Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Keywords
Welding Flux, Inert Shielding Gas, Shielded Metal Arc Welding
(SMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Metal Transfer Mode,
Flux Cored Arc Welding FCAW), Submerged Arc Welding (SAW),
Linnert, Welding Metallurgy,
AWS, 1994
Arc Welding Processes
Welding processes that employ an electric arc are
the most prevalent in industry
Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Gas Metal Arc Welding
Flux Cored Arc Welding
Submerged Arc Welding Electric Arc
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
These processes are associated with molten metal
Linnert, Welding Metallurgy,
AWS, 1994
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
E7018
E indicates electrode
70 indicates 70,000 psi tensile strength
1 indicates use for welding in all positions
8 indicates low hydrogen
E7018-A1-H8R
•ANSI/AWS - 5.1 : Specification for Covered Carbon Steel
•ANSI/AWS - 5.5 : Specification for Low Alloy Steel
•ANSI/AWS - 5.4 : Specification for Corrosion Resistant Steel
AWS Website:
http://www.aws.org
Coating Materials -Partial List
SMAW Advantages
Easily implemented
Inexpensive
Flexible
Not as sensitive to part
fit-up variances
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
Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Quality Issues
Discontinuities associated
with manual welding
process that utilize flux
for pool shielding
Slag inclusions
Lack of fusion
Other possible effects on
quality are porosity, and
hydrogen cracking
Shileded Metal Arc Welding
Limitations
Low Deposition Rates
Low Productivity
Operator Dependent
Other Limitations
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
Turn to the person sitting next to you and discuss (1 min.):
• Wood (cellulose) and limestone are added to the coating on
SMAW Electrodes for gas shielding. What gases might be
formed?
• How do these gases shield?
Gas Metal Arc Welding
ER - 70S - 6
Composition
Electrode 6 = high silicon
Solid Electrode
Rod (can be used
with GMAW) Minimum ultimate tensile
strength of the weld metal
AWS Specifications for GMAW Wire
Shielding Gas
Shielding gas can affect
Weld bead shape
Arc heat, stability, and
starting
Surface tension
Ar He CO2 Drop size
Ar-He Puddle flow
Spatter
Gas Metal Arc Welding
GMAW Advantages
Deposition rates higher
than SMAW
Productivity higher than
SMAW with no slag
removal and continuous
welding
Easily automated
Gas Metal Arc Welding
Quality
Spatter
Droplets of electrode
material that land outside
the weld fusion area and
may or may not fuse to the
base material
Porosity
Small volumes of
entrapped gas in solidifying
weld metal
Gas Metal Arc Welding
Limitations
Equipment is more
expensive and complex
than SMAW
Process variants/metal
transfer mechanisms make
the process more complex
and the process window
more difficult to control
Restricted access
GMAW gun is larger than
SMAW holder
Turn to the person sitting next to you and discuss (1 min.):
• When comparing processes that have spray and globular
metal transfer, which type of transfer mode do you thnk
results in more spatter? Why?
Flux-Cored Arc Welding
E70 T - 1
Electrode
Type Gas, Usability
Minimum UTS and Performance
70,000 psi
Flux Cored /Tubular
Position Electrode
Advantages
High deposition rates
Deeper penetration than
SMAW
High-quality
Less pre-cleaning than
GMAW
Slag covering helps with
larger out-of-position welds
Self-shielded FCAW is
draft tolerant.
Flux-Cored Arc Welding
Limitations
Slag must be removed
More smoke and fumes
than GMAW and SAW
Spatter
FCAW wire is more
expensive
Equipment is more
expensive and complex
than for SMAW
Turn to the person sitting next to you and discuss (1 min.):
• What do you suppose would happen if the powder inside
the core did not get compacted good?
Submerged Arc Welding
F7A2-EM12K
F indicates flux
70-95 ksi UTS, 58 ksi minimum yield strength, 22% elongation
A - as welded; P - postweld heat treated
2 - minimum impact properties of 20 ft-lbs @ 20°F
E indicates electrode (EC - composite electrode)
M - medium manganese per AWS Specifications
12 - 0.12% nominal carbon content in electrode
K - produced from a heat of aluminum killed steel
Submerged Arc Welding
Advantages
High deposition rates
No arc flash or glare
Minimal smoke and fumes
Flux and wire added
separately - extra dimension of
control
Easily automated
Joints can be prepared with
narrow grooves
Can be used to weld carbon
steels, low alloy steels,
stainless steels, chromium-
molybdenum steels, nickel
base alloys
Submerged Arc Welding
Limitations
Flux obstructs view of
joint during welding
Flux is subject to
contaminationporosity
Normally not suitable for
thin material
Restricted to the flat
position for grooves - flat
and horizontal for fillets
Slag removal required
Flux handling equipment
Do Homework Assignment 2, “Arc Welding
Processes” from the Assignment Page of the WE300
Website. Turn in next Class Period.