
5-2. Welding Circuit
. Minimizing the welding circuit loop can prevent extreme voltage drops that produce poor welding characteristics.
1
Standard Welding Circuit
3
ECL2
6
4
5
Gun
TravelWCL
7 | WL |
Current Flow Path
Large Weld Structure
1
3
ECL2
6
4
1Welding Power Source
2Electrode Cable
3Feeder Cable
4Work Cable
5Voltage Sensing Lead
6Wire Feeder
7Workpiece
In pulse welding applications using inverter power sources, cable resistance can result in less than satisfactory performance. In most cases, a welding circuit length of 50 ft (15 m) or less will provide satisfactory performance with a standard welding circuit connection.
The length of a welding circuit is determined as follows:
Welding Circuit = Electrode Cable Length (ECL) + Work Cable Length (WCL) + Workpiece Length (WL)
See Section
Variations in welding processes and welding circuit resistance can affect apparent voltage at the welding arc. Voltage sensing can improve welding performance by providing accurate feedback to the welding power source.
It is important to connect the voltage sensing lead as near to the weld as possible, but not in the return current path.
2 | 5 |
WCL
7WL
Current Flow Path
Ref. 804