The Lorch Saprom S3 is a used MIG/MAG welder with pulse and TwinPuls double pulse from the German manufacturer based in Auenwald. The counter in the menu shows only 633 hours of welding, and in one housing on wheels you have a 320 A source, a four-roll wire feeder and liquid cooling. It is a machine for aluminium and stainless steel that handles steel structures just as well. The set includes a 4 m MIG torch and a 3 m earth cable.
- 633 hours of welding, not hours switched on. The Lorch counter records only the net arc-on time. Idle time with the power on does not count, so 633 hours is a low reading for an industrial MIG/MAG welder. A photo of the counter screen is in the gallery.
- TwinPuls, the Lorch double pulse. Lorch has been developing this process since the 1990s. In the S series it is part of the pulse version, not a paid extra, and it has three independent settings: frequency, current change and phase ratio. In the Fronius TPS the equivalent, SynchroPulse, was an option, except on the Alu and CrNi versions.
- Compact unit with a four-roll wire feeder. Source, wire feeder and cooling unit in one housing: you move the whole workstation and do not lay out interconnection cables. The wire feeder has 4 rolls and feeds wire from 0.1 to 25 m/min.
- Monitoring that protects the torch and the electronics. The machine stops welding when coolant flow drops below 0.3 l/min, and it monitors the temperature of the power modules, the mains voltage and the wire feed motor. In the diagnostics menu you can read the coolant flow in l/min and the last three errors.
Welding processes of the Lorch Saprom S3
MIG/MAG Pulse: one droplet per pulse
The base current keeps the arc alive, and short current pulses above the spray arc threshold detach a droplet of molten metal by electromagnetic force. Lorch tunes the pulse so that each pulse detaches exactly one droplet, roughly the diameter of the wire, like a dropper. The pulse frequency rises with the wire speed, so metal transfer is even at every setting.
The result: transfer with almost no spatter in the range where a conventional arc turns globular and spatters, a flat weld face and reliable penetration. Lorch recommends pulse especially for aluminium and high-alloy steels. On the thinnest sheet, short arc in Normal mode still has its place.
TwinPuls: a weld rhythm set by the machine
A slow modulation is superimposed on the pulse: the machine alternates between a higher and a lower energy phase, from 0.5 to 5 times per second. In the high phase the weld pool melts through, in the low phase it partly cools and solidifies. A TIG welder does the same by hand, adding filler rod and pulling back the heat in an even rhythm. Here the machine keeps that rhythm.
You set the frequency from 0.5 to 5 Hz, the current change from 5 to 50% of the welding current and the share of the high phase from 20 to 80%. Each TwinPuls cycle leaves one ripple: at 30 cm/min, that is 5 mm/s, and 3 Hz the ripples come about 1.7 mm apart. For aluminium Lorch highlights lower distortion, easier positional welding and a weld face almost like TIG, and on steel the same weld pool control helps on vertical welds and on visible welds.
MIG/MAG Normal with synergic control
Short arc, transitional arc and spray arc controlled according to characteristics stored in the machine. You choose the material, wire diameter and gas, and then one value: welding current, sheet thickness in millimetres or wire speed in m/min. The machine sets the rest by itself. Lorch calls this “3 steps and weld”.
In Normal mode you also adjust the inductance (choke effect), that is how fast the current rises during a short circuit. It works like the stiffness of a shock absorber: more inductance gives a soft arc, less spatter and a flat weld face, less inductance gives a harder, colder arc and a faster-freezing weld pool.
MMA with covered electrodes
Electrodes from 1.0 to 6.0 mm with arc dynamics adjustable from 0 to 100% of the program value. Useful for repairs and assembly work, when it makes no sense to reconfigure the wire feeder. You buy the electrode holder separately.
Functions and settings
- Tiptronic: 100 jobs. 10 sets of 10 jobs, each with a full set of parameters. Jobs can be named, copied and disabled, so the welder switches only between approved ones.
- Arc length correction. With the knob about ±40% of the program value, in the menu from 60 to 140%. In the settings you choose whether the correction acts on the voltage or on the wire speed.
- Start current from 20 to 200% for a time from 0 to 10 s. A higher start current prevents a cold start of the weld on aluminium and thick material, and a lower one protects thin sheet.
- Crater fill. You set the current downslope as a rate from 10 to 990 A/s, and the end current from 10 to 100% for a time from 0 to 10 s. On aluminium this means a lower risk of crater cracks at the end of the weld.
- Wire burnback, gas pre-flow and post-flow. Burnback from 20 to 300% and gas post-flow from 20 to 200% of the program value, gas pre-flow from 0 to 10 s. The wire does not stick to the weld pool, and the end of the weld cools under shielding gas.
- 2T and 4T modes. Short welds and long passes without holding the button.
- Hold. After welding the display keeps the actual current and voltage of the last weld, so it is easy to record the parameters for the welding procedure.
- Function lock on 3 levels. Level 1 leaves the welder the current and switching Tiptronic on, level 2 only job selection, and level 3 locks everything except the menu and the pump test.
