Cable Inductance And Its Effects On Welding; Control Cable Connections; Electrode Voltage Sensing; General Guidelines - Lincoln Electric VANTAGE 600 SD Operator's Manual

®
VANTAGE 600 SD
CABLE INDUCTANCE AND ITS EFFECTS ON
WELDING
Excessive cable inductance will cause the welding performance to
degrade. There are several factors that contribute to the overall
inductance of the cabling system including cable size, and loop
area. The loop area is defined by the separation distance between
the electrode and work cables, and the overall welding loop
length. The welding loop length is defined as the total of length of
the electrode cable (A) + work cable (B) + work path (C) (See
Figure A.9).
To minimize inductance always use the appropriate size cables,
and whenever possible, run the electrode and work cables in close
proximity to one another to minimize the loop area. Since the most
significant factor in cable inductance is the welding loop length,
avoid excessive lengths and do not coil excess cable. For long
work piece lengths, a sliding ground should be considered to keep
the total welding loop length as short as possible.

Electrode Voltage Sensing

The remote ELECTRODE sense lead (67) is built into the 5-pin
ArcLink control cable and is always connected to the wire drive
feed plate when an ArcLink wire feeder is present. Enabling or
disabling electrode voltage sensing is application specific, and
automatically configured by the active weld mode.
Voltage sense leads requirements are based on the weld process
(See Table A.3)
TABLE A.3
Process Electrode Voltage Sensing
GMAW
FCAW
Voltage sense at studs
GTAW
SMAW Voltage sense at studs
(1)
The electrode voltage sense lead (67) is automatically
enabled by the weld process, and integral to the 5 pin
ArcLink control cable
(K1543-xx) or K2683-xx.
VANTAGE 600 SD
(1)
67 lead
67 lead
67 lead
FIGURE A.9
®
B

CONTROL CABLE CONNECTIONS

General Guidelines

Genuine Lincoln control cables should be used at all times (except
where noted otherwise). Lincoln cables are specifically designed
for the communication and power needs of the
Power Feed ™ systems. Most are designed to be connected end to
end for ease of extension. Generally, it is recommended that the
total length not exceed 200ft. (60.960m). The use of non-standard
cables, especially in lengths greater than 25 feet, can lead to
communication problems (system shutdowns), poor motor accel-
eration (poor arc starting), and low wire driving force (wire feeding
problems). Always use the shortest length of control cable possi-
ble, and DO NOT coil excess cable.
Regarding cable placement, best results will be obtained when
control cables are routed separate from the weld cables. This min-
imizes the possibility of interference between the high currents
flowing through the weld cables, and the low level signals in the
control cables.
Product specific Installation Instructions
Connection Between VANTAGE
Wire feeders (K1543, K2683 – ArcLink
The 5-pin ArcLink ® control cable connects the VANTAGE
to the wire feeder. The control cable consists of two power leads,
one twisted pair for digital communication, and one lead for voltage
sensing. The 5-pin ArcLink
is located on control panel. The control cable is keyed and polar-
ized to prevent improper connection. Best results will be obtained
when control cables are routed separate from the weld cables,
especially in long distance applications. The recommended com-
bined length of the ArcLink
exceed 200ft. (60.960m).
A
C
A-11
INSTALLATION
Engine Welder and
® 600 SD and ArcLink ® Compatible
® Control Cable)
®
® connection on the VANTAGE
® control cable network should not
WORK
600 SD
® 600 SD