They are hardly ever taken into consideration and they are rarely talked about, yet they help to answer an essential aspect for a welder: how to improve welding quality and welding machine performance?
For a good performance of the welder, attention must be paid to the ground clamps, also called ground clamps. Let's understand their importance together and find out what the types are.
Ground Clamps: Why Are They Important for Good Welding?
As you well know, the welding machine is a current transformer , it is the body arc, whether it is wire, TIG or electrode, when the circuit closes.
For a good connection of this circuit, all elements must be perfectly connected . What does it mean connected? It means that the ground cable must be connected to the clamp or clamp. On the other hand, the connector must be connected to the ground cable.
If this doesn't happen, you can have a power loss of up to 50% . To solve the situation you will go to turn up the current, straining the machine. Result? Jumping counter, low yield and real risk of burning the instrument.
Welding machine with little power: what to do?
If you notice that the machine has little power, the first thing to check is that the cables are perfectly connected. Also inside the welding machine, where the socket connector must have the cable connected to the transformer.
In fact, especially in older machines, the elements are held together only by a few wires, or in worn tools, there may be problems in the internal connector, perhaps the connector has oxidized or the wires have "cooked", as is the case. they say.
These conditions do not allow a perfect passage of the current. With these problems solved, nine times out of ten the current returns to its normal circuit and the welding machine performs perfectly .
Mass grapples: what are the main types?
There are different types of pliers you can use depending on the welder and the job you need to do:
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400, 500 Ampere clamp . Very comfortable because it can be easily connected to any type of surface.
- 200 Ampere clamp . Same as the previous ones, but it is usually used on smaller welding machines. Consequently, the connectors will also be smaller, ideal for smaller capacity welders.
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Brass pliers . Brass is a better conductor than sheet metal. The gripper can be in the clip or clamp version, useful for those who work stationary or flush on large benches.
- Brass clamp . The same goes for the material, but more stable thanks to the grip that helps the contact with the surface.
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Adjustable clamp . It can also be used as a press, i.e. to fix the pieces and then weld them.
Mass clamps: useful accessories
Next to the actual pliers, we can find tools that facilitate the work:
- Rotating magnet mass . It is very useful when you need to move because it is adjustable. Connects to cable and welder.
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Grip caliper support . It is an accessory that is applied to the bench on which you work and can support a grip pliers with which to block the pieces.
So, here 's what to do when the welder doesn't have much power : check that the ground cable is perfectly connected, that is, that the connections between the socket and the welder, inside the welder, in the connector and for the cable that goes to the clamp are all correct. .
Even if you often think that there may be some serious problem, the reality is often much simpler than it appears.
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