Frequently Asked Questions

Switzerland

No, unless you purchase it as a kit

Consider the outside parameters—such as how clean the air is, if the voltage is higher, and if the conditions are wet. Those factors will shorten the lifespan of the carbon brushes significantly. Under the best conditions, the lifespan for RiOn is approx. 1500 working hours and approx. 1200 working hours for ErOn. Once you change the brushes, the lifespan is split in half. If they’re changed again, the lifespan is cut in half a second time.

For small jobs under between 20 -100 squares and where I need to weld curves details.

Yes: 230v, L101 230v. For Roofon and Roofon Edge 120v: use L120.

• 220V Line needed (most buildings’ 220V line electrical power is only providing 208V, which is not enough for these tools to operate effectively. A voltmeter will assure you of your power source.)
• 100ft GFCI line cord (10 Gauge wire). We strongly recommended not using a cord that’s longer than 100 ft.
• 5000W minimum generator for the Roofon only. If you want to add a heat gun to be powered, an 8000W generator is effective.

• Note: This machine is analog, not digital.
• You’ll find a green power button on the back of the machine. Turn it “on,” and cool air will begin circulating through the heat gun.
• You’ll find a round knob to the left of the power button. This is the airflow knob.
• The speed knob is above the airflow knob.
• For your heat, go to the heat gun. Turn the red potentiometer knob for your heat selection, just as you do with your hand-held units. Set your desired temperature (you’ll notice that cool air is still blowing out of the nozzle). Push the toggle switch on the heat gun to activate the heating element. Once you feel hot air blowing out of the nozzle, you should be ready to weld in approx. 3-5 minutes.

• For TPO

• • • .040-.060 mil. Thickness (supported & unsupported)
    • Set your airflow at 100% (maximum)
    • Set your speed at 2
    • Set your temperature at 8.5

• For PVC

• • (.040-.045 mil. Thickness)
  • Set your airflow at 100% (maximum)
  • Set your speed at 3
  • Set your temperature at 8

• You’ll align your welder just like our larger Laron welder: the pressure wheel on the front of the machine that’s below the black weight is on the top edge of the overlap layer, and the guide wheel (aka pizza wheel) is on the lower edge of the overlap layer.
• The outside of your pressure wheel and the guide wheel must be aligned for your machine to move in a straight line. (See operations manual)
• You’ll want to see a slight angle of the nozzle starting from the outside and angling down to the inside of the weld (not flat). (See operations manual)
• You’ll want to see 1.5mm of the nozzle’s edge sticking out of the edge of the top layer of single-ply material.
• The distance of the nozzle from the pressure wheel should measure 32mm-42mm (approx. 1.25” – 1.65”) from the hub nut (center) of the pressure wheel.

• Either during lunchtime or at the end of the day, turn the toggle switch that’s on the heat gun off to let cool air circulate through the machine for approx. 3-5 minutes. Once you feel consistent cool air blowing out of the nozzle, press the green button to “off.”
• Always cool down the machine using this process. It’ll save your heating elements and promote a safe work environment.
• Always store your Roofon with the nozzle in the welding (down) position, inserted in front of the pressure wheel. Doing so will protect your heat gun from wear and tear.

• Reference: Roofon and Roofon Edge Maintenance video 0:12 – 02:26
• Check the power cord and the plug to make sure they’re wired correctly. (Reference: Wiring Diagram)
• If they’re wired correctly, there could be a broken wire from the plug clamping down onto the cord. The best way to check for this problem is to remove the plug, take a pair of pliers, and pull each wire. If one of them pulls out, cut back approximately 6 inches and rewire your plug.
• If there’s no broken wire, there could be a broken wire on the other end of the cable where it connects to the housing. To fix that, remove the 4 screws that hold the cover on, disconnect the wire inside, pull the wire out, cut 6 inches back, and redo the wire inside the housing

• Reference: Roofon and Roofon Edge Maintenance video 02:30-04:00
• Adjust the nozzle height.
• Loosen the three nuts, turn the set screw counterclockwise until your nozzle lays flat Once that’s done, tighten all three nuts.

• Reference: Roofon and Roofon Edge Maintenance video 04:04 – 05:19
• The nozzle pitch might be lying completely flat. You need to set the proper pitch. 
• Loosen all 4 screws of the nozzle, and turn the nozzle counterclockwise to the left. This should give you a proper nozzle pitch.

