13 The
generally accepted current ranges for the commonly used welding wire diameters
are as follows: The
contact tip (or jaw) must be in good condition and held close to the work if the
maximum current value for
each diameter of welding wire is to be used. Poor current transfer between welding
wire and contact tip (jaw)
will cause the wire to heat irregularly above the welding zone. This condition
should be corrected by replacing
the contact tip (cleaning or remachining the contact jaw).
Graph A shows the relationship of wire
feed speed in inches/minute versus AC amps for several wire sizes.
It should be noted that when using DCEP
(electrode positive) the wire feed speed should be decreased by
10 to 15 percent. When DCEN (electrode
negative) is employed the wire feed speed should be increased 10
to 15 percent for a given amperage.
This relationship will also change with different wire extensions and
fluxes. Wire
Diameter Inches Current
Range Amperes 3/32
120 - 700 1/8
220 - 1100 5/32
340 - 1200 3/16
400 - 1300 1/4
600 - 1600 5/16
1000 - 2500 Welding
Wire and Current
