Arc Welding Processes

Grouping of welding processes

 The grouping of welding processes has been made according

to the mode of energy transfer as a primary consideration

 During the classification, the designation of pressure or

nonpressurehas been omitted since the factor of pressure is an
element of operation of the applicable process.

 Other terms and factors, such as the type of current, whether

the electrodes are continuous or incremental or the method of
application are not considered.
 Diversity of welding processes
welding

Solid state welding Fusion welding Soldering and brazing

Resistance welding Soldering

Cold welding Brazing
Friction welding
Electrical energy Chemical energy
Diffusion welding
Flash welding Oxyacetylene welding

Ultrasonic welding Oxyfuel gas welding

Explosion welding
Consumable electrode Non consumable Other processes
electrode
Gas metal arc welding Laser beam welding
Gas tungsten arc welding
Shielded metal arc welding Thermit welding
Atomic hydrogen welding
Submerged arc welding Electron beam welding
Plasma arc welding
Flux cored arc welding
Electrogas welding
Electroslag welding
 Definition of welding groups
• Arc welding A group of welding processes that produce
coalescence of work pieces by heating them with an arc. The
processes are used with or without the application of pressure and
with or without filler metal.

• Oxyfuelwelding A group of welding processes that produces

coalescence of work pieces by heating them with an oxy fuel gas
flame. The processes are used with or without the application of
pressure and with or without filler metal.

• Resistance welding A group of welding processes that produces

colescence of the faying surfaces with the heat obtained from
resistance of workpieces to the flow of the welding current in a
circuit of which the workpieces are a part, an by the application of
pressure.

• Solid state welding A group of welding processes that produces

colescence by the application of pressure without melting any of
the joint components.
 Arc Welding Processes
 Welding processes that employ an electric arc are
the most prevalent in industry
 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
 Shielded Metal Arc Welding
 Gas Metal Arc Welding
 Flux Cored Arc Welding Electric Arc
 Submerged Arc Welding
 These processes are associated with molten metal
 Protection of the Molten Weld Pool
 Molten metal reacts with the atmosphere
 Oxides and nitrides are formed
 Discontinuities such as porosity
 Poor weld metal properties
 All arc welding processes employ some means of
shielding the molten weld pool from the air
 Welding Flux
 Three forms
 Granular
 Electrode wire coating
 Electrode core
 Fluxes melt to form a protective slag over the weld pool
 Other purposes
 Contain scavenger elements to purify weld metal
 Contain metal powder added to increase deposition rate
 Add alloy elements to weld metal
 Decompose to form a shielding gas
 Shielding Gas
 Shielding gas forms a protective atmosphere over the
molten weld pool to prevent contamination
 Inert shielding gases, argon or helium, keep out oxygen,
nitrogen, and other gases
 Active gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, are
sometimes added to improve variables such as arc
stability and spatter reduction

Argon Helium Oxygen Carbon Dioxide

Arc welding tree
Deposition rate
Skilled/semi automatic
Semi skilled / automatic
Electrode
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
 SMAW Electrode Classification Example

E7018
 E indicates electrode
 70 indicates 70,000 psi tensile strength
 1 indicates use for welding in all positions
 8 indicates low hydrogen

E7018-A1-H8R
 Coating Materials -Partial List

Arc Stabilizers Slipping Agents to Aid Extrusion

Titania TiO2 Clay
Talc
Glycerin
Gas-Forming Materials
Wood Pulp
Binding Agents
Limestone CaCO3
Sodium Silicate
Asbestos
Slag-Forming Starch
Materials Sugar
Alumina Al2O3
TiO2 Alloying and Deoxidizing Elements
SiO2 Si, Al, Ti, Mn, Ni, Cr
Fe3O4
 Advantages
 Equipment relatively easy to use, inexpensive, portable
 Filler metal and means for protecting the weld puddle are
provided by the covered electrode
 Less sensitive to drafts, dirty parts, poor fit-up
 Can be used on carbon steels, low alloy steels, stainless
steels, cast irons, copper, nickel, aluminum
 Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Quality Issues
 Discontinuities associated
with manual welding
process that utilize flux
for pool shielding
 Slag inclusions
 Lack of fusion
 Other possible effects on
quality are porosity, and
hydrogen cracking
 Shileded Metal Arc Welding

Limitations
 Low Deposition Rates
 Low Productivity
 Operator Dependent
 Other Limitations

 Heat of welding too high for lead, tin, zinc, and their
alloys
 Inadequate weld pool shielding for reactive metals such
as titanium, zirconium, tantalum, columbium
 Gas Metal Arc Welding

Gas Metal Arc Welding

 Gas Metal Arc Welding

GMAW Modes of Metal Transfer

Spray Globular

Short Circuiting Pulsed Spray

 Gas Metal Arc Welding

GMAW Filler Metal Designations

ER - 70S - 6
Composition
Electrode 6 = high silicon
Solid Electrode
Rod (can be used
with GMAW) Minimum ultimate tensile
strength of the weld metal
 Gas Metal Arc Welding

Shielding Gas
 Shielding gas can affect
 Weld bead shape
 Arc heat, stability, and
starting
 Surface tension
Ar He CO2  Drop size
Ar-He  Puddle flow
 Spatter
 Gas Metal Arc Welding

GMAW Advantages
 Deposition rates higher
than SMAW
 Productivity higher than
SMAW with no slag
removal and continuous
welding
 Easily automated
 Gas Metal Arc Welding

Limitations
 Equipment is more
expensive and complex
than SMAW
 Process variants/metal
transfer mechanisms make
the process more complex
and the process window
more difficult to control
 Restricted access
 GMAW gun is larger than
SMAW holder
 Flux-Cored Arc Welding

Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

 Flux-Cored Arc Welding

FCAW Electrode Classification

E70 T - 1
Electrode
Type Gas, Usability
Minimum UTS and Performance
70,000 psi
Flux Cored /Tubular
Position Electrode

American Welding Society Specification

AWS A5.20 and AWS A5.29.
 Flux-Cored Arc Welding

Advantages
 High deposition rates
 Deeper penetration than
SMAW
 High-quality
 Less pre-cleaning than
GMAW
 Slag covering helps with
larger out-of-position welds
 Self-shielded FCAW is
draft tolerant.
 Flux-Cored Arc Welding

Limitations
 Slag must be removed
 More smoke and fumes
than GMAW and SAW
 Spatter
 FCAW wire is more
expensive
 Equipment is more
expensive and complex
than for SMAW
 Submerged Arc Welding

Submerged Arc Welding

 Submerged Arc Welding

SAW Flux / Filler Metal Compositions

F7A2-EM12K
 F indicates flux
 70-95 ksi UTS, 58 ksi minimum yield strength, 22% elongation
 A - as welded; P - postweld heat treated
 2 - minimum impact properties of 20 ft-lbs @ 20°F
 E indicates electrode (EC - composite electrode)
 M - medium manganese per AWS Specifications
 12 - 0.12% nominal carbon content in electrode
 K - produced from a heat of aluminum killed steel
 Submerged Arc Welding

Advantages
 High deposition rates
 No arc flash or glare
 Minimal smoke and fumes
 Flux and wire added
separately - extra dimension of
control
 Easily automated
 Joints can be prepared with
narrow grooves
 Can be used to weld carbon
steels, low alloy steels,
stainless steels, chromium-
molybdenum steels, nickel
base alloys
 Submerged Arc Welding

Limitations
 Flux obstructs view of
joint during welding
 Flux is subject to
contaminationporosity
 Normally not suitable for
thin material
 Restricted to the flat
position for grooves - flat
and horizontal for fillets
 Slag removal required
 Flux handling equipment