Welding oscillators are essential tools which help to automate the welding process increasing its efficiency and precision to deliver consistent results. This blog briefs about what welding oscillators are, different types of oscillators, its importance and applications.
What is Welding Oscillator?
A welding oscillator is a device that automatically moves the welding torches or electrodes. Its controlled movement results in efficient welding by evenly spreading the heat, proper penetration, thereby minimizing product defect.
Types of Welding Oscillators
Welding oscillators are of three types namely mechanical oscillator, pneumatic oscillator and electromagnetic oscillator.
Mechanical Oscillator
The oscillatory movement is generated using cams and gears. The rotating cam produces a to and fro movement, which inturn moves the welding torch.
It is an ideal choice to carry out heavy-duty welding tasks.
Pneumatic Oscillator
Here air pressure creates the oscillation. Compressed air is passed through the cylinder which results in a to and fro movement.
It is an effective alternative for the electric components that may flare-up explosions in an environment that is prone to ignition.
Electromagnetic Oscillators
Electromagnetic oscillators induce the movement of the welding torch via the magnetic field. The magnetic arm fitted to the torch is made to move by the magnetic field resulting in oscillation.
These oscillators provide precise control and their oscillatory characteristics are adjustable, making it an ideal choice for tasks which require repetitive high performance.
- Speed Control
Speed control is a crucial factor, as it determines the characteristics of the weld. High speed oscillation results in a wide weld bead, while slow oscillation produces narrow beads.Operators can adjust the oscillatory features according to the working demands.
- Amplitude Control
Amplitude control refers to the control of the oscillation intensity. By adjusting the amplitude, the operators can determine the width of the weld bead, as higher amplitude results in wide beads and lower amplitude produces narrow beads.
- Dwell Time
Dwell time refers to the brief pause of the oscillators at the end points. Adjusting the dwell time will affect the amount of heat that is applied to a particular point and thereby the penetration of the weld.
Longer dwell time increases the heat input, resulting in deep penetration, which is effective for thick materials. Short swell time, lowers the heat input, minimizing the risk of excessive melt through of thin materials.
Importance of Welding Oscillators
Welding oscillators are essential to produce high quality welds. The automation of the oscillatory movement it renders, helps the operators to work with efficiency.
- Enhanced Weld Quality
Weld oscillators produce consistent oscillation, resulting in uniform weld patterns and beads, minimizing the chances of potential defects.
-Increased Productivity
Since weld oscillators enable automation, it effectively reduces the down time caused by manual adjustment, thereby increasing productivity.
- High Precision
As it enables the control of the intensity of the oscillation, the desired outcome can be achieved with utmost precision.
- Reduced Worker Fatigue
Welding oscillators effectively takes over the repetitive manual movement which reduces the stress and fatigue of the workers, enabling more consistent working sessions.
Applications
Welding oscillators are widely used in the fabrication industry, automotive industry as well as in pipe welding.
Welding oscillators are an ideal choice as it is durable, reliable, cost-effective and helps in the production of quality weld beads. It automates the repetitive task which reduces fatigue of operators, minimizes errors and increases the overall accuracy of the process. Kistler is committed to provide the best welding solutions to catch up with the growing demands of the fabrication industry.
