TIG Welder Owners Manual R-Tech TIG201

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TIG201 TIG WELDER
 

OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

Thank you for selecting the R-Tech TIG201 Inverter AC/DC TIG  Welder.  

The TIG201 has many benefits over traditional TIG welders, including 250Hz AC frequency adjustment, squarewave balance control, full pulse welding, slope up/down, remote foot option and an industrial 60% duty cycle

We want you to take pride in operating our TIG201 as much pride as we have taken in making this product for you. Please read all information in this manual before operation  

Electrical Installation

WARNING!

 ELECTRIC SHOCK CAN KILL

Machine grounding and High Frequency Interference Protection

This welder must be grounded to earth. See national electrical codes fro proper grounding methods.

The high frequency generator being similar to a radio transmitter may cause interference to radio, TV and other electronic equipment. These problems may be the result of radiated interference. Proper grounding methods can reduce or eliminate this.

Radiated interference can develop in the following ways

1. Direct interference from welder power source
2. Direct interference from the welding leads
3. Direct interference radiated from feedback into power lines
4. Interference from re-radiation by un-grounded metallic objects.

Keeping these contributing factors in mind, installing equipment as per following instructions should minimize problems

1. Keep the welder input power lines as short as possible and enclose as much of them as possible in metal conduit or equivalent shielding. There should be a good electrical contact between this conduit and ground (Earth).
    
2. Keep the work and electrode leads as short as possible. Tape the leads together where practical.
    
3. Be sure the torch and earth leads rubber coverings are free from cuts and cracks that allow welding power leakage
    
4. Keep earth lead connection to work in good condition – Clean area on workbench where earth clamp is situated on a regular basis.

Input Connections

Make sure the voltage, phase and frequency of input power is as specified on machine rating plate located at rear of machine.

Have a qualified electrician provide suitable input power as per national electrical codes. Make sure machine is earthed / grounded.

Make sure fuse or circuit breaker is correct rating for machine. Using fuses or circuit breakers smaller than recommended will result in ‘nuisance’ shut off from welder inrush currents even if welding at low amperages.

Failure to follow these instructions can cause immediate failure within the welder and void machines warranty.

 Turn the input power OFF at the mains switch & fuse box before working on this equipment.

Have a qualified electrician install & service this equipment.

Allow machine to sit for 10 minutes minimum to allow the power capacitors to discharge before working inside this equipment. Do not touch electrically live parts

The TIG201 Inverter TIG Welder requires a 240V 50/60Hz supply. It requires a 16A supply for TIG operation and a 28A supply for MMA welding. It comes with a 3 metre mains cable attached.

Connect wires according to national coding.

Brown wire – Live

Blue wire – Neutral

Green/Yellow Wire – Earth (Ground)

Connecting to a mains electrical supply

THIS MACHINE IS OF AN INDUSTRIAL SPECIFICATION AND MUST BE FITTED TO A 16AMP 240V MAINS INPUT

Connecting to an Engine Driven Generator

If connecting this machine to an engine driven generator please ensure the following

Minimum Generator KVA Output – 6.5 KVA continuous

Generator to be fitted with AVR (automatic voltage regulation)

DO NOT USE ON A GENERATOR WITHOUT AVR

Connecting to a generator without the above minimum requirements will invalidate your warranty.

Connections for TIG201

 Rear machine connections

Fig 1

1. On/Off Switch
    
2. Auxiliary 240V AC output
    For water cooler  – Maximum load 3A – Do not connect to power tools etc
    
3. Fuse Holder
   3A fuse for water cooling socket
    
4. Mains input cable
   Fit required plug as per your electrical installation
    
5. Gas input connector
   Connect input gas hose ensuring connection is tight
    
6. Earth for chassis
   If experiencing localized interference when using machine, connect workbench to this point using correct graded earth wire (not normally used)

Connections for TIG (GTAW) Welding

Fig 2

1. Positive power connector +
   Connect the earth lead to by inserting and twisting until tight and the earth clamp to work/bench.
    
