Welder Red Seal · Question
A welder is performing GTAW on a 10 mm thick aluminum alloy plate. The weld bead appears wide and shallow with poor penetration, and the arc seems to wander. What adjustment to the AC balance control would likely improve this situation?
The AC balance control allows for adjusting the ratio of electrode negative (penetration) to electrode positive (cleaning) half-cycles. A wide, shallow bead wit
Start free practice for Welder Red Seal
154 questions · no signup required · 40 free questions per day
Question: A welder is performing GTAW on a 10 mm thick aluminum alloy plate. The weld bead appears wide and shallow with poor penetration, and the arc seems to wander. What adjustment to the AC balance control would likely improve this situation?
Answer options: ✅ Increasing the percentage of electrode negative (PEN) time.
- Decreasing the percentage of electrode positive (PEP) time.
- Increasing the percentage of electrode positive (PEP) time.
- Adjusting the frequency of the AC current.
Correct answer: Increasing the percentage of electrode negative (PEN) time.
Explanation: The AC balance control allows for adjusting the ratio of electrode negative (penetration) to electrode positive (cleaning) half-cycles. A wide, shallow bead with poor penetration often indicates too much cleaning action (PEP). Increasing the percentage of electrode negative (PEN) time will provide deeper penetration and a narrower bead profile by delivering more heat to the work, while reducing the excessive cleaning action.
Start free practice for Welder Red Seal
154 questions · no signup required · 40 free questions per day
More about Welder Red Seal
Related Questions
- A welder is fabricating a pressure vessel component using FCAW-G with an E70T-1 wire. The procedure specifies
- A welder is preparing to weld 20 mm (0.8 in) thick high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel using FCAW-G. The weld
- A structural steel fabricator is using FCAW-S (E71T-8 wire) to weld heavy sections of structural steel in an o
- When performing FCAW-G (gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding), a welder notices the arc is unstable and the wir
- A structural welder is performing overhead FCAW-G on 12 mm (0.5 in) thick steel with an E71T-1 wire. The weld
- A welder is setting up an FCAW-S machine for welding in a remote location without access to external shielding
More for Welder Red Seal candidates
Practice tests
Question explanations
- A welder is fabricating a pressure vessel component using FCAW-G with an E70T-1 wire. The procedure specifies
- A welder is preparing to weld 20 mm (0.8 in) thick high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel using FCAW-G. The weld
- A structural steel fabricator is using FCAW-S (E71T-8 wire) to weld heavy sections of structural steel in an o
- When performing FCAW-G (gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding), a welder notices the arc is unstable and the wir
Ready to practice?
Free, no signup required. Build a wrong-question list as you go.
Start Free Welder Red Seal Practice →Related courses
Other Canadian certifications candidates often prepare for alongside this one.