What can be made from a welding inverter

How to make an induction heater from a welding inverter

Not long ago, new products appeared on the heating equipment market - induction electric boilers. It is quite natural that a good thing always arouses the interest of home craftsmen, especially if you take into account the cost of factory-made copies. There will always be people who want to do something similar as cheaply as possible and at home. Thus, an induction heater from a welding inverter was born, which will be discussed in the presented material.

Induction heating principle

To make any device yourself, you must first understand how it works. We will look at the operation of induction water heaters using the example of Russian-made serial boilers Edison, manufactured at the Sibtekhnomash plant. These boilers will serve as a prototype for our future home-made device, since all elements of their design are visible, unlike devices of other brands.

Note. There are also products on the market from another well-known brand - VIN, but in them all the parts are hidden inside a steel case, it will be difficult to repeat a similar design at home.

The Edison factory boiler is a block of several induction-type heating elements. Each element is a steel pipe of a calculated diameter in the form of a coil, inside which the coolant circulates.

It surrounds an induction coil, called an inductor, and a high-frequency current flows through it, created by a separate transformer in the cabinet. As a result, a powerful electromagnetic field is formed around the coil, whose vector changes direction with enormous frequency.

This field heats the metal walls of the pipe, and from them the coolant is also heated.

The question arises: why fence such a complex structure when there are good old heating elements or simple electrode boilers? The point is to get rid of the disadvantages of these heating elements while maintaining the advantages. An induction heat generator heats water as quickly as an electrode boiler, but its working part is not subject to destruction. The induction coil is a very reliable element and will not burn out like a regular heating element, since it does not experience a heavy load.

How to make a heater

Our homemade induction heater from a welding inverter will be slightly modified compared to the prototype to make it easier to manufacture. To create an electromagnetic field outside the inductor, you will need a serious coil with a huge number of turns, and besides, bending a pipe in the form of a coil is not so easy. Therefore, it is better to place a straight pipe inside the induction coil so that it acts as a core.

Logically, the pipe should be metal, but in a homemade installation with a small inductor it will heat the coolant very weakly. So the craftsmen came up with another core device made from a polymer pipe, partially filled with pieces of metal wire. The role of the inductive circuit will be played by a coil of enameled copper wire. Well, a household inverter arc welding machine will serve as a high-frequency current generator. So, let’s clarify the list of materials:

polymer pipe with a diameter of 50 mm made of cross-linked polyethylene for heating, withstanding coolant temperatures up to 95 ° C;
steel wire with a diameter of 6 mm;
enameled copper wire with a cross-section of 3 mm2;
fine-mesh mesh made of thin metal wire.

The steel wire rod is cut into pieces 4-6 mm long to produce cylinders of different sizes. Then one end of the pipe is covered with a fine mesh and pieces of wire are poured inside.

To prevent them from falling out, the mesh must be placed on the other side. An induction winding is made from copper wire over the pipe with your own hands, which will serve as a heater.

The number of turns is from 85 to 95, the ends are carefully insulated and connected to the output of the welding inverter, as shown in the diagram:

Now, after turning on the welding machine, the coil will create an electromagnetic field, causing eddy currents to flow in the metal core of pieces of wire rod. It will quickly warm up, raising the temperature of the water flowing through the pipe. Actually, this completes the production of the induction heater; all that remains is to install it in the combustion room and connect it to the heating system.

Important. For safety reasons, all exposed current-carrying parts should be well insulated, and the inverter must be grounded.

Features and Cautions

Since do-it-yourself induction heaters with a welding inverter cannot independently control the water temperature, in their original form they are a source of increased danger. Therefore, the device requires modification, namely the addition of control and automation devices. First, at the outlet of the pipe, you need to install a standard safety group, which includes a pressure gauge, an air vent and a safety valve.

Important. The device can function normally only in systems with forced circulation of coolant. With a gravity circuit, the element will quickly overheat, which threatens to destroy the plastic pipe.

To avoid overheating, the heater should be equipped with an emergency shutdown device controlled by a thermostat. If you have good skills in assembling electrical circuits, to control heating you can use a thermostat with a water temperature sensor and a relay that opens the circuit when the set coolant temperature is reached.

The disadvantage of this design is its low efficiency, and the reliability of the device is in question. The fact is that in factory boilers water passes through the heat exchanger freely, but in our case there is an obstacle in its path in the form of pieces of wire rod. They cover the entire cross-section of the pipe and create high hydraulic resistance. And in the event of an emergency, an accident is fraught with rupture of the plastic and a possible short circuit due to the flow of hot water.

It must be said that converting a welding inverter into an induction heater is also impractical because the thermal power of the device will be limited by the maximum electrical power of the inverter. Usually, the apparatus available in the house is enough to heat a room with an area of 25-30 m2 at best, and how will you carry out welding work all this time? In fact, such a heater can be used, but only in exceptional cases as a method of temporary heating.

Conclusion

The idea of making an induction water heater is not bad in itself, but is of little use among a wide range of users. If you approach it from a practical point of view, when you really need to heat the house, and not engage in experiments, then it would be more correct to assemble a simple electrode boiler or buy it ready-made.

Source: https://cotlix.com/kak-sdelat-indukcionnyj-nagrevatel-iz-svarochnogo-invertora

DIY induction heaters - from a welding inverter and more, diagram

Many people are attracted to electric heating because it works autonomously and does not require constant supervision. The negative side of such heating boilers is the cost and technical requirements.

In some places they simply cannot be used. But many owners are not afraid of this, and they believe that it is the ease of operation that covers all the shortcomings.

Especially when new types of electric boilers with inductive coils, rather than heating elements, appeared on the sales markets. They heat up the coolant with instant speed and economically heat the building, according to the owners of the units. The new type of boiler is called induction.

