LOKERMANN GRAND ARC 400 CEL, User Manual, Page: 17 / 24

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TIG Welding Parameters for Steel
Base Metal
Thickness
DC Current
Electrode
Diameter
Filler Rod
Diameter
Argon Gas
Flow Rate Mild Steel Stainless Steel
1.0mm 40-50 25-35 1.0mm 1.6mm 5LPM
1.6mm 70-90 50-70 1.6mm 1.6mm 7LPM
3.2mm 90-115 90-110 1.6mm 2.4mm 7LPM
3.3.4 DC TIG Welding trouble shooting
The following chart addresses some of the common problems of DC TIG welding. In all cases of
equipment malfunction, the manufacturer’s recommendations should be strictly adhered to and
followed.
NO. Trouble Possible Reason Suggested Remedy
1
T ungsten burning
away quickly
Incorrect Gas or No Gas
Use pure Argon. Check cylinder has
gas, connected, turned on and torch
valve is open
Inadequate gas flow
Check the gas is connected, check
hoses, gas valve and torch are not
restricted.
Back cap not fitted correctly
Make sure the torch back cap is
fitted so that the o-ring is inside the
torch body
Torch connected to DC +
Connect the torch to the DC- output
terminal
Incorrect tungsten being used Check and change the tungsten type
if necessary
Tungsten being oxidised after
weld is finished
Keep shielding gas flowing 10–15
seconds after arc stoppage. 1 second
for each 10amps of weld current.
2 Contaminated
tungsten
Touching tungsten into the
weld pool
Keep tungsten from contacting weld
puddle. Raise the torch so that the
tungsten is off of the work piece 2 -
5mm
Touching the filler wire to the
tungsten
Keep the filler wire from touching
the tungsten during welding, feed the
filler wire into the leading edge of
the weld pool in front of the tungsten
3
Porosity - poor
weld appearance
and colour
Wrong gas / poor gas flow
/gas leak
Use pure argon. Gas is connected,
check hoses, gas valve and torch are
not restricted. Set the gas flow
between 6-12 l/min. Check hoses
and fittings for holes, leaks et
Contaminated base metal
Remove moisture and materials like
paint, grease, oil, and dirt from base
metal
Contaminated filler wire
Remove all grease, oil, or moisture
from filler metal
Incorrect filler wire
Check the filler wire and change if
necessary