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WELDING ADJUSTMENTS
All adjustments are made on the system component known as the control box, which contains the switch- es, knobs and digital displays necessary to control both the Power Wave and a Power Feed wire feeder. Typically, the control box is supplied as part of the wire feeder. It can be mounted directly on the wire feeder itself, or mounted separately, as might be done in a welding boom installation.
Because the control box can be configured with many different options, your system may not have all of the following adjustments. Regardless of availability, all controls are described below. For further information, consult the Power Feed wire feeder instruction manual.
1. WFS / AMPS:
In synergic welding modes (synergic CV, pulse GMAW) WFS (wire feed speed) is the dominant control parameter, controlling all other variables. The user adjusts WFS according to factors such as weld size, penetration requirements, heat input, etc. The Power Wave then uses the WFS setting to adjust its output characteristics (output voltage, out- put current) according to
In constant current modes (stick, TIG) this control adjusts the output current, in amps.
2. VOLTS / TRIM:
In constant voltage modes (synergic CV, standard CV) the control adjusts the welding voltage.
In pulse synergic welding modes (pulse GMAW only) the user can change the Trim setting to adjust the arc length. It is adjustable from 0.500 to 1.500. A Trim setting of 1.000 is a good starting point for most conditions.
3. WELDING MODE:
May be selected by name (CV/MIG, CC/Stick Crisp, Gouge, etc.) or by a mode number (10, 24, 71, etc.) depending on the control box options. Selecting a welding mode determines the output characteristics of the Power Wave power source. For a more complete description of the welding modes avail- able in the Power Wave, see the explanation below.
4. ARC CONTROL:
Also known as Inductance or Wave Control. Allows operator to vary the arc characteristics from “soft” to “harsh” in all weld modes. It is adjustable from -
10.0to +10.0, with a nominal setting of 00.0. (The nominal setting of 00.0 may be displayed as OFF on some Power Feed wire feeder control panels.) See the Welding Mode descriptions, below, for detailed explanations of how the Arc Control affects each mode.
DETAILED WELD MODE DESCRIPTIONS
CONSTANT VOLTAGE (CV/WELD, CV/MIG, CV/FLUX CORED) PROCEDURES
For each wire feed speed, a corresponding voltage is preprogrammed into the machine through special soft- wares at the factory. This preprogrammed voltage is the best average voltage for the procedure at the given wire feed speed. If the wire feed speed is changed on the wire feeder, the voltage automatically changes with it.
In some cases, the operator may want to change the preprogrammed voltages; for example, to compensate for cable and fixture voltage drops. The preset volt- ages can be adjusted on the wire feeder’s Voltage display. When a change is made to the voltage at one wire feed speed, this change is applied to all other wire feed speed settings. For example, if the operator turns up the voltage by 10 percent, the machine automatically increases the preset voltages at all the other wire feed speeds by 10 percent. The preset voltage, programmed at the factory, may be changed with the wire feeder VOLTS adjustment.
The Arc Control adjusts the inductance. (This adjust- ment is often referred to as “pinch”. Inductance is inversely proportional to pinch.) Increasing the Arc Control setting decreases the inductance, which results in the arc getting colder and pinched tighter. Decreasing the Arc Control setting increases the inductance, which results in the arc getting wider (reduced pinch).
GMAW PULSE PROCEDURES
In these procedures, the actual voltage greatly depends on the waveform used. The peak currents, background currents, rise times, fall times, and pulse times all affect the actual voltage. The actual voltage for a given wire feed speed is not directly predictable unless the waveform is known. In this case, it is not practical to preset an actual voltage for the procedure. Instead, an arc length adjustment is provided. The machine “knows” what the best arc length is at the given wire feed speed but allows the operator to change it.
POWER WAVE 455