WELDING
METAL JOINING OPERATIONS
O Are divided into three categories
• SOLDERING
• BRAZING
• WELDING
Welding is the fusion of two pieces of similar metal under pressure
without the introduction of third material. The metal must be
softened by heat as well as compressed to achieve this.
Or
It may also be defined as process of fusing two or more metal
parts through the application of heat, pressure or both without using
filler metal to produce a localized union between two parts.
✓Pioneer work in this field was done was Friel and Mc Keag
Principle
Welds are made by passing an electric current through
the pieces to be joined which are pressed together
tightly. The resistance offered by stainless steel to an
electric current of high amperage generates enough
heat to soften it.
Welder
1. Electric transformer
2. Copper electrodes
3. Pressure mechanism
4. Timing
The heat generated is calculated
using the formula
H ∞ I2 RT
H = heat in joules
I = current in amperes
R = resistance in ohms
T = duration of current in seconds
TYPES of WELDING
COLD WELDING HOT WELDING
1. SPOT WELDING
2. PRESSURE WELDING
3. LASER WELDING
4. OXY-ACETYLENE (OA)
5. ARCH WELDING
SPOT WELDING
Typical values for the pulse are 2 to 6 volts for 1/25 – 1/50th of a
second at 250 to 750 amperes.
Applications of spot welding in orthodontics:
1) Custom made bands
2) Adding attachments or auxillary to bands or wire
PRESSURE WELDING
Gold foil, mat, or powdered gold) restorations are pressure
welded by hand or mechanical foil condensers
Laser WELDING
O A laser generates a coherent, high intensity impulse of light
that can be focused. By selecting the duration and the
intensity of impulse metals can be melted in small regions
without extensive micro structural damage to the metal.
Owing to the expansion from the local high temperature and
the change of state, the two liquid surfaces contact and
form a weld on solidification
OXY-ACETYLENE
oxy-acetylene flame burns at 6000 ͦF (3315C), and is the only
gas flame that is hot enough to melt all commercial metals.
Oxy-acetylene welding is simple in concept - two pieces of
metal are brought together, and the touching edges are
melted by the flame with or without the addition of filler rod.
Advantages :
1. It's easy to learn.
2. The equipment is cheaper
3. The equipment is more portable
4. OA equipment can also be used to "flame-cut" large pieces of material.
Disadvantages :
1. OA weld lines are much rougher in appearance than other kinds of welds, and
require more finishing if neatness is required.
2. OA welds have large heat affected zones (areas around the weld line that have
had their mechanical properties adversely affected by the welding process)
.
Welding of stainless steel depends upon the proper use of the
following three variables-
The current following through the circuit
The time during which the current is allowed to flow.
The mechanical pressure applied at the welding head.
The improper application of these variable may result in under
welding or over welding.
UNDER WELDING
1. Insufficient time.
2. Insufficient amount of current is passed.
3. Pressure applied is insufficient for approximation.
OVER WELDING
1. Yields as weak joint as under welding
2. Joint is more prone to corrosion
3. This occurs when chromium is precipitated at the grain
boundary of each crystal. This process is known as weld
decay
WELDING ORTHODONTIC WIRES
Wires should not be parallel to each other
Instead they should be placed perpendicular to each other in a groove.
Strength of the welded joint
In engineering applications, spot and pressure welds have
strengths comparable to other forms of joining metals such as
soldering or arc welding. Laser welds are comparable to
soldered joints.
Corrosion resistance of the welded joint
welds in general are more susceptible to corrosion than the
surrounding metal. Spot welding in dentistry has been confined
to temporary appliances, where the results have been
satisfactory.
Points to be kept in mind for
successful welding
O Mount the electrodes correctly in the welder and adjust
with parallel precision to eliminate gaps.
O Weld together the wires of same material
O Place the thinner wire in the groove of lower electrode
O Use 1540 Newton of pressure
O Set the voltage according to the operator instructions
O Use single electric impulse
16
“A satisfactorily welded joint is the one which
is strong, has not undergone
oxidation(blackening), and has not been over
compressed during fusion”
COMMERCIAL Welders
O 506- A DIAL- A – WELDrocky mountain/denver,Colorado 80217
O Multi Purpose Orthodontic Welderunitek, Monrovia, California 80217
soldering and welding 31.07.2012 19
Brazing
O It’s a term used industrially. Soldering operations at and
above 450° C is generally termed brazing. Most dental
soldering procedures are actually brazing but the terms are
used interchangeably in dentistry.
O Brazing is defined as joining of metals by the fusion of filler
metal between them, at a temperature below the solidus
temperature of metals being joined and above 450° C.
O The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) currently
is considering a proposal to call all joining operations in
dentistry as brazing rather than soldering. Thus brazing may
be the predominant term in the future.
Comparison
Conclusion
O The choice of soldering materials has extreme importance in
determining the properties of the soldered joints. In
Orthodontics silver solders are popular because of their low
fusion temperature and easy handling characteristics. It is
also rationalized that both removable and permanent
Orthodontic appliances are not meant to stay for life,
therefore solders with properties inferior to high fusing
solders can be tolerated.
O Both soldering and welding can cause a deterioration in properties if the
wire is overheated or under heated.
O Welding is the most commonly used procedure by an Orthodontist and
soldering by lab technicians.