Tools/mig/induction: Difference between revisions
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** Navigating the menus and selecting SmartMIG mode
** Setting wire thickness and plate thickness
** On very thick materials then you need to be aware that the torch is only rated to 150A so you may need to run quite short duty cycles.
* Proper position of self and torch, direction of motion
** Suitable angles to work at (10-20 degrees ideally, absolutely less than 45 degrees)
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Revision as of 09:49, 15 October 2019
Some of the tools at the Hackspace are potentially hazardous to use, for these tools members are required to have an induction before they can use them. Inductions provide the most basic information on how to safely and effectively use the simpler functions of the tools, we appreciate that some members may have professional experience on some of these tools and in this case please tell your induction provider and the induction may be very reduced and just cover any risks or procedures specific to rLab. Some tools have multiple levels of induction in order to cover more advanced uses of that tool without making the basic induction take too long, higher induction levels will introduce some of the more advanced features of the tools but as with all inductions are only intended to provide basic information on the capabilities of the tools and how to use them safely. Some members of rLab may be willing to offer more detailed tuition beyond basic induction level or offer guided practice sessions in exchange for beer money or assistance on their own projects.
For all tools you are only required to take level-1 induction before use, after that you may perform any task that you feel confident you can do safely, higher levels of induction may be useful to you in performing more advanced operations but are not required before doing tasks covered in them so long as you're confident of your ability to handle those tasks without risk to yourself, others, or the tool.
PLEASE NOTE : All induction providers are volunteers who are providing inductions to the best of their ability but are NOT qualified instructors. Inductions are provided on a best-effort basis but you and you alone are responsible for your safety while using the tools and for satisfying yourself that you can operate the tools safely. There are professional training courses available from various providers in Reading and the surrounding area if you feel they are appropriate for the level of work you intend to undertake. Reading these notes is NOT a substitute for an in-person induction.
Note for wiki editors : Please do not edit induction pages unless you are one of of the people that gives that induction
MIG Welder induction - Level 1
Level 1 induction in intended to cover the basics of how to use the MIG welder. It should cover basic safety information and how to use the welder effectively on mild steel in positions 1G and 2G/F. People undertaking MIG induction need to have overalls or other non-flammable clothing that covers all exposed skin except for head and hands, clothes are likely to get burn spots on them. Wear stout shoes or boots, no open shoes allowed. If you have any metal you'd like to practice on then please bring it with you so long as it's plain steel with no galvanised coating or paint but if you don't have any then we usually have suitable scrap around to practice on. There's no charge specifically for the induction but normal welder usage charges apply, you should expect it to cost around £5 for the induction and a bit more if you spend some time practising afterwards which is strongly recommended
Topic | Detailed contents | Rationale |
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Types of welding available |
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Which technique to use for which weld |
How it works |
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Basic process details |
Safety |
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Using the equipment without harming self or others |
Preparing to weld |
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Proper preparation is necessary for good welds, cover bevel patterns for other weld types later |
Machine Description |
Wire type, liner and torch can be changed, but not covered at induction level-1 |
Covering what all the parts are called and which control does what |
How to actually execute a weld |
[Demonstrate a good simple weld bead] |
Cover the basic technique of establishing and moving a weld bead |
Problems |
[Deliberately set up and demonstrate each of these faults]
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Recognizing faults and knowing how to fix them |
Practicing a steady bead | Inductee practices laying down a straight and steady, well-fused bead on flat stock till competent | Getting the basics right |
Butt joints |
[Demonstration and practice till successful] |
Executing the most basic weld |
Fillet joints |
[Demonstration and practice till successful] |
Second most common weld type |
Pool Welds |
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Fixing wheels and fittings onto things |
Lap joint |
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Next joint type |
Shutting down and cleaning up |
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Clean up after yourself and pay what you owe! |
Final thoughts |
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Closing comments |
Update session for conversion from Clarke 150A unit to ESAB EMP235ic
rLab has recently acquired on loan an ESAB Rebel EMP235ic MIG welder which is considerably more capable than the old Clarke 150A unit but it's controls and operation are a little different so people who've completed induction on the Clarke unit are required to have an update session to be inducted on the EMP235ic. This update session is anticipated to take around 20 minutes.
