May. 26, 2025
They are welding equipment that uses an electronic board or chip instead of a transformer to convert the alternating current into direct current.
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The operating principle of the inverter for welding is that the frequency of 50-60 Hz of the alternating current that comes from the electrical network increases considerably, between 20,000 Hz and 50,000 Hz.
A higher frequency implies the use of a smaller transformer, which allows the manufacture of smaller and lighter energy sources.
Due to the change in their internal components, inverting welding machines are, on average, 3 times lighter and smaller than traditional machines. This allows the operators to work in heights or places of difficult access.
Since they provide continuous current, inverting welding machines can use any type of electrodes. They can be used for all types of arc welding. In addition, there are single-phase and three-phase models.
Good penetration and stability of the arch is guaranteed with the use of inverting welding machines. This is due to the continuous control of the properties of the arc, even when the voltage is unstable or weak.
They also consume less energy than their peers with transformer-only technology. Lower amount of energy represents savings in operating costs.
The best welds come from the pure contact of clean metal with metal. Any foreign material in the welding area can cause imperfections in the weld. Depending on the material, the size and shape of the piece, you can consider some mechanical techniques such as:
The use of the polisher or emery: An angular polisher with an abrasive or wire disc (pleasant) is ideal for preparing steel for MIG or TIG welding. It is not recommended in very thin sheets since it can compromise the resistance of metals.
Orbital polisher: This type of polishers can be useful to clean smooth or flat pieces.
The use of sandpaper or wire brush: It is a manual operation that works very well in cleaning steel parts for MIG and TIG welding or stainless steel, but it can take much longer and does not always eliminate all the oxides or impurities in the metal.
Abrasive blasting: If the metal to be welded is very oxidized and is not suitable for sanding or removing with a polishing machine, another option for preparing the metal is to do it with abrasive blasting.
Traditionally sand has been used, but today there are other materials available.
There are many activities that are necessary and some are more difficult to take into account, but they affect the cost of welding. We can see some before welding and when welding.
Preparation of the solder joint: This may include placing a bevel on a plate or simply cleaning the joint to free it from scale, rust, oil or other contaminants.
Assembly: This is to assemble all the parts in an accessory or simply take them to a welding station where the welder can easily take all the necessary components.
Positioning of the piece: In some cases, we can not locate the piece, but when we can, we will move it to weld it more easily.
Change the filler metal and / or the shielding gas: The wire spools, the bar electrodes and the protection gas bottles when they are finished. We need to account for this time of change.
Breaks and meetings: most companies allow breaks. This can be as little as a 10-minute break in the morning and another 10-minute break in the afternoon. This may also include time for production and safety meetings.
Cleaning: The cleaning that must be done at the end of the day, between shifts, or even between the assembly of each product.
Move the assembly once completed: Once the assembly is completely welded, it must move to another place.
Time for post-welding heat treatment: If necessary, the time for heat treatment after welding should be taken into account.
As can be seen, there are many necessary activities without welding. Some of these can not be eliminated.
Tacking can be eliminated with elaborate accessories. The change of the protection gas bottle can be eliminated by the use of a bulk gas supply system. However, in general all these activities will always be present.
The welding industry has a lot of equipment and technologies to aid the process. There are welding manipulators, welding positioners, rotators, and so on.
Among those, the welding manipulator is deemed as the most efficient machinery. We’ll find out why at the end of this article.
This FAQ guide will be finding out all about welding manipulators. We’ll discuss what they are, how they differ from other equipment, how you can use them to your advantage, and the like.
It’s a technology that helps in the welding process by moving the welder over the workpiece.
Welding manipulators are just part of the many advancements in the welding sector.
You can understand to the fullest extent how a welding manipulator works. It’s actually simple.
Its purpose is to move the welding head closer to the workpiece; it will allow you to reach parts and areas that a welder with high skills can.
In simpler terms, it enables and enhances the welder’s lifting capability so that it reaches closer to the workpiece or the part to be welded.
It’s a type of a welding manipulator that consists of the welding boom and the column.
The column is what helps you to hold the workpiece in place, so that the welder can work on it. Welding booms are the part that helps you have complete coverage of the area being welded.
It’s a perfect machine you can use to handle any welding positions. It’s mainly used to weld on difficult parts of a particular machine or equipment.
It’s also a welding machine, which can help you automate the shifting of the workpiece.
Many people confuse weld positioners and weld manipulators, when they are actually two difference pieces of equipment.
No, a welding manipulator is not the same as a welding positioner; in fact, they’re a lot different.
You would want to use a welding positioner if you want the workpiece to be kept in place. You would want to use a welding manipulator if you want to reach positions and angles that are far.
So, the welding positioner moves the workpiece, while the weld manipulator moves the weld head.
They have the same goal – to help you with your welding project.
However, they actually have different and separate functionalities and operations.
Welding manipulators can help you with any welding project. If you have welding projects that are difficult to complete, welding manipulators can aid and assist you.
Even the most skilled and the most talented welder would have limitations; that’s what welding manipulators are for.
