Here is your most recent issue of the High Current News e-newsletter. It's packed full of information to keep you updated with the latest MIG & TIG welding news, product information and new updates from D/F MACHINE SPECIALTIES.

D/F is a world leader in the design, development, and manufacture of MIG & TIG welding products, consumables & accessories.

NEW D/F Product Catalog

D/F has released a brand new color product catalog! Featuring the most popular D/F MIG & TIG welding equipment, accessories and consumables, the catalog will cater to your informational and ordering needs.

You can request your own free copy of the catalog in two ways:

1. Email D/F at sales@dfmachinespecialties.com with your name, and your company's name and address of where you would like the catalog to be sent.

2. Fill out the reservation form located here.

Click to download the catalog as a digital PDF.

D/F Machine Specialties is a global leader in the design and manufacture of heavy duty automatic MIG welding torches for hardbanding service providers. These torches provide wear resistant, casing-friendly, field serviceable hardbanding. Our heavy duty torches raise the bar for tool joint wear protection.

D/F Machine Specialties has developed the Water-Cooled-to-the-Tip Automatic Remote Mount and Direct Mount Machine Barrels to provide hardbanding solutions for end-users engaged in oil and natural gas exploration, transportation and processing applications in the U.S., Canada, and throughout the world. These 850 amp, 100% duty cycle torches improve weld quality, reduce downtime, extend consumable life, and allow greater productivity when hardfacing and hardbanding.

• Increases Contact Tip Life up to 7-to-1
• Torch body lengths, sizes, and profiles available for any application
• Water-Cooling on the Contact Tip
• Water-Cooled Nozzle Assembly
• Torch Longevity - Years vs. Months
• 100% Duty Cycle up to 1000° Preheat, 850 Amps
• Easy Connection to All OEM Machines
• Slip-In Or Threaded Contact Tip Models Available
• .035”-1/8” Hard/Cored, 3/64”-1/8” Aluminum
• Direct Replacement To Linde/Esab ST-12

Besides how well built our torch is, it is also popular in the hardbanding industry because it is available in 2 different profiles (automatic/direct mount and remote mount). A majority of the welders performing hardbanding prefer the automatic (direct mount, pictured above) version because they are either plugging the torch directly into the wire feeder or they are using the direct mount torch as a remote mount torch with an adapter on top that accepts the casing/conduit to bring in the wire. This gives them a profile that is very easy to work on when they need to change a liner, conduit, or power cable. The D/F torch attaches to what we call a Utility Station, as it is not a unitized torch (we have separate utilities for the gas, water and power). The Utility Station will last forever, and it makes for a very safe, neat, and clean installation. Further, the Utility Station enables the torch to operate at high amperages and for long duty cycles because it allows for more power handling and water-cooling than the competition’s torches.

These Water-Cooled-to-the-tip torches have a 650 amp continuous duty cycle power cable that has been tested and run by Fanuc and Lincoln Electric for 250,000 robotic cycles at 650 amps. If you have a job that requires more than a 650 amp cycle, the torch can be retrofit with two of the 650 amp power cables which in theory will allow 1300 amps to be put on the torch. Customers are running these torches at 850 amps on continuous duty cycles above 1000 degree pre-heat, 3 shifts per day all year round. That alone is a testament to how robust in design these torches are.

The Model NCM torch accommodates slip-in contact tips held by a collet nut. The Model HTM torch accommodates threaded contact tips. Combined the models will run .035"- 1/8" hard wire, cored wire, and aluminum wire.

D/F welding guns are designed to last for years instead of months. If needed, D/F torches are completely repairable and very easy to maintain. Our consumables are always in stock and are 1/3 of the cost of competitors'. Customers have been perpetually pleased to find out that we ship every order within 3 days of receipt of a purchase order, and that we are always willing to ship our equipment for next-day delivery if needed.

Hardbanding Solutions Europe
“The first dedicated hardbanding equipment manufacturer in Europe has arrived, and they chose the D/F torch.

Hardbanding Solutions Europe is a young company based in rural South West Scotland. Incorporated almost 5 years ago, they established themselves as a ‘Technical Centre’ for US hardbanding wires such as Duraband NC, manufactured by Postle Industries in Cleveland, Ohio.

