57
Pulse TIG Operation
time
-
on will increase the duration the
Peak Amp stage of the cycle which in turn
will increase the heat and will increase
penetration. Pulse Balance is also known
in the industry as duty cycle. For welding
purposes the term
“
Pulse Time On
”
is
used here.
Setting up the pulse is not a process where
a
fixed adjustment procedure can be assigned
or rigidly recommended. Changes to fre-
quency, balance, and time will skew the final
result. A slow pulse with a equal 50% pulse
time on and somewhere around a 50
-
75%
Pulse Base Amp setting is typically used to
help with timing the addition of filler metal
to the weld puddle. A higher pulse frequen-
cy level that is combined with variations in
Pulse Time On and a narrow/wider ratio can
be used to prevent burn through and speed
up welding on thin materials. It can also help
maintain a proper bead profile on a thin
edge weld or prevent burn through on ex-
tremely thin metal. A fast pulse speed will
make fine ripples in the weld while a slow
pulse speed will give a much more coarse,
but visually appealing result. There are limit-
less ways to adjust the pulse. Regardless of
how you choose to adjust the pulse, always
keep in mind, that the basic purpose of the
pulse is to average the heat input while
maintaining penetration and welding speed.
AC Pulse TIG operation is the same. Do not
confuse AC cycling between EP and EN as
pulse. It is not. You are still adjusting the
amperage of the AC pulse, and skewing the
balance and changing the frequency similar-
ly to the DC pulse.
Basic Theory and Function
Section 3
