What is Dip Transfer Welding?

MIG/MAG Welding: How it Works-1

What is Dip Transfer Welding?

MIG MAG welding is an arc process whereby you have a positive ( welding torch ) and a negative ( earth clamp) connected to a transformer or inverter power supply. 

The earth clamp is placed on the material to be joined and the torch provides the filler wire to generate the explosion (arc). 

Voltage is important

The welding wire is essentially a fuse,  the same as in a mains electrical box that is designed to “blow” at a certain current (amps).  On the front of the welding machine is a voltage switch that enables you to select different voltage settings. The lower the voltage the lower the explosion of the wire, the higher the voltage the higher the explosion. 

Wire Blow Off

Depending on the wire diameter and the voltage selected determines how big your explosion will be when the wire “shorts” or “blows” on the workpiece.  This explosion blows off a length of wire (say for argument 5mm) and that would be essentially it but on a MIG MAG welder, we have a continuous wire and a motor that replaces the blown off length of wire to short again. 

In the UK we have 50hz mains supply and in the USA 60Hz, this means that it is possible to have 50 or 60 explosions per second. 

Achieve Resonant Frequency

So when you select a voltage you get a length of wire blown off (5mm), you then need to turn your wire speed up so that  5mm is sticking out of your welding contact tip for the next explosion.  You then keep turning your speed up till you get that nice crackly bacon sound, we call this resonant frequency, which basically means you are matching the amount of wire sticking out of your tip with the frequency of explosions per second. 

50x5mm per second 

Which gases are used in MIG MAG welding and what does it do?

References

https://www.fronius.com/en-us/usa/welding-technology/world-of-welding/mig-mag-welding