The Lorch HandyTIG 180 AC/DC is a portable inverter TIG power source for alternating and direct current, run from a single phase 230 V socket. You set the current from 3 to 180 A, at a 100% duty cycle the machine gives 130 A, and the weight is about 13.4 kg at protection class IP 23. A PFC circuit with a factor of 0.99 lets you work at full current on a 16 A fuse.
What this machine is for
Alternating current takes aluminium and its alloys. The positive half wave breaks up the layer of aluminium oxides, and the negative one puts heat into the base material, so the weld is clean and strong. 180 A is enough for aluminium about 5 to 6 mm thick in one pass. Above 5 mm the material gets demanding, and thicker parts take preheating or multi layer welding. Direct current handles mild and stainless steel.
The second feature is mobility. The single phase supply, the weight of about 13.4 kg and a housing that takes drops from 60 cm make this source a site tool, and class IP 23 lets you work outdoors in rain. The PFC circuit keeps the work stable on extension leads over 100 metres long and on a generator supply, and the generator has to have AVR stabilisation.
The documentation points this model to aluminium welding, aviation and motorsport, pressure installations and reclamation workshops. The applications listed are aluminium structures in boat and yacht building, precise stainless steel pipelines in the chemical industry, motorsport components such as cages, intakes and sumps, installations tested by radiography, service of machines in food processing, furniture and decorative parts from non ferrous metals and assembly work at height.
Features and equipment
- TIG AC welding: a full inverter bridge shapes the alternating current wave, so oxide cleaning and penetration stay under control on all the usual aluminium alloys. The process needs clean argon and a matched tungsten electrode, and the AC arc is louder than on direct current.
- Adjustment of AC balance and frequency: you set the cleaning balance from 10% to 90%, the frequency from 20 to 200 Hz. A higher frequency focuses the arc, which lets you weld in narrow gaps and on thin parts without burning through, and at extreme settings the electrode wears faster.
- ITC technology (Inside Tolerance Control): the circuit watches the arc parameters and corrects the energy fed to the pool, compensating hand movement and voltage drops on long cables, up to a 15% deviation from the mains voltage. Thanks to that the penetration stays constant whatever the quality of the installation on site, and in MMA mode the electrode sticks less often.
- ControlPro panel with a digital display: the settings of the current, of the gas flow times and of the current rise and fall you make with protective gloves on, and the diodes and the display show the current stage of the cycle. This shortens the changeover when the material thickness changes and limits mistakes when you configure special modes, though you cannot store your own program names in this model.
- Contact free HF ignition in AC and DC modes: the arc strikes without touching the electrode, so there are no tungsten inclusions in the weld and the electrode goes for sharpening less often. For places sensitive to interference there is the ContacTIG touch start.
- TIG Pulse up to 2.5 kHz: alternating peak and base current stiffens the arc, lets you weld faster with a narrow face and limits distortion of thin aluminium sheet and of acid resistant tubes.
- PFC power compensation with a factor of 0.99: the circuit tidies up the current draw from the mains, so you use the full 180 A on a 16 A fuse, also on a long extension lead and on a generator.
- Automatic gas management and Downslope: the pre flow and post flow times match themselves to the current, and the adjustable current fade closes the bead without a crater defect and holds the shield over the cooling pool.
- MMA mode with Hot Start, Arc Force and Anti-Stick: electrodes up to 4.0 mm in diameter, support at striking and when you work with a basic electrode in constrained positions. This type of characteristic will not handle cellulosic electrodes.
- Housing that takes drops from 60 cm and class IP 23: the frame and the composite materials absorb impacts, and a cooling tunnel moves the air stream away from the electronics, so metal dust settles on it more slowly and shorts inside the inverter happen less often. Class IP 23 lets you work outdoors in rain, which matters on a building site and in a shipyard.
- Remote control socket: you connect a foot pedal or a hand remote and change the current while the arc burns, which makes filling craters and work on thin sheet easier. Full digital communication works with Lorch equipment.
Technical data
| Brand | Lorch |
|---|---|
| Model | HandyTIG 180 AC/DC |
| Type | inverter TIG AC/DC power source with MMA mode |
| Welding current range | from 3 to 180 A |
| Current at 100% duty cycle | 130 A |
| Reference temperature of the duty cycle | 40 degrees C |
| Supply voltage | 230 V, single phase |
| Mains fuse | 16 A |
| Voltage swing tolerance | 15% |
| AC frequency | from 20 to 200 Hz |
| AC balance (cleaning) | from 10% to 90% |
| Pulse | up to 2.5 kHz |
| PFC power factor | 0.99 |
| Protection class | IP 23 |
| Weight of the unit | about 13.4 kg |
| Housing resistance | drop from 60 cm |
| MMA electrodes | up to 4.0 mm |
| Aluminium in one pass | about 5 to 6 mm |
| Cooling given on the data sheet | gas |
| Welding current given on the data sheet | up to 200 A |
What to watch out for
The data sheet gives current up to 200 A, and the source description a range from 3 to 180 A, so confirm the value on the rating plate. At a 100% duty cycle the machine gives 130 A, above that level plan breaks, otherwise the thermal cut out trips. A single phase supply with a 16 A fuse is enough thanks to the PFC circuit, but on a long extension lead watch the conductor cross section. Work from a generator needs AVR stabilisation.
HF ignition disturbs unshielded electronics nearby, in such places switch to the ContacTIG touch start. The ventilation grilles have to stay clear, a blocked inlet ends with a thermal shutdown. For aluminium you need clean argon and an electrode matched to alternating current, and at an extreme AC balance the electrode wears faster. You will not weld cellulosic electrodes in MMA mode. The source description does not list a torch or cables, so confirm the content of the set and the state of the consumable parts on collection.
This unit is sold
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