The companion fluxes for these wires are designated
with an F to represent flux. If only the F is designated,
it means a virgin flux that has not been mixed with any
crushed slag. If it is expressed as FS, the S indicates it is
made solely from crushed slag or is a blend of crushed
slag with unused (virgin) flux. A number following the F
or FS indicates the mechanical properties achievable. See
Table 23-8, page 766.
Fluxes are further described by their reaction with the
weld pool and weld metal. There are three general types
of fluxes.
1. Active fluxes are those that contain controlled
amounts of manganese and/or silicon. Improved
resistance to porosity and cracking are the results
of these alloys. These fluxes are used when the
plate has a certain amount of contamination on
it. This type of flux is used for making single-
pass welds with the fewest defects and the highest
quality.
2. Neutral fluxes are those that will not produce any
significant change in the all-weld metal composi-
tion. This type of flux is used for multiple-pass
welding on plate that exceeds 1 inch in thickness.
3. Alloy fluxes are those that are used with a plain
carbon steel electrode to make alloy weld deposits.
The alloying ingredients are found in the flux, not
the electrode. It is essential that the welding pro-
cedure be followed to achieve the proper alloy per-
centages. This type of flux is primarily used on low
alloy steel and for hard-facing.
Fluxes are granular, fusible mineral compounds. They
contain various amounts of silicon, manganese, alumi-
num titanium, zirconium, and deoxidizers, which are
bound together with a binder.
Fluxes are classified on the basis of the mechani-
cal properties of a weld deposit made with the flux in
combination with any of the electrodes classified in the
specification. For example, let us consider the classifica-
tion F6A0-EH14. The prefix designates a flux. The num-
ber 6, which immediately follows this prefix, designates
the mechanical properties. The A indicates as welded.
A letter P would have indicated postweld heat treatment
(PWHT). The digit after the letter designates the required
minimum impact strength, Table23-9. The zero in the ex-
ample means that 20 foot-pounds are required at 0F. The
suffix that is placed after the hyphen gives the electrode
classification with which the flux will meet the specified
mechanical property requirements. The electrode in the
example is in the high manganese classification.
The fluxes used with submerged arc welding have
the special characteristic of being able to carry the high
FCAW (Plate), SAW, and Related Processes: FCAW-G Jobs 23-J1J11, FCAW-S Jobs 23-J1J12; SAW Job 23-J1 Chapter 23 775
Table 23-9 Impact Requirements of the
Weld Deposit According to Classification
for Submerged Arc Flux
Required Minimum
Classification Impact Strength
0
1 20 ft-lb at 0F
2 20 ft-lb at 20F
3 20 ft-lb at 30F
4 20 ft-lb at 40F
5 20 ft-lb at 50F
6 20 ft-lb at 60F
8 20 ft-lb at 80F
welding currents required by the process. In all other re-
spects they produce results like those provided by other
fluxes.
They protect the weld pool from the surrounding air
in an envelope of molten flux.
They act as a cleaning agent for the base metal.
They may satisfy special metallurgical or chemical
needs.
They may provide minerals or alloys to the weld
metal.
They guard against porosity caused by rusty plate.
They provide maximum resistance to weld cracking.
Specific fluxes are designed to work best with certain
electrodes, materials, and welding conditions.
They improve weld appearance.
Wire SizesSubmerged arc electrodes are furnished
in continuous lengths wound into coils or drums or on
liners. Standard sizes include 116, 564, 332, 18, 532, 316, 732,
and 14 inch. Wire 116 inch in diameter is used for mak-
ing speed welds on steel ranging from 14 gauge to 14 inch
thick. Wire 564 inch in diameter is used for welding mate-
rial 12 gauge and thicker. Wires 332 inch and thicker are
used when the gun is carried mechanically. The stiff wire
decreases the flexibility of the cable, and the large pool
of molten metal is hard to handle when welding is semi-
automatic. Large sizes require high current and provide
high deposition rates. They can bridge the gaps when fitup
is poor. Arc starting, however, becomes more difficult as
wire size increases.
Polarity DCEP is recommended for most applications.
It produces smoother welds and better bead shape. It has
greater penetration and better resistance to porosity. Fillet
welds also have deep penetration.
 DCEN has meltoff rates that are about one-third
greater and provide less penetration than reverse polarity.
It is suitable for the following applications:
Conventional fillets in clean and rust-free plate
Hard-surfacing
Hard-to-weld steels in which cracking and porosity,
due to the admixture resulting from deep penetration,
must be controlled
Prevention of cracking due to deep penetration and
heavy buildup in the root pass of deep groove welds
When changing from DCEP to DCEN at the same cur-
rent, increase the voltage about 4 volts to maintain a simi-
lar bead shape.
Alternating Current Alternating current is recommended
for two specific applications:
Tandem arc welding for increased welding speed
Single-arc applications in which arc blow cannot be
overcome and travel speed is slowed
To maintain good arc stability, a higher current density
is needed for alternating current than for direct current.
