SOFT TOUCH DIRECTIONS

9181-34WIDC/115
9181-34WIDCE/115
9181-34WIDC/24DC
9181-34WIDCE/24DC
9181-34YIDC/115
9181-34YIDCE/115
9181-34YIDC/24DC
9181-34YIDCE/24DC
9181-34IIDCE/115
9181-34IIDCE/24DC
Unitrol Electronics, Inc.
702 Landwehr Road
Northbrook, IL 60062
847-480-0115
techsupport@unitrol-electronics.com
www-unitrol-electronics.com
DIR/9181-34WIDC-YIDC UNIV.
Thank you for purchasing this Unitrol SOFT TOUCH system to be
mounted to your existing MFDC welding control. Please carefully
follow the directions to ensure that your welder operator will be
protected against pinch-point injury.
MODEL NUMBER: 9181-34
SERIAL NUMBER:
DATE OF MANUFACTURE:
SOLENOID VALVE VOLTAGE:
TESTED BY:
PACKED BY:

COMPONENTS FOR ALL MODELS EXCEPT

9181-34YIDCE, 9181-34WIDCE, AND 9181-34IIDCE
9280-TS3 TOUCH SENSOR BOARD WITH MOUNTING
TIP DRESS SWITCH WIRED TO TS3 BOARD
LABEL: TIP DRESS
SOLENOID VALVE ASSEMBLY
PRECISION PRESSURE ENCLOSURE WITH POLYFLOW FITTINGS INSTALLED
STATUS LIGHT CODES LAMINATED PLATE
RED LENS AND LIGHT PIPE ASSEMBLY
PAPER MOUNTING TEMPLATE
5’ = 3/8” POLYFLOW TUBE
9’ = ¼” POLYFLOW TUBE
Color valve connection print to match model number
2 = 36” BLUE WIRES
1 = WIRE STRAIN RELIEF

Unitrol Electronics, Inc.

702 Landwehr Road
Northbrook, IL 60062
847-480-0115
techsupport@unitrol-electronics.com
www-unitrol-electronics.com
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Before starting installation………………………………………………….. 1

Purpose………………………………………………………………………. 2
Pneumatic Installation for HEAVY RAMS – 9181-34WIDC…………..… 3
Pneumatic Installation for LIGHT RAMS and ROCKER ARM welders,
4
9181-34YIDC…………………………………………………………………
How the System Operates…………………………………………………. 5
Mounting the TS3 SENSOR BOARD……………………………………... 5
Connecting Wires to Sensor Board…...…………………………………... 6
Adjusting SOFT TOUCH Pressures………………………………………. 7
Setting SOFT TOUCH Board Switches…………………………………… 8
Electrical Hookup for 115V systems………………………………………. 9
Electrical Hookup for 24VCD systems……………………………………. 10
Initial Tuning of SOFT TOUCH sensor board……………………………. 11
Testing with Electrodes Closed……………………………………………. 13
Heavy Weight Pneumatic for 9181-34WIDC kits………………………… 14
Light Weight Pneumatic for 9181-34YIDC kits…………………………… 15
Intensifier Pneumatic for 9181-34IIDC kits……………………………….. 16
Trouble Shooting SOFT TOUCH………………………………………….. 17
Trouble Shooting Chart…………………………………………………….. 18
Problems with Coated Metal……………………………………………….. 19
Trouble Shooting Insulation Faults on Welder…………………………… 20
 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE, 9181-34II

BEFORE STARTING INSTALLATION

Locate your welder type on the chart below and verify the correct SOFT TOUCH kit has been
provided to match your welder.

SOFT TOUCH SELECTION CHART

ELECTRODES CLOSE
ELECTRODES DO NOT CLOSE
SMOOTHLY BY GRAVITY*
SMOOTHLY BY GRAVITY*
THEN, FORCE BETWEEN
IF A PRESS WELDER, RAM
TYPE OF WELDER ELECTRODES IS
WEIGHS LESS THAN 50LBS
▼ MORE THAN 50LBS

PRESS OR #9181-34WIDC. Preplumbed in #9181-34YIDC. Preplumbed in

PROJECTION WITH separate component groups. ½” separate component groups. ½”
4-1/2” DIAMETER valves. valves.
OR SMALLER #9181-34WIDCE. Preplumbed #9181-34YIDCE. Preplumbed
STANDARD and mounted in a NEMA-4 and mounted in a NEMA-4
CYLINDER enclosure. ½” valves. enclosure. ½” valves.

