The duty cycle rating is based on maximum output over what time interval?

The duty cycle rating is based on maximum output over what time interval?

• A. 1 Minute
• B. 5 Minutes
• C. 10 Minutes
• D. 60 Minutes

Answer: (C)

Duty cycle shows how long you can run the welder at its maximum output before it overheats, using a fixed time window. That standard window is ten minutes. So if a rating is, say, 60% at a given current, you can weld at that current for six minutes within a ten-minute period and then need four minutes of cooling. The ten-minute window is the convention, not one, five, or sixty minutes, so the maximum output is defined over ten minutes.

Duty cycle shows how long you can run the welder at its maximum output before it overheats, using a fixed time window. That standard window is ten minutes. So if a rating is, say, 60% at a given current, you can weld at that current for six minutes within a ten-minute period and then need four minutes of cooling. The ten-minute window is the convention, not one, five, or sixty minutes, so the maximum output is defined over ten minutes.