An all-singing, all-dancing solution? They still don’t exist in many parts of life. But is it true that there is now ONE universal solution for welding systems? Is there one system that can be used for everything? Is there ONE best way to do things? Of course not. But we are only talking about welding steel together and the MAG process. One thing becomes clear quickly: when pulsing is used, many things become much easier, and this is also true for steel welding…

Steel? Yes, it makes perfect sense! But how and when do you do pulsing?

Pulse welding is better than other types of arc welding in many ways, and this is also true when welding steel. The most important thing you will learn from this article is that switching to pulsing makes a lot of sense in the intermediate arc range. This is because welding spatters are more likely to happen in this range, and the weld surfaces become less attractive. In some cases, this means a lot of extra work.

Pulsing? Yes, it makes perfect sense! But when isn’t it the best choice?
In short, in the low-power range of the standard arc (dip transfer arc) and the high-power range (spray arc). Pulse welding does reduce the amount of heat that goes into the process, but the high current peaks of the pulse current can be a problem when welding ultra-light gauge sheets. Even though the times of high current are short, they can still cause you to burn through the sheet when ultra-light gauge sheet welding, so pulsing is not a good idea in this case.

Pulsing is also bad in the high-power range, because the pinching of droplets by the spray arc creates a smooth material transfer in this range. The material pretty much just flows into the weld pool, and the arc can be moved in a very gentle way. Pulse welding would stop the flow of welding and slow it down.

Still, the question remains: why is pulsing used in steel welding at all power levels?

It’s not really that easy. When we look at how steel welding companies do their day-to-day work. One thing is clear: pulsing is a constant trend, no matter what the power range is. Pulsed arcs are now used over a very wide range of power. And they are often used instead of solid dip transfer arcs and as an alternative to soft spray arcs.

So, it’s not just a matter of avoiding the splashing intermediate arcs or cutting down on the rework that comes with them. Pulsing makes sense because welders don’t spend all day welding in flat positions. Many types of position welding, like fillet welds, butt welds, and many others, are done in small, tight spaces.

In these situations, pulse welding is better than arc welding because it uses less heat and doesn’t go as deep. Position welding can also be done without a lot of time-consuming oscillation and other special techniques. This saves time, so welding can be done faster.

Steel is better in every way!

Also, skilled workers say that pulsing is “the better way to weld” when it comes to steel. And the most important thing is that when welders use the pulsed arc in a standard way, they don’t have to change the parameters on the welding system very often. Only the power is changed depending on what kind of welding needs to be done. This makes it much easier to control the welding system. As a big part of the power range can be covered with just one arc.