Not All Generators are Created Equal
Choosing the Right Equipment to Go with Your Air Welder
by James Yundt, President & GM, Roofmaster Products Company
(Editor’s Note: James Yundt is the president and GM of Roofmaster® Products Company and has celebrated nearly 20 years of service with the third-generation company. He has worked in virtually every department at Roofmaster, and continues to oversee all areas of the company and lends his knowledge and industry expertise to sales, marketing, and manufacturing.)
With the rise of sophisticated hot air welders, we should look at some of the critical pieces of equipment necessary to run your robot welder. What you do next could affect how much performance you receive out of your new welder. Do you have the right generator? Many generators look alike, but they’re not all the same. Here are some questions to ask when looking for a generator:
- Does it have enough continuous wattage?
- Does it have clean power?
- Do they have a Power Saver switch? If not, it may not be an automatic power saver, but you should chek.
- Does it have an L6-30A outlet for the welder?
- Does it have a 50-60 amp outlet for a portable power center also known as a Spider Box?
- What engine does it have? Do you have a local factory trained service center?
- Will it run eight hours a day, five days a week?
- Do you have the right extension cord and plug to be able to use it?
These are all questions you should ask before buying a generator to run your hot air welders. You see generators in the big box stores advertised for around $2000. Those are great for running a couple hand guns, not an air welder.
The more advanced robot welders typically require 4600 watts with 230 Volts. Some of these generators may meet these requirements with their peak output, but the internal electrical components of the robot can be damaged and will shutdown if continuous wattage and voltage requirements aren’t met.
Bargain generators generally don’t have clean power, which refers to the level of Total Harmonic Distortion (TDH). Your robot welder requires a THD under 6%. Bargain generators often will have a THD of 25-30%. This can and will fry electronic components inside your welder.
Once again, you should ask if it has a Power Saver switch. If it does, you’ll want to turn the Power Saver switch off, so you won’t experience a fluctuation in voltage. If your generator doesn’t have a Power Saver switch, it will most likely run in a power saving scenario. The Power Saver switch fluctuates the engine speed according to voltage/amp draw. With most equipment this saves fuel, but with a robot welder this fluctuation is hard on the electronic boards.
Does it have the right outlets? The money you save on a bargain generator may be offset by expensive cord conversions and adapters, and your equipment may not run properly if not using the correct plugs/sockets.
What kind of engine is on the generator? Will it run all day? Is there a local factory service facility to get your generator back up and running if you encounter any problems?
You’ve invested a good amount in a quality hot air welder. Investing in a proper generator that works with your welder to form a complete solution you can count on will ensure that your projects do not hit roadblocks in the future.