• Check the alignment of the nozzle with the pressure roller. You need to have a 2mm or 1/8” opening of the nozzle sticking out past the silicone of the wheel.
  • Reference: Roofon and Roofon Edge Maintenance video 5:21 – 07:73
  • Use a 10mm wrench to loosen the two 10mm bolts of the mounting bracket so you can move the tool around to achieve the 2mm opening. Check the proper distance between the nozzle tip and the center of the pressure roller. Use a ruler to make sure you have the nozzle 38mm-42mm or 1 ½ – 1 5/8” from the center of the pressure roller bolt. Check again to make sure still have 2mm or 1/8” nozzle opening sticking out past the silicone wheel, then tighten the two 10mm bolts.
• FOR ROOFON EDGE: The guide roller might be out of adjustment.
  • Reference: Roofon and Roofon Edge Maintenance video 08:39 – 09:32
  • The distance between the rocker arm and the edge of the guide roller should be 10mm. Take a 17mm wrench, loosen the nut on the backside, turn the axle until you have achieved a 10mm distance, then tighten the nut.
• FOR ROOFON: The guide roller might be out of adjustment.
  • Reference: Roofon and Roofon Edge Maintenance video 10:05 – 09:32
  • The distance between the rocker arm and the edge of the guide roller should be 30mm.

• Reference: Roofon and Roofon Edge Maintenance video 10:30 – 11:03
• Put the guide wheel in the UP position the heat source in the DOWN position. 
• Do not store line cords on top of the welder.

1. Read the manufacturer’s extruder operator’s manual before beginning extrusion welding. Pay particular attention to line cord specification and length, and ensure that the generator used can adequately provide the extruder wattage required. Using a generator smaller than what is required to properly power the extruder could result in damage to its sensitive electronic components. (Over 95% of phoned-in troubleshooting calls to our Service Dept. are power line cord related and/or due to an undersized generator). 
2. Similar to steel welding and plastic welding, temperature, pressure, and speed all contribute to a successful extrusion weld.
3. The liner material and welding rod must be clean and dry. Use a 50/50 mixture of Simple Green and water to clean because this combination will get rid of moisture.  Never use 100% water to clean the liner, since moisture remains on the surface—despite its dry appearance.
4. Lightly grind or scuff the edges (2”- 3” distance in on both panels) to be extruded with some form of light sanding wheel to scuff material. The scuffed area will oxidize immediately, so extrusion should begin soon after.
5. Consider current ambient temperature and possible wind conditions that affect the liner temperature and dispense molten plastic. Ultimately this affects extruded overall weld quality. Adjust extruder temperature and/or operators’ pace accordingly.
6. Tie and pull snug a small piece of cloth in a knot around the welding rod where it enters the extruder. This will act as a “wiping cloth” to help minimize the amount of dust/debris being pulled into the internal extruder barrel.
7. Never use a welding rod that has gotten wet. If a wet welding rod enters the extruder barrel, it will steam off the moisture internally as it’s heated in the barrel. This creates small air pockets/bubbles in the extruded seam and compromises weld quality.
8. Place the extruder’s Teflon tip evenly positioned to where it overlaps both panels.
9. A thin (approx. 1/8” thick) layer of extruded material with a small raised lip on each side of the Teflon welding shoe will typically result. If the extruded melted rod is too thick, the operator should increase his/her pace accordingly.
10. Let the weld cool, and test pull the seam.
11. Cut patch pieces in a circular or oval pattern—large enough to overlap the area needing repairs—as there’s no need to patch 90-degree angles that will waste welding rod.
12. Shutting down the extruder: Snip off the welding rod at the extruder entry point, and pull the trigger until you hear RPMs increase. This procedure “bleeds” some of the remaining melted rods. Once you hear higher RPMs, release the trigger. Follow the extruder manual for reducing both mass and heat temperatures before turning the extruder off completely. The extruder takes a while to cool down.  Allow leftover extruded material to hang from the Teflon tip to cool for 10- 15 minutes. Use thin-tip needle-nose pliers to reach in (without damaging the tip) through the Teflon tip opening. and gently pull out partially-cooled material.  Doing so will remove some of the leftover melted rods residing internally in the Teflon tip. Performing this procedure will help reduce start-up/heating time for your next extrusion project.