SP MIG 'Hot Start': The Why & How!

The Benefits & Programming of the SP Pulse MIG Welder's Hot Start Function.

Quick Overview

It's no secret that welding aluminum is different than steel. One of the biggest differences is how heat is dissipated on aluminum.

Steel: Heat stays confined to the area where the heat is applied.
Aluminum: Heat rapidly transfers throughout the material.

This causes what is known as a "Cold Start"; the beginning of the weld bead is weak due to not enough heat at the start causing poor penetration. To counter this we have two options:

Tail-In Method- You start the weld outside and move in toward the weld join so that the material is pre-heated allowing proper penetration.
Hot Start function - The cleanest way to program it and avoid the cold start. (See VIDEO below)

Solution:

The SP series MIG welder's "Hot Start Function", allows us to dial up the amperage at the start of the weld for a set amount of time, ensuring proper penetration.

HOW TO ADJUST HOT START
SP-1, SP-2, SP-5:

1. Access the Set-up Menu

2. Using the "SETUP" button, scroll until you see "Hot Start %".

HOW TO ADJUST HOT START

SP-5.3 & SP-5.1DP:

1. Access the Set-up Menu

2. CYCLE must be on "Full".

3. Using the 'Down Arrow', scroll through settings until you see "Hot Start %".

Hot Start Variables
SP-5.3 and the SP-5.1DP:

1. Hot Start % this shows as a % that will be the percentage over 100, indicating how high you want the Hot Start to be.

2. Hot Start V. gives us the ability to widen or narrow out the weld bead for the set Hot Start.

3. Hot [Start] Slope time, the time that it takes to go from the Hot Start setting back to original welding parameter.

4. Hot Start Time is the actual time in seconds below that indicates the amount of time the Hot Start will last before returning to 100%.

Watch this video for a closer look at How to Set Up the Hot Start Function