The new Weldarc machines: Upgraded for New Zealand worksites

In response to direct feedback from the field, new versions of the popular WIA Weldarc 140i and 180i TIG and Stick machines have been released to the New Zealand market with bigger outputs and improved safety features.

The Welding Industries of Australia (WIA) Weldarc machines have been long-established as reliable units that are well-suited to light industrial and construction maintenance work. This is due to the portability of the machines.

Industry expert Willem Corbett says the new Weldarc machines have been manufactured to meet specific industry requests.

“These are designed specifically for worksites. We test and trial everything in the field but also readily take customer feedback on board to improve our products, which is definitely the case with the Weldarc 145i and 185i machines,” explains the WIA product engineer. “For example, the new machines have a fan on demand feature which will significantly reduce the amount of contaminants that will blow through a machine in a dusty environment. This feature has come as a result of direct feedback from our customers.”

Another key feature of the new Weldarc 145i and 185i machines is the digital display.

“This will give you an accurate visual of your weld set up,” says Willem. “Once the operator has put in their settings, the visual remains on the screen for the entirety of the weld.”

The new Weldarc releases remain a great fit for general maintenance applications because of their small size and light weight. The 145i will comfortably run a 3.2mm welding electrode, while the 185i will comfortably run a 4mm welding electrode.

“The 145i will run from a 10 amp socket and the 185i will run off a standard 15 amp socket,” says Willem. “But the main reason why these machines are so popular for construction site maintenance or light fabrication work is because they are easy to be mobile with."

The Weldarc 145i and 185i are both compact and light, totalling 4.1kg and 5.5kg respectively. Both the 145i and 185i includes optional Voltage Reduction Device (VRD) which delivers added safety for onsite work and is compliant with the New Zealand standards AS 60974.1 and AS1674.2 CAT C. The VRD is disabled but if required can be enabled by a WIA service agent. 

“The fan on demand feature is energy saving but the real benefit here is that it prevents dust from getting into the machine and causing problems,” says Willem. “At WIA we’re always listening to our customers and wanting to improve our products. The Weldarc machines are fantastic portable welding machines, really suitable for maintenance or installation work."

"WIA already had a good product, but we’re driven by our field experience. By implementing customer feedback we’ve managed to improve the product and deliver a safer option for our clients.”

Click for more information on the WIA Weldarc 145i

Click for more information on the WIA Weldarc 185i