Last year the company decided to expand its operations, and the logical choice was to design and build specialized hardbanding equipment. With more than three decades of experience in hardbanding between the three directors of the company, they knew that the welding equipment had to be built to withstand some rough treatment. Hardbanding involves the protection of drill pipe tool joints and casing from wear using a hardfacing process, for oil and gas drilling operations. These machines must be capable of running all day and night, in both factory and field conditions.

The units are made entirely of parts from the USA and the EU. The choice of welding torch was vital to reliability, as it’s often the torch that will come under the most strain. Darren Mathieson, the company’s technical director, commented, ‘We needed a torch which was robust, and extremely reliable. A torch that would continue to work at full capacity after taking a few, inevitable knocks. The arc energy and heat involved in hardbanding is high and our well-organized customers have the welding unit working almost constantly. So we chose the DF machine style barrel, water-cooled to the tip. We have not been disappointed; they perform very well for this application.’

You can see the full range of hardbanding equipment, and find out a little more about the company, at their new website: www.hardbandingequipment.com.”

- Hardbanding Solutions Press Release, July 2016

Click here to read more about the D/F Automatic (Direct Mount) Water-Cooled-to-the-Tip Machine Torches.

Click here to read more about the D/F Remote Mount Water-Cooled-to-the-Tip Machine Torches.

Due to the fact that every welding application is different because of size restrictions, access restrictions, positioning restrictions, etc., we have a solution for your unique application. By using separate utilities and a Utility Station, the D/F torches can carry more power, run cooler, provide more gas coverage, withstand extreme conditions (1000 degree pre-heat), increase weld quality (X-ray quality welds), and run the full range of wire through 1/8".

Click here to read more about D/F torch connection options.

If you have any questions about hard automation applications, D/F torch connection options, or about the D/F Fixed Automation Water-Cooled to the Tip torches, please do not hesitate to contact the factory.

Phone: (507) 625-6200 · Email: sales@dfmachinespecialties.com

We look forward to helping you with your welding applications!

When using an arc welding machine, it is crucial to understand what its duty cycle is as it will help you preserve the life and quality of the machine. When purchasing a MIG welder it will have a specification on the packaging or in the manual called the duty cycle. This refers to the amount of welding that can be achieved in a given amount of time. The reason this specification is important is it informs the user of how long the MIG welder can work at its optimum level.

Duty cycle refers to the amount of time a welder will weld in a given time frame at given amperage. The duty cycle is a rating that indicates how long a welding machine can be used at its maximum output current without damaging it. Duty cycle is based on a ten-minute time period. A welding machine with a 60% duty cycle can be used at its maximum rated output current for six out of every ten minutes. The welding machine may overheat if the duty cycle is exceeded. At lower current settings, the duty cycle may be increased and the power source used for a longer period of time.

As an example, a welder with a 20% duty cycle means it can be used for 2 minutes out of 10 at a given amperage setting, and then it must cool down. A welder with a 50% duty cycle can be used for 5 minutes out of 10 at a given amperage. These are just guidelines, and each unit might run more or less at different levels. Most spec sheets will show how the duty cycle will scale from high to low settings. Most equipment is rated at 2/3 to 3/4 of its maximum output. When you are using less amps the duty cycle goes up, more amperage it goes down.

It is important to note that duty cycle becomes inaccurate when being measured over a different time period, especially a longer one. One welder might have a duty cycle of 50% at 200 amps, and this means it can run for 5 minutes out of 10 before it has to be shut down to cool off. It does not mean that the same welder can be run for 30 minutes out of an hour at 200 amps, even though 30 minutes is 50% of an hour just like 5 minutes is 50% of 10 minutes. Duty cycle must be consistently measured in a 10 minute time frame.

Ambient temperature and humidity can have some effect on the duty cycle. A machine will sense its temperature via a thermocouple, and will shut down when it exceeds its duty cycle, coming back on line when it has cooled. To improve or maintain duty cycle, run the machine at minimum amps required for the job, keep the fan area clean, and have the inside of the machine cleaned by a repair center or by yourself, making sure to unplug the power cord occasionally. In the event that the duty cycle is exceeded and the breaker is tripped, allow the MIG welder to cool down for at least 15 minutes. A rated duty cycle on any MIG welding machine is there to protect you and your welder from any long-lasting damage.

