Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

In an average goldsmith’s workshop, one filling of a 10-liter bottle will last for about 6 to 12 months, depending on how intensively welding is done with the PUK.

It is a noble gas and a natural component of air. Like all noble gases, it does not react: it cannot burn and is not toxic.

Nevertheless, care should be taken to ensure adequate ventilation in small rooms. You can also find out more about this topic from your gas dealer.

(Gas consumption is extremely low: a flow rate of 2 – 3 liters/minute is optimal. This corresponds to a pressure of only approx. 0.4 bar).

Find out more about welding with shielding gas here.

The time between two welds is 0.8 to 2.0 seconds. It automatically adjusts to the operator’s working speed. I.e. with a fast welding sequence, the time span is automatically reduced to 0.8 seconds.

If the material thickness of the workpiece at the fracture point is greater than 1.0 mm, the penetration depth of the welding device is not sufficient. The fracture must then be specially prepared for welding: The edges are filed in a V-shape and only the remaining material, which is now in direct contact, is welded together. The resulting joint is gradually filled with Zulege material (welding wire).

In general, it can be said that the power controls the diameter of the spot weld.

Although higher energy also increases the penetration depth of the weld puck, the welds remain relatively shallow.

The pulse time is mainly responsible for the penetration depth of the spot weld. The longer – the deeper.

For very thin material, always work with the shortest possible pulse time. This reduces the risk of melting a hole in it! In the vicinity of stones, always work with the shortest possible pulse time to minimize the risks.

In principle, soldering – where usefully applicable – is usually considered the ideal joining technique in jewelry manufacturing. Nevertheless, there are a variety of applications in jewelry making and repair where soldering is not possible or practical. These use cases are regularly situations where excessive heat generation or the rework required by soldering must/should be avoided.

In these cases, PUK fine welding equipment offers the ideal solution. They can be used to create local welded joints with minimal heat input or to apply alloy-like metal by means of welding wire. Time-consuming surface machining of the entire workpiece or endangering heat-sensitive areas can thus be easily avoided.

Metals with high thermal conductivity are generally difficult to weld, but:

The thermal conductivity of silver decreases as its temperature increases.

This means that silver can be welded better when it is warm!

• Weld several times on the same spot, this increases the temperature.
• A continuous welding sequence keeps the workpiece warm!
• The workpiece as a whole can get up to 100°C hot, which does not damage any stones, but is very uncomfortable to hold with bare hands!

Hold the workpiece with pliers, polishing fingers, etc.!

Silver, unlike most other metals, has a thinner welding behavior, therefore it is pushed forward by the arc and not pulled in the direction of the electrode movement.

Solder tends to burn during welding due to its additives, so it is not suitable as a filler metal. Also, if possible, do not weld at solder joints, or alternatively, remove the solder beforehand. In certain exceptional cases

z. For example, in the case of difficult repairs or generally rather poorly weldable alloys, it can be helpful to supply a solder with the highest possible melting range. Used at the right time and with sufficient experience, this can produce a thoroughly good result.

Visit the home page of our “PUK Master” Jeffrey Herman http://www.hermansilver.com and his new blog http://www.silversmithing.com/puk.htm. Here you will find a variety of applications from the silversmithing field.

• The Lampert fine welding principle is based on the TIG welding technique.
• It generates an arc, also called plasma, for a brief moment, which generates a spot weld.
• The welding spots have diameters of approx. 0.2 – 4.0 mm.
• An electrode made of tungsten is clamped in the handpiece of the welder, and the arc is ignited from its tip.
• Tungsten is the metal with the highest melting point (3422°C) – the electrode itself does not melt.
• The handling of Lampert welding equipment is very simple: through a microscope equipped with an eye-protection filter, you look at the electrode and guide the workpieces to it by hand.
• The welding spot is triggered automatically.
• Power (%), pulse duration (ms) and various welding pulse curves can be easily and clearly set on the device

• Workpieces are selectively melted and thus joined together.
• Ideally, filler metal always has the same melting temperature as the workpiece itself (in brazing, a brazing alloy is always used which has a lower melting temperature than the workpiece). Risks due to “postflow” of solder are thus avoided.
• No annealing of the material – so even mechanics and thin sheets can be worked on without affecting the strength.
• No difference in color or hardness

The microscope is equipped with an electronically controlled, DIN-certified eye protection filter. This ensures triple protection of the eyes: permanent protection against glare from UV and IR light and electronically controlled LCD eye protection filter.

Maintenance is not necessary!

In normal operation, only minor costs are incurred for shielding gas and due to wear of the electrode.

The angle plays an extraordinarily significant role.

The highest penetration depth is achieved at a 90° angle to the workpiece.