The new type of heaters is easy to use. They are considered safe, in comparison with gas heaters, there is no soot and soot, which cannot be said about devices with solid fuel. And the most important advantage is that there is no need to prepare solid fuel (coal, firewood, pellets).

And as soon as induction heaters appeared, there were immediately craftsmen who, in order to save money, were trying to create such an installation with their own hands.

In this article we will help you design a heating device yourself.

A device where metal and similar products are heated without contact is called an induction heater. The operation is controlled by an alternating induction field acting on the metal, and the currents inside generate heat.

High frequency currents affect the product in addition to insulation, which is why the design is unusual compared to other types of heating.

Today's induction heaters contain semiconductor frequency reducers. This type of heating is widely used in the heat treatment of surfaces made of steel and various compounds and alloys.

The compactness of equipment is used in innovative technologies, while there is a huge economic effect. A variety of models help implement flexible and automated combinations, including all-round transistor frequency reducers and connection blocks when an induction system is preferred.

Description

Heater device

A typical heating element includes the following components:

A heating element in the form of a rod or metal tube.
An inductor is a copper wire that frames a coil in turns. During operation, it acts as a generator.
Alternator. A separate design where standard current is converted into a high frequency value.

In practice, induction units have been used recently. Theoretical studies are much ahead. This can be explained by one obstacle - obtaining high frequency magnetic fields. The fact is that using low-frequency settings is considered ineffective. As soon as high-frequency current generators appeared, the problem was solved.

HDTV generators have passed their evolutionary period; from lamp ones to modern models based on IGBT. Now they are more efficient, lighter in weight and smaller in size. Their frequency limitation is 100 kHz due to dynamic losses of transistors.

Operating principle and scope

The generator increases the frequency of the current and transfers its energy to the coil. The inductor converts high-frequency current into an alternating electromagnetic field. Electromagnetic waves change at high frequencies.

Heating occurs due to the heating of eddy currents, which are provoked by alternating eddy vectors of the electromagnetic field. Energy is transmitted with almost no losses with high efficiency and enough energy to heat the coolant and even more.

The battery energy is transferred to the coolant, which is located inside the pipe. The coolant, in turn, is the coolant of the heating element. Due to this, the service life increases.

Industry is the most active consumer of induction heaters, since many designs involve high heat treatment. Their use increases the strength of the product.

High-power devices are installed in high-frequency forges.

Forging and pressing companies, using such units, increase labor productivity and reduce wear of dies, and reduce metal consumption. Installations with through heating can cover a certain number of workpieces at once.

When surface hardening parts, the use of such heating makes it possible to increase wear resistance several times and obtain a significant economic effect.

Common areas of application for devices are soldering, melting, heating before deformation, and high-frequency hardening. But there are also zones where single-crystal semiconductor materials are produced, epitaxial films are grown, materials are foamed into electrical components. field, high-frequency welding of shells and pipes.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

High heating quality.
High control precision and flexibility.
Reliability. Can work autonomously, having automation.
Warms any liquid.
The efficiency of the device is 90%.
Long service life (up to 30 years).
Easy to install.
The heater does not collect scale.
Due to automation, energy savings.

Minuses:

High cost of models with automation.
Dependence on electricity supply.
Some models are noisy.

How to do it yourself?

Electrical circuit of an induction heater

Let's say you decide to make an induction heater yourself, for this we prepare a pipe, pour small pieces of steel wire (9 cm in length) into it.

The pipe can be plastic or metal, most importantly, with thick walls. Then, it is closed with special adapters on all sides.

Next, we wind up to 100 turns of copper wire onto it and place it along the central part of the tube. The result is an inductor. We connect the output part of the inverter to this winding. We use a thermostat as an assistant.

The pipe acts as a heater.

We prepare the generator and assemble the entire structure.

Required materials and tools:

stainless steel wire or rod (diameter 7 mm);
water;
welding inverter;
enameled copper wire;
metal mesh with small holes;
adapters;
thick-walled plastic pipe;

Step by step guide:

Mode: cut wire into pieces , 50 mm long.
We prepare the shell for the heater. We use a thick-walled pipe (diameter 50 mm).
We cover the bottom and top of the body with a mesh.
Preparing the induction coil. We wind 90 turns of copper wire around the body and place them in the center of the shell.
We cut out part of the pipe from the pipeline and install an induction boiler.
We connect the coil to the inverter and fill the boiler with water.
We ground the resulting structure.
We check the system in operation. It cannot be used without water, as the plastic pipe may melt.

From a welding inverter

The simplest budget option is to make an induction heater using a welding inverter:

To do this, we take a polymer pipe , its walls must be thick. We install 2 valves at the ends and connect the wiring.
We pour pieces (diameter 5 mm) of metal wire into the pipe and install the top valve.
Next, we make 90 turns around the pipe with copper wire , we get an inductor. The heating element is a pipe, and we use a welding machine as a generator.
The device must be in AC mode with high frequency.
We connect the copper wire to the poles of the welding machine and check the operation.

Working as an inductor, a magnetic field will be emitted, while eddy currents will heat the chopped wire, which will lead to boiling of water in the polymer pipe.

Adviсe

Open areas of the structure should be insulated for safety reasons.
The use of an induction heater is recommended only in closed heating systems where a pump is installed to circulate the coolant.
The structure with an induction heater is placed 800 mm from the ceiling, 300 mm from furniture and walls.
Installing a pressure gauge will protect your structure.
It is advisable to equip the heating device with an automatic control system.
The heater should be connected to the electrical network using special adapters.

Source: https://househill.ru/kommunikacii/otoplenie/obogrevateli/electro/indukcionnye-svoimi-rukami.html

How to make an induction heater from a welding inverter?

