Submerged Arc Welding

By
L D Poyyara

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 SAW
• Fusion Welding Process
• Automatic / Semi Automatic
• Arc Between Consumable Electrode And Work
• Arc Covered Under granular Flux
• Wire / Electrode Continuously Fed To Weld Pool
• Wire / Arc Under Flux Moves Along The Groove
• Wire, BM & Flux Close to Arc Melt Under Flux
• On Cooling Weld Metal Solidifies
• Molten Flux Forms Thick Slag Coating On Weld
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 SAW
Hopper

Flux Power Source

Wire +
+ –
Slag
Flux Weld
Base Metal
••••••••••••••••
••• Arc

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 Flux For SAW

• Sodium Chloride
• Potassium Chloride
• Titanium Dioxide
• Sodium Silicate
• Deoxidizing Agents

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 Types Of Flux

• Fused Flux

• Agglomerated Flux
» Neutral Flux
» Active Flux
» Alloy Flux

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 Types Of Flux

• Neutral Flux
- Very little deoxidizers
- Wire compatible to base metal with deoxidizers
- Best suitable for multi pass welding
- No significant change in weld chemistry due to change in
arc length
- Consistent weld chemistry trough out the weld volume
- Single flux suitable for several material

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 Types Of Flux

• Active Flux
- Contains Mn & Si as deoxidizers
- Suitable for single pass welding on rusted
surfaces
- Mn & Si in weld metal vary with change in
arc length
- To be welded within the recommended
parameters
- Not suitable for better impact properties of
weld metal

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 Types Of Flux

• Alloy Flux
- To be used with CS wire to produce alloy steel
weld metal
- Required quantity and quality of alloys added to
flux
- Single flux for specific application
- Wire will be different from base metal
- To be welded within the recommended parameters
- Inconsistent weld chemistry

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 Function Of Flux In SAW
• Stabilizes Arc
• Prevents contamination of weld metal
• Cleans the weld from unwanted impurities
• Increases Fluidity of molten metal
• Generates inert gas shielding while metal transfers
• Forms slag after melting & covers weld
• Allows deposited metal to cool slowly
• Compensates alloying elements Within the weld
• Eliminates spatter generation
• Helps in even & uniform bead finish
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 Baking Requirements For Flux

• Spread the loose Flux in a Tray Of baking Oven

• Identify The Tray With The Quality/Grade Of Flux
• Bake Tray in an Oven Between 300° C to 350° C
• Baking Time 2 Hrs to 3 Hrs
• Reduce the temperature to Min 100 ° C
• Hold the Flux at this temperature till use

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 Why Baking Flux?

• To remove the moisture (H2O)

• To avoid possible cracking of weld due

to H2

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 How Does Moist Flux Generate
Crack Within Weld?
• Moist Flux introduce atomic hydrogen at high
temperature in weld
• On cooling, atomic hydrogen try to form
molecules
• The reaction results in stresses and fine cracks
• Cracks occur within hardened metal - HAZ
• Known as “Hydrogen Embrittlement” or “Under
Bead Crack” or “Delayed Crack”

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 Reuse Of Flux

• Flux May Be Reused Provided

- Weld Not Highly Critical In Impact / Chemistry
- Reuse Limited To Maximum Twice
- All Slag Particles Are sieved & Removed
- Rebaked If not Remained In Hot
- Minimum 50% Fresh Flux Well Mixed
- Customer Spec. Doesn't Prohibit The Same

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Types Of Power Source

• Thyrister – DC

• Rectifier – DC

• Motor Generator – DC

• Transformer - AC

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 Characteristic Of Power Source

Machine welding
Drooping – Cons. A Linear – Cons. V
V V
V1

V1
V2
V2

A A
A1 A2 A1 A2

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 SAW Wire - Electrode
• Consumable Electrode / Wire
• Layer Wound On Spool / Coil
• CS & LAS Wires Coated with Cu
• Conducts Current and generates Arc
• Chemistry Compatible To Base Metal
• Grade Of Flux Can Be Same For CS & LAS
• Wire melts & deposited as filler in joint

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 Typical Welding Parameter

Sr Wire Voltage Speed Dep. Rate

Current A Wire & Flux
no Ø mm V mm/min Per Arc Hr
1 1.6 200-300 22-26 750-1500 3 – 4 kgs CS wire
2 2 250-350 24-26 750-1250 3- 4.5 kgs +
4 2.5 300-350 25-27 750-1250 4 –4.5 kgs
Neutral
5 3 400-500 28-30 500-750 5 – 5.5 kgs Flux
6 4 550-650 30-32 400-750 5.5 - 7 kgs
7 5 600-800 30-34 350-750 6 - 8 kgs

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 Tandem SAW
Hopper
Power Sources
Flux

DC AC
+ –
Wires

+
AC

Slag
Flux Weld
•••••••••••••••• Arcs
_
Base Metal AC

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 Tandem SAW
DC Wire

AC Wire
Slag Welding Direction
Flux Weld 35 mm gap
•••••••••••••••• Arcs
Base Metal

