Why It’s Critical to Monitor Differential Cylinder Pressure

When performing resistance welding, electrode force impacts the size and strength of the welds produced. This force is controlled by differential cylinder pressure, meaning that monitoring this variable is another way to indirectly monitor the electrode force.

Monitoring cylinder pressure has multiple use cases. It is often used to ensure:

• Down and up pressures are set properly both during welding and during the forging operation,
• Consistent pressure delivery from weld to weld (and notify the operator if a variation occurs beyond specified limits), and
• Proper timing of forging to prevent cracks and porosity.

When one of these settings is not applied correctly, or a problem develops with the machine, forging malfunctions – such as cracks and porosity in a weld – are bound to occur.

This was the case for a MIL-SPEC aluminum resistance welding manufacturer who discovered a crack in one of their welds. The welding manufacturer struggled with this problem for multiple months and was unable to figure out how to solve the issue. They called WeldComputer to help them solve the problem.