PRESS OR #9181-34WIDC + 9181-34D. #9181-34YIDC + 9181-34D.

PROJECTION WITH Preplumbed in separate Preplumbed in separate
5 DIAMETER OR component groups.3/4” valves. component groups.3/4” valves.
LARGER #9181-34WIDCE. Preplumbed #9181-34YIDCE. Preplumbed
STANDARD and mounted in a NEMA-4 and mounted in a NEMA-4
CYLINDER enclosure. 3/4” valves enclosure. 3/4” valves
ROCKER ARM WITH
4-1/2” DIAMETER OR
SMALLER CYLINDER #9181-34YIDC. Preplumbed in
- separate component groups. ½”
PRESS OR valves.
PROJECTION NA
#9181-34YIDCE. Preplumbed
WELDER WITH
and mounted in a NEMA-4
FIXTURE TYPE
enclosure. ½” valves.
CYLINDER (NOT
INTENSIFIER)
#9181-34YIDC + 9181-34D.
ROCKER ARM WITH Preplumbed in separate
component groups.3/4” valves.
5” DIAMETER OR NA
LARGER CYLINDER #9181-34YIDCE. Preplumbed
and mounted in a NEMA-4
enclosure. 3/4” valves

*When air is removed from the lower port of the welder cylinder

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

PURPOSE: To prevent fingers (or other body parts) sustaining permanent injury between moving
resistance welder electrodes. This is especially important with welder operations that require small
parts to be hand loaded between electrodes that have a clearance of are more than ¼”.

Successful operation of a SOFT TOUCH system requires four things:

1. The SOFT TOUCH kit has to be selected to exactly match the requirements of the particular
welder. Use the SOFT TOUCH SELECTION SHEET on the previous page to be sure that this
system matches your welder properly. Contact Unitrol if there are any doubts before installing this
system.
2. For installation of the HEAVY WEIGHT #9181-34W options, the system will not operate unless
the ram can fall smoothly by gravity when air is removed from the cylinder. This often means
adjusting the ram guides or cam rollers and lubricating the welding cylinder. In cases with older
cylinders that have not been serviced in a long time (or ever), rebuilding the cylinder might be
required to replace very stiff piston and shaft seals.
3. Material that will be welded does not contain coatings that will affect continuity reading. See
below for more on this.
4. Once the control has been installed, directions for setting the SOFT TOUCH sensor board in this
direction book must be followed carefully. This only requires the use of a small screwdriver and a
digital voltmeter.

FIRST CHECK MATERIAL TO BE WELDED

SOFT TOUCH depends on reading electrical continuity between the electrodes. If the material being
welded has a coating that does not easily conduct electricity, the SOFT TOUCH sensor will not
consistently see continuity, and the system will not operate successfully.
Material that might cause problem include HOT ROLLED STEEL (that has not been pickled), wire
that has a drawing soap or wax coating, metal with oxide coatings, and rusty metal.
If in doubt, submit some sample coupons of the material being welded to Unitrol for evaluation before
quoting a system.

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

SOFT TOUCH KIT FOR INSTALLATION TO MFDC CONTROLS

LOW PRESSURE APPROACH WITH SENSING ABILITY
PURPOSE: To prevent fingers (or other body parts) being smashed between electrodes. This is
especially important with small part hand loaded operations.

PNEUMATIC INSTALLATION, HEAVY RAMS

USE KIT 9181-34WIDC…

For press welders with HEAVY RAMS (weighing 50 lbs or more)

that fall easily by their own weight:
For these welders, just the dead weight of the ram (weight when all air is exhausted from
the cylinder and the ram falls by gravity) acting on the small surface of an electrode can
cause major damage to an operator’s finger. This scheme can counterbalance most of the
ram’s dead weight.

SOFT TOUCH W ILL NO T OPERATE PROPERLY IF

THE RAM DO ES NO T FALL QUICK LY AND
SM O OTH LY BY G RAV ITY (W H EN AIR H AS BEEN
REM OVED FRO M THE CYLINDER) .
BEFO R E INSTALLATIO N O F TH E SO FT TO UCH CO M PO NENTS, adjust the w elder’s
ram bearings and lubricate as needed for sm ooth and fast gravity drop. O n m any older welders
the cylinder cup seals and shaft seals have lost elasticity and need to be replaced.

