As used throughout this manual: Means Attention! Be Alert!
DANGER!
Means immediate hazards which, if not avoided, will result in immediate,
serious personal injury or loss of life.
WARNING!
Means potential hazards which could result in personal injury or loss of life.
CAUTION!
Means hazards which could result in minor personal injury.
WARNING!
Before use, read and understand the instruction manual
and follow all labels, employer´s safety practices and
Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).
1.2Safety precautions
Users of ESAB equipment have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that anyone who
works on or near the equipment observes all the relevant safety precautions. Safety
precautions must meet the requirements that apply to this type of equipment. The following
recommendations should be observed in addition to the standard regulations that apply to
the workplace.
All work must be carried out by trained personnel well-acquainted with the operation of the
equipment. Incorrect operation of the equipment may lead to hazardous situations which can
result in injury to the operator and damage to the equipment.
1.Anyone who uses the equipment must be familiar with:
○ its operation
○ location of emergency stops
○ its function
○ relevant safety precautions
○ welding and cutting or other applicable operation of the equipment
2.The operator must ensure that:
○ no unauthorised person is stationed within the working area of the equipment
when it is started up
○ no-one is unprotected when the arc is struck or work is started with the
equipment
3.The workplace must:
○ be suitable for the purpose
○ be free from drafts
4.Personal safety equipment:
○ Always wear recommended personal safety equipment, such as safety glasses,
flame-proof clothing, safety gloves
○ Do not wear loose-fitting items, such as scarves, bracelets, rings, etc., which
could become trapped or cause burns
5.General precautions:
○ Make sure the return cable is connected securely
○ Work on high voltage equipment may only be carried out by a qualified
electrician
○ Appropriate fire extinguishing equipment must be clearly marked and close at
hand
○ Lubrication and maintenance must not be carried out on the equipment during
operation
WARNING!
Arc welding and cutting can be injurious to yourself and others. Take precautions
when welding and cutting.
ELECTRIC SHOCK - Can kill
•Install and ground the unit in accordance with instruction manual.
•Do not touch live electrical parts or electrodes with bare skin, wet gloves or
wet clothing.
•Insulate yourself from work and ground.
•Ensure your working position is safe
ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS - Can be dangerous to health
•Welders having pacemakers should consult their physician before welding.
EMF may interfere with some pacemakers.
•Exposure to EMF may have other health effects which are unknown.
•Welders should use the following procedures to minimize exposure to
EMF:
○ Route the electrode and work cables together on the same side of
your body. Secure them with tape when possible. Do not place your
body between the torch and work cables. Never coil the torch or work
cable around your body. Keep welding power source and cables as
far away from your body as possible.
○ Connect the work cable to the workpiece as close as possible to the
area being welded.
FUMES AND GASES - Can be dangerous to health
•Keep your head out of the fumes.
•Use ventilation, extraction at the arc, or both, to take fumes and gases
away from your breathing zone and the general area.
ARC RAYS - Can injure eyes and burn skin
•Protect your eyes and body. Use the correct welding screen and filter lens
and wear protective clothing.
•Protect bystanders with suitable screens or curtains.
0440 000 096
NOISE - Excessive noise can damage hearing
Protect your ears. Use earmuffs or other hearing protection.
•Keep all doors, panels and covers closed and securely in place. Have only
qualified people remove covers for maintenance and troubleshooting as
necessary. Reinstall panels or covers and close doors when service is
finished and before starting engine.
•Stop engine before installing or connecting unit.
•Keep hands, hair, loose clothing and tools away from moving parts.
FIRE HAZARD
•Sparks (spatter) can cause fire. Make sure that there are no inflammable
materials nearby.
•Do not use on closed containers.
MALFUNCTION - Call for expert assistance in the event of malfunction.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS!
CAUTION!
This product is solely intended for arc welding.
WARNING!
Do not use the power source for thawing frozen pipes.
CAUTION!
Class A equipment is not intended for use in residential
locations where the electrical power is provided by the
public low-voltage supply system. There may be
potential difficulties in ensuring electromagnetic
compatibility of class A equipment in those locations,
due to conducted as well as radiated disturbances.
NOTE!
Dispose of electronic equipment at the recycling
facility!
In observance of European Directive 2012/19/EC on
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and its
implementation in accordance with national law,
electrical and/or electronic equipment that has reached
the end of its life must be disposed of at a recycling
facility.
As the person responsible for the equipment, it is your
responsibility to obtain information on approved
collection stations.