Induction heating is a high-tech process for processing electrically conductive materials, which is based on the high-temperature effect of an alternating electromagnetic field of the conductor. An induction heating inverter can be useful in many areas of the metalworking industry.

THIS IS INTERESTING: What can be made from a welding machine

Welding work, metal soldering, blacksmithing, hardening, high-frequency furnaces, heat treatment - this is not the entire list of works that use induction heating. The technology is characterized by high speed and excellent efficiency. If necessary, the entire technological chain can be automated.

Induction development methods began to be used in industry from the beginning of the twentieth century, but the impetus for the development of technology was the Second World War, which forced scientists to begin searching for cheap and reliable methods of metal processing.

Principle of operation

The main task of the inductor is to use thermal energy, which is generated under the influence of electrical energy induced by an alternating magnetic field. The design of the simplest inductor includes only three elements:

alternator;
inductor coil;
a heating element.

The inductor coil, as a rule, is made in the form of a copper coil, inside which the workpiece is placed. When alternating current passes through the coil, the workpiece is subjected to a powerful temperature effect. In this case, the workpiece plays the role of the secondary winding of the transformer, while the inductor plays the role of the primary winding.

The electromagnetic field creates eddy currents in the part, which have the opposite direction to the electrical resistance of the metal. Thus, the thermal effect on the metal occurs without direct contact between the workpiece and the inductor.

Advantages

As mentioned above, the advantages of induction heating technology have ensured its rapid spread. The generally recognized advantages of this method are:

Productivity . Preparations for starting the device and heating the part can be completed in a short period of time. This circumstance increases the productivity of the work performed, compared to other heating methods that require a long time to reach operating temperature.
Quality . Industrial use is characterized by a minimum amount of defects. The effect is achieved due to the directed action of thermal energy. To improve the quality of the finished product, special vacuum chambers are used that eliminate the aggressive effects of atmospheric air.
Energy efficiency . High operating speed allows you to save energy - the surface is heated almost instantly, which affects the cost of production.
Automation . Modern equipment is equipped with software and computing systems that allow you to achieve accurate work results.
Environmental friendliness . The technological process does not pose a threat to the environment - there are no toxic emissions into the atmosphere or other harmful factors.

Assembly and installation of the system

First of all, you should decide on the scope of use of the future device. The requirements for a simple laboratory inverter for induction heating and a device for heating a home space will be different.

Furnace for metal

Among other positive qualities of the method, it should be noted the high level of fire safety, as well as the simplicity of the design - the assembly of an induction heater with your own hands from a welding inverter can be done by a semi-skilled specialist, of course, subject to the availability of a working diagram.

The design of an induction furnace is not particularly complicated. To assemble the device you will need:

12 V battery;
winding copper wire;
film type capacitors;
diodes;
field effect transistors;
radiators;
PC power supply rings.

This list indicates that the manufacture of the device will not require significant financial expenditure . The assembly algorithm looks like this:

Installing transistors on cooling radiators. During operation, the device is exposed to temperature, and therefore large radiators should be used.
Manufacturing of chokes. To do this, you will need copper wire and rings from the PC power supply. Watch the interturn distance - it should be the same.

Assembling a capacitor bank. The total battery capacity, when connected in series, should be 4.7 µF.
Manufacturing of winding. The optimal thickness of copper wire is 2 mm. It is necessary to create 8 turns so that the internal space can accommodate the elements being processed. Don't forget about the ends for connecting to the power source.
We connect the battery.

Current adjustment is carried out at the furnace assembly stage - by changing the number of turns. For serious work, a high power power source will be required . Do not forget about the ventilation and heat removal system, since during operation the stove heats up quite strongly. Exactly following the instructions will protect you from possible alterations or modifications to the device.

Water heater

Installing such equipment in a private home will help solve the problem of heating the room or providing hot water. Despite the high energy consumption, such devices are popular due to their simplicity and the absence of hassle with project approval.

To assemble an effective heater, you need to prepare the following materials:

welding inverter;
expanded clay or other thermal insulation material;
copper wire;
steel wire;
thick-walled plastic pipe;
tubes of different diameters.

The operation of the device is based on the principle of induction heating of the coolant.

The boiler assembly sequence is as follows:

Making a boiler. To do this, select two tubes with different diameters, which are inserted into each other with a gap of 20-25 mm. The size of the tubes is selected individually, depending on the required heater power. Increasing length leads to increased power. Then two rings are cut out, observing the size of the gap between the pipes. The resulting reservoir has a toroidal shape
We weld the ends of the rings. Pay attention to the tightness of the connection.
We make a connection to the heating system. Inlet and outlet pipes are welded into the outer wall. Please note that the entrance should be located at the top and the exit at the bottom. The pipes must run tangentially to the body. Their diameter must correspond to the heating system used.
We make the winding. It should follow the shape of the boiler. It is necessary to make 35-40 turns, maintaining an equal interturn distance. This amount will provide sufficient performance.
We make a protective case. It must be made of a dielectric material, such as plastic. The diameter of the protective housing must ensure the lateral outlet of the pipes. The space between the boiler and the protective casing must be filled with thermal insulation material to avoid heat loss.
We connect the inverter unit and coolant. The boiler is ready for operation.

This design is autonomous. It is capable of working for 20-25 years without outside intervention . The absence of bearings and other moving elements ensures the reliability of the device.

A few words about safety

An induction heater from a welding inverter, like any other home-made device, can pose a danger to others. To ensure protection, you must follow some rules:

Careful isolation . All conductive elements and connections must be insulated to avoid electric shock.
Selecting a heating system . The induction heater must not be used in heating systems with natural water circulation. Use is only permissible with a water pump.
Smart location . The recommended distance to interior parts and walls is at least 40 cm, and to the floor or ceiling - at least 80 cm.
Safety devices . A control valve and pressure gauge will protect the system from pressure changes. A mechanism should also be provided to bleed air from the system.

