The production level in my small studio is growing and I am considering upgrading some equipment. MIG work is currently done with a Millermatic 250X. Lots of stainless steel and mild steel 16 ga. through 3/8". I am considering a step towards an inverter and wire feeder setup, like the Miller Invision or XMT. Can anyone advise if this expense will show noticeable benefits, especially with regards to bead appearance, etc? We occassionally have trouble with erratic feed from the Millermatic. I have no experience with the inverters, so I don't have a comparison level.
Thanks is advance,
Smyths
I have Invision 354MP's and XMT 304 CC/CV's. For CV GMAW-S (Short-Arc Mig) the invisions are much more stable as far as bead appearance and control. The arc is more "crisp"-period. The low range of parameters is where you will notice the most significant difference. Depending on your application and budget, the Axcess or Pipe-Pro 450 is the #1 choice. But Invision vs. XMT...Invision. I've purchased 7 XMT's and 4 Invisions but have been replacing older equipment with the Invision's and Axcess'. Seriously consider the Axcess series with a demo for the stainless. The regulated metal deposition is very impressive for this application. No - I do not work for Miller.
Smyths
Unless you are doing great volume I would consider trying SS FCAW 0.045 for your stainless projects.
I don't think Invision or XMT produce good pulsed welds compared to Lincoln Powerwave or OTC power supplies. Axcess is top shelf but your talking about a very large ticket item.
If your really interested in Miller and Pulsed Stainless have your local distrubuter demo the 351-P It's about 1/4 the price and will perform about the same as XMT or Invision---Axcess is better.
But again.. Your problems may be solved by a switch to FCAW rather than new equipment. Give it a try before you buy an inverter or CC/CV pulser.
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