Topic | Detailed contents |
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Safety | Very much similar to the Clarke unit but be aware this machine can output a higher voltage if mis-set. Also as the EMP235ic can output considerably higher currents, darker shades on masks may be called for. This is a 16A unit and should be connected to a 16A or 32A power supply using industrial type extension leads. If using the bandsaw connection point then be aware of the risk of tripping if the bandsaw is in use at the time. |
Controls | The controls on the EMP235ic are very different, it is controlled via an LCD screen and a menu system. For the level 1 you should only be using the machine in Smart-MIG (sMIG) mode. In this mode you need only tell the welder what size wire you are using and how thick the material to be welded is. You may optionally also set a weld profile but unless you're sure of your needs, leave it on neutral. Gas flow should remain at 8L/min for normal welding operations, optionally increasing to 12L/min for plate above 5mm thick. On very thick materials then you need to be aware that the torch is only rated to 150A so you may need to run quite short duty cycles. |
Welding | Position, travel direction, and spacing should all be the same, but be aware that the welder often starts out a little rough for the first 1-2 seconds as the sMIG feature learns what you're doing an corrects so if the weld sounds odd when you pull the trigger, DO NOT STOP, give sMIG time to correct before you decide there's a problem. Be aware that although this welder is capable of globular and spray transfer welding mode when in manual settings, globular and spray transfer should be impossible to initiate while in sMIG mode. Weave patterns should be executed more slowly than usual to avoid confusing the learning feature. |
Welding problems | In previous inductions a range of problems were demonstrated for you to learn to recognise. With this new welder in sMIG mode many of those problems are now impossible. You no longer need to consider wire feed rate issues or power issues as those are chosen automatically. Travel speed and torch position still need to be considered as sMIG cannot completely correct those for you although it will give you considerably more margin for error and still get a good weld. |
MIG Welder induction - Level 2
Level 2 induction should cover more advanced uses, there will be a charge for level-2 induction to cover the increased cost of materials and trainer time associated with these more complex uses
Main level 2 induction
- Going into Manual mode on the welder and suitable settings to use
- Other welding modes - Globular and Spray transfer and the requirements for them
- Problems
- Set up and demonstrate each of these
- Erratic weld, globular transfer - too little wire feed
- Stabbing and poor penetration - too far away from work or too much wire feed
- Bead sitting on surface - too fast or too little voltage
- Weld flat and spattered - too much voltage
- over-penetration - too slow or too much voltage
- blowing holes in material - MUCH too much voltage
- Lots of sparks and brown/porous weld - not enough gas or too far away
- Set up and demonstrate each of these
- Working with thin (1mm) and thick (5mm) materials
- Using tip-dip and anti-spatter spray
- Welding mild steel in position 3
- Practicing multi-pass welding
- Changing the gas bottle
- Changing wire, torches and liners, proper setting of wire feed and tension
Optional level 2 modules
Optional modules that can be included in level 2 induction at additional cost to inductee owing to expensive materials needed
- Welding with Aluminium, using suitable gasses. Costs £10 extra
- Welding Stainless Steel, using suitable gasses. Costs £10 extra
- Option of MIG brazing. Costs £30 extra
- Option of hard-facing. Costs £30 extra
== MMA (Stick welding) Induction This induction in intended to cover the basics of how to use the MIG welder in MMA (stick welding) mode, it covers basic safety information and how to use the welder effectively on mild steel in positions 1G and 2G/F. It is strongly recommended that people undertake MIG induction and practice it thoroughly before attempting stick welding, that said you can start welding straight away with stick but it's likely to take considerably longer to develop the required skill to use it effectively. People undertaking stick welding induction need to have overalls or other non-flammable clothing that covers all exposed skin except for head and hands. Wear stout shoes or boots, no open shoes allowed. If you have any metal you'd like to practice on then please bring it with you so long as it's plain steel with no galvanized coating or paint but if you don't have any then we usually have suitable scrap around to practice on. There is a charge of £10 for the induction to cover materials and a bit more if you spend some time practicing afterwards which is strongly recommended. The needed materials are usually kept in stock but if we've run out it will take several days to get more. This induction is estimated to take 1-2 hours.