Looking for info on Miller products

[Engloid]

I am working at a company that manufactures large tanker trucks. I'm there as an instructor/consultant. I really want to convince them to buy some newer Miller products. They just got a new pulse mig machine, the 350P I believe. It has the Python gun on it. I simply can't get it to spray as well as some old esab guns that they currently use. Trust me, I am a Miller fan and want to sell them on Miller...but it simply can't compete on this aluminum that they are doing. I'm wondering if the Edge gun would work better, but I can't find any info on it. Any help would be appreciated...

Also, I'm interested in finding some better prices on the Tig hand roller switches. I found them for $155, but that's a bit high I think. Currently, the company uses some generic garbage that goes bad about once a week. They go bad so often that all the switches have been put on a 1ft pigtail that can be easily changed out. Seems like they'd solve the problem by getting a quality product that lasts, instead of making it easier to swap...but I'm working on convincing them of this. They say the switch costs them $60, and then they pay $8 a pop to have them repaired. This cost builds up quickly.

Any help is appreciated...

[klsm54]

Here you go.... XR-Edge

[Engloid]

I found that just today, but I appreciate your help.

I'm thinking that this is actually not as new of a design as the Python. Do you know anything about that?

[klsm54]

The Python is a newer design, at least for Miller. The Python, according to Miller, is the gun to use for thin gauge aluminum welding. I assume that you are running 3/64 or 1/16 wire on the truck bodies that you are building. There may be some advantage to the Edge gun in this application. It has been around for 4 or 5 years now and I know it has been proven in production environments. Maybe Andy, or one of the Miller guys can give you better advice.

[Engloid]

Actually, it's not on the truck body. This plant makes the big tanks that go on the back of the trucks... the tanks that haul dry bulk, gas, or other liquids.

We use primarily 5/64 wire, and sometimes 1/16. The esab guns they currently use are air operated pull rollers. This allows them to "trigger" the wire speed and have more control over the weld. These guns also will spray a nice wide bead in any position. So far, this Miller Python and 350P machine just can't compete with what they're already getting. Even with the widest arc settings on it, I can't get it to run a bead that looks much better than a globular transfer weld. Sure, it gets great penetration and gives very little spatter...but the welds just don't look as well as the esab welds. The esab guns tend to give frequent problems and require a lot to mantain, but they run excellent when kept in good shape. I'm not a big esab fan, but I have to convince myself that this Miller is better, and prove it, before I can try to persuade the company to use them.

I'm thinking that in the end, I'll wind up advising the company to use the Miller 350P only for their stainless welding, using tri-mix gas.

[Canuck]

Engold

I also work for a company that builds AL. tanks and we manly use Miller deltaweld 452's with the XR push pull feeder and the XR watercooled gun. These are great set up's that will weld well in any position.

[klsm54]

I have 2 customers that build aluminum truck bodies. Both of them use the Miller XR-30 guns. One uses air cooled, the other, water cooled. One has a mixture of power supplies, the other uses almost all Invision 456P's.

I don't know if the 350P is the best machine in the Miller line up to production weld that heavy of aluminum. I have not had much experience with the 350P yet, but if you want to "paint" some aluminum on, the Invision / XR combo will do the trick....

What power source's are the Esab guns on?

[Engloid]

Engold

I also work for a company that builds AL. tanks and we manly use Miller deltaweld 452's with the XR push pull feeder and the XR watercooled gun. These are great set up's that will weld well in any position.

Is there any way you guys can get some pics of some of the welds they're making? They actually have some of the XR guns where I'm working, but the guys don't use them on aluminum. Everybody here really swears by the Esab guns. Personally, I don't really like them for being big, bulky and requiring a lot of mantainence....but I can't argue with the welds they're making. I simply havn't seen any other guns weld aluminum like these. The ability to adjust the wire speed by the trigger is really nice.

[Canuck]

They don't like us taking pictures at work but the welds that we do are some of the best aluminum welds I have ever seen. The idea of being able to control wire speed with the trigger sounds interesting. I bet it would be a little confusing at first.