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Institute

2015

www.welding-and-cutting.info Technical journal for welding and allied processes

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Mechanical-technological properties of a stud-welded joint and its
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 EDITORIAL

Welding engineering: an
accessible, inclusive profession
TWI has become a signatory to the Engineering Diversity Con-
cordat.

Please read the Welding Institute News Editorial on page 159 to

understand what the Concordat and engineering diversity are,
and how we aim to implement a change programme to deliver
and demonstrate inclusive opportunity and accessibility to the
profession.

Eur Ing Chris Eady BSc(Hons) MSc CEng MRAeS FWeldI

Associate Director, Professional Affairs & Certification
The Welding Institute

Chris Eady receives the signed TWI Engi-

neering Diversity Concordat agreement
from Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE
FRS FREng, Chair, Engineering Diversity
Concordat Steering Group.

Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 127

 CONTENTS WELDING AND CUTTING 03/2015

News 130 European industry’s employment and

qualification opportunities as seen by the
joining sector
132 EU-OSHA launches free e-guide on
managing stress and psychosocial risks at
work
132 Conferences and Exhibitions
133 Best young welders’ teams from
throughout Europe will compete in the
2015 “WeldCup“

134 Laser welding personnel: 134 Extending aircraft life using cold spray
recent course organized in Puebla, technology – the “Corsair“ project
Mexico.
134 Removing boundaries for training in laser
welding

From Companies 136 Orbital welding solutions for offshore

umbilical cables
138 One arc, two wires and a laser: “HoDopp“
– high power deposition welding
139 Friction stir welding ‘exotic’ alloys
140 UK Association of Industrial Laser Users
honours TWI innovators
140 Short Messages
142 Products

Mobile orbital
welding set for spool
interconnection. Welding Practice 144 Information about practical welding

Events 146 Feeling the pulse of joining technology:

The lecture programme at the
“DVS Congress 2015“
147 TWI hosts successful 3rd International
Linear Friction Welding Seminar
147 11th International Friction Stir Welding
Symposium 2016 in Cambridge – Call for
Papers

Reports 148 Brazing PCD (polycrystalline diamond)

and other ceramics – Part 2: brazing PCD
154 The “Durimprove“ research project:
Improvement of the fatigue life of welded
structures in high strength steel grades
Setup of the laser
supported welding
process.
138
128 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
 Issue

01
The

03
Welding
Institute

2015

www.welding-and-cutting.info Technical journal for welding and allied processes

Technical journal for welding and allied processes of

the DVS – German Welding Society, Düsseldorf,
the Professional Division of The Welding Institute, Cambridge,
and the Institut de Soudure, Paris

Produced in Collaboration between

140 AILU Awards: Lifetime Achievement recip-

ient Paul Hilton (right) with Young UK
Laser Engineer Matt Spinks.

Specialist Articles 162 A new oxy-gasoline cutting torch with fuel

injection and control unit
Samir M. Yousef, Ali El-Ashram, M. Said
Abdel-kader
168 Serial coupling of the plasma and GMA
processes in order to increase the econo
mic viability and process reliability of
welding in installation engineering and
tank construction
Michael Huber, Marc Müller, Heidi
Cramer
174 Multipass narrowgap MPNG laser
welding process for the lowdistortion
and hotcrackfree joining of thick plates
made of aluminium alloys
Dirk Dittrich, Renald Schedewy, Berndt
Brenner, Eckhard Beyer

146 NürnbergMesse will host the “DVS Con-

gress“ and “DVS Expo“ in September 2015.

177 Editorial Preview

178 Books
178 Imprint/Ad Index

National Pages 152 Information from the DVS – German

Welding Society
159 TWI News – The Newsletter of
The Welding Institute
Participants in the 3rd Internaional
Linear Friction Welding Seminar at TWI
in Cambridge. 147
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 129
 NEWS
European industry‘s employment and qualification
opportunities as seen by the joining sector
Europe’s economies have grown on a
thriving industrial base. Albeit still a pow-
erhouse, it needs to reinvent itself to regain
competitiveness and leverage new growth
opportunities. Enabling technologies, such
as joining, can play a pivotal role in its future.
That is the focus of a special Whitepaper de-
veloped by EWF – European Welding Fed-
eration highlighting the current and future
shortage of skills to support this growth.
Europe is the birthplace of the industrial
revolution. Although services have been
more recently perceived as a growth area for
the continent as a whole at the same time
that industrial production has taken a less
visible role, manufacturing is still a hallmark
of Europe and an area of ample wealth gen-
eration and employment opportunities. In-
dustrial activities still account for over 80%
of Europe’s exports and 80% of private re-
search and innovation. It also plays a pivotal
role in EU competitiveness and growth op-
portunities moving forward, as it has been
reinforced by the European Commission and
the guidelines of the “Horizon 2020“ pro-
gramme for research and innovation. And,
as key enabling and pervasive technologies
in all manufacturing processes, joining and
welding are cornerstones of manufacturing
success and competitiveness.
Welding considered as a ‘special
process’
In itself, welding is considered as a ’spe-
cial process’, which means that its quality
cannot be readily verified and its successful
application requires specialist management,
130
personnel and procedures above and be-
yond those that are considered for general
quality systems such as ISO 9001. It also rep-
resents a cross-generation profession, with
employment and career opportunities for
all ages. Its relevance has been highlighted
by the Commission’s “Industrial Renais-
sance in Europe“ communication as well as,
amongst other initiatives, the launch of the
Technology Platform “Manufuture” and,
more recently, the creation of the “Joining“
Sub-Platform within “Manufuture“.
In spite of this vision and long-term pos-
itive prospects for welding and joining, the
sector has seen a worrying trend in which the
number of youngsters embracing the profes-
sion has dwindled in the last decade, while
retraining of current professionals has also
followed the same route. This trend could po-
tentially hinder the growth and competitive-
ness of manufacturing industries in Europe.
So, in order to maintain the quality level in
manufacturing and the engineering sector at
large, and to prevent future issues with pro-
fessionals’ shortage, it is fundamental to in-
vest in people’s training and qualification.
The harmonised international EWF
training, qualification and certification sys-
tems provide manufacturing companies
worldwide and their workforce with a con-
venient, comprehensive and convincing way
of demonstrating compliance with EN ISO
3834 and EN ISO 14731, as well as the most
recent EN 1090 and EN 15085, which is a
mandatory requirement to obtain CE Mark-
ing and, as such, entry into all European
Union Markets. These systems have
achieved considerable maturity and recog-
nition, and are being continuously im-
proved.
The role of the training and
qualification stakeholders
The shortage of welding and joining pro-
fessionals means actions need to be taken
to address it. Beyond regular training, this
can also be achieved through increasingly
sophisticated distance-learning technolo-
gies, increasing its reach and attractiveness
to younger, more technology-savvy, audi-
ences.
EWF, as well as other relevant players in
the industry, is actively working to raise aware-
ness amongst all of the potential professionals
about the increasing opportunities that exist
on the manufacturing sector. For EWF specif-
ically, the focus has been on developing rele-
vant initiatives, ranging from recognition
through awards for young welders, best weld-
ing coordinator and lifetime achievement to
implementing innovative teaching methods,
including the implementation of virtual tech-
nology in education of welders and welding
specialists as well as through the launch of
the “Welding Dictionary“ app, currently avail-
able on the Apple App Store and in the im-
plementation of distance learning in
welding/joining technologies.
To ensure the long-term success of the
profession, further initiatives are required,
such as working closely with EWF members
to qualify existing workforce and get them
up to speed on the new technologies and
materials used in joining. Also, looking
ahead, reaching out to secondary school stu-
dents, reinforcing the distance-learning
modules, creating new mobile programs and
solutions that respond to current and future
workforce needs and methods, as well as to
technological evolution. These challenges
are the cornerstone of future evolution of
joining technology and where EWF will be
working in the future to develop its programs
and initiatives.
The EWF Whitepaper entitled “Employ-
ment, training and qualification needs of the
European industry – a perspective from the
joining sector“ is available online at www.
ewf.be/events-highlights/highlights/ewf-
whitepaper. (According to press information
from EWF)
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
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 NEWS

EU-OSHA launches free e-guide on managing stress

and psychosocial risks at work
As part of the “Healthy Workplaces Man-
age Stress“ campaign, the European Agency
for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
launched its e-guide on managing stress and
psychosocial risks. Stress is an important oc-
cupational safety and health (OSH) concern
in about 80% of European businesses and is
one of the main reasons for lost working
days in Europe. However, less than a third
of European establishments have proce-
dures in place to deal with work-related
stress. The e-guide is a practical tool to help
both employers and workers, particularly of
small businesses, better understand and
manage stress and psychosocial risks.
The e-guide is now available in several
national versions. In total, 34 country-spe-
cific versions will be published and each is
adapted to the legislation, context and lan-
guage of its nation. Each one also directs
users to relevant national resources on stress
and psychosocial risks. The e-guide is aimed,
in particular, at tackling the needs of em-
ployers and workers of small enterprises.
Dr Christa Sedlatschek, Director of EU-
OSHA, said: “Although we cannot see or
measure stress in the same way as many oth-
er health problems, it is a very serious issue.
It can affect workers both emotionally and
physically, but businesses and the economy
in general can also suffer at the hands of
stress. Just like dealing with other OSH is-
sues, tackling stress and psychosocial risks
is both possible and worthwhile, and the
launch of our e-guide puts a practical tool
into the hands of employers and workers. It
includes explanations, advice and examples,
demonstrating that these issues can be man-
aged in the same practical and systematic
way as any other OSH issue“.
Each version of the e-guide contains:
• simple explanations of risks, their caus-
es and consequences for workers and
businesses,
• advice and instructions on how to spot
problems early and take action,
• practical examples of prevention and
risk management, particularly for small
businesses,
• information on national resources.
Created to improve understanding and raise
awareness of stress and psychosocial risks
at work throughout Europe, the e-guide also
helps to overcome certain misconceptions
that exist about stress, separating fact from
myth. It is particularly intended for those in
small enterprises who need guidance or ad-
vice on the first steps to take to tackle stress
and psychosocial risks in the workplace. The
e-guide is free of charge and each version is
available to browse online or can be down-
loaded for offline use. Access to the national
versions of the e-guide is available via
www.healthy-workplaces.eu/en/tools-and-
resources/a-guide-to-psychosocial-risks. (Ac-
cording to press information from EU-OSHA)

Conferences and Exhibitions

Date Place Event/Information
28.06.-03.07.2015 Helsinki/ 68th IIW Annual Assembly & International Conference “High Strength Materials – Challenges and Applications“
Finland Information: IIW, Internet: www.iiw2015.com
07.07.-10.07.2015 Ho Chi Minh City/ “MTA Vietnam 2015“ – 13th International Precision Engineering, Machine Tools and Metalworking Exhibition & Conference
Vietnam Information: Singapore Exhibition Service, Internet: www.mtavietnam.com
25.08.-27.08.2015 Lappeenranta/ “Nolamp 15“ –The 15th Nordic Laser Materials Processing Conference
Finland Information: Lappeenranta University of Technology, Internet: http://developmentcentre.lut.fi/koulutukset.asp?kid=496
15.09.-17.09.2015 Nuremberg/ DVS Congress & DVS Expo
Germany Information: DVS, Internet: www.dvs-congress.de/2015
16.09.2015 Nuremberg/ International Conference “Welding Trainer 2015 – The Future of Education“
Germany Information: DVS, Internet: www.dvs-congress.de/2015
23.09.-25.09.2015 Geneva/ IABSE Conference “Structural Engineering – Providing Solutions to Global Challenges“
Switzerland Information: IABSE, Internet: www.iabse.org/Geneva2015
27.09.-30.09.2015 Graz/ 11th International Seminar “Numerical Analysis of Weldability“
Austria Information: TU Graz, Internet: www.seggau.tugraz.at
29.09.-01.10.2015 Linz/ International Trade Fair “Schweissen 2015“
Austria Information: Reed Exhibitions, Internet: www.schweissen.at
13.10.-14.10.2015 Amsterdam/ Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference (OEEC)
The Netherlands Information: Navingo BV, Internet: www.offshore-energy.biz
20.10.-23.10.2015 Sao Paulo/ Brazil Welding Show
Brazil Information: Messe Essen, Internet: www.brazil-welding-show.com
02.11.-05.11.2015 Luxor/ 3rd International Conference “Welding and Failure Analysis of Engineering Materials (WAFA-2015)“
Egypt Information: CMRDI, Internet: www.wafa-egypt2015.org
10.11.-11.11.2015 Chicago/ “IEBW 2015“ – International Electron Beam Welding Conference
USA Information: AWS, Internet: http://awo.aws.org/resource-library/electron-beam-conference-abstract-form/

132 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

Best young welders‘ teams from throughout
Europe will compete in the 2015 “WeldCup“
This year’s edition of the “WeldCup“
competition will take place on 21 October
2015 in Cambridge/UK and is organised by
TWI – The Welding Institute and EWF – Eu-
ropean Welding Federation. The interna-
tional event is aimed at young welding pro-
fessionals and consists of a team competi-
tion, in which each participating country
Contact info for “WeldCup“:
EWF – Euopean Welding Federation
Phone: +351 (0) 214211351
E-mail: ewf-iab@isq.pt
TWI – The Welding Institute
Phone: :+44 (0)1223 899595
E-mail: lois.appleyard@twi.co.uk
Internet: www.ewf.be/weldcup/
must enter three participants, whose results
will be used to evaluate the team classifica-
tion.
Every young person born between 1 Jan-
uary 1992 and 31 December 1998 will be en-
titled to participate in the “WeldCup“. This
initiative, taking place for the second time
now, is already a relevant milestone on the
calendar of the welding and manufacturing
sector, providing an environment that will
foster a healthy competitive spirit and com-
radery amongst the young participants.
The competition will be staged in the
four welding processes:
• Manual metal arc welding (111)
• Metal active gas welding (135)
• Tungsten inert gas welding (141)
• Fluxed cored arc welding (136)
No special guidance is given concerning
the way candidates from the various coun-
tries are to be selected, beside the fact that
the test object will be used and produced us-
ing a combination of MMA, MAG, TIG and
FCAW. By participating in this competition,
young welders will have a unique opportu-
nity to exchange best practices and compare
their welding skills against their peers from
across Europe. Ultimately, participating in
the “WeldCup“ will contribute to the promo-
tion of the opportunities that exist for a weld-
ing career to younger generations. (Accord-
ing to press information from EWF)
For permanent
joining
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 NEWS
Extending aircraft life using cold spray technology –
the “Corsair“ project
TWI, Cambridge/UK, is presenting
ground-breaking work completed as part of
a project seeking to extend the life of ageing
aircraft at two international conferences this
year. Since June 2013, the research and tech-
nology organisation has been part of a con-
sortium of companies from across Europe
working on a project entitled “Corsair“: Cold
Spray Radical Solutions for Aeronautic Im-
proved Repairs.
The project is investigating the oppor-
tunities for aircraft component repair pre-
sented by the cold spray technique, which
involves firing powder particles at a sub-
strate at extremely high velocities, depositing
a coating at temperatures significantly below
the substance‘s melting point.
“Corsair“, using funding allocated by the
European Union Framework 7 programme
(Project 605027), is examining every aspect
of the cold spray process – from powder
feedstock, through deposition system and
spraying parameters, to post-processing – to
optimise its utilisation for the repair of aero-
space components. Early results from the
project are now ready to be presented to in-
dustry peers, and TWI scientists involved in
the work will be attending two international
conferences to do so this summer.
Developments were first presented by
Heidi Lovelock of TWI at “Aeromat 2015“,
which took place 11–14 May in Long Beach,
Removing boundaries for training in laser welding
Manufacturers, architects and designers
all push the limits of technology and profes-
sionals in welding, leading to breakthroughs
and new processes that respond to these re-
quirements. As a result, new technologies have
evolved and are fast becoming mainstream.
Global manufacturing and increasingly strin-
gent requirements for goods produced have
also contributed, by leading to the enforce-
ment of broad international acceptance of per-
sonnel qualification, creating new opportu-
nities for cross-border cooperation.
Need to develop harmonised
international training standards
The need to develop harmonised inter-
national training standards increases with
134
The “Corsair“ cold spray system.
California/USA. The presentation, entitled
‚Effect of Powder Feedstock Properties on
Ti-6Al-4V Cold Sprayed Coating Character-
istics‘, detailed work relating to the optimi-
sation of coatings on Ti-6Al-4V substrates,
by the careful control of Ti-6Al-4V powder
properties and spraying parameters.
In Europe, TWI’s Roger Barnett will also
present the work as a paper at the 4th Inter-
national Conference of Engineering Against
Failure (ICEAF IV), being held from 24–26
the complexity of the welding processes,
since it is of paramount importance to en-
sure their global adoption. One such exam-
ple of a welding technology with strong ed-
ucation and qualification requirements is
laser welding, which started in the
early 90’s, and is currently seen as
key in many welding scenarios. Its
increasing usage has been largely
due to the recent developments in
solid-state laser technology, mak-
ing it an increasingly viable and
competitive option, even if it
comes with the most stringent
Laser welding personnel: recent
course organized in Puebla, Mexico
June in Skiathos, Greece. All papers from
this conference will then be published in
appropriate peer-reviewed journals.
Although considerable advances have
been made in the development of composite
materials over the last few decades, the aero-
space industry still makes extensive use of
aluminium, magnesium and titanium alloy
components, mainly for structural compo-
nents or engine parts. This continuing re-
liance on metal parts means that metal al-
loys are sure to remain a subject of critical
importance in the aerospace industry for
the foreseeable future.
As aerospace companies increasingly
seek to update existing air fleets rather than
purchase new stock, more reliable and eco-
nomic life extension strategies are needed
in order to safely continue operating ageing
aircraft. The development of environmen-
tally friendly, inexpensive, reliable and safe
repair technologies is a key part of this
process.
The surface repair technology being de-
veloped for the “Corsair“ project has the po-
tential to lead to significant life extension,
reduce wastage and allow more efficient use
of resources. For more information on “Cor-
sair“, please get in touch with Heidi Lovelock
by emailing heidi.lovelock@twi.co.uk or visit
http://corsair-project.eu/. (According to
press information from TWI)
welding requirements. Its versatility and
ability to execute even the most difficult and
precise welds has led to a growing adoption
in the metalworking industry. But, although
the industry is experiencing a strong and
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
Training course structure overview
consistent growth, its adoption has not been
overwhelming, especially amongst small
and medium size businesses. One of the rea-
sons for this slow rate of adoption is the lack
of qualified personnel with knowledge, skills
and competences in laser welding.
To support a more expedite adoption of
laser welding through providing the quali-
fication of the professionals that could re-
spond to the market needs for these skills,
the European Welding Federation has en-
gaged with laser professionals with strong
field knowledge to prepare a guideline for
training of Laser Processing Personnel
which has been later adopted by EWF. This
guideline is currently available for use with
all countries which are EWF’s members, and
it is structured in two levels, basic and com-
prehensive, for laser cutting (ELC), welding
(ELW), surface treatments (ELST) and pro-
cessing (ELP), as can be seen on the table
above. The guideline details the topics in-
cluded in the eight modules and indicates
the respective minimum training hours, as
well as the access conditions the trainees
need to fulfil when entering the course and
the examination procedures.
Routes to several qualifications
The new guideline relates to the more
stringent requirements that laser welding
poses to the welders and engineers. The
routes to the several qualifications are pre-
sented in the table where it can be observed
that a modular structure was adopted to al-
low for career progressing from the basic to
the comprehensive level in laser cutting,
welding, surface treatment and processing.
As an illustration of the growing adoption
of the guideline and its international interest
for companies and professionals alike, EWF
would highlight the request received from a
Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico, for train-
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
ing and qualification of laser welding person-
nel. It represents the first time that EWF’s
Laser Welding Personnel guideline has been
used outside of Europe, highlighting its rele-
vance and timely development to support the
industry’s growth and welding needs.
Ten Volkswagen trainees from different
departments/units, such as welding quality
control laboratory, maintenance, line pro-
duction welding engineers as well as engi-
neers with the responsibility of defining the
new equipment for future production were
trained and passed the examination. Their
experience and the added value for their
daily jobs is best summarised by one of the
trainees, Beatriz Adriana Martinez Betanzos,
from Welding Quality Testing, “Having the
ELWC training has given to us a sea of pos-
sibilities to improve our competitiveness
and tools to boost quality in our cars. We
have now better resources to face the chal-
lenge to build the best cars in the world, we
are excited and proud of it”.
This course from EWF was organised by
ISQ – Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade
from Portugal, who prepared the course ma-
terials and assured the adequate profile of
the trainers for the Instituto de Soldadura y
Tecnologias de Union (ISTUC), who is the
Authorised Training Body in Mexico for this
ELWC course.
The decision to launch such a guideline
and provide for the relevant number of pro-
fessionals with the necessary qualifications
that can ensure the industry’s advances and
not only respond, but even preempt tech-
nological change, is a crucial component of
EWF’s mission to be an essential global net-
work in the field of joining, welding, cutting
and related technologies, indispensable to
members in the achievement of their strate-
gic objectives. (According to press informa-
tion from EWF)
 FROM COMPANIES

