[Shop-talk] MIG welder term

[Bob Nogueira]

Could someone explain to me the term 'Duty Cycle" in reference to MIG
welders?   I figure it means how long you can weld before having to stop and
allow the welder to recover but why is it expressed as a percentage?
When they say the duty cycle is 25%  does that mean you can weld for 1
minute and have to wait 3 minutes for the welder to recover? What happens if
you exceed the Duty Cycle?  What's the time frame?  How do you know you are
approaching the limit of the duty cycle ?

Thanks for any answers

Bob Nogueira