Only about 50% of MIG welders support flux core wire. Ensure your welder supports DCEN and has a stable wire feed system for optimal results.
Device compatibility
40% of MIG welders do not have the ability to use flux-cored wire. Flux-cored wire physical characteristics are different from solid wire and require a specific wire feeding system and drive wheel. Ordinary MIG welding machine wire feeding systems may not be able to provide a stable wire feed speed. In the United States in 2023, sales of MIG welding machines showed that 35% of the equipment clearly marked that they do not support flux-cored wire use.
Flux-cored wires require DC reverse polarity (DCEN). Some entry-level Lincoln Electric welders specifically state in their specifications that only DCEP is supported, with only about 50% of MIG welders worldwide supporting DCEN.
Some flux-cored wires come with a protective function (self-shielding flux-cored wire) that does not require additional shielding gas, but some dual-shielding flux-cored wires still require external shielding gas. The high-end models of Miller’s multifunctional welders support multiple shielding gas configurations, and the use of dual shielding flux-cored wires can increase welding efficiency by 20% while reducing the incidence of welding defects.
The welding current and voltage of flux-cored wire are different from that of solid wire, which requires the welder to provide a wider range of adjustment. Statistics show that about 60% of professional grade MIG welders have this adjustment ability, and this adjustment function of high-end welders can improve the welding quality by 15% to 25%.
About 30% of high-end MIG welders on the market are equipped with high-precision wire feeding systems. One of Panasonic’s advanced MIG welders uses an advanced servo motor control system to improve welding efficiency by 30% and reduce welding defects by 20%.
Power supply type
According to the Welding Institute, about 50% of MIG welders support DCEN. The price of such welders is usually 15% to 20% higher than that of ordinary DCEP welders, but using DCEN welders can improve welding speed by 30%. With DCEN, there are fewer splashes in the welding process, 25% more work efficiency, and 20% less weld defects.
Protective gas
Self-shielded flux-cored wire does not require additional shielding gas, and about 70% of construction sites and heavy equipment maintenance sites prefer to use self-shielded flux-cored wire.
The double shielded flux-cored wire requires an external shielding gas, usually carbon dioxide (CO2) or a mixture of gases (such as 80% argon and 20% carbon dioxide). The use of the double shielded flux-cored wire can increase the strength of the weld by 15% and reduce the welding splash by 30%.
Between 2019 and 2023, sales of double-protected flux-cored wire increased by about 12% per year. Welding with a purity of 99.99% argon mixed with carbon dioxide produced significantly better welds with smoothness and strength than welding results with low-purity gas. In practice, it is recommended that the gas flow be maintained at 20-25 liters per minute to ensure optimal protection.
Wire feed speed
60% of welding defects are caused by unstable wire feed speed. If the wire feed speed of a welding machine fluctuates by more than 5%, its welding quality qualification rate will be reduced by 10%.
With a wire feed speed of 4 to 10 meters per minute for self-protected flux-cored wire, and a wire feed speed of 2 to 20 meters per minute for double-protected flux-cored wire, a welder equipped with a high-precision wire feed system can increase welding efficiency by 30%, reduce welding defects by 20%, and complete about 15% more welding tasks per day.
For every 1 meter per minute increase in wire feed speed, the welding current needs to be increased by 5 amps. In actual operation, it is recommended that the operator adjust the matching of wire feed speed and welding current according to the specific requirements of welding materials and welding tasks to ensure the best welding effect.