Welding Imperfections

THE WELDING INSTITUTE
Welding Imperfections:
What are welding imperfections?
Welding imperfections are material discontinuities caused by, or during, the process of welding. All things contain imperfections, but it is only when they fall outside of a level of acceptance that they should be termed defects, as they may render the product defective, or unfit for its purpose. As welds can be considered as castings they may contain all kinds of imperfections associated with the casting of metals, plus any other particular imperfections associated with the specific welding process being used. Welding imperfections can be classified as follows: 1) ) %) )) Cracks !olid incl"sions !"rface and profile 'isalignment 2) #) &) Gas pores and cavities $ack of f"sion 'echanical(!"rface damage
1)
Cracks:
Cracks sometimes occur in welded materials, and may be caused by a great number of factors. Generally, we can say that for any crack like imperfection to occur in a material, there are 3 criteria that must be present: a * force +) ,estraint c) * weakened str"ct"re
!ypical types of hot and cold cracks that will be discussed later in the course are: 1) -2 Cracks 2) !olidification Cracks ) $amellar .ears
A "aterial#s likelihood to crack during welding can be e$aluated under the term Welda+ilit/0 !his may be defined as: .he ease with which materials ma/ +e welded +/ the common welding processes All cracks ha$e sharp edges, which produce high stress concentrations. !his generally results in rapid progression, howe$er this also depends on the properties of the metal. Cracks are classed as planar imperfections as they generally ha$e only % $isible, or measurable dimensions i.e. length and depth. "ost fall into the defects category, though some standards will allow a degree of so called crater, or star cracking.
Welding &nspection of 'teels WI! % !ection 1 Welding Imperfections (e$ 1231231 Copyright %))3, !W& *td
3. +
world centre for materials joining technology
2)
Gas pores4 porosit/ and cavities:

