In response to I-CAR's suggestions for potential welding certification candidates, members of the Collision Repair Experts Association team suggested in an educational video that shops pay attention to the voltage requirements of welders and the shops themselves.

According to Toby Chess, co-chair of the SCRS Education Committee, most collision repair welders use 110 or 220 voltage.

Chess (Kent Motors) participated in the first two parts of the MIG/MAG welding trilogy education with SCRS board members Dave Gruskos (Reliable Automotive Equipment) and Michael Bradshaw (K&M Collision), and former board chairman Andy Dingman (Dingman Collision Center). Can be used for free on SCRS's YouTube channel. The third part will be released during the week of CIC and NACE during SCRS's public board meeting in Chicago on July 24.

According to Chess, 110-volt welding machines usually use up to 0.030 inches of welding wire. He said in the Part 1 video that heavy-duty welding, such as the 0.035 required by the Ford F-150 frame, would require a 220-volt welding machine.

Chess said that the aluminum pulse welder "only has 220 volts," while MIG brazing requires a 220 volt pulse welder.

"110 No," he said.

Of course, just because the store bought a 220-volt welding machine does not mean it can work in the factory. Bradshaw mentioned the "often overlooked" power availability factor-is the voltage in the welding area 220 volts, or is it limited to 110 volts?

Chess said that 110-volt workshops may not even be enough to accommodate 110-volt welders.

"If you don't have enough voltage, these machines won't arc," he said.

Amperage is also a consideration. Chess said that new welders who need 35 to 40 amp service may need to rewire to make it work.

Gruskos gave an example. A 110-volt welder only has a 30-amp socket. Plug anything other than the welding machine into that socket, and the power supply will be insufficient due to the extra demand.

"There can be no lights, no extension cords," he said. It is just a socket for the voltage you use. "

Even if the voltage of the building is 220 volts, the wire itself may be too small.

"The size of the wires leading to the sockets in the building is critical," Gluscos said. The shopkeeper cannot have an outlet powered by a "small and thin wire" and expect enough amperage.

According to Gruskos, by rejecting the power required by the welder, you may damage it or fail to produce correct welding.

Shopkeepers must provide proper workshop infrastructure, but welding technicians also need to consider welding machine power. Dingman said that it is likely that all the team members have seen examples of correct socket wiring and power supply-but the technician is using a welding machine 30 feet away and connecting to the socket with an extension cord. He said that if the amperage drops, the welding machine will not work properly.

Or its function is good enough to be dangerous: Bradshaw pointed out that just because the welder can be inserted and produce welds does not mean it has enough power. One of the reasons OEMs specify a 220-volt welder is because failure to provide enough power to the welder means "you will not be able to perform proper fusing," he said.

"Although it looks good on the outside... but it didn't penetrate the second and third layers correctly... This is a big problem in itself," Bradshaw said. This is why destructive testing is necessary; learn more about the group's discussion on this topic here.

"Introduction to the SCRS Education Committee-MIG Welding Part 1 of 3 Parts: Equipment and Power Supply"

Collision Repair Expert Association YouTube Channel, 2017

"Introduction to the SCRS Education Committee-MIG Welding Part 2 of 3 Parts: Setup, Setup and Training"

Collision Repair Expert Association YouTube Channel, 2017

Featured image: Some welders require 220 volt power supply. (Le Bazel/iStock)

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