Practical MIG Welding: Welder Settings

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Welder Settings

08.11

00:00	MIG is generally regarded as the easiest method of welding and modern technology has made MIG welders smarter than ever before with new capabilities, settings and most significantly, the introduction of the synergic function that we've already touched on.
00:12	In the simplest terms, this functionality means that all settings are dynamic and if one is changed, the others will automatically adjust to suit, meaning you don't have to adjust every single setting each time.
00:23	To be clear though, everything can still be adjusted manually if required.
00:27	This synergic function won't always suit what you're welding though and you won't find it on older welders, but whether you're using it or not, you'll need to understand and be able to adjust the functions and settings of the welder to fine tune your results.
00:40	Before we dive into these settings in detail, we first need to select our welding process.
00:44	Like the name suggests, multiprocess machines offer multiple welding processes so while all MIG welders have the ability to arc weld, only sub MIG welders have the ability to TIG weld as well.
00:56	As you've probably already guessed, in this course we're only focusing on the MIG welding process though.
01:01	This MIG process can still be broken down into different modes though and depending on your machine, it may have a setting for flux core arc welding, manual MIG welding and synergic MIG welding.
01:11	By selecting your desired setting, the machine will then offer us further settings to understand what it needs to program for your desired weld cycle.
01:18	Let's run through the machine prompts and set the machine up.
01:21	This will typically run through your gas type, wire diameter, material type and material thickness to allow the machine to adjust to your weld requirements.
01:30	Many machines will have a quick start guide that references the typical settings for a particular situation and these are often located either in the user manual or stuck on the inside of the wire compartment door.
01:41	Advanced machines will integrate a host of other settings that I want to take some time to explain.
01:46	Even if your machine doesn't have these options, I think it's still helpful to gain a better understanding of what you need should you be in the market for your first MIG welder or maybe looking to upgrade your current machine.
01:58	Let's begin with wire start control which is also known as run in WFS.
02:03	This sets the wire feed speed from the time that the trigger is pulled until an arc is established and ensures precise and smooth arc striking which is particularly important when welding aluminium.
02:14	Next, burn back control is a recent addition to MIG welders so you won't be seeing it on older machines.
02:19	It was designed to prevent the wire from sticking in the puddle at the end of each weld and it prepares the end of the wire for the next arc start.
02:27	This is achieved by a digital control that's programmed into the machine and is adjustable on many high end machines to dial in the amount of time that the weld output continues after the wire stops feeding.
02:39	This prevents the typical glob of molten metal that can form on the wire and prevent a smooth arc start from occurring.
02:45	Spot weld timer control improves the machine's ability to produce spot welds that are identical in size.
02:52	By turning on the spot weld function, we can set the amount of time that the weld will continue after the trigger has been pulled and will automatically switch the arc off after this time has elapsed, creating identical spot welds time after time.
03:05	This feature is prevalent in many machines designed for automotive applications and it can be a huge assistance in creating the spot welded seams that we often see on many race car chassis.
03:15	Not to be confused with spot welding, the pulse weld function allows for a much cooler weld pool and can create those stacked dimes that are usually associated with TIG welders.
03:26	This pulse function creates a base and peak current that controls the overall heat while maintaining the size and strength of the weld.
03:34	This can assist in welding out of position, reducing spatter and distortion and increasing weld speed.
03:39	Machines that offer dual pulse functionality are better again because they can make the weld look even cleaner by offering more heat control.
03:47	Master this properly and you can produce a weld that will have people guessing as to whether it was completed by a MIG or a TIG welder.
03:54	The pulse setting isn't one we'll see on most MIG welders, but it's a great feature for motorsport use if a suitable machine is in your budget.
04:02	It can improve your ability to produce flawless looking welds.
04:05	Just make sure that you're gaining the right amount of penetration due to the lower heat input.
04:11	Next, up the pre flow time setting allows us to adjust the time that the shielding gas flows after the trigger is pulled, but prior to initiating the arc.
04:20	This allows the start of the arc to be shielded with gas and will create a cleaner weld initiation.
04:26	As you could probably guess, the post flow time setting works at the opposite end of the weld and adjusts the time that the shielding gas flows after the arc has been terminated.
04:34	This can assist in cooling very hot welds under the shielding gas to prevent any reactions with the atmosphere such as craters or cracks forming in the molten weld pool.
04:43	Just like TIG welding, MIG machines also have a 2 step and 4 step trigger operation.
04:49	In traditional 2 step mode, the machine turns on the arc and off in direct response to the trigger.
04:54	4 step mode allows you to continue welding when the gun's trigger is released and to terminate the arc, the gun's trigger is then pulled again.
05:01	This 4 step mode won't be used a lot in motorsport applications, but it can come in handy if you have long welds that require precise gun placement by allowing you to release the trigger and continue welding.
05:12	Next, we have crater control which is an example of a setting that you might only find on higher end machines.
05:18	This assists in the downslope of the welding current to finish the weld cycle.
05:22	And this, in conjunction with burn back control, will assist in the finished weld and along with a little post flow of gas will bring improved results to the final stages of a MIG weld.
05:32	Let's now take a look at the inductance setting which controls the rate of current rise as the wire is short circuiting in the weld pool.
05:38	Low inductance results in a faster current rise, a crisper arc, more weld spatter and a narrower weld bead.
05:46	Higher inductance of course is the opposite with a slower current rise, a softer, smoother arc and less spatter with a flatter and wider bead.
05:54	One thing to note here is that different shielding gases affect the molten weld pool differently and this can be adjusted for by using the inductance setting.
06:03	Many large manufacturing companies decrease the cost of gas by perfecting the inductance setting on their welder, allowing them to use a cheaper mix to achieve the same weld results.
06:13	It's important to understand that inductance is the final aspect of tuning your weld.
06:17	Many of us won't have the ability to adjust it and that's fine, but if we do, then it should be adjusted once all of our other settings are correct and our results are nearly perfect.
06:26	In motorsport, we mig weld very different materials and thicknesses back to back.
06:31	And that means it's often not feasible to find the time to perfect every situation, although understanding how it all works will give you a greater ability to get the most out of your machine.
06:41	These days we can now save our presets within the memory of our welders so once we've found the right settings, we can go ahead and store it, effectively creating our own personal synergic function that we've fine tuned for a particular situation.
06:53	With so many setting variables, it's a good idea to spend a fair amount of time practising and playing with these settings on some scrap material to understand first hand how they affect the weld.
07:04	Don't be afraid to play around with every setting you have.
07:07	Your machine should offer a factory reset function if you manage to get lost and want to return to the base settings.
07:13	This module has contained a lot of information so let's run back through some of the key points before finishing up.
07:19	Mig welding is user friendly and more advanced machines may feature the synergic programming function that dynamically adjusts settings to make life even easier.
07:27	This function may not suit all situations and it will be absent in older machines so understanding and manually adjusting settings are still crucial.
07:36	Multiprocess mig welders offer various modes of operation including flux core arc welding, manual mig welding and synergic mig welding.
07:44	These settings can be programmed based on gas type, wire diameter, material type and thickness.
07:48	Additional advanced settings include wire start control for smooth arc striking, burn back control to prevent wire sticking, spot weld timer control for consistent spot welds and pulse weld functions for cooler welds.
08:01	The pre flow and post flow time settings control shielding gas flow, before and after welding respectively.