Induction heater: do-it-yourself heating circuit, how to make a vortex heater from a welding inverter

You can make an induction heater yourself if you approach this process correctly. Induction heating is a modern method of thermal treatment of electrically conductive substances and materials, which has the highest efficiency among existing methods. For more economical operation of heating and household appliances, today special induction heaters are used. How induction devices work and how to make an induction heating device yourself - read below.

- What is induction heating: advantages
- Vortex Induction Heater
- Circuit board based induction heater circuit
- The simplest DIY induction heater
- How to make an induction heater with your own hands: instructions
- Induction heater from a welding inverter: features
- What is an induction heater (video)

What is induction heating: advantages

The principle of induction heating is based on the effect of alternating current on the winding of a transformer and the subsequent appearance of an electromagnetic field. As a result of the occurrence of a magnetic field, an electric current is generated between magnetic and non-magnetic parts. It is high-frequency currents (HFC) that heat various electrically conductive materials.

The advantage of an induction heater is that it is lightweight

Induction heating has many advantages:

The induction heating device is lightweight, so it can be easily used for domestic purposes;
Induction heating is ideal for all types of heat treatment of metal, among which welding, soldering, and forging are especially popular;
High-frequency heating can be carried out in a vacuum, protective gas;
Using induction, you can quickly and evenly heat electrically conductive substances and obtain ultra-pure metals.

In addition, this heating method is extremely economical: it converts up to 90% of the consumed energy into heat (despite the fact that conventional electric heaters have, on average, 45-50%).

Vortex Induction Heater

Due to its economic benefits, induction heating is widely used today. The vortex induction heating device is perfect for rooms up to 60 square meters. m, which must be heated with electricity. Thus, VIN can be used for heating private houses, industrial and warehouse premises, gas stations, car service centers and other free-standing facilities.

The vortex induction heater is quite popular.

The main advantages of using VIN as the “heart” of the heating system include the following:

Heating occurs almost instantly, because heat occurs directly in the part;
Over the years, the installation operates with the same power, its productivity does not decrease;
Compared with conventional electric heating elements, the induction vortex device saves up to 50% of electricity.

That is why today, more and more companies producing household appliances and production machines are using induction heating. An example of such use, in addition to heating boilers, is an induction electric furnace.

Ultrasonic induction heater is used in the food industry.

For heating metals in industry, an inverter induction apparatus is used, for melting non-ferrous metals - a melting-reduction unit, forging iron and making blanks - an induction electric forge.

Circuit board based induction heater circuit

You can make a VIN with your own hands. In order to correctly assemble a vortex induction heating apparatus, it is necessary to find a diagram of the device. The simplest is a printed circuit board circuit, which is a chopper operating on high-power transistors.

The characteristic differences of this scheme are:

Heating inductor (coil) in the form of a spiral with 6-8 turns;
The presence of a voltage regulator (can be taken from an old computer unit);
The presence of a resistance that protects the transistors from overheating.

Before making an induction heater for a printed circuit board, you should first familiarize yourself with its diagram

It is recommended to install transistors in a heater assembled according to this scheme on special radiators: this will avoid overheating of the device. Using the same scheme, you can assemble an induction water heater.

The vortex induction heater device includes:

Coil;
Heat exchanger;
Terminal box;
Control cabinet;
Inlet and outlet pipes.

This circuit is based on the resonant principle of operation occurring in a series oscillatory circuit. The magnetic flux between the turns of the coil is closed through the air.

To assemble a heater for water heating, the easiest way is to use a circuit with a transformer consisting of primary and secondary short-circuited windings. The water will be heated by passing through the pipes inside the coil and supplied heated from the outlet pipe.

At the same time, it should be remembered that in water heating systems with VID it is necessary to use a pump for forced water circulation.

If it is not possible to install a flow pump, then you can choose a mechanical heater for liquid coolant as a heating element or attach a permanent magnet heater to the wall of the coolant tank.

The simplest DIY induction heater

The most inexpensive induction generator can be made by using a transformer magnetic core. A fairly powerful device for induction heating can be assembled from an electronic transformer, which is a switching power supply.

In order to assemble a simple induction heater, you need to prepare tools for work

In order to assemble the device you need:

Solder the main transformer from the electrical one;
Make an inductor based on a ferrite cup;
Solder the ends of the wires in place of the switching power supply.

Such a heater will have an efficiency of at least 65%. This will be enough to assemble a small induction electric oven. In addition, with the help of such a device it will be possible to quickly melt wires with a diameter of up to 4 mm.

How to make an induction heater with your own hands: instructions

An induction heating apparatus can be made from an inverter power source of a welding machine. At the same time, the design can be simplified by placing a straight pipe inside the induction coil. It will work as a core. In order to make a heater you will need: a polymer pipe with a diameter of 5 cm; steel wire with a diameter of 0.6 cm; 3mm copper wire; construction metal fine mesh.

Before making an induction heater, you can additionally read the detailed instructions

Let's get started:

We cut the wire rod into pieces 3-6 mm long;
We cover one end of the pipe with a construction mesh;
We put pieces of wire inside the pipe;
Cover the second end of the pipe with mesh;
We make a winding on top of the pipe (turns should be at least 85 and no more than 95);
We insulate the ends of the winding and connect them to the output of one of the types of welding arc power source.

The device is ready! Now, during operation of the device, the coil will create an electromagnetic field and eddy current flows. This will cause the device to heat up quickly.

