What Is Ac Welding?

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AC welding, a type of arc welding, has grown exponentially in popularity over the past decade. This ever-expanding type of welding is used in all sorts of professional applications and is versatile enough to be used on a variety of metals and alloys.

According to experts, AC welding can produce welds that are up to 95% as strong as those produced by DC welding. In addition, AC welding also is significantly faster and more economical than DC welding, making it an ideal solution for many industrial applications. We’ll take a look at how AC welding works, its benefits, and the types of welding jobs AC welding can accomplish.

What is AC Welding?

AC welding is a type of welding that uses alternating current (AC) to generate a welding arc. The process is often referred to as gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), which signifies the use of a gas-shielded, tungsten-based welding arc.

AC welding is used in a wide variety of welding applications such as maintenance and repair, assembly, and production welding.

How does AC Welding work?

In AC welding, an AC power supply is used to create an electric arc between the base material being welded and the welding electrode. The arc travels in both directions alternating in order to keep the arc stable and ensure continuous welding.

The alternating current allows the arc to switch from positive to negative during its travel. This helps to evenly spread the heat from the arc, preventing imbalanced temperatures and an inconsistent weld.

Benefits of AC Welding

AC welding offers a variety of benefits including:
  • Improved arc stability
  • DC power supplies are more commonly available, which makes AC welding a more cost effective option
  • The alternating current helps prevent the build-up of material that can disrupt the welding arc
  • It is suitable for use on materials such as alumimum and magnesium that require more precise heat control
  • The alternating current helps to evenly distribute the weld’s heat, which can help reduce warping and distortions in the finished weld

Applications

Due to its ability to provide a stable arc and evenly spread heat, AC welding has multiple common applications including:
  • Welding of aluminum and stainless steel for automotive repair and construction
  • Welding of aluminum and magnesium for boat and aircraft building
  • Welding of steel and cast iron in the fabrication of machine parts
  • Maintenance and repair welding in the engineering of industrial equipment
  • Welding of steel and aluminum in structural engineering and shipbuilding

Conclusion

AC welding is a type of welding that uses alternating current (AC) to generate a welding arc.

It offers a variety of benefits, such as improved arc stability and evenly distributed heat, which makes it ideal for use on materials such as aluminum and magnesium. AC welding has multiple common applications, such as automotive repair, boat and aircraft building, and fabrication of machine parts. Citation URL:

https://www. lincolnelectric.

com/en-us/support/welding-how-to/ac-ac/ac-ac-introduction https://www. millerwelds. com/resources/educational-content/basic-welding/ac-welding https://www. esabna. com/us/en/education/welding-processes/ac-welding. cfm

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