When and How to Use Globular Transfer MIG Welding
What is Globular Transfer?
This type of transfer is a hybrid form of spray transfer and short circuit. When I say a modified form it is referring to the fact that the electrode does not create a spray or a short circuit to transfer the metal. What it does is transfer the filler metal to the joint in the form of globs. The way it works it an arc is established by the MIG welder and then the electrode heats up. Once it heats up a glob is formed at the end of it. This glob gets drawn to the weld joint and drops off.
After that, this process repeats many times in a minute. The best way to understand this process is by comparing it to something more familiar. A leaky faucet! If you think about the globs as drops of water dripping from a faucet then you can easily visualize how this transfer fills the joint.
Why is Globular Transfer Used?
This type of welding is typically used when the voltage needed to weld is higher than the short circuit requires and lower than the spray needs. It’s more of a hybrid of weld transfer types. Other places it can be used are metals like stainless steel and aluminum. The main advantage of globular is that it works on a higher voltage setting while giving the welder the advantage of more control over the weld deposit than spray transfer.
How to Set Up Your MIG Welder!
If you are going to set up your MIG welder for this transfer type you need to know that no setting or button says “globular transfer”. The way transfer types are set is by adjusting the voltage and wire feed speed. Before setting up your machine you need to know what type of metal that will be welded. This will have a direct effect because of the type of shielding gas that will be needed. The globular transfer needs a shielding gas that contains a high percentage of Argon to 100% Argon gas.
The way the machine is set up is by first choosing the right shielding gas. This is best done by either reading the electrode manufactures instructions or simply talking to your local welding supply store. They will know what your best choice will be or at least narrow it down to a few choices based on quality vs. cost. The actual machine setup is done by finding the proper voltage setting for the metal thickness that will be welded. Once you get that setting dialed in then you need to set your wire feed speed.
What you are looking for is a wire feed speed fast enough that it does not spray and slow enough that you do not achieve a short-circuit transfer. The way you know that globular transfer is occurring is by the sound of the weld. It needs to sound like it is popping. The popping can vary from a slow to a fast series of pops. While you are welding you should also be able to see the actual globs form and drop into the weld joint. That is all it takes to set up your welder for globular transfer MIG welding!
