Nominal Procedures; Fringe Procedures; Making A Weld; Welding Adjustment - Lincoln Electric POWER WAVE 455 M Operator's Manual

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NOMINAL PROCEDURES

The Power Wave 455M (CE) is designed to operate
with 19.1mm (3/4") electrode stick-out for CV and
Pulse processes.

FRINGE PROCEDURES

Excessively short or long electrode stick-outs may
function only on a limited basis, if at all.

MAKING A WELD

WARNING
The serviceability of a product or structure utiliz-
ing the welding programs is and must be the sole
responsibility of the builder/user. Many variables
beyond the control of The Lincoln Electric
Company affect the results obtained in applying
these programs. These variables include, but are
not limited to, welding procedure, plate chemistry
and temperature, weldment design, fabrication
methods and service requirements. The available
range of a welding program may not be suitable
for all applications, and the build/user is and must
be solely responsible for welding program selec-
tion.
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The steps for operating the Power Wave 455M (CE)
will vary depending upon the options installed in the
user interface (control box) of the welding system. The
flexibility of the Power Wave system lets the user cus-
tomize operation for the best performance.
First, consider the desired welding process and the
part to be welded. Choose an electrode material,
diameter, shielding gas and process (GMAW, GMAW-
P, etc.)
Second, find the program in the welding software that
best matches the desired welding process. The stan-
dard software shipped with the Power Waves 455M
(CE) encompasses a wide range of common process-
es and will meet most needs. If a special welding pro-
gram is desired, contact the local Lincoln Electric
sales representative.
To make a weld, the Power Wave needs to know the
desired welding parameters. The Power Feed (PF)
family of feeders communicate settings to the Power
Wave through control cable connection. Arc length,
wire feed speed, arc control, etc. are all communicat-
ed digitally via the control cable.
OPERATION
WELDING ADJUSTMENTS
All adjustments are made on the system component
known as the User Interface (Control Box), which con-
tains the switches, knobs, and digital displays neces-
sary to control both the Power Wave 455M (CE) and a
Power Feed wire feeder. Typically, the Control Box is
supplied as part of the wire feeder. It can be mounted
directly on the wire feeder itself, the front of the power
source, or mounted separately, as might be done in a
welding boom installation.
Because the Control Box can be configured with many
different options, your system may not have all of the
following adjustments. Regardless of availability, all
controls are described below. For further information,
consult the Power Feed wire feeder instruction manu-
al.
• WFS / AMPS:
In synergic welding modes (synergic CV, pulse
GMAW) WFS (wire feed speed) is the dominant con-
trol parameter, controlling all other variables. The user
adjusts WFS according to factors such as weld size,
penetration requirements, heat input, etc. The Power
Wave then uses the WFS setting to adjust its output
characteristics (output voltage, output current) accord-
ing to pre-programmed settings contained in the
Power Wave 455M (CE). In non-synergic modes, the
WFS control behaves more like a conventional CV
power source where WFS and voltage are indepen-
dent adjustments. Therefore to maintain the arc char-
acteristics, the operator must adjust the voltage to
compensate for any changes made to the WFS.
In constant current modes (stick, TIG) this control
adjusts the output current, in amps.
• VOLTS / TRIM:
In constant voltage modes (synergic CV, standard
CV) the control adjusts the welding voltage.
In pulse synergic welding modes (pulse GMAW only)
the user can change the Trim setting to adjust the arc
length. It is adjustable from 0.500 to 1.500. A Trim set-
ting of 1.000 is a good starting point for most condi-
tions.
POWER WAVE 455M (CE)
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