[porkncheese]

Hi guys. Firstly I want to mention I live in Australia. Our single phase power is 240V and our 3 phase power is 415V.

I recently bought this welder. It was wired up to run single phase. My mate is an electrician and he says it cannot be configured to run on 3 phase. I found this strange because every miller transformer I have ever used in the industry ran off 415V. Although the machine welds very well it is under powered. Full dial on AC only feels like about 160 amps. I had it turned up almost full dial just for a fillet weld on 3mm(1/8") aluminium. Its max is 300 amps. That should melt 3mm ally like wax.

Can anyone please confirm if and these units can run on 3 phase 415V?
And does anyone have any suggestions about the lack of welding current?

 

[Willie B]

Making the risky presumption that yours is identical to mine, no it is not designed to run on three phase. Any welders built in or for USA would be set up for 240, or 460 volt.
You can get the actual manual for your serial # and model from the miller web site to confirm. My 250 was scary powerful. In aluminum I couldn't afford a piece of stock too big for it. I'll dig out a manual, but I remember the AC rating to be 310 Amps. There are a number of experts on this forum able to offer insight S.A. Duane B 1955, 7A749, The Miller forum includes Cruiser, A Miller trained service expert, and H80N a welder and electrical engineer. I don't know much about Australia, but USA has great service available. The Dialarc _____ HF was an incredible machine in it's day. New technology has upstaged it, plenty of older welders consider it to be the best there is. Me and my Dialarc are now divorced, I'm now married to a Dynasty 280 DX. It has more tricks up its sleeve than a well trained hooker! All it lacks is the raw power of the Dialarc!

 

[Meltedmetal]

Are the jumpers set for a higher voltage than you are using? There should be a label in the machine to indicate where to put the jumpers for each specific voltage the machine will handle. If you don't have the manual for it you should be able to download it from the http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/communities/mboard/forum.php website. Any that I have seen are single phase only.---Meltedmetal

 

[Oldendum]

Get the proper manual for yours and see if it can be jumpered for 416. Dialarcs here have 3 or 4 different voltage jumper settings.

 

[porkncheese]

I have the manual. There isn't a jumper link configuration for 415V.
Its really down on power.


A bit about myself. Electronically I am a novice. My friend who is an electrician is trying to sort it out.

I am 36 years old. I've been in metal work since I was 18. I've done a bit of every thing but I have done mostly stainless fabrication and welding.
In Australia the big transformer machines are still around. But inverters are the way to go for sure. Never used a miller inverter but I know Miller equals quality.
I've used a Fronius top of the range which I didn't like. Kemppi, Safro, Cigweld and Lincoln have fantastic top of the line TIG welders.

At home I have a Cigweld 200Amp AC/DC 240V with all the fancy features. Cigweld is an Australian brand. Its trusted.
At my friends place, he has 3 phase power, that's where I keep the Dialarc with the WP18 water cooled torch. In case I need to do long welds on 12mm ally. Rarely. Never really.

Anyway any electrical knowledge would be valued

 

[porkncheese]

"only one leg is dropped and only two of the three hot legs are used"
That is basically what my electrician said.

The links are configured as it is shown for 230V. But there is another config for 230V.
We could try that but you mentioned some units are 208/230/460.
I better check my serial number and model to confirm this firstly.

The fact that it welds nicely but is under powered made us also suspect the jumper links were wrong in the first place

 

[Meltedmetal]

Just to clarify if the plate on your machine says it is 200/230/460 volts, you would use the upper jumper configuration diagram in your picture. If it says it is 230/460/575 volts, you would use the lower one but there should be a label in the machine. There are at least 4 configuration tables for the newer machines depending on which version you have.---Meltedmetal

 

[porkncheese]

Thanks guys. From memory the faceplate has 230/460/575. The label that is meant to be beside the jumper links is not there,

The cord on is 12' standard set up on a series 17 torch but I think you are talking about the main power cord. That is 3 meters or 10'.
My electrician was fussy on the cord we used. I think he has that covered.
I will forward these details to my electrician. Make sure the cord and breaker are correct and test the open circuit voltage as specified.
If that is all ok then we must consider a shorted diode in the rectifier I guess.

Excuse my lack of electrical knowledge here but why would it have configurations for 460v and 575v if it only runs off 230 volts?

 

[Willie B]

Depending on what model you have, you'll want to jumper it for 230 VAC. I was trying to post up the chart you did but the Miller site was running really slow and didn't want to cooperate. The jumper placements will be different depending on if you have a 208/230/460 machine or a 230/460/575 one. All Dialarc machines were manufactured single phase. What do you have it jumpered for? You're best off using your 230/240 service to connect it, unless you already have. In the US, it's very common to see machines such as this being run off a 460 service feeding a three phase outlet, only one leg is dropped and only two of the three hot legs are used with the neutral bonded to the chassis of the welder.

Is the fan spinning strong? If you have it jumpered incorrectly, it's going to spin, but not with much power. That and limited output is usually a good indication it is not jumpered correctly.

Post up how you have the jumpers configured. It sounds like that is your problem.

Please don't bond the neutral to the frame of the welder. It should be connected to equipment ground. Because at one point in each building the equipment ground is bonded to neutral, it is common practice by do it yourselfers to see them as one and the same. They are not.

 

[Willie B]

If you are jumpered for 230 Volts, and you have a good power source that actually provides something close to 230 volts, this machine is a powerhouse! You could weld battleships! Something is wrong. Check voltage under heavy load at the welder, if that is good, go deeper into the machine.

 

[Willie B]

Your chart is not connecting a neutral to the frame. A neutral would be used only in the case of a 120 volt power tool or cooler receptacle that is not transformer supplied internally. In this case 4 conductors would be used, and neutral would be isolated from ground. The connection or bonding of neutral or grounded conductor to equipment grounding system must be at one point in a service. With only a few exceptions this bonding takes place inside the enclosure for the service disconnect. In sub panels isolation is particularly important. Failure to isolate opens the door to numerous hazards.

Internal transformers may in some cases have one leg terminated on equipment ground.

 

[duaneb55]

I'm not aware of ANY 230V and higher welder with 115V auxiliary outlets that aren't powered by an internal isolation transformer. This completely eliminates the need for and any confusion that would arise from one make/model/type requiring a neutral (4-conductor supply cable) and another not.

Electric ranges, ovens, dryers and other 230V household appliances is a different story.

 

[Willie B]

Internal stuff like transformers would be. Including the white wire that runs to the convenience outlet. I want to research if this white lead would be called a neutral. I consider it important to hold firm that outside the welding machine we don't want a neutral connected to equipment ground. The transformers utilities use usually have some point on both primary and secondary windings connected to earth and equipment ground. To connect again elsewhere would cause current to flow where we don't want it to.
While I'm not aware of any welder using a neutral I wasn't certain none existed. I am curious why manufacturers use transformers to produce 120 Volt power when a neutral conductor would do it cheaper.