Greetings to the guests and subscribers of our channel. Who is here for the first time-our articles and videos are made for self-taught beginners in manual arc welding and locksmith. There are also many tips for convenient and safe working with a grinder. Today's article is for broadening your horizons in welding machines for beginners.
Literally 15 years ago, such household welding machines were mainly sold in welding shops. This is a welding transformer. Large box with a lot of weight!
Look closely at this photo. Pay attention to the grip and ground cables. They come out of the apparatus and are not removable. Now let's go back to our time. Look at the photo below, these are modern welding inverters.
These are both my inverters. Have you noticed the difference with the old transformer apparatus? The dimensions are much smaller. The picture does not convey this, but the weight of the inverter is several times less. And yet, the cables of the grip and the masses have become removable. That is, they can now be switched to 2 different positions. Why did they do this and what for? Look.
In welding, 2 types of current are used - direct current and alternating current. The generally accepted designation of these currents looks like this
AC-alternating current
DC-constant current
So, old transformer devices were cooked with alternating current AC. Modern inverters are boiled with direct current DC.
The alternating current changes its direction in the circuit 120 times per second.
Direct current flows in only one direction, from plus to minus.
Therefore, on transformer devices, the cables are non-removable, there is no point in rearranging them in the sockets. By the way, in the photo above is the Rusich apparatus, exactly the same I had, my first welding, I mean personal welding.
But on inverters with their constant current, you can change cables, switch them to different positions. This is called changing polarity, but what is it and why? Look.
We connect the holder to the minus of the device, and the mass to the plus - we get straight polarity.
Hold to plus, and mass to minus, there will be reverse polarity.
It is necessary to switch the polarity for the convenience of welding metals of different thicknesses. Straight polarity makes it easier to weld thin metal without burn-through. Reverse polarity is better and deeper penetration for thicker metal. I know in many textbooks they write the other way around, but in old textbooks they recommend this way. Plus, many years of practice have confirmed this.
There are also electrodes that are cooked only on direct current of reverse polarity. These are electrodes with a basic coating - they are taken for responsible high-quality welding. For example, these are UONI 13 55 electrodes.
You can't cook with such electrodes on a transformer - you won't be able to hold the welding arc. The transformer can only cook with rutile-coated electrodes-MR 3, ANO-21, MONOLIT, OK-46, etc.
Even on inverter machines, the quality of the weld itself is usually higher. The direct current makes the transfer of metal from the electrode into the weld pool in smaller droplets. less metal spatter. The quality and beauty of the seam is higher, better.
Actually. When I used to cook with a transformer, with my Rusich, the drops of the sprayed metal felt so well relative to inverter welding. Who noticed this too? Write in the comments.
So progress is stepping forward while we cook with an inverter. It is possible that welding will change again in the coming years. We will cook with one hand, without an apparatus, according to wai fay!