- Gas test and pump test. The gas valve opens for 30 s so you can set the flow, and the pump runs for about a minute to fill and bleed the torch hose package.
- 1.1 kW cooling. Centrifugal pump, pressure up to 3.5 bar. The cooling starts with the arc and keeps running for about 2 minutes after welding.
How the Lorch Saprom S3 compares with other double pulse MIG/MAG welders
The Saprom S3 belongs to the S series from 2003, in which Lorch moved to full digital control and the CAN bus. The synergic characteristics and pulse are stored in the machine, not tuned with potentiometers.
Every major brand has a double pulse: Fronius calls it SynchroPulse, EWM superPuls, Kemppi Double Pulse, ESAB SuperPulse and Migatronic DUO Plus. TwinPuls in the Saprom S works in the same frequency range as SynchroPulse (from 0.5 to 5 Hz) and, unlike the Fronius and Kemppi tables, lets you set the phase ratio separately.
The Saprom S3 does not have the later Lorch special processes (SpeedPulse, SpeedArc, SpeedCold), introduced from 2009, or equivalents of EWM forceArc. In return you get a refined pulse and TwinPuls in a machine with 633 h on the counter.
Technical data
| Manufacturer | Lorch Schweißtechnik, Auenwald, Germany |
|---|---|
| Model | Saprom S3, compact version (also written as: Lorch S3 Puls, S3 Pulse) |
| Type | MIG/MAG welder with pulse, TwinPuls and MMA |
| Welding hours counter | 633 h, read from the machine menu (photo in the gallery) |
| Mains supply | 3 x 400 V, ±15%, 50/60 Hz |
| Mains fuse | 16 A time-delay, CEE 16 A plug |
| MIG/MAG current range | from 25 to 320 A |
| Duty cycle 40°C | 250 A at 100%, 320 A at 35 to 40% (depending on the documentation edition) |
| Mains power | 10.7 kVA at 100%, 15.1 kVA at maximum current |
| Open circuit voltage | 81 V |
| Power factor cos φ | 0.99 |
| TwinPuls | from 0.5 to 5 Hz, current change from 5 to 50%, high phase from 20 to 80% |
| Tiptronic memory | 100 jobs (10 x 10) |
| Wire feeder | 4 rolls, from 0.1 to 25 m/min |
| Wire diameters | steel from 0.6 to 1.2 mm, aluminium from 1.0 to 1.2 mm |
| MMA electrodes | from 1.0 to 6.0 mm |
| Cooling | liquid, 1.1 kW, maximum 3.5 bar |
| IP rating and insulation class | IP23, F |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 1116 x 463 x 812 mm |
| Weight (catalogue data) | 92.8 kg plus 14.7 kg for the filled cooling unit |
What you get
- Lorch Saprom S3 in the compact version with built-in wire feeder and liquid cooling
- MIG torch, 4 m long
- earth cable, 3 m long
What to watch out for
For power you need 3 x 400 V with a 16 A time-delay fuse and a CEE 16 A socket. For continuous work count on 250 A, and treat 320 A as the maximum current. For aluminium you reconfigure the wire feeder: drive rolls for aluminium, a PTFE liner in the torch and an aluminium wire spool, as Lorch describes.
CuSi wires for braze welding appeared in the S series catalogue later, so if you need this program, we will check the material list in the menu of this unit. The electrode holder for MMA is not included in the set. The housing has signs of use visible in the photos.
Questions about the Lorch Saprom S3
What do 633 hours on the Lorch S3 counter mean?
That is the net arc-on time, not the time the machine was switched on. Idle time with the power on does not count, so for an industrial MIG/MAG welder it is a low reading.
Is the Lorch S3 suitable for aluminium?
Yes. It has pulse and TwinPuls, which Lorch designed specifically with aluminium in mind, and a four-roll wire feeder. You weld with 1.0 or 1.2 mm aluminium wire after reconfiguring the wire feeder and torch. Through a 4 m torch, 1.2 mm wire and the stiffer AlMg5 feed more reliably than soft 1.0 mm AlSi5.
How does TwinPuls differ from ordinary pulse?
Ordinary pulse detaches droplets within thousandths of a second. TwinPuls additionally changes the arc energy from 0.5 to 5 times per second, which controls the weld pool and gives an evenly rippled weld face.
Does the Saprom S3 have SpeedPulse?
No. Lorch introduced SpeedPulse in 2009, in a later generation of the S series (S-SpeedPulse). This unit has pulse and TwinPuls.
What power connection do I need?
3 x 400 V with a 16 A time-delay fuse and a CEE 16 A socket.
How we sell used machines
Unit checked in our service centre in Krotoszyn, with measurements to PN-EN 60974-4 and a load test. The price includes the first year of the service package: cleaning, basic inspection and electrical measurements. The measurement report is part of the paid service package. You can buy further years. We ship across the European Union, personal collection by appointment.
