Hobart Welding Products 187 Troubleshooting − Lack Of Penetration, Troubleshooting − Burn-Through

9-11. Troubleshooting − Lack Of Penetration

			Lack Of Penetration − shallow
			fusion between weld metal and
			base metal.
Lack of Penetration	Good Penetration
			S-0638
Possible Causes			Corrective Actions
Improper joint preparation.		Material too thick. Joint preparation and design must provide access to bottom of groove while
		maintaining proper welding wire extension and arc characteristics.
Improper weld technique.		Maintain normal gun angle of 0 to 15 degrees to achieve maximum penetration.

	Keep arc on leading edge of weld puddle.
	Be sure welding wire extends not more than 1/2 in. (13 mm) beyond nozzle.
Insufficient heat input.	Select higher wire feed speed and/or select higher voltage range.
	Reduce travel speed.
Incorrect polarity.	Check polarity required by welding wire, and change to correct polarity at welding power source.

9-12. Troubleshooting − Incomplete Fusion

	Incomplete Fusion − failure of weld metal to fuse completely with
	base metal or a preceeding weld bead.
	S-0637
Possible Causes	Corrective Actions
Workpiece dirty.	Remove all grease, oil, moisture, rust, paint, undercoating, and dirt from work surface before
	welding.
Insufficient heat input.	Select higher voltage range and/or adjust wire feed speed.
Improper welding technique.	Place stringer bead in proper location(s) at joint during welding.
	Adjust work angle or widen groove to access bottom during welding.
	Momentarily hold arc on groove side walls when using weaving technique.
	Keep arc on leading edge of weld puddle.
	Use correct gun angle of 0 to 15 degrees.

9-13. Troubleshooting − Burn-Through

Burn-Through − weld metal melting completely through base metal resulting in holes where no metal remains.

S-0640

Possible Causes	Corrective Actions
Excessive heat input.	Select lower voltage range and reduce wire feed speed.
	Increase and/or maintain steady travel speed.
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