Gas pores: !hese are defined as singular gas filled ca$ities 5 10&mm diameter, which are created during final solidification by e,pulsion of gases from solution in solidifying weld metal. 6orosit/: -orosity is a term used to describe a collection, or area of gas pores. !hese areas may be classified by their number, si.e and grouping of the pores within the area. /i.e. 0ine, or coarse cluster porosity -orosity is mainly produced when welding improperly cleaned plate, or when using damp welding consumables. Gases may also be formed by the breakdown of paints, oil based products, corrosion or anti corrosion products that ha$e been left on the plates to be welded. A singular gas filled ca$ity 1 or 2 +.3mm diameter is termed a +low hole -orosity can be fre4uently formed during the 'IG or .IG process by the temporary loss of gas shield, and ingress of air into the arc column. !his may be caused by mo$ement of the surrounding atmosphere, or wind. -orosity may also be caused by improper settings of shielding gas flow rate. Gas pores may also be break the welds surface where they are collecti$ely known as surface porosities. -orosity may also found in deep !"+ *rc welds due to the distance that trapped gases formed in the root area need to tra$el to escape from the surface, and may also occur when using damp ''* welding electrodes, or damp !"+ *rc 0lu,es. -orosity may be pre$ented by correct cleaning of materials, correct setting and shielding when using the !&G or "&G welding processes, and using dry welding consumables. -orosity may generally be identified on a radiograph as a spherical imperfection that has $arying density shades, from highest in the centre, decreasing to its outer edges i.e.
!hrinkage cavit/ 7ine cl"ster porosit/
!"rface +reaking cl"ster porosit/ Coarse cl"ster porosit/ 8low hole 9 10& mm :
-ollow root +ead !hrinkage cavities: !hese are internal $oids, or ca$ities that are formed during the solidification of single welds of high depth to width ratio /d:w as with 'AW or "&G. !hey may be defined as a hot plastic tears caused by opposing contractional strains. 'hrinkage ca$ities produce high stress concentrations at their sharp edges, and are thus generally treated as cracks.
3. %
!olid incl"sions:
'olid inclusions include metallic and non3metallic inclusions that may be trapped in the weld during the process of welding. !he type of solid inclusion that may be e,pected is really dependant on the welding process being used. &n welding processes that use flu,es to form all the re4uired functions of shielding and chemical cleaning, such as ""A and 'ubmerged Arc welding, slag inclusions may occur. 5ther welding processes such as "&G and !&G use silicon, aluminium and other elements to de6o,idise the weld. !hese may form silica, or alumina inclusions. Any of these non6metallic compounds may be trapped inside a weld during welding. !his often happens after slag traps, such as undercut ha$e been formed. 'lag traps are mostly caused by incorrect welding techni4ue. "etallic inclusions include tungsten inclusions that may be produced during !&G welding by a poor welding techni4ue, an incorrect tungsten $erte, angle, or too high amperage for the diameter of tungsten being used. Copper inclusions may be caused during "&G7"AG welding by a lack of welding skill, or incorrect settings in mechanised, or automated "&G welding. /"ainly welding Aluminium alloys 5ther welding phenomena such 8arc blow9 or the de$iation of the electric arc by magnetic forces, can cause solid inclusions to be trapped in welds. !he locations of these inclusions may be within the centre of a deposited weld, or between welds where the result causes 8*ack of inter6run fusion9, or at the sidewall of the weld preparation causing 8*ack of side wall fusion9 Generally solid internal inclusions may be caused by: 1) 2) ) #) %) &) $ack of welder skill0 ;Incorrect welding techni<"e) 6oor manip"lation of the welding process4 or electrode0 Incorrect parameter settings4 i0e0 voltage4 amperage4 speed of travel0 'agnetic arc +low0 Incorrect positional "se of the process4 or cons"ma+le0 Incorrect inter3r"n cleaning0
!"rface +reaking solid incl"sion Internal solid incl"sion ca"sing a lack of inter3r"n Internal solid incl"sion ca"sing a f"sion lack of sidewall f"sion
Internal solid incl"sion !olid incl"sions from +ase metal "nderc"t in the root r"n4 or hot pass ;!lag traps)
#)
$ack of f"sion:
3. 3
*ack of fusion imperfections, are defined as a lack of union between two adjacent areas of material. !his may be accompanied, or caused by other imperfections as e,plained in the last section. *ack of fusion can be considered a serious imperfection, as like cracks, they produce areas of high stress concentration. *ack of fusion, or o$erlap /a form of lack of fusion may occur in the weld face area during positional welding caused by the action of gra$ity and incorrect use of the process. *rc +low is a prime cause of lack of fusion imperfections, particularly when using high current processes, such as 'ub Arc using high direct electric currents. /:C; or :C 6 *ack of fusion may also be formed in the root area of the weld where it may be found on one, or both plate edges. &t may also be accompanied by incomplete root penetration. *ack of fusion is also a common imperfection in 8:ip transfer "&G welding9 of metals o$er 3mm thickness, especially when welding $ertically down. !his is caused by the inherent coldness of this form of metal transfer, and the action of gra$ity. $ike solid incl"sions4 lack of f"sion imperfections ma/ +e ca"sed +/: 1) 2) ) #) %) 3 )) $ack of welder skill0 ;Incorrect welding techni<"e) 6oor manip"lation of the welding process4 or electrode0 Incorrect parameter settings4 i0e0 voltage4 amperage4 speed of travel0 'agnetic arc +low0 Incorrect positional "se of the process4 or cons"ma+le0 Incorrect inter3r"n cleaning0 Incorrect or non3feathered tack welds0 ;$ightl/ gro"nd prior to welding)
$ack of sidewall f"sion ;*lso ca"sing an Incompletel/ filled groove) =verlap ;Ca"sing a Cold laps)
$ack of inter3r"n f"sion $ack of sidewall f"sion $ack of root f"sion
3. <
%)
!"rface and profile:

'urface and profile imperfections are generally caused by poor welding techni4ues. !his includes the use of incorrect welding parameters, electrode7blowpipe si.es and7or manipulation and joint set up. !his category may be split into two further groups of weld face and weld root. 'urface and profile imperfections are shown pictorially in * = 8 below:
*:
!patter is not a major factor in lowering the weldments strength, though it may mask other imperfections, and should therefore be cleaned off before inspection. 'patter may also hinder >:! and be detrimental to coatings. &t can also cause micro cracking or hard spots in some materials due to the localised heating74uenching effect. *n incompletel/ filled groove may bring the weld below its :!!. &t is a major stress concentration when accompanied by lack of sidewall fusion. $ack of root f"sion causes a serious stress concentration to occur in the root. &t may also render the root area more susceptible to corrosion in ser$ice
!patter *n Incompletel/ filled groove
$ack of root f"sion
3. ?
8:
* +"l+o"s conto"r is an imperfection as it causes sharp stress concentrations at the toes of indi$idual passes and may also contribute to o$erall poor toe blend *rc strikes, 'tray6arcing, or 'tray flash may cause many problems including se$eral types of cracks to occur. !hey can also cause depressions in the plate bringing it below its :!!. Arc strikes would normally be >:! inspected and then repaired. Incomplete root penetration may be caused by too small a root gap, insufficient amperage, or poor welding techni4ue. &t also causes high stress concentrations to occur. &t also generally produces a weld with less throat thickness than the :!! of the joint.
8"l+o"s conto"r *rc !trikes 6oor toe +lend
Incomplete root penetration +ead
C:
3. 3
*n irreg"lar +ead width is a surface imperfection, which is often referenced in application standards as. The weld bead should be regular along its linear length
>nderc"t: @ndercut can be defined as a depression at the toe of a weld in a pre$ious deposited weld, or base metal, caused by welding. @ndercut is generally caused by incorrect welding techni4ue, including the use of too high a current for the electrode being used, and the welding position. &t is often caused in the top toe of fillet welds when attempting to produce a large leg length fillet weld in one run. @ndercut can also be considered a serious imperfection particularly if it is sharp, as again it causes high stress concentrations. &t is gauged in se$erity by its length4 depth and sharpness. 6arent metal4 s"rface "nderc"t
6arent metal4 top toe "nderc"t
Weld metal4 s"rface "nderc"t
3. A
,oot ,"n or -ot 6ass "nderc"t
!hrinkage grooves: 'hrinkage groo$es may occur in the root area and are caused by contractional forces pulling on the hot plastic base metal in the root area. &t is often mistakenly termed as root !hrinkage grooves undercut.
,oot concavit/: /!"ck +ack
3. B
!his may be caused when using too high a gas backing pressure in purging. &t may also be produced when welding with too large a root gap and depositing too thin a root bead, when the hot pass may pull back the root bead through contractional strains.
,oot concavit/
?@cess penetration: 5ften caused by using too high a welding current, and7or, slow tra$el speed, coupled with a large root gap, and7or a small root face for the current or process being used. &t is often accompanied by burn through, which can be defined as a local collapse of the weld puddle causing a hole, or depression in the final weld root bead. ,oot o@idation: (oot o,idation may take place when welding re6acti$e metals such as stainless steels with contaminated or inade4uate purging gas flow. Incompletel/ f"sed Tack Welds: &t is often a procedural re4uirement for tack welds to be feathered /*ightly ground and blended prior to welding. !his re4uirement is mainly dependent upon the class of work. 0eathering should enable the tack welds to be more easily fused and thus more smoothly blended into the root7penetration bead during welding. 0ailure to achie$e this correctly may result in a degree of lack of root f"sion(penetration occurring in the weld root run. *n "n3feathered root tack weld *dAacent "n3smooth area showing a lack of root f"sion and(or root penetration Crater pipes:
3. C
!his often occurs during !&G welding in the crater at the end of a weld run during final solidification. &t is caused by insufficient filler material to meet the solidification process and can be eliminated by applying ade4uate filler metal, or using a slope o"t control.
Crater pipe
,oot o@idation in !tainless !teel
?@cess root penetration +ead
.his ma/ lead to a burn through A local collapse of the weld pool leaving a hole in the root area.
!o summari.e, we can list surface or profile welding imperfections as follows: 1) Incompletel/ filled grove(lack of f"sion0
3. +)
2) !patter0 ) *rc strikes0 ;!tra/ arcs) #) Incomplete root penetration0 %) $ack of root f"sion0 &) 8"l+o"s or irreg"lar conto"r0 )) 6oor toe +lend0 B) Irreg"lar +ead width0 2) >nderc"t0 ;Weld and 8ase metal) 11) ++ 12) ,oot concavit/0 ,oot shrinkage grooves0 ?@cess penetration0 8"rn thro"gh0 ,oot o@idation0
&)
'echanical(!"rface damage:
'echanical(!"rface damage: !his can be defined as any surface material damage caused during the manufacturing process, or in6ser$ice conditions. !his can include damage caused by: 1) ) %) )) Grinding0 -ammering0 Chiselling0 Corrosion0 2) #) &) Chipping0 8raking off welded attachments +/ hammering0 >sing needle g"ns to compress weld capping r"ns0
As with the stray arcing, the abo$e imperfections can be detrimental as they reduce the through thickness dimension of the plate in that area. !hey can cause local stress concentrations and should be repaired prior to completing the job.
Chisel 'arks
6itting Corrosion
Grinding 'arks
))
'isalignment:
!here are % main forms of misalignment in plate materials, which are termed:
3. ++
1)
$inear misalignment0
2)
*ng"lar misalignment0
$inear misalignment: can be controlled during weld set up by the correct use7control of the weld set up techni4ue i.e. tacking, bridging, clamping etc. ?@cess weld metal height and the root penetration +ead are alwa/s meas"red from the lowest plate to the highest point of the weld metal4 as shown +elow0 ?@cess weld metal height
3 mm $inear misalignment meas"red in mm *ng"lar misalignment: may be controlled by the correct application of distortion control techni4ues, i.e. balanced welding, offsetting, or use of jigs, clamps, etc.
+? *ng"lar misalignment meas"red in degrees -i3$o is a term that is generally used to describe the une$enness across the root faces between pipes found during setting up for welding. !his une$enness is often caused by an un6matching and7or irregular wall thickness, or between pipes ha$ing any degree of o$ality. &t is not a term that should be used when describing misalignment in plates.
-i3$o
!"mmar/ of Welding Imperfections:

Gro"p
1) Cracks
./pe
Centreline 3. +%
Ca"ses($ocation
Weld "etal
2) 6orosit/(Cavities
) !olid Incl"sions
#) $ack of 7"sion
%) !"rface C 6rofile
&) 'echanical damage )) 'isalignment
D% *amellar !ears -orosity Gas pore G +.3mm Flow hole 2 +.3mm 'hrinkage ca$ity 'lag ""A7'AW 'ilica !&G7"AG/0e steels !ungsten !&G Copper /"&G7"AG *ack of side wall fusion ;Can +e s"rface +reaking) *ack of root fusion Cold lapping -oor toe blend Arc 'trikes &ncomplete penetration &ncompletely filled groo$e 'patter Fulbous contour @ndercut: 'urface and internal 'hrinkage groo$e /(oot (oot conca$ity H,cess -enetration Furn through Crater -ipes /"ainly !&G Dammer7Grinding marks etc. Angular "isalignment / *inear "isalignment /mm Di6*o /mm) =nl/ in pipe
Weld "etal = DAE Fase metal :amp electrodes @n6cleaned plates7pipes *oss of gas shield Weld metal /high d:w -oor &nter6run cleaning 'lag traps. Arc blow :ipping tungsten in pool :ipping contact tip in pool Arc Flow &ncorrect welding techni4ue >on feathering of tack welds -ositional welding techni4ue &ncorrect welding techni4ue -oor welding techni4ue G (oot gap7Amps. 2 (oot face &ncorrect welding techni4ue :amp consumables &ncorrect welding techni4ue !oo high an amperage -oor welding techni4ue Contractional strains !oo high gas pressure 2 (oot gap7Amps G (oot face &ncorrect current decay -oor workmanship -oor fit6up. :istortion -oor fit6up. &rregular pipe wall, or o$ality
Dotes: .he ca"ses given in the a+ove ta+le sho"ld not +e considered as the onl/ possi+le ca"ses of the imperfection given4 +"t as an e@ample of a pro+a+le ca"se0 Good working practices and correct welder training will minimise the occ"rrence of "naccepta+le welding imperfections4 or welding defects.
Identif/ and name the following Welding Imperfections:

;*s indicated within the ovals)
2 3. +3
# * *
& *
* 8
* 8
)
B 3. +<
*
2 *
11
11 * 8
12 * 8
* 8
* 8
1
1# 3. +?
* *
1% *
1&
1) 8
1B
* 8
* 8
!ol"tions:
6age :1#
3. +3
10 20 0 #0 %a0 &a0
Weld metal "nderc"t $ack of root f"sion ,oot concavit/ Incomplete root penetration $ack of sidewall f"sion !lag incl"sion %+ &a Cold lap ;8"l+o"s conto"r) 8ase metal "nderc"t
6age :1%
)0 B0 20 110 6itting Corrosion $ack of sidewall f"sion with an incompletel/ filled groove !patter 8"l+o"s conto"r with a 6oor toe +lend 11+0 12+0 $ack of root f"sion Weld metal "nderc"t
11a0 *rc strikes 12a0 8ase metal "nderc"t
6age :1&
1 0 1#0 1%0 1&0 Chisel marks Incompletel/ filled groove with a +"l+o"s conto"r !hrinkage grooves 8"rn thro"gh 1)+0 1B+0 >nderc"t ;In the top toe) 8"rn thro"gh
1)a0 !patter 1Ba0 ?@cess root penetration +ead
3. +A

Welding Imperfections

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Welding Imperfections

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Gas pores4 porosit/ and cavities:

!hrinkage cavit/ 7ine cl"ster porosit/

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

$ack of inter3r"n f"sion $ack of sidewall f"sion $ack of root f"sion

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

!"rface and profile:

!patter *n Incompletel/ filled groove

$ack of root f"sion

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

8"l+o"s conto"r *rc !trikes 6oor toe +lend

Incomplete root penetration +ead

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

6arent metal4 top toe "nderc"t

Weld metal4 s"rface "nderc"t

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

,oot ,"n or -ot 6ass "nderc"t

,oot concavit/: /!"ck +ack

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

,oot o@idation in !tainless !teel

?@cess root penetration +ead

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

!"mmar/ of Welding Imperfections:

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

&) 'echanical damage )) 'isalignment

Identif/ and name the following Welding Imperfections:

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

world centre for materials joining technology

THE WELDING INSTITUTE

11a0 *rc strikes 12a0 8ase metal "nderc"t

1)a0 !patter 1Ba0 ?@cess root penetration +ead

world centre for materials joining technology

You might also like