Every bit of spatter that lands on a job has to come off again before it can be painted, powder coated or sent for galvanising. On a busy fabrication shop floor, that grinding and chipping adds up to hours every week. Pulse MIG is one of the most effective ways to cut it down.
Where spatter comes from
With a conventional MIG machine, the settings most people use on general fabrication sit in the short-arc or globular range. In short-arc the wire touches the pool and the short circuit bursts; in globular transfer large, irregular drops wobble across the arc. Both throw out spatter.
A true spray arc is almost spatter-free, but it needs high current, which is too hot for thinner material and hard to use out of position.
How pulse fixes it
Pulse MIG gives you spray-type transfer at a much lower average current. Each current pulse pinches off one controlled droplet and sends it straight into the pool, without the wire shorting into the pool. Between pulses the low background current keeps the arc stable. The result is a smooth, quiet arc with very little spatter. (If the idea of peak and background current is new, start with What is pulse welding?)
What that means in practice
- Less grinding before painting or galvanising. Spatter left on a part shows through paint and can spoil a galvanised finish, so it has to be removed first.
- Less time cleaning consumables. Nozzles and contact tips stay cleaner for longer.
- Better-looking welds with a flatter, more even bead.
- Easier on stainless steel, where spatter and heat tint are particularly unwelcome.
Good practice still matters: clean material, the right gas and correct stick-out all affect spatter. A little anti-spatter spray on jigs and nozzles, or nozzle dip, helps on any process.
Which machines?
Pulse is now available across a wide price range. In the Fronius Fortis range, the Pulse Welding Package is built in on models such as the Fortis 270 C Pulse, Fortis 320 C Pulse and Fortis 400 Compact Pulse. Fronius describes the package as giving low spatter on thin to thick sheet.
Talk to us
Want to see the difference on your own material? Ask us about a demonstration. Call 0141 959 5666 or email info@weldsafe.co.uk.
Images © Fronius International GmbH.