WIRE FEEDERS

Wire feeders supply the filler metal, electrical current, and shielding gas to the gun and
arc during welding. Most wire feeders are a push type because the wire is pushed out
of the feeder and into the gun assembly.
GMAW uses a continuous electrode that's often referred to as a welding wire. GMAW
requires filler metal be added to the welding arc at a constant speed. A wire feeder
system delivers the filler metal at a set speed to the weld pool. There are many
different types of wire feeders as well as optional controls designed for the Gas Metal
Arc Welding process. Optional styles include single and dual wire feeders, bench top,
boom-mounted, portable, or wire feeders that are built into the welding power
source. Some adjustments allow for complete weld sequencing, while others may be
simple and only act as "feed" or "no feed" systems. Other options may also allow the
feeder to add a push-pull welding gun. There are two basic types of wire feeders:
constant-speed and voltage-sensing.
 A constant speed gets the power to turn the drive motor from the control cable
 a voltage-sensing gets its power from the welding power source
All wire feeders include a dial to adjust the wire feed speed, or WFS, in inches-per-
minute or meters-per-minute. The amperage output is controlled by WFS. If this
increases, the welding amperage also increases. The voltage on the welding power
source remains constant regardless of changes to amperage.
A CONSTANT-SPEED WIRE FEEDER
A constant-speed wire feeder uses a control cable that's often referred to as the
"Brain" or a "14-pin" cable. It can have up to 14 wires that can be used for multiple
functions including providing:
 Power from the welding power source to the wire feeder
 The welding output contactor control
 Voltage control
 Voltage feedback And
 Current feedback
The connection between the welding power source and the wire feeder provides the
necessary power for operation. Additional wires control the secondary contactor,
which tells the welding power source when to turn the welding output on. Other wires
may be used to remotely control the output voltage of the welding power source or
send signals back to the welding power source. These helps monitor the welding
output voltage and amperage and also allow the welding system to adjust itself and
reach the desired welding power.
Constant-speed wire feeders offer the most diverse configurations. These are
available as single or dual and can be a bench-top style or boom mounted. They can be
built into a welding power source or they can be in a portable case. They can be a
spool gun or a push-pull system for feeding soft wires like aluminum. Constant-speed
wire feeders can have numerous options for controlling the welding output
parameters. They can have a basic control that only regulates gas flow, wire feed speed,
and the output contactor, or they can control a complete, timed, weld sequence.
Wire feeders can also be either single or dual. A single wire feeder feeds a single spool
of wire and has one drive motor, and a dual wire feeder holds two spools of wire and
has two drive motors, but it only welds with one spool at a time. The advantage of a
dual wire feeder is it eliminates the time required to change from one wire type or
diameter to another. For example, a dual wire feeder can use a solid 0.035-inch
diameter ER70S-6 wire on one side and a 1/16-inch E71T-1 flux cored wire on the other
side. Another station might use one side to weld stainless steel and the other side to
weld carbon steel. Dual wire feeders can share a gas supply or have independent
supplies for the different wires on each side.
A bench-top wire feeder generally sits on top of the welding power source. However,
it can also be placed on a cart away from the welding power source and moved closer
to the work as needed. A boom-mounted wire feeder integrates everything into a
boom. This keeps the cables off the floor while still allowing for a large work envelope.
A push-pull wire feeders are designed for feeding soft wires. A spool gun houses a
small spool of wire and a small drive motor to feed the wire a short distance into the
weld pool. A push-pull wire feeder allows you to use a larger spool of wire and it can
feed the soft wires up to 50 feet away from the spool of wire. They have a pull wire
feed motor and drive roll system that's built into the gun and a push motor and drive
roll system in the feeder cabinet.

