Welding Maintenance Tips

One of the most important and simplest ways to create strong welds is to properly maintain your welding equipment. This article is exploring welding maintenance tips that will help the metal welding professional understand and organize how to ensure optimum utilization of their welding equipment and environment

Welding is a fabrication process that joins metals, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing fusion.

Metals can be joined by several techniques with the application of welding. In all these techniques, the energy is converted into a heat from which ultimately results in the melting of alloy or metal. In the melted form, it is easy to join metal with other metal or alloy with the help of a welding machine.

Welding machines or welders are among the most essential tools for a welding professional. Welding machines generate heat that melts metal parts, so that these parts can be joined.

Choosing the right welding machine

Choosing the right welding machine depends on the type of job you want to do, and this requires taking into account a number of important considerations:

I. Quality of the Weld

 For performing precision work with a high quality weld you would want to choose a TIG welder. If you need to create a strong weld between rusty or dirty metals, you might consider a stick or flux-cored welding machine.

II. Welding conditions:

Rough outdoor conditions, such as wind, require a stick or flux-cored welder. This may occur at construction sites or shipyards.

III. Metal thickness: 

While you can use stick welding machines for thick metals, thin materials call for MIG or TIG welders.

IV. Metal types:

TIG welders work well with all metals or alloys, except for cast iron. MIG welding is ideal for steel, stainless steel, and aluminum alloys. Stick welders work best on steel, stainless steel, and cast iron.

V. Basic or Complex Machine: 

If you just started welding training and the welding job is simple, a basic machine like a small MIG welder would suffice. If you are advanced and the welding job requires more power, you may want to get a high-tech TIG welder.

VI.  AC/DC power source: 

Steel and stainless steel are typically welded with a DC output. Aluminum and magnesium are best welded with an AC output. Should you weld a variety of materials, choose a combination AC/DC welding machine.

VII. Portable welding:

If the power source will be moved, you need a portable welder that works with either an inverter or that is engine-driven.

WAYS TO MAINTAIN A WELDING MACHINE

Taking care of your welder does not require a great deal of effort, and it can save you significant time and money in the long run, both in equipment longevity in weld quality and performance. Proper machine maintenance will help you to avoid some common welding errors and help you avoid paying for costly repairs on improperly maintained or neglected equipment.

Adhere to Specification:

The most basic way to maintain your welding equipment is to use it within its specifications. A duty cycle will keep you from pushing your welding beyond its limits for a 10 minutes period. You can keep track of this by selecting projects that won’t push your welder too far beyond its limits. In this case, make sure you buy the right welder for your projects.

Protect Your Machine from Dust:

This is very important for the long-term durability of your welding machine. At intervals, take off the covers of your welding machine and blow compressed air into the units in order to remove all dust and debris from the mechanical parts of the machine. It is also a good idea to use a cover for your welding machine and to do all of your grinding far enough away from your machine so that nothing gets sucked into the welder while it is operating.

Clean Your Welding Machine:

The parts of your welding machine need grease to be redistributed or a new application of grease. Sometimes new parts or compressed air will get the job done.

Establish a Routine Maintenance Schedule:

One of the best things you can do for your welding equipment is to establish a routine maintenance schedule. Some shops have procedures for each week, month, and year that keep their machines running in top condition without the risk of burning them out. It’s not uncommon for welding shops to have their equipment serviced professionally once a year, but that schedule is something you’ll need to set up based on your own usage.

Replace Bad Parts:

Certain parts of your welding equipment may need to be replaced sometimes, such as the brushes inside of a wire feeder, the tips or nozzles also need to be replaced frequently. Depending on how often you use your machine, you will have to replace the liner in order to keep the wire feeding smoothly.

If you are not sure what type of welding machine you should purchase, then its highly recommended you contact us at GZ Industrial Supplies Nigeria for an informative guide for both procurement and maintenance.