Do not continue until this has been accom plished!

INSTALL pneumatic per drawing 1963A-2 page 12 and photo attached. This SOFT
TOUCH kit replaces the original welder solenoid valve and flow regulators. The only
component that will remain is the original main pressure regulator.
Be sure that only the components shown on this drawing are installed. Remove any
other components such as flow control valves, etc. that may have been originally
installed.
ACTION: When 3-way solenoid valve SV1 is energized, pressure on the underside of the
cylinder piston will be exhausted until it falls below air pressure as set by the ADVANCE
regulator. At this time the quick exhaust valve will shift to prevent the backpressure from
going lower. If the ADVANCE regulator is set correctly, this “BUCKING PRESSURE” will
almost completely balance the ram weight.
If the SOFT TOUCH sensor board detects continuity, SV0 will be energized (SV1 remains
energized) to put full pressure into the top port of the welding cylinder and fully exhaust the
back side. See drawing #1963A-2 on page 12 for directions to adjust these
components.
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9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

PNEUMATIC INSTALLATION, LIGHT RAMS

MODEL 9181-34YIDC…
For press welders with rams that do not fall easily under gravity,
rocker arm welders, and welders using intensifier cylinders:
For these welders, removing air from the welder will not cause the electrodes to close or to close
with force between the electrodes at a force less than 40 pounds.

INSTALL pneumatic kit per drawing #1964D-1 on page 13 and color print provided in this kit.
This SOFT TOUCH kit replaces the original welder solenoid valve and flow regulators. The
only component that will remain is the original main pressure regulator.
Be sure that only the components shown on this drawing are installed. Remove any other
components such as flow control valves, etc. that may have been originally installed.
ROCKER ARM WELDERS: There are special considerations for ROCKER ARM welders:
1. If the moving upper welder arm is very long (over 24”), leave the
flow control valve in the upper port of the cylinder as shown on
page 13. This will prevent the arm from slamming down at the
start of each weld sequence.
2. The back of the air cylinder piston typically has only a small area
exposed to incoming air to start moving the cylinder until it
breaks away from the bottom position. This means that the very
low SOFT TOUCH air psi introduced into the bottom port of the
cylinder acting on this small area will not be enough to start
moving the cylinder. Install Linoleum or other material washer as
shown on page 13 to provide a larger area at the start of each
stroke.
ACTION: When 5-way solenoid valve SVL is energized, air is exhausted from the back side of the
cylinder, and low-pressure air is sent to the top of the cylinder to close the electrodes under low
force. If the SOFT TOUCH sensor board detects continuity, relay contacts connected to the
welder’s pressure switch or level 2 terminals will close, and SVH valve will be energized (SVL
remains energized). This will shift the quick exhaust valve and put full weld force on the
electrodes.

See drawing #1964D-1 on page 13 for directions to adjust these components.

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

HOW THE SYSTEM OPERATES

1. When the solenoid valve output from the welding control goes HIGH, this voltage goes to the TS3
SOFT TOUCH detection board, terminal #9.
2. The output terminal #11 (LOW PRESSURE SOL VALVE) goes HIGH to turn on solenoid valve
SVL. This closes the welding electrodes under low force.
3. The TS3 board checks input at terminals #4 and #5 to see if the voltage signal drops a minimum
value indicating that the electrodes have made contact on a conducting material.
a. If this contact is NOT sensed within the maximum time setting on the board’s DIPswitches,
the output terminal #11 (SVL) will go LOW and drop out solenoid valve SVL to open the
electrodes.
b. If this contact IS sensed within the maximum time setting:
i. Terminal #11 (LOW PRESSURE SOL VALVE) will continue to be HIGH
ii. Terminal #13 (HIGH PRESSURE SOL VALVE) will go HIGH to energize solenoid
valve SVH and put full welding force between the electrodes.
iii. The contact across terminals #6 and #7 on the TS3 board close to tell the welding
control to start the welding sequence.

