How to Select the Right Weld Cable Size?

28 Feb 2024

The most common weld cable size

Most metal fabricators in Southeast Asia will select 70mm² weld cables. The 70mm² weld cable size is popular because of 3 reasons:

1. This weld cable size is sufficient to cover most welding applications.
2. It may be easier to standardize a weld cable size to reduce inventory holding costs and to streamline the ordering process.
3. 70mm² weld cables are a standard product offered by many welding suppliers and may be more readily available at a reasonable price.

The disadvantages of using wrong weld cable size

However, there will be welding applications that require the use of larger weld cable sizes. These include the need to weld at higher amperage and duty cycle, as well as gouging. When weld cables of the wrong size are used, the following could happen:

1. Welding cables might overheat and get damaged.
2. The welding machine may be overworked and breakdown.

How to select the right weld cable size

To avoid unnecessary downtime in your welding operations, always choose the right weld cable size for your welding application. Here is a simple table that can help you get started.

1. First, you need to understand the welding amperage needed for the job. In this example, let’s say that we need 300A.
2. Secondly, we need to consider the total length of the weld circuit. For simple calculations, the total length of the weld circuit is made up of the length of the work cable and the length of the electrode cable. Another way to look at this is to understand the distance between the welding machine and the point of welding. If the point of welding is 30 meters away from the welding machine, then the total length of the weld circuit is 30 meters X 2 = 60 meters.
3. Lastly, refer to the table and see where 300A and 60 meters intersect on the table. For this example, it is recommended that a 95mm² weld cable size be used for the welding application.

Selecting the correct weld cable size does not need to be difficult. If you have further questions, feel free to reach us at SGOffice@MillerWelds.com for a discussion.