2. Gas outlet
   Connect the torch gas hose
    
3. Negative power connector -
   Connect TIG Torch Dinze to power connector by inserting and twisting until tight
    
4. Torch control socket 7-Pin
   Connect torch control plug

To avoid a High Frequency shock keep the TIG torch in good condition and replace if any of the insulation is damaged.

Connect the gas input hose to gas regulator and use ‘Pure Argon’ Gas, available from local suppliers. Set gas flow/pressure to 8-12 LPM.

Make sure gas bottle is secured to avoid injury.

Remote Foot Pedal connection.

Disconnect TIG Torch switch plug from torch control socket (Fig2.4) and connect plug from foot pedal. 

Connections for STICK MMA (SMAW) Welding

Fig 3

1. Positive power connector +
   Connect the electrode holder by inserting and twisting until tight
    
2. Negative power connector -
   Connect the earth lead to by inserting and twisting until tight and the earth clamp to work/bench

Controls and Settings

Fig 4

1. Base current control
   This adjusts the main welding current and is shown in L.E.D (Fig 4.11)
    
2. Pulse peak current adjustment
   This sets pulse amperage and must be set above the base (main) current amperage. If set to zero pulse welding is disabled.
    
3. Pulse frequency adjustment
    This sets how often pulse will occur 0.5 – 25hz
    
4. Up slope
   Adjustment 0-10 seconds. The main welding current raises from minimum amperage to main current selected in time selected when weld started
    
5. Pulse width
   Pulse width adjustment – This sets length of pulse 0.1 – 0.9 seconds
    
6. Down slope
   Down-Slope adjustment 0-10 seconds. The main welding current decreases from main amperage to minimum amperage in time selected when weld finished
    
7. AC – DC Selector switch
   This switch selects either DC for welding steels or AC for welding alloys
   DO NOT SWITCH WHEN WELDING AS DAMAGE TO MACHINE CAN OCCUR.
    
8. 2/4 Way selector switch
   2/4 Step trigger mode switch – TIG welding can either be done in 2 or 4 step mode.
   When the trigger mode is in the 2 step position the following sequence will occur
   
   
   
   Press and hold the TIG torch switch to start sequence.
   
   The machine will open gas valve to start flow of shield gas, after a 0.5 seconds pre-flow time to purge air from torch hose the welding output of machine will be turned on and the arc will be started. After the arc is started the output current will increase from the start (min) current to base (main) current in time selected by slope-up.
   
   Release the TIG torch switch to end sequence.
   
   The machine will now decrease output to finish (min) current in time set by slope-down, once at finish (min) current the machine will stop output and the gas valve will continue to operate for the selected time (post flow)
   
   Possible variations of this standard sequence are shown in diagram below. It is possible to press and hold TIG torch switch a second time during downslope time to restart. After the switch is pressed the output current will raise to base (main) current
   
   
   
   
   When the trigger mode is in the 4 step position the following sequence will occur
   
   
   Press and hold the TIG torch switch to start sequence.
   
   The machine will open gas valve to start flow of shield gas, after a 0.5 seconds pre-flow time to purge air from torch hose the welding output of machine will be turned on and the arc will be started. After the arc is started the output current will be at start (min) current
   
   This condition can be maintained as long as required.
   
   Release the TIG torch switch to go to step 2
   
   The machine will now increase output to base (main) current in time set by slope-up.
   
   Press and hold the TIG torch switch when main weld is complete
   
   The machine will now decrease the welding output current to finish (min) in down-slope time set. Once at finish (min) output you can release the TIG torch switch to end weld the gas post-flow will continue to run for set time.
    
9. MMA – TIG mode switch
   MMA-TIG mode switch. Switches between TIG (GTAW) & MMA STICK (SMAW) welding
    
10. AC squarewave frequency adjuster
    AC Squarewave frequency adjustment 20-250Hz.
    
    Traditional TIG welders have a fixed frequency of 60Hz, the TIG201 advanced technology allows AC frequency adjustment from 20-250hz, as you turn up the frequency the width of arc from tungsten decreases allowing more control of weld pool and an increase travel speed
    
    The pitch noise of weld will increase when AC frequency is turned up, this is normal.
    
