Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Handbook
For Gas Shielded Arc Welding, Oxy Fuel Cutting & Plasma Cutting
CONTENTS
Introduction
Fusion welding 2
Welding terms 5
MIG/MAG welding 6
TIG welding 10
Plasma welding 17
Welding sheet 18
Welding plate 20
Welding pipes 22
Defects in welds 24
MIG/MAG welding 26
TIG welding 29
Welding data:
MIG/MAG welding 30
TIG welding 34
Plasma cutting 44
Safety always 46
1
Fusion welding 'T' joint
electrode
high current
low voltage Butt joint butt
supply weld
arc
Electric arc
Gas flame
2
INTRODUCTION
3
ARC WELDING
4
WELDING TERMS
5
MIG/MAG welding principles The shielding gas can be:
● pure argon
Gas shielded metal arc welding is a
● argon mixed with small
semi-automatic process which is
amounts of other gases
suitable for both manual and
mechanised operation. ● helium or
● carbon dioxide
It is known by a variety of names:
according to the metal being welded.
● MIG - Metal Inert Gas
● MAG - Metal Active Gas
See pages 9 and 26.
● CO2 - carbon dioxide
power
supply unit
keeps arc
work length
constant gas nozzle
shielding gas
6
MIG/MAG WELDING
Operation overhead
7
Using MIG/MAG welding Voltage controls the profile of the
weld. Inductance (in Dip Transfer)
stabilises the arc and minimises
With MIG/MAG, the wire is pointed in
spatter. Wire feed speed sets the
the direction of travel (forehand
welding current.
technique). This allows the arc to fuse
the parent metal ahead of the weld
pool and gives the best penetration.
voltage
The welder controls the speed of travel high
to ensure that the weld pool does not correct
run ahead of the arc as this would low
cause lack of fusion.
0 -8
0 Current controls:
75
● heat input
● size of weld
● depth of penetration
8
MIG/MAG WELDING
9
Inomaxx Plus is the choice for
welding all thickness of ferritic and
austenitic stainless steels in dip, spray
and pulse transfer and with metal
cored wires.
Principles
Tungsten inert gas shielded welding is tungsten
usually called TIG welding. It uses an electrode
arc between a tungsten electrode and
the work to fuse the joint. The
electrode is not melted and any filler
metal needed to build up the weld
profile is added separately.
10
TIG WELDING
11
Power sources for TIG Crater filling
Automatic gradual reduction of the
current at the end of a weld run avoids
Power sources for use with TIG
the formation of a crater.
welding must be capable of delivering
a constant current at a preset value.
welding current
They are often called drooping
characteristic units. arc extinguished
12
TIG WELDING
Electrodes for TIG welding Before use, the end of the electrode is
ground on a silicon carbide wheel to
give the most appropriate profile.
Pure tungsten electrodes can be used
Contamination with other metals must
for TIG welding. Thoriated and
be avoided as this lowers the melting
zirconiated types give easier starting
point of the electrode.
and better arc stability and are
generally preferred. For dc welding a sharp point is
required.
Thoriated tungsten electrodes contain
2% thoria (thorium oxide) and are used For ac welding only a small bevel is
for dc welding. needed as the end of the electrode
becomes rounded when the arc is
Zirconiated tungsten electrodes
operated.
contain 2% zirconia (zirconium oxide)
and are recommended for ac welding
of aluminium.
The diameter of the electrode is
chosen to match the current. The
minimum current depends on arc
stability.
The maximum current a given
diameter of electrode can carry is
determined by the onset of over-
heating and melting.
