What is the required break time for a welding machine with a 20% duty cycle when operated at full amperage?

For a welding machine with a 20% duty cycle, it indicates that the machine is designed to operate at full amperage for 20% of a specific time period, followed by a need for a break during the remaining 80% of that period.

In this case, the common standard time period used for calculating a duty cycle is typically 10 minutes. Therefore, for a 20% duty cycle, the welder can operate for 2 minutes (which is 20% of 10 minutes) before a break is necessary. Since the welder operates for 2 minutes, it must rest for the remaining 8 minutes. This means that out of the complete 10-minute cycle, 2 minutes are for welding, and 8 minutes are for cooling down.

The correct answer reflects this calculation, showing that after operating for the allowed duration, the machine needs sufficient time to cool before it can be used again at full capacity to prevent overheating and potential damage.