    100 - 120Hz is the ‘sweet spot’ for most AC welding.
     
11. LED Display
    3 digit LED meter is used to display the pre-set (before welding) amperage and actual amperage (when welding).
     
12. Gas post flow adjustment
    Gas post flow adjustment 1 – 25 seconds. The gas keeps flowing after weld has finished, this cools & stops tungsten from getting contaminated.
    Note: Gas pre-flow time is fixed at 0.5 seconds in TIG mode but no pre-flow time will occur if the arc is restarted during post flow time as gas is already flowing.
     
13. AC squarewave balance (SP%)
    SP% AC Squarewave balance control 30% – 70%
    
    Set at 50% this provides balanced control suitable for most AC Welding. 30% is max cleaning and 70% is max penetration.
    
    When welding dirty/contaminated material more cleaning may need to be selected.
    
    Tip. If you are welding close to the tungsten limits, I.E 200amps on a 2.4mm tungsten and the end of tungsten is wobbling and falling off, turning down the SP% will give better tungsten stability
     
14. Arc force (Stick – SMAW only)
    This provides better arc starting when in MMA stick mode, useful when you are welding dirty/rusty material or cold/damp welding electrodes
     

Operating machine

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

WARNING!

ELECTRIC SHOCK CAN KILL

Do not touch electrically live parts or electrode with skin or wet clothing.

Insulate yourself from work and ground

Always wear dry insulating gloves

WARNING!

FUMES AND GASES can be dangerous

Keep your head out of fumes & gases produced from welding.

Use ventilation or exhaust to remove fumes & gases from breathing zone and general area.

WARNING!

WELDING SPARKS can cause fire or explosion

Keep flammable material away from work area.

Do not weld on containers that have held combustibles

WARNING!

ARC RAYS can burn

Wear eye, ear and body protection – Make sure work area is protected by proper shielding to avoid injury to passers by.



Welding in TIG mode – No Pulse – No remote foot pedal

1. Connect the TIG torch and earth lead to machine & work piece.
2. Set the TIG/MMA switch to TIG
3. Select either DC (steel) or AC (alloys)
4. Select 2 or 4 way torch operation
5. Connect Argon gas and set flow to approx 8-12 LPM
6. Set Gas post flow to 10 Seconds
7. Adjust Base current to desired welding current
8. Set Pulse current, width & Freq to minimum setting (pulse off)
9. If welding on AC set AC Frequency to 100hz and SP% to 50
10. Press the TIG torch switch to start welding
     

Welding in TIG mode – with Pulse – No remote foot pedal

1. Connect the TIG Torch to machine, connect earth lead to machine & work piece.
2. Set the TIG/MMA switch to TIG
3. Select either DC (steel) or AC (alloys)
4. Select 2 or 4 way torch operation
5. Connect Argon gas and set flow to approx 8-12 LPM
6. Set Gas post flow to 5 Seconds
7. Adjust Base current to desired welding current.
8. Adjust Pulse current to desired setting
9. Adjust Pulse width to desired setting
10. Adjust Pulse freq. to desired setting
11. If welding on AC set AC Frequency to 100Hz and SP% to 50
12. Press the TIG torch switch to start welding

Notes: When welding with Pulse, the pulse amperage must be set higher than the base amperage.

The LED display will show Pre-set amperage with base and pulse current settings.

The benefits of pulse welding is the ability to control the weld pool and amount of heat absorbed by work resulting in a smaller heat affected zone which results in fewer deformations and reduced chance of cracking.

There are no set rules for pulse welding as this is down to personal choice by the welder.
 

Welding in TIG mode – with Remote foot pedal

1. Connect the TIG Torch to machine, connect earth lead to machine & work piece.
2. Connect remote foot pedal to machine
3. Set the TIG/MMA switch to TIG
4. Select either DC (steel) or AC (alloys)
5. Select 2 way torch operation
6. Connect Argon gas and set flow to approx 8-12 LPM
7. Set Gas post flow to 5 Seconds
8. If welding on AC set AC Frequency to 100Hz and SP% to 50
9. Adjust base current knob to desired maximum welding current that foot pedal will go to
10. Press the foot pedal to start welding.