Induction heater from a welding inverter: features

In their usual form, induction heaters made from a welding inverter pose an increased danger, because they cannot autonomously control the water temperature. Thus, using a heater in systems with coolant can be fraught with short circuits and pipe rupture. This can occur due to high hydraulic resistance in the system, which occurs due to the movement of coolant through pieces of wire rod. Therefore, such devices require improvements.

An induction heater made from a welding inverter is practical and of high quality.

To avoid emergency situations, you should equip a homemade induction heating apparatus made from a welding inverter with emergency shutdown devices.

To control heating, you can use a thermostat with a temperature sensor and a relay that opens the circuit when the coolant temperature reaches the set values. In addition, it will be possible to avoid rupture of the system by attaching a safety valve to the heater through a tee, on one side.

Experienced electricians say that converting one type of welding arc power source into a heater is not justified: the thermal power of the heater will be limited by the electrical power of the inverter.

Such a heat generator is enough to heat a room whose area is no more than 30 square meters. m. Cost savings, in this case, will be 30-50% (depending on the size of the apartment). At the same time, you will lose your expensive welding machine today.

THIS IS INTERESTING: What kind of soldering irons are there?

What is an induction heater (video)

Inductive heating is a modern method of heat treatment of electrically conductive substances, which has found wide household application. Thus, vortex induction heaters are excellent for organizing more economical and efficient operation of the heating system. You can make an induction generator yourself. The main thing is to take into account the recommendations of professional electricians and carry out all work consistently!

Source: http://thewalls.ru/neobyichnyie-resheniya/indykcionnyi-nagrevatel-shema-nagreva-svoimi-rykami-kak-sdelat-vihrevoi-iz-svarochnogo-invertora.html

How to make inverter welding with your own hands: description and diagram + Overview of its assembly for beginners

Welding work is in great demand in any assembly and repair work. High-quality metal welding is highly valued and paid for. In order to perform all welding work yourself, you need a personal machine. And you don't have to buy it at all. You can assemble an inverter welding installation with your own hands. Which will not be one gram inferior to conveyor representatives.

General information about the welding inverter

Every real owner should have a welding machine in his household.

This device is indispensable in agricultural farming, in construction and home improvement, in car maintenance, and many other places.

In addition, it is quite possible to perform inverter welding with your own hands, even if you are not a professional electrician.

Technical indicators

The indicators of a welding inverter assembled independently will be as follows:

Voltage 220V.
The current at the input to the device is 32 A, and at the output -250A.
Such an installation will be able to perform welding work 5th electrode
efficiency will be no lower than purchased ones.

Elements of the assembled structure

power supply,
power switch drivers,
power block

Tools required for assembly

knife, set of screwdrivers, hacksaw,
soldering iron for working with electrical circuits,
threaded fasteners,
thin sheet of metal
elements for microcircuits, copper wires and strips,
cash register thermal paper, fiberglass, textolite, mica.

Assembling the power supply

The most important component for this inverter unit will be the transformer. It ensures a stable voltage supply.

It is made of four windings:

primary - 100 turns made of PEV wire 0.3 mm in diameter;
first secondary – 15 turns made of PEV wire 1mm in diameter;
the second secondary - 15 turns made of PEV wire 0.2 mm in diameter;
the third secondary - 20 turns made of PEV wire 0.3 mm in diameter.

Having completed winding the primary winding, the resulting surface should be insulated with fiberglass. And then wind a layer of shielding wire. Moreover, its turns should cover the entire first layer.

Important! It is better to wind the transformer evenly across the entire width of the frame. This way the influence of voltage drops will be minimal.

The wire for shielding must be taken of the same diameter as the primary winding and wound in the same direction. This condition applies to all other windings. Each layer of the winding is insulated from each other with fiberglass or masking tape.

Correctly selected resistors for the electronic circuit will ensure the voltage transmitted from the power supply to the relay in the range of 20-25V. The diodes in the circuit must be assembled according to the “oblique bridge” method.

During operation of the device, the diodes will heat up significantly, so radiators must be attached to them. Sometimes, for this purpose, cooling elements are borrowed from an old computer. The diode bridge installation must have two radiators. The top of the bridge is attached through a mica gasket to one radiator, the bottom - through thermal paste to the second.

The leads of the diodes must be directed in the same direction as the leads of the transistors that ensure the transformation of direct current into alternating current.

The length of the wires for connecting the terminals must be less than 15 cm. The power supply and the inverter unit are separated by a sheet of metal welded to the body of the installation.

Assembling the power block

The main unit of the power unit is the transformer. It reduces the voltage of the high-frequency current and increases the strength.

Such a transformer requires two cores Ш20х208 2000 nm. It is better to ensure the gap between them using newsprint.

The transformer winding must be made of copper strip 40mm wide and 0.25mm thick.

All layers must be additionally wrapped with cash register tape for thermal insulation.

The secondary winding is made of three layers of copper strips with fluoroplastic tape between each of them.

In total, the transformer winding should consist of 12 turns x 4 turns, 10 sq. mm x 30 sq. mm.

Thermal insulation can be done with regular paper, but cash register tape will be more durable.

It must be taken into account that during operation of the device, the made transformer will significantly overheat, so it is necessary to provide a cooling cooler. For example, from an old computer.

Composition of the inverter unit

This block of the device converts direct current into high-frequency alternating current. The best option would be to assemble such a block from two transistors of medium and lower power. Then the frequency of the current will be stabilized, and the noise during operation will be minimal.

In a homemade welding inverter, you need to install at least six low-power cooling fans from the computer, or one powerful one, directing it to blow on the step-down power transformer. If several fans are used, at least three of them should be located near the power transformer.

For greater protection against overheating of the device, a temperature sensor is installed on the hottest radiator. Its function is to turn off the power to the entire device when the maximum permissible temperature is reached.

