Basic Mig Operation - Everlast POWER i-MIG 253DP Operator's Manual

Section 2
General Setup of Amps and Volts.
When you MIG weld with almost any basic MIG
welder, there are generally two main adjustments
that most users are familiar with: Voltage and Wire
Feed Speed. (In this instance, the Power i-MIG
253DPi uses Amps instead of Wire Feed Speed and is
discussed in more detail below. There are other
brands that do this as well, but usually found in
more advanced MIG welders) Both of these func-
tions serve a purpose while welding and adjusting
each affects distinct aspects of welder performance
and finished weld quality.
The function of Voltage in MIG welding is to control
the overall width and to a great extent, the height of
the weld bead. In other words, voltage controls the
bead profile. The Voltage adjustment also controls
arc length to a great extent when set in a proper
ratio to wire feed speed or Amps. Later, in the Pulse
-MIG section you will see that Voltage is set differ-
ently during Synergic Pulse MIG than in basic MIG
mode. However, for now, Volts remain fairly con-
stant while welding. A MIG welder is often referred
to as a "Constant Voltage (CV)" wire feeder.
If you are familiar with the Wire Feed Speed adjust-
ment, then you may not initially understand where
the Wire Speed Adjustment is on this machine. As a
foundation to understanding MIG welding, you
should keep in mind that the Wire Feed Speed func-
tion directly controls the Amp output of the ma-
chine, and the Amps, in turn, control penetration.
With the Power i-MIG 253DPi, the unit actually dis-
plays in Amps, and not in Inches Per Minute. Intially,
this may be hard to understand, but it is a more ac-
curate way of calibrating your weld parameters.
The fact that the Power i-MIG 253DPi is displays am-
perage is not a disadvantage or an altogether differ-
ent function from wire speed. To use a "non-
technical" expression, Wire Speed and Amps are two
sides of the same coin. You will be controlling the
same function as wire feed speed, but expressing it
in a different way. By using Amps as a reference for
adjustment you have a more accurate way of ex-
pressing and controlling weld parameters. If you
are used to using a wire feed setting to set up your
MIG welder, you probably have observed that the
wire speed that is needed to perform a weld is
affected by wire diameter, all other things being
Setup Guide and component Identification

BASIC MIG OPERATION

equal (Volts, metal thickness, type, etc.). A smaller
wire will require a faster wire speed to produce the
same Amps. A larger wire will require a lower wire
speed to achieve the Amps as a smaller wire at a
higher speed. This is because the diameter of wire
controls or "restricts" the Amp delivering capability
of the wire (Ampacity). The faster the wire is fed, the
more amps it can deliver to the weld. By using Amps
to directly represent this function, you end up with a
more accurate way of determining the exact "heat"
being put into the unit. Welding isn't just about
Amps or just about Volts. Rather it is about total
Wattage being put into the weld (VXA=Watts) Wire
speed is meaningless unless the wire diameter is
known. A procedure calling for a setting of XX.X
Volts and 280 inches per minute will not be accurate
if you run out of .035" wire during the middle of the
project and have to finish with .045" wire at the
same settings. You'll have entirely different results.
So, with this in mind, even in standard mode (non-
synergic mode), the user must input the diameter of
the wire being used so the projected Amp output on
the welder can be accurately computed. Keep in
mind that this is a projected output. There are a
number of things that can affect the true Amp/Volt
output of the welder in standard MIG mode, howev-
er it will be still be quite close to what is set. While
actively welding, the display will change function and
display actual amp and volt output. You may notice
some small fluctuations with both Volt and Amp
output while welding. This is normal and expected.
In Synergic Pulse Modes this output reading of the
displays may seem to be off from what is set by a
more significant margin. This is normal. This is be-
cause while you are actively welding, the unit is
"pulsing" Volts and even Amps (in double pulse) so
Amps and Volts (Trim) will be computed as an aver-
aged value since there is no way to reflect the
change in pulse multiple times per second. If you
are having difficulty understanding the relationship
between wire diameter, wire speed and amps it can
be easily figured with the following approximate
industry conversions for non-pulse welding:
.023": 3.5 x Amps = Inches per minute (IPM)
.025": 3.1 x Amps = Inches per minute (IPM)
.030": 2 x Amps = Inches per minute (IPM)
.035": 1.6 x Amps = Inches per minute (IPM)
.045": 1 x Amps = Inches per Minute (IPM)
31