(A)
mm
13
Torches for TIG welding A gas lens can be used to stabilise the
gas shield. With this, the electrode can
project further from the end of the
TIG torches are rated according to the
nozzle, giving better visibility of the arc
current they can carry without
overheating. At currents above 150A and the weld pool.
the torch body and possibly the nozzle
are water cooled. torch body
14
TIG WELDING
Pulsed TIG
pulse duration
high level
pulse
mean
pulse
15
TIG spot welding Gas backing
work
nozzle placed piece
in contact sheet
to give correct copper backing argon flows through
arc length bar with holes at holes to protect
5mm intervals underside of weld
16
TIG WELDING
plasma tungsten
gas electrode
shielding
gas
keyhole
The gas surrounding the electrode is
usually argon. Either argon or an
argon-hydrogen mixture can be used
for the shielding gas.
17
TIG and MIG/MAG
'T' joint
welding of sheet
Corner joint
no gap
gap not
greater than half sheet thickness
Butt joints in sheet less than 1mm
thick are TIG welded. The edges of the
sheet can be flanged to avoid the The gap between the edges depends
need to use filler metal. on the joint type and sheet thickness.
18
WELDING SHEET METAL
The sheets must be held in alignment, Control of the angle between the gun
preferably by clamping against a and the surface of the sheet is critical
backing bar. in MIG/MAG welding.
0
0
0 -8
75
copper
backing bar
450 - 550
mm
10 mm
50
o _ 80
75
19
MIG/MAG welding of plate
Spray transfer can be used for butt
joints in the flat position and for
T-joints in both flat, horizontal and
vertical positions. All vertical and
overhead welding needs a low current
technique dip or pulse transfer.
Single 'V'
Up to 3mm thickness, the edges of the
plate can be cut square.
Double 'V'
20
WELDING PLATES
The number of runs needed to fill the Alternatively, the underside of the root
groove depends on the thickness. run can be supported by a backing bar
which is removed after welding or a
backing strip which is left in place.
root run
root-run supported
by groove in
bar
21
Pipe and tube joints roller manipulator
flat
butt
vertical
branch overhead
22
WELDING PIPES
Root runs can be made by TIG or MIG/ Flange joints are either fillet or butt
MAG with dip or pulse techniques or welded.
by MMA welding. With TIG welding the
bore of the pipe can be filled with
argon or nitrogen to protect the
penetration bead and to control its
profile.
fillet butt
The edge preparation is chosen to suit
the process.
backing strip
23
Defects in welds Lack of fusion
● arc length too short
Porosity
● current too low
● gas flow too high
● travel speed too slow in MAG
● blocked nozzle welding
● draughty conditions ● incorrect inductance setting
(MAG)
● moisture on work or filler
● paint or grease on surface of
metal
A
A
B
B
Lack of penetration
Undercut
● current too low
● travel speed too high
● root gap too small
● current too high
● root face too thick
● poor technique
● poor technique
● misaligned joint
24
WELDING DEFECTS
25
Gases for MIG/MAG welding ● Ferromaxx gases give a
smoother weld surface.
Carbon , carbon-manganese and ● Steel which contains chromium
high strength low alloy steels needs special consideration.
Ferromaxx 7, Ferromaxx 15, There is a danger that carbon
Ferromaxx Plus and carbon dioxide dioxide in the gas will react with
(CO2) are used to weld these steels. the chromium to form a carbide.
The choice depends on the This renders the chromium in
composition of the steel and the the steel less effective.
operating requirements. The amount of carbon dioxide
which can be tolerated
General guidelines: depends on the chromium
● Penetration increases with the content.
addition of helium. Penetration
also increases with higher
carbon dioxide contents.
● Choose Ferromaxx 7 if work
is wholly thin material. Ferro-
maxx 15 gives better results
on a wider range of material
thicknesses with the benefit of
reduced ozone emissions. It Ferromaxx Plus
can be used successfully on
thin materials but penetration in
butt joints may be more difficult
to control.
● Ferromaxx Plus is the multi-
purpose high performance
shielding gas which can be
used in place of Ferromaxx 7
or Ferromaxx 15 and which CO2
also gives exceptionally low
ozone emissions.
