WELDING POWER SOURCES

INTRODUCTION
ALL ELECTRICALLY BASED WELDING

PROCESSES REQUIRE A POWER SUPPLY.

THEIR ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS MUST

MATCH THE NEEDS OF EACH PROCESS.

WELDING POWER SOURCES

WHY ARE WELDING POWER SUPPLIES NEEDED?
SUPPLIED VOLTAGE (120 TO 575 VOLTS) BY

POWER COMPANIES IS TOO HIGH FOR WELDING PROCESSES.

WELDING PROCESSES REQUIRE VOLTAGE IN

THE RANGE OF 20 TO 80 VOLTS.

WELDING POWER SOURCES

WHY ARE WELDING POWER SUPPLIES NEEDED?

WELDING POWER SUPPLIES

REDUCE UTILITY VOLTAGE TO WITHIN RANGE PROVIDE ABILITY TO ADJUST OR FINE TUNE OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS PROVIDE ARC ARC IS MAINTAINED EVEN WHEN ARC LENGTH CHANGES CONVERTS 50 Hz AC TO DC, SQUARE WAVE OR HIGH FREQUENCY PULSES

THE POWER SUPPLY OUTPUT STABILITY

WELDING POWER SOURCES

WHAT IS OPEN CIRCUIT OR NO LOAD VOLTAGE?

THIS IS THE VOLTAGE MEASURED BETWEEN

THE ELECTRODE AND THE GROUD, WHEN NO CURRENT IS DRAWN. TYPICALLY 50V 80V FOR SMAW HIGHER THE OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE, EASIER

TO STRIKE ARC, BUT MORE RISK TO SHOCK

WELDING POWER SOURCES

WHAT IS CLOSE CIRCUIT OR OPERATING VOLTAGE?

THIS IS THE VOLTAGE MEASURED ACROSS THE

ARC DURING WELDING. TYPE. TYPICALLY IT RUNS BETWEEN 17 40 VOLTS IT WILL VARY DEPENDING UPON TYPE OF CURRENT

ELECTRODE, POLARITY, ARC LENGTH &

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WHAT ARE THE TWO MAIN CLASSIFICATIONS OF WELDING POWER SUPPLY OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS?

CONSTANT CURRENT (CC) CONSTANT VOLTAGE (CV)

WELDING POWER SOURCES

WHAT DO THE IDEAL CC AND CV OUTPUT VOLTAGE VERSUS CURRENTS LOOK LIKE?
CONSTANT OUTPUT CURRENT FOR ALL LOADS CONSTANT OUTPUT VOLTAGE FOR ALL LOADS

CC

VOLTS

CV

AMPERES

VOLTS

AMPERES

IDEAL CV AND CC OUTPUT VOLTAGE VERSUS CURRENT CURVES

WELDING POWER SOURCES

WHAT DO THESE CURVES TELL US?
CONSTANT OUTPUT VOLTAGE FOR ALL LOADS

VOLTS

VOLTS

CV

CC
CONSTANT OUTPUT CURRENT FOR ALL LOADS

AMPERES

AMPERES

IDEAL CC WELDING POWER SUPPLIES MAINTAINS A CONSTANT CURRENT TO THE ARC DESPITE CHANGING ARC LENGTH IDEAL CV WELDING POWER SUPPLIES MAINTAINS A CONSTANT VOLTAGE TO THE ARC DESPITE CHANGES IN ARC LENGTH.

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HOW DO THE OUTPUT CURVES OF PRACTICAL CC AND CV WELDING POWER SUPPLIES LOOK LIKE?

VOLTS

20

40

60

100

200

300

400

500

600

AMPERES

OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICAL CV SOURCE

WELDING POWER SOURCES

HOW DO THE OUTPUT CURVES OF PRACTICAL CC AND CV WELDING POWER SUPPLIES LOOK LIKE?

VOLTS

20

40

60

100

200

300

400

500

600

AMPERES

OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICAL CC SOURCE

WELDING POWER SOURCES

HOW DO THE OUTPUT CURVES OF PRACTICAL CC AND CV WELDING POWER SUPPLIES LOOK LIKE?

CONSTANT OUTPUT VOLTAGE FOR ALL LOADS

VOLTS

VOLTS

CV

CC
CONSTANT OUTPUT CURRENT FOR ALL LOADS

AMPERES

AMPERES

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POLARITY
STRAIGHT POLARITY

CONNECTION OF ELECTRODE WORK PIECE

NEGATIVE POSITIVE

CHARACTERISTICS
MORE HEAT LIBERATED IN NEGATIVE POLE ELECTRODE MELTS OFF FASTER ALSO CALLED ELECTRODE NEGATIVE (DCEN)

WELDING POWER SOURCES

POLARITY
REVERSE POLARITY

CONNECTION OF
ELECTRODE POSITIVE WORK PIECE NEGATIVE

CHARACTERISTICS
RESULTS IN DEEPER PENETRATION ALSO CALLED ELECTRODE POSITIVE (DCEP)

SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING

Type of Currents AC DCEN or DCSP DCEP or DCRP

DCEN

AC

DCEP

EFFECT OF WELD BEAD PENETRATION AT SAME WELDING CURRENT