Approximate diagram of a homemade welding inverter

The completed transformer winding is attached to the base of the unit using several brackets.

The boards are made using foil PCB 1mm thick. To reduce the load, several small slots are formed in the boards.

The base of the unit is a 0.5 cm thick getinax plate with a round slot in the center for a fan.

Important! All wires must be positioned so that there is space between them.

Handles for the resistor and toggle switches, clamps and LEDs are displayed on the surface of the base. The top of the device is covered with a casing made of vinyl plastic or textolite with a thickness of at least 4 mm.

Description of the main malfunctions of the welding inverter and its repair

Determining the causes of failure should begin with an external examination. If places with poor contact are found, they are disconnected, cleaned and connected again.

The following malfunctions occur quite often:

Excessive current consumption when there is no load .
In this case, the turns are most likely shorted. You just need to rewind and improve the insulation of the layer.
Frequent drop of the welding arc.
A breakdown of the winding is most likely, as a result of which an increased voltage enters the circuit.
Incorrect welding current adjustment.
Possible short circuits in the terminals or choke coil, or failure of the current-regulating screw.
The current is insufficient .
This indicates that the network voltage has dropped. In this case, check the serviceability of the regulator.
Increased transformer noise .
Often an increase in noise is accompanied by overheating of the device. In such cases, it is necessary to check the fastenings, tightening parts of the magnetic circuit, fastenings of the moving mechanisms, and the coil core. Most likely, there is a short in the welding wires.
Automatic shutdown of the device .
It should be assumed that there is a short circuit in the electrical circuit that caused the auto shutdown.

In addition, the weakest point of the inverter will always be terminal block for connecting the welding cable.

Source: https://domsdelat.ru/instrumenty/invertornaya-svarka-svoimi-rukami-sxema-i-opisanie.html

Do-it-yourself spot welding from an inverter

Do-it-yourself spot welding from an inverter - is it a myth or reality? It is not at all easy to answer this question clearly. You can find many articles on this topic on the Internet.

Their authors, as a rule, deal with the problems of altering electrical and electronic components. The question of how to create the necessary working pressure on the electrodes seems to fade into the background.

But it is, in fact, key, since we are talking about an effort of tens and sometimes hundreds of kilograms. Well, okay, let's take it in order.

Opening opportunities

The advantages of resistance welding are sufficient to make it attractive to those who intend to launch mass production of products or repair equipment at a professional level.

Good quality welded joint. It is ensured by the stability of the parameters of the welding current and pressure exerted on the parts being joined.
High speed of the process. It takes seconds to apply a suture. This is especially important when it comes to performing a large amount of work.
Operational simplicity. A properly manufactured resistance welding machine does not require special skills to use, and even a semi-skilled specialist can master the process.
The use of a spotter is justified when repairing automobile bodies. This device simplifies not only the welding process, but also the straightening of damaged parts.

The main obstacle to widespread adoption of the technology is the high cost of equipment. This gives many people the idea of making a resistance welding machine on their own.

Do you need an inverter?

In fact, using an inverter for these purposes is unjustified. After all, for resistance welding there is no need for direct current. If you have a ready-made welding inverter, the task of installing control circuits and manufacturing transformer coils of the required parameters is only slightly simplified. With the same success, you can make equipment, as they say, from scratch.

It is not worth starting to solve such a problem without the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills. In words it all looks relatively simple. But if you know how to solder and know how to rewind the transformer coils correctly, you can try it. To do this you will need certain materials and tools.

Copper wire of a certain cross-section. Its cross-section and quantity can only be determined by performing preliminary calculations.
Material for making a tire. At worst, you can get by with the same wire, but it is more advisable to purchase a ready-made product.
Varnish to create an insulating layer on the wires and good insulating tape.
Multimeter for taking the necessary measurements.
Soldering supplies – soldering iron, flux, solder, etc.

Of course, you will have to purchase a ready-made welding inverter.

Transformer manufacturing

Figure No. 1 schematically shows the possible ratio of turns of the primary and secondary windings of the transformer necessary for resistance welding. A large number of outputs on the secondary winding is necessary in order to be able to roughly adjust the current parameters. But the presented circuit requires adjustment depending on the required current parameters. You can't do without preliminary calculations.

Theoretical and practical assistance

The number of turns can be calculated using this formula: N = 50/S. Where N is the number of turns, S is the core area in cm2. To simplify the task, it is recommended to use a ready-made calculator program. They can also be found online. For example, the OER program.

This will help avoid mistakes and simplify the task. Since we are talking about designing equipment based on a ready-made inverter, you should first measure the parameters of the primary coil, make calculations, and only then begin manufacturing the secondary winding.

Carefully!

Care must be taken to ensure that both windings are grounded. After all, the resulting current power will be very high, and contact with live parts can be fatal.

Carefully insulate and cool well

When winding wire onto a coil, be sure to apply insulating varnish to its surface and lay the turns as tightly as possible. Otherwise, interturn short circuits and wire burnout due to overheating cannot be ruled out. Transformer cooling comes to the fore. For some reason, the authors of many articles are silent about this.

It is possible that the installation of an additional cooling system consisting of radiators and fans blowing them will be required. If this is not taken care of, the equipment will simply fail due to overheating or even become a fire hazard. As an option, it is possible to install ready-made cooling systems used in electrical and electronics.

Control system installation

When installing the control circuit, it is recommended to use ready-made elements. They are already in the factory inverter. This will greatly simplify the assembly process and make the device convenient to use. But the capacity of its standard capacitors may not be enough.

In this case, they will have to be replaced with parts that match the parameters. The current parameters in the resistance welding machine are adjusted in stages. Its accuracy will depend on the number of pins of the secondary winding and their pitch.

This is necessary if equipment capable of operating in different modes is required.

It is important!