For further information contact the nearest ESAB dealer.
ESAB has an assortment of welding accessories and personal protection equipment
for purchase. For ordering information contact your local ESAB dealer or visit us on
our website.
The duty cycle refers to the time as a percentage of a ten-minute period that you can weld or
cut at a certain load without overloading. The duty cycle is valid for 40°C/104°F, or below.
Enclosure class
The IP code indicates the enclosure class, i.e. the degree of protection against penetration
by solid objects or water.
Equipment marked IP23C is intended for indoor and outdoor use.
Application class
The symbolindicates that the power source is designed for use in areas with increased
electrical hazard.
The installation must be carried out by a professional.
NOTE!
Mains supply requirements
This equipment complies with IEC 61000-3-12 provided that the short-circuit power
is greater than or equal to S
and the public system. It is the responsibility of the installer or user of the equipment
to ensure, by consultation with the distribution network operator if necessary, that
the equipment is connected only to a supply with a short-circuit power greater than
or equal to S
. Refer to the technical data in the TECHNICAL DATA chapter.
scmin
4.1Lifting instruction
The power source is lifted by the handle or by the shoulder strap, supplied with the power
source. The strap is fastened as shown in the picture below.
at the interface point between the user's supply
scmin
4.2Location
Position the welding power source in such a way that its cooling air inlets and outlets are not
obstructed.
4.3Mains power supply
Check that the unit is connected to the correct mains power supply voltage, and that it is
protected by the correct fuse size. A protective earth connection must be made, in
accordance with regulations.
The mains cable areas and fuse sizes as shown above are in accordance with
Swedish regulations. For other regions, supply cables must be suitable for the
application and meet local and national regulations.
Extension cable
If needed, it is recommended to use an extension cable, 3 × 2.5 mm2, of a maximum length
of 50 m.
Supply from power generators
The power source can be supplied from different types of generators. However, some
generators may not provide sufficient power for welding. The generators with AVR,
equivalent or better type of regulation with rated power 5.5 ... 6.5 kW are recommended to
supply the power source within it's full capacity.
It is also possible to use generators with lower rated power, starting from 3.0 kW, but in that
case the setting must be proportionally limited. The power source is protected against
undervoltage. If the power supplied by the generator is not sufficient, the welding is
interrupted. Especially the welding start could be disturbed. In case of disturbed welding
process, either adjust the welding parameters or change to a more powerful generator.
General safety regulations for handling the equipment can be found in the "SAFETY"
chapter of this manual. Read it through before you start using the equipment!
NOTE!
When moving the equipment use intended handle. Never pull on the torch.
WARNING!
Rotating parts can cause injury, take great care.
WARNING!
Assure that the side panels are closed during operation.
WARNING!
Risk of crushing when replacing the wire bobbin! Do not use safety gloves when
inserting the welding wire between the feed rollers.
WARNING!
Lock the bobbin in order to prevent
it from sliding off the hub.
1.Mains supply switch6.Knob for setting of material thickness
2.Green indicating lamp, power supply ON 7.Knob for arc correction
3.Orange indicating lamp, overheating8.Connection for shielding gas
4.Welding torch9.Mains cable
5.Return cable
5.2Operation
The power source is not powered instantly when the mains switch (1) is turned on. After
approximately 2 seconds the green lamp (2) indicates that the power source is ready.
If the welding torch trigger is pressed while the power source is being turned on, the
operation is disabled, until the trigger is released. This is also indicated by the orange lamp
(3).
The main knob (6) is scaled in mm and ga. The numbers point out recommended
thicknesses of the mild steel workpiece to be welded with 0.8 mm wire. This knob
simultaneously adjusts both the wire feed speed and the average output voltage.
The knob (7) sets the arc length correction or i.e. the voltage correction.
The return cable (5) must be reliably connected to the workpiece or to the welding table.
The side panel covering the wire feeder must be closed prior to welding.
The power source is instantly switched with the mains switch (1).
The power source is delivered with the welding wire connected to the plus pole. Some wires,
e.g. shelfshielded cored wires, are recommended to be welded with negative polarity.
Negative polarity means that the wire is connected to the minus pole and the return cable to
the plus pole. Check the recommended polarity for the welding wire you want to use.
The polarity can be changed as follows:
1.Switch off the power source and disconnect the mains cable.
2.Open the side panel.
3.Bend the rubber covers back to give access to the +/- terminals.
4.Remove the nuts and washers. Note the correct order of the washers.
