Dual Pulse MIG Welding: What Is It and When to Use It?

From a state-of-the-art feature, pulsed welding has evolved into a must-have for anyone welding heat-sensitive metals. The ability to pulse between peak and background amps helps welders avoid overheating, distortion, and burn-through, making welding thin metals much easier.

Due to the complexity of the equipment, pulsed TIG welding was the only option in the past. However, technological advancements brought us pulsed MIG welding, which is more common today.

The technology advanced even further. We added a secondary pulse to the basic pulse, creating a process known as dual-pulse MIG welding. In this article, we will thoroughly explain what dual pulse MIG welding is and when to use it.

Dual Pulse MIG Welding Process
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMAUAQ-eK8k&t

Pulsed MIG Welding in a Nutshell

In MIG (Gas Metal Arc Welding), pulsing is a modified spray transfer mode, or the fourth most common MIG transfer mode. In MIG, pulsing works the same way as with any other process. The current oscillates between peak amps (high) and background (lower) amps. But there are crucial differences.

The peak amps are hot enough to melt and transfer molten wire into the joint, achieving controllable spray transfer. Then, the current moves to the background amps to reduce overall heat input and cool the welds. This switch can occur up to hundreds of times per second, depending on the selected pulse frequency.

Dual Pulse MIG Welding Hundreds of Switches Per Second
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugeBdO0-iJ4

What makes pulsed MIG welding unique and challenging is the relation between voltage, wire feed speed (amperage), arc length, and current switches. Manually adjusting these to work with pulsing can be very demanding, and is reserved for the most experienced welders. But the new technology called synergic pulse operation made it much easier.

Welders automatically adjust the wire feed speed and voltage based on the pulse options, arc length, and speed. Some can even provide automatic compensation if the machine detects improper arc length, arc angle, or travel speed, making pulsed MIG welding super smooth.

High-Efficiency Dual Pulse MIG Welding Process
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkcNM-Z9xsc

Dual Pulse MIG Welding Explained

Pulsed MIG welding went even further by adding another pulse on top of the first pulse. Doing so led to a unique process called dual-pulse MIG welding, which you can find in our YesWelder DP200 Dual-Pulse MIG welder.

But how does dual-pulse MIG ("Pulse-on-pulse") actually work, and is it really that good? The short answer is yes. Nevertheless, let's further explain its working principle, advantages, and applications.

Dual-Pulse MIG Welding Technology
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T9MxNVgSwU

How Does Dual Pulse MIG Work?

Dual-pulse MIG works by adding an additional pulse to the primary pulse. The primary pulse regularly switches between peak amps and background amps to limit the heat exposure and avoid overheating, warping, or burn-through. A secondary, high-frequency pulse controls the waveform by adding additional pulsing that lowers the current.

As a result, additional pulsing occurs at both the peak and background amps within a single pulse cycle. But how do these affect the weld?

The primary pulse occurs at low frequency and involves fundamental oscillation between peak and background amps (on cycle). A secondary pulse occurs at high frequency but dramatically reduces the current. A high-frequency pulse melts the metal and the welding wire. The low-frequency pulse controls droplet formation and transfer.

In practice, the secondary pulse lowers the current and cuts off the welding without extinguishing the arc or losing the puddle (off cycle). Therefore, a puddle freezes between two pulses, creating a dime.

Adding a second pulse on top of the first provides even better heat control, resulting in higher-quality welds, faster welding speeds, and better weld aesthetics. Once you master the use, you can produce TIG-like welds with MIG welding. Freezing the puddle between two pulses allows you to "stack the dimes" — a characteristic of TIG welding known for its excellent aesthetics.

Dual Pulse MIG Welding for Stack-the-Dimes Weld Beads
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybRi2-lJNkI&t

Dual Pulse MIG Welding Settings

On welders such as the YesWelder 200 DP, turning on dual-pulse MIG mode unlocks several new settings. Similar to traditional pulsed TIG, you can adjust:

• Dual pulse frequency (Hz): In dual pulse MIG, the frequency allows you to set how fast the pulses will be. MIG welding typically uses a pulse at lower frequencies than TIG welding (0-5 Hz). For example, 1 Hz means one pulse per second, so the pulse takes 1 second to complete. 2 Hz means two pulses per second, so the pulse takes 0.5 seconds to complete. High-frequency pulses within the first pulse are set by default.

Weld formation for different welding models
Source: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/9/1388

• Background amps (Base amps in %): The lower value to which the current oscillates during pulsing. In dual-pulsed MIG, these typically represent the percentage of the primary amperage (peak amps). For example, if your primary amperage is 100 amps, and you set background amps to 60%, the current will oscillate between 100 A in peak and 60 A in background.