Joint Design Basic joints common to all welding are used
for submerged arc welding. The process is a deep, pen-
etrating one. To avoid excess melt-through, the plates are
generally either butted tightly together or a backing bar
is used.
Cleaning Rust, scale, and moisture cause porosity. A
thoroughly cleaned joint gives the best welding results.
All substances on the joint edges must be removed. If not,
foreign matter will become entrapped in the weld zone
and cause porosity on the surface and beneath the surface.
Use clean, rust-free wire and flux that has been screened
to remove large particles and foreign matter.
Position of WeldingPractically all welding should be
done with the work level or in the flat position. Some
sheet metal may be welded slightly downhill. Heavy,
deep-groove welding is sometimes done with the plate
at an uphill angle of 2 to 5. This helps keep the molten
metal from running ahead of the arc.
Fitup Joint fitup should be uniform and accurate since
it affects the appearance and quality of the weld. When
establishing welding conditions, the seams should be
butted tightly unless a root gap is specified. A gap may be
required to secure penetration or to prevent weld crack-
ing or distortion of the plates. An insufficient gap gives
a weld an excessive crown or reinforcement. If the gap or
bevel angle is excessive, burnthrough or a concave weld
will result.
776 Chapter 23 FCAW (Plate), SAW, and Related Processes: FCAW-G Jobs 23-J1J11, FCAW-S Jobs 23-J1J12; SAW Job 23-J1
Gaps greater than 116 inch may be filled with SMAW,
GMAW, or FCAW processes. Use the appropriate electrode
for the base metal and weld quality required.
Starting and Stopping Tabs It is general practice when
welding long seams on a tank to tack-weld pieces of steel
at each end of the seam. By starting and ending in these
tabs, the possibility of cracking and weld craters may be
eliminated. They enable the welding conditions to stabi-
lize and maintain uniformity at the beginning and end of
the joint.
In general, tabs should be similar in material and de-
sign to the weld joint. They should be large enough to sup-
port the flux and molten metal properly. Tabs are welded
or supported on the base metal in a manner that will pre-
vent molten metal from dropping through any gaps.
Flux CoverageInsufficient flux coverage permits the
arc to flash-through and does not provide proper shield-
ing. Excessive flux produces a narrow hump bead. For
applications like roundabout, edge, and horizontal welds,
a support may be needed to hold the flux around the arc
while welding. It can be a piece of fire-resistant material
clamped to the nozzle or flux dams tacked or clamped to
the work, Fig. 23-36, page 774.
Flux Depth A proper amount of flux is required to estab-
lish the best welding conditions. A suitable depth of flux
gives a fast, quiet welding action. If the layer of flux is too
deep, the gases generated during welding cannot escape.
The weld may have a shape somewhat like a mountain
rangerough and unevenand it will be porous. A good
indication of proper flux depth is smoke rising out of the
flux layer. A shallow layer of flux permits arc flashing
and a porous weld.
It is very important that the flux be kept clean and dry.
Dirty or damp flux produces an unsound, porous weld.
Damp flux should be dried before welding.
Flux Recovery The unfused flux can be recovered dur-
ing the welding operation. Recovery systems are available
that use air power and others that use electrical power,
much like a shop vacuum system. There is great savings
in reclaiming the unfused flux, Figs.23-37 and 23-38. The
fused flux can also be recrushed and reprocessed. This is
usually done off-site by a company specializing in repro-
cessing fused flux. The reprocessed fused flux is mixed
with new flux in certain ratios.
Weld Backing The relatively high heats used in sub-
merged arc welding cause a large pool of molten metal
to be formed. Because the weld pool is highly fluid, it
will fall through if the joint is not supported on the back
 Unfused Flux Operating Variables The welds produced by the
submerged arc welding process and the GMAW or
Fused
Flux FCAW processes are affected by similar changes
and adjustments in the operating variables (voltage,
Steel Plate current, wire-feed speed, travel speed, electrode
extension, and nozzle angle). Review Chapter 22
Deposited Weld
Metal as necessary. There is some difference in regard
to electrode extension. Normal electrode extension
Deposited Amount of Flux (Fig. 23-39A) may be used for most applications.
Number of Weld Metal Flux Fused Amount of Flux Savable Some welding engineers, however, recommend
Wires (lb) (lb) Deposited (lb) (lb) long electrode extension. Nozzle attachments are
Single 1 1 2 1 available that increase the electrode extension to ei-
Twin wire 1 1 3 2 ther 2 or 3 inches, Fig. 23-39B. The welding cur-
Tandem wire 1 1 34 23 rent passing through the longer lengths of exposed
filler wire preheats the wire so that it melts more
Fig. 23-37 Flux recovery data. quickly in the arc. This reduces costs by increasing
the deposition rate and the speed of welding.
Electrode Size At a fixed current setting, electrode size
affects the depth of penetration. Penetration decreases
as the size of electrode increases. Smaller filler wires
are generally used in semiautomatic equipment. Sizes of
0.035 to 332 inch are generally used.