Orbital welding solutions for offshore umbilical cables

In the field of offshore oil exploration,
vital links between the platform or FPSO
(Floating, Production, Storage and Offload-
ing) units and the seabed equipment are
provided by umbilical cables. Understand-
ably, these key components must offer im-
peccable quality and flawless reliability.
Umbilical cables – or “umbilicals” – are
assemblies consisting of duplex, super-du-
plex or even hyper-duplex steel tubes, elec-
tric wiring harnesses, hoses and fibre-optic
cables bundled together in a steel tube with
a protective polyethylene casing. The final
outside diameter ranges from 75 to 300 mm.
Umbilicals supply the electrical and hy-
draulic power required by the control func-
tions of the wellhead, subsea wellhead
equipment and manifold. They are also used
for injecting chemicals designed to improve
fluidity or eliminate the formation of scale
and hydrates in the production stream. Two- In the field of offshore oil exploration, vital links between the platform or FPSO (Floating, Production,
way communication or data transfer be- Storage and Offloading) units and the seabed equipment are provided by umbilical cables.
tween several platforms and the subsea in-
stallations is also conducted via umbilicals.
Numerous items of Polysoude equip-
ment are used at the various stages of um-
bilical construction, from the assembly of
tubes coiled on spools to the assembly of
connectors joining the umbilicals to the
equipment. Once in position on the seabed,
especially in very deep water, they are prac-
tically impossible to repair. Impeccable
quality is therefore a crucial requirement
and the customer, and the manufacturer,
must have total confidence in the manufac-
turing process.
Fully automated solution handling all phases of
Tube production preparation, welding and finishing.
The process begins with the super-du-
plex tubing. A first method consists in join-
Spool of butt-welded umbilical cable tubing.
ing tubes at least 12 metres in length and
with an inside diameter ranging from 1”
(2.54 mm) to 3½” (88.9 mm). Following tube lected for particularly demanding applica- tion unit which records data in real time.
end preparation in the workshop, the tubes tions in terms of quality and productivity. This manufacturing concept offers large flex-
are butt-welded to form a several thousand It must be emphasised that only the TIG ibility through independent installations for
metre-long pipe coiled on an enormous (GTAW) process can guarantee the integrity all phases of preparation.
spool. of the material by controlling the energy in- A second method consists of a complete,
To tackle this job, Polysoude S.A.S. from put rate. Indeed, the high level of flexibility fully automatic machine integrating four op-
Nantes/France proposes its “MU“ range of of the TIG process lies in the fact that filler erations: cutting, dressing/bevelling, weld-
open-head orbital TIG (tungsten-inert gas) wire speed is independent of the welding ing and polishing. The equipment is mount-
welding equipment with arc voltage control current. Obviously qualification of the weld- ed on a motor-powered trolley. Utilities and
(AVC) and torch oscillation control (OSC) to ing procedure must meet quality require- connection bundles are conveyed via cable-
produce a flawless weld seam over the entire ments relating to the weld and continuity in carrier chains. The welding power source is
thickness. This head is generally combined the mechanical and physical properties of also mounted on the trolley transporting the
with a “P6“-type power source and a wire the material used. The parameters are there- welding head. This automated configuration
feeder. A “PC 300“ power source can be se- fore monitored by means of a data acquisi- integrates all phases of tube assembly.

136 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

Umbilical construction
Once the various constituent tubes have
been made, the umbilical is bundled to gath-
er the tubes, tube separators, electrical ca-
bles and fibre optic cables together in a sin-
gle strand. Depending on the manufacturer,
the bundles are assembled either horizon-
tally or vertically. The umbilical bundling
system can take up to a dozen of these large
spools of stainless steel piping, of various
inside and outside diameters.
The contents of the spools are fed to an
assembly structure where the super-duplex
pipes are wound around a larger pipe form-
ing the core of the umbilical. The umbilical
can then be armoured, or pre-encased in a
plastic sheath, before finally undergoing an
extrusion operation in which it is covered
with a PE sleeve. As various diameters of
tubing are used in the construction of um-
bilicals, the spools contain different lengths
of tubing which means that they often have
to be changed before the umbilical is com-
pleted. The assembly operation is suspend-
ed while the empty spool is replaced by a
new one. A welder then steps in with a
Polysoude mobile orbital welding set to butt
the new tube to the end of the previous one.
Connecting umbilicals to the
umbilical termination head
Umbilicals are joined to an umbilical
termination head (UTH) via connectors
which are welded to the various constituent
tubes of the umbilical. A Polysoude “MU
Low Profile“ head is used to make the joint.
At each stage of the manufacturing
process, the Polysoude orbital or automated
TIG installation guarantees consistent qual-
ity through use of the same type of equip-
Mobile orbital welding set for spool interconnection.
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
Examples of horizontal and vertical umbilical
bundling machines.
ment, from continuous manufacturing of
spooled tubing through to final umbilical
construction and subsequent connection.
Furthermore, all welding procedures are
transposable and ensure traceability.
Polysoude safeguards the methodology by
harmonising welding procedure develop-
ment.
Welding operation.
Polysoude offshore welding
solutions
Polysoude has been a TIG welding spe-
cialist since 1992. In 99% of applications
relating to umbilical cable production, the
cold wire TIG process is used. However, it
has been demonstrated that a clear gain in
terms of productivity and quality can be
achieved with hot wire TIG installations,
depending on the diameter-to-thickness
ratio. Indeed, as the energy input required
to melt the wire is lower, the ferrite rate is
also lower than is the case with cold wire
technology.
The materials used can also result in a
number of constraints that are all success-
fully handled by Polysoude. For example,
duplex and super-duplex steels can lose
their mechanical and physical properties as
the ferrite content increases. The energy lev-
el must therefore be kept as low as possible
to ensure the lowest ferrite level. Polysoude
equipment is fully compliant to manage
such requirements.
Hyper-duplex steel offers good weldabil-
ity with a high level of austenite reformation
in the heat-affected zone. This produces a
weld seam with good hardness and excellent
mechanical and corrosion resistance. A spe-
cific filler wire is required to guarantee op-
timum mechanical strength and corrosion
resistance properties. TIG welding is strong-
ly recommended and the welding procedure
must include a heat input of 0.2 to 1.0 kJ/mm
and an interpass temperature not exceeding
100°C. Argon, either pure or with a nitrogen
or helium content, must be used as the
shielding gas. Pre- and post-heating are not
necessary. (According to press information
from Polysoude)
137
 FROM COMPANIES

One arc, two wires and a laser:

“HoDopp“ – high power deposition welding
The laser supported
process is characterised
by a smaller heat affect-
ed zone, a lower welding
depth, and thus a lower
dilution rate (layer
height around 4 mm).
(All pictures: LZH)

Instead of completely exchanging expen-
sive components after wear and tear, these
can be repaired using deposition welding.
Up to now, a gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
process has usually been used for deposition
welding, with an average deposition rate of
5 kg/h. Since the dilution level is around 30%,
several layers must be deposited, one on the
other, until the protective covering is pure
enough. Scientists at the Laser Zentrum Han-
nover e.V. (LZH), Hanover/Germany have
now, as part of the project “HoDopp“, devel-
oped a laser-supported arc process, which
achieves this in a single layer.
In the conventional process, the arc
burns between the wire electrode and the
Torch 2
Torch 1
Arc
Deposition
Wire melting
workpiece, and fuses both. For large area
and multi-layer coatings, the process can
take up to 24 h/m2. On the other hand, in
the process used by the LZH, an arc burns
between two wires and melts them simul-
taneously. The deposition rate can thus be
increased to around 7.5 kg/h. The laser
beam, which is used in addition to this, as-
sures layer adherence and improves the
form of the seam.
Due to the support by the laser beam, Setup of the laser supported welding process.
the layer is deposited with a low penetration
depth, and the dilution rate is thus under ing conventional GMAW, and the deposition
5%. A further advantage of the process is low rate can be increased by around 50%. Since
heat input. Component deformation is no- one layer replaces two or three convention-
tably lower than with deposition welding us- ally deposited layers, time and material can
be saved for inhomogeneous materials, by
Schematic half to two-thirds. Thus, productivity and si-
drawing of the
multaneously the quality of the welding
laser supported
Laser process can be drastically increased.
deposition
The project “HoDopp: High-power laser
welding process
of the LZH. cladding using the twin-wire technique
Workpiece without arc transmission and with laser-as-
sisted weld-penetration control” was fi-
nanced by the German Federal Ministry of
Education and Research (BMBF). The proj-
ect was completed at the end of 2014. (Ac-
cording to press information from LZH)

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Friction stir welding ‘exotic’ alloys
Ever since the launch of its
Crawford Swift ’Powerstir‘ CNC
Friction Stir Welding (FSW) ma-
chines in 2000, PTG Heavy Indus-
tries from Elland, West Yorkshire/
UK has been acknowledged as a
leader in this innovative means of
joining metals.
Recent research and develop-
ment activities at PTG Heavy In-
dustries‘ headquarters, however,
have taken the capabilities of the
welding specialist’s FSW machines
even further – to include the suc-
cessful joining of ‘exotic’ steel and
titanium alloys that are particularly
suited to the uncompromising requirements
of space and aerospace applications.
Aerospace-grade titanium of
3 to 8 mm in thickness
“We have successfully welded both aero-
space-grade steel alloy and aerospace-grade
titanium in thicknesses of 3 and 8 mm, using
our proprietary PTG fixed pin tooling tech-
niques,” comments PTG Heavy Industries‘
Sales Manager, Chris Cheetham. “Although
each presented distinct challenges, includ-
ing the potential for workpiece distortion
and ensuring sufficient heat transfer when
blending thicker materials, these issues were
overcome.”
Comprehensive research
programme
As part of its research activities, PTG
Heavy Industries also achieved excellent re-
sults when working with various exotic alu-
minium alloys ranging from 2 to 35 mm in a
number of challenging configurations.
These included:
• Longitudinal welding of flat plates, us-
ing PTG fixed pin, retracting pin and
bobbin ‚floating‘ pin tooling technolo-
gies,
• PTG bobbin tool welding of aluminium
aerospace-grade alloys,
• Rotary (C axis) welding of flat plates us-
ing PTG fixed pin and retracting pin
technologies,
• Longitudinal seam welding of large di-
ameter cylinders using PTG fixed pin
and retracting pin technologies,
• Rotary (C axis) radial welding of large
diameter cylinders using PTG retracting
pin FSW technology,
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
• Rotary (C axis) welding of dome-
shaped spheres using PTG retracting
pin tool technology,
• PTG welding fixtures designed and sup-
plied for all the above welding tech-
nologies and component structures/
configurations.
Good results with ‘exotic’ alloys of
40 mm in depth
“Our successes have been such that we
now look forward to applying our findings,
approach and technologies to robust testing
on other bespoke alloys that are used across
the avionics sector,” adds Chris Cheetham.
“For example, we have also achieved good
results working with ‘exotic’ alloys of as
much as 40 mm in depth.
“While our ‘Powerstir’ FSW technologies
are already used widely across global avion-
ics, as well as across a wide range of other
sectors, we believe this latest capability from
PTG Heavy Industries provides considerable
opportunities for design engineers looking
to balance weight and structural rigidity in
order to achieve performance, capability
and efficiency in fuselage and component
design.”
Welding for planes and high-
speed trains
Since their launch, ‘Powerstir’ Friction
Stir Welding (FSW) machines have attracted
considerable interest from organisations
seeking an innovative way of creating supe-
rior high-strength welded joints, without the
detrimental and visible effects typically as-
sociated with conventional welding. From
small, intricate components to automotive
products, aircraft manufacturing, railway
Crawford Swift Powerstir
Friction Stir Welding from
PTG Heavy Industries.
carriage panels and shipbuilding,
‘Powerstir’ Friction Stir Welding
provides a clean, aesthetic alterna-
tive to traditional welding. A
method that delivers proven weld
quality, FSW offers excellent me-
chanical properties and virtually
no porosity.
Over recent years, however,
‘Powerstir’ models have found
particular favour with companies
from across the avionics and high-speed
rail sectors. In a joint venture with its tech-
nology partner, the China Friction Stir
Welding Center (CFSWC), for example,
PTG Heavy Industries developed a model
for use in the manufacture of railway car
bodies similar to those used with China’s
’Harmony‘ high-speed train. This required
the design and build of a ‘Powerstir’ ma-
chine with a 30 m × 4 m gantry and the
ability to produce the longest single FSW
railway panel welds in China at over 15 m
in length.
About Friction Stir Welding
Patented by TWI (The Welding Insti-
tute), Cambridge/UK, Friction Stir Welding
combines frictional heat with precisely con-
trolled forging pressure to produce extreme-
ly high-strength joints that are virtually de-
fect free. Friction Stir Welding transforms
the parent metal from a solid to a plasticised
state. This occurs during a process that in-
volves mechanically stirring the materials
together to form a high-integrity, full-pene-
tration welded joint.
PTG Heavy Industries’ Crawford Swift
‘Powerstir’ Friction Stir Welding machines
have been developed for a broad range of
industrial applications, where special atten-
tion is paid to structural rigidity. Offering
far-reaching opportunities for joining often
difficult to weld alloys, ‘Powerstir’ machines
are able to accommodate even the heaviest
of welding loads and offer superior weld
properties.
PTG Heavy Industries is a technology
partner of the China Friction Stir Welding
Center and works closely with TWI. (Accord-
ing to press information from PTG).
139
 FROM COMPANIES

UK Association of Industrial Laser

Users honours TWI innovators
The UK Association of Industrial Laser
Users (AILU) has recognised the contribu-
tions of two members of TWI’s Laser and
Sheet Processes (LAS) team. The awards to
pioneer Paul Hilton and young engineer
Matt Spinks were made during this year’s
Industrial Laser Applications Symposium
held in Kenilworth, Warwickshire/UK.
TWI Technology Fellow Paul Hilton re-
ceived the Lifetime Achievement Award for
his outstanding contribution to the indus-
trial use of lasers in the UK. Paul has pub-
lished close to 100 papers on the use of high-
power lasers for materials processing appli-
cations and has served twice himself as Pres-
ident of AILU; the only person to have held
this office more than once in its history. His
activities within Europe are also recognised
and he is currently Chairman of the Execu-
tive Board of ELI, the European Laser Insti-
tute. His work has supported the uptake of
industrial CO2, Nd:YAG, diode and fibre
lasers and has included innovative welding,
cutting, processing and decommissioning
applications.
In addition to his technical leadership
in the area of laser technology, Paul also acts
as suite manager for TWI’s laser materials
processing activities. In this role over the last
decade he has been instrumental in the
training and development of a significant
number of TWI research engineers and stu-
dents, and has managed the delivery of over
100 TWI Member Research Reports.
Lifetime Achievement recipient Paul Hilton
Paul said: ‚It is a great honour to follow
(right) with Young UK Laser Engineer Matt
in the footsteps of Peter Houldcroft and Spinks.
Derek Russell, both previous recipients of
this award. TWI is the only organisation in laser applications. Joining TWI in 2007 as
the UK to have received more than one AILU an Advanced Apprentice, he is now Team
Lifetime Achievement Award‘. Leader in the LAS Laboratory. Matt received
Also at the ceremony, TWI‘s Matt Spinks his award for his contribution to TWI’s work
scooped the AILU Young UK Laser Engi- in the use of lasers for nuclear and power
neer‘s Prize, which is designed to encourage plant decommissioning. (According to press
young people to develop their interests in information from TWI)

Short Messages
New Global Sales Manager at
Electron Beam Technologies
Valgene E. Raloff, President of Electron
Beam Technologies, headquartered in
Kankakee, Illinois/USA, named Oscar Ro-
dríguez as the new Global Sales Manager for
the company. By utilising his extensive back-
ground and expertise in wire and cable mar-
kets, he will expand and strengthen Electron
Beam Technologies’ global presence
through new and existing business relation-
ships, markets and other opportunities. Os-
car Rodriguez previously worked for RGV
International Marketing, Industrial Electric
Wire & Cable and EVANA Automation & Re-
pair Specialists. He has a B.S. Degree in In-
ternational Marketing from the University
of Texas and is bilingual in English and
Spanish. Electron Beam Technologies man-
ufactures a wide variety of welding products
and provides services for the welding indus-
This year, Valk Welding has delivered the 300th
try, primarily for use in the arc welding
welding robot on an H-frame.
process.

300th welding robot on H-frame provide the advantage of a short assembly

Oscar Rodríguez is the new Global Sales Manag-
er for Electron Beam Technologies.
Twelve years after the delivery of the first
welding robot on an H-frame, Valk Welding
from Alblasserdam/The Netherlands has de-
livered the 300th installation this year, based
on this successful concept. Valk Welding was
the first robot integrator who introduced
such a concept. A welding robot on a fixed
frame has the advantage that both welding
robot, control-unit, positioners and safety
fences are mounted as complete configura-
tion and can be installed at the end user
within a couple of hours. That does not only
time at the customer, but also offers the pos-
sibility to move the cell at a later time and
take into use again directly without correct-
ing existing programs. The setup in an H-
frame with two working stations positioned
opposite to each other allows the operator
to unload and load the workpiece on one
station, while the robot welds on the other
station. In addition, the logistics of sub-com-
ponents and welded parts can take place on
both sides of the installation, which offers
more freedom from a logistical point of view.

140 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

 The Valk Welding H-frames are available in
versions with a working length of 2,500 and
3,000 mm with a fixed robot and up to 6,000
mm with the robot on a shifter.
Dr. Helmut Limberg appointed to
Fortaco Group Board of Directors
Dr. Helmut Limberg has been appointed
a member of Fortaco Group Board of Direc-
tors. He holds a doctorate in Mechanical En-
gineering from the University of Hanover
and he is based in Germany. Helmut Lim-
berg joins Fortaco Group Board of Directors
after more than 25 years of experience in the
industry. He has served Executive Manage-
ment positions in companies like Junghein-
rich, Liebherr, Beumer and Mannesmann
and combines excellent technical knowl-
edge with extensive experience on market-
ing & sales in industrial environment. Fort-
aco is one of the biggest contract manufac-
turers in Europe with headquarters in Van-
taa/Finland. As a partner in manufacturing
technology, the company helps its cus-
tomers to find new and more efficient solu-
tions throughout their value chain starting
from design and engineering to final assem-
bly. In 2013, Fortaco’s net sales totalled EUR
216 million with approx. 2,300 employees.
Five of the production sites are located in
Finland, five in Estonia, Poland, Hungary
and Slovakia.
Hasmak to sell Jet Edge Waterjet
Systems in Turkey
Jet Edge, Inc., a global manufacturer of
ultra-high pressure waterjets for precision
cutting, coating removal and surface prepa-
ration with headquarters in St. Michael,
Minnesota/USA, has announced that Has-
mak has been selected as its waterjet sys-
tems dealer for Turkey. Hasmak carries Jet
Edge‘s “Edge X-5“ 5-axis waterjet cutting sys-
tems and “X-Stream“ line of UHP (ultra high
pressure) intensifier pumps, plus Jet Edge’s
full line of waterjet cutting and surface
preparation equipment, including waterjet
cutting machines, waterjet intensifier pumps
and portable waterjetting systems. The com-
pany also carries Jet Edge OEM waterjet
parts and will eventually be authorised to
service Jet Edge waterjet equipment. Based
in Istanbul, Hasmak is a leading Turkish
company with offices in Istanbul, Adana and
Jet Edge‘s “Edge X-5“
5-axis waterjet
cutting
system.
Mersen. The company’s three major divi-
sions include Hasmak Representation, Has-
mak Trading and Hasmak Construction.
“For 25 years, Hasmak has led the way in in-
dustrialising many developing countries in
Eurasia and North Africa,” said David An-
derson, Jet Edge international sales manag-
er. “We are proud to have them represent Jet
Edge. They understand how ultra-high pres-
sure waterjet technology can benefit the
many industries they serve, from offering a
safer cutting alternative in hazardous envi-
ronments to increasing productivity and re-
ducing waste in plant operations.”

