DESIGNER IM649 User guide
3.1 SYNERGIC WELDING AND WORKPOINTS
Prior to using Wave Designer it is important to have a good understanding of the concepts of
synergic welding and workpoints. Synergic welding is basically “one knob control” of a welding
process; all other variables of the process are adjusted by the power source based on the single
controlling variable. This single controlling variable is known as a workpoint. For example, in
synergic pulse welding (GMAW-P), the operator can adjust the wire feed speed (WFS). The
WFS is the workpoint. The synergic power source will then set all other GMAW-P variables
based on the WFS by “looking up” the other variables from a pre-programmed weld table. See
Figure 3-1.
Wave Designer is a program that lets you develop a customized weld procedure by letting you
program each variable for multiple workpoints into a weld “look up” table.
Power Wave power sources go even a step further than simply “looking up” pre-programmed
variables from a weld table. If a selected WFS is between two pre-programmed workpoints, the
Power Wave will interpolate values for each of the welding variables. The result is a precise and
continuous range of welding control.
Refering to Figure 3-1, lets examine how this interpolation works by looking at one welding
variable — background amps. The operator selects a wire feed speed of 175 in/min. This value is
between the pre-programmed workpoints of 150 and 200 in/min. The Power Wave interpolates
between the pre-programmed background amp values of 80 and 60 and adjusts the background
amps to 70.
FIGURE 3-1. WFS ENCODER AND WELD DATA TABLE.
Section 3 3-1
SOFTWARE OPERATION
WAVE DESIGNER
27850005
WFS/AMPS
ENCODER
NOTE: WFS ENCODER SETTING
DETERMINES WELDING
PROCESS VARIABLES PER
RELATED WELD TABLE.
WORK-
POINTS
(WFS)
PEAK CURRENT
PULSE WIDTH
BACKGROUND AMPS
FREQUENCY
80
100
150
200
250
280
280
280
280
280
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
20
40
60
80
100
50
60
80
90
100
PRE-PROGRAMMED WELDING PROCESS VARIABLES INTERPOLATED
PARAMETER VALUE
10
0
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1000 15050 200
INTERPOLATED
BACKGROUND AMPS
WFS = 175
WIRE FEED SPEEDS
BACKGROUND AMPS