Contact Tip

Nozzle Flux
Cone

Electrical Visible
Extension Extension

Fig. 23-38 Air powered flux recovery system that mounts easily Contact Tip
on submerged arc welding equipment. Welding Engineering
Co. Inc. Linc-fill
Nozzle
Extension

side. The most common forms of weld backing are steel

backing bars, weld metal backing copper, or flux. When Electrical
Extension
steel bars are used, they usually remain as part of the Work
Visible
weldment. Weld metal backup in the form of a weld bead Extension
on the back side also remains as part of the weldment.
Copper is one of the best materials to use. It is nonfus-
ible and is a good conductor of heat. The copper back- B
ing bar is often liquid cooled. Flux may be placed at the
bottom of the groove to act as a support for the molten Fig. 23-39 (A) Normal electrode extensions. (B) Use of nozzle
weld pool. extension for long electrode extension. Source: The Lincoln Electric Co.

FCAW (Plate), SAW, and Related Processes: FCAW-G Jobs 23-J1J11, FCAW-S Jobs 23-J1J12; SAW Job 23-J1 Chapter 23 777

Fig. 23-40 A SAW set up for making continuous or intermittent dual fillet
welds on bridge girders, stiffeners, or box beams. A side beam c arriage is being
used in conjunction with head and tail stocks. This allows for the most advanta-
geous welding positions for the highest productivity and quality. This would be
considered an automatic application of the SAW process because of the sensing
prods being used to track the joint. Pandjiris
groove welds. The procedure is difficult to set
up, Fig.23-41, and can be justified only on long
welding runs or on production work. At least
one arc should be a.c.
The two-wire series power technique obtains
high deposition rates with minimum penetra-
tion into the base metal. It is used extensively for
hard-surfacing materials. Each filler wire op-
erates independently; it has its own feed motor
and voltage control. The power supply cable is
connected to one welding head, and the return
power cable is connected to the second welding
head instead of to the workpiece. The two filler
wires are in series. The welding current travels
from one electrode to the other through the weld
pool and surrounding material. The two elec-
trodes are mounted at 45 to each other. Either
alternating or direct current can be used, depend-
ing upon the application. Alternating current
is preferred for mild steel or stainless steel,
whereas direct current should be used for non-
ferrous metals. DCEP gives deeper penetration
than DCEN.

For automatic/mechanized submerged arc welding, filler

wires are larger to take advantage of higher currents and
higher deposition rates. Sizes of 564 to 732 inch are generally
used with currents from 200 to 1,200 amperes. Large elec-
trodes have hard starting characteristics.
With all other conditions (other than WFS) held con-
stant, an increase in wire size reduces the deposition rate
and penetration. An increase in current corresponding to
an increase in electrode size increases the deposition rate
and penetration.

Multiple-Wire Techniques Multiple arcs, Fig. 23-40, in-

crease meltoff rates and direct the arc blow to provide an
increase in welding speed. Two electrodes fed through the
same jaws from one power source increase the deposition
rate by 50 percent on work such as large, flat-position fil-
lets and wide groove welds in which fill-in is a major con-
sideration. The two arcs pull together, causing back blow
at the front arc and forward blow at the trailing arc.
When two wires are being run into the same welding
pool and power is being supplied by one power source,
this is generally referred to as the twin electrode SAW Fig. 23-41 This is a submerged arc tandem set up with two
electrodes; there could be three, four or more electrodes. Each
process. electrode has its own head as can be seen. In this case the heads
Multiple-wire, multiple-power arcs, in which two or are staggered to weld on the opposite sides of the weldments to
more electrodes each have a separately controlled power help control distortion. Note the side beam carriage that will move
source, provide high speed on both fill-in and square the arcs along the fixed weldments. Lincoln Electric