Join together.
In Brazil.
BRAZIL WELDING SHOW
OCT. 20 – 23, 2015 SÃO PAULO
Trade Show and Congress

In conjunction with:

BOOK NOW!
www.brazil-welding-show.com

MESSE ESSEN GmbH

Tel.: +49. (0)201. 72 44-649/232
Fax: +49. (0)201. 72 44-435
julia.wermter@messe-essen.de
anna.grannass@messe-essen.de
www.brazil-welding-show.com
 FROM COMPANIES
Linde’s gas cylinder valve “Evos Ci“ has won the
international “Red Dot Award: Product Design
2015“.
Linde wins product design award
for pioneering cylinder valve
Linde Gases, a division of The Linde
Group, announced that its technologically
advanced gas cylinder valve, “Evos Ci“, has
won the prestigious “Red Dot Award: Prod-
uct Design 2015“. Product entries are as-
sessed on a number of criteria including
degree of innovation, functionality, build
quality, ergonomics, durability, ease-of-
Products
Two new ranges of multi-tasking
welding machines
Castolin Eutectic has recently launched
two new groups of welding equipment in
Europe: The flagship is the new “XuperArc“
142
use, ecological compatibility, integration
capabilities and degree of emotional con-
nection to the product. This year’s “Red
Dot“ competition received almost 5,000 en-
tries from 56 countries, across 31 cate-
gories. The “Evos“ valve range represents a
significant leap from standard gas industry
valves, not only in its state-of-the-art er-
gonomic design but also in terms of safety
and productivity benefits delivered. Impor-
tantly, “Evos“ employs a quick-action lever
in place of the more traditional hand-wheel
mechanism for opening and closing the
valve. This innovative functionality ensures
easy opening to improve efficiency, fast
closing in case of emergency and, as an ex-
tra safety feature, the ability to physically
see at a distance whether the valve is open
or closed. The valve also has an integrated
real-time content gauge to allow users to
see the amount of gas left at a glance and
is capable of operating 300 bar working
pressure across multiple gas types. Linde
will formally receive its award for “Evos“
on 29 June 2015 at the “Red Dot“ Gala in
Essen, Germany.
(Fig. 1) series comprising three models at
320, 400 and 500 A. Featuring an advanced
touch screen control, Castolin builds on the
innovative touch screen heritage from PTA
machines. These multi-tasking machines,
suitable for MIG/MAG, TIG and MMA
welding, were exhaustively tested in both
standard joining, repair and maintenance
applications, being tough and advanced.
The “CastoMig 3500DS“ and “CastoMig
5000DS“ are completely digitised, micro-
processor-controlled inverter power
sources, suitable for both MIG/MAG and
MMA welding. The modular design and po-
tential for system add-ons ensure a high
degree of flexibility. Both groups of welding
equipment can be employed in repair and
maintenance, onsite mounting, machine
and equipment construction, steelwork,
plant and container construction, ship-
yards and the offshore industry, metal and
gantry construction as well as rail vehicle
construction. (Castolin Eutectic, 22, Avenue
du Quebec, 91958 Courtabeuf/France;
www.castolin.com)
Fig. 1
Welding trainer for robot
programmers
Fig. 2
The simulation platform “Virtual Welding
Robotics“ (Fig. 2) provides further education
and training centres with a convenient way
of giving robot programmers a basic under-
standing of the requirements of robot-assist-
ed welding without having to procure the pro-
duction equipment. Carrying out training in
a normal classroom environment is possible.
The only prerequisite is a functioning robot.
Other components of the system are a com-
puter-based training device featuring an in-
tegrated touchscreen, a realistic welding torch
and dummy workpieces for a wide range of
weld seam profiles and welding positions. In
the training sequence, the welding simulator
constantly monitors the position of the weld-
ing torch on the robot arm, while the robot
executes the taught-in movement. The
“Ghost” virtual instructor continuously pro-
vides visual and acoustic information on the
welding speed, the distance to the workpiece
(dummy) and the tilt angle of the welding
torch that has to be maintained. Deviations
from the ideal values are indicated in yellow
or red, following the traffic-light system. The
entire welding sequence – including correc-
tion notes – is recorded and made available
for playback, allowing the trainees to analyse
the welding process together with the instruc-
tor. In a second step, the weld seam and spat-
ter can be visualised after completing the pro-
grammed deployment of the robot torch.
(Fronius International GmbH, Froniusplatz
1, 4600 Wels/Austria; www.fronius.com)
New brand for high-strength steels
The new high-strength structural steel
product brand “Strenx“ (Fig. 3) is designed
for sectors where structural strength and
weight savings are key competitive factors,
especially in the lifting, handling and trans-
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

Fig. 3
portation industry. This steel is also well-
suited for agriculture, the frames of heavy
mobile machines, rolling stock, offshore and
construction sectors. Yield strengths range
from 600 to 1,300 Mpa. “Strenx“ is available
in plate, strip and tubular products in thick-
nesses ranging from 0.7 to 160 mm. It comes
with guaranteed product consistency, serv-
ices to help customers’ businesses and per-
manent assistance to enhance end-product
performance. (SSAB AB, Klarabergsviaduk-
ten 70, D6, P.O. Box 70, 10121 Stockholm/
Sweden; www.ssab.com)
Pipe weld purging system
For producing zero colour, non oxidised
weld roots, “PurgExtra“ (Fig. 4) is the latest
weld purging product range released by
Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Limited
HFT for the weld purging of tubes and pipes
from 1 to 24” diameter. This range compli-
ments the “PurgElite“ series, but in addition
has extra purge gas inlets and corresponding
exhaust ports. Designed for the weld purging
of titanium in particular, as well as ultra high
purity stainless steel joints, corrosion resist-
ant alloy welding and duplex steel joints, the
new series allows the operator to purge nor-
mally at first and then when conditions are
correct, to introduce additional gas at high
flow rates to create a much faster purge and
a much more efficient removal of unwanted
gases. The extra gas flow possible with
“PurgExtra“ models purges out additional
gases that are expelled by outgassing that
Fig. 4
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
occurs as the metal is being heated. The ex-
tra gas flow will prevent these expelled gases
from combining with the hot metal and ox-
idising them, which causes the metal to dis-
colour. “PurgExtra“ comprises two inflatable
dams connected by a heat resistant highly
flexible gas hose that has the “IntaCal II” gas
release system integrated. It allows the dams
to be inflated correctly and then releases the
inert gas to safely purge the space between
the dams. (Huntingdon Fusion Techniques
HFT, Stukeley Meadow, Burry Port, Car-
marthenshire SA16 0BU/United Kingdom;
www.huntingdonfusion.com)
Mobile extraction and filter unit
Fig. 5
“MaxiFil Clean“ (Fig. 5) is a mobile ex-
traction and filter unit that protects against
large volumes of welding fumes. It ensures
effective collection of pollutants at their point
of origin. Thanks to its easy manoeuvrability
by hand, “MaxiFil Clean“ can be put to use
at different welding stations, and its flexible
extraction arm allows it to be used in differ-
ent positions. The arm is available in lengths
of up to 4 m. Owing to the size and the special
shape of the extraction hood, the technology
allows the collection of up to 40% more weld-
ing fumes than conventional extraction
hoods. The extraction hood can be rotated
360°. The arm is self-supporting and remains
in the position the welder places it. The sys-
tem is suitable for permanent use where
large volumes of welding fumes occur. This
is possible because of the cleanable filter. In-
tegrated as a cartridge, it has an area of
around 15 m2 and cleans itself automatically
during operation. More than 99.97% of the
welding fumes – containing the respirable
dusts smaller than 10 μm – is separated out.
After filtering, the unit automatically feeds
the dust particles to an easy-to-seal dispos-
able cartridge. This way, users don’t even
come into contact with the pollutant-con-
taining particles when disposing the dust.
(Kemper GmbH, Von-Siemens-Str. 20, 48691
Vreden/Germany; www.kemper.eu)
Ergonomic handheld enclosure
The new “1553W IP65“ sealed version
of the stylish, ergonomically designed “1553“
handheld enclosure family is intended for
housing any electronics that will be used in
environments where dust and water is likely
to be present (Fig. 6). It features an ergono-
metric curved shape that fits comfortably
into the hand and is initially available in
three sizes: 117 mm × 79 mm × 25 mm, 117
mm × 79 mm × 32 mm and 147 mm × 90
mm × 25 mm. All sizes are moulded in UL94-
V0 flame retardant thermoplastic ABS in
RAL 7035 light grey or RAL 9011 black, both
over-moulded with RAL 7012 grey soft side
grips. The top cover is recessed to allow a
membrane keypad to be flush mounted, and
PCB standoffs are provided in the top and
base. The IP65 environmental sealing is
achieved by a rubber gasket in a slot in the
base. The top and base are assembled with
four screws that locate into brass inserts in
the top moulding, facilitating repeated ac-
cess to the housed electronics. The fixing
positions are outside the gasket, ensuring
the integrity of the seal. An integral end pan-
el forms part of the top cover, providing an
easy to machine area for cable entry, switch-
es and indicators. All “1553W“ enclosures
are available factory modified with machin-
ing and silk screening to the user’s specifi-
cation (Hammond Electronics Limited,
1 Onslow Close, Kingsland Business Park,
Basingstoke RG24 8QL / United Kingdom;
www.hammondmfg.com)
Fig. 6
143
 WELDING PRACTICE
Health, safety and accident prevention during
welding and cutting – Electrical hazards: power sources
and installation
The arc welding circuit
Manual metal arc (MMA) and tungsten
inert gas (TIG) processes can be either al-
ternating current (AC) or direct current (DC)
whilst metal inert gas (MIG) is usually only
operated with DC. As arc processes need a
large current (up to 500 A) but at a relatively
low arc voltage (10 to 40 V), the high voltage
mains supply (230 or 400 V) must be re-
duced. In its basic form, the power source
for generating AC comprises a transformer
to reduce the mains voltage and increase
the current for welding. For generating the
DC arc, a rectifier is placed on the secondary
side of the mains-fed transformer or alter-
natively, a motor- or engine-driven genera-
tor can be used.
Welding installations
Typical arc welding installations for both
single and multi-welder operations are de-
scribed in HSE guideline No 118, Electrical
Safety in Arc Welding. When the welding cir-
cuit is connected, the following guidelines
should be adopted (Fig. 1):
• The connection between the power
source and the workpiece should be as
direct as practicable.
• Use insulated cables and connection
devices of adequate current-carrying
capacity.
• Extraneous conductive parts should not
be used as part of the welding return cir-
cuit unless part of the workpiece itself.
• The current return clamp should be as
near to the welding arc as possible.
When attaching the welding current and
current return cables, it is essential that an
efficient contact is achieved between the
connection device and the workpiece to
prevent overheating and arcing. For exam-
ple, current and return clamps must be se-
curely attached to ’bright’ metal i.e. any rust
or primer coatings should be locally re-
moved.
Power source and earthing
The normal practice in the UK has been
to provide a separate earth connection to
the workpiece (Fig. 2, Circuit a) so that, in
the unlikely event of an insulation break-
down between primary and secondary cir-
144
Fig. 1 • Arc welding installations.
Fig. 2 • Power sources and earthing.
cuits, the fuses will blow. However, the sep-
arate earth connection increases the risk of
stray currents which may damage other
equipment and conductors.
As modern power sources have been de-
signed to have a much higher level of insu-
lation (double or reinforced insulation), a
separate earth connection is not recom-
mended (Fig. 2, Circuit b).
There is a potential problem in that both
designs can often be found in the same
welding shop. The newer power source can
be identified by the power source’s rating
plate, which indicates it has been manufac-
tured to recent standards e.g. EN 60 974-1
or IEC 974-1.
In very old designs, the welding circuit
was sometimes connected internally to the
power source enclosure (Fig. 2, Circuit c).
However, the danger is that even with the
welding return lead disconnected, and a
separate earth connection, welding is pos-
sible with current flowing through the earth.
Because of the risk of damaging protective
earth and other connectors, this type of pow-
er source is considered to be obsolete and
should not be used.
Manufacturer’s rating plate
The symbols in Fig. 3 are used on the
manufacturer’s rating plate to indicate the
type of protection.
Electrical hazards
Electric shock
In all manual arc welding operations,
the principal risk is from electric shock, most
likely from contact with bare live parts of the
welding circuit. The arc voltage is within the
range 10 to 40 V, but, as the voltage required
to strike the arc may be substantially higher,
power sources have an open circuit voltage
(OCV), typically up to 80 V. Although these
voltages appear low compared with the 230
V domestic mains supply, work by the In-
ternational Electrotechnical Commission
shows that only voltages below 50 V AC or
120 V DC are unlikely to be dangerous to
healthy people in a dry working environ-
ment. In other conditions such as restricted
conducting locations or wet surroundings,
potentials of 80 V AC have been the cause
of fatal electric shocks.
Devices are available which reduce the
open circuit voltage when welding is not
being carried out. These voltage reduction
devices (VRD) should meet the require-
ment of BSEN 60974-1. Appropriate pro-
tective clothing such as gloves, boots and
overalls will protect the welder from elec-
tric shock.
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
Stray welding currents Fig. 3 • Manu-
A different kind of electrical hazard can facturer’s rating
arise from stray welding currents which re- plate.
turn to the welding transformer by paths
other than the welding return lead. For ex-
ample, although the return is disconnected,
welding is possible when the return current
flows through:
• protective earth (PE) conductors of oth-
er electrical equipment, or the power
source itself,
• wire ropes, slings and chains,
• metal fittings and pipework,
• bearings in motors.
Damage to the PE conductor in particular
could mean the equipment is no longer be-
ing earthed.
Stray currents may be substantial and
comparable with the welding current level
where there is poor or faulty insulation of earth connections in various situations are welding arc; metal rails, pipes and
the return lead which may be short-circuited described in HS(G) 118. frames should not be used as part of
by other conductors. When welding on the welding circuit unless they are a
building structures and pipework installa- Safe practice and accident part of the workpiece itself.
tions, the welding return lead should be avoidance • Check the workpiece earthing require-
placed as close as possible to the point of • Welding equipment should conform to ments. When using a double or rein-
welding. The exception is where the metallic the appropriate standards. Electrode forced insulation power source, stray cur-
grid, support structure or metallic ship hull holders that are insulated overall are rents can be avoided by not earthing the
is used as part of the welding return circuit. recommended, so no bare metal can workpiece or the welding output circuit.
There is an increased risk of stray cur- be inadvertently touched. • The welding leads, connection devices
rents when welding on structures which • Welding leads and return leads should and electrode holder or torch should
have an inherent connection to earth such be insulated and thick enough to carry be checked at regular intervals for ’fit-
as ships or pipelines. There could be an un- the current safely; connectors should ness for use’; repair or replace damaged
acceptable indirect current return path with also be insulated to avoid inadvertent or worn components.
damage to conductors if, for example, the access to live conductors and adequate (Information prepared in collaboration with
current return lead is detached and the cir- for the current being carried. Roger Sykes, Health & Safety Executive,
cuit becomes open. The recommendations • The welding return lead should be con- Newcastle upon Tyne/UK. Copyright TWI
for the electrical distribution systems and nected as near as practicable to the 2015)

DVS Technical Codes on Plastics Joining Technologies

This book contains more than 100 significant DVS codes that deal with the joining of plastics in the field of piping, ,
4th edition
containers and apparatus construction as well as series fabrication. s,
1076 page
180012
From the content: Order-no.
welding, adhesive bonding and practical application of 00 Euro
Price: 120.
mechanical joining processes joining processes
testing and design calculation of training and examination of
joints and constructions qualified personnel

DVS Media GmbH • Aachener Straße 172 • 40223 Düsseldorf • T +49. (0)2 11. 15 91-162 • F +49. (0)2 11. 15 91-250 • vertrieb@dvs-hg.de • www.dvs-media.eu

Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 145

 EVENTS
Feeling the pulse of joining technology:
The lecture programme at the “DVS Congress 2015“
NürnbergMesse Ost (above) and impressions
from the DVS Expo in 2011 (right).
In three months, the expert world of
joining technology will congregate in
Nuremberg/Germany in order to experience
the skilful interplay between the “DVS Con-
gress“ and the “DVS Expo“. Therefore, the
DVS – German Welding Society will, togeth-
er with Messe Essen GmbH, continue the
successful event concept from 2011, i.e. in-
terlinking the joining technology knowledge
and market in an ideal way. Thus, the most
comprehensive lecture programme ever at
a “DVS Congress“ will await the visitors to
Nuremberg from 14 to 17 September 2015
and the congress will be accompanied by
an exhibition bristling with a wide variety
of new features.
Everything under one roof
Under one roof, the “DVS Congress“
will thus unite various conferences such as
the Annual Welding Conference (GST), the
DVS Student Congress, the “Robots 2015“
conference, the workshop on near-appli-
cation welding simulation and the interna-
tional conference “Welding Trainer 2015 –
The Future of Education“. In this respect,
the programme must not fail to include
“long-running subjects“ relating to laser
beam and arc welding either. Additional
146
especially near-application lecture contents
will await the participants also with regard
to “DIN EN 1090 in practice“, “Joining in
vehicle construction“, “Quality assurance
and set of rules“ or “Structural steel engi-
neering“.
Moreover, trade visitors and interested
parties will obtain well-founded information
not only about adhesive bonding technolo-
gy, brazing and additive fabrication, to name
just a few particular contents. For the first
time, these subjects have been placed in the
lecture programme at the “DVS Congress“
in this depth of detail. “We at DVS see a ris-
ing need for information precisely in these
main focal points. However, there is also a
continuously rising demand for subjects as-
sociated with all aspects of lightweight con-
struction, e.g. joining of fibre-reinforced
plastics,“ explained Dipl.-Ing. Jens Jerzem-
beck, Head of the Research and Technology
Department at DVS.
Good interlinking of theory and
practice
Corresponding information and cam-
paign areas relating to various series of lec-
tures will be offered at the “DVS Expo“. Be-
cause the organisers have attached great im-
portance to the interlinking of theory and
practice. On this subject, Jens Jerzembeck:
“We have put together a particular range on
offer which will have a premiere character
in this form. The expert conference ‘Robots
2015’ with the associated 1st DVS Robot
Welding Competition will constitute one
highlight. Information about everything to
do with automated, mechanised fabrication
will correspond to manual programming
tasks.“
With the Virtual Welding Training Sys-
tems Show, the English-language interna-
tional conference “Welding Trainer 2015 –
The Future of Education“ will be represented
at the exhibition as an appropriate counter-
part. Current and future concepts with re-
gard to training and further education in
joining technology will be introduced in lec-
tures. The “DVS Expo“ will invite the visitors
to try out these concepts directly on corre-
sponding available systems.
With this comprehensive programme,
DVS will offer an insight into the different
joining processes and will thus feel the pulse
of the sector. Information and an overview
of the programme can be obtained from
www.dvs-congress.de/2015. (According to
press information from DVS)
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
TWI hosts successful 3rd International Linear Friction
Welding Seminar
The 3rd International Linear Friction
Welding Seminar held at TWI’s facilities in
Cambridge/UK this spring was a huge suc-
cess, with feedback from delegates on the
quality of presentations extremely positive
and excellent attendee engagement.
The seminar, the leading event in its
field worldwide, brought together aerospace
companies, machine builders, universities
and research and technology organisations
to share linear friction welding develop-
ments. With sessions on equipment devel-
opment, industrial development and R&D
work, the free seminar attracted 65 atten-
dees and saw almost 30 companies and or-
ganisations represented from across eight
countries.
Session one on equipment development
saw presentations from Jeff Fletcher (MTI),
Nick Edge (KUKA UK) and Nicolas Piolle
(ACB). Speakers on the industrial develop-
ment of linear friction welding at the second
session included Dan Graham (GKN), Hi-
11th International Friction Stir Welding Symposium
2016 in Cambridge – Call for Papers
As the use of friction stir welding (FSW)
continues to grow, the 11th International
Friction Stir Welding Symposium, which
takes place in Cambridge/UK on 17–19 May
2016, provides the opportunity to meet lead-
ing authorities on FSW from around the
world. Hosted by TWI Ltd, where FSW was
invented in 1991, the symposium offers re-
searchers, practitioners, customers and sup-
pliers to participate in the largest FSW event
in 2016. Topics covered will include:
• New developments in processes and
control
• Improved tool technology
• High-temperature materials
• Fundamentals and modelling
• Metallurgical characteristics
• Mechanical properties
• Dissimilar materials joining
• Industrial applications
• Friction stir spot welding.
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
Participants in the 3rd Internaional Linear Friction Welding Seminar at TWI in Cambridge.
ronori Okauchi (KHI), Tristan Crawford
(Constellium) as well as Daira Legzdina
(Honeywell) and Clement Buhr (Cranfield
University), who shared their presentation.
The final session of the day concentrated on
R&D work with presentations from Bert
Flipo (TWI), Bryan Humphreys (CAV Aero-
TWI is now inviting submissions for the
2016 symposium. Papers are expected to de-
scribe new developments in science, tech-
nology, applications, industrialisation, per-
formance, quality, design or any other topic
relevant to the advancement of FSW. This
can also include progress at an incremental
level as well as more spectacular advances.
An extended abstract of around 500
words should be submitted before the sub-
mission deadline of 30 October 2015. The
abstract must show the full title of the paper,
names, affiliations, email addresses and full
mailing addresses of all the authors and the
requested presentation mode (oral or
poster). As the official language of the sym-
posium is English, all papers must be written
in English. The abstract must clearly present
background, objectives, methodology and
results on a sound basis (innovative case
studies, research data, practical experiences,
investigations etc.).
space, about the TiFAB project) and Anthony
McAndrew (Cranfield University).
The seminar concluded with a demon-
stration in TWI’s friction laboratory. Dele-
gates also enjoyed a pre-seminar dinner at
St Catherine’s College. (According to press
information from TWI)
Authors will be expected to attend the
event and present their papers themselves.
The author who will present the paper at the
symposium should be clearly indicated.
Each leading author may submit no more
than three abstracts.
As well as the usual scrutiny for paper
quality, the main criteria for acceptance will
be:
• Clear evidence of progress in some as-
pect of friction stir welding or related
technologies
• Work of industrial or academic rele-
vance
• Mostly unpublished work.
TWI will feedback a decision about submis-
sions no later than 15 January 2016. If a
paper is accepted it will be required by
1 April 2016 at the latest. For more informa-
tion please visit the event website at
www.fswsymposium.co.uk or contact TWI
via www.twi-global.com.
147
 REPORTS