Installation of circuit components should be done using soldering. Detachable connections are not capable of providing the required heat transfer mode. Their use makes sense only in cases where frequent replacement of any parts is expected.

Making pliers

Only when the transformer is ready does it make sense to start making contact clamps. Their design primarily depends on the nature of the work for which the equipment will be used. The gripper design will depend on its drive system and the expected size of the parts to be connected. An important part of the pliers are the contact tips.

If the thickness of the sheet being welded is small, it is quite acceptable to use copper tips from a soldering iron. It is better if you purchase and install ready-made tips - they are available for sale and are convenient because they have a special shape that is well suited for the job.

But if we are talking about a steel sheet of 0.5 mm or more and it is intended to apply connecting seams of considerable length, it is recommended to equip the tips with rollers.

Providing clamping force

Next we will have to solve the most practically difficult problem. The fact is that if you intend to create pressure on the welding tongs manually, it is better to refuse making resistance welding. The efficiency of such a device will be low. The applied force at the welding site must be uniform and very significant.

In industrial settings, hydraulic or pneumatic systems are used for this. Making such a device yourself is extremely problematic. It makes more sense to purchase a ready-made booster, since they are available for sale.

THIS IS INTERESTING: How to make a mini metal lathe with your own hands

When making resistance welding with your own hands, it is easier to use amplifiers driven by compressed air. In this case, for their operation it will be enough to connect a conventional pneumatic compressor. It is optimal if the maximum force on the contacts reaches 100 kg or more.

To change the pressure, you can use a separate regulator, or integrate it into the overall control system of the device.

Gas supply

To optimize welding conditions and improve the quality of the connecting seam, it is worth taking care of the gas supply to the working area. In the case of steel, this should be carbon dioxide. The selection of nozzle and its location depend on the size of the pliers, contacts and working area. The supply hose is secured so as not to interfere with the operation of other components of the device. It must be made of non-flammable, heat-resistant material and equipped with a control valve.

Concern for reliability and safety

For efficient operation of the equipment, as well as to ensure safety standards, all components of the device must be carefully secured and insulated. It is recommended to use dielectric materials with good heat resistance and mechanical strength as a basis. It is also necessary to take care of integrating protective fuses into the electrical circuit. It is important to follow all recommended safety precautions when working on equipment.

Weigh everything properly

Planning to make a resistance welding machine with your own hands. First, objectively evaluate your knowledge and capabilities, as well as the entire scope of upcoming work. This will avoid wasting time and money.

It will be a shame to realize somewhere in the middle of the journey that everything was in vain, and it would have been easier to buy ready-made equipment.

But if everything works out, you will be rewarded with significant monetary savings and the pride of knowing that you were able to cope with a difficult task.

Source: https://svarkalegko.com/oborudovanie/izgotovlenie-tochechnoj-svarki-iz-invertora.html

Induction heater from a welding inverter

Heating systems have become more advanced, thanks to induction coils that replaced traditional heating elements. Their efficiency has increased significantly, and energy consumption, on the contrary, has decreased. These devices have not yet found widespread use, mainly due to their high cost. Using available materials, home craftsmen construct an induction heater from a welding inverter not only for heating systems, but also for heating metal workpieces before processing them.

Operating principle

For a long time, theoretical developments in the field of induction heating could not find practical application, since the low frequency did not give the desired effect. Significant changes appeared after the problem regarding the generation of high-frequency magnetic fields was resolved. After this, a real possibility arose of using induction elements in heating systems.

The design of a typical device consists of the following parts:

Current generator. Converts home network voltage into high-frequency electric current.
Inductor. It is a coil made of copper wire, in which a magnetic field is formed under the influence of current.
A heating element. As a rule, this is a piece of metal pipe placed inside the inductor. It heats itself and transfers thermal energy to the heating system.

All these components are in close interaction with each other. The high frequency current generated by the generator hits the induction coil and turns into an electromagnetic field.

The vortex flows arising in the coil act on the metal pipe placed inside and heat it up. Water used as a coolant passes through the heating element, heats up and transfers thermal energy to the entire heating system.

At the same time, the water cools the heating element, extending its service life.

Homemade heater device

It is recommended to consider a classic induction device using the example of a water heater design for a heating system. Such schemes are most often used in dachas and country houses. The manufacture of the device begins with an inductor. To do this, copper wire must be wound in one row, giving it an initially cylindrical shape. Each turn is isolated from its neighbor, eliminating contacts between them.

The number of turns that ensures normal operation is on average 80-100. Copper conductors can have different cross-sections - from 2.5 to 4 mm2. The core is the heating pipe itself, but in practice this option does not give the desired effect.

Therefore, in order to make the heating of the coolant more intense, it is recommended to use a plastic pipe of a certain length. Its internal space is filled with steel wire D 5-6 mm, cut into short pieces.

In this case, due to induction, the wire flowing around the water begins to heat up. The heat exchange area increases significantly, and the coolant heats up much faster.

To prevent the wire cuttings from being washed away by the water flow, the ends of the pipe section are limited by protection made of steel mesh.

The connection between the inductor and the inverter can be done in different ways. Some specialists make an additional intermediate transformer. Then an inductor along with a capacitor is connected to its secondary winding. In another embodiment, a copper wire in the amount of one turn is wound onto a high-frequency toroidal transformer present in the inverter. Next, an inductor is directly connected to it.

In all cases, you cannot use the positive and negative terminals of the inverter intended for welding. Their output is rectified voltage, which is accompanied by high-frequency pulsations. Under its influence, a working magnetic field will not appear, and the inductor will overheat and burn out. The inverter will have to be redone, which in itself is quite difficult, since knowledge and skills in working with radio-electronic circuits will be needed.

