Welding:

Took over from riveted construction because: Welding aids prefabrication techniques Easier to obtain watertightness Joints produced more quickly Less skilled labour required Less maintenance (slack rivets)

Welding : is a material joining process for a permanent combining of two (or more) parts
that involves melting and subsequent solidification of the material from two parts thus forming a strong joint between them. The assemblage of parts is called a weldment. There are two groups of welding processes according to the state of the base material during the welding process:

1) Liquid-state welding (fusion welding), and 2) Solid-state welding. Fusion welding is by far the more important category. In fusion welding, the base material is heated to melt. The most important processes in this group fall in the following categories: v Oxyfuel gas welding: an oxyfuel gas produces a flame to melt the base material; v Arc welding: heating and melting of the material is accomplished by an electric arc; v Resistance welding: the source of heat is the electrical resistance on the interface between two parts held together under pressure. In solid-state welding, two parts are jointed together under pressure or a combination of pressure and heat. If heat is applied, the contact temperature is below the melting point of the base metal. Two welding processes are the most popular from this group, v Diffusion welding: parts coalesce by solid-state diffusion; v Friction welding: coalescence is achieved by the heat of friction between two parts;

Oxyfuel gas welding

Oxyfuel gas welding is the term used to describe the group

of fusion operations that burn various fuels mixed with oxygen to perform welding or cutting and separate metal plates and other parts. The most important oxyfuel gas welding process is oxyacetylene welding

Oxyacetylene welding uses equipment that is relatively inexpensive and portable. It is therefore an economical, versatile process that is well suited to low-quantity production and repair jobs. It is rarely used on the welding of sheet and plate stock thicker than 6 mm because of the advantages of arc welding in such applications. Although OAW can be mechanized, it is usually performed manually and is hence dependent on the skill of the welder to produce a high-quality weld joint. Type of flames on OAW Different types of flames obtained from oxyacetylene welding are shown in Figure . Neutral flame: Acetylene and oxygen mix at the ratio of 1:1. Oxidizing flame: A flame with excess oxygen is known as oxidising flame Reducing flame: If oxygen is insufficient for full combustion, the flame is known as a reducing or carburising flame.

(d) The principle of oxyfuel gas welding operation.

The secondary flame in gas welding shields the molten pool from the air, which would cause oxidation.

Torch Tip Size

Used to control weld bead width, penetration, and speed. Tip sizes must be changed to suit the thickness of the metal being welded. Do not lower flame temperature, this will cause the tip to overheat and possibly cause backfire and flashback.

Secondary flame shields the molten pool

ARC WELDING:

Arc welding with consumable electrodes

Arc welding (AW) is a fusion welding process in which coalescence of the metals is achieved by the heat from an electric arc between an electrode and the work.

An electric arc is a discharge of electric current across a gap in a circuit. To initiate the arc in an AW process, the electrode is brought into contact with the work and then quickly separated from it by a short distance. The electric energy from the arc thus formed produces temperatures of 5000o C or higher, sufficiently hot to melt any metal. A pool of molten metal, consisting of base metal(s) and filler metal (if one is used), is formed near the tip of the electrode. In most arc welding processes, filler metal is added during the operation to increase the volume and strength of the weld joint. As the electrode is moved along the joint, the molten weld pool solidifies in its wake. Movement of the electrode relative to the work is accomplished by either a human welder (manual welding) or by mechanical means (machine welding, automatic welding, or robotic welding). In manual arc welding, the quality of the weld joint is very dependent on the skill and experience of the human welder. The weld quality is much better in the machine, automatic, and robotic welding. Electrodes in AW process are classified as v consumable, which melts continuously in the process of arc welding thus providing the required filler material, and v non-consumable, which resist melting by the arc. The filler material must be supplied separately. Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) is an arc welding process that uses a consumable electrode consisting of a filler metal rod coated with chemicals that provide flux and shielding. The process is illustrated in the figure:

Schematic illustration of shielded metal arc welding. The coated welding stick (SMAW is sometimes called stick welding) is typically 200 to 450 mm long and 1.5 to 9.5 mm in diameter. The heat of the welding process melts the coating to provide a protective atmosphere and slag for the welding operation. During operation the bare metal end of the welding stick is clamped in an electrode holder connected to the power source. Currents typically used in SMAW range between 30 and 300 A at voltages from I5 to 45 V depending on the metals being welded. Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) Arc is developed between electrode and the component y Flux creates a gas shield and the metal slag prevents oxidation of the underlying y metal. y Typical uses: Pressure vessels, structural steel, and in general engineering y Economics: Versatile and low cost (easy to transport) but cant be automated. y SMAW is the most widely used welding process for joining metal parts because of its y versatility, its less complex, more portable and less costly equipment Metals commonly welded by SMAW y Carbon and low alloy steels

Stainless steels and heat resistance steels DCEN (Direct Current Electrode Negative) (reverse polarity) can be used of all steels. Melting and deposition rates are higher than with DCEP (Direct Current Electrode Positive) (straight polarity). The multiple-pass approach requires that the slag be cleaned after each weld bed. 320 mm thick. Advantages of SMAW Equipment relatively easy to use, inexpensive, portable Filler metal and means for protecting the weld puddle are provided by the covered electrode Less sensitive to drafts, dirty parts, poor fit-up Can be used on carbon steels, low alloy steels, stainless steels, cast irons, copper, nickel, aluminum Disadvantages of SMAW Discontinuities associated with manual welding process that utilise flux for pool shielding Slag inclusions Lack of fusion porosity, and hydrogen cracking Frequent changing of electrodes, Inter pass cleaning (grinding, brushing, etc.), Grinding of arc initiation points and stopping points. y y y y y

