OPERATION
teflon or Polyamide line. The internal diameter of the liner is important and releative to the wire
diameter being used and will assit in smooth feeding and prevention of the wire kinking and
birdnesting at the drive rollers. Also bending the cable too tightly during welding increases the friction
between the liner and the welding wire making it more difficult to push the wire through the liner
resulting in poor wire feeding, prematureliner wear and birdnesting. Dust, grime and metal particles
can accumalate inside the liner over time and cause friction and blockages, it is recommended to
periodically blow out the liner with compressed air. Small diameter welding wires, 0.6mm through
1.0mm have relatively low columnar strength, and if matched with an oversized liner, can cause the
wire to wander or drift within the liner. This in turn leads to poor wire feeding and premature liner
failure due to excessive wear. By contrast, larger diameter welding wires, 1.2mm through 2.4mm
have much higher columnar strength but it is important to make sure the liner has enough internal
diameter clearance. Most manufacturers will produce liners sized to match wire diameters and length
of welding torch cable and most are colour coded to suit.
Teflon and Polyamide (PA) Liners
Teflon liners are well suited for feeding soft wires with poor column strength like aluminium wires.
The interiors of these liners are smooth and provide stable feedability, especially on small diameter
welding wire Teflon can be good forhigher heat applications that utilize water-cooled torches and
brass neck liners. Teflon has good abrasion resistance characteristics and can be used with a variety
of wire types such as silicon bronze, stainless steel as well as aluminium. A note of caution to careful
inspect the end of the welding wire prior to feeding it down the liner. Sharp edges and burrs can score
the inside of the liner and lead to blockages and accelerated wear. Polyamide Liners (PA) are made
of carbon infused nylon and are ideal for softer aluminum, copper alloy welding wires and push pull
torch applications. These liners are generally fitted with a floating collet to allow the liner to be
inserted all the way to the feed rollers.
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