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Straight answers to the questions people ask most when choosing and using professional industrial DC TIG welding machines.
Industrial DC TIG machines are used where weld quality and repeatability matter: stainless steel pipework, pressure vessels, food and pharmaceutical plant, power and process industries, and precision steel or nickel alloy fabrication. They are made for long working days at high current.Because they only supply direct current, they are not for aluminium. If you need to weld aluminium as well, you want an AC/DC machine. For steel, stainless, copper alloys and titanium, DC gives a stable, focused arc.
Look at the thickest material and the weld types you do, then choose a machine with some headroom above that. A machine working near its limit runs hotter and less efficiently than one with spare capacity.Check the duty cycle at your working current. A high headline figure may only apply for a short proportion of each ten minutes, so consider how long your welds actually run without a break. Our team can help you compare if you describe your jobs.
Gas-cooled torches suit shorter welds and moderate current. At higher currents, or in continuous or automated welding, the torch handle and head heat up faster than the gas can cool them, and it becomes uncomfortable and then damaging to the torch.Water cooling carries heat away through a coolant circuit and a separate cooling unit. It also lets a torch be smaller and lighter for a given current. If your torch gets too hot to hold, or you must stop often to let it cool, move to water cooling.
At higher output the machine draws a lot of current. Three-phase supplies allow this power to be shared across three lines, which gives a stable supply and avoids overloading a single line.Check the data plate for the supply, fuse and cable sizes, and have a qualified electrician carry out the connection and confirm the supply is adequate. Do not run a machine from a supply that does not match its rating, and use cable of the correct rating for any extensions.
Cleanliness is key. Degrease the joint, use clean stainless tools, and avoid tools that have been used on carbon steel. Control heat input and keep gas coverage steady, with a post-flow long enough to protect the cooling weld.For pipe and tube you usually also need a purge of the inside, so the root side does not oxidise. A light straw colour is generally accepted, but heavy blue or grey indicates too much heat or poor shielding. Requirements are set by the job specification.
Up-slope raises the current gradually when you start so the puddle forms smoothly instead of a sudden burst. Down-slope lowers it gradually at the end, which helps prevent a crater, a hollow with a risk of cracking where the arc stops.Crater fill or final current gives a low setting at the end of the weld to fill the crater. These controls matter on thicker work, stainless and anything that will be inspected. Use a pedal or torch control for the same effect by hand.