• Dual pulse duty cycle (%): The percentage cycle, or dual pulse duty cycle, expresses how much time the current spends in peak and background amps. 50% is a default, and it means the current spends equal time in peak and background. Lowering the dual pulse to 30% means the current spends 30% of the time in peak and 70% of the time in background amps. Turning up to 70% means the current spends 70% of the time in peak amps and 30% in background amps.

These are pretty similar to traditional pulsed TIG settings. However, there are usually no such settings for traditional pulsed MIG, at least not on the hobby-grade MIG welding machines. But luckily, you will get them with our DP200 Dual Pulse MIG welder.

Dual Pulse MIG Welding Using DP200
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAOA45j7_2I&t

Advantages of Dual Pulsed MIG Welding

The working principle of dual-pulse MIG has brought welders worldwide various benefits. The key advantages of dual-pulsed MIG welding include:

• Superior heat control: Pulsing output provides much better heat control than traditional continuous output. Primary amps are high enough to melt base metal and wire, and transfer the wire into the joint. Once the current moves to background amps, it reduces the overall heat exposure. Lower amps enhance cooling, puddle solidification, and reduce the risk of overheating. Adding another pulse further improves heat control. As a result, this feature is a lifesaver for thin, delicate metal welding.

Dual Pulsed MIG Welding Aluminum
Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ww9VXfcWTv8

• Reduced spatter: Pulsed and dual-pulsed MIG are controlled forms of spray transfer. Unlike traditional short-circuit, spray MIG produces much less spatter, allowing you to achieve pristine, spatter-free welds. Although spatter is not a structural defect, cleaning it can be time-consuming. In addition, some critical applications and industries require spatter-free welds, and that's where dual-pulsed MIG shines.

• Stacked-dimes appearance: Single pulse MIG can produce an exceptional weld appearance. But adding another pulse on top of the first yields even better aesthetics, producing a characteristic "stacked dimes" look. This appearance is typical in TIG welding, especially in highly aesthetic applications, and dual pulse provides similar features in MIG.

Stacked-Dimes Appearance in Dual Pulsed MIG Weldments
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkcNM-Z9xsc&t

• Suitable for out-of-position welding: Welding in a flat position is convenient, but things can get messy once you move to uncomfortable positions. In vertical or overhead welding, gravity pulls the molten puddle out of the joint, causing it to sag or drip. Fast solidification is a solution, as the puddle freezes much faster. As noted, dual-pulsed MIG, with its switching, promotes cooling and solidification, improving welding performance.

• Faster welding speed: Dual-pulsed welding offers higher deposition rates, energy, and travel speed than traditional globular or short-circuit transfers.

Dual Pulse MIG Welding on Steel
Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qDDLWLVtlZc

When to Use Dual Pulse MIG?

Reading the advantages gave you an idea, but here is a more detailed explanation of the best use of dual-pulse MIG.

• Welding thin metals: When exposed to high heat, thin metals are prone to distortion, warping, or burn-through. Dual-pulsed MIG solves this issue by providing much better heat control compared to traditional MIG. Avoiding excessive heat is crucial for anyone welding thin sheet metal.

• Welding heat-sensitive metals: Aluminum and stainless steel can be challenging to weld due to their thermal properties. Stainless steel can oxidize or warp when exposed to high heat, and controlling the input is crucial. Aluminum is one of the hardest metals to weld due to its oxide layer and thermal properties. With dual-pulse MIG, you can produce strong and visually appealing aluminum welds.

Double Pulse MIG Welding of Aluminium Components
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqiLPV0e2xA

• Filling holes and grooves: High welding speed and higher deposition rates, combined with controlled heat input, are perfect for filling larger gaps and holes. Dual-pulse MIG can deposit a lot of wire quickly, with much lower risk of burning through or heat piling up in the joint.

• Quick out-of-position projects: Quick weld-puddle solidification is perfect when you battle gravity. Along with the higher welding speed of dual-pulse MIG, you can quickly finish vertical or overhead welds. But keep in mind that these require much more skill and good torch manipulation.

Double Pulse MIG Welding of Aluminum Components
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqiLPV0e2xA

• You are looking for pristine, visually appealing welds: Dual-pulsed MIG can produce highly aesthetic, spatter-free welds. You should use it in applications that require clean, visually appealing welds and pleasing weld aesthetics.

• Grain refinement and improved mechanical properties: The dual-pulse welding process promotes the formation of finer, more uniform grain structures in the weld metal. This refinement can enhance both tensile strength and ductility. Research shows that this method can yield higher tensile strength when compared to conventional MIG welding.

