Tensioning Up the Drive Rolls Correctly

Whatever you’re welding, you need to properly adjust your drive roll tension to ensure consistent wire feeding and a stable arc. First and foremost, though, choosing a drive rolls that’s the right size for the wire being used is key. If the drive roll is too large or small, then it can lead to issues with feeding.

Next, set the proper drive roll tension. As the drive rolls rotate, they feed wire from the spool through the welding gun wire liner and it exits through the contact tip. If the tension is incorrect, such as too tight, it may lead to problems with wire feedability and cause arc instability. It can also cause damage to the surface of the wire such as creating notch marks as in the case with cored wire knurled drive rolls. This will cause excessive contact tip wear and create small metal particles that can plug the liner or arc out in the contact tip.

If the wire drive roll tension is too loose, it can cause slippage and lead to performance issues. The wire won’t be fed through at the right speed, causing erratic feeding and potentially other issues, like burnback or an erratic arc.

Setting the tension correctly involves:

• Releasing all tension on the drive rolls first.
• Taking the wire between your thumb and first finger with a firm grip – tight, but not too tight, and not loose
• Adjusting the tension a half turn past wire slippage
• Continuing to grip the wire and press the torch trigger
• Make sure to set the tension each time the drive roll is changed

Maintaining drive rolls is another step to avoid issues with feeding. To do that, occasionally take a wire brush and clean the surfaces of the rolls. Beyond that, choosing the proper size and type of drive rolls, using quality wire in good condition, and setting tensioning correctly will prevent wire feeding issues and costly downtime down the line.