Senior Sales Application Engineer
- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
Consumables Corner: Combating overheating in work clamps
- By Jay Ginder and Jerry Mathison
- July 8, 2014
- Article
- Consumables
Q: I weld in a large pressure vessel shop and use many welding processes, including SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, and SAW. Regardless of the process, our work clamps always get very hot. We’ve even had some arcing from the ground clamp. We have welded several grounds to the workpiece to remedy this problem, but they still get very hot. How can we fix this?
A: The heat you are experiencing is generated by an excessive resistance in the welding circuit, generally caused by poorly or inadequately grounding the work clamp. This increased resistance has a negative effect on the welding current supplied by the power supply. When you’re using the GMAW or FCAW process, for example, a poor work clamp connection will require the machine to increase output to achieve the same voltage level for proper weldability.
Excessive resistance may be caused by a welding cable that is too small, flattened, frayed, or old. Coiling the cable also can cause added resistance. Fastening the work clamp to the work insecurely will cause it to overheat.
Both the size and length of the cable affect voltage drop. For instance, if you’re welding at 300 amps with 100 feet of 2-gauge welding cable to acquire 25 V at the welding arc, you will have to dial in almost 31 V to make up for the resistance caused by the improper cable size and length.
To address this, change the welding cables to the suggested size based on the welding current you use. You may need a larger cable size, or in some SAW applications, you may need to use more than one ground cable to transfer the current efficiently. When grounding your part, it is good welding practice to place your ground as close as possible to the actual welding.
In GMAW-P applications, improper grounding, often overlooked, will cause inconsistencies in the arc. Most power supplies that pulse have a feedback system that changes the output of the machine to maintain a consistent arc length. An increased resistance in the circuit will cause the feedback voltage to vary, resulting in arc inconsistencies. Attaching the work clamp securely will result in a more consistent welding output. When grounding multiple weld stations, try to avoid using a common ground by welding steel bars to ground each station. Instead, ground each table independently to reduce resistance that may cause an issue with unstable welding arcs.
If the work lead clamp continues to overheat after trying these remedies, contact your welding distributor for further assistance.
About the Authors
Jay Ginder
Filler Metal Manufacturing Center 801 Wilson Ave.
Hanover, PA 17331
Jerry Mathison
Senior Sales Application Engineer
411 S. Ebenezer Road
Florence, SC 29501
843-669-4411
About the Publication
Related Companies
subscribe now
The Welder, formerly known as Practical Welding Today, is a showcase of the real people who make the products we use and work with every day. This magazine has served the welding community in North America well for more than 20 years.
start your free subscription- Stay connected from anywhere
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Welder.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Tube and Pipe Journal.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator en Español.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 04/16/2024
- Running Time:
- 63:29
In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Caleb Chamberlain, co-founder and CEO of OSH Cut, discusses his company’s...
- Trending Articles
Sheffield Forgemasters makes global leap in welding technology
ESAB unveils Texas facility renovation
Engine-driven welding machines include integrated air compressors
How welders can stay safe during grinding
The impact of sine and square waves in aluminum AC welding, Part I
- Industry Events
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,
Pipe and Tube Conference
- May 21 - 22, 2024
- Omaha, NE
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY
Advanced Laser Application Workshop
- June 25 - 27, 2024
- Novi, MI