778 Chapter 23 FCAW (Plate), SAW, and Related Processes: FCAW-G Jobs 23-J1J11, FCAW-S Jobs 23-J1J12; SAW Job 23-J1
 Thinner materials may be welded with a square edge.
A backing bar is often necessary. Heavy materials may be
beveled. The material may be only partially beveled so that
a relatively heavy root face remains. Welding is often done
from both sides. Fillet welds up to 34 inch may be made
without beveling. Fillet weld penetration is deep.
The flux is supplied from a hopper that is either
mounted directly on the welding head or connected to the
head by tubing. The bare filler rod is fed into the head
from a coil or reel.
Submerged Arc Surfacing The term surfacing is used
to describe the application of welding a layer of metal on
a surface to obtain a desired surface dimension or other
physical properties such as corrosion resistance. The SAW
process is often used to surface carbon steel with stainless
steel. This is a very economical way to obtain a corrosion-
resistant vessel for the petrochemical or power plant in-
dustry. In some cases a typical round electrode is used;
in other situations a strip is used. The strip produces a
much wider weld with less penetration in the carbon steel.
As the arc moves back and forth across the edge of the
strip, it moves the heat energy over a much wider area.
This reduces the dilution effect and makes the whole pro-
cess more efficient. In many cases the required chemical
analysis can be obtained in one pass, whereas when using
a solid round electrode, several layers may be required. It
takes a special welding head and drive system to change
from feeding a conventional round electrode to feeding
a strip. The strip widths commonly used vary from 916 to
over 9 inches, with a thickness of 0.024 inch, which en-
ables a band of the strip width and some 332-inch depth to
be deposited in a single pass. Deposition rates can be as
high as 44 pounds per hour.
Semiautomatic Submerged Arc WeldingSemiautomatic
submerged arc welding is being replaced by solid wire,
metal cored wire, and flux cored wire welding. It is still
used to some extent for hard-surfacing. Two examples of this
process are Squirt Welding, a Lincoln process, and Union
Melt, an ESAB process. If the school welding shop has this
type of equipment, it would be an added experience for the
ABOUT W E L DIN G
Safety
When youre not using a piece of
equipment, turn if off. If the equipment is going to be
left unattended, or is not in service, just completely
disconnect it from its power source.
FCAW (Plate), SAW, and Related Processes: FCAW-G Jobs 23-J1J11, FCAW-S Jobs 23-J1J12; SAW Job 23-J1 Chapter 23 779
advanced student to practice a number of butt, lap and T-
joints with the process.
If your school does not have submerged arc welding
equipment, the process can still be observed by using ex-
isting GMAW or FCAW equipment. Use of the constant
voltage power source and wire feeder can be used up to its
output and wire diameter capability. A joint can be set up
in the flat position and the flux placed directly on the joint
to facilitate not having a flux delivery system. Since this
will be done semiautomatically, care must be taken not
to get the end of the gun in the molten slag or weld pool.
Semiautomatic submerged arc welding can be used on
those jobs for which submerged arc welding would be de-
sirable, but the fully automatic process would not be suited
for economic reasons or physical limitations.
The semiautomatic application is similar to the automatic/
mechanized application in that the welding operation
takes place beneath a blanket of flux, but the hand gun is
guided manually. The electrode is a continuous wire that
is fed through the center of a flexible welding cable and
through a gun to the arc. The flux is deposited by gravity
on the joint from a welding gun. The flux also can be de-
posited by force feed from an air supplied system.
Equipment includes the welding machine, the conical
flux container and welding nozzle, wire reel, wire-feeding
mechanism, and the control unit for the control of wire
feed and arc voltage, Fig. 23-42, page 780.
Semiautomatic submerged arc welding is essentially a
small wire process. It is possible to weld 34-inch plate hav-
ing a square edge with filler wire 564 inch in diameter and
600 amperes of welding current. Each side is welded with
one pass. The resultant weld is smooth, penetrating, and
spatter-free. Appearance is similar to that obtained with
flux cored electrode welding.
Process CharacteristicsIn comparison with automatic/
mechanized submerged arc welding, the semiautomatic
process has the following characteristics:
It can follow irregular shapes.
Welding can be done without fixtures or with only
simple fixtures.
Equipment is easily portable, and the process is highly
versatile.
The cost of equipment is lower than for the
automatic/mechanized process.
The semiautomatic process can be used for any of the
following broad applications:
When the gun can be dragged along the joint, provid-
ing accurate guiding
When the work can be rotated and the gun held in
position by hand
 Wire Reel
Filler Wire

Manually Wire-feed Drive Motor

Held Gun Wire Feeder Control System

Flux Hopper

or

Welding Machine

Auto Torch

Flux Electrode
Cable

Work Work Lead

Fig. 23-42 Schematic diagram of component units needed for submerged arc welding. Source: Hobart
Brothers Co.

