Welding Defects
Welding Defects
Welding Defects
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
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
(a) (b)
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