Brazing PCD (polycrystalline diamond) and other

ceramics – Part 2: brazing PCD
What is PCD? can be thought of as ‚type of ceramic‘, it is clear in such cases the brazing material is required
Essentially PCD (polycrystalline dia- that conventional brazing techniques that call to wet PCD alone, the filler metal has to be
mond) is a synthetic diamond-based com- for the use of a separate flux are inadmissible one of the ‚active‘ brazing alloys discussed in
pact which is simply very pure carbon pow- in the case of solid PCD, i.e. without a backing Part 1 of this series (see “Welding and Cutting“
der that has been heated to a high tempera- of tungsten carbide. As a result, and because No. 2/2015, pp. 102 ff).
ture while being subjected to extremely high
pressures (see Fig. 1(a) and 1(b)). Even so,
the manufacture of synthetic diamonds and
of PCD is undertaken at temperatures and
pressures that are somewhat lower than
those found in nature that has resulted in
the formation of natural diamonds.
These manufacturing conditions are
achieved through the use of special catalysts.
The resulting synthetic diamond is sintered
again with cobalt powder, typically on discs
of tungsten carbide, to form the compact
solid known as PCD. The small size of the
diamond grains, and the fact that the PCD
binder is itself a diamond catalyst, makes
the material sensitive to graphitisation at Fig. 1(a) • Schematic diagram of the system used for making PCD.
temperatures above about 750°C. Excursions
to temperatures that are marginally above
850°C are not too deleterious providing that
the time for which the PCD is above 800° is
no longer than 5 to 7 seconds. It is, however,
abundantly clear that very precise temper-
ature control of the brazing process is a fun-
damental prerequisite for success of the
brazing operation.
Having to ensure the use of low brazing
temperatures tends to dictate the type of braz-
ing alloy that has to be employed when braz-
ing PCD to a substrate. For obvious reasons it
is desirable to have alloys that also exhibit a
short melting range. Further, and since PCD Fig. 1(b) • The various stages in the production of PCD.

Table 1 • The expansion characteristics of a number of materials that Table 2 • The toughness and abrasion resistance of certain grades of PCD.
might be brazed to PCD.

148 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

 The necessity to employ a low-brazing
temperature, coupled to the requirement
that the filler material needs to be highly flu-
id when in its molten state, points to the de-
sirability of the use of the alloy that is ‚acti-
vated‘ silver-copper eutectic, i.e. alloy #3 in
Table 1 of Part 1 in this series. This material
is fundamentally the 72% Ag/Cu alloy that
has a single melting point of 778°C; this tem-
perature is low enough to make it a very at-
tractive choice for this type of work.
Generally this type of work is undertak-
en in a specially designed type of vacuum
furnace (see Fig. 2). Clearly, because brazing
is undertaken in a vacuum furnace, steps
have to be taken to avoid evaporation of sil-
ver from the filler material. Since the brazing Fig. 2 • Schematic repre-
temperature will be above 780°C silver will sentation of the spe-
cialised type of equip-
tend to evaporate from the surface of the
ment often used for the
filler alloy if the pressure in the furnace is
direct brazing of PCD to a
lower than about 10-4 torr. Consequently, it
backing piece of tungsten
is common practice to back-fill the furnace carbide.
with pure argon until the pressure gauge of
the furnace is registering about 10-3 torr: this
effectively eliminates this potential prob- Fig. 3(a) • Pocket design:
lem. tip position.
Clearly PCD expands when heated. Nat-
urally, in situations where the PCD is to be
brazed to a substrate, both the PCD and the
substrate are able to expand freely as the
temperature rises. However, once the braz-
ing operation has been completed, and the Fig. 3(b) • Pocket design:
brazed assemble begins to cool, the pres- segment relief.
ence of the filler material that is joining both
components means that they are unable to
contract freely. This inevitably leads to stress
build-up in the assembly, and there is an
ever-present possibility that one or other of
the materials will either distort or develop a
crack during the cooling period. Table 1
gives some expansion values that will help
engineers to assess the potential for such a
problem to affect the joining of PCD to a
number of different substrate materials. It
goes without saying that the closer the ex-
pansion values are to each other, the lower
will be the possibility of stress problems af- Fig. 3(c) • Pocket design:
fecting the outcome of the brazing opera- overhang.
tion.

Joint design when brazing PCD to

a substrate
On account of its wear resistance, the
use of a PCD insert is often found in a wide
range of cutting tools as the replacement for
conventional cemented tungsten carbide.
However, because of the inherent ‚low-sen-
sitivity‘ of PCD to the application of tensile
stress, to minimise the risk of stress failure

Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 149

 REPORTS

Fig. 4 • The high-temperature strength of two filler materials used for Fig. 5 • A carbon rod, diameter about 30 mm, heated by induction with
brazing PCD-tipped carbide inserts to their backing pieces. temperature regulation provided by an optical pyrometer.

of the PCD insert during the cooling stage
of a brazing operation it is normal practice
to make some minor changes to the design
of the seating-pocket design. Typical exam-
ples are shown in Figs. 3 (a), (b). and (c).
Brazing tungsten carbide-backed PCD
to a substrate
Different grades of PCD are available
and are classified by toughness associated
with its resistance to abrasion. As can be
seen from Table 2, it is a fundamental feature
of PCD that the smaller the grain size of the
material the better its toughness but this is
not necessarily reflected in its resistance to
abrasion.
It is the fact of having to ensure low braz-
ing temperatures that tends to point to the
type of brazing alloy that has to be employed
for this type of work. Further, it has to be re-
membered that tungsten carbide has a very
low coefficient of linear expansion, and this
is important in those cases where PCD-
tipped tungsten carbide has to be joined to
a steel substrate. In such circumstances the
contraction-induced stress experienced by
the brazed joint during cooling will be high,

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T +49. (0)2 11. 15 91-162 • F +49. (0)2 11. 15 91-250 • vertrieb@dvs-hg.de • www.dvs-media.eu

150 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

and this might lead to either the carbide or
the joint fracturing during this phase of the
operation.
For obvious reasons it is also desirable
to employ filler materials that have a short
melting range. This is particularly true
when brazing tiny parts and where one
needs ‚good fluidity‘ to assist in the destruc-
tion of any pockets of entrapped flux in the
joint that have formed during the brazing
operation. This is sometimes achieved by
moving the PCD-tipped carbide to-and-fro
on its seating several times while the filler
material is molten! This activity is widely
known in the industry as ‚consolidating the
joint‘.
In other situations the act of simply
pushing a PCD-tipped insert into its final
position with a ceramic rod provides suffi-
cient agitation to destroy any flux-pockets
that are present in the joint area. The ne-
cessity to employ a low brazing tempera-
ture, coupled to the requirement that the
filler material needs to be highly fluid when
in its molten state, points to the desirability
of using the alloy that conforms to ISO
17672 Type Ag 155. This material, a 55% Sil-
ver: Copper: Zinc: Tin alloy, has a short
enough melting range (630 to 660°C) and a
low enough liquidus temperature, to make
it appear attractive for use when brazing
tungsten carbide that is ‚tipped‘ with PCD.
Unfortunately, however, as we have already
seen, the criteria of low melting point and
short melting range are only two of the fac-
tors that have to be considered! Two other
factors that are of critical importance are:
• the ability of the alloy to ‚wet‘ the car-
bide and
• the high temperature joint strength of
the brazing alloy.
It is clear that in conjunction with the ap-
propriate flux the ISO 17672 Type Ag 155
material will be able to wet the carbide.
However it is also true that the literature
concerning the brazing of tungsten carbide
comes down very strongly in favour of using
brazing alloys that contain modest quanti-
ties of nickel; and if they also contain man-
ganese, so much the better! In these circum-
stances there is an outstanding case for the
use of the following material:
• ISO 17672 Type Ag 449 (melting range:
680 to 705°C, working temperature of
690°C).
The other matter that calls for a little
comment is that of the choice of a suitable
flux. While it is true that due to its very high
activity-level of ‚black‘ flux, conforming to
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
BS EN1045 Type FH12, is very widely used
for the brazing of tungsten carbide. However,
it has the distinct disadvantage that it re-
mains opaque even when fully molten. This
makes it close to impossible for operators
to see when the alloy has melted and flowed
unless they use a pointed piece of refractory
the ‚scrape‘ along the side of the joint-line.
This potential disadvantage can be over-
come by the use of a fluoride-base flux con-
forming to EN1045 Type FH10. This is a
white flux that on melting becomes a clear
liquid at about 550°C and is readily available
from a wide range of suppliers of brazing
consumables. Its activity and ‚life‘ as a flux
will be entirely adequate for this type of
work, moreover it has the distinct advantage
that the operator will be able to see when
the alloy melts and flows.
Finally, a PCD-tipped component must
never be quench-cooled. Such tools must
be cooled as slowly as possible. Placing them
on a refractory brick that is shielded from
drafts of ambient air so that they can cool
slowly is strongly recommended.
Strength at elevated temperature
The approximate strengths at tempera-
ture of two different alloys are shown in Fig
4. It is clear that the use of a filler material
that conforms to ISO 17672: 2010 Type Ag
449 is attractive if the tool is likely to experi-
ence elevated temperatures in service. Ex-
perience indicates that if tips are ‚lost‘ in
service it is probable that the reason is more
associated with the fact that the tip of the
tool had been overheated while being used
rather than because the initial braze was of
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suspect strength! This will be particularly
true in those cases where no coolant is used
during the machining process. Here one can
easily attain a working temperature at the
cutting face of the tool of 400°C or higher.
Precise temperature control when
brazing PCD-tipped tools
Induction heating, or perhaps more cor-
rectly indirect induction heating, is finding
increasing use where the brazing of small to
medium sized pieces of tungsten carbide
that are ‚carrying‘ PCD inserts are required
to be brazed to a backing piece. An ingen-
ious method of temperature control is illus-
trated in Fig 5. This technique is widely used
when brazing small pieces of PCD-faced
tungsten carbide to steel backings. The as-
sembly (substrate, brazing alloy and the in-
sert carrying the PCD) is placed on the car-
bon ‚anvil‘, and thermal conduction transfers
the heat to the assembly. In due course the
filler material melts and the joint is made.
No matter how long the part remains on the
‚anvil‘ overheating cannot occur.
P. M. Roberts, Delphi Brazing Consultants,
Congleton, Cheshire/UK
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to place on record his ap-
preciation of the help and assistance provided
to him by Dr Tim Halpin of Element Six GmbH
during the writing of both of the articles in this
series. His invaluable first-hand experience of
the subject matter eased the task of their pre-
paration by an incalculable amount.
Y
EN
AD
10 9 0 R E
DYNAMIC
AS NEVER BEFORE.
RELIABLE
AS ALWAYS.
ProPULS
320 | 330 | 400 | 500
151
“Young Welders“ victors in 2015 will represent Germany
in the “Weldcup“ and in the “Arc Cup“
In 2013, the first “Weldcup“ took place at the “Schweissen & Schneiden“ fair
in Essen/Germany. (Photo: DVS)
Who will win this year’s DVS national
“Young Welders“ competition is in the lap
of the gods. However, one decision has al-
ready been taken: The four victors will rep-
resent Germany in the international com-
petitions for the best weld. With the partici-
pation in the “Weldcup“ (in Cambridge/UK
on 19 October 2015) and in the “Arc Cup“
(in Peking/China in June 2016), DVS will of-
fer the up-and-coming welders important
experiences abroad and the possibility of es-
tablishing contacts beyond national borders.
Before then, the young welders will enter
the 11th DVS national competition in the DVS
Course Centre in the Vocational Education
and Technology Centre of the Cottbus Cham-
ber of Handicrafts in Gallinchen, Berlin-Bran-
denburg, on 24 to 27 September 2015. The
first competitions on the regional level have
already been running since February. Be-
cause the victors in the four disciplines (gas
welding, manual metal arc welding, gas-
shielded metal arc welding and tungsten inert
gas welding) are firstly being sought in the
district branches of DVS. These will then en-
ter the DVS state competitions in order to
qualify for the DVS national “Young Welders“
competition by winning there.
For every budding welder, the partici-
pation in the DVS welding competition will,
152
“Team Germany“ with the Golden Trophy for the team victory in the “Arc
Cup“ 2014 in Peking. (Photo: Lower Saxony / Bremen Federal State Metal
Association)
of course, already be a good opportunity to
test their nerves and to establish valuable
contacts. “However, being able to join in at
a Europe-wide competition directly after-
wards and at a worldwide competition in
the following year is already a particular
challenge,“ stated Hans-Jörg Herold, Chair-
man of the DVS national “Young Welders“
working group. As a reward for their special
DVS specialist conference
brought technology suppliers and
users together
The specialist conference staged by the
DVS district branch in Cottbus and the DVS
state branch in Berlin-Brandenburg on the
subject of “Theory & practice of modern cut-
ting and welding technologies“ in Finster-
walde on 23 and 24 April 2015 concentrated
on obtaining knowledge. Around 130 par-
ticipants made use of this opportunity, also
including the DVS student groups from the
Brandenburg University of Technology
(BTU) in Cottbus-Senftenberg and the Uni-
versity of Technology (TU) in Dresden.
performances, the four winners of the 11th
DVS national competition will be sent to the
“Weldcup“ directly three weeks later and to
the “Arc Cup“ nearly one year later. “There,
our best welders will compete on interna-
tional soil and we will certainly be able to
hold our own,“ stressed Herold. In his esti-
mation, he sees himself confirmed by the
Team Gold in the “Arc Cup“ last year.
The programme with lectures delivered
by high-ranking speakers from various uni-
versities and companies in the sector and
the connected practical demonstrations at
Kjellberg Finsterwalde offered the best pre-
requisites for this purpose. Furthermore, the
participants had the possibility of entering
into discussions with manufacturers and
representatives from the scientific and prac-
tical fields.
After the opening by Dr.-Ing. Roland
Boecking, General Manager of DVS, and Dr.
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

Dr.-Ing. Roland Boecking, General Manager of
DVS, opened the specialist conference in Fins-
terwalde. (Photos: Kjellberg Finsterwalde)
Norbert Pietsch, Chairman of the DVS district
branch in Cottbus, the lecture programme
was opened by the main sponsor, MicroStep
Europa GmbH. Andreas Kaiser, Sales Manag-
er, provided a vivid explanation of the diverse
performance spectrum of flame cutting in-
stallations for the processing of sheets, pipes,
sections and tank bottoms. All the important
processing steps can be taken on just one in-
stallation – from the cutting and premachining
of weld preparations to inscription, drilling,
countersinking and threading. Dr.-Ing.
Thomas Hassel, Director of the Underwater
Technology Centre at the Leibniz University
of Hanover, focused on multibevel plasma
cutting and introduced initial results for the
multitorch arrangement in plasma cutting.
On the subject of welding technology,
the newest knowledge about high-produc-
tivity TIG welding and submerged arc weld-
ing was imparted. Dr.-Ing. Michael Schnick,
Managing Director of Oscar PLT GmbH, ex-
plained the advantages of the “InFocus“
welding technology especially for those par-
ticipants in the conference who were orient-
ed to applications in structural steel engi-
neering and vehicle construction. Welding
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
speeds up to 50 m/min during the welding
of sheets and foils aroused the interest of the
listeners. Using the example of a large-scale
opencast mining device, Alexander Kloshek,
BTU in Cottbus-Senftenberg, highlighted
what substantial cost savings and service
lives are achieved by means of submerged
arc surface welds and how submerged arc
welding can be used even out of position.
The conference programme motivated
the participants in the conference to ex-
change experiences too. In a podium dis-
cussion with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dietmar Paulinus,
Director of the SLV Berlin-Brandenburg
branch of GSI, entrepreneurs reported on
their experiences with the implementation
of DIN EN 1090. There were controversial
Evening event
at the F60 con-
veyor bridge
near Lichter-
feld.
Practical
demonstra-
tions with
explanations
about manual
submerged
arc welding.
discussions about the relationship between
the benefits and expense of the certification.
Thereafter, the introduced technologies
for cutting and welding were demonstrated
practically at Kjellberg Finsterwalde. Thus,
any interested parties were able to test,
amongst other processes, manual sub-
merged arc welding themselves.
In the evening, the discussions of the
participants were continued against the im-
pressive backdrop of the shut-down F60
overburden conveyor bridge in Lichterfeld
with its breathtaking light and sound instal-
lation. What metal processing and fabrica-
tion are capable of achieving amazed the
participants in the conference during an in-
spection of the steel giant.
153
 REPORTS

The “Durimprove“ research project: Improvement

of the fatigue life of welded structures in high strength
steel grades
Fig. 1 • Fatigue failure in a non-
treated weld (left) and in a TIG-
dressed weld (right). The post-
weld treated joint performed
better during fatigue testing.

Fig. 2 • Wöhler curves of

welds in the as welded condi-
tion and welds improved
by TIG and plasma dressing.

Introduction S420MC - 10 mm; As welded (AW) and dressed results

Fatigue properties of welded compo-
nents can be improved by means of post-
weld treatments, like tungsten-inert gas
(TIG) dressing or hammering. This article
describes the results obtained in the research
Stress range (MPa)

project “Durimprove”, in which the effects of

post-weld treatments on welds in high
strength steels (HSS) were investigated.
In this project, the Belgian Welding In-
stitute BWI and the Belgian research center
OCAS investigated methods to improve the
fatigue properties of welds on high strength
steels by different means. Two re-melting
techniques (TIG- and plasma dressing) and
one mechanical technique (Pneumatic Im-
pact Treatment, PIT) were applied and com- Number of cycles
pared. The project “Durimprove” was fund-
ed by the Flemish Government. 20 compa-
nies contributed to the project. S700MC - 10 mm; As welded (AW) and all PIT results

Requirements
In the target application field, construc-
tion equipment (i.e. agriculture machinery,
ground moving vehicles, cranes, buses, gen-
eral mechanical construction etc.), weight
Stress range (MPa)

and cost savings are the goal for many man-

ufactures; either to improve the pay
load/deadweight ratio or to reduce energy
consumption. The choice for high strength
steels seems obvious, because thinner ma-
terial can be used.

