas supply hoses.
• Wire and its feeding mechanism. The mechanism has three operating modes - push, pull, mixed.
• Burners.
• Control panels.

The concept of operation of a semi-automatic device is similar to an inverter - electricity from the network goes to a transformer/rectifier/inverter. The voltage decreases, the current increases, stabilizes, and becomes constant. Then it passes through the filter and is fed to the wire. A chain is created from the metal, through the cables and to the wire. An arc appears between the wire and the metal, the temperature rises, the metal melts, it is connected/a seam is created. The wire feeder constantly feeds it, so you need to monitor the wire tension.At this stage, shielding gas is supplied, which creates a protective environment at the welding site. It protects the semi-automatic device itself. The gas can be argon or carbon dioxide.

What is the difference between a semi-automatic machine and an inverter?

Firstly, the materials used. In an investor, these are electrodes. In semi-automatic welding this is wire. But in some semi-automatic machines you can use both electrodes and wire.

Secondly, shielding gas. Semi-automatic devices contain gas, which creates a protective environment so that interference and debris do not get into the network/inside the device. Because of it, moisture does not form on the working surface, therefore the service life of the equipment is extended and the quality of welding is improved.

Thanks to automatic wire feeding, working with a semi-automatic machine is faster, easier and more efficient.

The quality of the seams - in semi-automatic machines they are better, thinner, because they create a homogeneous connection from the wire fed by the mechanism. The units can be used for welding aluminum and other complex elements, thin sheet metals. If you try to weld them with an inverter, the seam will be large, uneven, unreliable, and easily deformed.

Because of this, the scope of application of semi-automatic and inverter welding differs. Semi-automatic machines are used for working with thin sheet metals/expensive materials, for example, for welding car body parts, aluminum, and complex alloys.

Inverters are used in most areas - construction, repair, household.

Inverters are more compact and weigh less than their analogues - semi-automatic ones require a gas cylinder to operate, and they themselves are larger than the former.

Work faster with inverter welding due to long preliminary work with a semi-automatic machine.

Which is better: inverter or semi-automatic?

Wrong question.This is the same as comparing a flat-head and a Phillips-head screwdriver - they seem to be needed for the same function (unscrewing/twisting), but no one asks the question: “Which is better: a Phillips-head or a flat-head screwdriver?”

A semi-automatic machine is designed to perform all welding work, but it has a high cost of operation, long preparatory work, greater weight, more consumption, while having protection and better seams. Therefore, they are used only for certain jobs - welding car bodies, thin-sheet, complex or expensive materials.

An inverter is a compact welding machine that is best suited for household tasks. They have less weight, lower operating costs, higher welding speed, are easier to transport, but the quality of the seams is worse and are not suitable for working with thin sheet metals such as aluminum and tin.

For small household, commercial, repair or construction work, it is better to take an inverter.

For auto repair shops and professional workshops - semi-automatic.