You would need to use a welding manipulator if you have a project that has far reach. Meaning, if there are areas that a regular welder can’t reach, using a welding manipulator can help.
In fact, in many welding projects today, almost all welders prefer using it because of its ease.
It’s a machine that provides coverage of the welding area as a whole. It’s the component of a welding manipulator that allows welders to work on hard-to-reach places and angles.
Different welding booms from different companies have their own functionalities. So, you would need to know which one works for you and which doesn’t.
It’s’ a kind of a welding manipulator that can help you with many types of welding.
The boom is the welding arm or the welding extension hand. It reaches far places off of the workpiece, helping welders achieve complex welds easily.
The column is a machine where the boom can travel up and down, which is planted on the ground.
You can choose to use them for workpieces that are hard to large, hard to reach, and the like.
Here’s a quick video of what a column & boom welding machine is:
It functions as a type of machine that can perform the welding for you.
Even if you use a manual column & boom, welders wouldn’t have to hold the weld head. The machine is fixed on the ground via the column, and the boom is the only part moving.
The design of the welding boom is closely related to that of a robotic arm.
It’s a machine that continuously moves the weld head closer to the surface of the workpiece. The common structure of a welding boom would include:
These are the primary parts of a welding boom; if one is missing, it might not be able to work and operate.
A column & boom is not a welding positioner because it doesn’t move the workpiece.
It’s considered as a welding manipulator because the boom is the one moving.
Its main function is to move the welding material to the workpiece.
Oftentimes, a welding positioner is used with a column & boom welding manipulator.
It holds the workpiece in place and does the job of positioning it.
A column & boom can be divided into four (4) parts: column and boom, base, and the carriage. Each of them have their own parts.
The main mechanical parts of a column & boom machine includes:
Column & boom welding machines have a lot of electrical parts. But, here are parts that are the most used and sought after:
The parts of a column & boom welding machine will depend on the manufacturer.
You can gain a lot of advantages if you use a column & boom welding machine.
But, the benefits would revolve around the safety of your welders, and the efficiency of the project. The most common ones include:
You can work on a wide variety of workpieces, especially those that are heavy and complex.
You’ll be able to work on pipes and tubes, tanks and vessels, even angular workpieces.
So long as it can impose a challenge to your welder, column & boom welding machines can help!
A lot of people don’t know it, but they can perform many different welding processes using column & boom welding machines.
SAW or submerged arc welding isn’t the only welding solution, it can also include:
Here’s a video of the different types and kinds of welding:
Can welding manipulators really help you?
To give you some of the benefits you can get if you choose to use welding manipulators; here are some of the most common ones:
Using machines can really improve your overall productivity. It can help you gain more mobility during projects and operations.
While the machines operate on the weld, you can go on and attend on other parts of the project. You can prepare the next workload, switch to a different workstation, and so on.
Welding manipulators have safety kits and straps that can secure workpieces. Also, the column and boom can safely be placed and secured to fixed places.
In addition, it’s also safer for you because you can relax and watch the welding manipulator do the work.
Want more information on welding manipulators for sale? Feel free to contact us.
Welding manipulators have been programmed to operate like how a skilled welder would.
This basically means that you can automate and develop welding processes and procedures.
Because of the computers, you will be allowed to have more control of certain factors. These factors include, but are not limited to:
Those are just some of the main benefits that welding manipulators can give you. There are a lot more and they would depend on your project’s goal and objective.
The price of welding manipulators would depend on the manufacturer. Also, it would depend on whether you’ll purchase OEM or ODM products.
However, you can expect that its prices are upwards of $5,000; and that’s the general amount. You can try to find manufacturers of welding manipulators out in the market.
Anything less might not have the quality, or even the functionality that you’re looking for.
Weld manipulators greatly complement the welding process.
A welding manipulator aided by a welding positioner for easier welding
That’s why you should choose the best and the most appropriate machine for your project.
But how do you choose one? To be able to successfully purchase the manipulator for your business, you need to consider the following things:
What type of control system does a particular welding manipulator offer?
Knowing this is important because it’ll be the system of your future machine’s control.
Knowing how you can adjust the weld head of your manipulator is crucial. This goes head-to-head with the type of material or the output you’re looking for.
If you need to weld a structure that is over 10 feet high, you need a manipulator that will be able to reach that height.
Did you know that choosing the right power source can help you save a lot of money?
There are inverter-based DC motors and transformers that you can take advantage of.
Since your manipulators will be activated and turned on for long hours, it is important to consider its power capacity and source.
Choosing a welding manipulator isn’t actually a difficult task, it’s something you need to be serious about because it can complement the advantages and benefits your company can have.
Yes, you can purchase manual welding manipulators in the market.
An image of what a manual or a stationary welding manipulator looks like
In fact, mechanized or automatic manipulators can be set and used as a manual manipulator, too.
Oftentimes, though, it’ll be best for you to utilize a welding positioner; especially if you have a manual welding manipulator.
