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<< Cat. All Categories Cat. >> Below you will find links to all Tool-and-Equipment items in the category Welding. All items are in alphabetical order. Clicking on an item will bring up a detailed description.
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Search and Browse our Products...If you're having problems with welding jargon see this Glossary of Welding Terms. Understanding the Welding Process Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) - Stick This process uses a consumable electrode to support the arc. Shielding is achieved by the melting of the outer flux coating on the electrode. Filler metal is obtained from the electrode core. * Excellent for windy, outdoor conditions Recommended metal: Steel, stainless steel, cast iron Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) - MIG A process used with a wire feed welding machine. Metals are joined by heating them with an arc, which is between the continuously fed filler metal electrode (solid wire) and the workpiece. Externally supplied gas or gas mixture provide shielding. * Easy process to learn Recommended metal: Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, cast iron Skill Level: Low Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) - Gasless Process that uses a wire-fed welding machine. Metals are melted and joined by heating them with an arc between a continuous, consumable electrode wire and the workpiece. The weld is tubular with flux material contained inside the shielding. Added shielding may or may not be supplied from external gas or gas mixture, depending on the type of flux cored wire being used. * Works well on dirty or rusty material Recommended to weld: Steel, stainless steel If Your Skill Level is Low... Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) - TIG This process uses welding equipment with a high-frequency generator. The arc is created between a nonconsumable tungsten electrode and the workpiece. Filler metal may or may not be used, and argon inert gas or inert gas mixtures are used for shielding. * Provides high-quality, precise welds Recommended metal (AC TIG): Aluminum, magnesium alloys (DC TIG): Steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, titanium If Skill Your Level is High... Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) Two separate pieces of metal are joined by passing current between electrodes positioned on opposite sides of the workpieces. No arc is used; rather, it is the resistance of the metal to the current flow that fuses the pieces. * Portable and easy to operate Recommended metal: Steel, stainless steel If Skill Your Level is Low... Are you trying to choose between welders? Here are some things to look for... Typical Applications Consider the most common uses and applications for your welder: construction, farm/ranch, general maintenance/repair, home, auto body/repair, etc. Welders are designed for certain applications, depending on rated output, duty cycle and other features. For example, heavy-duty repairs in the field requires a welding package that can handle different types and sizes (thickness) of metal, whereas repairing a wrought iron railing can be done using a stick welder. Available Power Input * Single-phase products require single-phase input power usually found
in homes and garages (Welders operate off either 115 or 230 Volts) Portability * Can the welder be brought to the workpieces, or do the workpieces
need to be brought to the welder? Do you need a welding helmet? Here's what to look for... Auto-Darkening vs. Standard Glass Lens Auto-darkening allows easy starting and positioning in welding. With standard glass, the welder needs to be able to flip the helmet down at the moment the weld starts, and flip the helmet up to view the workpiece before beginning again. The downside of this type of helmet is a potential loss of torch position on starts, and at times the helmet cannot be flipped because of space restrictions. Solar Power vs. Battery (or both?) Most solar-powered helmets have either a rechargeable or nonreplaceable battery, or they maintain the lens in the shade mode. Solar-powered helmets typically require a charging period prior to their first use as well as after extended periods of storage. Dual-powered lens (solar with replacement battery) enable users to weld right out of the box and can last up to 2000 hours of use on MIG. Lens Reaction Time/Switching Speed The switching speed is the time it takes the lens to react to the weld arc. The sooner a welder’s eyes are shaded from the highly intense light, the better. Too slow a reaction time will cause eye discomfort. Some switching speeds are 1/12,000, 1/16,000, even 1/25,000 of a second. Adjustable Sensitivity and Delay Controls Sensitivity will set the helmet to trigger on the amount of light hitting the helmet. Delay sets the lens to stay dark after the weld arc goes out. Helmet Weight A lighter weight helmet can minimize strain on the user’s neck. Fixed versus Adjustable Shade If welding on one type of material with the same thickness, a welder may opt for a fixed-shade helmet. If welding using multiple processes, for example stick, MIG and TIG, a welder will want to adjust the helmet shade to get the best view of the puddle. ANZI Z87.1-2003 Standard Be sure the helmet meets ANSI Z87.1-2003 standards. This means the helmet will filter out ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) rays, even in a nonshaded state. This standard requires helmets to be tested through an independent laboratory. The testing includes impact testing with pointed/ball-shaped objects at speeds of up to 150 ft./second, ultraviolet and infrared testing, and switch speed testing in extreme temperatures (-5° to 131°F). |