MLS 2300 AC/DC Mix mode

[Gavin Melville]

Despite getting a training manual (was meant to be a advanced user manual) I can't get mix mode to do anything useful. Kemppi say mix mode is useful for welding thin to thick AL. Tried that, results little different from AC pulse mode.

The settings for mix make sense, sort of...

50% DC, at full current.
AC for the other 50% of the time, switched at .8 Hz.

In theory it makes less noise, deeper penetration. I actually can't see any difference, other than a bright orange glow around the weld pool.

Has anyone made mix mode do anything useful?

 

[Shox Dr]

I've the same panel, and have never used the function. So can't help. Reading those screen shots, made me laugh at some of the statments

 

[Gavin Melville]

I thought some were quite "positive"....

One thing I did learn - microtack does work on AC, one new quick menu item appears. Pco, stands for pulse count. Basically where DC Microtack gives one pulse, 200msec long, set Pco to five and you get 5 short AC pulses. Once I got the feed right, sort of Bzz, Bzz, Feed, Bzz, Bzz, Bzz produces a fairly small tack. It's not perfect....

 

[Chris Stevens]

Have used mix on my set, and while I have not messed with the settings much, feel that it would be quite useful in some situations. I only have ACS panel though, so not sure mix settings the same as your ACX?

 

[Gavin Melville]

After turning a pile of aluminium extrusion into scrap I'd rather hide, I'm starting to get the idea. The DC arc is narrow, and can be very hot. The AC one is wider. I think the idea is to use the narrow DC arc on the thicker material, and let the AC arc melt the thinner material. Would best be described as a work in progress.

I don't think -- so far -- it's any better on fillet welds, but they are my personal nemesis anyway.

 

[Chris Stevens]

You need to experiment with the percentage of AC to DC, in direct relationship to the material you are joining. I get the feeling that with proper set up the mix function is likely to mean increased travel speed on some jobs, and make others somewhat easier. In regard to DC I have seen very thick aluminuim being welded in a single pass on YT video, wasnt as clean a weld as you would get with AC, but looked perfectly acceptable and stronger than a single pass using AC on the same set I would guess.