Dual Pulse MIG Welding for Refined, Uniform Weld Grain Structures
Source: https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/pulse-mig-v-super-pulse-double-pulse-etc.72938/

Industrial Applications of Dual Pulse MIG

Although dual-pulse MIG is not yet an essential part of the industry, its excellent heat control, superior weld appearance, and low spatter make it valuable across a range of applications. The most common real-life uses include:

Industrial Applications of Dual Pulse MIG

• Automotive and transportation: Pulsing can produce high-quality welds with minimal distortion and a good appearance, ideal for many automotive applications. Typical examples include welding thin aluminum panels, repairing and joining mixed materials, and fabricating fuel tanks, bumpers, and frames.

• Shipbuilding and marine: Limited heat input is suitable for aluminum hulls, decks, and superstructures. Welders in the marine industry also use dual-pulse MIG to join stainless steel or copper–nickel piping and fittings.

Double Pulse MIG Welding for Aluminum Boats
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DekduNFexBM

• Aerospace and aircraft: Clean, precise, and spatter-free welds are suitable for aluminum aircraft components. Welders use dual-pulse MIG to join thin sheet metal and lightweight structural parts.

• General fabrication: Neat, aesthetic, and uniform welds are perfect for everyday metal fabrication. Examples include building furniture, frames, enclosures, decorative stainless steel structures, and bicycle and motorcycle frames.

Double-Pulse MIG for General Fabrication
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciy6_gJKQkI&t

• Industrial equipment: The repeatable quality and limited heat of dual-pulse MIG make it an excellent choice for industrial equipment manufacturing. Welders use it to build aluminum tanks, pressure vessels, and frames, electrical enclosures, and instrument housings.

• Robotics and automation: Programmable, consistent droplet transfer is easily integrated into robotic welding systems and automated production of aluminum components.

Two Station Pulsed MIG Welding Robot
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7btgpYXAtBI

Common Issues and Quick Fixes With Dual-pulse MIG

Moving from conventional MIG to pulsed or dual-pulsed MIG can take some time to master everything. Dual-pulsed MIG offers more control, so you might encounter several issues. Here are some things that can go wrong during dual-pulse MIG, along with what you can do to solve them.

Issues in Dual-pulse MIG
Source: https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/pulse-mig-v-super-pulse-double-pulse-etc.72938/

Traditional MIG vs Single pulse MIG vs Dual Pulse MIG

To further explain the differences between conventional MIG, single-pulse MIG, and dual-pulse MIG, we compiled a comparison table containing the essential factors.

Traditional MIG vs Single pulse MIG vs Dual Pulse MIG
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHQoocOXgoI

Final Thoughts

Pulsed welding is an effective method known for its low heat input. Welders often use it when welding thin, delicate, or heat-sensitive metals to avoid overheating and its adverse effects.

Due to the complexity of the equipment, pulsed output wasn't standard in MIG welding. However, advancements such as synergic pulsing made it much easier. But we went even further by introducing a second pulse on top of the first.

Dual-pulse MIG welding provides even better control of heat, weld quality, speed, and weld aesthetics. Adding a pulse on top of the first pulse provides better waveform control and puddle control. As a result, you can produce TIG-like welds with your MIG welder, which is highly desirable, especially on aluminum.

🧐 Dual Pulse MIG Welding: What Is It and When to Use It? FAQ

1. Can Any MIG Welder Perform Dual-Pulse Welding?

No. A MIG welder must specifically support dual-pulse MIG welding. Standard MIG controls or a single-pulse function alone cannot produce the same dual-pulse waveform. Always check the machine’s listed welding modes before buying.

2. What Shielding Gas Should You Use for Dual-Pulse MIG?

For aluminum, 100% argon is a common choice. Mild steel typically uses an argon-rich blend, such as 90% argon and 10% CO₂, while stainless steel often uses 98% argon and 2% CO₂. Always match the shielding gas to the material and the machine’s pulse program.

3. Does Dual-Pulse MIG Require Special Welding Wire?

No special “dual-pulse” welding wire is required. Use a compatible MIG wire selected for the base metal and application, then choose the correct wire alloy and diameter in the welder’s settings.

4. Do You Need a Spool Gun for Dual-Pulse MIG Welding Aluminum?

Not necessarily. A spool gun is one option for feeding soft aluminum wire, but a compatible push-pull system can also be used. The wire-feeding equipment must support your welder and its pulse modes, so confirm compatibility before choosing a gun.

5. Does a Stacked-Dimes Appearance Guarantee a Strong Weld?

No. An attractive stacked-dimes appearance does not guarantee proper fusion or penetration. Weld strength also depends on joint preparation, filler metal selection, welding parameters, penetration, and the absence of defects.

6. Can Dual-Pulse MIG Completely Replace TIG Welding?

No. Dual-pulse MIG can produce attractive, consistent weld beads, but it does not provide the same independent control over heat and filler addition as TIG welding. TIG may still be preferable for very thin materials and delicate work requiring precise control.