Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi All

When you weld, the voltage of your welding machine stays constant while you are welding?

In welding the voltage stays the same, you change the current to weld thicker or thinner metal?

If you want to increase the width of your welding arc you set your voltage on your welding machine to a higher setting?

If you want to decrease the width of your welding arc, you set your voltage on your welding machine to a lower setting?

What is the voltage(V) settings( example 220V-360V?)range on a welding machine like a CEA Maxi 400 and a CEA Maxi 401?

What is the current(Ampere) settings (example 100A-1000A?) range on a a welding machine like a CEA Maxi 400 and a CEA Maxi 401?

Best regards James

On constant voltage machines yes the volts stays the same. These are wire feed type machines where the arc gap is changing based off wire speed. On constant current type machines, the machine will change the voltage to maintain the same current as arc gap changes. This is why it's hotter with a longer arc. The inrease in voltage with no change to current has an overall wattage increase.

Yes you need more current to weld thicker metals. With wire feed, current is determined by a combination of volts and wire speed.

There are more factors to bead width than just voltage. But on a constant current source, if you were to long arc it, you would get an increase in voltage and a wider bead so yea that can be true.

Dunno CEA Maxi ut 200v-360v would be an input voltage. Don't see those potentials at the welding arc.

Nick, Thanks for the information!

Best regards James

Hi - as per previous reply the 220 / 360 volts refers to the supply voltage ( so it's essentially a 3phase machine )

As with many Mig sets the 400 in the model name is a nominal 400 amp maximum output machine - so the current range will be from very low on 1st voltage tapping / slow wire speed / thin wire - up to 400 max.

Being a Mig it's really a constant voltage machine - though the voltage will drop slightly under load when welding compared with the OCV - ball park figure though not an absolute rule is maximum OCV will be around 1/10th of the maximum amps so this machine will likely give around 40volts on the highest tapping.

If you want a good start point setting for your machine the Miller site has a very helpful page that allows you to enter the process / material & thickness & will give you a pretty good result irrespective of machine brand.

Hi Heavy Hitter,

Sorry for the late reply! Thank you very much for the information!

Best regards, James