1 Displacement between two wires – 25 - 50 mm

2 While starting first Arc is struck with DC wire
Immediately after DC wire starts moving with arc in the groove, AC wire
3 is made to strike the second Arc

4 While DC Arc leads, AC arc lag behind by 35 mm

5 While stopping, first DC arc is cut off followed by AC

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 Tandem SAW
DC Wire

AC Wire
Slag Welding Direction
Flux Weld 35 mm gap
•••••••••••••••• Arcs
Base Metal

Advantages Disadvantages
Double the weld deposit Requires uniform - jerk free -
1 movement of welding nozzle / job
(15kg / arc hr)
Requires precise placement of wires
2 Higher productivity in the groove

3 Less consumption of flux Higher skill of operator

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 Multi Wire SAW
Wire1
Wire 2 Nozzle
Slag Welding Direction
Flux Weld 3 mm gap DC
•••••••••••••••• Arcs + –
Base Metal

Advantages Disadvantages
Requires higher capacity power
1 Higher weld deposit source
Requires precise placement of
2 Higher productivity nozzle in the groove

3 Less consumption of flux Higher skill of operator

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 Important Terminology used in
Critical SAW

• Preheating
• Post Heating or Dehydrogenation
• Intermediate Stress leaving
• Inter pass Temperature
• Post Weld Heat Treatment

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 What Is Preheating?
• Heating the base metal along the weld joint
to a predetermined minimum temperature
immediately before starting the weld.
• Heating by Oxy fuel flame or electric
resistant coil
• Heating from opposite side of welding
wherever possible
• Temperature to be verified by thermo chalks
prior to starting the weld
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 Why Preheating?
• Preheating eliminates possible cracking of weld
and HAZ
• Applicable to
-Hardenable low alloy steels of all thickness
-Carbon steels of thickness above 25 mm.
-Restrained welds of all thickness
• Preheating temperature vary from 75°C to 200°C
depending on hardenability of material, thickness
& joint restrain

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 How does Preheating Eliminate
Crack?

• Preheating promotes slow cooling of weld

and HAZ
• Slow cooling softens or prevents hardening
of weld and HAZ
• Soft material not prone to crack even in
restrained condition

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 What Is Post Heating?
• Raising the pre heating temperature of the weld
joint to a predetermined temperature range (250° C
to 350° C) for a minimum period of time (3 Hrs)
before the weld cools down to room temperature.
• Post heating performed when welding is completed
or terminated any time in between.
• Heating by Oxy fuel flame or electric resistant coil
• Heating from opposite side of welding wherever
possible
• Temperature verified by thermo chalks during the
period
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 Why Post Heating?
• Post heating eliminates possible delayed
cracking of weld and HAZ
• Applicable to
-Thicker hardenable low alloy steels
-Restrained hardenable welds of all
thickness
• Post heating temperature and duration
depends on hardenability of material,
thickness & joint restrain
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 How does Post Heating Eliminate
Crack?
• SAW introduces hydrogen in weld metal
• Entrapped hydrogen in weld metal induces
delayed cracks unless removed before
cooling to room temperature
• Retaining the weld at a higher temperature
for a longer duration allows the hydrogen to
come out of weld

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 What Is Intermediate Stress
Relieving?
• Heat treating a subassembly in a furnace to
a predetermined cycle immediately on
completion of critical restrained weld joint /
joints without allowing the welds to go down
the pre heat temperature. Rate of heating,
Soaking temperature, Soaking time and rate
of cooling depends on material quality and
thickness
• Applicable to
Highly restrained air hardenable material
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 Why Intermediate Stress
Relieving?
• Restrained welds in air hardenable steel
highly prone to crack on cooling to room
temperature.

• Cracks due to entrapped hydrogen and built

in stress

• Intermediate stress relieving relieves built in

stresses and entrapped hydrogen making
the joint free from crack prone
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 What Is Inter- Pass Temperature?
• The temperature of a previously layed weld
bead immediately before depositing the next
bead over it
• Temperature to be verified by thermo chalk
prior to starting next bead
• Applicable to
Stainless Steel
Carbon Steel & LAS with minimum
impact
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 Why Inter Pass Temperature?

• Control on inter pass temperature avoids

over heating, there by
-Refines the weld metal with fine grains
-Improves the notch toughness
properties
-Minimize the loss of alloying elements in
welds
-Reduces the distortion
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 What Is Post Weld Heat
Treatment?
• Heat treating an assembly on completion of
all applicable welding, in an enclosed
furnace with controlled heating/cooling rate
and soaking at a specific temperature for a
specific time.
• Rate of heating, Soaking temperature,
Soaking time and rate of cooling depends on
material quality and thickness
• Applicable to
-All type of CS & LAS
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 Why Post Weld Heat Treatment?
• Welded joints retain internal stresses within
the structure

• HAZ of welds remains invariably hardened

• Post Weld Heat Treatment relieves internal

stresses and softens HAZ. This reduces the
cracking tendency of the equipment in
service
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Thank You

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