Chapter 30

Fusion Welding Processes

Copyright Prentice-Hall
Fusion Welding Processes
 Oxyacetylene Flame Types

Three basic types of oxyacetylene flames used in oxyfuel-gas welding and cutting operations:
(a) neutral flame; (b) oxidizing flame; (c) carburizing, or reducing, flame. The gas mixture in (a)
is basically equal volumes of oxygen and acetylene. (d) The principle of the oxyfuel-gas welding
operation.
Oxyacetylene Torch
(a) General view of and (b) cross-
section of a torch used in
oxyacetylene welding. The
acetylene valve is opened first;
the gas is lit with a spark lighter or
a pilot light; then the oxygen valve
is opened and the flame adjusted.
(c) Basic equipment used in
oxyfuel-gas welding. To ensure
correct connections, all threads
on acetylene fittings are left-
handed, whereas those for
oxygen are right-handed. Oxygen
regulators are usually painted
green, and acetylene regulators
red.
 Pressure-Gas Welding Process

Schematic illustration of the pressure-gas welding process; (a) before, and (b) after.
Note the formation of a flash at the joint, which can later be trimmed off.
 Arc Welding Processes
Most prevalent welding processes that employ an
electric arc
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
These processes are associated with molten metal
Protection of the Molten Weld Pool
Molten metal reacts with the atmosphere
Oxides and nitrides are formed
Discontinuities such as porosity
Poor weld metal properties
All arc welding processes employ some means of
shielding the molten weld pool from the air
 Welding Flux
Three forms
Granular
Electrode wire coating
Electrode core
Fluxes melt to form a protective slag over the weld pool
Other purposes
Contain scavenger elements to purify weld metal
Contain metal powder added to increase deposition rate
Add alloy elements to weld metal
Decompose to form a shielding gas
 Shielding Gas
Shielding gas forms a protective atmosphere
over the molten weld pool to prevent
contamination
Inert shielding gases, argon or helium, keep out
oxygen, nitrogen, and other gases
Active gases, such as oxygen and carbon
dioxide, are sometimes added to improve
variables such as arc stability and spatter
reduction
 Gas-Tungsten Arc Welding

(a) The gas tungsten-arc welding process, The effect of polarity and current type on
formerly known as TIG (for tungsten inert gas) weld beads: (a) dc current straight
welding. (b) Equipment for gas tungsten-arc polarity; (b) dc current reverse polarity;
welding operations. (c) ac current.
 Advantages
Produces superior quality welds, generally free
from spatter, porosity, or other defects
Can be used to weld almost all metals
Can weld dissimilar metal joints
Can be used with or without filler wire
Easily automated
Can be used in all positions
 Limitations
Less economical than consumable electrode
processes for sections thicker than 3/8 inch
Lowest deposition rate of all arc processes
Manual GTAW requires welder skill
Sensitive to drafts
 Plasma-Arc Welding Process

Two types of plasma-arc welding processes: (a) transferred, (b) nontransferred.

Deep and narrow welds can be made by this process at high welding speeds.
 Shielded-Metal Arc Welding

Schematic illustration of the shielded metal-arc welding

process. About 50% of all large-scale industrial welding
operations use this process.

A deep weld showing the buildup sequence

of eight individual weld beads.
 Advantages
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
 Limitations
Low deposition rate compared to other processes
Slag must be removed between each pass
Electrodes must be changed often
Heat of welding too high for lead, tin, zinc, and their
alloys
Inadequate weld pool shielding for reactive metals such
as titanium, zirconium, tantalum, columbium
 Submerged-Arc Welding

Schematic illustration of the submerged arc welding process and equipment. The
unfused flux is recovered and reused.
 Advantages
Highest deposition rate and deepest single pass weld
penetration of all arc welding processes
Continuous wire feed
High welding current
High weld quality
Easily mechanized
Can be used to weld carbon steels, low alloy steels,
stainless steels, chromium-molybdenum steels, nickel
base alloys
 Limitations
Flux obstructs view of joint during welding
Cannot weld in vertical or overhead positions
Higher equipment cost than SMAW
Must remove slag between passes
 Gas Metal-
Arc Welding

(a) Schematic illustration of the gas metal-arc welding process, formerly known as
MIG (for metal inert gas) welding. (b) Basic equipment used in gas metal-arc
welding operations.
 Advantages
Deposition rates higher than SMAW
No slag removal
Continuous wire feed
Easily automated
Can be used to weld all commercial metals and
alloys
 Limitations
Equipment is more complex, costly, and less
portable that SMAW
Restricted access - GMAW gun is larger than a
SMAW electrode holder
Air drafts can disrupt the shielding gas
atmosphere, limiting outdoor use
 Fluxed-Cored Arc-Welding

Schematic illustration of the flux-cored arc welding process. This operation is

similar to gas metal-arc welding.
 Advantages
Combines best features of SMAW and GMAW
Weld metal composition can be modified by flux
Less sensitive to drafts
High deposition rate - continuous wire feed
Less sensitive to surface condition, e.g. rust,
scale
Can be used to weld carbon steel, low alloy
steels, stainless steels and cast iron
 Limitations
Must remove slag between each pass
Higher equipment cost than SMAW
Generates large volumes of smoke
More complex process, requires higher operator
skill required than SMAW
 Electroslag-Welding

Equipment used for electroslag welding operations.

Electrode Designations
 Weld Bead Comparison

(a) (b)

Comparison of the size of weld beads: (a) laser-beam or electron-beam welding,

and (b) tungsten-arc welding. Source: American Welding Society, Welding
Handbook (8th ed.), 1991.
 Weld Joint Structure

Grain structure in (a) deep weld and (b) shallow

Characteristics of a typical fusion-
weld zone in oxyfuel-gas and arc
welding.
weld. Note that the grains in the solidified weld
metal are perpendicular to their interface with the
base metal (see also Fig. 10.3). (c) Weld bead on
a cold-rolled nickel strip produced by a laser beam.
(d) Microhardness (HV) profile across a weld bead.
Discontinuities and Defects in
Fusion Welds
Examples of various
discontinuities in fusion welds.

Examples of various defects in

fusion welds.
 Cracks in Welded Joints

Types of cracks developed in welded joints. The cracks are caused by thermal
stresses, similar to the development of hot tears in castings.
 Distortion of Parts After Welding

Distortion of parts after welding. (a) Butt joints and (b) fillet welds. Distortion is
caused by differential thermal expansion and contraction of different regions of the
welded assembly.
 Weld Testing

(a) Specimen for longitudinal tension-shear testing; (b) specimen for transfer
tension-shear testing; (c) wraparound bend test method; (d) three-point bending of
welded specimens.
 Welded
Joints

Examples of welded
joints and their
terminology.
 Weld Symbols

Standard identification and symbols for welds.

 Weld Design

Some design guidelines for welds. Source: After J.G. Bralla.