Post-weld treatment
In many applications, introducing HSS
however is limited because the fatigue

Fig. 3 • Wöhler curves for welds in the

as welded condition and for welds improved by Number of cycles
Pneumatic Impact Treatment (PIT).

154 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

Fig. 4 • Steering lever. Left: location of the steering lever at the back wheel of a potato harvester;
Right: fatigue fracture of the steering lever initiated at the weld.
Number of cycles

Fig. 5 • Overview of the fatigue tests: number of cycles as a funtion of the steel grade and the post- Fig. 6 • HF900 bearing house of an industrial
weld treatment. washing machine ready for out-of-balance test.

strength of welded joints in HSS is found to

be equal to the fatigue strength of welds in
medium strength steels. When using thinner
plates, the weight of a construction will de-
crease, but the lifetime might become in-
sufficient. However, it is possible to improve
the fatigue properties of welded connections
by means of post-weld treatments, Fig. 1. By
re-melting the weld toe, the geometrical
transition from the weld metal to the base
metal is smoother. This results in better fa-
tigue properties.
Another way to improve fatigue proper-
ties is the application of a hammer treat-
ment, which creates a smooth transition at
the weld toe and introduces compressive
stresses. In the “Durimprove” project, Pneu-
matic Impact Treatment (PIT) was used.

Wöhler curves
In an extensive generic test program,
Wöhler curves were composed for non-treat-
ed welded joints (as welded) and for post-
weld treated welded joints in S420MC and
S700MC steel grades. The improvement ob-
tained with TIG- and plasma dressing was
equal. Therefore the results of both remelt-
ing techniques were grouped in a single
curve, as shown in Fig. 2. This figure shows
the Wöhler curve of longitudinal stiffeners

Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 155

 REPORTS
Fig. 7 • HF900 bearing house. Left: original design; Right: a detail of the critical point for fatigue
crack initiation at the star-shaped reinforcement.
in S420MC in 10 mm thickness in “as weld-
ed“ condition and the improved curve of
TIG- and plasma dressing.
The increase of the fatigue life obtained
with PIT was higher compared to the in-
crease obtained by the remelting techniques.
As an experiment, different parameters of
the PIT process were applied on fatigue test-
ing specimens. Regardless the variation of
the parameters, the improvement was con-
stant. Therefore, a single graph was com-
posed per steel grade and per sheet thick-
ness, as shown in Fig. 3. This graph shows
the improvement obtained with PIT for weld-
ed joints in S700MC with a sheet thickness
of 10 mm. The FAT-class (this is the design
strength at 2 million cycles) increased with
150%. Furthermore, the new curve for PIT-
treated welded joints has a smaller slope; the
effect is even larger at low stress levels.
The post-weld treatments were applied
on industrial components, three of them are
discussed in this article.
Case 1: Potato harvester
The steering mechanism of a Dewulf po-
tato harvester is made of S355 (Fig. 4). Sev-
Fig. 8 • Design change of the bearing house: the
star-shaped reinforcement is integrated in the
arms. The additional reinforcement plates at the
arms are no longer needed.
156
eral prototypes were made of the most crit-
ical steering lever, using an improved weld-
ing procedure and with different post-weld
treatments. The best result was obtained
with a PIT-treated steering lever made of
S690QL high strength steel (Fig. 5). The life
expectation increased 6.5 times compared
to the original untreated steering lever in
S355. The geometry of the steering lever was
not changed, given the very limited space
in which the lever is mounted.
Case 2: Industrial washing
machine
The second case that was examined is a
bearing house of an industrial washing ma-
chine of Alliance Europe. The bearing house
is located at the back of the washing ma-
chine. At one side, the washing basket is
mounted, at the other side the engine power
is transmitted. The maximum fatigue load
is reached when 15% of the maximum pay-
load (90 kg) is present in the machine at a
rotational speed of 750 rpm. This unbalance
at 750 rpm is used as a fatigue test by the
manufacturer, the so-called out-of-balance
test (Fig. 6).
The original weight of the bearing
house is 281 kg and it is composed of S235
steel. Out-of-balance tests performed in the
past reached 130 hours on average, until a
fatigue crack appeared in one of the four
arms at the transition between the star-
shaped reinforcement and the arms (Fig.
7). The ambition of Alliance was to extend
the lifetime up to 500 hours without fatigue
crack initiation. Weight saving as such was
not a priority, as it might lead to resonance
problems.
The critical welds of the original design
were PIT-treated. The out-of-balance test
ended at 349 hours due to the appearance
of a fatigue crack. The desired 500 hours
were achieved by a design change (Fig. 8).
The star-shaped reinforcement was integrat-
ed in the arms. As the star-shaped part is
fully integrated in the arms, no notch effect
is present, which is beneficial for increased
fatigue resistance. Furthermore, the addi-
tional reinforcement plates, which are pres-
ent in the current design, were no longer
needed.
The new design reached 500 hours in
the out-of-balance test without fatigue crack
initiation. The weight was lowered by 12%
and 25% less welding time is required.
The case shows that the use of HSS and
the use of a post-weld treatment is not al-
ways the best or only solution for increasing
the fatigue life of a component. Alliance ac-
cepted the design change in their produc-
tion.
Case 3: Hoists
ArcelorMittal Gent uses old and new
overhead cranes made of S235. Fatigue
cracks in beams of the overhead cranes oc-
cur at various critical locations. These critical
Fig. 9 • Fatigue test
samples with criti-
cal weld details of
overhead cranes.
Top: repair butt
weld; middle: gus-
set plate; bottom:
reinforcement
welded under the
beams.
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
 REPORTS
locations are regularly inspected and re-
paired if cracks are found.
Fatigue tests were performed for the
three most critical weld details, in order to
examine the preventive effect of a PIT-treat-
ment on aged welded joints. It was also ex-
amined if fatigue crack initiation can be de-
layed on hoists which are in service for some
years. The following three weld details were
examined:
• A repair butt weld
Fatigue cracks are removed by grinding.
This is done in an X joint preparation
using Manual Metal Arc Welding
(MMAW). Because repair welds are al-
ways located in critical zones and be-
cause they are most often made in dif-
ficult circumstances, they remain sen-
sitive for new fatigue cracks.
• Gusset plate
This is a steel plate which connects the
beams of overhead cranes with the
building, for having sideway stability.
• Reinforcement plates under beams
In zones where the highest bending
stresses occur in the beams of overhead
cranes, extra reinforcement plates are
welded underneath. Fatigue cracks can
initiate where the reinforcements end.
For these weld details, small-scale fatigue
test specimens were manufactured (Fig. 9).
First, fatigue tests were executed on the weld
details for reference purposes. Second,
welded joints were subjected to fatigue
loads until a point at which fatigue cracks
can be expected like they are in service for
years. A dye penetrant test was done to de-
tect surface cracks. If no cracks were found,
a PIT-treatment was done on the aged
158
welds. The welded joints then were further
fatigue-tested. The results per weld detail
are listed below:
• The original butt weld: The measure-
ment points lie, as expected, above the
design curve for butt welds specified in
Eurocode III. One fatigue test was per-
formed on an aged welded joint after
PIT treatment. Despite the high stress
range (225 MPa), no cracks appeared
after 3M cycles and the test was ended.
This measurement point is far above
the design curve for butt welds speci-
fied in Eurocode III.
• PIT treated aged gusset plates were fa-
tigue tested at R 0.1 and a stress range
of 225 MPa. At this stress level the aver-
age fatigue life was three times higher
than the fatigue life of new untreated
gusset plates.
• Aged PIT treated reinforcement plates
were fatigue tested at R 0.1 and a stress
range of 225 MPa. At this stress level,
the average fatigue life was 14 times
higher than the fatigue life of new un-
treated reinforcement plates.
The outcome of this fatigue test campaign
shows that a post-weld treatment of weld
can be used as a preventive measure to delay
fatigue crack initiation. Before applying the
post-weld treatment, a dye penetrant check
must be done.
Conclusion
In general, the “Durimprove“ project
showed that fatigue life of welds can be in-
creased by using post-weld treatments on
commodity and high strength steels. The
case of the bearing house demonstrated
that the use of high strength steel and post-
weld treatments is not the only way to in-
crease the fatigue life of a component. A de-
sign change led to the desired improvement
of the fatigue properties. Finally, the bene-
ficial effect of post-weld treatments was
shown on old overhead cranes. Thanks to
a post-weld treatment, fatigue crack initia-
tion can be delayed. This leads to significant
savings of weld repairs and inspections. Giv-
en the successful outcome of the “Durim-
prove“ project, this knowledge will be used
for highway bridges, in the frame of the Eu-
ropean RFCS research project “Optibri” (Op-
timal use of high strength steel grades within
bridges). The partners in this project are the
University of Liege (project leader, Belgium),
the Belgian Welding Institute, GRID Con-
sulting Engineers (Portugal), the University
of Combria (Portugal), the University of
Stuttgart (Germany) and Industeel (Bel-
gium). In this project, the use of high
strength steel in highway bridges, designed
according to ‚Eurocode III‘, is studied. Fa-
tigue life of these bridges is limited by trans-
versal stiffeners. As an extra limitation, ‚Eu-
rocode III‘ does not take into account the
beneficial effect of post-weld treatments on
welded joints.
The effect of post-weld treatments on
the fatigue properties of transverse stiffeners
made in HSS will be investigated. Finally,
the outcome of this project will contribute
to a possible change of the Eurocode III. This
will enhance the use of HSS in bridges and
lead to weight savings.
Thomas Baaten (BIL), Zwijnaarde/Belgium
and Sofie Vanrostenberghe (OCAS),
Gent/Belgium
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
 NEWS
Editorial
Welding engineering: an accessible, inclusive profession.
TWI has become a signatory to the Engineering Diversity Concor-
dat, so I’m hoping that you will want to know what the Concordat
and engineering diversity are.
The Concordat is a stakeholder agreement, with 30 signatories so
far, that is facilitated by the Royal Academy of Engineering to de-
liver the following objectives:
1. Communicate commitment to equality and inclusion principles
and practices.
2. Take action to increase diversity amongst those in professional
engineering membership and registration.
3. Monitor and measure progress.
The agenda for the Engineering Diversity Concordat is to identify,
share and develop best practices for achieving greater diversity in
the engineering profession. Diversity is often interpreted as gen-
der equality and, indeed, some of our activities within the frame-
work of the Concordat will be to implement the principles of equal
opportunities and equal treatment of men and women by the In-
stitute. In becoming a signatory of the Concordat, TWI is affirming
its view that diversity is much broader than equality between men
and women; in its broadest context diversity means removing con-
scious and unconscious barriers that may be preventing or dis-
suading any under-represented section of society from selecting
and enjoying a fulfilling career in welding engineering and its as-
sociated areas of technology, and this will be our goal in delivering
the Concordat objectives.
It is easy to consider dismissing the need for the Concordat by
claiming that the Institute’s rules and processes, beliefs and atti-
tudes do not present any unnecessary barriers to membership and
registration. However, what evidence do we have of unbiased re-
cruitment and assessment of technicians and engineers in the pro-
fession? On the contrary, considering gender equality alone, the
membership of the Institute comprises only 2–3% females, com-
pared to 6–7% for UK engineering in general, and 25% in TWI Ltd
employment. It is UK law (2010 Equality Act) that age, gender,
race, disability, marriage/civil partnership, religion or belief, sex-
ual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity
are protected characteristics, and similar equality legislation exists
in many of the countries in which our members work and live.
Monitoring and measuring representation of these characteristics
within our profession is the only way in which we will be able to
demonstrate compliance with such laws.
At this point in the discussion it is not uncommon for the term
‘quotas’ to be raised in a derogatory fashion, and I have sympathy
with those who recognise the negative impacts of badly formu-
lated and implemented ‘positive discrimination’ targets. The di-
versity agenda that TWI wishes to follow is one of inclusive
opportunity and accessibility to the profession. In this sense,
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
May
June
2015
The Newsletter of The Welding Institute
equality is not a programme of recruiting individuals with statis-
tically under-represented characteristics to fill a quota, but a pro-
gramme to inform and enable decisions on entry and
advancement to be made fairly and openly, without bias. Once
again, it is time to reinforce that we are not doing anything hor-
rendously badly or wrong at present, but there remains a signifi-
cant opportunity for improvement if we recognise that our life
experiences can, and do, instil unconscious bias into our beliefs
and attitudes; it is natural.
So, what is the advantage? I’m not about to tell you that if we don’t
do this, we will all be going to jail for breaking the equality laws,
although, having recruitment and staff management processes
that are demonstrably free from bias will be highly valuable
should you find yourself accused of discrimination. The real ben-
efit, the prize in having a demonstrably inclusive profession, will
be in opening recruitment and advancement opportunities to in-
dividuals who, for whatever reason at present, are not seeking and
making use of those opportunities. In a profession that has a chal-
lenging age demographic, a general skills shortage, is trying to re-
cruit from a reducing school-leaver population across many
European countries, and is poorly placed to resource major energy
and infrastructure projects worldwide, successfully embracing di-
versity means having a larger pool of recruits to fish in.
If diversity means increasing the range and size of the available
candidate pool, it will maximise the chances of recruiting the best
person for the role. If diversity in employment also means equity
in salary, promotion and access to resources, it will improve staff
retention and motivate employees to commit effort and achieve-
ment to the benefit of the organisation they see their future in. If
diversity in organisations also means having wider perspectives
and experiences, it will increase innovation and improve customer
relations and marketing impact. These outcomes are all business
builders, and that is why diversity is part of our sustainability and
growth agenda.
The Welding Institute will make use of the Engineering Diversity
Concordat to gather, implement and disseminate best practices
for increasing the inclusivity and accessibility of our profession.
Information and resources will be presented to TWI Industrial
and Professional Members through our website for you to use in
your own recruitment and retention programmes. I hope you
welcome our signing of the Engineering Diversity Concordat,
that you support its objectives, and that you will benefit from
sharing best practices with us, and using the resources we will
make available to you to make our profession more inclusive and
more accessible.
Eur Ing Chris Eady BSc(Hons) MSc CEng MRAeS FweldI
Associate Director Professional Affairs
The Welding Institute
159
TWI NEWS ··· TWI NEWS ··· TWI NEWS ··
New members (13 March 2015 – 6 May 2015)
Member No Name Member Grade EngC Registration Branch Prev. Member Grade
612600 Oneydikachi Nathan Ekekwe Member CEng N/SCT Graduate/Interim CEng
581448 Yahia Sala E D El Demery Member IEng UNOS
510293 Tariq Mahmood Ahmad Faridi Member IEng UNOS Associate
677832 Fahad Al-Hindas Member IEng MC
665082 Joao Gandra Member Interim CEng EM
595694 Robert Poulton Member SWS

679913 Chaitanya Wakhale Technician EngTech

UN/OS

586025 Fairoz B Mustapa Yusof Technician EngTech UNOS

626213 Rodger Robert Theunissen Technician EngTech UNOS
541715 Johan Daniel Moolman Technician EngTech LN
627159 Kerwin Robert Phillips Technician EngTech UNOS
571720 Kalaivaanan Sabapathy Technician EngTech UNOS
675335 Niel Dalziel Technician EngTech UNOS

619253 Ugochukwu Chukwujekwu Ejeh Associate N/SCT

We were reminded that many facts, figures and stunning photo-

Deceased members from January 2015
Name Number Grade Joined Branch
Mr Peter T Sands 504777 Associate 1987 Southern Coun-
ties (worked for
Vosper Thorny-
croft)
Mr David A McLelland 503472 Senior Member 1972 North Scottish
Eastern Counties Branch
TWI Offshore Oil and Gas Technical Group Meeting (TG4)
Event: Lecture
Subject: The Shard (of Glass), Europe’s tallest building
By: Johann (John) Krancioch, consultant and former group welding
and quality manager for Severfield-Rowen
Venue: TWI, Granta Park, Great Abington CB21 6AL
Date: Wednesday 15 April 2015
John Krancioch, consultant welding engineer and former group
welding and quality manager for the UK’s largest structural steel
fabricator, formerly known as Severfield-Rowen but now branded
as Severfield, gave us a down-to-earth, simple but revealing pres-
entation describing the fabrication and erection of the iconic Shard
building in London’s London Bridge Quarter. The Shard of Glass
building, so named to describe the architect’s vision of the com-
pleted building resembling a shard of glass, rises to 1016ft at the top
of the spire section from level 72 to 95, illustrating the title most ap-
propriately.
John’s career began with a full welding apprenticeship within Fos-
ter Wheeler John Brown Boilers in Hartlepool. John then worked
as a production welder, R&D welder, welding technician, assistant
welding engineer, welding engineer, senior welding engineer,
welding manager, welding and quality manger, and welding con-
sultant. John was employed by the following companies in these
various roles: Foster Wheeler, Whessoe Ltd, Head Wrightson,
ESAB, Davy Offshore, SLP Teesside, Severfield-Rowen and Sand-
berg LLP. John’s career covers several areas of industry, from pres-
sure vessels through to offshore fabrications to welding
manufacturer, encompassing such sectors as automotive, aero-
space, shipbuilding and of course the structural steelwork sector.
Here John’s projects have included the Shard along with many
other London and UK city buildings as well as such projects as
Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
graphs of the Shard are available online. The presentation described
some of the many unique problems encountered during the fabri-
cation and erection of the building. However, contrary to the devel-
oping technologies in all fields of engineering, this project was
delivered as specified and on time, using tried and tested manufac-
turing techniques and an experienced, competent and dedicated
project team. The solutions John described to a number of problems
experienced during the project illustrated and confirmed the expert-
ise of this team.
Note: ‘If you have read this then you will know, as I do, that you re-
ally missed a good talk. Make sure that you don't miss another great
Eastern Counties event.’
John Weston, event reporter(!), with grateful thanks to Johann.
Meeting report: London Branch of the Welding Institute
The London Branch of the Welding Institute, together with mem-
bers of Southern Counties Branch, visited Lloyd’s Register’s (LR’s)
Global Technology Centre on Thursday 23 April.
This newly established centre is in a purpose-built facility on the
Boldrewood Campus at the University of Southampton. This is
Lloyd’s Register’s global marine research and technology centre,
created to be a centre of excellence alongside LR’s sister global tech-
nology centre in Singapore.
The meeting was hosted by Adam Saxty of LR who introduced the
work of LR and the centre. This was followed by a short presentation
on the new welding apprenticeships by Mike Barverstock. These
have been established by the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills (BIS) under the Trailblazer initiative. More details of the
Trailblazer programme can be found at: www.gov.uk/govern-
ment/publications/future-of-apprenticeships-in-england-guidance-
for-trailblazers or by emailing michael_baverstock@europe.pall.com.
The main presentation was the ‘History of Shipyards on the Clyde
and Tyne 1930–1960’, as shown through newsreel footage, given by
Victoria Carolan, a Naval Historian. The talk was extensively cov-
ered by film clips using video streaming from the internet. It cov-
ered the ‘cult of the navy’ before and during the First World War
following the introduction of the newsreel in 1911 and the ‘Our
Navy’ series of films. This was set against the political background
of ‘the Great Game’.

