FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you don't see your answer here please Contact Us with your question.

Why are your tips better?

Our contact tube material is extruded from NEW copper only. Some companies drill the ID hole from a bar of copper. Some companies use recycled copper. Extrusion produces a very dense structure at the bore of the contact tip. (see article on extrusion process)

Are you just another cheap, generic, will fit type of company?

NO! We produce many of the European and several North American ORIGINAL contact tips on the same equipment and from the same exact stock we manufacture all our contact tips from. We were the first company to produce the CuAgSP or Silver Alloy Contact tip to meet the demands of our customers. We are constantly developing new and innovative products to save time and money in the Mig welding process.

Why am I experiencing short tip life now?

A: Many factors come into play, drive rolls too tight resulting in scoring of welding wire, welding wire dirty, rusty or too much cast, uncoated wire being used, usage of wrong size tip, usage of wrong alloy of tip, gun being run beyond its amperage range, tip loose, retaining head loose, over torch rated duty cycle, wire stick out too close or too far.

Why am I experiencing poor wire feed?

A: Your drive rolls may be too tight resulting in scoring or re-shaping of the welding wire, or too loose causing the wire to slip in the feeder. Liner incorrect size or cut too short and not seating properly in gas diffuser or plugged with airborne debris or wire flaking. Conduit liner from wire spool to feeder clogged or kinked. Contact tip inside diameter wrong. Welding wire dirty, rusty or too much cast

Why am I experiencing gun overheating?

A: Possible electrical malfunction in power source, gun being run beyond its amperage range, loose retaining screw on feeder, insufficient gauge power cable and/or ground cable, loose connections on tips or diffusers, poor or no water flow.

Why am I experiencing weld porosity?

A: Gas flow improperly set, either too high or too low gas for joint design. Poor wire quality, rusty, oily, coated welding wire, spatter built up in nozzle blocking gas, improper shielding gas or welding wire, leaks in gas hose or improper connection, o-rings on power pin or diffuser are cut or damaged, parent metal rusty, oily or contaminated or high sulphur content, galvanized metal. Air leaks in fixture tooling, cross breeze from fans or open doors.

Why have I not heard of Finn-Tips?

A: We have been in business for 20 years in Europe where we make mostly OEM or Original Equipment Manufacturer contact tips for European companies. In April of 2004 at the AWS in Chicago we exhibited for the first time in USA. We have exhibited many times at the Essen show in Germany and will again this year in September 2005.

How do I know your quality is good?

A: We manufacture 1,000,000 welding tips per week for companies such as ESAB-Sweden, MK Products – USA, OTC-Diahen-Japan, SAF – France, Air Liquide - BLUESHIELD, Kempii-Finland, and Fronius-Austria. Our primary customers in North America are Robotic Welding facilities including Dana, F&P, Corvette, Lear, Arvin, Chrysler and Honda supply plants. Robotic applications require the highest quality consumables available, as welding robots can’t see to adjust for each welding tip change.

Do you make product for all gun types?

A: We manufacture welding tips for all common gun types world wide unless the product is patented, we manufacture some common NA tips in alloys the OEM does not even offer. We also do custom welding tips up to 10mm in outside diameter.

Why would I want to buy from you?

A: We are welding tip specialists. We can show you increased efficiencies in your plant, and extend the life of your tips so you can change them at a predetermined time frame such as lunch or shift change. We can minimize wire “Burn Back” down time. We can minimize rework caused by poor welding “tip life” and failures. We can maintain accurate placement of the wire (TCP) on the weld joint. We will save you money on purchase price or operating costs.

Are you ISO Certified?

A: Our tubing is manufactured to ISO 9001:2000.
Click for Outokumpu ISO Certificate - Outokumpu website

Are MSDS sheets available.

A: YES - Click Here for the MSDS sheets

If you don't see your answer here please Contact Us with your question.