Welding is based on the flow of high-intensity current. In order for everything to take place in fully safe conditions for the operator, it is necessary to use appropriate welding cables. What are their characteristics and why is it not worth saving on them?
Check out the welding cables at the Onninen wholesaler
What is a welding cable?
Cables are a conductor of electricity, which are most often made of copper. Although aluminum can also be found sometimes, it is able to carry much less electric charge. On the other hand, the best material for conducting electricity is silver, which is too expensive to make wires.
Copper, like any material, has a certain, small resistance. It is proportional to the amount of current flowing through it. At high currents, it can even cause the wire to catch fire and cause a fire. However, continuity is much more often interrupted, which results in the activation of overcurrent protection.
Therefore, it is worth connecting a special welding cable to the welding machine, which is characterized by greater resistance to high loads. It is also recommended to fully unwind the cable during each welding. In this way, you can avoid its overheating and destruction.
Types of welding cables
A standard welder requires several welding cables. Whether you use MIG, MAG, stick or TIG, you will always need:
- The cable leading from the welder to the handle. The handle is usually positive pole (this depends on the welding method used). In addition to the power cable, in the case of MIG/MAG, it is also necessary to supply the welding wire to the handle.
- Ground cable. As the name suggests, it is most often responsible for the negative pole. Such a welding cable ends with a mount for the welded material.
- Connection units are a type of welding cable. However, in addition to the power supply cable, they also have a wire feeder and gas (argon in the MIG method or carbon dioxide in the MAG method).
Using the appropriate welding cable ensures not only a high level of safety, but also comfort during the welding itself.
What to look for when selecting a welding cable?
Are you looking for the right cable for your welding machine? Contrary to appearances, you can come across a fairly large selection of models, differing in characteristics and parameters. That is why it is worth considering in advance what cable you need. What to look for?
- Wire cross-section. This is a key parameter that determines the maximum current that can be supplied by the welder. Our smallest model is the OS1/ONS 1x16 welding cable . It is characterized by a nominal cross-section of 16 mm 2 . In turn, the thickest welding cables have a cross-section of around 120 mm 2 .
- The number of cores is usually 1 - a larger number is simply not needed.
- The rated voltage at which a welding cable should operate is most often 100 V.
- Outer shell material. Rubber works best in this role, providing adequate flexibility and protection against temperature.
When choosing a H01N2-D 1x120 welding cable , it is worth remembering that its outer diameter will be much larger. This will also affect the weight and the amount of space needed for transport. Therefore, it is not worth buying a model with too high parameters "just in case".
The best welding cables in the Onninen wholesaler
If you are a hobby welder, you may not know whether the OS1/ONS 1x95 welding cable will be suitable for your welder. It is also not easy to determine the optimal length of such a cable (our wholesaler has 1000 m drums of wound cables - so we can provide you with almost any length of cable, according to your preferences). Contact us by phone or email for more information. We will also be happy to advise you on what length and thickness of cable to choose. Take advantage not only of our products, but also of our valuable experience in the selection of equipment.