This would allow your work to become easier, more flexible, and to produce better quality.
Manual weld manipulators are manipulators that have stagnant weld heads.
What an automatic or a computer-controlled weld manipulator looks like
Automatic manipulators, on the other hand, are those that are controlled by a computer.
The difference lies on the movement of the beam. If your weld head needs to be moved manually, then you can consider it as a manual manipulator.
Automated welding manipulators aren’t always the best choice. In fact, manual manipulators are widely sought out in the market as well.
Variable speed drives, or VSDs, are devices that can alter the speed of a motor possessing fixed speed.
A welding positioner you can change the speed of, depending on your specific project
In simpler terms, it’s like a tool that can assist you in modifying how a motor functions.
Therefore, variable speed weld positioners are weld equipment in which you can change up the speed of the motor – regardless if it’s a fixed-speed motor or a regular modifiable motor.
Load capacities of weld manipulators vary from machine to machine.
An image of a welding manipulator withstanding heavy load
There are small manipulators that can only withstand about 300 kg of force. On the other hand, there are heavy-duty weld manipulators you can purchase, that are able to withstand more than a ton of force.
Load capacities will be dependent on the size of the machine and how they’re sized.
A worker checking and assessing a welding manipulator
You can size a weld manipulator and toggle two (2) different categories of the machine:
A welding manipulator would have varying load capacities that you can choose from.
In fact, you would need to consider all weights, such as the operator, the cross slides, welding equipment, etc.
Both the reach and the lift are distinguished by the horizontal and the vertical locations of the arc.
Moreover, there’s also minimum and maximum dimensions, depending on the range in which the weld manipulator is able to operate.
3-axis refers to the number of movements a particular weld manipulator is able to make.
A 3-axis computer numerically-controlled (CNC) welding manipulator
If 2-axis weld manipulators perform two (2) movements, therefore, 3-axis machines can perform three (3).
You can use 3-axis weld manipulators for complete circumferential activities. You’ll be able to perform even the most complex of welds.
Don’t ever confuse yourself in distinguishing which is which. The manipulator and the positioner are two (2) different machines that would make your welding process easier.
A welding positioner is an auxiliary machine that moves the workpiece according to your position.
Welding manipulators, on the other hand, function reversibly. A manipulator moves the welder to the workpiece.
More often than not, you’ll need a positioner to work with a manipulator. The positioner moves the workpiece, while the manipulator would help the welding machine perform the weld.
They’re machines that can assist you with your submerged arc welding process.
The manipulator can position the welding head closer and deeper to the workpiece without you touching or moving it.
Submerged arc welding or SAW isn’t the only welding solution compatible with a manipulator. In fact, you can use it for other welding processes, too, including:
Your capability will depend on the welding manipulator that you have.
A sub arc manipulator can have many parts and components. That would entirely depend on the manufacturer.
However, in order for a SAW manipulator to function, it would need the following:
Even if just one of these is not present, the sub arc manipulator wouldn’t be able to function. This is the complete package of what a SAW manipulator is.
Before you decide on the manipulator you’ll buy, make sure that all of these are included.
It’s a type of a manipulator that consists of a “column” and a “boom” to assist a process.
The column is the pathway of the boom to move up and down. The boom is the machine that holds the oscillator, performing the weld.
You can use a column & boom manipulator to work on many different workpieces; from light, medium – to heavy workpieces.
There are a lot of welding manipulators you can purchase in the market.
You can choose anything from cheap ones, expensive ones, those that can operate SAW, among others. Sub
Also, you can choose to rent or lease these welding manipulators. This option is best for companies that wouldn’t use manipulators for too long.
Sub arc manipulators wouldn’t be sold in the market if they didn’t have any use.
But what benefits can you get if you decide to use sub arc welding manipulators?
You can expect these benefits should you decide to use a sub arc manipulator.
Sub arc manipulators cover a complex line of industries.
It can be used for the construction industry, shipyard and shipbuilding industry, pressure tanks and vessels, the petrochemical industry, and many more!
Before you decide on which welding manipulator to go with, you need to take note of its specs.
Here are some of the factors you need to know before purchasing a manipulator:
These are the common specs to note before purchasing a manipulator. Knowing this can help and assist you a lot in making sure that you’ll select the best equipment for your project.
One of the benefits of using weld manipulators is that they increase the overall productivity.
With a manipulator, the welder does not need to go near the workpiece any longer
Weld manipulators help increase your operation’s productivity by:
More often than not, sellers of weld manipulators would immediately disclose info about their machine.
For instance, if the machine is just slightly used, it’ll be evident; or if it’s been used for a number of times, etc.
There are a lot of welding manipulator creators and manufacturers in the market. But, if you want to work with the best, you need to go and consider Halden.
We here at Halden have been providing excellent and quality welding manipulators for years. Our products have made and transformed the businesses of our clients, improving them in unimaginable ways.
Don’t settle for less when looking for a welding manipulator. Work with Halden and expect the best and the highest quality of welding manipulators you can find in the market!
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