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    WELD-A Duty Cycle Reality Check

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    peter
    This document discusses duty cycle and its relationship to welding output for integrated inverter welding machines. It notes that duty cycle is measured over a 10-minute period and refers to the amount of time a welding machine can operate at a given output before overheating. For example, one machine discussed can weld continuously for 4 minutes at 285 amps before needing 6 minutes to cool. Additionally, duty cycle increases at lower outputs and cooler ambient temperatures. The document concludes that the discussed inverter would have sufficient power for many light industrial welding applications involving thinner metals.

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    WELD-A Duty Cycle Reality Check

    Uploaded by

    peter
    29 views3 pages
    This document discusses duty cycle and its relationship to welding output for integrated inverter welding machines. It notes that duty cycle is measured over a 10-minute period and refers to the amount of time a welding machine can operate at a given output before overheating. For example, one machine discussed can weld continuously for 4 minutes at 285 amps before needing 6 minutes to cool. Additionally, duty cycle increases at lower outputs and cooler ambient temperatures. The document concludes that the discussed inverter would have sufficient power for many light industrial welding applications involving thinner metals.

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    This document discusses duty cycle and its relationship to welding output for integrated inverter welding machines. It notes that duty cycle is measured over a 10-minute period and refers to the amount of time a welding machine can operate at a given output before overheating. For example, one machine discussed can weld continuously for 4 minutes at 285 amps before needing 6 minutes to cool. Additionally, duty cycle increases at lower outputs and cooler ambient temperatures. The document concludes that the discussed inverter would have sufficient power for many light industrial welding applications involving thinner metals.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    29 views3 pages

    WELD-A Duty Cycle Reality Check

    Uploaded by

    peter
    This document discusses duty cycle and its relationship to welding output for integrated inverter welding machines. It notes that duty cycle is measured over a 10-minute period and refers to the amount of time a welding machine can operate at a given output before overheating. For example, one machine discussed can weld continuously for 4 minutes at 285 amps before needing 6 minutes to cool. Additionally, duty cycle increases at lower outputs and cooler ambient temperatures. The document concludes that the discussed inverter would have sufficient power for many light industrial welding applications involving thinner metals.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    ESAB KNOWLEDGE CENTER.

    A Duty Cycle Reality Check

    We hear a lot of talk when it comes to duty cycle, including a lot of misinformation about
    compact integrated inverters (the type with a built-in wire feeder) as not being true "industrial"
    welding machines. This article attempts to add clarity to the conversation and provide two
    critical reality checks.
    The rated output or "size" of a welding machine is measured using amps, volts and duty cycle.
    Duty cycle is the amount of time it may be operated at a given output without exceeding the
    temperature limits of its components, and it is measured using a 10-minute cycle.
    In our example, the welding machine has a duty cycle of 40% at when MIG welding at 285
    amps/28 volts. It can weld continuously for 4 minutes at 285 amps/28 volts and will then need to
    cool for the remaining 6 minutes. Technically, what happens is that the welding machine has
    thermocouples inside it that measure temperature and, to protect the components, shut the
    machine down when necessary. You may actually be able to weld before the end of the 6-
    minute cooling cycle if the components are cool enough, but not at full duty cycle.

    There are three additional sub-factors to consider:

    Duty cycle and welding output are inversely proportional. When welding at lower outputs,
    duty cycle increases. Using the same example from above, the duty cycle will increase to 60% when MIG welding at 220
    amps/25 volts.

    Duty cycle is evaluated at a specific ambient temperature. The "gold standard" for industrial equipment manufacturers is 104o F.
    If the ambient temperature is cooler, duty cycle increases. For an example, when welding at 70o F, you could experience close to
    a 100% percent duty cycle (specifics will vary by machine and actual parameters, but welding in cooler temperatures definitely
    boosts duty cycle).
    In a multi-process, multi-voltage welding system, duty cycle and welding output will vary by process and input power, as the
    example below show.

    Rated Welding Outputs - Integrated MIG/Stick/TIG Inverter

    Process/ Duty Cycle, 1 phase Duty Cycle, 3 phase

    Rated Output (230VAC Primary) (230VAC Primary)

    Total Range 5 - 300A 5 - 350A


    MIG 285A/28V @ 40% 285A/28V @ 50%

    Stick 260A/30V @ 40% 285A/31V @ 40%

    TIG 285A/21V @ 40% 285A/21V @ 50%

    So, is the inverter described above a full "industrial" or just a "light industrial" machine? This debate occurs on bulletin boards all the
    time, we honestly feel it distracts operators from discussing more meaningful topics - such as what diameter electrode are you
    using?

    Electrode Capacity

    In most applications, the current carrying capacity of the welding wire dictates the
    maximum welding output. In turn, the wire selected needs to match requirements
    for welding process, weld bead profile, metallurgy, mechanical properties and
    acceptable heat input.
    For MIG welding production work on metal 1/4-in. and thinner (the focus of this
    magazine), .035 and .045-in. diameter mild steel wires meet many of the needs.
    The recommended parameters for short circuit MIG welding on 1/4-in. steel fall in
    the range of 180 - 190 amps and 21 - 22 volts. For spray transfer welding, the
    recommended parameters would be around 200 - 210 amps and 24 - 25 volts.
    In production situations, our inverter has plenty of power. In fact, it can produce
    more welding output than a .035-in. welding wire can physically carry. While a .045-in. wire can be used for spray transfer at up to
    350 amps with a 92% argon/8% CO 2 gas mix, that much heat would be unsuitable for the metal thickness at hand.
    Work Flow
    The nature of most welding projects requires numerous work stoppages, especially with the TIG process. Think about all the things
    that require an operator to stop welding:

    Change wire spools and Stick electrodes


    Sharpening the tungsten
    Grind welds/remove slag and silica islands

    Complete the joint


    Reposition the body
    Stop to prevent hand fatigue

    Moving around the weldment to prevent warping


    Clamp and tack another part in place
    Adjust fixtures

    Every time the operator stops welding, the welding machine cools down and the duty cycle gets a chance to reset. Even in
    industrial settings, the actual "arc on" time rarely exceeds 25%, with mid- to high-teens being common.
    Please note that we are not remotely suggesting a 285-amp, 40% duty cycle inverter as the best solution for most industrial
    applications. What we are saying is that the conversation needs to change. For MIG welding with a .035- or .045-in. diameter wire
    using conventional processes and welding on the metal thicknesses used by MetalForming readers, you could pull the MIG gun
    trigger and the only reason the system would stop welding is that the wire spool ran out. Welding machine duty cycle won't be an
    issue.
    This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of MetalForming Magazine. It
    is reprinted here with permission of the Precision Metalforming Association.

    POSTED IN WELDING PROCESS (WELDING_PROCESS.CFM) , TAGGED WITH WELDING (TAGS.CFM?TAG=WELDING)

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