Glossary Of Terms - Campbell Hausfeld GW4510 Manual De Instrucciones De Operación Y Lista De Partes

Getting To Know your
Welder / Generator

Glossary of Terms

AC or Alternating Current - electric
current that reverses direction
periodically . Sixty cycle current travels in
both directions sixty times per second .
Arc Length - the distance from the
end of the electrode to the point where
the arc makes contact with the work
surface .
Base metal - the material to be
welded .
Butt Joint - a joint between two
members aligned approximately in the
same plane .
Crater - a pool, or pocket, that is
formed as the arc comes in contact with
the base metal .
DC or Direct Current - electric current
which flows only in one direction .
The polarity (+ or -) determines which
direction the current is flowing .
DC Reverse polarity - occurs when the
electrode holder is connected to the
positive pole of the welding machine .
Reverse Polarity directs more heat
into melting the electrode rather than
the work piece . It is used on thinner
material .
DC Straight polarity - occurs when
the electrode holder is connected to the
negative pole of the welding machine .
With straight polarity more heat is
directed to the work piece for better
penetration on thicker material .
Electrode - a coated metal wire having
approximately the same composition as
the material being welded .
fillet Weld - approximately a triangle
in cross-section, joining two surfaces at
right angles to each other in a lap, T or
corner joint .
flux - a coating, when heated, that
produces a shielding gas around the
welding area . This gas protects the
parent and filler metals from impurities
in the air .
flux Cored Arc Welding (fCAW) -
also called Gasless, is a welding process
used with a wire-feed welding machine .
The weld wire is tubular with flux
material contained inside for shielding .
Gas metal Arc Welding (GmAW) -
also called MIG, is a welding process
used with a wire feed welding machine .
The wire is solid and an inert gas is used
for shielding .
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) -
also called TIG, is a welding process used
with welding equipment with a high
frequency generator . The arc is created
between a non-consumable tungsten
electrode and the work piece . Filler
metal may or may not be used .
Lap Joint - a joint between two
overlapping members in parallel planes .
Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) - the
voltage between the electrode and the
work clamp of the welding machine
when no current is flowing (not
welding) . The OCV determines how
quickly the arc is struck .
Overlap - occurs when the amperage is
set too low . In this instance, the molten
metal falls from the electrode without
actually fusing into the base metal .
porosity - gas pockets, or cavities,
formed during weld solidification . They
weaken the weld .
penetration - the depth into the work
piece that has been heat effected by
the arc during the welding process . A
good weld achieves 100% penetration
meaning that the entire thickness of
the work piece has been heated and
resolidified . The heat effected area
should be easily seen on the opposite
side of the weld .
Shielded metal Arc Welding
(SmAW) - also called Stick, is a welding
process that uses a consumable
electrode to support the arc . Shielding
is achieved by the melting of the flux
coating on the electrode .
5
Slag - a layer of flux soot that
protects the weld from oxides and
other contaminants while the weld is
solidifying (cooling) . Slag should be
removed after weld has cooled .
Spatter - metal particles thrown from
the weld which cool and harden on the
work surface . Spatter can be minimized
by using a spatter resistant spray on the
work piece before welding .
Tack Weld - weld made to hold parts in
proper alignment until final welds are
made .
Travel Angle - the angle of the
electrode in the line of welding . It varies
from 5º to 45º depending on welding
conditions .
T Joint - made by placing the edge of
one piece of metal on the surface of
the other piece at approximately a 90º
angle .
Undercut - a condition that results
when welding amperage is too high .
The excessive amperage leaves a groove
in the base metal along both sides of
the bead which reduces the strength of
the weld .
Weld pool or puddle - a volume of
molten metal in a weld prior to its
solidification as weld metal .
Weld Bead - a narrow layer or layers of
metal deposited on the base metal as
the electrode melts . Weld bead width
is typically twice the diameter of the
electrode .
Work Angle - the angle of the
electrode from horizontal, measured at
right angles to the line of welding .
www.chpower.com
GW4510