New Lorch Micor 160

[matt1978]

Hello Guys,

I know you lot always appreciate industry insights into new innovations.......

This week is the biggest Welding Exhibition in the World, its called Schweissen und Schneiden (Welding & Cutting) and is held in Essen, Germany every 4 years. Its a little like the 'Motor Show' and is usually the platform where the major manufacturers launch their latest products.

Lorch has launched its new 230v MMA inverter called a Micor 160, but the big innovation behind it is that it can be used either on conventional 230v mains/Generator supply, but also with the Lorch MobilePower1.

MobilePower1 is a completely rechargeable Lithium Ion battery!

So you can now MMA weld completely without the need for a conventional electrical supply. Each battery charge is caperble of welding approx 13 x 3.2mm Dia electrodes or approx 22 x 2.4mm Dia electrodes.

I am going to the show Wednesday-Friday, i'll start a new thread in the brew room and post some pictures of other manufacturers latest offerings.........

 

[Robotstar5]

So you can now MMA weld completely without the need for a conventional electrical supply. Each battery charge is caperble of welding approx 13 x 3.2mm Dia electrodes or approx 22 x 2.4mm Dia electrodes.

Amazing!, another "James Bond" gadget for real

 

[matt1978]

Amazing!, another "James Bond" gadget for real

Rather have the James Bond 'women'

 

[Robotstar5]

Rather have the James Bond 'women'

Don't tell me Lorch do a battery powered version of them too, got any samples?

 

[PTvor]

Sounds like a very expensive piece of kit of limited usefulness, or "designed for niche, cost insensitive markets" as the marketing bods would say.

 

[matt1978]

Sounds like a very expensive piece of kit of limited usefulness, or "designed for niche, cost insensitive markets" as the marketing bods would say.

Thats the whole point thought PTvor. The unit can be used on a conventional mains supply in the same way as all other MMA units and is in the price region as other conventional MMA inverters in the same quality bracket (certainly for under £500).

The Battery is of course a big investement but you don't have to have it unless you need it. If you decided you needed to be able to weld with a Battery, the MobilePower1 can be purchased at any time in the future.

Completely mobile welding is not going to be required by everyone but maintainance shops of large factories who have to make repairs at height or in very inaccessible places, farms, site welders etc etc would all benefit.

 

[matt1978]

Don't tell me Lorch do a battery powered version of them too, got any samples?

Not yet but i'll put it to the Product managers

 

[PTvor]

What does the battery cost and how many charge discharge cycles can you get for specified loss of capacity?

 

[matt1978]

What does the battery cost and how many charge discharge cycles can you get for specified loss of capacity?

Battery price TBC, but I know that its guaranteed for 3 years & has a 1000 re-charge cycle. Usual recharge time around 2 hours.

If you consider that in its main field of use, which would be non-conventional maintainance repairs (because it makes sense that if you have a normal mains supply Handy, then you would use that) then it might used as a Battery only welder two-three times per week and if you consider that you can burn 22 x 2.5mm Electrodes, then thats actually quite a lot of welding, certainly more that your average repair, so in terms of 'real' useage that 1000 cycles would last a lot longer than 3 years.

 

[wheresmejumper]

i used to drag i dont know how many extension leads up to factory roofs for a 5 minute hot air welding job.i would have signed a blank cheque for a battery version but it didnt exist.there would be a huge market for this id imagine.

 

[matt1978]

i used to drag i dont know how many extension leads up to factory roofs for a 5 minute hot air welding job.i would have signed a blank cheque for a battery version but it didnt exist.there would be a huge market for this id imagine.

Exactly one of the reasons why it was developed WMJ. For some jobs it takes more effort and time to drag the extension cables than it does the actual welding part.

 

[Rudi McAnichal]

Matt, you are absolutely right to mention farms. Agricultural equipment always seems to break down in a field miles from nowhere, or else at the top of a tower silo. The LAMMA show in January (Peterborough next year, not Newark) might be a good place to demonstrate the new battery unit.

Can it be used to power welders other than the new Micor 160 model?

 

[matt1978]

At the moment Rudi, No. The battery to power welding machines is quite different from batteries for Drills or Grinders for example.

In a welding application it's almost like a dead short across the battery and the power is drained from it very fast.

The Lorch MobilePower1 has the same sort of output as around 80 normal batteries that you might find on a cordless drill etc

 

[matt1978]

Couple of pictures of the actual machine and battery to give you an idea of size....

Machine is around 4.8KG, Battery is around 6KG.

Also picture with the back, carrying bracket, designed for people who need to climb ladders, scaffold etc

 

[Welderpaul]

Idea of cost?

 

[matt1978]

Machine will be around £500, MobilePower1 around £1000.

 

[Welderpaul]

Does it do scratch start tig?

 

[matt1978]

Yes, it will. I think you'd get around 20 mins Tig welding off the battery

 

[Welderpaul]

So the battery costs you a quid a charge, or a quid for 20 mins tig etc.

How do the batterys cope in the real world..part charging...charging when not fully discharged etc?

 

[matt1978]

The 1000 charge cycle is the guaranteed cycle life (that or 3 years, whichever comes first) it doesn't mean when you charge it for the 1001st time it's no good, it just means it won't be optimum.

It's Lith-Ion so there is no memory or anything, you don't have to completely discharge it before you re-charge it.

I think it's still in test, but the plan was to have it 80cm crash proof the same as the MMA Inverter