MOUNTING THE TS3 SOFT TOUCH BOARD

Note: If this SOFT TOUCH system is factory mounted in an enclosure, skip this section.
1. Select a convenient eye-level location on the existing welding control cabinet. Ideally this location
will be on a panel that faces the operator.
2. Tape the attached SOFT TOUCH MOUNTING TEMPLATE to the panel and drill six holes as
shown on the template.
3. Mount the light pipe lens assembly as shown on the template.
4. Mount the SOFT TOUCH board to the panel.
5. Mount the TIP DRESS switch to the panel. Install the switch so that the switch will be ON when
the switch is UP.
6. Mount the TIP DRESS nameplate above the TIP DRESS switch.
7. Mount the SOFT TOUCH STATUS LIGHT CODES plate to the panel as shown on the template.

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

CONNECTING WIRING TO SENSOR BOARD

1. CONNECTING SOLENOID VALVES:
FOR 9181-WIDC-34/115 and 9181-34YIDC/115 models use HOOKUP DRAWING ON PAGE 9.
FOR 9181-34WIDC/24DC and 9181-34YIDC/24 models use the hookup drawing on page 8.

BE SURE THAT YOU ARE INSTALLING THE CORRECT BOARD

TO MATCH THE EXISTING SOLENOID VALVE VOLTAGE IN
YOUR WELDER.
MODEL NUMBERS WITH /24DC ARE FOR 24VDC SOLENOIDS
MODEL NUMBERS WITH /115 ARE FOR 115VAC SOLENOIDS
Contact Unitrol if you have the wrong voltage SOFT TOUCH SENSOR board.

a. Wire the low-pressure solenoid SVL to terminals #10 and #11 on TS1.
b. Wire the high-pressure solenoid SV0 (5 WAY) to terminals SV0 and TS3 (12) on the power
chassis.
c. Wire the TIP DRESS switch to terminals 15 and 16.
2. CONNECTING SENSOR WIRES: Connect wires from the welder transformer
secondary (any point), as shown on page 7 or 8, to the SOFT TOUCH terminal marked TO
WELDER SECONDARY. The order of connection is not important. Ideally this connection should
be done on copper parts that do not move. Two blue wires have been provided in this kit. Cut any
excess wire off for a clean installation.
3. CONNECTING POWER WIRES:
a. For 115V kits (with /115 at the end of the model number), see page 7 for
connection terminals of incoming 115VAC power and solenoid control wire
from your welder control transformer.
i. Be sure that the common wire from your existing control’s transformer is connected
to the terminal marked N.
ii. Be sure that the “hot” wire (voltage that is sent through switches to turn on solenoid
valves) is connected to the terminal marked L.
iii. Be sure that the wire connected to terminal 9 is the high (not neutral) wire that was
originally connected to the welder solenoid valve.

WARNING: IF ANY OF THE ABOVE WIRING IS DONE INCORRECTLY

TS3 BOARD, THIS BOARD WILL SUSTAIN PERMANENT DAMAGE
WHEN OPERATED. THIS DAMAGE IS NOT COVERED BY
6 WARRANTY.
 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

b. For 24DC kits (with /24DC at the end of the model number), see page 8 for
connection terminals of incoming 24VDC and 115VAC power from your
welder control.
i. Be sure that the + voltage is on the + terminal and the – voltage is on the – terminal.
ii. Be sure that the wire connected to terminal 9 is the + (not -) wire that was originally
connected to the welder solenoid valve.

WARNING: IF ANY OF THE ABOVE WIRING IS DONE INCORRECTLY

TS3 BOARD, THIS BOARD WILL SUSTAIN PERMANENT DAMAGE
WHEN OPERATED. THIS DAMAGE IS NOT COVERED BY
WARRANTY.

iii. The order of connection of the 115V power to the terminal is not important.
4. Connecting control wires: Connect wires from terminals #6 and #7 (order is not
important) to the welding control. These wires are connected to a relay on the TS3 board that will
CLOSE when continuity has been detected. They can be connected in two ways:
a. On welders that have a PRESSURE SWITCH input terminal, connect these two wires and
remove any factory jumper on these terminals. This is the preferred method of hookup.
b. On welders that have a dual level initiation terminal (ie. closing first level brings electrodes
together; closing of second level starts the welder through the welding sequence), connect
these wires to close the second level of initiation.

ADJUSTING THE SOFT TOUCH PRESSURES

See SETTINGS box on the hookup drawing that matches your model.