Note: When welding with remote foot pedal

 Pre-set amperage in LED display will show what the maximum amperage foot pedal will go to (what base amperage control knob is set to), upon welding it will show actual welding amperage.

Upon pressing of foot pedal welding arc will start, if you find it hard to start arc push pedal down a bit further to aid starting.

The benefits of welding with remote foot pedal is greater control of amount of heat going into work especially beneficial on alloys as these absorb the heat much quicker than steel. Press pedal fully to start weld, upon weld pool formation you can slightly release the pedal to decrease amperage to sustain perfect weld pool and increase again as required to sustain weld characteristics.

The foot pedal adjusts from Start (min) current to Max current set on base current knob on front of machine as shown in LED before welding.

Tips for AC Welding

The TIG201 offers two significant advantages over conventional silicon rectifier SCR transformer power sources.

1. The AC square wave balance (SP%) can be set to a higher percentage electrode negative (decrease below 50%) which minimizes tungsten heating and erosion
    
2. The AC square wave frequency can be varied to focus the arc and achieve quicker travel speed
   
   Increasing the AC frequency above 60Hz will narrow the cone shape arc from the tungsten’s tip.
   
   Decreasing the AC frequency below 60Hz will broaden the cone shape arc from tungsten’s tip.

              120 Hz                                                         60 Hz

The two above benefits above can be used to maintain a tight focus of arc for precise heat control & tight joint access. Because of the TIG201 Inverter Technology the following recommendations are made as a starting point.

The other benefits are quicker travel speed the higher the AC frequency, thus increasing output

A 2% thoriated tungsten is recommended instead of pure tungsten normally used for AC welding.

Thoriated tungsten’s emit electrons easier and therefore will improve starting.

Tungsten size / amperage guide

All values below are based on using pure argon shielding gas. Other current values may be employed depending on the shielding gas and application

Welding in STICK MMA (SMAW) Mode

1. Fit MMA electrode holder to machine
2. Fit earth lead to machine and to work piece
3. Select MMA on MMA/TIG switch
4. Select DC or AC (DC is most commonly used)
5. Place electrode in holder
6. Select desired welding base current
7. Select desired Arc Force
8. Strike arc and weld

WARNING!

ELECTRIC SHOCK CAN KILL
When machine is switched to MMA mode, output terminals are always live, take care and do not touch electrode and earth by person at same time, otherwise electric shock will occur.

The foot pedal has no affect on welding current in MMA mode and the gas flow and high frequency starting circuit is disabled.

Maintenance

Routine and periodic maintenance

WARNING!

 ELECTRIC SHOCK CAN KILL

Turn the input power OFF at the mains switch & fuse box before working on this equipment.

Have a qualified electrician install & service this equipment.

Allow machine to sit for 5 minutes minimum to allow the power capacitors to discharge before working inside this equipment.

Do not touch electrically live parts

1. Periodically remove the side/top panels of machine and clean out machine with a low pressure dry air line paying particular attention to PC Boards, Fan blades, HF points
2. Inspect input and output cables & hoses for fraying, cuts & bare spots
3. Keep TIG torch and cables in good condition
4. Clean air vents to ensure proper air flow and cooling
5. The fan motor has sealed bearings which requires no maintenance

Troubleshooting

Service & repair should only be performed by R-Tech welding trained personnel. Unauthorised repairs performed on this welding equipment may result in danger or injury to the technician and machine operator and will invalidate your warranty.

