AGRU SP 315-S, User Manual

Page: 19 / 26

Version April 2008
EN
19 agru SP 315-S User’s Manual
4.6.2 Checking Pipe Alignment
When the pipe butts are level to satisfaction, it has to be checked if the
pipes align properly to each other or if there is an offset. Similarly as for
facing, the touchscreen tells the welder that this is the next step, and the
carriage can be closed in on the other pipe by the “Start” button. When the
pipe butts are next to each other, two additional buttons appear besides
“Cancel”: the “Face Ends” button and the “Alignment Ok” button.
If the pipes align properly, confirm by touching the “Alignment Ok” button,
and to start the welding process, the machine will tell you to move the
carriage apart and to close the pipe butts at the far end from the heating
element with caps; confirm this by “Ok.” Without end caps, the tempera-
ture difference between the welded and the open pipe butt may cause a
suction effect to form, which would then cool the bead, thereby negatively
affecting the quality of the welded joint.
A small offset between the pipes can be readjusted using the adjustment
set screws located at the front of the machine. If the alignment offset is
too large, or if there is too large or too uneven a distance between the
pipe butts, touch the “Face Ends” button to re-adjust the pipes in the
clamps and start the facing process again. In both cases, the machine
moves the carriages apart to allow for inserting either the heating mirror
or the facing tool.
4.6.3 Pre-heating the Pipe Butts and Inserting the Heating Element
When pipe alignment was checked, the machine tells the welder first to
reposition the facing tool and heating element assembly to the right. As all
actions before, this one has to be confirmed
in two-hand mode: touching the appropriate
button on the touchscreen and holding down
the confirmation push button on the front of
the machine. When the facing/heating as-
sembly is in the ready-to-heat position, the
machine shows the display asking the welder
to insert the heating plate (see Display 12).
Then, the welder can either start the stan-
dard welding process that will first launch
the heat-soaking phase, or – by pressing the
“Pre-Heat” button – can pre-heat the pipe
butts before the welding process proper. If
he touches the Pre-Heat button, he has to
decide in the next screen whether the left-
hand side, the right-hand side, or both pipe
butts are pre-heated. Touching “Cancel” will
return the machine to the previous screen.
Info
If in the control software, the pre-
heating time is set to 0 seconds,
the machine will skip to the heat-
soaking phase of the regular weld-
ing in all cases.
Important
Using the pre-heating feature is
acceptable only for welding fittings
of traditional materials or fittings
to fittings; pre-heating is designed
to be used only when the fitting is
securely fastened.
Display 12
agru SP 315-S 26.04.08 15:02 0133/0018
Insert Heating Element
Start Cancel Pre-Heat
Display 13
agru SP 315-S 26.04.08 15:02 0133/0018
Select Component to Pre-Heat
Cancel Both sides
Right
side
Left
side