● Carbon dioxide can be useful ❛ Reduce spatter and improve
for fillet welds in thickplate.
profile with Ferromaxxand
● Spatter increases with increase minimise post weld grinding. ❜
in carbon dioxide content.
26
THE RIGHT GAS
Carbon,
Carbon-manganese 4 4 4 4
Structural
Carbon-molybdenum 4 4 4 4
1.5%Cr 0.5%Mo 4 4 4 8
2.5%Cr 1%Mo 4 4 4 8
5%Cr 1%Mo See Note 8 See Note 8
Notes: In many applications Argon-2% oxygen is preferred for the welding of steels containing 5% Cr.
Always seek technical advice before recommending a gas for these steels.
Benefits of Ferromaxx
less spatter
smooth surface
stable arc gives
uniform width
better profile
27
Inomaxx Plus = 63% argon, 35% helium, 2% CO2
Gases for MIG/MAG welding Inomaxx 2 = 98% argon, 2% CO2
Alumaxx Plus = argon 70%, helium 30%
Stainless steel
Inomaxx Plus Recommended for all material thickness on dip, spray and pulse
transfer. Stable arc conditions offer all-positional capability. Solid
and metal cored wires. Excellent weld bead profiles and appearance
with very little oxidation. Suitable for manual, automated and robotic
welding.
Inomaxx 2 Recomended for materials up to 10mm thick on dip, spray and pulse
transfer. Offers all-positional capability with solid wires.
28
THE RIGHT GAS
Alumaxx Plus Aluminium and alloys - all thickness Copper and alloys - all
thickness Nickel and alloys - all thickness Stainless steels - all
thickness Suitable for manual, automated, orbital and robotic
welding.
Helium 75% Thick section aluminium and alloys Thick section copper
argon 25% and alloys.
Inomaxx TIG Austenitic stainless steel - all thickness Nickel and alloys - all
thickness Suitable for manual, automated, orbital and robotic
welding.
29
Useful data for MIG/MAG welding
0.6 40100
0.8 40150
1.0 100280
1.2 120350
1.6 150450
13
500
12
m
m 11
m
m
400 1.0 10
8
0.
9
mm 8
300 1.2
7
m 6
200 1.6 m 5
4
3
100 2
1
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Welding current A
30
WELDING DATA
Carbon steel
0.9 20 1
/32 0.8 0.8 55 - 65 16 - 17 Ferromaxx Plus
1.2 18 3
/64 0.8 0.8 80 - 100 17 - 19 Ferromaxx Plus
1.6 16 1
/16 0.8 0.8 90 - 110 17 - 19 Ferromaxx Plus
2.0 14 5
/64 0.8 0.8 110 - 130 18 - 20 Ferromaxx Plus
}
3.2 10 1
/8 0.8 1.0 180 - 200 20 - 23 Ferromaxx Plus
4.0 8 5
/32 1.2 1.0 180 - 200 20 - 23 Ferromaxx Plus
6.0(2) 4 1
/4 1.6 1.0 180 - 200 20 - 23 Ferromaxx Plus
Stainless steel
1.6 16 1
/16 1.0 0.8 70 - 90 19 - 20 Inomaxx Plus
2.0 14 5
/64 1.0 1.0 75 - 95 19 - 20 Inomaxx Plus
3.2 10 1
/8 1.0 1.0 90 - 130 18 - 21 Inomaxx Plus
6.0(2) 4 1
/4 1.6 1.2 180 - 240 22 - 26 Inomaxx Plus
3.2 10 1
/8 1.0 1.2 100 - 130 19 - 20 Alumaxx Plus
6.0(2) 4 1
/4 1.6 1.2 150 - 200 26 - 29 Alumaxx Plus
Notes: (1) Gas flow rate: 14 to 16l/min (higher flow rates may be required with gases containing helium)
(2) Welded from both sides
(3) Pulsed transfer
31
Typical conditions for MIG/MAG welding plate
Butt joints in flat position Fillet welds in flat position
Run Wire Current Voltage Leg Number
length Wire Current Voltage of
dia mm A V mm dia mm A V runs
use a
triangular
▼
weave
mm mm A V
ensure 6 1.0 8095 1718 1
fusion
in the 10 1.0 70180 1920 1
root
12 (1) 1.0 8095 1718 2
12 (2) 1.0 70180 1920 2
(1) Root run deposited vertical-down (2) Filling run deposited with weave moving up the joint.
