Welding Techniques: General Information

Welding Processes
There are 6 welding process types and their advantages and disadvantages based on intended
application should be thoroughly understood. The following is a brief overview of:
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GT AW)
- Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
- Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW)
- Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
- Stud Arc Welding (SW)

1. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

SMAW is the most widely used of the various arc welding processes. SMAW uses an arc between a
covered electrode and the weld pool. It employs the heat of the arc, coming
from the tip of a consumable covered electrode, to melt the base metal. Shielding is provided from the
decomposition of the electrode covering, without the application of pressure and with filler metal from the
electrode.
• Advantages
- Simple, inexpensive and portable
- Useable in tight places
- Less sensitive to wind and drafts than other processes
- Useable with most common metals and alloys
• Limitations
- Slow welding compared to GMAW or SAW
- Cleaning problems due to slag left from electrode covering
• Applications
- Today, almost all the commonly employed metals and their alloys can be welded by
this process.
- Shielded metal arc welding is used both as a fabrication process and for maintenance
and repair jobs.
- The process finds applications in

2. Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)

GTAW is an arc welding process that uses an arc between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and
the weld pool. The process is used with shielding gas and without the application of pressure. GTAW can
be used with or without the addition of filler metal (Autogenous).
The Constant Current (CC) type power supply can be used with either dc or ac, the choice depends
largely on the metal to be welded.
• Advantages
- High quality welds
- Little cleaning required after welding
- Superior root pass weld penetration
- May be used for Autogenous welds (no filler metal)
• Limitations
- Slow welding compared to SMAW, GMAW or SAW
- Base and filler metals must be clean and shielding gasses must be contaminant free.
- Not easy to use in drafty environments due to loss of gas shielding.

3. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)

GMAW is an arc welding process that uses an arc between continuous filler metal electrode and the weld
pool. The process is used with shielding from an externally supplied gas and without the application of
pressure. GMAW may be operated in semiautomatic, machine, or automatic modes. It employs a
constant voltage (CV) power supply, and uses either the short circuiting, globular, or spray methods to
transfer metal from the electrode to the work:
• Advantages
- The only consumable electrode process that can used with commercial metals and
alloys
- Weld deposition rates are much higher than SMAW
- Minimal cleaning (no slag)
• Limitations
- Welding is costly and complex more so than SMAW
- Sensitive to air drafts and loss of shielding.
- GMAW-S is subject to lack of fusion
• Applications
- The process can be used for the welding of carbon, silicon and low alloy steels, stainless steels,
aluminium, magnesium, copper, nickel, and their alloys, titanium, etc.
- for welding tool steels and dies.
 - for the manufacture of refrigerator parts.
- MIG welding has been used successfully in industries like aircraft, automobile, pressure vessel, and ship
building.
o Air receiver, tank, boiler and pressure vessel fabrications;
o Ship building;
o Pipes and Penstock joining;
o Building and Bridge construction;
o Automotive and Aircraft industry, etc.

Note: Some welding operations may utilize both previous techniques by using GTAW for the root pass
and SMAW for the filling and cap depending up on some factors like Environment, Cost, ….. etc.

4. Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

FCAW is an arc welding process that uses an arc between continuous tubular filler metal electrode and
the weld pool.
The process is used with shielding gas evolved from a flux contained within the tubular electrode ( a trade
name is inner-shield), with or without additional shielding from an externally supplied gas.
Normally a semiautomatic process, the use of FCAW depends on the type of electrodes available, the
mechanical property requirements of the welded joints, and the joint designs and fit-up. The
recommended power source is the dc constant-voltage type, similar to sources used for GMAW.
• Advantages
- Metallurgical benefits from the flux
- Slag supports and forms the weld bead
- High Deposition of weld metal
- Shielding is produced at the surface giving better protection against drafts
• Limitations
- Welding is costly and complex more so than SMAW
- Heavy fumes requiring exhaust equipment.
- Slag removal between passes
- Backing material is required for root pass welds
5. Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
Submerged arc welding is an arc welding process that uses
an arc or arcs between a flux covered bare metal electrode(s) and the weld pool. The arc and molten
metal are shielded by a blanket of granular flux, supplied through the welding nozzle from a hopper. The
process is used without pressure and filler metal from the electrode and sometimes from a supplemental
source (welding rod, flux, or metal granules). SAW can be applied in three different modes:
semiautomatic, automatic, and machine. It can utilize either a CV or CC power supply. SAW is used
extensively in shop pressure vessel fabrication and pipe manufacturing.
• Advantages
- Very High Deposition rates
- High and consistent quality
• Limitations
- High current and 100% duty cycle
- The weld is hidden by flux making it harder to control
- Equipment is costly and not very portable
- Limited to shop work in the flat position

6. Stud Arc Welding (SW)

• SW is an arc welding process that uses an arc between a
metal stud or similar part and the work piece. Once the surfaces of the parts are properly heated, that is
the end of the stud is molten and the work has an equal area of molten pool, they are brought into contact
by pressure. Shielding gas or flux may or may not be used.
• SW is limited to welding insulation and refractory support pins to tanks, pressure vessels and
heater casing.
• Advantages
- Faster than manual welding
- All position process
• Limitations
- Primarily suited for carbon and low alloy steels
- Used only in a few applications