Properly closing down welding equipment at the end of a workday will extend the life of the equipment. Leaving the welder running overnight causes the internal components to wear rapidly, and if you leave your shielding gas bottle valve open, gas will seep out of the regulator assembly overnight, even if there are no obvious signs of damage to the assembly. Lastly, closing down the welding equipment helps keep leads from twisting, as you need to loop the lead to store it until the start of the next shift.
Close the shielding gas bottle valve off by turning the handle counter-clockwise until the handle stops turning.
Turn off the welding machine.
Blow out the welding machine with an air hose to remove dust and debris from the internal components of the welder. Inspect the internal consumable components for wear or binding points. Pay close attention to the feeder wheels on MIG welders.
Stretch the lead of the welder, allowing the gun or torch to spin freely to remove twist from the lead.
Loosely wrap the lead around the lead holder or handles of the welding machine. Inspect the lead for damage as you wind it into place. If you find any damage, report it to your supervisor.
Remove the grounding clamp from the work surface.
Inspect the grounding clamp for damage or loose hardware. Tighten bolts that have worked themselves loose during the course of your shift.
Examine the grounding cable for signs of heat or abrasive damage.
Wrap the grounding cable loosely and hang it on the welding machine.