When the work can be rotated and the gun held in a
simple locating fixture
When both the gun and the work can be moved by
special fixtures.
Submerged Arc Welding
Semiautomatic Practice Job
Instructions for Completing
the Practice Job
Complete the practice job according to the specifications
given in the Job Outline, Table 23-12, page 789. Set up
for welding as you did when practicing with the FCAW-S
process.
If your school has automatic or mechanized SAW
equipment, you should practice its operation as well.
Set up for welding as you did when practicing with the
GMAW process.
This job should provide about 4 to 6 hours of practice
depending upon the skill of the individual student and
the capability of the equipment. After completing this
job, you may wish to practice with other forms of joints
and various thicknesses of material. A wide range of cur-
rent (WFS) and voltage should be employed. Develop a
good understanding of the results of changes in the basic
variable. Note the bead appearance and penetration char-
acteristics of these welds compared to the other arc weld-
ing processes you have experience with.
Power Source Constant voltage d.c. power sources are
used for the SAW process. These machines can be of
the transformer rectifier type, inverter type, or engine-
driven generator type. Make certain the power source
has sufficient output voltage, amperage, and duty cycle
for the welding you will be doing.
Wire Feeder Use the same feeder as for the FCAW prac-
tice setup with as large a diameter as possible for the feeder
and power source being used; 116 inch would be best.
Gun Use the same gun as for the GMAW or FCAW-G
practice. Since shielding is provided by the flux, you
will not be using the gas shielding. Leave the gas nozzle
in place and recess the contact tube 332 to 14 inch. This
will help you gauge the electrode extension while weld-
ing. Use the largest diameter gas nozzle available.
Electrode Extension The electrode extension is set be-
fore welding starts. It can range from 1 to 2 inches. You
will have to visualize the extension by looking at the joint
and the flux depth plus the recess into the gas nozzle,
Fig. 23-43.