For your safety and to avoid electric shock, please observe all safety notes and precautions detailed throughout this manual

The troubleshooting guide is provided to help you locate possible machine malfunctions

If fault / problem is not listed below check our TIG Welder Support page on our website

www.r-techwelding.co.uk/support.php

or contact R-Tech by phone. Contact details can be found on front of this manual and our website

TIG welding problems

No output  - Power light is not lit
Check machine on/off switch is in the ‘on’ position
Check Input power to machine
Check plug wiring
Check mains trip / fuses

• No output  - Fan runs - Power light is lit
  Check torch connections are secure and torch switch operation, try replacing TIG torch.
  If you have a multi-meter check continuity between pins 1 and 2 on torch switch plug when pressing torch switch
   
• No output - Power light is lit - Warning light is lit
  Welding application may have exceeded recommended duty cycle, allow machine to cool down until the warning light goes out.
   
• No output – Power light is lit – Gas at torch end when trigger pressed
  Check torch condition – possible break in torch power cable – replace torch
   
• Machine keeps overheating - Warning light is lit on machine
  Check if fan is running – if not contact R-Tech for repair
  Check the cooling vents for obstruction, blow out machine with clean dry low pressure air supply.  Check for adequate ventilation around machine
   
• Porosity in weld – No / low gas at torch tip
  Check gas supply from gas bottle
  Check flow rate on regulator
  Check gas hose for restrictions
  Check for draughts in local area, open doors etc
  Replace TIG torch – may have gas restriction
   
• Poor weld penetration
  Check condition of earth lead and clamp and ensure clamp is connection via a clean area on work piece
  Check condition of TIG torch, try other TIG torch
   
• Machine stuck on minimum amps when welding although higher amperage has been set
  Make sure machine has not been set to 4-way operation as when in this mode when you press torch switch you get minimum amps and when you let go of switch machine will go to maximum amps set.
   
• When using foot pedal machine is stuck on minimum amps
  Make sure 2/4 way switch is in 2 way position, the remote foot pedal will not work in the 4-way position, this is for torch switch operation only.
   
• Output current  reduced significantly when AC balance control knob is set near or on max setting or when base current is set near or at max output
  Input power to machine doesn’t have sufficient capacity. Try changing input power to a sufficient supply, refer to installation section
  or. Machine is powered from engine generator. If welding at high currents are required try switching to fixed mains supply
  or. Set AC balance (SP%) to 50 position
   
• Arc ‘Flutters’ when TIG welding
  1. Tungsten electrode may be too large in diameter for the current setting.
  2. Tungsten not sharp when in DC mode
  3. Gas shielding flow may be low or high, check gas flow , reduce tungsten stick out beyond ceramic
  4. Check for leaks in torch & gas hoses
   
• Black areas along weld bead
  1. Clean any oily or organic contamination from the work piece
  2 Tungsten electrode contaminated. Replace or sharpen
  3 Check for leaks or contamination on gas hoses & connections.
  4 Gas flow may be insufficient, Increase gas flow, reduce tungsten stick out from ceramic
   
• Weak HF – Poor arc striking – welding output normal
  1 Check torch and earth connections – is torch cable insulation in good condition.
  2 Check for leaks or contamination on gas hoses & connections.
  3 Gas flow may be insufficient, increase gas flow, reduce tungsten stick out from ceramic
  4 Keep output cables short as possible
  
   
• HF spark is present at the tungsten electrode but unable to start welding arc, Machine has normal welding output
  1 Tungsten may be contaminated - replace or sharpen
  2 The current may be set too low
  3 Tungsten may be to large for process
  4 Gas flow may be insufficient, increase gas flow, reduce tungsten stick out from ceramic
   
• No HF when torch trigger pressed, no blue spark between HF points
  Examine and clean HF points with clean dry low pressure air line
  HF PCB faulty – Contact R-Tech for repairs

MMA Stick welding problems

• Stick electrode ‘blasts off’ when arc is struck
  Welding current set to high, reduce amperage or use thicker electrode
  Contaminated electrodes or material
   
• Electrode sticks in weld puddle
  Welding current is set too low
  Arc is too short, keep electrode further away from work
   
• Excessive splatter
  Too long an arc, keep electrode closer to work
   
• Poor penetration
  Travel speed too fast
  Too much welding current, reduce welding amperage
   
• Porosity in weld
  Electrodes are damp
  Arc too long, get electrode closer to work