Discuss the advantage and disadvantage of constant current and constant voltage
characteristics.
In the welding process, we need the power source to give electric power for the machine.
And then, we need to adjust the suitable the power to get good performance and important in
the parameter of the welding. So, there are two basically different types of welding power are
constant current (CC) or constant voltage (CV).
Welding
process
Output type
SMAW
GTAW(TIG)
GMAW(MIG)
Plasma arc
MAG
CC
CC
CV
CC
CV
Constant voltage characteristics is when voltage is set at the machine and amperage is
determined by the speed that the wires is fed to the welding gun and usually are used in
welding with solid and flux cored electrodes
Constant voltage
Advantage
Disadvantage
speed.
The arc stability a good through the
GMAW method, gas-shielded flux
cored (FCAW-G) method, the MAG
and MIG.
Constant current characteristics are variant of the voltage through an electronic circuit to
sustain a constant electric current and have a moderately little difference in amperage and arc
power for a equivalent moderately large difference in arc length and arc voltage. Usually are
being used largely with covered electrodes.
Constant Current
Advantages
Disadvantages
2.
How magnetic pinch occurred and how it effects to the welding qualities?
Magnetic pinch effect is a constriction of electrical flow created by the magnetic field at
the tip of an electrode which is produced by a parallel stream of electricity. It is a necking of
current flow on parallel conductors due to attracting force between the conductors that makes the
arc shrink. The magnetic pinch is useful for Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) due to it can give
cleaner metal transfer with little spatters by short circuiting of the current to a moderate value.
The pinch effect can be control depends on the current and area. Make sure the slope is not too
steep as the current will become low and the unmelted filler will attach to the base metal. The
pinch effect regulate the metal transfer to be use as dip transfer, spray arc transfer or pulse arc
transfer of welding feature.
The magnetic pinch can affect welding quality if the pinch is not correctly controlled. The
pinch effect cause one drop of filler electrode detaches from the electrode to the base metal. It
controls the size of the droplet which affects the weld area. Pulse arc welding is one type of
welding that optimizes the magnetic pinch effect to create a good quality welding. Besides that,
the magnetic pinch effects can give high current droplets to be able to penetrate deep enough at
the weld pool. Thus, give the ability to create a strong welding joint due to the molten metal able
to penetrate deep inside the base metal. Usually, if the parameters are well controlled, the quality
of the welding is high. Therefore, the best setting to obtain good quality welding is depend on the
current as the current is the one which cause the magnetic pinch. The design of the nozzle also
affects the quality of the welding.
As a conclusion, the magnetic field is caused by increment of amperage where current
density and radial constriction also increase. Thus, create a pinch that constricts the parallel
current flow at the tip of the electrode that produce droplet of molten metal. The value of the
current supply affects the magnetic pinch and also the droplet of filler electrode.
3. Discuss the polarity of GTAW which are DCEN, DCEP, DCSP as well as AC. When it is
suitable to use this characteristic?
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) contains Tungsten Electrode which can have a
contact with Direct Current (DC) power supply. It is connected to the positive (+) or at the
negative (-) terminal. First, the connection is for the Direct Current Electrode Positive (DCEP) or
called reverse polarity. Second, the connection is for the Direct Current Electrode Negative
(DCEN) or called straight polarity.
In DCEP, 30% of the heat is concentrated at the workpiece while another 70% of the heat
goes to the tungsten electrode. DCEP has shallow penetration but wide weld area. In DCEN,
reverse of DCEP, 70% of heat is concentrated to the workpiece while 30% is concentrated at the
tungsten electrode. DCEN has deeper penetration than DCEP but narrow weld area.
The heat generated in electric arc is not uniformly distributed. For the heat distribution,
using same current, one has to use larger electrode in DCEP rather than in DCEN. DCEP is used
to weld thin sheet metal where low current is needed. DCEN can be used in weld for all metal
except aluminium and magnesium. This is because DCEN cannot do cleansing action or cathodic
etching due to oxide coating.
In conclusion, DCEN is widely used for most other applications with higher current due
to the deeper penetration with narrow weld area. DCEP is used for welding sheet metal due to
the electrode limited current carrying capacity which gives shallow penetration but wide weld
area.