Diversion 180 - IGBT catastrophic failure

[ryanjones2150]

Oh no! What's wrong with the multimatic 200? I kind of like that machine. Had it on my want list.

[aametalmaster]

Oh no! What's wrong with the multimatic 200? I kind of like that machine. Had it on my want list.

20% and 30% duty cycles on the higher ends...Bob

[FusionKing]

That's one reason the Dynasty 210 looks so promising. Much higher duty cycle, even when rated as Miller does.

[FusionKing]

If any of you have a PC-1 board that has failed, can you private message me. Thank you

Sheesh

[Crepe Myrtle Farmer]

Machines of this class all deliver right around the same duty cycle performance --- here's the Lincoln SW 200 TIG data. I use my 180 "light" (don't have a water cooler hooked up to push duty cycles) and the thing just works, pretty much does all the "light" work I ask of it --- outstanding welder in its price range.

INPUT POWER	120/230/1/50/60
RATED OUTPUT	120V: TIG: 125A/25% (AC TIG 110A/25%) TIG: 100A/40% TIG: 85A/60% Stick: 75A/20% Stick: 65A/60% 230V: TIG: 200A/25% TIG: 160A/40% TIG: 130A/60% Stick: 170A/20% Stick: 100A/60%
INPUT CURRENT	120V: TIG: 25% Duty Cycle 21A TIG: 40% Duty Cycle 17A TIG: 60% Duty Cycle 14A Stick: 20% Duty Cycle 19A Stick: 60% Duty Cycle 16A 230V: TIG: 25% Duty Cycle 22A TIG: 40% Duty Cycle 17A TIG: 60% Duty Cycle 13A
OUTPUT RANGE	120V: TIG: 10-125A Stick: 10-90A 230V: TIG: 10-200A Stick: 10-170A

[Toasty]

I know this is an old thread, but this link is from one of our National Labs we all pay for.

It's a presentation from GE/MITSUBISHI about IGBTs and their reliability issues.

[Aeronca41]

I know this is an old thread, but this link is from one of our National Labs we all pay for.

It's a presentation from GE/MITSUBISHI about IGBTs and their reliability issues.

Link???

[Meltedmetal]

The "Missing Link" perhaps.

---Meltedmetal

[Aeronca41]

Hope he posts it--I'm anxious to read it.

[Toasty]

OOPS! Also google "Drop in SiC replacement for IGBT"

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://energy.sandia.gov/wp-content//gallery/uploads/Donlon-Powerex_IGBTReliability.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjrmqrSqdPjAhVKaM0KHfOvAq0QFjACegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw2XlLr2EPacwa0bPscvh5cp

[Helios]

OOPS! Also google "Drop in SiC replacement for IGBT"



https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...acwa0bPscvh5cp

Pretty hard to make heads or tails out of that dog's breakfast...

[Toasty]

Here's the best quote I could find that tells you why these materials are important:

"There are multiple reasons for the rising popularity of SiC and GaN: They operate at higher voltages and temperatures, are more rugged, have longer lifetimes, and switch much faster than conventional semiconductor devices."

This stuff is all here now, but isn't in current products. In fact, some of it is barely out of the laboratory. Manufacturing these materials into transistors cost-effectively seems to be moving along slowly. Until then they will be pricey.

[Aeronca41]

Yes, without the presenter's narrative for the slide show, that is pretty much a generic reliability presentation outline. Not much to see there. IGBT technology has come a long way, but they are still high impedance devices with sensitivity to static discharge and cosmic rays. I would love to see data on IGBT failures related to the 11-year sunspot cycle; lots of cosmic rays at the peak, and I suspect a lot of failed IGBTs. Not the serious problem it was originally, but I suspect it is still an issue. I wonder what the words were that went with the "<1 FIT" line. FIT is reliability engineer talk for Failures In Time. 1 FIT = one failure in a billion hours of operation. That's something like 114,000 years. Really? They're saying these devices are virtually "failproof"? I can't imagine they were saying that, and if they were, I'm not believing it.

The silicon carbide FET (field-effect transistor) drop-in replacement for IGBTs is interesting--anxious to see if welders evolve from IGBT to the SiC technology as it matures in the high voltage/high current realm. FETs used to be kind of failure prone, as IGBTs are somewhat today. However, FETs have come a long way, and IGBTs may do the same.They are certainly far better than when they first came out.. Or, they may be eclipsed by new FETs.

[aametalmaster]

Pretty hard to make heads or tails out of that dog's breakfast...

All i know is TJ Max is a local store for me...Bob

[Aeronca41]

All i know is TJ Max is a local store for me...Bob

...and maybe that's all we need to know for now!