Arc welding can often be a wasteful and inefficient process. Electrodes are not consumed in a productive manner, and welds can be flawed due to excessive spatter and slag created by improper travel speeds. These issues, in addition to other potential welding mishaps can result in added costs.
But through the magic of technological advancement, there is an alternative:
Pulse Spray Metal Transfer
Metal transfer refers to the physical transfer of an electrode’s metal core to the base metal which occurs during the welding process. This process, however, can be hindered by several limitations:
- Due to power cycles and other unpredictable and uncontrollable aspects of arc welding, electrodes are not consumed in an efficient and effective manner.
- Your speed of travel as you weld is limited because moving too quickly can create spatter and slag.
- Cleaning up spatter and slag, and repairing incorrect or flawed welds adds additional time to a job, increasing overall costs.
Pulse Spray Metal Transfer, made possible with the use of Waveform Control Technology (patented by Lincoln Electric), makes it possible to avoid the pitfalls described above, and weld with much greater efficiency, vastly improving your overall productivity.
What is Pulse Spray Metal Transfer and How Does Work?
By alternating high energy peak current of Axial Spray Metal Transfer with lower energy background current, the process creates a continuous cycle of pulses referred to as “periods,” which repeat several hundred times per second.
Features include:
- The pulse wave form increases the ramp-up rate, stiffening the arc and increasing the overshoot to resist the influence of induction.
- Peak current increases the penetration of the weld, and helps create a wider weld bead.
- The pulse push of the tail-out also increases penetration and helps make the weld puddle more fluid, allowing faster speed of travel.
- The step off of the pulse reduces spatter.
- Low level background current helps maintain a consistent arc.
- The pulse increases frequency, narrowing the arc’s cone, creating a more focused and controlled arc.
Benefits include:
- Higher quality welds, with lower hydrogen deposits
- Greater weld fusion
- Reduced heat level, with less distortion
- Reduced spatter and slag, requiring significantly less clean-up and maintenance
- Faster travel speeds
- More efficient metal transfer – approximately 98% with metal core electrodes
- Greater overall productivity, at a lower total cost
To see Lincoln's Power Wave welders available at BakersGas.com, click here.