Voltage-Sensing Wire Feeder:

The voltage-sensing wire feeder gets its power from the secondary welding power. It
has a small cable and clamp called a volt sense lead. This has to be connected to the
work piece so when there's no welding arc, the wire feeder can still draw power from
the welding power source and be ready to weld. It may also have a secondary contactor
inside to keep the welding gun from being electrically hot when not welding.
A typical voltage-sensing wire feeder can't adjust the voltage because it doesn't have
any controls connected to the welding power source's remote-control receptacle.
Pulling the gun trigger closes the contactor, which enables the welding arc. This
requires the welding power source to be energized at all times at the secondary
welding output.
Voltage-sensing wire feeders are designed to be portable. They're especially useful
when combined with an engine-driven welding power source or when welding at
long distances, such as those over 75 feet.
In addition, they allow GMAW or FCAW to be performed with a constant-current
power welding source. If you're using a voltage sensing wire feeder with a constant-
current welding power source, the wire feed speed is no longer constant. Because
"wire welding" requires a consistent arc voltage, a CC machine only maintains a set
current level. Voltage provides a greater variation in the stability of the welding arc
because changing voltage also changes the arc length. Changes in the arc length can
negatively affect the deposited weld metal chemistry and it can also cause a
substandard weld deposit.

Using a voltage sensing wire feeder with constant-current isn't recommended or

allowed for code welding especially in seismic environment. Even though voltage
sensing wire feeders can weld with constant-current, it's not ideal and should be
avoided. Using this setup was likely a key contributor to many weld failures in the
Northridge earthquakes in California in the 1980's. These failures led to new
requirements that mandate that "wire welding" be performed using a constant-
voltage welding power source.

Wire Feeder Components

The wire feeder is made of six components. These include the spool support, the
drive motor, the control system, the drive housing, the drive rolls, and the GMAW
gun.

 The spool support holds the spool of wire.

 The drive motor is an electric motor that turns the drive rolls, which feeds the
wire into the system.
 The control system determines when the drive motor turns on and off, and how
fast it turns. It delivers the welding wire to the weld pool. It also controls when
the shielding gas turns on and off and regulates when the welding power is
energized to deliver welding current to the wire.
  The drive housing connects the welding power, the shielding gas, and the
welding wire to the welding gun. It also reduces the high motor RPM to the
slower drive roll RPM.
 The drive rolls are specifically designed wheels that pull wire from the spool
and feed it into the GMAW gun.
 The GMAW gun delivers shielding gas, welding power, and the welding wire to
the weld pool.

Wire Feeder Control System:

The wire feeder control system can have five optional features. These are the trigger,
purge, jog, the remote voltage control, and the digital meters.

 The trigger hold allows an operator to start the weld by pulling the gun trigger.
Initially, the wire feeder remains on until the gun trigger is cycled off, then on,
then off again.
 Purge allows an operator to manually turn on the shielding gas so they can
adjust the flow or purge the line to displace other gases.
 Jog allows the operator to feed the wire into the gun without activating the
weld power or the shielding gas.
 The remote voltage control communicates with the welding power source so
you can adjust the output voltage and the arc length for pulse welding
processes.
 The digital meters show the preset welding voltage and the wire feed speed
before and after welding. They can also show the actual wire feed speed, the
welding voltage, and the amperage while welding.

This wire feeder has additional controls that can change settings at the start
and end of the weld as well as store pre-set programs to quickly change
parameters.

WELDING SEQUENCE
 Preflow is the flow of gas prior to welding to ensure adequate gas coverage
when the arc is initiated.

 Run-in controls how fast the wire initially feeds until the arc is established. If
run-in is too slow, the wire will essentially explode and possibly melt to the
contact tip. If run-in is too fast, the arc initiation can cause excessive spatter
and the arc will stumble until it stabilizes. Setting the run-in just right,
generally between 50% to 90% of the welding wire feed speed, helps establish
the perfect arc start.

 The Start establishes the welding parameters that will be used at the
beginning of the weld. It allows the operator to adjust the welding voltage,
wire feed speed, and the amount of time to weld at this setting before it
 changes to the set weld parameters. For around one second, this may be
slightly hotter than the normal weld settings to eliminate the "cold" starts or
crowning. This setting can also be a little colder than the normal weld setting
to help bridge a gap for a second or two before ramping up to the weld setting.
Either way, Start controls up to five seconds and allows for different weld
parameters to make a high-quality weld.