BASIC JOINTS
INTRODUCTION Welding is one the most widely used methods of permanently joining Structural Shapes used throughout the world. Generally engineers, supervisors and technicians are charged with joint design and selection. Welders, however; need to be familiar with the most commonly used joint shapes, their names, and the type of welds applied to them. Since there is a wide and varied list of possible joints to fabricate structural shapes, this lesson will discuss only the most common joints used in Arc Welding. When two pieces of structural steel are to be connected by welding, the way they are prepared for welding and placed together is known as the Weld Joint. KEY POINT: In other words the joint is the way they are joined. EDGE PREPARATION Preparation or edge shaping may be applied to each piece (joint member) in the same way, or combinations of the joint preparations may be used. The edge preparation for welding these joints depends on the strength requirements and other design considerations. The Welder needs to be aware of the most common edge preparations as shown below:

JOINT ARRANGEMENTS AND WELDS The edge preparations are arranged to make the weld joint. The pieces to be welded may be connected or a gap between the pieces to ensure penetration may be used. On most joints the gap is at the bottom of the joint and is referred to as the root of the joint. The term root opening or open root is used to describe this condition. For example; Open root V groove, or V groove with an open root.

When the joint design allows, a backing strip or insert may be used for easier welding. Some joints may have a backing weld, or back weld applied. A back weld is applied after the groove is filled. A backing weld is applied before the groove is filled. See examples below:

THE FIVE BASIC JOINTS There are five basic joints in common use for assembling metal. 1. BUTT JOINTS 2. T JOINTS 3. LAP JOINTS 4. CORNER JOINTS 5. EDGE JOINTS

1. BUTT JOINTS A butt joint is formed when the pieces to be welded are laid side by side and it is one of the most widely used types of joint. KEY POINT: In other words, the pieces are butted together.

The names in the examples above are from the type of weld applied to the joint. Often the type of weld is used to fully describe the joint. For example; this joint is a single bevel butt joint. The V groove and bevel grooves are easier to prepare and are used more than the J or U groves. KEY POINT: If two imaginary lines are drawn parallel to the horizontal line in the above symbols they show the joint shape, this is true for most of the symbols. This can be helpful to remember since symbols on a blueprint do not show the actual joint shape or edge preparation.

2. T JOINTS A T joint is formed when one piece of metal to be welded is placed vertically on another piece lying horizontally, to form the shape of an inverted T. KEY POINT: The T shape resembles an overhead position T joint.

The vertical member is usually placed at 90 deg to the horizontal member. One of the most widely used types of weld applied to a T joint is the fillet weld. When a single pass or multiple passes are made against the joint, the weld resembles a Triangle when viewed from the side.

KEY POINT: Pronounce the T in fillet FILL-ET; not as FILL-AY a fish The T joint and fillet weld are the most frequently used joint and type of weld.

In the same way the edges of the butt joint may be prepared for welding, the tee joints vertical piece may be prepared using a Bevel, or J shape. The preparation allows the Welder to penetrate into the root of the joint. See examples below:

3. LAP JOINTS A Lap joint is formed when one piece to be welded is laid down and another piece is overlapped to form an edge for fillet welding or an area to allow plug or slot welding. Lap joints are often used when plug or slot welding thinner sections. A plug weld is made by welding holes evenly spaced across the length of one or both sides of the joint. A slot weld is similar except slots are made instead of holes. Other welds may be applied to laps such as projection, or seam welding. See examples below:

LAP JOINTS

4. CORNER JOINTS A corner joint is formed by placing one piece to be welded on the other so that a corner is formed. The corner may be Flush; Half Open; or Fully Open. An edge preparation may be applied to one, or both of the pieces of the joint for penetration and strength.

KEY POINT: The weld applied to the inside of many of the above is a fillet weld.

5. EDGE JOINT An Edge joint is formed when the two edges of the pieces to be welded come together. This joint may be formed as a result of another structural shape and is not as widely used as some of the other joints. See examples below.

SUMMARY
Welders need to know the basic joint shapes and the type of welds most commonly applied to them. The five basic joints are: Butt; T; Lap: Corner; and Edge. The edge preparation may be: Square edge; Bevel edge; Double Bevel edge; Chamfer edge; J groove edge; and Double J groove edge.

J and U grooves are more labor intensive to prepare and may not be seen as often in production. Butt joints may be open root, have a backing, or be welded both sides. The weld applied to a T joint is a called a Fillet weld. Fillet welds are the most commonly used welds. Corner joints may be: Flush; Half open; or Full open. Corner joints may be simple or have edge preparation to increase penetration. Lap joints are more likely to be used when welding thinner sections, or when plug and slot welding is called for. Edge joints are usually seen as a result of an overall joint configuration. The Welding symbols used are for illustration, and will be discussed fully in another lesson.