Millermatic

Millermatic is a type of MIG welding system that was invented by Miller Electric, a leading worldwide manufacturer of arc welding equipment, a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works.

MIG welding

MIG welding is considered the easiest welding process to learn. The operator pulls the trigger which prompts the wire drive system to automatically and continuously feed the filler wire forward. The wire is directed into the molten weld puddle and the gun is held back from the work piece.

Before 1971, MIG welding systems were developed for industrial use and featured separate power source and wire feed systems. They weighed hundreds of pounds, cost thousands of dollars and were too complex for most non-industrial applications which relied on stick welding or the oxy-fuel process.

A new form of welder

Miller Electric is credited with inventing the “all-in-one” MIG welder category in 1971 by combining a MIG welding power source and a wire feed system/MIG gun into a single unit known as the Millermatic® 35. At the time of its inception, it was the most affordable MIG welding package offered and opened the door to MIG welding in non-industrial applications.

The new system used single-phase power, was designed for short circuit and spray transfer MIG welding, had a top output of about 200 A, weighed 205 lb and was housed on a wheeled cart. It featured six voltage settings and continuously variable wire feed speed. The system included a chart that recommended parameter settings for various metal thicknesses and allowed users to achieve acceptable arc characteristics with little guesswork.

During the 1970s, Millermatic’s economy, ease-of-use, simplicity and relative portability/size popularized MIG welding in home-hobby, farm/ranch and do-it-yourself automotive applications. In addition, many light fabrication, collision repair centers and maintenance/repair operations began to use the systems since the MIG process improved welding speed and allowed for weld of thin-to thick-metal among other benefits.

Innovations

The Millermatic has grown to include a number of product innovations. Those of significance include:

Auto-Set™. When enabled, the Auto-Set function automatically sets welder output. Instead of adjusting voltage and amperage parameters, the user sets material thickness and starts to weld. Learn more about Auto-Set [http://www.millerwelds.com/about/news_releases/2006/articles186.html]

Simplified spool gun connections. Simplified connections eliminate the need for additional control modules when adding a spool gun for welding aluminum. Gun-on-Demand™. This technology enables users to begin welding by pulling the trigger on the spool gun or the regular MIG gun.

All-in-one package that includes inverter-based MIG [arc welding] power source, wire feeder, self-contained shielding gas system and gun (view video). This portable unit known as the Millermatic Passport Plus weighs 56 lb with an 8-in spool of wire and 12 oz CO2 shielding gas cylinder (based on a paintball-type cylinder) and provides 25 min of welding time, which equates to 25 ft of weld on 3/16-in thick material with one cylinder of gas. It also has an external shielding gas connection. The technology enables high stability, low-spatter welding with CO2 shielding gas and outstanding results when using a mixed gas. (View online videos [http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_passport_plus/flash/video.html] )

Auto-Line power management. This technology enables the unit to connect to voltage between 115 and 230 V without mechanical linking changes. It ensures a steady welding arc and eliminates the effect of voltage dips and spikes as long as the primary power remains within a 115 – 230 V range (Learn more [http://www.millerwelds.com/education/autoline.html] ).

Multi-voltage plug (MVP™). On most all-in-on-one MIG welders, additional tools are usually necessary to change primary voltage input. However, with MVP power cord adapters, no tools are required to change from 115 VAC to 230 V primary because everything is found directly inside the plug (Learn more [http://www.millerwelds.com/swf/swf.php?swf=mvp_550x400.swf] ).

Simplified pulsed MIG welding. The Millermatic 350P has the fewest controls of any all-in-one pulsed MIG welder. Its pulsed MIG welding capabilities, notably on aluminum as thin as 19 ga, reduce weld spatter, increase deposition rates and deposition efficiency and enhance weld bead appearance (Learn more [http://www.millerwelds.com/pulsedmigprofits/Pulsed_MIG_BenefitsProdPg.pdf] ).

External links

* Official Miller Electric website – http://www.millerwelds.com

* Single-Phase all-in-one product page: http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/onephase.php

* All-in-one interactive Smart Selector: http://www.millerwelds.com/products/smartselector/choosemig.php

* Buyers Guide – http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/MMMBG.pdf