160 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

·· TWI NEWS ··· TWI NEWS ··· TWI NEWS
Victoria presented film relating to the depression and its effect on wave energy and small hydro schemes in the north of Scotland. Our
the yards in the 1920s and the films by Paul Rotha in the 1930s in- final meeting of this session will be presented by Prof. Steve Jones
cluding ‘Red Ensign’. The approach of war resulted in the docu- of Coventry University.
mentary movement and films from the Ministry of Information. Again we have been fortunate to have had all our meetings spon-
These films focused on the workers and their lives and work, and sored by members, to whom we give our grateful thanks. Also of
the need for recruitment. This included the introduction of weld- course to our presenters, who give up their time to travel to the
ing, and the use of women welders, burners, electricians and north of Scotland.
painters.
The 1960s saw the documentary-style films of John Grierson with Speakers to date have been as follows:
their romantic vision of Clydeside. The presentation finished on the
bright note of Gracie Fields singing in ‘Shipyard Sally’. This was a Speaker Company Presentation title
fascinating presentation of glimpses into our industrial heritage Mr Brian Orrock Technip Facing the challenges of
which has been largely forgotten. Victoria was given a warm vote (Evanton Spoolbase) 2014 and beyond
of thanks and presented with a small memento of the evening. Dr David Howse Consultant BS EN 3834: requirements
for fusion welding metallic
materials
Highlands & Islands Branch Interim Report Mr Eamon BP Decommissioning of the
Sheenan North West Hutton
The Highlands and Islands Branch have had another excellent year Messrs Graystones and Welding and non-
with very good attendances over the five meetings held to date. We Alan Sharp and Subsea respectively destructive testing
currently average 27 attendees, with 135 having attended so far. Our Vaughan Mitchell of corrosion-resistant-
next two meeting will feature Dr Peter Dennis of the University of alloy-clad linepipe
the Highlands and Islands (UHI), who will present lectures on ‘Sus- Mr Andy Barron EMT The myths and legends of
tainable Energy and Micro Renewables’. This topic is of course es- fracture mechanics
pecially relevant to the Highlands with the amount of wind farms,

Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 161

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
A new oxy-gasoline cutting torch with fuel injection
and control unit
A new oxy-gasoline cutting torch based on the fine atomisation of gasoline
is introduced. Gasoline is forced through an injector at a high pressure
before it is mixed with oxygen in a mixing tube where it readily vaporises
before igniting the mixture at the tip of the torch to form the preheating
flame. The new cutting system consists of a fuel tank, a high-pressure fuel
pump, a safety valve, a pressure gauge, high-pressure rubber hoses, a gaso-
line injector, a control unit to regulate the flow rate of the gasoline and a
torch body. The new torch has been tried in cutting low-carbon steel plates
of 6, 10 and 15 mm thicknesses. Gasoline with 80, 90, 92 and 95 octane
numbers was used. The results showed a stable flame, a good-quality cut
surface, a relatively low fuel consumption and a high torch performance.
The results were also compared favourably to those obtained from the ex-
isting oxy-gasoline system.
1 Introduction
Oxy-fuel cutting is widely used for cutting carbon
steels as it is the most economical of all cutting methods
as well as being able to cut relatively thick plates. In this
method, cutting is achieved by the chemical reaction of a
stream of cutting oxygen with the steel preheated to the
ignition temperature by a separate preheating flame. The
rapid flow of the cutting oxygen oxidises the hot metal
and blows the formed molten oxides from the cut surface
[1]. In case of oxidation-resistant metals, the reaction is
enhanced by adding chemical fluxes or metal powders to
the cutting oxygen stream [2]. Many gas or liquid fuels are
used for oxy-fuel cutting. Gas fuels include acetylene,
methane, propane and hydrogen [3] whereas liquid fuels
include gasoline and kerosene.
The most popular fuel used in cutting is acetylene; its
flame temperature is 3,087°C and its heat of combustion
54.8 MJ/m3 [4] whereas gasoline has a heat of combustion
of 42 to 44 MJ/kg and a flame temperature of 2,010°C [15].
Gasoline, however, has many advantages over acetylene
and other fuels. It is available everywhere in any quantity
at a low price and is easily transported. Gasoline is safer to
use; it is easily discovered if leaked and also easily shut off
in case of emergency. Moreover, it offers a low risk of any
backfires because gasoline remains liquid as it flows from
the gasoline tank until it reaches the torch tip. In addition,
the tip has a long service life because it is continuously
cooled by the evaporating gasoline. Furthermore, a gaso-
line tank is portable because it has a small weight com-
pared to an acetylene cylinder. As such, portable oxy-gaso-
line devices have been produced, in addition to standard,
underwater and heavy-duty devices [5]. Because the sys-
tem is safe, it is used in nuclear dismantlement sites [6].
The very first oxy-gasoline or kerosene cutting torch
was developed by the Russian Autogenous Welding Re-
search Institute in 1951 [7]. It basically consists of a fuel
tank and an oxygen cylinder connected to a cutting torch.
The cutting torch has a secondary nozzle to produce a
flame to heat the torch tube to evaporate the fuel inside
it. The fuel may be gasoline or kerosene.
162
THE AUTHORS
M. Sc. Samir M. Yousef is a Lecturer at the Arab
Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime
Transport (AASTMT) in Alexandria/Egypt. He re-
ceived his M. Sc. in Industrial Engineering from
AASTMT in 2003. He is a Ph. D. student at Alex-
andria University and is experienced in metal
cutting and welding.
Prof. Ali El-Ashram is Professor Emeritus at the
Production Engineering Department, Faculty of
Engineering, Alexandria University. In 1963 he
obtailed a Ph. D. in Metal Casting from Moscow
Bauman Institute. He is President of the Egyp-
tian Welding Society and Head of the Ashram
Engineering Consultancy Office since 1974 to
present. He has more than 20 publications in
the field of welding.
Prof. M. Said Abdel-kader is Professor Emeritus
at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology
and Maritime Transport. In 1986 he obtained
his D. Sc. in the field of Solid Mechanics and
Materials Science from George Washington Uni-
versity in Washington, D.C./USA. His experience
in the fields of academic education, research
and consultancy work has been accumulated
over 42 years. His main fields of interest include
impact dynamics and fracture mechanics, visco-
plasticity and constitutive equations, fatigue,
creep and risk analysis. His publications exceed
50 research papers.
Over the years, the technology has been worked on
and improved until the mid-nineties of the last century
when a commercial oxy-gasoline cutting device was pro-
duced in the USA [8]. At present, there seem to be two
types of oxy-gasoline cutting torch, as shown on the
block diagram on Fig. 1. The first type works either by
pressurising the gasoline tank using the manual hand
pump attached to the fuel tank or by connecting it to an
external source of compressed air such as a reservoir.
The liquid gasoline and oxygen are delivered to the torch
through two separate hoses. Oxygen and gasoline valves
attached to the torch adjust the flow of oxygen and liquid
gasoline to the torch head [9].
A circular wick inside the torch head helps to dis-
perse the gasoline with the suitable quantity to be mixed
with oxygen to give the suitable flame. The formed mix-
ture is forced to the tip of the torch where it is lit. The
torch absorbs the heat of the tip and starts to vaporise
the mixture. As the gasoline is vaporised, its volume in-
creases to approximately 200 times. As a result of the
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
rapid expansion, the stream of oxygen and vaporised
gasoline is ejected from the tip, thus providing a strong
force to the cutting flame. Since the vaporisation of gaso-
line is an endothermic process, it helps to protect the
torch tip from overheating which, in turn, prolongs its
service life [5].
The second type is very much similar to the first
type, except for the circular wick which is replaced by a
capillary tube. This type works by pressurising the gaso-
line tank using the hand pump which is built into the
tank. The liquid gasoline and the oxygen are delivered
to the torch through two separate hoses. The liquid gaso-
line flows through the hose to the torch valve. The gaso-
line continues to flow through the capillary tube to the
torch head. The capillary tube gives the suitable gasoline
quantity and prevents any flashbacks. The oxygen atom-
ises the gasoline and is mixed with it in the torch head.
The mixture is forced to the torch tip and is ready to be
lit.
After a few seconds, the fuel mixture begins to ab-
sorb heat from the tip and becomes hot to vaporise the
mixture of oxygen and liquid gasoline. Due to the rapid
expansion of the mixture, a high-velocity stream of the Fig. 1 • Block diagram of the existing oxy-gasoline cutting torches.
vaporised mixture is ejected from the tip and provides
a strong force to the cutting flame. After heating the tip,
the preheating flame is adjusted to the suitable flame
and the system is then ready for cutting [10].
It is to be noted that the main difference between
both types of oxy-gasoline torches is seen to be the
method by which the gasoline is fed to the torch head.
In the first type, this is done by using a circular wick in-
side the torch head. The wick disperses the gasoline
which makes it easy to mix with the oxygen. In the sec-
ond type, however, a capillary tube is used instead of
the circular wick. In both types, the gasoline is atomised
in the torch head where it mixes with the oxygen. The
degree of atomisation depends on the flow rate of the
oxygen. The mixture obtained may be heterogeneous
and the need arises for a more effective device by means
of which a homogeneous mixture of atomised gasoline
and oxygen is obtained. Furthermore, the gasoline flow
rate to the torch head is not controlled accurately in ei-
ther type. This suggests that an injector and a control
unit should be attached to such a system to control the
gasoline flow rate. To get around these shortcomings of
both types, a new cutting torch is proposed herein.

2 The new oxy-gasoline cutting torch

2.1 Design principle and construction
The concept of the new design is based on atomising
the gasoline using a gasoline injector, similar to that used
in automotive engine fuel systems. A thorough examina-
tion of different automobile gasoline fuel systems, con-
centrating on the main components and function, has

Fig. 2 • The new cutting

torch: (a) block diagram and
(b) prototype.

Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 163

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Fig. 3 • Control unit: (a) block diagram and (b) output pulse width shape for injector.
Fig. 4 • Rela-
tion between
injector open-
ing time and
fuel injection
rate.
contributed to developing the new cutting system shown
on Fig. 2. The system is seen to consist of three main sub-
systems; a fuel subsystem, an oxygen feeding subsystem
and a cutting torch.
2.1.1 Fuel subsystem
This consists of a fuel tank (4) fabricated from mild
steel which is 240 mm in diameter and 360 mm high, with
a capacity of approximately 12 l. Inside the fuel tank, there
are a fuel pump with a fuel filter and a safety valve. The
fuel pump used is a standard rotary displacement auto-
motive fuel pump. Its function is to give a high-pressure
(3 bar) gasoline flow and to deliver it to the injector. A 12
V - 5 A adaptor (11) is used as an electric source to power
the pump. The safety valve prevents the fuel system pres-
sure from exceeding a limiting value of 3.5 bar. It is as-
sembled on the fuel line between the fuel pump and the
fuel tank cover.
164
The tank cover (3) encompasses a vent pipe to
equalise the pressure inside and outside the tank, an in-
let-outlet gasoline connection pipe to allow gasoline to
pass from inside to outside and an inlet-outlet electric
power source cable socket to connect with the fuel pump.
Inside the fuel tank, a hose connects the fuel pump to the
safety valve and another one connects the safety valve to
the gasoline pipe of the tank cover. In addition, there is
an electric junction from the cable socket in the tank cover
to the fuel pump. Outside the fuel tank, a pressure gauge
(1) is fixed on the gasoline line to measure the pressure of
the gasoline inside the pipe; its range is from 0 to 16 bar.
It is welded to the gasoline pipe of the inlet-outlet tank
cover, as shown on Fig. 2b. A brass fitting (2) is welded at
the end of the pipe and is used for mounting the rubber
hose. A second brass fitting is mounted between the end
of the rubber hose and the injector (15). A third one is
welded to the mixing tube (16) of the torch for mounting
the injector.
The electric circuit of the injector essentially consists
of a control unit (6). It is designed to give the required pulse
width to the injector; a small pulse width gives a small fuel
quantity and vice versa. The control unit designed is very
simple and is similar to that used in automotive gasoline
injection fuel systems. It gives one pulse every 50 ms which
is equivalent to an engine speed of 1,200 rpm in case the
injection takes place each revolution or 2,400 rpm if the
fuel is injected once every two revolutions.
Fig. 3a shows the block diagram of the control unit; it
works using three switch buttons to increase or decrease
the pulse width and consequently the fuel quantity by an
increment of 0.001 s (1 ms). Fig. 3b, on the other hand,
shows the pulse width delivered from the control unit to
the injector. Its input is 12 V direct current, supplied by a
DC adaptor (8).
The injector (15) on Fig. 2b is one of the main parts of
the oxy-gasoline cutting system. It is also a standard auto-
motive injector, such as the one used with Polo small cars.
Its function in the new cutting torch is to regulate the gaso-
line flow within milliseconds for millions of opening/closing
cycles for the gasoline feeding in the atomised state before
it is mixed with the oxygen. It is simply considered as an
on/off solenoid valve. It opens and fuel flows and it closes
and fuel stops using a pulse signal from the control unit
[11].
The injector is calibrated and tested on a device called
a Fuel Injector Cleaner & Analyzer model ATT-603B [12].
The steps of measuring and calibrating the injector fuel
quantity are summarised as follows:
• The injector is mounted on the device and the gaso-
line is fed to it at a pressure of 3 bar whereas the elec-
tric power is supplied from the control unit.
• The injector is inspected for any defects, such as drip-
ping. In addition, the shape of the spray is observed.
• The fuel delivery rate is measured by adjusting the
pulse width of the injector to a certain value and the
measuring fuel flow rate.
The relation between the injected fuel rate and the injector
opening time (pulse width) is shown on Fig. 4 and is seen
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
to be linear. A simple regression analysis based on the
least squares technique has yielded the equation [13]:
y (cm3/min) = 1.61 x (ms)
where y represents the fuel flow rate and x the injector
opening time. The coefficient of determination, R2, which
indicates how well the data fits in a straight line model
was calculated and found to be 0.992.
2.1.2 Oxygen feeding subsystem
This is similar to that used with traditional oxyacetylene
cutting systems [7]. It consists of an oxygen cylinder with a
maximum pressure of 150 bar, a cylinder valve, two pressure
gauges for measuring the pressure inside the cylinder and
the working pressure and oxygen hoses connecting the
cylinder to the cutting torch. A non-return valve is mounted
on the oxygen rubber hose, right before the torch, to prevent
any flashbacks of the preheating flame.
2.1.3 Cutting torch
This consists of the torch body which is fabricated
from cast brass; it encompasses two valves, one for the
oxygen used in the preheating and the other for the oxygen
used in the ignition. These valves are used to control the
oxygen flow rate. In addition, the torch body encompasses
drilled passages for the oxygen only, one for inlet and two
for outlet (for the preheating and cutting oxygen), as
shown on the block diagram on Fig. 5. A small-diameter
tube is welded to the torch body at one end and to the
torch head at the other end to transfer the ignition oxygen
from the valve to the cutting tip.
Likewise, another tube with a large diameter is welded
between the torch body and the mixing tube to transmit
the preheating oxygen from the preheating valve to the
mixing tube. The latter tube is curved for the smooth flow
of the oxygen to the mixing tube where a small-diameter
hole is tapped in the mixing tube at a tangent to the inner
diameter of the tube. This hole has two functions; firstly,
swirling the oxygen fed to the tube from the tangent tap
which gives better mixing and, secondly, cooling the mix-
ing tube due to the throttling of the oxygen from the hole
which protects the injector from overheating.
As mentioned earlier, a fitting is welded to the mixing
tube for injector fixation. This fitting is 100 mm long, which
is greater than the injected spray length, to allow the oxy-
gen to mix with the injected gasoline. The second end of
the mixing tube is welded to the torch head to allow the
oxygen and gasoline mixture to enter the torch head and,
from there, the torch tip where the mixture absorbs heat
from the torch head and tip, thus causing the mixture to
be vaporised and to expand. Note that gasoline is volatile
in the temperature range from 35 to 200°C [14].
2.2 System inspection
Prior to using the new system for cutting, it should be
inspected in order to reveal any probable defects. The fuel
pump is inspected by charging gasoline into the tank,
connecting the power supply to the fuel pump, listening
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
Fig. 5 • Block to the sound of fuel pump and taking the pressure gauge
diagram of the reading. The latter must not exceed 3 bar whereas the
cutting torch. safety valve opening pressure must not exceed 3.5 bar.
The power supply for the control unit and the injector
must not exceed 12 V. The control unit and the injector
are inspected as one subassembly where the injector must
respond to adjusting the control unit to a certain pulse
width with the same duration of that pulse width. The
gasoline flow rate from the injector must be proportional
to the pulse width. The gasoline spray shape must be in-
spected after providing the system with gasoline and elec-
tric power. The pulse width of the control unit is firstly
adjusted to 1 ms; then the pulse width is increased incre-
mentally by 1 ms until a width of 50 ms is reached. The
shape of the spray is observed at every increment.
Moreover, the system as a whole is checked for leak-
age. This is carried out by filling the gasoline tank, turning
on the fuel pump and the control unit, adjusting the pulse
width to 0 ms, observing the pressure gauge dial indicator
reading (must be 3 bar), checking for gasoline leakage at
any point from the fuel tank to the cutting torch tip and
reporting any malfunction.
2.3 Ignition of the torch
This is done by adopting the following steps:
• charging the gasoline tank,
• turning on the fuel pump and control unit transform-
ers,
• opening the oxygen ignition valve first of all, then
purging the oxygen line starting from the oxygen hose
to the cutting tip,
• turning on the injector by adjusting the control unit
pulse width to give the proper mixture of gasoline
and oxygen,
• igniting the torch and observing the flame shape and
• heating the torch tip to improve the flame shape.
To switch the system off, the control unit and the fuel
pump are closed first of all and oxygen is allowed to flow
for a short time to cool down the tip.
3 System performance
The final stage of system inspection is practical check-
ing by cutting, measuring performance and contrasting it
to that of the existing system (second type) which was
taken as a reference torch.
165
SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Fig. 6 • Flame
shape: (a) new
torch and (b) ref-
erence torch.
Table 1 • Comparison of quality parameters.
Table 2 • Comparison of cutting speed.
3.1 Flame shape
This was observed and compared with that of the ex-
isting system. It was clear that the torch works properly
after a transient start time without any discernible inter-
ruption or malfunction which indicates the efficiency and
effectiveness of the torch.
At the beginning of the ignition, however, the com-
bustion used to be incomplete and the flame shape was
irregular because most atomised gasoline particles were
still in a liquid form. When enough heat was developed
and the tip was heated adequately, the atomised liquid
gasoline changed to vapour and the flame shape sharp-
ened, thus enabling efficient cutting. A comparison of the
flame shapes of the new and reference torches is shown
on Fig. 6; apart from the different diameters, both are seen
to be almost similar.
Another important factor which contributed to the
flame shape is the octane number. The lower the octane
number was, the longer was the time needed to reach
complete combustion. For gasoline 80, its heavy com-
pounds needed a higher temperature to evaporate. These
compounds used to accumulate in the torch tip and fall
down in a droplet form during cutting. After enough work-
166
ing time had passed and adequate heat had accumulated
at the torch tip, all heavy compounds were able to evapo-
rate, the flame shape improved and the droplets ceased
to fall down.
Gasoline 90 has shown a similar performance al-
though it gives a heat value higher than gasoline 80. Be-
cause of its high heating value, gasoline 90 could be used
for cutting cast iron; Fig. 7a shows the new torch during
the cutting of cast iron whereas Fig. 7b shows the cutting
of mild steel. Gasoline 90 was used in both cases. Note
that the cast iron on Fig. 7a is molten because of the ex-
cessive heat developed.
In general, gasoline 92 and 95 have also shown sim-
ilar performances to gasoline 90. Fig. 7c shows the torch
while cutting mild steel sheet using gasoline 92 while
Fig. 7d represents a similar illustration in case of using
gasoline 95.
3.2 Cut quality
This has been measured in terms of bulge depth, drag
line width, adherence of tenacious slag, melting edge and
surface defects. The parameters were measured for 6, 10
and 15 mm thick plates using the new and reference torch-
es. Sample results are shown in Table 1 for 15 mm thick
plates. In addition, Fig. 8 depicts two 15 mm plates cut
using the two torches. Both illustrations show that the re-
sult of comparison is, in general, in favour of the new
torch.
3.3 Cutting speed
This was measured for 6, 10 and 15 mm thick plates
using different gasoline types with the new and reference
torches. Average results are listed in Table 2. The table
shows that the cutting speed of the new torch is slightly
higher than that of the reference torch. In reference [10],
however, higher values than those measured in the current
study are listed for the reference torch, a discrepancy
which may be attributed to oxygen impurity. However, it
needs further investigation.
3.4 Fuel consumption rate
During all experiments, a pulse width of 5 ms was
adopted for all types of gasoline. The corresponding rate
of injected gasoline delivered by the injector can be cal-
culated using the equation:
y (cm3/min) = 1.61 x (ms).
For x = 5 ms, y = 8.05 cm3/min or 0.483 l/h (0.35 kg/h)
which is relatively small compared to the reference oxy-
gasoline torch with 0.44 - 0.88 l/h (0.32 - 0.64 kg/h) for 3 -
10 mm thick plates [10]. Note that, for oxyacetylene cut-
ting, the fuel consumption rate is 300 - 500 l/h (0.33 - 0.55
kg/h) on average [3]. In effect, the current system is seen
to be cost-effective.
3.5 Capital cost
The current system costs about $ 200 which is rela-
tively low compared to the existing systems. For instance,
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
the first type costs $ 845 whereas the second type costs
approximately $ 300. On the other hand, the oxyacetylene
system costs $ 300 on average [9].