Since its inception, welding has been a major element in the production environment. Real production welding is 100% duty cycle welding, and if a facility is not welding 100% of the time, it is losing money. With a 60% duty cycle, who can afford to run for 6 out of 10 minutes and have 40% of their production time as down time? This is a very costly method of production, and is the reason why all D/F Machine Specialties torches are rated with 100% duty cycles. A properly water-cooled D/F torch that runs at 650 amps with a 100% duty cycle really means that it will run 3 shifts a day, 7 days a week, all year round at 650 amps with no need for cool down. No other torch will remove downtime like a D/F torch.

D/F Machine Specialties torches were designed for production welding. The core of these designs come from a time when all the big-box manufacturers were selling 1000 amp power supplies. It takes a very robust torch to withstand 1000 amps or to work above 1000 degree preheat. All D/F torches were designed on this premise and will last years upon years rather than mere months. D/F currently has thousands of torches in circulation that have been run for over 20-30 years.

With downtime removed and the ability acquired to produce 100% of the time, D/F torches can promise an average increase in the life of consumables (tips and nozzles) of up to 7-to-1 times. A contact tip will not have to be changed every 40 minutes as it would with competitors' torches, but rather after an entire day or an 8 hour shift. The competitions' torches also have 3/4" long contact tips. The average D/F tip is 2.5"-3.5" long. The longer tips allow D/F torches to maintain the most stable arc in the industry. They provide built-in wire straightening and consist of more copper which translates to more heat dissipation. With the built-in wire straightening and longer tip, the wire comes out straight and does not wander or prematurely wear out the contact tip as it does with the competitors' 3/4" long tips. The new series of Automatic and Robotic Water-Cooled-to-the-Top torches by D/F Machine Specialties actually has the tip recessed 1" into the water-cooled, copper inner body, never allowing the copper tip to heat up and soften. Just ask around; D/F torches are famous for the fact that seconds after you weld, they can be grabbed with bare hands and will be cold to the touch.

If you are interested in learning more about D/F Machine Specialties heavy duty MIG water-cooled torches, or have questions about our capabilities, please contact us. We would be more than happy to discuss the product you are manufacturing and your current operations, including your required amperages, wire size and type, power source and feeder, size restrictions and limitations, etc. We cannot get every welding account out there, and we will be the first ones to tell you that we may or may not be able to help, but we would love the opportunity to discuss the ways that our torches may provide solutions that will benefit your welding applications.

At D/F Machine Specialties we have no outside salespeople. Our torch is our salesperson. We are more than happy to run a purchase-pending trial and evaluation with potential customers that we feel can benefit from using a heavy duty D/F torch. We look forward to running our torches against what a customer has been using for years. We know how hard it is to get a customer to try something new or to change. In almost all cases, the D/F torch will sell itself within 1 week.

Frequently Asked Questions

D/F has now added a Frequently Asked Questions page to the website! This page will be continually updated with information about Torch Maintenance, Welding Practice & Setup, Warranty & Refurbish, Troubleshooting, and more in hopes of fulfilling the needs of anyone who might have a common question about D/F's equipment or welding in general. Please visit the FAQ page.

Do You Have Videos or Photos of D/F Torches in Action?
Submit Them to WIN!

D/F's new Video and Photo Galleries showcase D/F equipment in action over the years, and we are constantly adding to the galleries. We want to see how our equipment helps brings out the best of your creativity and skill, or simply how your equipment is setup and used.

Submit your videos and photos to:
HighCurrentNews@DFMachine.com

For project submissions, things to include:

• Video or Photos of your project
• What did you make?
• How did you make it?
• Which D/F products did you use?

Submissions will be put in a drawing for a chance to Win A Gift Card to your local Best Buy Consumer Electronics Store.

Check out the D/F Photo Gallery here.
Check out the D/F Video Gallery here.

Words from the Editor

Greetings from D/F!
Thank you for reading our High Current News e-newsletter. Please share this issue with a friend and send us your comments.
Enjoy!

Best Regards,

D/F Machine Specialties, Inc.

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D/F MACHINE SPECIALTIES, INC.
1750 Howard Drive
North Mankato, MN 56003
USA
(507) 625-6200
customerservice@dfmachinespecialties.com