WELDING PROCESSES
Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals primarily by
using high temperature to melt the parts together and allow them to cool,
causing fusion.
Welding processes employed in shipbuilding are of the fusion welding type.
Fusion welding is achieved by means of a heat source that is intense enough to
melt the edges of the material to be joined.
Gas welding, Stick welding( Shielded metal arc welding), TIG, MIG welding,
Plasma welding etc all provide heat sources of sufficient intensity to achieve
fusion welds.
STICK Welding
Stick welding, also known as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) or manual
metal arc welding (MMAW), is a welding process that uses a flux-coated
electrode to create a weld.
It is a process where the arc is struck between an electrode flux coated metal
rod and the work piece. Both the rod and the surface of the work piece melt to
create a weld.
*( DRAW ANY ONE SKETCH)*
1. Clean the area you'll be welding with a wire brush or grinder to remove dirt,
grime, or rust.
2. Maintain a stable arc length of about 1/8″ to 3/16″ to produce a strong weld.
3. Operator holds the electrode near the workpiece to create an arc when the
tip touches the metal.
4. The arc creates a short circuit that allows current to flow, melting both the
electrode and the workpiece.
5. The flux coating on the electrode vaporizes, creating a cloud of gas that
shields the molten metal from contamination.
6. The molten metal is allowed to cool and solidify to form the weld.
7. Once the weld is complete, the operator chips off the slag that forms on the
weld bead.
Electrodes are then properly stored.
Electrode coatings provide gas shielding for the arc, easy striking, arc stability,
a protective slag, good weld shape, and most important of all a gas shield. It
consumes the surrounding oxygen and protects the molten weld metal.
Coatings for the electrodes normally consist of a mixture of mineral silicates,
oxides, fluorides, carbonates, hydrocarbons and powdered metal alloys plus a
liquid binder.
TIG Welding ( Tungsten Inert Gas )
In the TIG welding process the arc is drawn between a water-cooled non-
consumable
tungsten electrode and the plate. Inert gas shield is provided to protect
the weld metal from the atmosphere, and filler metal may be added to the weld
pool as
required. Ignition of the arc is obtained by means of a high-frequency discharge
across the gap. It is not advisable to strike an arc on the plate with the tungsten
electrode. Argon is also used as the inert gas shield for welding aluminum and
steel. Only plate thicknesses of less than 6 mm would normally be welded by
this process, and in particular aluminum sheet.
A skilled operator is required for manual work. This may also be referred to as
TAGS welding, i.e. tungsten arc gas shielded welding.
MIG Welding (Metal Inert Gas)
This is in effect an extension of TIG welding, the electrode in this process
becoming a consumable metal wire. A wire feed motor supplies wire via guide
rollers through a contact tube in the torch to the arc. . Welding is done with a
DC source and electrode positive for regular metal transfer, and for aluminum
(to remove the oxide film) by the action of the arc cathode.
Although the process may be fully automatic, semi-automatic process with
handgun is widely used. This process is particularly suitable in many cases for
application to shipyard work.
As Argon ( shield gas) is expensive, CO2 is sought as an alternative. The
MIG/CO2 process is now widely used for welding mild steel in shipyards.
This form of welding is also collectively referred to as MAGS welding, i.e. metal
arc gas-shielded welding.