Welding Machine Maintenance & Tips

Regular welding machine maintenance is key to ensuring your welder lasts for years; in this post, we will discuss some of the key maintenance activities you can undertake to keep your machine working efficiently and reliably.

The steps are similar whether you have a MIG, TIG, MMA or Plasma Cutting machine. The main step is keeping your machine clean; this could be blowing out the dust, wiping the machine down, keeping it covered or hanging your tools up.

If you use your machine daily, it is essential that you look after your equipment; dust build up both outside and on the inside of the machines is inevitable in any workshop environment – dust, grime, metal particles or oil can build up inside the machine through any ventilation holes. This build-up can affect the wire feeder; the metal particles can come into contact with electrical components and cause a short circuit. These potentially expensive mistakes can be prevented by following these easy steps.

Welding machine maintenance checklist

1. Keep your machine clean:

• Keep covered when not in use; this will prevent debris from entering your machine.
• Clean any spillages up around the machine if/when they occur.
• Blow out at least once per month- use an airline and a clean cloth.
• Purge gas at the end of the day; when you have finished with your machine for the day, turn off the gas bottle and release the gas from your machine and torch – this ensures the life of hoses, fittings and your torch is not shortened. 
• If grinding or using machines which create a lot of dust, ensure that you do it away from your machine inlets or cover your machine (only if not in use).

2. Hang it up:

• Keep your workspace tidy – this is a good habit to prevent injury and protect your equipment from damage.
• Protect your tools by coiling them loosely over the machine or trolley; ensure this is loose to prevent any damage.

3. Inspect your tooling, and look for any damage and any products which need replacing or repair, especially the following:

• Ground lead and clamp – it is easy to forget the importance of a clean connection to the earth; these connections are critical for a perfect weld. Ensure the ground lead and clamp are clean and especially free of any build-up – you may need to use a wire brush or grinder to remove any debris or grease and create a clean spot on your piece of metal or table. Make sure your ground clamp is not corroded or damaged.
• Torches – inspect your torch before use – ensure tips, nozzles, shroud, spatter discs and liners are checked and changed regularly. This will prevent any spatter build-up, so it allows for perfect welds.
• Hoses and fittings – inspect these regularly and check for any cracks, leaks or loose fittings. Don’t forget your mains cables. Make sure you do not pull the machine around using any hoses or cables; most machines have an inbuilt handle or are on a trolley for ease of movement.
• Inside the machine – ensure the correct tension and the feed rollers are clear.

4. Clean or replace your consumables:

• We supply a range of consumables, including welding wire, MMA welding electrodes, TIG filler wire, Tungsten Electrodes, welding magnets and cleaning products.

Major Maintenance

Regular daily maintenance is vital, but you can also undertake further maintenance steps; these are essential to ensure your welder will maintain the high efficiency, reliability and long-term life of your machine you require. Establishing a routine for maintenance is necessary, so you remember to undertake them for the benefit of your device.

We have compiled a rough timeline of when you should undertake extra maintenance.

Extra Maintenance Timeline

• Eight hours – clean off the machine, wipe any debris off, check fluid levels, and blow out the air filter (if installed).
• Fifty hours – clean and tighten weld terminals, check MIG liner & blow out if required, check all cables & lead for damage, and replace if necessary.

Reasons to undertake maintenance

A range of performance issues indicate that you should undertake maintenance on your welding machine; these include the arc becoming erratic, the machine overheating, or your wire feed being uneven. If you spot any of these, you should stop and undertake some of the maintenance activities outlined above. Spending a few minutes per day checking and maintaining your equipment ensures perfect welds, high levels of efficiency and cost savings in the long term.

TEC Products offer a wide range of machines, tools, spares, and consumables on our website; alternatively, call 01845 202 989, and a member of the team will be on hand to help you find what you need.