Everlast Power i-MIG 353DPi, Operator'S Manual

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Section 2 Setup Guide
Welding Functions on Panel Explained
1. Pre - Flow Timer. To improve weld quality before the weld begins and to reduce porosity, shielding gas Pre - Flow has been provided. This is
especially important in Pulse - MIG welding. Pre - Flow is the length of time that shielding gas flows before arc initiation after the gun trigger
is pressed. The Pre - Flow provides a blanket of shielding gas to surround and enclose the weld area so that the wire does has a lesser
chance of oxidizing and creating porosity due to the presence of oxygen in the weld at the time of arc initiation.
2. Hot Start. Hot Start creates an initial higher “ surge ” of volts and amps at the beginning of a weld. This is designed to help reduce porosity
and lack of fusion at the start. In special circumstances, it also can be used to set a lower, cooler start if needed to prevent burn - through.
Aluminum is especially prone to lack of fusion at the start of the weld. The Hot Start feature is only available in Single Pulse MIG or Double
Pulse MIG modes and can only be selected and adjusted in the 4T Special mode. Any other combination will deny access to this feature.
Changing to 2T or 4T will cause the unit to deny the use of Hot Start even if originally set in 4T Special mode and is in a Pulse MIG mode.
3. Inductance. Inductance varies the current rise time during MIG welding. This affects the actual point where the current potential has risen
sufficiently to burn back the wire after pinching off and depositing in the puddle. The point at which it has burned back is considered the
“ pinch point. ” This is where the wire will begin to once again melt and transfer. To put it in more practical terms, the user will see that the
wire is sticking out longer or shorter from the MIG torch before it burns away, depending upon the exact setting. This controls spatter,
penetration and bead profile. When the arc force knob is rotated from one extreme to the other, the operator will observe that the arc is
more stiff with a shorter arc length toward the high end (towards 10) or more fluid at the low end (towards 1). Bead profile changes will
occur as well. A stiffer arc will produce a deeper but more narrow profile. A fluid arc will produce a wider, shallower weld, usually with an
improved bead appearance and less spatter. If long arc length, especially while welding Aluminum, is encountered and becomes a prob-
lem, increase arc length towards the high end. Arc force control is also known as inductance control, slope or wave form control (MIG).
By changing the level of inductance, the user can fine tune the arc performance so the welder responds in a manner that the user is accus-
tomed to with other brands of machines. The arc sound will also change as the arc force is adjusted, going from a relatively high pitched
whine to a frying sizzle. The value of this function cannot be overstated for controlling the arc characteristics of the weld, especially in Pulse
MIG mode. The key to using this feature successfully and getting the most out of it is to set this after Amps and Volts/Off - set (Trim) func-
tions have been adjusted and tested. This feature is also used to fine - tune results when custom blends or non - standard gas mixes are
used.
4. Peak Double - Pulse MIG Value/Stick Arc Force Control. This LED represents an entirely different function for the Synergic Double - Pulse
MIG and Stick welding modes. For operation in Double - Pulse (often referred to as Pulse - on - Pulse) MIG mode: This feature is actually
available for selection in Double - Pulse Mode. The Double - Pulse mode is composed of two “ layers ” of Single - Pulse and divides it up into
half - stages: High and Low. In each stage, the Amps and Voltage Offset (Trim) can be adjusted just as in single pulse. The “ Peak ” or rather
“ High Stage ” value of the Pulse is represented by this LED. All adjustments are made as in Single Pulse mode. However, it should be kept
in mind that this part of the Double Pulse is the “ Hot ” stage that provides the Penetration and more rapid melting of the base metal. This
portion of the pulse should be set with higher settings than the base part (represented by the Welding LED) of the Pulse or results will not
be satisfactory. This LED is not accessible in Single Pulse Mode. For more information, see the Pulse MIG section. For operation in Stick
mode: The LED in the stick mode represents the Stick Arc Force. It is used to automatically vary the automatic arc response while welding.
While stick welding, the arc force counter acts the drop in voltage experienced when the arc length is too short and falls below 20 volts.
The amps are automatically increased to offset the loss of voltage to maintain the welding arc and prevent the rod from going out and stick-
ing. It can also be used to help increase penetration by the operator “ pushing into the puddle ” when more heat is needed. The arc force
amperage “ boost ” is represented as a percent over set amperage that the amperage can be increased. Too much arc force while stick weld-
ing can cause burn through an violent spatter. A low setting of 2 to 3 can be helpful with rods such as E7018, 7014, and 6013. E6011
benefits from a higher setting.. Pulse Time - On. The Pulse Time - On function represented by this LED, is used to control the balance of the
“ Peak ” (#4) to “ Base ” (#) time of the Double - Pulse. The Double - Pulse is separated into two layers of Single - Pulse action. The Pulse Time -
On adjustment is used to skew the amount of time that each Single - Pulse layer stays “ on ” during a single, complete cycle of the Double -
Pulse. Obviously, this can be a little confusing to novice users. In an effort to understand this function, imagine that a “ balanced ” setting
between the 2 stages (high and low stages) represents a 50/50 setting. This means the stages are equal to each other in time length. Each
stage stays “ on ” for the exact same amount of time as the other stage during one full cycle of the Double - Pulse. In other words, the two
stages when added together, form one complete cycle of the Double - Pulse, when put together. The Peak stage of the Double - Pulse will
remain on as long as the Base stage of the Double - Pulse at this setting. However, on this welder, instead of representing the value of the
Pulse Time - On as 50/50, the pulse value is actually represented on the machine at 50%. Now, the 50% value represents how long the
“ Peak ” Pulse stage stays on in relation to the “ Base ” Pulse stage. This means that a setting of 25% would mean that the “ Peak ” Pulse stage
would stay on 25% of the time during one Double - Pulse cycle. This would also mean that the “ Base ” stage of the Pulse would take up the
remaining 75% of time left in one cycle of the Pulse. The range of value is 10 to 90%. Starting at 90%, and adjusting downward will in-
crease the separation of the puddle and allow greater freezing action to occur. Also, note that the lower that you set the Pulse time - on the
greater separation you will get in the finished puddle, and the greater control you will have. However, as you gradually lower the Pulse
Time - On settings, forward travel speed during the weld will be reduced slightly as time the “ Hot ” stage is reduced and more “ cooling ” stage
is introduced. When setting up the unit, the best results will often be obtained from 25 to 75% Pulse Time - On. Though this is not abso-
lute, 50% is a good starting point.
5. Pulse Time - On. The Pulse Time - On function represented by this LED, is used to control the balance of the “ Peak ” (#4) to “ Base ” (#) time
of the Double - Pulse. The Double - Pulse is separated into two layers of Single - Pulse action. The Pulse Time - On adjustment is used to skew
the amount of time that each Single - Pulse layer stays “ on ” during a single, complete cycle of the Double - Pulse. Obviously, this can be a
little confusing to novice users. In an effort to understand this function, imagine that a “ balanced ” setting between the 2 stages (high and
low stages) represents a 50/50 setting. This means the stages are equal to each other in time length. Each stage stays “ on ” for the exact
same amount of time as the other stage during one full cycle of the Double - Pulse. In other words, the two stages when added together,
form one complete cycle of the Double - Pulse, when combined. Continued on next page.