32
FLUX CORED WIRES DATA
33
Typical conditions for TIG welding
Butt Joints
Recommended joint preparation
o
65 - 75 o
34
TIG WELDING DATA
35
Typical conditions for TIG welding
Corner joints
36
OXYGEN CUTTING
Principles
Oxygen-fuel gas cutting is widely
used to cut:
● straight lines and shapes in
plates
● pipe end in preparation for
welding
● scrap metal
37
Equipment For safety, hoses must be fitted with
hose protectors at the torch.
The essential equipment for cutting
comprises: nut to connect to torch
● cutting and torch hoses
● oxygen regulator (14 bar max
output)
● fuel gas regulator (2 bar max flow
output)
seatings
nut
nozzle
38
OXYGEN CUTTING
Preheat flame
39
kerf width
Quality of cut
sharp edge
The aim is to produce a cut with:
smooth face
● a uniform gap (kerf)
● clearly defined edges
● smooth faces
● no adhering slag no slag bridge
edge rounded
40
OXYGEN CUTTING
Operating techniques
fixed template
constant
distance
41
Operating techniques
leading trailing
nozzle nozzle
42
OXYGEN CUTTING
Plate thickness mm 6 9 12 18 25 35 50
Nozzle size - in 1/32 1/32 3/64 3/64 1/16 1/16 1/16
Cutting speed
in/min 24 22 21 15 13 12 11.5
mm/sec 10.2 9.3 8.9 6.3 5.5 5.1 4.9
Cutting oxygen
pressure bar 1.8 1.8 2.1 2.1 2.8 3.2 3.2
pressure psi 25 25 30 30 40 45 45
flow rate l/hr 650 950 1150 1600 2000 2500 3300
Preheat gas
pressure bar .14 .21 .21 .21 .30 .30 .30
pressure psi 2 3 3 3 4 4 4
flow rate l/hr
Apachi+ 250 260 295 295 340 400 400
oxygen 900 950 1025 1025 1150 1350 1350
Acetylene 310 320 340 340 400 430 430
oxygen 340 355 375 375 440 475 475
Propane 255 265 300 300 350 400 400
oxygen 1080 1125 1275 1275 1475 1720 1720
Note: These conditions provide a starting point. Precise settings depend on the type of nozzle,
nozzle-to-plate distance and the condition of the plate surface.
43
Plasma arc cutting The arc operates in an inert inner
shield, whilst an outer shield provides
protection for the cut surface.
Accurate cuts can be made in stain-
less steel and non-ferrous metals such
Argon, helium, nitrogen and mixtures
as aluminium by plasma arc cutting.
of these gases are used for both the
inner and outer shields.
The cuts are made by a high
temperature, high velocity gas jet
Plasma arc cutting is characterised by
generated by constricting an arc
fast cutting speeds and is mainly used
between a tungsten electrode and the
in mechanised systems.
component.
The cutting is accompanied by a high
The heat from the arc melts the metal
noise level which can be reduced by
and the gas jet removes the molten
operating the torch under water.
metal from the cut.
ceramic shroud
tungsten electrode
plasma gas
shielding gas
44
PLASMA ARC CUTTING
For specific parameters and gas flow rates consult your equipment manual.
45
Golden rules for safe handling of welding and cutting gases
Always use a proper trolley for Never lift a cylinder by its cap,
moving cylinders, even for a short guard or valve. Always replace caps
distance. and guards.
46