Troubleshooting

The problems and the possible causes listed are not definitive, but suggest some typical situations that may turn up during normal use of the welding system. For further information and assistance, contact your nearest Kemppi service workshop.

General:

The welding system does not power up

• Check that the mains cable is plugged in properly.
• Check that the mains switch of the power source is at the ON position.
• Check that the mains power distribution is on.
• Check the mains fuse and/or the circuit breaker.
• Check that the earth return cable is connected.

The welding system stops working

• The gun may have overheated. Wait for it to cool down.
• Check that none of the cables is loose.
• The wire feeder may have overheated. Wait for it to cool down and see that the welding current cable is properly attached.
• The power source may have overheated. Wait for it to cool down and see that the cooling fans work properly and the air flow is unobstructed.

Wire feeder:

The filler wire on the spool unravels

• Check that the spool locking cover is closed.

The wire feeder does not feed the filler wire

• Check that the filler wire has not run out.
• Check that the filler wire is properly routed through the feed rolls to the wire liner.
• Check that the pressure handle is properly closed.
• Check that the feed roll pressure is adjusted correctly for the filler wire.
• Blow compressed air through the wire liner to check that it is not blocked.

Welding gun:

The wire burns into the contact tip

• Make sure the size and type of the current tip and liner are suitable for the filler wire.
• Make sure the wire liner is clean.
• Make sure the wire liner does not make any steep loops.
• Check the motor current level. If the current is too high, there may be problems in the wire liner.
• Check the tightness of the feeding rolls. Too tight feeding rolls may affect soft filler wires, such as aluminium and flux-cored wires.

The gun overheats

• Make sure the gun's neck is correctly connected to the handle: push the neck deep enough and check that the neck tightener is properly tightened.
• Make sure that the contact tip adapter is properly hand-tightened and the contact tip properly attached to it.
• Make sure that the welding parameters are within the range of the welding gun and the neck. The gun and the neck have separate limits for the maximum current; the lower one of these is the maximum current that can be used.

The gun neck overheats

• Make sure you are using original Kemppi consumable and spare parts. Incorrect spare part materials may cause the overheating of the neck.

The welding gun connector overheats

• Make sure the connector is properly connected to the wire feeder.
• Make sure the current transfer surface and the connector pins of the gun connector are clean and undamaged.

The gun vibrates too much during welding

• Check the tightness of the contact tip adapter and contact tip.
• Check the motor current.
• Check the wire liner (e.g. for dirt and to ensure that the wire liner has been cut properly).
• Check the filler wire. It must be straight and start coiling when it comes out from the contact tip. If not, check the tightness of the feeding rolls.
• Check the filler wire batch for any quality issues with the wire.

Weld quality:

Dirty and/or poor weld quality

• Check that the shielding gas has not run out.
• Check that the shielding gas flow is unobstructed.
• Check that the gas type is correct for the application.
• Check the polarity of the gun/electrode.
• Check that the welding procedure is correct for the application.

Varying welding performance

• Check that the wire feed mechanism is adjusted properly.
• Blow compressed air through the wire liner to check that it is not blocked.
• Check that the wire liner is correct for the selected wire size and type.
• Check the welding gun contact tip's size, type and wear.
• Check that the welding gun is not overheating.
• Check that the earth return clamp is properly attached to a clean surface of the workpiece.

High spatter volume

• Check the welding parameter values and welding procedure.
• Check the gas type and flow.
• Check the polarity of the gun/electrode.
• Check that the filler wire is correct for the current application.