TipMate™ Systems

What to Tell the Welder about Increased Electrode Extension Technology

• Increased Electrode Extension (EE) allows the wire to preheat more due to increased electrical resistance to the flow of welding current.
• Preheated wire melts faster at given amperages.
• At a given dial setting for amperage (wire feed speed), amperage will drop off as EE is increased. The only way to return to the original amperage is to increase the dial setting (wire feed speed).
• TipMate™ Nozzles provide the necessary control and guidance for increased EE to minimize wandering of the wire and wire jamming.
• Increased EE means that more energy is directed to melting wire and less is directed to the base metal. This does result in a slight decrease in penetration. However, submerged arc welding is a deeply penetrating process and the EE's recommended by TipMate™ Systems are such that full weld quality is maintained.
• A little greater attention should be given to proper bead placement and avoidance of narrow openings in deep grooves at the initial point of use.
• TipMate™ Nozzles are non-conductive. This minimizes double arcing.
• TipMate™ Nozzles can allow better access to deep, tight grooves when used with an auxiliary flux dispensing tube.
• Increased EE makes it easier to weld over root passes. Hot passes can generally be eliminated.
• Increased EE has advantages on thick and thin materials.
• The welding puddle does not grow significantly with increased EE's recommended by TipMate™ Systems. This is because the dilution of the puddle is changed. The puddle becomes diluted more with filler and less with base metal. As an example, it is possible to increase wire feed speed on 8" Schedule 40 pipe groove welds up to 50 %, as compared to conventional submerged arc welding, without "losing the puddle".