Page 12 is for all 9181-34W… models.

Page 13 is for all 9181-34Y… models.

Use the TIP DRESS switch to turn the valves on and off for this adjustment.

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

SETTING SOFT TOUCH BOARD SWITCHES

SETTING BOARD DETECTION TIME:
1. Locate the four-section DIPswitch on the left side of each SOFT TOUCH board. This switch is
marked: 1, .75, .5, and .25 seconds.
2. Set the switches to a value that is about 2 times as long as it will take for the electrodes to
close. This setting is just the MAXIMUM time after initiation that is allowed to detect continuity
between the welding electrodes.
a. If continuity IS detected earlier, the welding control will start the weld sequence at that
time. Having more time set on the switch will not change production time.
b. If continuity is NOT detected before the end of this time, the low pressure solenoid valve
will be released.
The on-board computer adds the value of these switches. For example, pushing 1 and .5 down to
the left side will produce a detection time of 1.5 seconds. This setting is not critical. A typical setting
is 1 second. Longer times might be needed for very long stroke cylinders.

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9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

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9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

INITIAL TUNING OF
SOFT TOUCH SENSOR BOARD

CAUTION: Follow the steps below carefully. Do not

operate this welder unless all tests have been
successfully completed as shown at the end of this

Before starting this procedure, locate the welder’s tap switch (if one is on your welder) and
move the selection handle from lowest to highest number 10 times to clean the contacts on
this switch. Then leave it on the HIGHEST tap switch position that will be used in your
production.

Also be sure that the 2 or 3 plug-in relays on the TS3 SOFT TOUCH sensor board are fully
pushed into their sockets.

1. Turn the welding control ON and be sure that the green indicator is glowing on the new SOFT
TOUCH board.
2. SETTING THE SOFT TOUCH SENSOR BOARD WITH OPEN ELECTRODES:
a. Connect the positive lead of a digital voltmeter to terminal #TP4 and the negative lead on
#TP1 (GND) on the TS3 TOUCH SENSOR board. It is important that you observe the +
and – connection to your meter. You will be reading DC volts under 5V.
b. If the welder has a tap switch, set it to the highest number and be sure the electrodes are
not touching (electrodes open).
c. Locate the multi-turn blue potentiometer marked mounted just above the transformer on
this board.
d. Turn this potentiometer until the meter shows approximately 4.0 V. The potentiometer is a
20-turn style. Turn clockwise to increase, and counterclockwise to decrease. When it
reaches the maximum value, turning any further will not result in voltage changes and a
soft click will be heard every turn.
i. Note that it if you are lowering the voltage it may take many turns before you see
any drop in the reading. This is normal.
ii. Drifting of this reading is normal and reflects changes in incoming line voltage. On
some welders with very low open electrode input voltages you will not be able to go
any higher than 3.50 volts. This is OK for operation. See the trouble shooting chart
on page 13 if you cannot get this voltage to rise anywhere near this voltage.
e. Move the negative lead of the digital voltmeter from TP1 to TP5. Leave the positive lead on
TP4.

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9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

f. Locate the other blue multi-turn potentiometer marked R7 on the right side of the board.
Turn this pot until the value shown on the meter is approximately +1.0 V. Note that this
reading can be positive (+) or negative (-). If it is negative, continue to turn the
potentiometer to lower the negative reading until you cross over 0 volts. The reading will
now start climbing positive to the required approximate +1.0 V reading.
g. At this time the YELLOW LD1 on the outside of the cabinet (back of this board) should be
flashing slowly.
If you do not read voltage of at least +0.8V (800mv) at these test points, see TROUBLE
SHOOTING procedure on page 13. The system will not operate correctly without this
reading.
h. This setting should now work for all transformer tap positions.

IMPORTANT: After the welder has been making welds for about 15 minutes, check the
voltage at test points #4 and #5 as shown in step f above. If the voltage being read has
drifted lower than 0.700V (700 mv), readjust potentiometer R7 to bring it back up to
about +1,0V. Some drifting is normal and follows the change in the welder transformer
as the windings heat up and also as line voltage changes.
i.

DRIFTING VALUES: If the voltage readings with open electrodes at these test points
changes more than 0.5V (500 mv), rotate the welder’s transformer switch from low to high
number setting about 10 times to clean the contacts in this switch. Dirty tap switches can
cause drifting of values in system.

