5 wire-feeding advancements welders need to know about--New feeding technology can help novice welders and boost quality control efforts

摘要

The wire feeder is perhaps the unsung hero of the welding world. Improvements can, and have, been made to power sources, guns, and filler metals, but the piece that brings them all together and has the greatest potential to help or hinder the welder is the wire feeder. Today's wire feeders (see Figure 1) do much more than simply feed wire to a gun. With the help of sophisticated computer technology, the wire feeder can monitor and control the welding arc to help even the beginner welder create reliable, high-performance welds time after time. The mechanical design of wire feeders has not changed much in the past 10 to 15 years. Most improvements are found in the control panels. Wire feeder manufacturers have been able to leverage advancements in software capabilities to add more features while keeping the panels relatively simple and easy to use. As a result, today's welders can weld better with less training and experience.