Chinese Plasma Cutters Safety Warning!

[irondarren]

Peter i reckon the best bet is BBC or ITV news, and point out that peoples lives could be in danger, someone will get injured by them and the worst thing is, i bet its a child, as some proud parent tries to teach there child to plasma cut or TIG weld. It would be the most awful news to hear a child had been injured because someone was more interested in profit than safety


Peter it should have been supplied with a certificate of CE etc

 

[shiftyseamus]

Let me know how you get on with the handlebar grip.

Seamus

 

[oddball90]

Would also put some tie wraps on the grip to keep it in place. Seriously i would think about trying to get your money back, as that is not fit for use.

 

[irondarren]

Weldequip or anyone that has bought a portamig, I assume with the portamig instructions (normally in the back pages) there is a certificate of CE compliance and every other certification that it applies to? Was looking for the one that came with my IFL unit but cant find it, just thought it might be worth copying and post a copy for everyone to see what they are supposed to get

 

[Wozzaaah]

Just google 'CE certificate' and choose google images, loads of different styles but gives you an idea of what you should have.

 

[weldequip]

Just google 'CE certificate' and choose google images, loads of different styles but gives you an idea of what you should have.

And an idea of just how easy they are to copy!
The onus is not really on eBay, more the dealer selling the product. Just been on Trading Standards website but I think I'll have to call them in the morning; eBay waste of space, unless I pose as a Law Enforcement Officer!
weldequip

 

[MrFluffy]

Peter i reckon the best bet is BBC or ITV news, and point out that peoples lives could be in danger, someone will get injured by them and the worst thing is, i bet its a child, as some proud parent tries to teach there child to plasma cut or TIG weld. It would be the most awful news to hear a child had been injured because someone was more interested in profit than safety

Would that be the proud parent that would be teaching their child (and we're talking tinkering kids that dont keep their fingers to themselves) a dangerous process that involves potential arc eyesight damage, severe burns and molten metal dripping off the cutting area.
Im not for or against these things and have no vested interest, but that is one of the more far out "but who will think of the children" statements Ive read.

 

[Wozzaaah]

And an idea of just how easy they are to copy!
The onus is not really on eBay, more the dealer selling the product. Just been on Trading Standards website but I think I'll have to call them in the morning; eBay waste of space, unless I pose as a Law Enforcement Officer!
weldequip

The trouble is Steve, anything like that is easy to forge, especially as there seems to be no proper format for them. Like Darren says, it's usually at the back of the manual printed on the same paper, no watermarks, no hologram, nothing. Let's face it, who would question it's authenticity? I certainly wouldn't, if the machine is CE marked and has 'the certificate' I'd assume it was legit. It's a real

 

[irondarren]

Thing is this must really hack some of the quality chinese makers off, Alex says greenbird and mitech stuff is good and i will take his word for it. So those two companies go down the full legal route get all there gear certified to all the required regs, start selling it over here cheaply aimed at the DIY market, along comes someone else sod the certs and start flogging over here undercutting them. Then there is a major question over safety and greenbird and mitech get tared with the brush cheap chinese dangerous rubbish.
In the short term its killing the quality makers but in the long term it could end up that no one who values there lives trusts chinese electric stuff again.

 

[weldequip]

I would sling them all back now, before somebody is seriously hurt!
Plasma torches use high voltage. The voltage needed at the torch head itself to actually sustain the plasma arc is only 50 to 60 volts, but the open circuit voltage needed to initiate the arc can be up to 400 volts DC = lethal!!!!!!!!!!
This is why the things are being withdrawn; Plasma torches should be hard wired or on a central, euro type socket so there is absoloutely no risk of any exposure to that high voltage.
You are playing with fire! and for the sake of a few hundred quid I would bin the things (in bits so no other sucker can use it!)
weldequip

 

[Wozzaaah]

In the short term its killing the quality makers but in the long term it could end up that no one who values there lives trusts chinese electric stuff again.

Voila! European manufacturing get's a boost and all the China bashing posts stop!

 

[Drains]

Voila! European manufacturing get's a boost and all the China bashing posts stop!

Yes, Please!!! This forum only has one topic.... play another bloody record lads!

 

[weldequip]

What about the threat from India?
weldequip

 

[Drains]

What about the threat from India?
weldequip

I know, quite right Steve! - that vindaloo's gonna take over! Watch yer ar5e!

 

[Welderpaul]

Just been browsing my usual metalwork categories on ****ebay. At one time there used to be some decent stuff on there - whether new or second hand. I would say the stuff on there is now 95% cheap ****e that aint gonna last 2 minutes. Whether it's Chinese or whatever - it's just crap.

 

[weldequip]

I don't think the Indians dare flooding the UK with cheap manufactured goods cause we are the largest foreign consumer of their curries!
weldequip

 

[rusty69bus]

my play on this is 'a diy chain' opened up locally selling cheap tat In the short term it stuffed the small local hardware store but in the long term we all ended up shafted as no one stocked all the little extra's

 

[MrFluffy]

so there is absoloutely no risk of any exposure to that high voltage.

Weldequip, can you tell me how the more expensive quality units completely eliminate that risk, given that people have already posted that they have got a hf shock off the torch head itself when using quality units. Don't ALL units incorporating hf start carry some risk of a hf shock from the torch itself?

Can you also comment on exactly how long the duration of the 400v pulse is? I was under the impression that the duration is milliseconds. Would it still be lethal?
Could you not get exactly the same shock from the torch itself if you fired it up in normal use, even off a quality make?

This is my final comment on the issue. I suspect the FUD that follows will serve its purpose.

 

[lexi]

Yes they do. They have finally bowed to consumer pressure & import a range of Inverters. This is after trawling all the factories in the Far East and selecting which they regarded as the best.... even then, they have done a considerable amount of their own design re-work & in house mods. They have been very particular in ensuring all relevant safety standards/legislation is met & each machine undergoes a thorough internal/external QC/Weld test before dispatch. Whatsmore, they back them with a 2 year warranty & guarantee parts & service availability for a minimum of 10 years after sale. You won't get that on fleaBay
weldequip

Ah Right. well nowt wrong with that.Many quality British Hi fi companies did the same 20 yrs ago when they bought Jap cd players. Meridian and also Linn. Nowt new under the Sun.

They aint bowed to pressure Steve ..............it`s a way of makin a few quid surely.The fact is they cannot make the Mitec type stuff.........they aint set up to do it economically.

Alex

 

[weldequip]

You can't compare high-end British Hi-Fi with the Chinese/Jap stuff Alex... it's the best in the world is it not? They went down the exact opposite route & decided "We can't compete on price with the bottom end of the market, so we'll aim at the very top of the market & supply the best available".
There's always amazing amounts of money prepared to pay for "the best"... snob value n all that.
weldequip