Lab (2)

Submerged arc welding

The intense heat evolved by the passage of the electric current through the
welding zone melts the end of the wire and the adjacent edges of the
workpieces, creating a turbulent puddle of molten metal. For this reason any
slag or gas bubble is quickly swept to the surface.

The flux completely shields the welding zone from contact with the atmosphere so the weld
has a slower solidification and cooling characteristics. Also the silicon content will be much
higher in submerged arc welding, if care is not exercised in selecting proper flux material.

Advantages:

efficiency- high welding currents and welding speeds.

- consistent weld quality due to mechanized nature - smooth and uniform weld
finish.

- better welding environment, the arc is hidden from sight, less emission of
welding smoke.

- minimal operator's skill.

- extensively used in heavy steel plate fabrications.

Drawbacks:

- High cost of the welding equipment;

- Unsuitable for short and small curved welding lines, for vertical and overhead
positions;- Higher accuracy of groove sizes;

- Weld quality greatly depends on the chemical composition of base metal and the
welding parameters because of deeper weld penetration.

Theory
From a hopper, a fine granular flux is dropped over the welding groove of the base
metal where the electrical arc burns between the tip of the filler metal wire and
workpieces that are welded fig.2.8. Suitable for welding of thick-section parts,
submerged arc welding is very efficient because it can use high currents (500-1300A),
thereby obtaining deeper weld penetration.
Experimental Setup and Procedures:
source characteristic. When the arc voltage is increased due to some fluctuation in the
arc phenomenon, the feeding rate of the wire electrode is increased to obtain a shorter
arc. Conversely, when the arc voltage is decreased, the wire feeding is decreased to
obtain a longer arc. So, this is the way how to recover the arc voltage to the previously
set value

.Setting up of welding parameters:

- base material(s) => filler material and flux type, type of power source (DC/AC)
polarity (straight DCEN or reverse DCEP).

- weld parts thickness s[mm] => filler material rod size d[mm] => welding current
Is

- arc voltage Ua [V]

Sketch of the weld bead

Checking of welding parameters by computing of:

N