5.Change the position of the cables to the desired polarity (see marking).
6.Install the washers in correct order and tighten the nuts to spanner tightness.
7.Make sure the rubber covers are covering the +/- terminals.
5.4Wire feed pressure
Start by making sure that the wire moves smoothly through the wire guide. Then set the
pressure of the wire feeder's pressure rollers. It is important that the pressure is not too high.
Figure AFigure B
To check that the feed pressure is set correctly, you can feed out the wire against an
insulated object, e.g. a piece of wood.
When you hold the welding torch approx. 5 mm from the piece of wood (figure A) the feed
rollers should slip.
If you hold the welding torch approx. 50 mm from the piece of wood, the wire should be fed
out and bend (figure B).
•Place the spool on the hub and secure it with the lock.
•Disconnect the pressure arm by folding it sidewards, the pressure roller slides away.
•Straighten out the new wire 10-20 cm. File away burrs and sharp edges from the end of
the wire before inserting it into the wire feeder.
•Make sure that the wire goes properly into the feed roller groove and into the outlet
nozzle and the wire liner.
•Secure the pressure arm.
•Close the side panel.
Feed the wire through the welding torch until it comes out through the nozzle. This operation
should be carried out carefully, as the wire is ready for welding and an unintentional arc may
occur. Keep the torch off conducting parts during feeding the wire through and terminate wire
feeding instantly when the wire comes out.
See "Technical Data" chapter for suitable wire dimensions for each wire type.
Use only Ø200 mm spools.
NOTE!
Ø100 mm/1kg spools are not applicable.
WARNING!
Do not keep the welding torch near the ears or the face during the wire feeding, as
this may result in personal injury.
5.5.1Changing the feed roller groove
The power source is delivered with the feed roller set for Ø0.8/1.0 mm welding wire. If you
want to use it for Ø0.6 mm wire you must change groove in the feed roller.
1.Fold back the pressure arm to release the pressure roller.
2.Switch on the power source and press the torch trigger to position the feed roller so
that the locking screw is visible.
3.Switch off the power source.
4.Use a 2mm Allen key to open the locking screw about half a turn.
5.Pull the feed roller off the shaft and turn it around. See marking on the side of the feed
roller for suitable wire diameters.
6.Put the roller back on the shaft and make sure it goes all the way in. You may need to
turn the roller to position the locking screw over the flat surface of the shaft.
7.Tighten the locking screw.
5.6Shielding gas
A mixture of carbon dioxide and argon or pure carbon dioxide can be used as shielding
gases.
5.7Overheating protection
Overheating is indicated by lamp (3). A thermal overload fuse protects the unit against
overheating by disabling the welding if overheating occurs. The fuse resets automatically
when the unit has cooled.
Regular maintenance is important for safe and reliable operation.
CAUTION!
All warranty undertakings from the supplier cease to apply if the customer attempts
any work to rectify any faults in the product during the warranty period.
6.1Inspection and cleaning
Power source
•Check regularly that the power source is free from dirt.
•How often and which cleaning methods apply depend on: the welding process, arc
times, placement, and the surrounding environment. It is normally sufficient to blow the
dust out of the power source with dry compressed air (reduced pressure) once a year.
•Clogged or blocked air inlets and outlets otherwise result in overheating.
Welding torch
•The welding torch's wear parts should be cleaned and replaced at regular intervals in
order to achieve trouble-free wire feed. Blow the wire guide clean regularly and clean
the contact tip.
6.2Changing the wire liner
O-ring 3.5/IDX 1.8
(3.5×1.8mm)
A. Loosen the fixing screw and take the roller off the axle.
B. Loosen the adaptor nut, straighten the torch cable and remove the liner.
C. Insert the replacement liner into the straightened cable until it touches the contact tip.
D. Lock the liner with adaptor nut. Cut excess of liner so it sticks 7 mm out of the tip adaptor.
Repair and electrical work should be performed by an authorised ESAB service
technician. Use only ESAB original spare and wear parts.
Mig C160i is designed and tested in accordance with the international and European
standards 60974-1, 60974-5 and 60974-10. It is the obligation of the service unit which
has carried out the service or repair work to make sure that the product still conforms
to the said standard.
Spare parts and wear parts can be ordered through your nearest ESAB dealer, see
esab.com. When ordering, please state product type, serial number, designation and spare
part number in accordance with the spare parts list. This facilitates dispatch and ensures
correct delivery.