Welding Power Sources

In TIG welding of general steel materials, DCEN polarity is mostly used. This results in
deeper penetration and excellent electrode capacity. On the other hand, TIG welding of
aluminum alloys uses either DCEP or AC, because the cleaning action is a must in order to
provide complete fusion. Fig. 2.13 compares characteristics of polarities in TIG welding.

Fig. 2.13 — Characteristics of current types for gas tungsten arc welding
(Source: AWS Welding Handbook)

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