In order to get the most from your fabrication services, a more efficient and faster process may be needed. If your Cleveland shop has a lot of welding to do, MIG welding makes sense. It is quick and efficient but still requires a reasonable amount of skill. Here are a few helpful tips for getting the most from your MIG operation, so you can offer better service to your customers.
Machine Settings
It might seem basic, but machine settings are an important part of the process, whether you are fabricating in Cleveland, LA or NY. For example, look to see what size wire you need and then check the chart for the proper settings. If you are MIG welding something relatively small (like .025) you won’t need as much voltage as you will with .045 wire. Settings are usually determined by the thickness of the metal you intend to weld.
Remember, setting up your machine is vital to your success. Too much or too little heat can give you disastrous results and you may end up losing materials. For instance, too much voltage can give you an inconsistent weld bead. Too low of voltage can result in a great deal of spatter problems. You need to set the voltage just right but there is another setting to consider.
Your wire is very important as it will eventually become part of the weld joint. Wire feed sped is what controls the amps (current) of electricity. If the wire is fed too fast you may burn through your metal. You should have a chart available or write down your wire settings and keep the info. Here is how the numbers are determined (ipa = inches per amp and ipm = inches per minute):
- 0.25 wire – multiply this by 3.5 ipa – this gives you 125 (amps) X 3.5 = 437.5 ipm.
- .035 wire – multiply by 2 – this will give you 250 ipm
- .035 – multiply by 1.6 = 200 ipm
- .045 -multiply by 1 = 125 ipm
Cleanliness is Very Important
Even the best welds can fail if the joint has not been properly cleaned. Not only do you need to clean the surface but you must make sure nothing gets into the joint the entire time you are welding.
Increase Comfort to Increase Quality
Do not get in a hurry when you are MIG welding. Choose a position and technique which affords maximum comfort and you’ll have few problems with fatigue and you may find yourself doing some of the best fabricating in Cleveland before long.
