4 Reasons Genuine Consumables Lead to Better MIG Welds
Welders must be able to rely on every aspect of their equipment, and consumables are an integral component of a high-quality weld. When you notice an uptick in downtime and consumables consumption, it’s time to take a deeper look at what the culprit could be. An easy place to start is by looking at the quality of the consumables you’re using. Lower-quality consumables can lead to major expenses in the long run — as seen in lost production, weld rework and the cost of constant replacements.
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) consumables are the right choice for improved operations and consistent, high-quality welds. Below are four reasons you should consider investing in genuine consumables over lower-quality options.
- Consumable quality affects your performance
Even the best MIG guns or the most highly trained operators cannot offset the impact of poorly made consumables on performance. OEM consumables are manufactured using high-quality materials, which helps deliver the arc stability needed to create smooth, even welds with minimal defects. In addition to helping improve weld integrity and facilitating more durable weld joints, genuine consumables also help prevent excessive spatter and minimize post-weld cleanup.
Because OEM consumables are manufactured for reliability, they have consistent diameters and surface conditions that ensure smoother feeding through the gun. By contrast, non-genuine consumables are often made from low-quality materials and may not consistently meet key manufacturing specifications.
2. OEM consumables are expertly designed to be reliable
Genuine consumables are backed by research, technology and expertise, having been produced to ensure the material composition and mechanical properties are consistent and reliable. Keeping those details at the forefront makes for stable arcs, high-quality welds, fewer points of failure and simplified maintenance. Their ease of use can even help to reduce welder training times and shorten your troubleshooting list if problems do arise.
Copycat manufacturers are also less likely to submit their consumables to the rigorous testing and quality assurance processes that OEMs follow.
AccuLock ™ consumables have been designed to flawlessly integrate into Bernard® semi-automatic and Tregaskiss® fixed automatic and robotic MIG welding guns and to address welders’ most common pain points.
For semi-automatic MIG welding applications, the AccuLock™ S consumables system paired with front load E-Z Feed™ liners reduces liner trim length errors and erratic wire feeding while simultaneously increasing contact tip life. The front load liners are locked and concentrically aligned to both the contact tip and power pin. This eliminates misalignment and provides a flawless wire feed path, ensuring uninterrupted delivery of the wire to the weld puddle. As a result, operators have fewer burnbacks, bird nests and erratic arcs.
The AccuLock R consumables system is available for robotic or fixed automatic MIG welding applications. With these consumables, operators have the opportunity to realize significant improvements, like increasing contact tip life span and decreasing issues with contact tip cross-threading.
For operations constantly managing complex or costly consumables inventories, AccuLock S and AccuLock R consumables systems share a common contact tip — making for simplified part inventory across mixed fleets of semi-automatic and automated welding applications. Operations who are looking to get more life out of their consumables but aren’t using Bernard or Tregaskiss guns can purchase the conversion series consumables to still experience the benefits of a high-quality system.
3. Using low-quality products limits your manufacturer’s ability to help
A good OEM is invested not only in the performance of its products but also in the overall user experience, which extends to customer service. Reputable OEMs usually have expert technical support teams that help with troubleshooting and provide solutions if something goes wrong. They can also share product tips and offer advice, like how to make your MIG gun consumables last longer.
However, if you’re using nongenuine consumables and parts, technical support teams are unable to offer such assistance. Often, if an issue arises involving lower-quality parts, it will be essential to order genuine parts and wait for them to arrive to see if the issue still occurs before the OEM team can offer support. Using genuine parts from the get-go means you can get expert advice right away — or avoid issues altogether.
4. OEM products can have a longer life
Because OEMs are making greater investments in materials, design and testing, that means OEM consumables usually cost more than low-quality consumables. But, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Consumables are probably not your biggest cost — labor is. So any money you save by using cheaply made consumables could be offset by the extra labor required to frequently change tips, troubleshoot equipment failure or rework a faulty weld. Those looking for superior performance and longevity find that OEM options can equate to more arc-on time — and more products out the door.
AccuLock contact tips are designed so that 60% of the tip is buried within the diffuser for less exposure to the heat of the arc and more cooling from shielding gas. This gives the tip a life that can be two to three times longer than other tips.
All told, because genuine consumables are designed specifically for your MIG welding gun, they can last longer, be more reliable and deliver higher-quality welds — ultimately enhancing the operator experience and your welding operation’s bottom line.