780 Chapter 23 FCAW (Plate), SAW, and Related Processes: FCAW-G Jobs 23-J1J11, FCAW-S Jobs 23-J1J12; SAW Job 23-J1

Nozzle
Contact Tube
Flux Depth
Electrode Wire.
Approximately 1 in.
Note Extension
of Approximately
11/2 in. Steel Plate
3/8 in. Thick
Fig. 23-43 Practice job using semiautomatic application of sub-
merged arc welding process.
Welding TechniqueBefore starting, check all weld-
ing control settings. Drive rolls and the wire guide tube
should be correct for the wire size and type being used.
The gun, cable, and nozzle contact tip should also be cor-
rect for the wire size and electrode extension being used.
Starting the Arc After the proper electrode extension
has been established, pour a layer of flux into the joint.
Flux at both ends of the joint can be supported with
sheet metal. Rest the electrode tip in the root of the
joint approximately 1 inch from the edge of the joint.
The trigger is pressed to start the arc. The mechanical
feed will take care of advancing the electrode. Welding
is stopped by releasing the trigger. Since you will not
be able to see the weld pool (it is submerged below the
layer of flux), you will have to judge your travel speed
on feel. If you weld too slowly, the fillet weld will be
too large; if you weld too quickly, the fillet weld will
be too small. The nozzle should be able to be dragged
on the joint to help steady and control the electrode
extension.
Gun Angle Use a drag travel angle about the same as
that used for stick electrode welding. The work angle
varies with the type of joint and thickness of mate-
rial. Drag the nozzle along the joint to deposit a single
stringer bead of approximately 12-inch leg size.
Operating Variable Four major variables affect the weld-
ing performance with the SAW process: arc voltage, cur-
rent (WFS), travel speed, and electrode extension. The
flux depth must not be too deep or too shallow. Do not
allow flash-through to occur, and only a slight amount of
smoke should be observed coming out of the layer of flux.
FCAW (Plate), SAW, and Related Processes: FCAW-G Jobs 23-J1J11, FCAW-S Jobs 23-J1J12; SAW Job 23-J1 Chapter 23 781
Inspection and Testing After the weld is completed, use
the same inspection and testing procedures that you have
learned in previous welding practice. Examine the welds
for bead formation and fine ripple appearance. It is impos-
sible to determine the physical characteristics of a weld
by its appearance. However, a weld that shows good fu-
sion along the edges, has normal convexity, is free from
undercut and surface defects, and has fine, smooth ripples
usually meets the physical requirements.
Electroslag Welding (ESW)
Electroslag welding (ESW) was developed for the weld-
ing of vertical plates, ranging in thickness from 1 to
14 inches, with a single pass. The plate edges require no
preparation.
Electroslag welding process can be used in the au
tomatic or mechanized applications. The equipment
used for electroslag welding consists of a carriage as-
sembly, which moves upward along the joint, and a mul-
tiple set of feed-wire guide assemblies that can be made
to oscillate horizontally, Fig. 23-44 (p. 782). Copper
shoes are positioned against the joint to act as a dam.
The filler wire is fed to the weld zone through a nozzle
in a vertically down feed (while the weld progression is
vertical-up). The welding operations are controlled from
a panel board and may be automatically, mechanically,
or semiautomatically controlled.
The fusion of the base metal and the continuously
fed filler wires takes place under a heavy layer of high
temperature, electrically conductive molten flux. The
filler wires may be either solid, metal cored, or flux
cored. For welding plates up to 5 inches in thickness,
only one electrode may be used. Two electrodes are
generally used for plates 4 to 10 inches thick, and three
electrodes for 10- to 14-inch thicknesses. When neces-
sary, the electrodes may be oscillated to provide bet-
ter distribution of weld metal. It is a high heat process.
Voltage ranges from 42 to 52; and amperage, from 500
to 640, depending on the thickness of metal. The power
is alternating current.
The plates are set up in a vertical plane with the
square edges spaced from 1 to 1516 inches, according to
the thickness of the plate. Water-cooled copper shoes
form a mold around the joint gap and give form to the
weld. The shoes are mechanized so that they can move
vertically upward as the weld proceeds. A prepared
block is placed under the plate edges to close the joint
cavity. Granular flux is poured into the cavity, and the
weld pool is established with the filler wires. At first
only the flux is fused into molten slag.
The extreme heat produced by the resistance heating in
the weld pool, molten flux, and electrode cause the base
 Flux Hopper

Horizontal
Wire Feed Drive

Wire

Molten Slag
Vertical Drive
Molten Weld
Metal

Copper Shoe Power Source

Water System
Power Leads

Work

Fig. 23-44 Basic components of an electroslag welding operation. Note the travel rail that provides
the vertical up-and-down movement.

Fig. 23-45 A square groove
butt joint made with the electro-
slag process in steel plate
3 inches thick. It had a 1-inch root
opening and was welded in
1 pass. The completed weld is
1 inches wide with 18-inch face
reinforcement. Welding was done
in the vertical position, travel up.
metal to melt. The weld is
formed by the water-cooled
plates. It is homogeneous
and has good penetration
into the base metal and
smooth, clean weld faces,
Fig. 23-45.
Electroslag Welding with
a Consumable Guide
Consumable guide weld-
ing, or CG as it is referred
to in the trade, is a method
that is used to weld verti-
cal beam joints.
A tube that is coated
with slag-forming and al-
loying elements guides a characteristic of the slag is low conductivity. This in-
filler wire from the wire- creases resistance heating from the passage of the elec-
feeding unit into a bath
formed by the two sides of the joint being welded and two
water-cooled copper shoes, Fig.23-46. This bath contains
the molten weld metal and slag. The tube, or guide, is
connected to the positive side of a rectifier power source
DCEP. The heat necessary to melt the guide, the filler
wire, and the joint edges being welded is generated by
the passage of the welding current through the electrode,
molten flux, and weld pool. The guide tube and filler wire
melt at a rate that determines the welding speed.
The consumable guide process operates equally well
on direct current or alternating current. The constant volt-
age power source is recommended.
Consumable guide welding is not a true submerged
arc welding process. It uses an arc only at the start of the
process to generate heat for the melting of the slag. As
soon as the bath of molten slag is established, the slag
causes the arc to be extinguished automatically. Another
tric current.

782 Chapter 23 FCAW (Plate), SAW, and Related Processes: FCAW-G Jobs 23-J1J11, FCAW-S Jobs 23-J1J12; SAW Job 23-J1