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The Resource For All Your Welding, Gases and Safety Supplies!
4.11
The Resource - (Inert Gas Equipment)
©2011 CK Worldwide, Inc.
S/WD # 107822 2.5M Printed 4/2011
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
PROBLEM
CAUSE
SOLUTION
Inadequate gas flow
Increase gas flow
Improper size electrode for current required
Use larger electrode
Operating of reverse polarity
Use larger electrode or change polarity
Electrode contamination
Remove contaminated portion, then prepare again
Excessive heating inside torch
Replace collect, try wedge collet or reverse collet
Electrode oxidizing during cooling
Increase gas post flow time to 1 sec. per 10 amps
Shield gas incorrect
Change to proper gas (no oxygen or Co2)
Incorrect voltage (arc too long)
Maintain short arc length
Current too low for electrode size
Use smaller electrode or increase current
Electrode contaminated
Remove contaminated portion, then prepare again
Joint too narrow
Open joint groove
Contaminated shield gas, dark stains on the
Most common cause is moisture or aspirated air in gas stream. Use welding
electrode or weld bead indicate contamination
grade gas only. Find the source of contamination and eliminate it promptly.
Base metal is oxidized, dirty or oily
Use appropriate chemical cleaners, wire brush or abrasives prior to welding.
Poor scratch starting technique
Many codes do not allow scratch starts. Use copper strike plate.
Use high frequency arc starter.
Excessive current for tungsten size used.
Reduce current or use larger electrode
Accidental contact of electrode with puddle
Maintain proper arc length
Accidental contact of electrode to filler rod
Maintain a distance between electrode and filler metal
Using excessive electrode extension
Reduce electrode extension to recommended limits
Inadequate shielding or excessive drafts
Increase gas flow, shield arc from wind, or use gas lens
Wrong gas
Do not use Ar-02 or Ar-Co2 GMA (MIG) gases for TIG welding
Heavy surface oxides not being removed
Use ACHF, adjust balance control for maximum cleaning, or wire brush
and clean the weld joint prior to welding.
Entrapped impurities, hydrogen, air, nitrogen,
Do not weld on wet material. Remove condensation from line
water vapor
with adequate gas pre-flow time.
Defective gas hose or loose connection
Check hoses and connections for leaks
Filler material is damp (particularly aluminum)
Dry filler metal in over prior to welding
Filler material is oily or dusty
Replace filler metal
Alloy impurities in the base metal such as sulphur,
Change to a different alloy composition which is weldable. These impurities
phosphorus, lead and zinc
can cause a tendency to crack when hot.
Excessive travel speed with rapid freezing of weld
Lower the travel speed
trapping gases before they escape
Contaminated gas shield
Replace the shielding gas
Hot cracking in heavy section or with metals
Preheat, increase weld bead cross-section size, change weld bead contour.
which are hot shorts
Use metal with fewer alloy impurities.
Crater cracks due to improperly breaking the arc
Reverse direction and weld back into previous weld at edge. Use Aptrack or
or terminating the weld at the joint edge
foot control to manually down slope current.
Post weld cold cracking, due to excessive joint
Preheat prior to welding, use pure to non-contaminated gas. Increase the
restraint, rapid cooling, or hydrogen embrittlement
bead size. Prevent craters or notches. Change the weld joint design.
Centerline cracks in single pass welds
Increase bead size. Decrease root opening, use preheat, prevent craters.
Underbead cracking from brittle microstructure
Eliminate sources of hydrogen, joint restraint, and use preheat.
Gas flow blockage or leak in hoses or torch
Locate and eliminate blockage or leak.
Excessive travel speed exposes molten weld to
Use slower travel speed or carefully increase the flow rate to a safe
atmospheric contamination
level below creating excessive turbulence. Use trailing shield cup.
Wind or drafts
Set up screens around the weld area
Excessive electrode stickout
Reduce electrode stickout. Use a larger size cup.
Excessive turbulence in gas stream
Change to gas saver parts or gas lens parts.
Induced magnetic field from DC weld current
Change to ACHF current. Rearrange the split ground connection.
Arc is unstable due to magnetic influences
Reduce weld current and use arc length as short as possible.
Short water cooled leads life
Verify coolant flow direction, return flow must be on the power cable lead.
Cup shattering or breaking in use
Change cup size or type, change tungsten position, refer to CK Worldwide
technical specifications available at www.ckworldwide.com
Short collet life
Ordinary style is split and twists or jams, change to wedge style.
Short torch head life
Do not operate beyond rated capacity, use water cooled model, do not bend
rigid torches
Gas hoses ballooning, bursting or blowing off
Incorrect flowmeter, TIG flowmeters operate at 35 psi with low flows.
while hot
MIG flowmeters operate with high flows at 65 psi or more.
Excessive
Electrode
Consumption
Erratic Arc
Inclusion of
Tungsten or
Oxides in Weld
Porosity in
Weld Deposit
Cracking in
Welds
Inadequate
Shielding
Short
Parts Life
Arc Blow
REGISTERED TRADEMARK NOTICES
:
Gas Saver
™
, Safe-Loc
™
, Flex-Loc
™
, Super-Flex
™
,
Trim-Line
™
, Max-Flo
™
and Fail-Safe
™
are
registered trademarks of CK Worldwide Inc.
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE