Thermal Arc 400MSTW CC User manual

A THERMADYNE®Company
INVERTER
ARC
WELDER
MODEL 400MSTW CC/CV
• STICK
•TIG - Lift Start
•MIG - Short Circuit
- Globular
- Spray
OPERATING MANUAL
July 1, 2001 Manual No. 430429-490

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ...................................................2
1.01 Notes, Cautions and Warnings ...............................................2
1.02 Important Safety Precautions .................................................3
1.03 Publications ............................................................................6
1.04 Note, Attention et Avertissemen ............................................7
1.05 Precautions De Securite Importantes .....................................8
1.06 Documents De Reference .....................................................11
1.07 Statement of Warranty .............................................................12
2.0 INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION .............................14
2.01 Description ...........................................................................14
2.02 Functional Block Diagrams .................................................15
2.03 Transporting Methods ..........................................................16
2.04 Electrical Input Connections ................................................16
2.05 Specifications .......................................................................19
2.06 Duty Cycle ...........................................................................20
3.0 OPERATOR CONTROLS .....................................................21
3.01 400MSTW Front & Rear Panels ..........................................21
3.02 Setup for Operation ..............................................................23
3.02.1 Selection of Welding Mode ...........................................23
3.02.2 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) .........................25
3.02.3 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) Lift Start .............28
3.02.4 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) Scratch Start .......33
3.02.5 Carbon Arc Cutting (CAC) ...........................................38
3.02.6 Gas Metal Arc Welding (GTAW) ..................................40
3.02.7 Shutdown Operation ......................................................43
3.02.8 Electrode Selection Guide .............................................44
3.02.9 Welding Cable Selection Guide ....................................44
4.0 SAVE/LOAD OPERATION ...................................................45
4.01 Outline ......................................................................…..........45
4.02 SAVE Operation ......................................................................46
4.03 LOAD Operation .....................................................................47
4.04 SAVE/LOAD Data ..................................................................48
4.05 Initial Parameter Settings ........................................................50

5.0 BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING .............................................51
5.01 Common Welding Operation Faults .......................................51
5.02 Specific Problems ................................................................51
5.03 Error Code List ....................................................................54
6.0 PARTS LIST ............................................................................55
APPENDIX A – REMOTE 14-Pin CONNECTIONS ................59
APPENDIX B - ACCESORIES ....................................................60
APPENDIX C - INTERCONNECTION DIAGRAMS ..............61

MANUAL 430429-490 1 GENERAL
WARNING Read and understand this entire Operating Manual and your employer's safety
practices before installing, operating, or servicing the equipment.
WARNING While the information contained in this Operating Manual represents
our best judgement, Thermal Arc INC. assumes no
liability for its use.
Thermal Arc Models 400MSTW CC/CV Welder
Operating Manual Number 430429-490
Published by:
Thermal Arc INC.
2200 CORPORATE DRIVE
TROY, OHIO 45373-1085, USA
[phone]
Copyright 2001 by
Thermal Arc INC.
All rights reserved.
Reproduction of this work, in whole or in part, without written
permission of the publisher is prohibited.
The publisher does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any
party for any loss or damage caused by any error or omission in this
Operating Manual, whether such error results from negligence,
accident, or any other cause.
Printed in the United States of America
July 1, 2001

GENERAL 2 MANUAL 430429-490
1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
1.01 NOTES, CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS
Throughout this manual, notes, cautions, and warnings are used to
highlight important information. These highlights are categorized as
follows:
NOTE An operation, procedure, or background information which requires
additional emphasis or is helpful in efficient operation of the system.
CAUTION A procedure which, if not properly followed, may cause damage to the
equipment.
WARNING A procedure which, if not properly followed, may cause injury to the
operator or others in the operating area.

MANUAL 430429-490 3 GENERAL
WARNING
1.02 IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PLASMA ARC EQUIPMENT
CAN BE DANGEROUS AND HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.
To prevent possible injury, read, understand and follow all warnings, safety precautions and
instructions before using the equipment. Call 1-937-440-0100 or your local distributor if you have any
questions.
GASES AND FUMES Gases and fumes produced during the plasma welding process can be
dangerous and hazardous to your health.
• Keep all fumes and gases from the breathing area. Keep your head out
of the welding fume plume.
• Use an air-supplied respirator if ventilation is not adequate to remove
all fumes and gases.
• The kinds of fumes and gases from the plasma arc depend on the kind
of metal being used, coatings on the metal, and the different
processes. You must be very careful when cutting or welding any
metals which may contain one or more of the following:
Antimony Chromium Mercury
Arsenic Cobalt Nickel
Barium Copper Selenium
Beryllium Lead Silver
Cadmium Manganese Vanadium
• Always read the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that should be
supplied with the material you are using. These MSDS’s will give you
the information regarding the kind and mount of fumes and gases
that may be dangerous to your health.
• For information on how to test for fumes and gases in your
workplace, refer to item I in the Publications Section in this manual.
Use special equipment, such as water or down draft cutting tables, to
capture fumes and gases.
• Do not use the plasma torch in an area where combustible or
explosive gases or materials are located.
• Phosgene, a toxic gas, is generated from the vapors of chlorinated
solvents and cleansers. Remove all sources of these vapors.
WARNING:
This product, when used for welding or cutting, produces
fumes or gases which contain chemicals known to the State of California
to cause birth detects and, in some cases, cancer.
(California Health & Safety Code Section 25249.5 et seq.)

GENERAL 4 MANUAL 430429-490
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS (CONTINUED)
ELECTRIC SHOCK Electric Shock can injure or kill. The plasma arc process uses and
produces high voltage electrical energy. This electric energy can cause
severe or fatal shock to the operator or others in the workplace.
• Never touch any parts that are electrically "live" or "hot."
• Wear dry gloves and clothing. Insulate yourself from the work piece
or other parts of the welding circuit.
• Repair or replace all worn or damaged parts.
• Extra care must be taken when the workplace is moist or damp.
• Install and maintain equipment according to NEC code, refer to item 4
in the Publications section of this manual.
• Disconnect power source before performing any service or repairs.
• Read and follow all the instructions in the Operating Manual.
FIRE AND EXPLOSION Fire and explosion can be caused by hot slag, sparks, or the plasma arc.
• Be sure there is no combustible or flammable material in the
workplace. Any material that cannot be removed must be protected.
• Ventilate all flammable or explosive vapors from the workplace.
• Do not cut or weld on containers that may have held combustibles.
• Provide a fire watch when working in an area where fire hazards may
exist.
• Hydrogen gas may be formed and trapped under aluminum
workpieces when they are cut underwater or while using a water
table. DO NOT cut aluminum alloys underwater or on a water table
unless the hydrogen gas can be eliminated or dissipated. Trapped
hydrogen gas that is ignited will cause an explosion.
NOISE Noise can cause permanent hearing loss. Plasma arc processes can cause
noise levels to exceed safe limits. You must protect your ears from loud
noise to prevent permanent loss of hearing.
• To protect your hearing from loud noise, wear protective ear plugs
and/or ear muffs Protect others in the workplace.
• Noise levels should be measured to be sure the decibels (sound) do
not exceed safe levels.
• For information on how to test for noise, see item 1 in the Publications
section of this manual.

MANUAL 430429-490 5 GENERAL
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS (CONTINUED)
PLASMA ARC RAYS Plasma Arc Rays can injure your eyes and burn your skin. The plasma
arc process produces very bright ultra violet and infra red light. These
arc rays will damage your eyes and bum your skin if you are not
properly protected
• To protect your eyes, always wear a welding helmet or shield. Also
always wear safety glasses with side shields, goggles or other
protective eye wear.
• Wear welding gloves and suitable clothing to protect your skin from
the arc rays and sparks.
• Keep helmet and safety glasses in good condition. Replace lenses
when cracked, chipped or dirty.
• Protect others in the work area from the arc rays. Use protective
booths, screens or shields.
• Use the shade of lens as recommended in the Operating Manual.

GENERAL 6 MANUAL 430429-490
1.03 PUBLICATIONS
Refer to the following standards or their latest revisions for more information:
1. OSHA, SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS, 29CFR 1910, obtainable from the Superintendent
of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402
2. ANSI Standard Z49.1, SAFETY IN WELDING AND CUTTING, obtainable from the American
Welding Society, 550 N.W. LeJeune Rd, Miami, FL 33126
3. NIOSH, SAFETYAND HEALTH IN ARC WELDING AND GASWELDING AND CUTTING,
obtainable from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402
4. ANSI Standard Z87.1, SAFE PRACTICES FOR OCCUPATION AND EDUCATIONAL EYE AND
FACE PROTECTION, obtainable from American National Standards Institute, 1430 Broadway,
New York, NY 10018
5. ANSI Standard Z41.1, STANDARD FOR MEN'S SAFETY-TOE FOOTWEAR, obtainable from the
American National Standards Institute, 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018
6. ANSI Standard Z49.2, FIRE PREVENTION IN THE USE OF CUTTING AND WELDING
PROCESSES, obtainable from American National Standards Institute, 1430 Broadway, New York,
NY 10018
7. AWS Standard A6.0, WELDING AND CUTTING CONTAINERS WHICH HAVE HELD
COMBUSTIBLES, obtainable from American Welding Society, 550 N.W. LeJeune Rd, Miami, FL
331 26
8. NFPA Standard 51, OXYGEN-FUEL GAS SYSTEMS FOR WELDING, CUTTING AND ALLIED
PROCESSES, obtainable from the National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park,
Quincy, MA 02269
9. NFPA Standard 70, NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE, obtainable from the National Fire
Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269
10. NFPA Standard 5lB, CUTTING AND WELDING PROCESSES, obtainable from the National Fire
Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269
11. CGA Pamphlet P-l, SAFE HANDLING OF COMPRESSED GASES IN CYLINDERS, obtainable
from the Compressed Gas Association, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 501, Arlington, VA 22202
12. CSA Standard Wl17.2, CODE FOR SAFETY IN WELDING AND CUTTING, obtainable from the
Canadian Standards Association, Standards Sales, 178 Rexdale Boulevard, Rexdale, Ontario,
Canada M9W 1R3
13. NWSA booklet, WELDING SAFETY BIBLIOGRAPHY obtainable from the National Welding
Supply Association, 1900 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
14. American Welding Society Standard AWSF4.1, RECOMMENDED SAFE PRACTICES FOR THE
PREPARATION FOR WELDING AND CUTTING OF CONTAINERS AND PIPING THAT HAVE
HELD HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES, obtainable from the American Welding Society, 550 N.W.
LeJeune Rd, Miami, FL 33126
15. ANSI Standard Z88.2, PRACTICE FOR RESPIRATORY PROTECTION, obtainable from
American National Standards Institute, 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018