This reading will change if the welder transformer tap switch is moved to a new location.
For most welders, doing the original setting with the transformer tap at the HIGHEST
position that will be used in production should provide a setting that will work with the
lower transformer tap switch setting positions.

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

TESTING WITH ELECTRODES CLOSED

1. Clean electrodes on welder
2. Place two thicknesses of metal between the electrodes. This should be the thickest combination
that will be welded on the welder.
3. Close electrodes by turning ON the new TIP DRESS switch.
4. The RED LED1 on the front of the board should turn ON with the electrodes touching a conductive
material. Measure the voltage between test points #4 (+) and #5 (-). It should be at least –0.500
volts DC. If necessary, adjust potentiometer R7 to get this value. It is possible for this value
measured when the electrodes are touching will be as low as –3.0 volts DC (the larger the better).
This is normal.
5. If you are not able to get the voltage to drop to at least –0.500VDC (-500mv) when the electrodes
are closed on metal, see TROUBLE SHOOTING procedure on page 13. The system will not
operate correctly without this minimum voltage shift reading.
6. TESTING SETTING: Release the electrodes and RED LED1 should turn off. At the same time,
the voltage reading should go back to approximately +1.0 volts. If not, repeat step 2 and 3 above.
7. IF THE SYSTEM IS WORKING PROPERLY:
a. Closing the electrodes on either themselves or on metal will close the TS3 relay contact on
terminals #6 and #7. This will close the welding control “weld permissive” input to start the
welding sequence. At the same time the RED LED1 should stay ON as long as the
electrodes are closed on metal or themselves. Note that this LED will turn off briefly when
welding current is flowing.
b. Opening the electrodes should change turn the RED LED1 OFF.
c. The system should now be tuned to the welder.

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9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

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9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

TROUBLE SHOOTING SOFT TOUCH

A red LED is mounted on the back of each SOFT TOUCH board and is installed with a light pipe to
show statue of that board on the front of the control. The following chart shows the six conditions
detected by this LED:

SOFT TOUCH STATUS LIGHT CODES

A. STANDBY, NO FAULTS, slow continuous flash: ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
B. SENSOR OPEN, DETECT TIME NOT REACHED, fast continuous flash: ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
C. SENSOR CLOSED, SV INPUT ON, continuous on: ☼----------------------------------------------------☼
D. SENSOR OPEN, DETECT TIME EXCEEDED, one flash: ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
E. SENSOR CLOSED, SV INPUT OFF, two flashes: ☼☼ ☼☼ ☼☼ ☼☼ ☼☼ ☼☼
F. OUTPUT RELAY NOT RELEASING, three flashes: ☼☼☼ ☼☼☼ ☼☼☼ ☼☼☼ ☼☼☼

See chart on the next page for trouble shooting guide for flash codes.

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9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE
FLASH
CODE CAUSE
A Normal Standby condition
Normal condition after turn-on of
B low force SV1, waiting for sensor -
to detect metal
Normal condition if continuity
C was detected in time, and
electrodes are still closed
1. Time set on DIP switch not
long enough for cylinder
stroke
2. Dirt on electrodes or part
between electrodes
3. Force between electrodes
too low and good continuity
cannot be established
D between electrodes.
4. Settings on TS3 board not
correct
5. TS3 board not operating
correctly
1. SOFT TOUCH not adjusted
properly
E
2. No voltage input on sensor
input at terminals #4 and #5
on SOFT TOUCH board
F Output relay K2 contacts shorted Replace K2
18
WHAT TO CHECK OR DO
-
-
1. Increase DIPswitch time. Remember that this
time is the addition of all switches pushed
down
2. Clean electrodes or check part being welded.
3. Increase force by:
a. Raising ADVANCE PRESSURE on
9181-34YIDC… controls
b. Lowering ADVANCE PRESSURE on
9181-34WIDC… controls.
4. Go through settings starting on page 9.
5. Faulty TS3 board. Have board repaired or
replaced.
1. Adjust SOFT TOUCH potentiometer with tips
open and transformer on HIGH tap, until
voltage at TP4 (+) and TP5 (-) test points
reads about +1.000 VDC
2. Sensor wires disconnected at transformer or
SOFT TOUCH board, transformer secondary
shorted (insulation missing, etc.), or
transformer primary disconnected from SCR
or L2
 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

PROBLEMS WITH COATED METAL

If metal between the electrodes is coated with an insulating material, the electrodes will not see
continuity and the SOFT TOUCH system will not operate. This is just reality of continuity testing.
Some materials that have had problem with this system have included metal with various oxide
coatings (titanium oxide, silicon oxide, etc.) as well as polished material that has a thick wax finish.
Problems are also found trying to use hot rolled steel that has not had the scale properly removed.