 The weld parameters are usually adjusted as on any welding power source.
Additional adjustments for the welding sequencing are found in separate
menus. When weld sequencing, the option to add time allows for a complete
weld cycle to take place on repeatable welds. If there is no time programmed
in the weld portion of the sequence, it's controlled by the operator. When the
trigger is released, the crater portion of the sequence starts and times itself to
complete the cycle.

 The crater function reduces the chances of a crater crack and it can also simply
fill in the end of the weld. This is a timed function and it starts either when the
trigger is released or based on the pre-established timed sequence. Generally,
the crater function weld setting is much lower than the weld setting to fill in
the end of the weld. It can be set to a weld setting that is hotter than the
normal weld parameter to tie into a previous weld. When the crater function
begins, there's usually an abrupt change from the normal weld setting to the
crater setting. However, some systems will "ramp up" from the weld setting to
the crater setting based on the time established in the weld sequence.

 Burnback is a timed event that stops the wire from feeding while still
continuing to supply weld power at the end of a weld. The amount of voltage
and the amount of time needed to accomplish this are preset. Burnback
 eliminates the chance of the welding wire sticking in the weld bead at the end
of the weld and it also helps to control the shape of the end of the wire for
restarting an arc.

 Post flow keeps the gas shielding on after all welding has stopped. This
protects the end of the weld and the electrode/filler metal until they cool
down enough to prevent atmospheric contamination of the weld or filler
metal.

DRIVE ROLLS

Drive rolls sizes correspond to the wire diameters. They come in four basic
shapes or finishes for different types of wires.

The four types of drive rolls are V-grooved, V- knurled, U-grooved, and U-
cogged.

1. V-grooved are the most common. They're used for almost all solid wires
with the exception of aluminum. The V shape provides an excellent grip
on the wire so it can be easily fed into the gun. It also allows some slip if
the wire stops, which prevents a potential birds nest. On the other
hand, the V shape will deform a round wire into a square wire if it's
over-tightened or if it's used for soft wires like aluminum.
2. The V-knurled drive roll has knurls or ridges that are approximately
perpendicular to the direction of the wire. These provide an extra bite for
softer wires like metal-cored and flux- cored wires. You need to take
extra care with this drive roll to avoid over-tightening it, which deforms
and scores the wire and causes ridges along the wire's surface. These
ridges act like a saw blade and they can prematurely wear out gun
components like the inlet guide or the contact tip. Over- tightening can
also cause the cored wire to open up, which results in a loss of the
internal. powders that make the wire compatible for welding.

3. The U-grooved drive rolls are usually used for soft wires like aluminum.
They provide the grip or traction that's needed to feed the wire and,
because of their shape, they won't deform the wire. Over-tightening can
cause a small amount of deformation since the depth of the U is slightly
smaller than the radius. Over-tightening a u-groove drive roll can cause
some flaking and shaving of the wire, which can lead to weld problems.

4. The U-cogged drive roll is the most under-utilized of all the rolls. It's
best suited for cored wires like metal-cored and flux-cored. It's mostly
used for feeding large-diameter cored wires, but it actually works well
for all cored wires. The cogs provide the grip or traction of cored wire to
ensure feedability, and the U-shape ensures there's no deformation of
the wire shape. While over-tightening can cause significant shaving of
 the wire sheath, at least the wire is less likely to open up and lose its
contents.

Regardless of which type of drive roll type is selected, the groove size is labeled to
match the wire diameter it's intended to feed. All of the drive roll shapes can feed
any wire, but some simply work better for certain types of wires.
DRIVE HOUSING
The drive housing is made up of seven components.

1. The gear box converts mechanical energy from the drive motor, which
turns the drive rolls.
2. The tension adjustment controls the amount of force that the drive roll
places on the wire to "grip" it.
3. The inlet guides direct the wire from the spool to the drive roll.
4. The intermediate guides conduct the wire between two sets of drive
rolls on a four- drive roll system.
5. The GMAW gun or barrel connection joins the GMAW Gun to the
housing. It also aligns the wire so it feeds into the gun liner. The
beginning, or inlet to the gun, is also referred to as an outlet guide.
6. The gas connection joins the shielding gas from the outlet of the gas
solenoid, which is located in the wire feeder, to the GMAW gun.
7. The welding power connection links the welding power to the GMAW
Gun.