When a welding flame splashes, it often leaves welding spatter on the workpiece that must be removed, which takes time and money.
It is better to prevent spatter, or at least minimize it, rather than cleaning it up. Welders can take steps to minimize spatter by using the best welding equipment, preparing materials properly, handling welding guns correctly, and making simple changes to the work environment.
By following these 8 techniques, you can effectively combat welding spatter!
Prevent welding spatter
Why is it so important?
Welding spatter refers to small metal droplets expelled from the welding area due to the power of the arc, often landing on the workpiece, weld, or welding gun.
In addition to the time and money required for cleaning, welding spatter can lead to the following issues:
- Reduce weld quality
- Unclean and unsafe workplaces
- Production downtime
Given the problems that welding spatter can cause, it is important to minimize it as much as possible.
With these quick tips, you’ll be well equipped.
Let’s start by discussing the best welding equipment!
1. Ensure current stability
Maintaining a stable current is crucial in preventing welding spatter.
To ensure this, the welding gun and return cable must be securely attached to the power supply.
The workpiece’s grounding must also be considered. The fastening point and grounding clamp must be accessible and have good conductivity to allow the current to flow effectively.
2. Ensure continuous wire feeding
Minimizing welding spatter requires a stable arc.
A stable arc can be achieved through a stable wire feed.
To achieve a stable wire feed, three factors are important:
- Make sure that the welding gun is installed correctly (wire feed tube (diameter and length), contact tip, etc.).
- Ensure that the trunk line bends as little as possible.
- Adjust the contact pressure of the wire feeding roller to adapt to the welding wire used.
Professional welder Josef Sider states that insufficient pressure can cause the welding wire to slip, resulting in wire feeding issues which can quickly escalate into spatter problems.
Excessive bending of trunk line will lead to poor wire feeding, resulting in splash problem
Correct practice: reduce the bending of trunk line as much as possible
3. Select the correct shielding gas with the correct flow
In order to reduce welding spatter, it is important to have proper shielding gas. The flow of gas (a general rule of thumb is the wire diameter multiplied by 10 for liters per minute) and the length of the dry extension (the distance the wire extends from the contact tip) must be kept short enough to ensure adequate gas protection.
The choice of gas also plays a role in reducing spatter. Welding with pure carbon dioxide gas tends to result in more spatter at higher power levels. A better option is to use a mixed gas instead of 100% carbon dioxide, which reduces the likelihood of spatter.
4. Select appropriate wearing parts
It is important to regularly check and replace worn parts to maintain a stable welding process and prevent excessive welding spatter.
In addition, the choice of the right welding wire can also affect the formation of welding spatter.
For example, choosing a wire with a higher resistance to wear can reduce the wear of the contact nozzle, leading to a more stable welding process and less welding spatter.
Therefore, it is important to choose the right welding wire that is suitable for your process and application to minimize welding spatter and achieve better results.
5. Apply correct welding parameters
It is important to choose the right welding parameters to reduce welding spatter. This includes adjusting the power range of the intermediate arc. Depending on the situation, increasing or decreasing the power can help transition from droplet transfer arc to jet arc, which can reduce spatter.
6. Clean materials
Thoroughly cleaned materials are another determinant.
Before welding, all dirt, rust, oil, scale or zinc must be removed from the welding position.
7. Correct welding gun operation
In addition, it’s important to maintain a consistent distance between the welding gun and the workpiece. If the distance is too great, the shielding gas and penetration will be affected, causing more spatter during welding.
Keeping the gun at a 15° angle and moving it steadily along the weld line is crucial. The use of “push” welding techniques is not recommended as this position can result in a significant increase in spatter. Proper guidance of the welding gun and attention to these details can help reduce the occurrence of welding spatter.
8. Avoid ambient airflow
In conclusion, reducing welding spatter is a combination of using the right welding equipment, selecting the proper welding parameters, and using proper techniques. By paying attention to these details, you can minimize welding spatter and make your welding work more efficient and cost-effective.
Or is there too much welding spatter?
The welding process can be improved. By taking into account various techniques, you can achieve a highly stable arc that minimizes spatter during welding.
For even greater stability and reduced spatter, you can explore innovative welding processes. One such process is the Low Spatter Control (LSC) droplet transfer arc, also known as the “low spatter” welding process. This process is available on the Fronius TPS/i platform and is ideal for those seeking high-quality welds with minimal spatter. It provides exceptional arc performance and delivers outstanding results.
Very little spatter during welding – use LSC welding process
You can take various measures to prevent or at least reduce welding spatter, and you should do so.
After all, low spatter welding can save you time and money, improve welding quality and ensure a safe working environment.
