5 Welding Processes

Part 1 of 3
Equipments & Piping
Equipments & Piping

http://www.heatecholdings.com/business_pipingSystem_oil.html
Equipments & Piping
Equipments & Piping
Equipments & Piping
Equipments & Piping
Equipments & Piping
5.1 GENERAL
The inspector should understand the basic arc welding processes most
frequently used in the fabrication and repair of refinery and chemical process
equipment. These processes include shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas
tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux cored arc
welding (FCAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), and stud arc welding (SW).
Descriptions of less frequently used welding process are available in the
referenced material.

Each process has advantages and limitations depending upon the application
and can be more or less prone to particular types of discontinuities.

http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=shielded_metal_arc_welding_smaw
5.2 SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING (SMAW)
SMAW is the most widely used of the various arc welding processes. SMAW
uses an arc between a covered electrode and the weld pool. It employs the
heat of the arc, coming from the tip of a consumable covered electrode, to
melt the base metal. Shielding is provided from the decomposition of the
electrode covering, without the application of pressure and with filler metal
from the electrode. Either alternating current (ac) or direct current (dc) may be
employed, depending on the welding power supply and the electrode
selected. A constant-current (CC) power supply is preferred. SMAW is a
manual welding process. See Figures 1 and 2 for schematics of the SMAW
circuit and welding process.
5.2.1 Electrode Covering
Depending on the type of electrode being used, the covering performs one or
more of the following functions:

a. Provides a gas to shield the arc and prevent excessive atmospheric

contamination of the molten filler metal.
b. Provides scavengers, deoxidizers, and fluxing agents to cleanse the weld
and prevent excessive grain growth in the weld metal.
c. Establishes the electrical characteristics of the electrode.
d. Provides a slag blanket to protect the hot weld metal from the air and
enhances the mechanical properties, bead shape, and surface cleanliness
of the weld metal.
e. Provides a means of adding alloying elements to change the mechanical
properties of the weld metal.
5.2.2 Advantages of SMAW
Some commonly accepted advantages of the SMAW process include:
a. Equipment is relatively simple, inexpensive, and portable.
b. Process can be used in areas of limited access.
c. Process is less sensitive to wind and draft than other welding processes.
d. Process is suitable for most of the commonly used metals and alloys.
5.2.3 Limitations of SMAW
Limitations associated with SMAW are:
a. Deposition rates are lower than for other processes such as GMAW.
b. Slag usually must be removed at stops and starts, and before depositing a
weld bead adjacent to or onto a previously deposited weld bead.
Shielded metal arc welding
Shielded metal arc welding
SMAW
SMAW
SMAW
SMAW- Underwater Welding
SMAW- Underwater Welding
SMAW- Qualification of Underwater Welders
SMAW- Structural Welding
SMAW- Structural Welding
SMAW- WPQ Welder Performance Qualification
SMAW- Transmission Pipeline Welding
Equipment is relatively
simple, inexpensive, and
portable.
SMAW- Weld Profile
SMAW- Weld Profile
SMAW- Weld Profile
SMAW- Weld Profile
SMAW- Weld Profile
SMAW- Weld Profile
SMAW- Weld Profile
SMAW- Weld Profile
SMAW- Grinding at Start-Stop
SMAW- Tack Welding
SMAW- Root Pass + Hot Pass
SMAW- Large Tack Weld for Thick Welding
SMAW- Pipeline Tie-in Joint
SMAW- Pipeline Welding
SMAW- WPQ Test Coupon
SMAW- WPQ Test Coupon
SMAW- WPQ Test Coupon
SMAW- AWS Test Positions
SMAW- Smiling Experts at Work
5.3 GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING (GTAW)
GTAW is an arc welding process that uses an arc between a non-
consumable tungsten electrode and the weld pool. The process is used with
shielding gas and without the application of pressure. GTAW can be used
with or without the addition of filler metal.
The CC type power supply can be used with either dc or ac, the choice
depends largely on the metal to be welded. Direct current welding is typically
performed with the electrode negative (DCEN) polarity. DCEN welding offers
the advantages of deeper penetration and faster welding speeds. Alternating
current provides a cathodic cleaning (sputtering) that removes refractory
oxides from the surfaces of the weld joint, which is necessary for welding
aluminum and magnesium. The cleaning action occurs during the portion of
the ac wave, when the electrode is positive with respect to the work piece.
See Figures 3 and 4 for schematics of the GTAW equipment and welding
process.
Gas tungsten arc welding
Gas tungsten arc welding

http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=tungsten_inert_gas_arc_welding_tig_gtaw
Gas tungsten arc welding
The cleaning action occurs during the portion of the ac
wave, when the electrode is positive with respect to the
work piece.
GTAW
GTAW
5.3.1 Advantages of GTAW
Some commonly accepted advantages of the GTAW process include:
a. Produces high purity welds, generally free from defects.
b. Little post-weld cleaning is required.
c. Allows for excellent control of root pass weld penetration.
d. Can be used with or without filler metal, dependent on the application.
5.3.2 Limitations of GTAW
Limitations associated with GTAW process are:
a. Deposition rates are lower than the rates possible with consumable
electrode arc welding processes.
b. Has a low tolerance for contaminants on filler or base metals.
c. Difficult to shield the weld zone properly in drafty environments.
GTAW / TIG Welding
GTAW / TIG Weld
a. Produces high purity welds, generally free from defects.
TIG weld without
addition of filler
metal- autogenous
weld.
GTAW / TIG Weld
TIG – Gas Nozzles
Tungsten
Electrodes
Tungsten
Electrodes
Tungsten
Electrodes
Tungsten
Electrodes
Tungsten- Automation