4 Concluding remarks
Experimenting with the new oxy-gasoline torch and
comparing its flame shape, cut quality, cutting speed, fuel
consumption and capital cost with those of the existing
(reference) torch indicate, primarily, that the new system
is promising. Further investigations concerning the design
optimisation of the injection system, the control unit, the
torch body and the tip dimensions are yet to be under-
taken before a final assessment can be made. However,
the new oxy-gasoline torch has a number of advantages,
Fig. 7 • Cutting cast iron and mild steel: (a) cast iron, gasoline 90, (b) mild steel,
these include: gasoline 90, (c) mild steel, gasoline 92 and (d) mild steel, gasoline 95.
• low fuel consumption,
• homogeneity of the oxy-gasoline mixture,
• safety during use due to controlling fuel injection,
ease of shutting the system down in case of emer-
gency and ease of discovering gasoline leaks, if any,
• the system can be easily manufactured and many of
its subsystems and components are standard and
exert positive effects on the costs,
• the throttling of the preheating oxygen to the mixing
tube cools it down, together with the injector and,
likewise, the expansion of the gasoline in the torch
head contributes to cooling the tip and prolonging
its service life and
• the flame shape becomes uniform and stable within
a short period of time after the torch is lit. As the oc- Fig. 8 • 15 mm thick samples cut by (a) new torch and (b) reference torch.
tane number of the gasoline increases, more heat is
delivered and the torch can cut cast iron by melting
as well as relatively thick steel plates with relative [8] Snedaker, W. H., et al.: A Deactivation and Decommission-
ease and an acceptable quality. ing Focus Area’s Triumph: The Oxy Gasoline Cutting Torch,
1998, WM’99 conference from 28-2 to 4-3-1999,
www.wmsym.org/archives/1999/63/63-3.pdf [accessed on
6-10-2014].
[9] U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Man-
Literature agement Office of Science and Technology December: In-
[1] Black, J. T. and R. A. Kohser: Materials and Processes in novative technology: Oxy-Gasoline Torch Deactivation and
Manufacturing, 10th ed., John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2008, pp. Decommissioning Focus Area, 1998, www.dndkm.org/
846/48. DOEKMDocuments/ITSR/DND/Oxy-Gasoline%20Torch
[2] Cary, H. B. and S. C. Helzer: Modern welding technology. .pdf [accessed on 28-9-2014].
6th ed., Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005, pp. 214/16. [10] Petro Oxy Cutting Systems (PTY) Ltd: Instruction of QG
[3] Tomsic, M. J. et al.: AWS welding handbook, welding Oxy-gasoline Cutting Machine Series, www.petroxy.co.za
processes. Vol. 2, 8th ed., Printed in USA, 1997, pp. 449/80. [accessed on 28-9-2014].
[4] Groover, M. P.: Fundamentals of modern manufacturing: [11] Bosch, Technical Instructions: Gasoline Fuel Injection Sys-
materials, processes and systems. 3rd ed., John Wiley & Sons tem L - Jetronic, 1995, Robert Bosch GmbH, Germany.
Inc., 2007, p. 725. [12] Auto-Tech User Manual: Fuel Injector Cleaner & Analyzer:
[5] Petrogen: Oxy-gasoline cutting system the liquid fuel torch Model: ATT-603B, Guangzhou Power Auto Maintenance
- Reference Manual, 1998, www.ct.gov/demhs/lib/demhs/ Equipment Trade Co., Ltd, China.
usr/training/petrogen_torch.pdf [accessed on 28-9-2014]. [13] Kleinbaun, D.G. and Kupper, L.L.: Applied Regression
[6] Heft, Milt: Decommissioning and Decontamination Sci- Analysis and Other Multivariable Methods 1978,
ence and Technology: Decontamination and dismantle- Wadsworth Pub. Co. Belmont, California, USA.
ment – oxy-gasoline cutting torch deployed in nuclear [14] Arkhangelsky, V., et al.: Motor Vehicle Engines. Mir Publish-
D&D, www.dieseltorch.com/Images/downloads/D.O.E.. ers, Moscow 1971, pp. 46/51
pdf [accessed on 28-9-2014]. [15] Gasoline FAQ - Part 4 of 4, http://allanswers.org/automo-
[7] Glizmanenko, D. and G. Evseev: Gas welding and cutting. tive/autos/gasoline-faq/part4.htm [accessed on 15-11-
Peace publishers Moscow, 1961, pp. 292/333. 2014).

Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 167

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Serial coupling of the plasma and GMA processes in
order to increase the economic viability and process
reliability of welding in installation engineering and
tank construction
The globally great demand for welded products from installation engi-
neering and from pipeline and tank construction as well as the simulta-
neous shortage of experienced and qualified manual welders in this
sector suggest that the manufacturers are increasingly interested in fully
mechanised, economically viable and reliable welding processes as al-
ternatives to the processes utilised until now. In the Research and De-
velopment Department of the GSI mbH, Branch SLV Munich, the plas-
ma-GMA process in serial coupling was systematically investigated on
the basis of welding tests, modern process simulation and high-speed
recording technology and was refined for utilisation in installation engi-
neering and tank construction.
1 Introduction
Tungsten inert gas welding and submerged arc weld-
ing are proven joining processes for the manufacture of
high-quality welded joints in installation engineering and
tank construction. For decades, nearly all developments,
production sequences and qualifications have been ad-
justed to and stipulated for these welding processes using
sets of regulations and standards. Other more economi-
cally viable joining processes, e.g. gas metal arc (GMA)
welding, have hardly been introduced into or applied in
tank construction or installation engineering although,
due to significant advances in process and appliance de-
velopment (e.g. force arc, CMT-Puls etc.) in recent years,
the GMA process has achieved a high process stability
and the weld quality satisfies the most stringent demands
in structural steel and mechanical engineering, in vehicle
and rail vehicle construction as well as in the manufacture
of cranes.
The stated reasons for not utilising GMA welding in
installation engineering are a process-induced penetration
weakness at the start of the weld and a possible lack of in-
terpass fusion in the region of the overlaps in multipass
Pole shoe
Fig. 1 • PLT torch called “SuperMIG“ with pole shoes for the
magnetic deflection (left) and torch arrangement (right).
168
Fig. 2 • Shielding
gas flow in the hy-
brid welding torch;
green: plasma gas,
red: GMA shielding
gas, blue: external
shielding gas.
circular welds or tacks, for example, on pipes and tanks.
The reservations against GMA welding are also shown in
the lack of suitable procedure qualifications and in addi-
tionally demanded scopes of testing in the case of GMA-
welded joints in installation engineering and tank con-
struction. The hybrid plasma-GMA welding process in se-
rial coupling possesses the potential to avoid the above
risks. This increases the acceptance for utilisation in pro-
duction and the potential for more economically viable
fabrication in installation engineering and tank construc-
tion.
2 Procedural principle and test setup
The used hybrid welding torch (“SuperMIG“) was de-
veloped by the company Plasma-Laser Technologies
(PLT) and is based on a serial combination of the plasma
and GMA processes in one compact welding torch with
a common shielding gas nozzle. The hybrid welding torch
is designed for load-bearing capacities with a plasma
current of 200 A and a GMA current of 450 A. A wire elec-
trode with a diameter up to 1.2 mm can be used as the
filler material for the GMA process. The welding torch is
water-cooled and the position of the tungsten electrode
is oriented concentrically in relation to the plasma nozzle.
Due to the negative polarity of the tungsten electrode
and the positive polarity of the GMA electrode, the re-
sulting electromagnetic fields cause both arcs to repel
each other. This behaviour can be counteracted by over-
lain magnetic field. The overlain magnetic field is basi-
cally generated by an additional coil. The manufacturer
uses the “magnetic deflection device“ term in order to
specify a torch component which consists of a magnet
coil and two pole shoes, Fig. 1. The pole shoes are at-
tached to the left and right side of the shielding gas nozzle
of the plasma torch.
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
THE AUTHORS
Schweißfachmann Michael Huber, born in
1970, completed a training course to become a
gas fusion welder. In his twelve-year career in
the federal armed forces, he subsequently spe-
cialised as a welding shop foreman and trained
welders in the Engineers College in Munich/
Germany. He completed a training course to be-
come an industrial foreman for metal and then
qualified as a welding specialist, a visual in-
spector and a thermal spraying specialist. He
commenced his activities as a welding instruc-
tor concentrating on manual and gas-shielded
metal arc welding at the Munich Welding and
Training Institute of GSI mbH in 2003 and
moved to the Research and Development De-
partment in 2009. His main focal points relate
to the fields of friction, gas-shielded arc and
magnetic pulse welding as well as to robot ap-
plications.
After his apprenticeship to become a machine
fitter, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Marc Müller, born in
1966, studied Mechanical Engineering, speciali-
sing in Fabrication Systems, at the Esslingen
University of Applied Sciences in Esslingen/Ger-
many. During the studies, he qualified as a wel-
ding engineer at the Fellbach Welding and
Training Institute. Thereafter, he worked as a
welding coordinator and a quality manager at
Kesselfabrik Friedrich und Karl Bay GmbH Co.
KG and looked after resistance and stud wel-
The magnetic deflection device is parameterised using
the plasma power source and can be individually adjusted
for every program. This makes it possible to alter the pa-
rameter for the magnetic deflection device even during
the welding. The superimposition of the magnetic field
of the magnetic deflection device may exert a favourable
influence on the deflection of the arcs.
Three separate gas paths are integrated into the hybrid
plasma-GMA welding torch, Fig. 2: the plasma gas (green),
the GMA shielding gas (red) and the external shielding
gas (blue). The external shielding gas is responsible for
the shielding gas coverage of the common welding pool.
Moreover, an installation from PLT was used as the
plasma welding power source. This serves to set not only
the welding current but also the plasma gas and the ex-
ternal shielding gas volume. The plasma welding current
is set using the operating panel of the power source. Ad-
ditional parameters which can be saved for each program
are the ignition current, the duration of the ignition phase,
the starting and finishing ramps as well as the magnetic
deflection. Up to fifteen different programs can be selected
with one program switch on the operating panel. The plas-
ma welding power source supplies a plasma current of
max. 200 A. The volumetric flow of the plasma gas can be
set to max. 10 l/min.
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
ding in automobile construction at Daimler AG
and then changed over to process development.
He assumed responsibility for the management
of the process engineering at Schlatter Indu-
stries AG in Switzerland in 2004 and then
moved to Andritz Soutec AG near Wintherthur
as the process engineering manager. Since
2012, he has been the Head of the Research
and Development Department at the Munich
Welding and Training Institute of GSI mbH.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heidi Cramer, born in 1961, stu-
died Material Utilisation at the University of
Technology and Mining Academy in Freiberg/
Germany and obtained her doctorate in 1991 on
the subject of the “Fracture toughness of nitri-
ded coats“. From 1991 to 2000, she worked as a
development engineer in the Research and De-
velopment Department at the Munich Welding
and Training Institute focusing on materials sci-
ence, friction welding and laser materials pro-
cessing. In 2001, she assumed responsibility for
the management of this department. Since
2010, she has been the Deputy Director of the
Munich Welding and Training Institute of GSI –
Gesellschaft für Schweißtechnik International
mbH. In October 2012, she became the Director
of the Munich Welding and Training Institute. Im
October 2010, she was appointed as an hono-
rary professor at the Munich University of Ap-
plied Sciences.
A “TransPulsSynergic 5000“ from Fronius GmbH with Fig. 3 • General
a maximum welding current of 500  A was used as the overview of the
GMA welding power source. The welding torch heading test setup.
is realised by a linear travelling mechanism with an ad-
justable speed, Fig. 3.
169
SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Fig. 4 • Comparison of the penetration profiles of the root pass-
es; top: hybrid plasma-GMA welding, bottom: GMA welding.
Fig. 5 • Comparison of the penetration profiles of the cover
passes; top: hybrid plasma-GMA welding, bottom: GMA welding.
170
3 Welding technology investigations
For the investigation of the influences on the formation
and quality of the welded joints, welding tests were carried
out on butt welds (square, Y and single-V butt welds) with
the S355 and X5CrNi18-10 materials in the PA and PC po-
sitions. The results of the welds on S355 show that the re-
liable full-penetration welding of the root with the weld
pool support in the case of Y and single-V butt welds is
possible up to a web height of max. 4 mm and a gap width
of 0 to 1 mm in the PA position. The danger of a lack of
sidewall fusion can be prevented altogether by preheating
and slightly melting the sidewalls with the preceding plas-
ma arc. In this respect, the GMA is stabilised in the pre-
heated sidewalls, thus ensuring the uniform bonding of
the weld metal on the sidewalls. The root has a uniform
shape and can be welded in a reproducible way with a
weld pool backing.
If the welding parameters are optimised even further,
it is then possible to manufacture single-V butt welds in
a reproducible way with a high weld quality in the PA po-
sition even without a weld pool backing. The weld prepa-
ration angle can be reduced from 50° to 30° due to the
uniform and deep penetration at the weld sidewalls. Dur-
ing tests on 10 mm thick sheets, the formation of the root
was welded without any contact with a weld pool backing
made of copper. The red line on Fig. 4 portrays the original
contour of the weld preparation. The sidewall penetration
exceeds this contour considerably. The comparison of
the root welds in the hybrid plasma-GMA welding process
and the GMA welding process shows the substantially
better sidewall penetration during the hybrid process.
The plasma welding parameters are identical for the root
and the cover pass (plasma welding current IPl = 150 A
and plasma gas: 3 l/min as well as GMA welding current
IGMA =  approx. 310  A and GMA welding voltage
UGMA =  26  V). Merely the welding speed of 0.5  m/min
during the root welding was increased to 0.7 m/min dur-
ing the cover pass welding, Fig. 5. A changeover from the
GMA spray arc to the welding with a pulsed arc reduces
the spattering and substantially improves the arc stabili-
ty.
When the stainless and acid-resisting X5CrNi18-10
steel is utilised, sheet thicknesses up to 10  mm can be
welded with a high weld quality without gap (square, Y
and single-V butt welds, preparation angle: 20 to 40°, two
passes). Single-pass welds can be manufactured in sheet
thicknesses up to 8 mm. With the hybrid plasma-GMA
welding process, a reproducible high weld quality can be
achieved in the case of double-pass welds on single-V
butt welds with a weld pool backing at welding speeds up
to 0.7 m/min.
For the investigations in the PC welding position, the
weld was prepared as a single-bevel butt weld. Here, it
was expedient to reduce the joining cross section with a
sidewall angle of just 15° and a root face thickness of 4 mm
on the top side of the sheet. The gap dimension of the
tacked sheets was 1 mm. The weld sidewall was preheated
during the welding at a plasma current of 170  A and a
plasma gas flow rate of 2 l/min. Therefore, a uniform and
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
Fig. 6 • Plasma-GMA-welded joint made of X5CrNi18-10, sheet
thickness t = 10 mm, transverse position (PC); top: bottom side
of the root, bottom: transverse section.
continuous root with complete melting at the edges is ex-
ecuted at a GMA welding current of 273 A and a welding
voltage of 21.9 V in the pulsed arc welding process. The
weld has a slightly unsymmetrical shape as a result of
gravity and the preparation as a single-bevel butt weld,
Fig. 6. At welding speeds of 0.5 to 0.6 m/min, it is possible
to join 10 mm thick sheets in one pass in the transverse
position. The weld is pore-free over the entire length. Tem-
pering colours in the root region are avoided because of
the forming with nitrogen/hydrogen 90/10. A notch-free
interface to the weld is guaranteed on the bottom side of
the sheet. Due to the shielding gas coverage, the finely
rippled weld does not exhibit any tempering colours and
it was not possible to detect any internal defects in the
weld.
4 Welding torch optimisation
In cooperation with the welding torch manufactur-
ers, various optimisation measures were implemented
on the hybrid welding torch. Because the second gen-
eration of the hybrid welding torch is equipped with a
more efficient cooling circuit for the GMA and plasma
welding processes, it has a substantially longer service
life. Furthermore, there were improvements in the feed
of the GMA wire electrode and in the shielding gas sup-
ply lines by installing a hose package (Robactadrive)
from Fronius. For a higher thermal load-bearing capac-
ity, additional ceramic inserts and an altered plasma
nozzle were utilised within the framework of the refine-
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
ment of the hybrid welding torch. A more uniform Fig. 7 • Transverse
shielding gas flow is achieved by modifying the common discharge due to
shielding gas nozzle. metal vaporisa-
tion; top: high-
speed photo-
5 Process simulation and high-speed videos
graph, bottom:
The complex physical connections between the com-
process simula-
bined processes as well as their influences on each other tion.
can be highlighted and analysed using the welding process
simulation. The simulation results exhibit very good con-
gruence with high-speed videos taken with time-synchro-
nised welding data acquisition.
The results of extensive practical investigations into
the flow behaviour of the shielding gases and into the
magnetic influences exerted by the arcs were used in order
to verify the results of the process simulation. These show
that only the application of a field strength of B > 5 mT
has a significant influence on both arcs. Moreover, it was
established that metal vaporisation phenomena on the
wire exert a great influence on both arcs. Particularly in
the case of a long GMA, the metal vapour promotes the
formation of an arc bridge from the GMA towards the
plasma gas nozzle, Fig. 7. In this respect, it was proven
that slightly active shielding gases lead to extreme reduc-
tions in the inclination to the formation of metal vapours
and in the transverse discharge. As another result, the
process simulation shows that strong turbulences of the
shielding gas arise in the common gas nozzle. These tur-
bulences cause a non-uniform outflow of the process gas-
es from the shielding gas nozzle. These results required a
171
SPECIALIST ARTICLES
modification of the shielding gas nozzle which reduces
the flow speed and thus gives rise to a uniform shielding
gas supply.
6 Concluding remarks
The investigations into materials and joining tasks
specific to installation engineering served to elaborate
findings which are contributing to the refinement of the
serial coupling of the plasma and GMA processes in one
welding torch. Especially the appliance technology, the
welding process controller, the load-bearing capacity of
the hybrid welding torch and the weld variants were
checked systematically for this purpose. The obtained
findings led to continuous improvements in the hybrid
plasma-GMA welding torch system in serial coupling.
The results prove that economic advantages can be
achieved in fabrication with this new welding technology.
Compared with GMA welding, typical welding tasks from
installation engineering and tank construction can be per-
formed more quickly and with higher process reliability
with regard to the penetration weakness at the start of the
weld and to the avoidance of a lack of interpass fusion.
With the developed, efficient plasma-GMA welding torch,
a reliable and economically viable alternative to tungsten
inert gas and submerged arc welding is thus available to
the user.
The project results [18] also show that the hybrid plas-
ma-GMA welding process with the constantly refined ap-
pliance technology of the welding torch system has a great
application potential for small and medium-sized enter-
prises as well as for the installation engineering and tank
construction industries. They supply a good basis for small
and medium-sized enterprises with regard to the intro-
duction of the hybrid plasma-GMA welding process into
fabrication by means of welding technology.
Because of increased inquiries from industry, PLT de-
veloped a hybrid plasma-GMA welding torch for higher
powers during the project period. This “heavy-duty“ hy-
brid welding torch is designed for a plasma welding cur-
rent of approx. 400 A and a GMA welding current of 650 A.
With this new modified hybrid welding torch, components
with thicknesses up to 15 mm can now be welded in one
pass.
Literature
[1] N. N.: Super-MIG – eine Revolution im MIG-Schweißen.
Company publication, PLT Plasma-Laser Technologies, Is-
rael, http://www.plasma-laser.com.
[2] Dykhno, I., and G. Ignatchenko: Plasma-Laser Technolo-
gies. Patent application WO 2004/043639 A1. PLT Plasma-
Laser Technologies, Israel.
[3] Rosenfeld, W., et al.: Das Plasma-MSG-Verfahren – in hoher
Qualität schneller schweißen. DVS-Berichte Vol. 240, pp.
32/38. DVS Media, Düsseldorf 2006.
[4] Rosenfeld, W., and H. Cramer: Plasma-MSG-Schweißen –
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nologietransfer Schutzgasschweißen (http://www.slv-
muenchen.de/forschung-entwicklung/veroeffentlichunge
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[5] Kusch, M.: Anlagentechnische Aspekte der Plasma-MIG-
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reihe Fügetechnik/Schweißtechnik. Bd. 2/2003 (ISBN 3-
8322-1796-7). Shaker-Verlag, Aachen 2003.
[6] Kusch, M.: Plasma-MIG-Schweißen – Entwicklungsstand
und Anwendungspotenzial. Plasmatagung Finsterwalde,
Proceedings, Kjellberg-Stiftung, Finsterwalde 2005.
[7] N. N: Plasma-MIG-Verfahren Aluminiumverbindungen in
hoher Qualität schneller schweißen. Forschungsbericht
5129, SLV München 2006.
[8] Bach, M.: Grundsatzuntersuchungen zur methodischen
Entwicklung des Plasmahybridschweißprozesses. 2008.
[9] Murphy, A. B.: Thermal plasma in gas mixtures (Topical Re-
view). J. of Physics D: Applied Physics 34 (2001), No. 20, pp.
R151/73.
[10] Murphy, A. B., and C. J. Arundell: Transport coefficients of
argon, nitrogen, oxygen, argon-nitrogen, and argon-oxygen
plasmas. Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing 14
(1994), No. 4, pp. 451/90.
[11] Schnick, M., et al.: Modelling of gas-metal arc welding tak-
ing into account metal vapour. J. of Physics D: Applied
Physics 43 (2010), No. 2.
[12] Menart, J., and S. Malik: Net emission coefficients for argon-
iron thermal plasmas. J. of Physics D: Applied Physics 35
(2002), No. 9, pp. 867/74.
[13] Rose, S.: Ansätze zur Entstehung und Reduzierung von
Schweißrauchemissionen beim MSG-Schweißen unter
Berücksichtigung neuer Verfahrensvarianten – Ergebnisse
des 1. EWM-Awards „Physics of Welding“. Schw. Schn. 64
(2012), No. 4, pp. 188/95.
[14] Cramer, H., et al.: MAG-Schweißen im Stahlbau. Interna-
tionaler Erfahrungsaustausch der Schweißaufsichtperso-
nen, SLV München 2008.
[15] Schwantes, S., et al.: Schweißen der höchstfesten Feinkorn-
stähle S1100QL und S1300QL – Ein Vergleich des Elektro-
nenstrahlschweißens an Atmosphäre mit einem
Plasma-MSG-Hybridverfahren. Proceedings, 10. Aachener
Schweißtechnikkolloquium (ASTK), S.543/57 (ISBN 978-3-
8322-6644-8). Shaker-Verlag, Aachen 2007.
[16] N. N.: GSI-SLV Training documents SFI-2008. SLV Duisburg
2008.
[17] N. N.: Schweißen im Anlagen- und Behälterbau 2008.
Tagungsbd., 36. Sondertagung, München 2008. DVS-
Berichte Bd. 246. DVS Media, Düsseldorf 2008.
[18] N. N.: Entwicklung einer seriellen Kopplung des Plasma-
und MSG-Prozesses zur Erhöhung der Wirtschaftlichkeit
und Prozesssicherheit beim Schweißen im Anlagen- und
Behälterbau. Final Report, Research Project AZ IBS-
3621b/175/2-IGF-0811-0002 des Bayerischen Staatsminis-
terium für Wirtschaft, Infrastruktur, Verkehr und
Technologie. Order through: GSI mbH, NL SLV München.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The project was promoted by the Bavarian State Ministry of
Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology (re-
ference: IBS-3621b/175/2-IGF-0811-0002). We would like to
express our gratitude for the promotion of this research paper.
Thanks for the support provided in the project with know-
how and technology also goes to the following firms: Plas-
ma-Laser Technologies Ltd. (PLT), Israel, Dresden University of
Technology, Cloos Schweißtechnik GmbH and SBI Produktion
techn. Anlagen GmbH & Co KG as well as to the members of
the project-accompanying committee.
GSI mbH, Branch SLV Munich will support any interested com-
panies during the introduction of this innovative joining tech-
nology in the form of cooperation with installation manu-
facturers as well as advice and application development.
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
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DVS 1608 “Design and strength assessment
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and endurance strength assessment of weld-
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The technical codes specify in more concrete
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SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Multi-pass narrow-gap (MPNG) laser welding
process for the low-distortion and hot-crack-free
joining of thick plates made of aluminium alloys
With the multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding process, aluminium plates
can be welded with a very low laser beam power (less than 3 kW) down to
a depth of 50 mm with low distortion. It could be shown that lack of fusion
can be prevented and the number of pores in the weld metal reduced to a
minimum. For the first time, this makes it possible to generate very deep
aluminium welds in conformity with the applicable quality standards with
a moderate laser beam power.
Laser Wire
Weld preparation Root welding Filling process Finished welded
specimen
Fig. 1 • Sketch 1 Introduction and motivation
showing the prin- The reasons for the high acceptance of aluminium as
ciple of multi-
a material include the high specific strength and good
pass narrow-gap
weldability, particularly with the laser beam [1; 2]. This
laser welding tak-
permits far-reaching design-related flexibility with alu-
ing account of the
minium so that it can be utilised for demanding assem-
individual steps of
blies [3]. In contrast, there are insurmountable application
the root welding
limits in the case of deep-penetration welding with in-
and the filling
process. dustrially customary lasers in power classes of approx.
5  kW. Thus, although the utilisation of aluminium is
known, for example, in shipbuilding or plant engineering
(especially for pressure vessels and tanks), it is imple-
mented technically in just a few applications. New devel-
opments in the field of laser technology are softening
these limits by providing high laser beam powers. How-
ever, they are associated with high investment costs. At
present, welding depths of 30 to 50  mm can essentially
only be implemented by utilising electron beam welding.
However, it is not possible to input welding filler material,
as is required in order to avoid any hot cracks, into the
entire weld depth [4]. Increasing weld undermatching,
i.e. the occurrence of weld metal with a lower strength
than that of the base material, in the case of high-strength,
precipitation-hardenable aluminium alloys cannot be
avoided [4...8].
Classic multi-pass welding, for example, with the sub-
merged arc welding (SAW) process requires welding
grooves in a V-shaped preparation at a groove angle of
min. 30°. In the case of alloys at risk from hot cracking
(amongst others), the very fluid molten aluminium and a
wide solidification interval often lead to flaws such as hot
cracks and pores in the weld metal.
174
THE AUTHORS
Dr.-Ing. Dirk Dittrich received his Ph. D. in
2011 for the improvement of loadability of laser
welded aircraft fuselage structures at the Techni-
cal University Dresden in Dresden/Germany. He
is currently in the position of group leader for
laser beam welding at Fraunhofer IWS Dresden.
Dipl.-Ing. Renald Schedewy studied Interna-
tional Manufacturing Engineering Studies
(IMES) at the Dresden University of Applied Sci-
ences (HTW) from 1996 to 2000. Since 2002, he
has been a Scientific Employee at Fraunhofer
IWS, Welding Working Group.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Berndt Brenner ended his
Physics studies at the Technical University Dres-
den in 1972. He completed his Dr. rer. nat. doc-
torate in 1976. From 1976 to 1991, he was a
Scientific Employee at the Central Institute of
Solid-State Physics and Materials Research in
the Academy of Sciences in Dresden. From 1992
to 1996, he was a Group Leader for Material
Technology at Fraunhofer IWS in Dresden. From
1996 to 2014, he was the Head of the Joining
and Peripheral Coat Technologies Department at
Fraunhofer IWS in Dresden. Now he is a Senior
Scientist at Fraunhofer IWS Dresden.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Eckhard Beyer is the Exe-
cutive Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for
Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden/
Germany, which engages in application-oriented
research and development in the area of laser
and surface technology. Furthermore, he is full
Professor for Laser and Surface Technology and
Executive Director of the Institute of Manufactu-
ring Technology of the Faculty of Mechanical En-
gineering at the Technical University Dresden.
2 Execution
Fraunhofer IWS successfully developed and tested so-
called multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding for welding
depths over 30 mm in the case of steel [9; 10], Fig. 1. For
the application on aluminium, not only must multi-pass
narrow-gap laser welding be adapted to the material-spe-
cific boundary conditions (high heat conductivity and
high thermal expansion coefficient) but the problems typ-
ical of aluminium during laser welding (high surface re-
flection and firmly adhering oxide) must also be taken
into account. In order to provide a sufficient intensity in
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
the focused laser beam, preference should be given to
beam sources with excellent beam qualities (beam pa-
rameter product BPP: 0.35  mm  ·  mrad). Due to the ex-
tremely slender beam caustic of such lasers, it is possible,
for the first time, to input the laser beam deep into grooves
at very acute angles of just a few degrees (under 5°) without
touching the weld sidewalls. If an oscillating movement

