University of Kirkuk -College of engineering

Mechanical department
Third stage – morning study

AC welding machine

Introduction
AC welding does not refer to a type or technique of welding.
Rather, AC welding is used to describe how the current will
flow from the power supply to your welding machine.
Since AC stands for Alternating Current it means that when
using these welders, the flow of current will not be in one
direction but will constantly change back and forth. With AC
welding, polarity changes about 120 times every second.
And as the polarity changes from positive to negative, you
will get 0 output for a split second which means the arch is
extinguished. It is because of this that you will find some
special electrodes built for AC welding.
The reversed polarity that you get when using AC welding
delivers deeper penetration and also makes these welders
great for welding magnetized materials and high-temperature
welding.
Overall, the AC welders tend to be more affordable than the
DC types, and they will also be cheaper to operate. However,
AC welding is still not as smooth as DC welding, and it will
also create relatively more spatter when welding
 Fig (1) AC welding
machine

Applications of AC welding :
The first application of AC welding is in the welding of
aluminum and other non-ferrous metals. AC typically
achieves a deeper penetration and thus is preferred in the
shipbuilding industry. Another great application of AC
welding is in the welding of magnetized metals.

Advantage of AC welding machine :

this AC welder which can be operated from either a single –
phase or 3- phase supply has the following advantages
1- Low initial cost
2- Low operation and maintenance cost
3- Low ear
4- No arc blow

In Ac, it is safe to transfer over longer city distances and

can provide more power while in Dc ,Voltage of DC
cannot travel very far until it begins to lose energy -
Amount of energy that can be carried.
Steady magnetism along the wire while in Ac, it rotates
magnet along the wire .Cause of the direction of flow of
electrons
The frequency of alternating current is 50Hz or 60Hz
depending upon the country while that of Dc the
frequency of direct current is zero. Frequency
Ac reverses its direction while flowing in a circuit. Dc
flows in one direction in the circuit. Direction
Ac current of magnitude varies with time. Dc has constant magnitude- Current.
In Ac, Electrons keep switching directions - forward and backward, while in Dc
Electrons move steadily in one direction or 'forward- Flow of Electrons
Ac has a passive parameter Impedance, while Dc its passive parameter is resistance
only
Ac Lies between 0 & 1. Dc is always 1-Power Factor
Ac types are Sinusoidal, Trapezoidal, Triangular, Square. Dc types are pure and
pulsating.
Ac is obtained from A.C Generator and mains. Dc is obtained from Cells or battery