Miller Electric Manufacturing Company, the Illinois (US) tool works company, has announced it has introduced three models of its Big Blue diesel engine-driven welding generator that conform with CE directives and standards. These are the Big Blue 452 with Perkins 104.22 liquid-cooled engine, the Big Blue 452 with Deutz F3L 1011 air-cooled engine and the Big Blue 602 with Deutz F4L 1011 air/oil cooled engine. The models are designed especially to meet the needs of the European market. All machines produce full output at sound levels below 100 Lwa at 7m (73dB at 23ft).

"To meet CE standards, lower noise in urban areas and reduce noise-related stress on operators, we designed the Big Blue's base and case to completely enclose the engine, making it quieter. Its new generation-engines also produce less noise," said John Luck, product manager, Miller Electric. Luck said that many "competitive" US-made engine drives did not meet CE noise requirements because a single one of those machines created more noise than the combined sound of three Big Blue 452s.

"The Big Blue 452 is the most powerful, versatile and reliable 400-amp diesel engine-driven welding generator available. It delivers 20 per cent more power at its rated output than any other engine in its class: 500amps/30volts at 40 per cent duty cycle. Further, its 20- to 500-amp range exceeds all competitive models by at least 125 amps on the high end and 20 amps on the low end. The Big Blue 452 can gouge carbons up to 7.9 mm (5/16in) and weld with SMAW electrodes up to 6.4mm (1/4 in) or wire from .6 to 3.1mm (.023 to 1/8 in)," the company said.

Miller also improved arch characteristics of the new machine by adding more iron and copper to the generator. It said its arc quality satisfied the demands of the most finicky operators, including uphill pipe welding on offshore oil platforms.