035 Metal-Cored Pulsed-Spray Arc on 1/8" mild steel
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 10:40 pm
I was curious about this metal-cored wire I had read about, so I bought a few rolls of it. Kiswel KX-706M (E70C-6M H4) in 035 and 045 diameters. I knew it can be ran in axial spray-arc, but I was more interested if I could get it to run in pulse-spray on my 200A MIG.
My MIG's don't have a pulsed-spray synergic program for metal-core wire, so I tried the 030 mild steel pulse program with no success. The machine kept "hunting" for the arc length constantly since the burn-off rate of the metal-core wire was sufficiently different from regular mild steel wire. But then I rememered that there was a pulse program for SS308 wire in 035 diameter so I gave it a try and it showed promise.
So I ran many beads trying out different combinations of shielding gas (varying from C25 all the way up to C2), contact tip to work distances, wirefeed speeds, and voltages. After running about 5-6lbs of wire off the 10lb spool, I finally settled on some overall settings that worked out ok as a starting point, (for the purposes of this experiment, that is).
Here are the specifics as they relate to the next pic that shows the cut & etch.
It could probably have benefited from a little more WFS & voltage, along with adjusted travel speed, but then again these are just trials. This is not my indication of "success", I'm merely showing the info I have gathered. With further tweaks/refinements/adjustments in travel speed I think I can get that penetration profile looking a bit better. Also this was a straight push, with no manipulation of the wire/arc.
My MIG's don't have a pulsed-spray synergic program for metal-core wire, so I tried the 030 mild steel pulse program with no success. The machine kept "hunting" for the arc length constantly since the burn-off rate of the metal-core wire was sufficiently different from regular mild steel wire. But then I rememered that there was a pulse program for SS308 wire in 035 diameter so I gave it a try and it showed promise.
So I ran many beads trying out different combinations of shielding gas (varying from C25 all the way up to C2), contact tip to work distances, wirefeed speeds, and voltages. After running about 5-6lbs of wire off the 10lb spool, I finally settled on some overall settings that worked out ok as a starting point, (for the purposes of this experiment, that is).
Here are the specifics as they relate to the next pic that shows the cut & etch.
It could probably have benefited from a little more WFS & voltage, along with adjusted travel speed, but then again these are just trials. This is not my indication of "success", I'm merely showing the info I have gathered. With further tweaks/refinements/adjustments in travel speed I think I can get that penetration profile looking a bit better. Also this was a straight push, with no manipulation of the wire/arc.