When the electrode is placed at an angle, the metal tends to flow in the direction of the placed electrode. I.e. the metal (e.g. fed wire) follows the direction of movement of the electrode, it is pulled in the direction of the handpiece.

An exception to this rule is silver. (See Welding of silver – what to consider?)

The technique of welding with Lampert welding equipment is easy to learn. Nevertheless, you should take a few hours to familiarize yourself with the device. The PUK-training, which is included in the scope of delivery of the PUK, can be of help to you here. With the included stainless steel plates, you can practice material application, play with power or weld time controls, or weld a clean seam. Change the angle of the electrode to the workpiece and observe what happens. With a little practice you will easily and quickly achieve very good results. In addition, it may be useful to attend a Lampert welding seminar to further deepen the techniques.

Basically, all precious metals and precious metal alloys of gold, silver, platinum and palladium can be welded. In addition, all metals can be welded that are also weldable by laser or conventional TIG welding processes.

These include: Several stainless steels, titanium and many titanium alloys, steels and non-ferrous metals and alloys.

In the current model a brass mode is stored, with this brass alloys with low zinc content can be welded well.

Yes, you can weld aluminum. (For more information click here) A special aluminum mode is stored in the current Micro Arc Welder. With this mode, aluminum alloys suitable for welding can be welded particularly well by feeding in welding rod. It is important here to pay attention to the choice of the appropriate welding rod.

Yes – Even metals with very different properties can be welded, e.g. gold with titanium.

However, if the physical differences are too great, as is the case with titanium and steel, welding is not possible.

The heat generated during welding is very low.

Especially on heat-sensitive areas such as gemstones, it is recommended to work with the shortest possible pulse time (our PUK already have a presetting for this).

Lampert welding units enable TIG welding by means of individual, very short welding pulses. The pulse duration can be freely selected in small steps between 0.1 and 34 milliseconds.
In contrast to welding with a standing (permanent) arc, the heat development with a Lampert fine welding machine is significantly lower. Minimum material thicknesses of up to 0.1 mm, but also up to a maximum of several millimeters can be welded stably – depending on the selected parameters for pulse duration and current intensity.
The ability to work reliably in these low material thicknesses or in highly heat-sensitive areas, while also being able to carry out very fine and controlled welds on very large objects, are the major distinguishing features compared to classic TIG welding machines.
When welding, welding rods can be used at any time as joining and connecting material.
Here you can find more detailed information about the common welding processes.

All welding equipment can be handed in for disposal at the end of its service life at Lampert Werktechnik Gmbh, Ettlebener Straße 27, 97440 Werneck from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 16:30 without prior notification. It is also possible to send the device at any time to Lampert Werktechnik as a prepaid parcel shipment with the password “Disposal” to above. Another option is to dispose of the device in the municipal disposal system (recycling center, electrical equipment grid box). Please note that, as a rule, only household quantities are accepted here and take into account the specifications of the waste disposal company.

• To adjust the flow rate, turn on your PUK and carefully open the valve of the gas cylinder. On the PUK 3, press the power control on the device; on the PUK04, activate the gas test in the “Settings” menu.
• This will open the gas valve in the unit and the flow controller will display the actual flow rate on the right clock. A flow rate of 2 – 3 liters/minute is optimal, which would correspond approximately to a pressure of 0.4 bar.
• Now you can set the desired value by turning the large knob at the bottom of the flow controller (please note the direction of rotation, see illustration). As long as no gas is flowing out, the flow controller shows a higher value than when the gas valve in the unit is open.
  

• The protective gas flow rate is set too high:
  Make sure that the flow rate is set correctly. 2 – 3 liters/min are completely sufficient (this corresponds to approximately 0.4 bar)!
  
  
• The electrode is clamped too long:
  The shorter the electrode protrudes from the handpiece, the better the protection provided by the argon.
  
  
• Wrong shielding gas, insufficient quality:
  We recommend pure argon (Ar 4.6), with a purity of at least 99.996%, without additives.
  
  
• There is dirt on the workpiece:
  Any type of dirt, polishing compound, paint, electroplated coating, etc. will burn off during welding and often leave behind large amounts of soot. Clean the workpiece thoroughly before welding.
  
  
• The alloy of the workpiece is contaminated:
  If the metal of the workpiece has inclusions or the alloy contains metals that burn at low temperatures (zinc, lead, tin, etc.), this may cause sooting.

The electrodes used are a special alloy of tungsten and metal oxides.

These electrodes have been specially designed for use in conjunction with Lampert fine welding equipment. The electrodes have excellent welding properties, but are hard and brittle.

If the electrode is bent, for example after it has caught on the workpiece and is then “broken off”, splitting can occur.

The extreme temperature differences between the electrode tip and the electrode shaft that occur during welding also create large mechanical stresses in the electrode. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that breakage or splitting (splitting) of the electrode may occur in isolated cases.