power surge?

[big miggy]

Hello all, just joined- have spent some time on here before reading and learning

I have a question about using a plasma cutter and a mig welder at the same time........

Not that I am capable of doing both simultaneously myself of course. Last week i was welding in support braces before removing an old inner wheel arch when my assistant lifted the plasma cutter and decided to start cutting....

The welder died......

Traced the problem to the pcb, new one ordered.

My question is - was this damage caused by a power surge from the plasma to the welder? And is there any way of having a fail safe to avoid future mishaps?

Cheers

Michael

 

[chunkolini]

I have a vague memory or reading about High Frequency starts on Plasma Cutters and tig welders being able to cause this kind of thing. Something for me to think about as I often have people sharing my workshop.
Somebody with more knowledge will come along and explain in more depth.
Watching this thread.
Chunko'.

 

[pedrobedro]

Was he cutting the same piece as you were welding ? I can imagine that that would cause feedback.

 

[madkayaker]

If the earth was good for the welder and Cutter then the HF should have circulated properly and not been an issues but if the earths were not good then it's possible. HF can do strange things! Best thing is to only do one process at a time I think

 

[chunkolini]

I have a dim memory of reading somewhere about HF tracking backing up leads and frying things like angle grinders, something to do with poor earthing and current needing somewhere to go.
Like I said dim memories.
But yes from now on one process at a time.

 

[big miggy]

Ohhhh I'll definitely only doing one at a time from now on......

I was just interested in why it happened, hope the new pcb sorts the welder out.

On a side note, very impressed with the ease which SIP sorted me out with the part for a 29 year old welder......

 

[SiPMerlin150]

I have a small shed area for my welding use.. and one welding table, and was a little worried about leaving each of my two welder's earth clamps connected whilst one is not in use and the other is....

I'm no electrician but I thought I'd best not do that, for example,

Mig welder - 16v-32v positive earth,
Arc welder - 50v OCV AC

My mig has a lower working ocv, and has pcb and other goodies (rectifier) etc that could be fried with the arc welders higher ocv....

So I play it safe and connect/reconnect earth clamps as and when needed.

I'm paranoid like that, even though the combined cost of both of my welders tot up to the grand sum of £110

 

[dannyp]

plasma has a working voltage of about 100V so has potential to do more damage than stick welder

but saying that at work i've had both clamed to same sheet even been welding while another guy is cutting without issues but that is with industrial kit so bit diffrent.

i'm allways weary of the HF from the tig tho thats ****ed up a few things

 

[big miggy]

"even though the combined cost of both of my welders tot up to the grand sum of £110"

It's the value more than the price isn't it

I've been without my welder now since friday and it feels like I've lost a limb!



So- is there any way of protecting against these HF surges?

I've always used the welder, then the plasma, then the welder and so on, both turned on and earthed to the work piece. Never had a problem that way, but now you all have me worried! lol

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Only cheap units, but the value of the practice They have gave me is priceless. I hammer them too, I burned through a roll of mig wire in 3 afternoons worth of 'playing' as my missus calls it