S.p.A.
ITEM TE550
Instruction manual
2.13
- TIP-DRESSING
The tip dressing function is the combination, in just one function, of the current linear stepper
function coupled with the restoring of the electrodes original diameter.
The current stepper function allows compensating the electrodes wear which affects the
welding quality. When the electrodes diameter increases also the contact section between the
electrode and the piece to be welded increases. Consequently, the welding current density
(Ampere/mm
2
) decreases. In order to compensate this phenomenon, the current adjustment
is gradually increased according to the electrodes diameter increase so to keep a constant
current density.
The restoring of the electrodes original diameter is an operation which is usually carried out
by means of a tool (dresser) allowing restoring the electrodes diameter, which worn out and
increased during the production, to its initial working value.
If the same current adjustment is kept all along the electrodes life or if the electrodes diameter
is never restored to its optimal value, the last carried out welding spots will have a lower
quality than the first ones.
Usually, the tip dressing function allows interfacing the welding control unit with the dresser
and may be used with automated equipment.
Once it is programmed, the current stepper is applied to all the used welding programs.
This menu allows programming the tip-dressing number to be carried out during the
electrodes life.
TIP-DRESSING
>DRESSING NUMBER 02
SPOT DRESSING 003
DRESSING STEPS 07
%
This function is displayed only if the expansion (optional) board item 50200 is installed
on the control unit.
Before switching the TE550 control unit on with the 50200 supplementary
expansion board, check that the ELECTRODES END LIFE CLEAR inlet
(Pin 52) is disabled.
Otherwise, the 50200 board is not recognized by the control unit.
By enabling this function, the
STEPPER MENU
programming is disabled.
The parameters to be programmed for using the tip-dressing function are the following ones:
PARAMETER
PARAMETER DESCRIPTION
VALUE RANGE
DRESSING NUMBER
Number of tip-dressing to be carried out
00 – 99
SPOT DRESSING
Number of welding spots per tip-dressing
001 – 650
DRESSING STEPS
Stepper percentage per tip-dressing
01 – 50%
DRESSING ALARM
Notice welding spots number
00 – 40
ELECTRODES ALARM
Pre-alarm electrodes
01 – 40
DRESSING OFFSET
Tip-dressing current compensation
00 – 30%
Each time a value relevant to the tip-dressing is modified, the spots counter is cleared
and the tip-dressing is recalculated from the beginning.
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