Induction heater for metal parts

The properties of electromagnetic induction are used not only in heating systems. This phenomenon is successfully used in the design of heating furnaces designed to work with all types of metals.

To make an induction heater from a welding inverter, you must first stock up on the following components:

Welding inverter. It is desirable that it be equipped with a function that allows you to smoothly regulate the current.
Copper tube. Its diameter is approximately 8 mm, and the length should be sufficient for seven turns, wound on a template with a diameter of 40-50 mm. The length of the free ends of the tube after winding remains approximately 25 cm.

The structure is assembled in the following order:

A template for winding of a suitable size is selected, with a diameter of 4-5 cm. It is best to use metal or plastic pipes, or round wooden blanks.
One end of the copper tube is riveted with a hammer.
Next, the tube is filled as tightly as possible with dry sand, after which it must be riveted from the second end. The sand will prevent possible breaks in the tube during twisting.
The tube is wound onto a template in the amount of 7 turns, then its ends are sawed off and the sand is poured out.
The resulting structure must be connected to an inverter that has undergone preliminary alteration.
If the operation of the induction furnace is designed for a long time, it is recommended to make a water cooling connection to the inductor tube.

Features of operation

Homemade heater assembly is only half the battle. Equally important is the correct operation of the resulting structure. Initially, each such device poses a certain danger, since it is not able to independently control the heating level of the coolant. In this regard, each heater requires certain modifications, that is, installation and connection of additional control and automatic devices.

First of all, the pipe outlet is equipped with a standard set of safety devices - a safety valve, a pressure gauge and an air vent device. It should be remembered that induction water heaters will work normally only if there is forced water circulation. A gravity flow circuit will very quickly lead to overheating of the element and destruction of the plastic pipe.

To avoid such situations, a thermostat is installed in the heater, connected to an emergency shutdown device. Experienced electrical engineers use for these purposes thermostats with temperature sensors and relays that turn off the circuit when the coolant reaches the set temperature.

Homemade structures are characterized by rather low efficiency, since instead of free passage, there is an obstacle in the way of water in the form of wire particles. They almost completely block the pipe, causing increased hydraulic resistance.

In emergency situations, damage and rupture of the plastic may occur, after which hot water will certainly lead to a short circuit.

Typically, such heaters are used in small rooms as an additional heating system during the cold season.

Source: https://electric-220.ru/news/indukcionnyj_nagrevatel_iz_svarochnogo_invertora/2019-06-25-1708

How to make a welding inverter with your own hands

Reading time: 10 minutes

Inverter welding is the most popular of all at the moment. It would seem that 20 years ago there was no talk about inverters. And now a simple inverter device can be found at the dacha of every second summer resident and in the garage of many motorists.

Previously, the welding machine was difficult to master and only those who really wanted to understand all the basics of this business took up welding. But times have changed.

Now even a beginner can plug in the inverter and start welding by watching one or two training videos on the Internet.

It is not surprising that inverter devices have gained such popularity. Manufacturers contributed greatly to this by releasing budget devices for sale. Now you can go to a regular hardware store and see an inverter there that costs $50, or even less. The assortment is large, and everyone can choose a device for their own purposes.

But what to do if you don’t have the funds for a high-quality inverter, and you don’t want to buy a cheap “Chinese” one? Or maybe you just love making electrical appliances and want to assemble a welding machine? This article is for you. We will tell you what an inverter is, what its structure and principle of operation are, whether it is worth assembling the inverter yourself and, finally, how to make a welding inverter with your own hands.

general information

A welding inverter (namely an inverter, not an inventor, as many welders confuse) is a type of welding equipment. In total, there are four groups of welding machines: transformer, fuel welding generators, rectifiers and, of course, welding inverters. The remaining devices (for example, semi-automatic or SAC) are only a variation of one of the four groups.

The task of any welding device is to easily generate a welding arc and maintain its stable combustion. Inverters do an excellent job of this task, while remaining simple and straightforward to use. Inverter-type devices gained popularity only in the 21st century, as manufacturers learned to produce inexpensive models for domestic use. And at the moment, the inverter is the most popular type of welding equipment in the world.

Why did many welders like the inverter so much? The fact is that the inverter is based on a new generation power transformer, which has significantly smaller dimensions and weight than transformers from the last century. Thanks to this feature, engineers were able to create the smallest welding machines weighing no more than 5 kg, which are also equipped with a set of additional functions (for example, “hot start” or “arc force”).

The use of inverter machines allows even a beginner without experience to weld, since the built-in functions simplify the welding process. In this case, it is possible to smoothly adjust the strength of the welding current and detailed adjustment of the welding mode. It is not surprising that inverters have become so popular and they even began to be assembled with their own hands.

Inverter device

A standard inverter consists of three conventional parts: a power transformer, a block of electrical circuits with transistors and a choke. A transformer is needed to reduce the incoming mains voltage to the required value. The electrical circuit block is the “brain” of the inverter. And the inductor reduces current ripple, performing a stabilizing function.

Below you can see the design of a typical inverter. As you can see, it is simple and straightforward, so you can easily assemble a similar inverter welding with your own hands. Open the image in a new tab to get a closer view.

Also below is a diagram of a welding inverter. You can use any of the two presented. The first shows in detail the location of the welding inverter driver, which is convenient. There are also a dozen more schemes on the Internet, and you can find the most convenient and understandable one for you.

Consumables

The homemade device will use conventional consumable electrodes with a protective coating as consumables. They come in different types, brands and diameters. We have devoted several articles to the topic of choosing welding electrodes. Read them to understand the topic and not make a mistake with the choice of consumables.

Source: https://svarkaed.ru/oborudovanie-dlya-svarki/apparaty/samodelnye/kak-sdelat-svarochnyj-invertor-svoimi-rukami.html