FWB 32503

ADVANCED WELDING
PROCESS

Lecture 4 ELECTROGAS WELDING (EGW)

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 FUNDAMENTAL OF THE PROCESS
Arc welding Process
Machine welding process
Uses continuous filler metal
Vertical welding position
Back-up shoes to confine the molten weld metal
Joint Square butt or single-V grove
Produce high quality weld deposit
Minimum distortion with single pass weld

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 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Uses solid or flux cored filler metal
(electrode); Fed downward
Uses starting tab to initiate the weld pool
The heat from the arc melts the groove
faces vertically
The arc oscillated horizontally to form
uniform distribution of heat and weld
metal.
One or both backing shoes move upward.

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 ELECTRODE VARIATIONS
Solid Electrode
Schematic Diagram- Fig 7.1 Page 235
The electrode is fed through a welding gun called a
non consumable guide
Oscillate horizontally for thicker material
Uses shielding gas; CO2 or Ar-CO2 through gas ports,
box or nozzles.
Uses water-colled retaining shoes; move vertically
manually or automatically
Diameter range from 1.6 to 3.2mm

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 ELECTRODE VARIATIONS
Flux-cored Electrode
Schematic Diagram- Fig 7.2 Page 236
Operationally; Same to solid electrode
No separate shielding gas
Create thin layer of slag between weld metal and
backing shoes.
Smooth weld surface
External gas or self-shielding gas may be used for
higher current
Diameter range 1.6 to 3.2mm

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 CONSUMABLE GUIDE PROCESS
Used for short weldment in
ship building
Beam fabrication
Column fabrication

Schematic Diagram Fig 7.3 Page 236

Non of the equipment moves vertically
Initially the electrode penetrate about 25mm beyond the
end of the end of the guide tube then steadily develop
the molten pool. Fig 7.4 Page 238
EGW consumable guide provides app. 5-10% deposited
metal the rest supplied by the electrode

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 CONSUMABLE GUIDE PROCESS
The clamp device made of copper; hold the guide tube.
Guide tube diameter size range from 3 to 5mm and
come in various length.
Oscillation with 1m long guide tube face problem due to
whipping motion at the end of the tube and distortion.
Dual electrode usually used to overcome the problem.
Circular insulator is used every 300 - 450mm to prevent
shorting of the tube to the wall of the groove.
The backing shoes; refer Fig. 7.3 Page 237.
Slag build up at the top of the molten pool; excessive
slag leads to poor penetration or non-fusion.

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 EQUIPMENT
Power Supply
DCEP (Reverse Polarity) characteristic of current is
used
Constant Voltage
Constant Current
No interruption during the process
Usually used 750 to 1000 amps at 30 to 55 volts and
100% duty cycle.
DC supplied by
Transformer-rectifier
Motor-driven generator
Engine-driven generator.

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 ELECTRODE FEEDER
Used normal wire feeder such as
GMAW/FCAW process
Normal wire speed about 230mm/sec
Long extension of electrode need straight
length projecting from the guide to ensure
the positive arc location in the joint.

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 ELECTRODE GUIDE
Similar to GMAW
Come with shielding gas outlet
Water-cooled
Narrow tip to ride inside the confine cavity
The size limited to 10mm.

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 Electrode Guide Oscillator
Used to move the electro backward and forward
Useful to obtain uniform depositing and fusion at
the groove face
Base metals less than 30mm no need electrode
guide oscillator.
The oscillator guide system will set the dwell
time at the end of oscillation to ensure the
penetration is obtained.
Dual time can be adjusted
The arc oscillate about 4mm from the shoes

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 Retaining Shoes
Also called dams
Pressed again each side of the gap between the
base metals to retain the molten metal during
solidification.
One or both shoes may move upward as welding
progress
Non-fusing ceramic back up have also been use
as shoes
Water-cooled
Groove to develop desire weld reinforcement
May or may not contain gas ports

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 Control system
Adaptation of GMAW or FCAW
Vertical travel control can be electrical or
manual
Self-shielded flux-cored EGW need more
caution at the initial process to avoid
porosity
Start at lower wire feed speed and high
voltage

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 CONSUMABLE
Electrodes
Specification of the electrode; Refer Fig. 7.5
Page 240.
Chemical Composition Requirement for solid
Electrodes, Table 7.1 Page 241Chemical
Chemical Composition Requirement For Weld
Metal Composite Flux Cored and Metal Cored;
Table 7.2, Page 242.

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 OPERATING VARIABLES
Base Metals
Joint Design
Fit-up assembly
Misalignment
Strong backs
Starting sums
Runoff Tabs

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 APPLICATIONS

Metallurgical Considerations
Electro gas Thermal Cycle
Weld Structure
Preheat

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