During normal spot welding, the high force of the electrodes is usually enough to break the oxide
surface coating and make contact through the electrodes. These materials typically have a lot of
expulsion when welded confirming that the surface must be “blown away” at the early part of each
weld.
But the low voltage and low force of the SOFT TOUCH process will not always be able to establish a
continuity path between the electrodes to let this function work.
ALTERNATIVE SENSOR INSTALLATION: Where these partially insulated materials are welded on
this machine, the only way the system will operate is with the use of a LIMIT SWITCH or PROXIMITY
SWITCH as the main sensor. The limit or prox switch will be mounted and adjusted in such a way
that it will close when the electrodes are less than ¼” apart. While this is not as elegant as the
continuity sensing of the SOFT TOUCH board, it will still provide protection in the pinch point area
between the electrodes if set up correctly. Note that if the limit or prox switch is closed before the
welding electrodes start to close, the system will not allow any movement and will display the fault.
A keylock selector switch can be installed to switch between the SOFT TOUCH sensor board on
conductive material, and limit switch operation on poor conductive material. A SOFT TOUCH
BYPASS kit is also available the will maintain the low-pressure advance but not utilize the continuity
testing when working with insulated material. Contact the Unitrol service department for more
information on these two choices.

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 9181-34WIDC, 9181-34WIDCE, 9181-34YIDC, 9181-34YIDCE

TROUBLE SHOOTING INSULATION FAULTS IN WELDER

On all resistance welders, either the top or bottom electrode arm or holder is insulated from the
welder frame. This is done using fiber sheets between plates, and fiber tubes and washers on bolts
that connect the insulated components. If one of these insulators is missing, the secondary of the
welder will be shorted, and the SOFT TOUCH system will not see the required change in voltage
when the electrodes close on metal.
If these voltage changes are not seen by the SOFT TOUCH sensor board, the SOFT TOUCH
system will not be able to be used.
Because the welder transformer secondary is essentially one copper strip, putting a meter from
electrode to electrode will not tell if the insulators are not properly installed. To do this, you will have
to unbolt the flexible shunt that connects to the moving part of the welder secondary. On a press
welder this is usually a stack of copper laminations. On some welders, this flexible connection
consists of one or more flexible copper cables.
Remove the flexible connection and check from top to bottom electrode for continuity. If the welder is
properly insulated, the resistance measured should be zero (totally open). If continuity is measured,
check and repair insulation as needed so that this reading shows fully open (no resistance).
Once this has been accomplished, reconnect the flexible components and go through the voltage
testing procedure. You should now see a good strong usable swing of voltage from positive to
negative with open and then closed electrodes.

DRIFTING VALUES: If you have successfully set the SOFT TOUCH voltages, and then a
while later you have to readjust the board, it might also indicate a dirty tap switch on the
welder’s transformer. Because this system is conducting millivolts and milliamps of current
during the continuity detection sequence, bad transformer tap switch contacts can cause
large changes of voltage present at the welder secondary and cause the SOFT TOUCH
sensor board to have greatly changing values when the electrodes are open.

In this case, voltages read at test points #4 and #5 with open electrodes will change more
than 0.5V (500 mv).

To eliminate this problem, rotate the welder’s transformer switch from low to high
number setting about 10 times to clean the contacts in this switch.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS

If you cannot reach these minimum conditions, contact the UNITROL service department M-F
between 9:00 – 5:00 CT at 847-480-0115 for further instructions. Try to make this call using a cell
phone or landline phone at the welder so that testing can be done during that conversation.

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 UNITROL ELECTRONICS, INC.
702 LANDWEHR ROAD
NORTHBROOK, IL 60062
847-480-0115
techsupport@unitrol-electronics.com