about 27 mm

about 25 mm
oriented perpendicular to the feed direction is superim-
posed on the beam, the weld sidewalls and the filler ma-
terial can be melted completely in a defined way. The ob-
jective is to use multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding in
order to develop a welding technology which makes it
possible to produce extremely narrow welded joints with
depths of as much as 50 mm.

3 Development of multi-pass narrow-gap

laser welding
The physical properties of aluminium result in nu- Fig. 2 • Comparison of the efficiencies of a classic welding
merous consequences for laser welding in comparison process with a high deposition rate and the newly developed
with steel. From an energy-related viewpoint, the lower multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding for aluminium; a) welding
melting temperature than that of steel should be an ad- process with a layer build-up of approx. 1 to 1.5 mm, PL = 2.5
vantage with regard to the required energy per unit length. kW, vSchweiß = 1 m/min, spot diameter (keyhole): 210 μm, fScan ≈
350 Hz, vSchweiß/vDraht = 1 : 1, b) rise in the efficiency with a layer
However, this effect does not occur because the heat con-
build-up of approx. 2.5 to 3.5 mm, PL = 4.0 kW, vSchweiß = 2
ductivity of aluminium is three times higher. Since the
m/min, spot diameter (keyhole): 600 μm, fScan ≈ 100 Hz,
thermal expansion coefficient is twice as high, greater dis-
vSchweiß/vDraht = 1 : 3.
tortion or greater shrinkage strains should be expected.
These peculiarities already require special process control
in the case of classic laser welding in order to achieve
high-quality welded joints. In relation to multi-pass nar-
row-gap laser welding, this results in several peculiarities
which must be taken into account in the process control.
The following parameters were found to determine the
process and have influences on the process stability and
the weld quality:
• Laser beam power
Reliable breaking-open of the firmly adhering oxide
coat in the region of the groove sidewalls; provision
of a sufficiently large molten pool; homogeneous
wire burn-off; avoidance of lack of fusion and Fig. 3 • Connection between the
process-induced pores. laser beam power or the ratio of
• Scanning parameters the welding feed speed to the wire
Reliable gap bridging between the component side- feed speed and the process effi-
walls; build-up of a symmetrical weld and uniform ciency; a) gas-shielded metal arc
element dilution in the weld; production of a weld welding, deposition rate: 8 kg/h,
with parallel sidewalls in order to minimise the com- groove area: 2078 mm2, filling du-
ponent distortion. ration: 43 min (photo: A. Gericke,
GST Essen 2014), b) deposition
• Wire position and feed speed
rate: 1 kg/h, groove area: 245
Safeguarding of the weld filling in a stable process
mm2, filling duration: 41 min.
due to a wire feed which is adapted to the pass height
and must be guaranteed without any wavering even
at a great gap depth.
Fig. 4 • Transverse section through
a 50 mm thick specimen made of
4 Process-determining parameters the 6082 aluminium alloy.
Two solutions have been elaborated in the course of the
process development. One approach with a minimum laser
beam power, Fig. 2 left, and one welding parameter set with
a laser beam power of 4 kW, Fig. 2 right. If the work is carried
out with a low power, the completely molten filler material
quantity is small and the result is a layer build-up with a

Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3 175

SPECIALIST ARTICLES

Si content Si content

Fig. 5 • Overview of the strength values characteristic of tensile test specimens manu-
factured on 6082 aluminium by means of multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding in
comparison with the unwelded base material (GW: base material, SV: welded joint, T6:
solution-annealed and artificially aged, LBW: laser-welded).
Fig. 7 • Comparison of the silicon concentrations in the weld
metal depending on the welding process; left: 30 kW multi-
mode fibre laser, bead-on-plate weld, vD = 10 m/min, right: 2
kW single-mode fibre laser, single-V butt weld, top weld bead:
3.5 mm gap, root: zero gap, vD = 1 m/min.

30 kW conventional LBW
2 kW MES-Procedure high weld quality using multi-pass narrow-gap laser weld-
HAZ / BM ing, Fig. 4. The weld metal exhibits small pores only occa-
Microhardness measurement HV0,1

sionally but no lack of fusion or cracks.

FS

5 Assessment of the weld quality

The static tensile test was carried out transverse to the
HAZ / BM
welding direction on ground-over specimens which were
made of the 6082 T6 material (T6: solution-annealed and
artificially aged) and exhibited the dimensions of 24 mm
FS
× 40 mm. The results were compared with those of the
base material. The values for the yield strength and the
tensile strength reached almost 90% of the values charac-
AA 6082 T6
teristic of the base material without any subsequent heat
(P25 mm plate thickness)
treatment (T6 condition – laser-welded) and rose to as
much as 94% due to the subsequent heat treatment (T6 –
Distance from the centre of the weld [mm] laser-welded – T6) of the specimens, Fig. 5.
The values for the elongation at fracture show a dis-
Fig. 6 • Compari- height of approx. 1 to 1.5 mm. The small material volume tinct difference. These are max. 1.5% with the welded joint
son of the micro- can be kept molten for a sufficiently long time. Therefore, while they amount to 18% with the base material speci-
hardness traverses any gases entrapped in the molten material can rise out of mens. The specimens fail with very low macroscopic de-
of a conventional- the molten material and escape via the liquid/solid interface. formation and the fracture face exhibits a ductile failure
ly laser-welded One advantage of this approach is the very good weld quality pattern. The difference in the strengths of the weld metal
(LBW) specimen
over a large number of successive layers. and the base material was analysed as the cause of the
and a specimen
If the efficiency of multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding extreme drop in the elongation at fracture. The specimen
manufactured by
means of multi-
is assessed, it is shown that, in relation to a plate thickness elongation is concentrated in the region of the weld metal.
pass narrow-gap of 60 mm, the cross-sectional area of the joint manufac- The testing cross section constriction arising in the base
laser welding tured by means of multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding material is missing completely in the specimens of the
(MPNG; BM: base is approx. 12% of that of the weld prepared for conven- welded joint. The hardness measurement transverse to
material, HAZ: tional welding, Fig. 3. This results in a comparable filling the weld supplies an indication of the level of the differ-
heat-affected duration for the entire groove in spite of the lower depo- ence in strength. Fig. 6 portrays a hardness traverse typical
zone, FZ: fusion sition rate of multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding. In this of a multi-pass narrow-gap laser weld in comparison with
zone). respect, it is particularly advantageous that only approx. a weld produced with a 30 kW laser. The joint manufac-
13% of the filler material quantity is consumed. Thus, the tured by means of multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding
savings of resources and costs are enormous. exhibits the lowest hardness in the region of the fusion
For a demonstrator, 50  mm thick aluminium plates line (interface between the weld metal and the heat-af-
made of the 6082 (AlSi1MgMn) alloy were joined with a fected zone), followed by that of the weld metal. Although

176 Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3

the hardness here is higher than that of the specimens
produced with a laser beam power of 30 kW, the entire
specimen elongation is concentrated in the very narrow
weld region and this determines the failure location as
well. Over a region of approx. 1.5  mm, the hardness is
harmonised with the level of the base material. The width
of the heat-affected zone is thus considerably narrower
than that of the conventionally laser-welded specimen
with approx. 5 mm. The damage to the base material dur-
ing multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding is very limited
locally although the heat is input into the component sev-
eral times.
One criterion for the freedom from cracks in the weld,
particularly in the weld root, is homogeneous silicon di-
lution in the weld metal. Because the gap is continuously
filled up with filler material during multi-pass narrow-
gap laser welding, it is possible, for the first time, to input
the high silicon content of the welding filler material into
the weld metal in a largely depth-independent way, Fig.
7. For the first time, multi-pass narrow-gap laser welding
is thus offering the chance to reliably stop hot cracks in
the root region of the weld.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The IGF Project IGF 17.404 B / DVS
Number 06.080 of the research associa-
tion “Forschungsvereinigung Schweißen
und verwandte Verfahren des DVS,
Aachener Straße 172, 40223 Düssel-
dorf“ was, on the basis of a resolution
of the German Bundestag, promoted by
the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy via AiF within
the framework of the programme for the promotion of joint indus-
trial research and development (IGF).
Welding and Cutting – editorial preview
Issue 4 (July/August)
• Automation using robots and sensors for joining and cutting
• Welding in plant, tank and pipeline construction
• DVS Expo in September 2015 in Nuremberg
Closing date for editiorial contributions: 15 July 2015
Closing date for advertisements: 23 July 2015
The editorial preview is subject to modifications.
For information about advertising, please contact:
Iris Jansen, DVS Media GmbH, Düsseldorf/Germany, e-mail iris.jansen@dvs-hg.de
For information about submitting editorial contributions, please contact:
Anja Labussek, DVS Media GmbH, Düsseldorf/Germany, e-mail anja.labussek@dvs-hg.de
James Burton, TWI, Cambridge/UK, e-mail james.burton@twi.co.uk
Welding and Cutting 14 (2015) No. 3
Literature
[1] Schinzel, C.: Nd:YAG-Laserstrahlschweißen von Alu-
minium-Werkstoffen für Anwendungen im Automobilbau.
Dissertation, Univ. Stuttgart 2003. Herbert-Utz-Verlag Wis-
senschaft, München 2003.
[2] Dilthey, U.: Schweißtechnische Fertigungsverfahren 2: Ver-
halten der Werkstoffe beim Schweißen, pp. 217/37.
Springer-Verlag, Berlin 2005.
[3] Heidrich, W.: Aluminium – ein Leichtbauwerkstoff – viele
Anwendungsmöglichkeiten. DVS-Berichte 266, pp. 7/20.
DVS Media, Düsseldorf 2010.
[4] Klassen, M., et al.: Process instabilities by laser beam weld-
ing of aluminium alloys generated by laser modulations.
Proceedings, 13th Int. Congress on Lasers and Optics in
Manufacturing “Laser 97“, SPIE Vol. 3097, pp. 137/46.
[5] Hackius, J.: Laserstrahl-Hybridschweißen von Aluminium-
Legierungen. Dissertation, TU Dresden 2003. Fraunhofer
IRB-Verlag, Stuttgart.
[6] Hügel, H., u. F. Dausinger: Laserstrahlschweißen von Alu-
miniumwerkstoffen – Probleme, Lösungsansätze und An-
wendungspotenziale. 4. Laser-Anwenderforum, BIAS,
Bremen 2002. In: Strahltechnik Vol. 19 “Laserstrahlfügen:
Prozesse, Systeme, Anwendungen, Trends“ (Edited by G.
Sepold and T. Seefeld), pp. 201/14.
[7] Vollertsen, F., et al.: Reduction of hot cracking in laser weld-
ing using hypereutectic AlSi filler wire. Wdg. in the World
52 (2008), No. 5/6, pp.3/8.
[8] Cam, G., et al.: Laser and electron beam welding of Al-al-
loys: Literature review. GKSS Research Centre in Geest-
hacht, GKSS 97/E/25.
[9] Göbel, G., et al.: New application possibilities for fiber laser
welding. Conference CD, ICALEO 2007, Orlando, Florida/
USA.
[10] Göbel, G., et al:. Multi-pass narrow gap welding – a new
strategy for improved thick section welding: Conference
CD, 5th Int. Workshop of Fiberlasers, Fraunhofer IWS, Dres-
den 2009.
Issue 5 (September/October)
• Welding and brazing of light weight constructions
• Examples of applications in welding and cutting technology
Closing date for editiorial contributions: 16 September 2015
Closing date for advertisements: 23 September 2015
177
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IIW Reference Catalogue ISO 5817
The International Standard ISO 5817: 2003 „Welding; Fu-
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(beam welding excluded); Quality levels for imperfections“
lists the quality requirements for production of arc welded
Soon
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of transposing individual cases to the limits specified in the
Reference radiographs for assessment of weld imperfec-
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tions according to ISO 5817, interpretation of arc-welded
pret correctly various imperfections and their specific repre- butt joints in steel, 2005, 60 reference cards, DIN A4, ring
sentation and to classify them by size to quality levels of the binder
standard. The catalogue may also be used by manufactur-
ers, operators and test bodies as a tool for aid and decision ISBN 978-3-87155-787-3
Order-no. 600060
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