- Thread starter justin
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ajlelectronics
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Of what? Domestic mains?
Country Joe
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Don't think it's covered by any regulations.
But generally between the high teens to the high twenties.
All the Best,
CJ
But generally between the high teens to the high twenties.
All the Best,
CJ
rich r
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I don't think it's covered specifically by any legislation, but most workplace safety guides I've seen say 50V. But I've seen that 80V and even 100V are used in industrial welding equipment.
In general though most small arc welders are just below 50V, which would tally with a guideline of that sort of voltage. I don't know the legalities of it, but I suspect as long as you did a proper risk assessment and noted that the open circuit voltage was higher than 50V, and anyone using the equipment should take suitable precautions, then it's fine to go higher.
In general though most small arc welders are just below 50V, which would tally with a guideline of that sort of voltage. I don't know the legalities of it, but I suspect as long as you did a proper risk assessment and noted that the open circuit voltage was higher than 50V, and anyone using the equipment should take suitable precautions, then it's fine to go higher.
Country Joe
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Stick welders often have OCVs of 50 or 80V.
Whoops, I hadn't even thought of stick welders.
And I'm basing things on 170A (ish) migs.
I've got a feeling bigger migs (3,4, or 500A outputs) might be a bit higher, too.
Maybe best to think of what I said as a "ball park" figure, and not for MMA!
All the Best,
CJ
hi joe thanks for the reply, the figures that you gave would be for the actual welding voltage under load, the ocv is the voltage available to actually start the arc before any load is applied.
thanks for all the replies
justin
shenion
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Large MIGs can go up to 40V or more; the output voltage dial on mine goes 44V. That is the welding voltage, start voltage would probably be over 50V. This is for a machine rated at 330A.
Most small MIGs are in the high 20s. I have seen OCV in the MID 30s for 180A machines.
Most small MIGs are in the high 20s. I have seen OCV in the MID 30s for 180A machines.
Drains
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Big migs will go up to the 45-50v mark. The OCV is not far away from the welding voltage as (most) MIGS use a constant voltage supply.
Justin, I think you're right about 80v now being the accepted high voltage for MMA plant. 48v is the lowest you will ever find.
Many rods need 70v or more on AC to run (many 7018s, stainless, cellulosic 6011). There are more rods that will run on 50-odd volts DC, but cellulosics (6010), invariably need high volts too.
MMA sets being constant current will drop the voltage when welding. The welding voltage is (apparently) a function of flux type and arc gap and can be under 20v.
Justin, I think you're right about 80v now being the accepted high voltage for MMA plant. 48v is the lowest you will ever find.
Many rods need 70v or more on AC to run (many 7018s, stainless, cellulosic 6011). There are more rods that will run on 50-odd volts DC, but cellulosics (6010), invariably need high volts too.
MMA sets being constant current will drop the voltage when welding. The welding voltage is (apparently) a function of flux type and arc gap and can be under 20v.
Country Joe
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Well, they're more variable than I'd thought, then.
Hopefully, it won't be an exam question, as it seems they can vary quite a bit from one welding set to another, which would make it quite an "open-ended" question, and tricky to give any kind of "correct" figure.
And thanks for the extra info, Shenion!
All the Best,
CJ
Hopefully, it won't be an exam question, as it seems they can vary quite a bit from one welding set to another, which would make it quite an "open-ended" question, and tricky to give any kind of "correct" figure.
And thanks for the extra info, Shenion!
All the Best,
CJ
Country Joe
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I've just looked for (but not found) something that had numbers on the max voltage coming from my inverter. (I think it was in the form of a warning!) I'm sure it was somewhere around 90 or 100 volts.
It's an IFL 210 inverter, but I think if you have a really long arc length, it makes (by magic, somehow) adjustments that make it possible to maintain an arc, sometimes at what I'd consider an un-reasonably long length, when using MMA.
You have to really "whip it away" at the end of a weld - it's as if it'll do anything to maintain an arc.
Assuming it does no damage, one day I'll try to see how long an arc length I can make it sustain, before it goes out. I imagine it must be about a centimetre, though.
All the Best,
CJ
It's an IFL 210 inverter, but I think if you have a really long arc length, it makes (by magic, somehow) adjustments that make it possible to maintain an arc, sometimes at what I'd consider an un-reasonably long length, when using MMA.
You have to really "whip it away" at the end of a weld - it's as if it'll do anything to maintain an arc.
Assuming it does no damage, one day I'll try to see how long an arc length I can make it sustain, before it goes out. I imagine it must be about a centimetre, though.
All the Best,
CJ
Rudi McAnichal
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Web brochure for the EWM Pico 162 indicates OCV=105.
http://www.ewm-sales.co.uk/downloads/prospekt_hellgrau_gb_e_hand.pdf
http://www.ewm-sales.co.uk/downloads/prospekt_hellgrau_gb_e_hand.pdf
