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Home / Collision Repair News / Selecting The Correct Welding Equipment: Steel Welding

Selecting The Correct Welding Equipment: Steel Welding

Posted on 17 June 2016 | Share:
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When it comes to selecting your next piece of welding equipment there, are many different choices. Let’s take a look at how you can choose wisely for your repair facility.

One of the first things you need to think about is what types of vehicles do you currently repair and want to repair in the future. If you repair small passenger vehicles and don’t do many full-frame repairs, a 110v welder may be all you need. If you do a lot of full frame repairs then you’ll need a 220v welder.

The reason for the previous considerations has to do with effective weld penetration. If you open the cover on the welder, which the technicians should always be doing to set the welder, you may see that the 110v welder can weld up to 3/16”. However, this is the upper range of the welder, which will reduce the welders’ effectiveness on the thicker steels.

If you were to attempt to make a butt joint with backing weld on a full frame the 110v welder may not have the ability to penetrate effectively into the backing. The weld on the surface may appear to be fine, but in reality the weld has merely fused to the surface of the backing. This could create an unsafe repair.

Where 110v machines excel is on thinner body panels. When welding on thinner materials, a 110v welder can often be more easily tuned compared to a 220v machine. This will help in controlling the heat and reducing panel warping.

After taking these considerations into account, the next step in the process is to talk to the supplier of the welder. Asking these questions will ensure that you find the right tool for the right job on a steel welder.

I-CAR Welding Training & Certification / Hands-On Skills Development Requirements www.i-car.com/Checklists

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