Lincoln STT...Power Wave

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 04-20-2007 17:54 Edited 04-20-2007 17:57

If you are welding open root pipe or trying to short circuit stainless the STT is awsome. Similar technology to Miller Axcess and PipePro.

STT is synergic and really does do a good job with all position open roots that have some varience in land and gap and welder skill level, it is noticably better than traditional short circuit.

If you are not doing any of the above, I would question your need for SST. PowerWave comes with or without a rather expensive opotional SST.

PowerWave (355 or 455) is an excellent GMAW-P power supply, and while there are some complaints about robotic high speed repeatability, with a manual welder controlling the gun, I think it is the best pulsed mig on the market. Lots of shops have used this type of technology to simplify fabrication to 0.045 solid wire for all jobs.

I also think the PowerFeed wire feeders that come with Lincoln Powerwave are the best design out there.

Having said that........ Miller 350-P is the next best pulser on the market and costs about 1/3 the price.

Tell us more about what you intend to do with your new power supply and I bet you will get more detailed response.

By js55

Date 04-20-2007 18:31

Lawrence is exactly right. All position open root is where STT really shines, especially on high alloys, SS and Ni's. Lincoln originally oversold the STT process for things that it was not necessarily advantageous for (for example its no or low spatter capability-dial in a standard CV and you will eliminate spatter-its not like the standard CV guys were sittin on their hands when it came to improvements-and I never really cared for the narrow cold looking roots achieved with rolled open joints on low alloys). At an original price tag of about 7K it tended to disappoint people. Combiningit with Powere Wave was the thing to do.
It wasn't long before other folks followed suit.
This also ties into the heat input threads since these variable wave form technologies change the formula.

By welder5354 (**)

Date 04-21-2007 08:23 Edited 04-21-2007 09:32

Lawrence, my reason for asking questions about the Lincoln STT 455 is that we are a training centre for pipe welders.
The salesperson for lincoln has put a new power wave stt 455 in our facility for temporary training of our welders.
The salesperson and myself were trying today to weld 4" pipe, fill and cap /SS with .035 /316 solid wire, but with poor results.
Would anybody have a program for the STT 455 machine for welding of stainless steel and/or carbon steel.
What i'm looking for is e.g. 4" or 6" pipe. sch 40 or 80. Root gap..Root face... Program #....IPM/WFS....Peak amperage....
Background amperage.....type of gas...etc.
If anybody has a particular program for the stt powerwave that gives excellent results, would you be willing to share with other members on this site. This could be valuable to a lot of welders on this site.

thanks

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 04-21-2007 12:02 Edited 04-21-2007 16:01

Ditch the 0.035

This sounds crazy but is true.. Your PowerWave will pulse better even with thin pipe lands if you use 0.045 filler... This is especially true with stainless. Your Lincoln rep should have advised you of this from the very start.

Use the programs already installed in the powerwave. I would be shocked if the pre-designed programs were not just the right thing. Wire feed and trim are the only adjustments you ought to need once you have the right program set on your wirefeeder.

Self/Custom programming a machine as complicated as Powerwave would take some very special training.. There are way more than the 6 common variables used for pulse pendants of the past.

To tune in your machine inexpensively for pipe roots use 3/16 sheet coupons tacked with a 3/32 gap and 0.045 wire. The STT function should get these root passes full pen with a single pass, maybe a light cover pass if there is slight concavity at the face. Roots will be perfect by the third try.

For cover and cap passes on your pipe welds, STT is turned off and the synergic pulse program for that particular alloy (steel/Stainless/Alum) is selected, the inside coverplate on your 10M feeder will give you a synergic pulse selection for your 316. Arc length is controlled by the "trim" knob and travel speed is dictated by Wire Feed settings. Cover and cap passes may also be accomplished with traditional spray transfer in the flat rolled posintion.

For pipe welding the big money is being spent for the STT roots and the ability to get spray transfer out of position with the synergic pulse. If you dont need these things don't spend the big money..... Now your training environment is different.. You want to be able to train for multiple processes and situations. (at least thats what I tell my boss when I ask for $8,000 power supplies) :)

One last tip.... The wire feed settings for 0.045 synergic pulsing in the Vertical and Overhead positions may be very low compared to Traditional Spray settings you are used do, Don't be afraid to turn your WFS down to 150 or lower in trials to discover how to get puddle control going vertical with upward progression. With that 0.045 wire and miminum WFS you can pulse weld 0.063 stainless sheet fillets with no burn through in any position with spray transfer quality.... it really is stunning.

If you try these things I predict you will be a very happy guy.

By welder5354 (**)

Date 04-22-2007 02:54

Lawrence, thanks for all the info. If my Lincoln rep knew how to he would be trying to sell it to a contractor.
He put it in our shop, so he could play with the STT welder himself (that's OK with me).
Two SS programs the he gave me were (see the following) Program 32 and Program 109.
Program 32 (.035 wire)>>>175 ipm>>>230 Peak amps>>>85 background amps and the gas 98ar/2ox.
Program 109 (.035 wire)>>>250 ipm>>>160 peak amps>>>100 background amps and the gas Tri-mix.
I'll try your programs when i get back to work next week. Is the gas appropiate for the program.
DH

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 04-22-2007 02:56 Edited 04-22-2007 12:17

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/powerwave/system/pdfs/Z06E041I%20Power%20Wave%20455M%20STT%20CE.pdf

Print, laminate, enjoy

By welder5354 (**)

Date 04-27-2007 03:57

Lawrence, thanks for the info on the STT. There's a lot of info on those pages, so i'll still have to tweek those settings. Well, anyway that's more than the salesman had to offer me. If anybody has a perfect program for the Powerwave455 STT, i would be very interested as to how your program is responding and maybe some info to the parameters of the STT.
DH