Arc Welding Processes

Arc Welding Processes

Lesson Objectives
When you finish this lesson you will
understand:
The similarities and difference between
some of the various arc welding processes
Flux and gas shielding methods
Advantages and disadvantages of the arc
welding processes
Need to select between the processes

Learning Activities
1. Read Handbook Pp
1-16,
2. Look up Keywords
3. View Slides;
4. Read Notes,
5. Listen to
6. lecture
7. Do on-line
workbook
8. Do homework

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
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

Electric Arc

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

Argon

Helium

Oxygen

Carbon Dioxide

Turn to the person sitting next to you and discuss (1 min.):

What would happen if there was no flux on the wire to
decompose into gas or no inert shielding gas was provided?
What would the weld metal look like?

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

SMAW Electrode Classification Example

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

Arc Stabilizers
Titania TiO2
Gas-Forming Materials
Wood Pulp
Limestone CaCO3
Slag-Forming Materials
Alumina Al2O3
TiO2
SiO2
Fe3O4

Slipping Agents to Aid Extrusion

Clay
Talc
Glycerin
Binding Agents
Sodium Silicate
Asbestos
Starch
Sugar
Alloying and Deoxidizing Elements
Si, Al, Ti, Mn, Ni, Cr

Linnert, Welding Metallurgy

AWS, 1994

Linnert, Welding Metallurgy

AWS, 1994

Shielded Metal Arc Welding

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

Gas Metal Arc Welding

Gas Metal Arc Welding

GMAW Modes of Metal Transfer

Spray

Globular

Short Circuiting

Pulsed Spray

Gas Metal Arc Welding

GMAW Filler Metal Designations

ER - 70S - 6
Electrode
Rod (can be used
with GMAW)

Composition
6 = high silicon
Solid Electrode
Minimum ultimate tensile
strength of the weld metal

AWS Specifications for GMAW Wire

AWS A5.18 - Carbon Steel Electrodes

AWS A5.28 - Low Alloy Steel Electrodes

Gas Metal Arc Welding

Shielding Gas

Shielding gas can affect

Ar

Ar-He

He

CO2

Weld bead shape

Arc heat, stability, and
starting
Surface tension
Drop size
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

Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

Linnert, Welding Metallurgy,

AWS, 1994

Flux-Cored Arc Welding

FCAW Electrode Classification

E70 T - 1
Electrode
Minimum UTS
70,000 psi
Position

Type Gas, Usability

and Performance
Flux Cored /Tubular
Electrode

American Welding Society Specification

AWS A5.20 and AWS A5.29.

Linnert, Welding Metallurgy

AWS, 1994

Flux-Cored Arc Welding

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

Submerged Arc Welding

Submerged Arc Welding

SAW Flux / Filler Metal Compositions

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 @ 20F

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, chromiummolybdenum steels, nickel
base alloys

Submerged Arc Welding

Limitations

Flux obstructs view of

joint during welding
Flux is subject to
contamination porosity
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.