Arc welding

Arc welding
• In arc welding, developed in the mid-1800s, the heat required is
obtained from electrical energy.

• The process involves either a consumable or a nonconsumable

electrode.

• An AC or a DC power supply produces an arc between the tip of the

electrode and the work piece to be welded.

• The arc generates temperatures of about 4000°C (7000°F).

• which are much higher than those developed in oxyfuel–gas

welding.
 Arc welding
• A carbon rod was selected as one electrode and the metal work

piece became the other.

• If needed, filler metal was provided by a metallic wire or rod

that was independently fed into the arc.

• As the process developed, the filler metal replaced the carbon

rod as the upper electrode.

• The metal wire not only carried the welding current but, as it

melted in the arc, it also supplied the necessary filler.

 Arc welding
• The results of these early efforts were extremely uncertain.
• Because of the instability of the arc, a great amount of skill was
required to maintain it, and contamination of the weld resulted
from the exposure of hot metal to the atmosphere.
• There was little or no understanding of the metallurgical effects
and requirements of arc welding.
• Consequently, while the great potential was recognized, very
little use was made of the process until after World War I.
 Arc welding
• Shielded metal electrodes were developed around 1920.
• These electrodes enhanced the stability of the arc by shielding it
from the atmosphere and provided a fluxing action to the molten
pool.
• The major problems of arc welding were overcome, and the
process began to expand rapidly
• Welding currents vary from 1 to 4000 amps, with the range from
100 to 1000 being most typical AND Voltages are generally in
the range of 20 to 50 volts.
• All arc-welding processes employ the basic circuit depicted in FIG
Arc welding
Arc welding
 Arc welding
• If direct current is used and the electrode is made negative, the
condition is known as straight polarity (SPDC) or DCEN, for
direct-current electrode-negative.
• Electrons are attracted to the positive work piece, while
ionized atoms in the arc column are accelerated toward the
negative electrode.
• Since the ions are far more massive than the electrons, the
heat of the arc is more concentrated at the electrode.
• DCEN processes are characterized by fast melting of the electrode
(high metal deposition rates) and a shallow molten pool on the
work piece (weld penetration).
 Arc welding
• If the work is made negative and the electrode positive, the
condition is known as reverse polarity (RPDC) or DCEP, for
direct-current electrode-positive.
• The positive ions impinge on the work piece, breaking up any
oxide films and giving deeper penetration.
• The metal deposition rate is lower.
 Arc welding
• In one group of arc-welding processes, the electrode is
consumed (consumable electrode processes) and thus supplies
the metal needed to fill the joint.
• Consumable electrodes have a melting temperature below the
temperature of the arc.
• Small droplets are melted from the end of the electrode and
pass to the workpiece.
• The size of these droplets varies greatly, and the transfer
mechanism depends on the type of electrode, welding current,
and other process parameters
Figure depicts metal transfer by the globular, spray, and short-circuit transfer modes.
 Arc welding
• As the electrode melts, the arc length and the electrical
resistance of the arc path will vary.
• To maintain a stable arc and satisfactory welding conditions, the
electrode must be moved toward the work at a controlled rate.
• Manual arc welding is almost always performed with shielded
(covered) electrodes. Continuous bare-metal wire can be used as
the electrode in automatic or semiautomatic arc welding,
• but this is always in conjunction with some form of shielding
and arc-stabilizing medium and automatic feed control devices
that maintain the proper arc length.
 Types of arc welding
consumable electrode
• Four processes make up the bulk of
consumable-electrode arc welding:
• Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)
• Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)
• Submerged arc welding (SAW)
• Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
• Called stick welding or covered-electrode welding, is
among the most widely used welding processes because
of its versatility and because it requires only low-cost
equipment.
• The key to the process is a finite-length electrode that
consists of metal wire, usually from 1.5 to 6.5 mm in
diameter and 20 to 45 cm in length.
• Surrounding the wire is a bonded coating containing
chemical components that add a number of desirable
characteristics, including all or many of the following
 SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
• Vaporize to provide a protective atmosphere (a gas shield around the arc

and pool of molten metal).

• Provide ionizing elements to help stabilize the arc, reduce weld metal

spatter, and increase efficiency of deposition.

• Act as a flux to deoxidize and remove impurities from the molten metal.

• Provide a protective slag coating to accumulate impurities, prevent

oxidation, and slow the cooling of the weld metal.

• Add alloying elements.

• Add additional filler metal.

• Affect arc penetration (the depth of melting in the workpiece).

• Influence the shape of the weld bead.

SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
 SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
• The SMAW process has the advantages of being relatively simple,

versatile, and requiring a smaller variety of electrodes.

• The equipment consists of a power supply, cables, and an electrode

holder.

• The SMAW process commonly is used in general construction,

shipbuilding, pipelines, and maintenance work.

• It is especially useful for work in remote areas where a portable

fuel-powered generator can be used as the power supply.

• SMAW is best suited for work piece thicknesses of 3 to 19 mm (0.12

to 0.75 in.),
Designation system for arc-welding
electrodes.
 SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
• To initiate a weld, the operator briefly touches the tip of the
electrode to the workpiece and quickly raises it to a distance that
will maintain a stable arc.

• The intense heat quickly melts the tip of the electrode wire, the
coating, and portions of the adjacent base metal

• As part of the electrode coating melts and vaporizes, it forms a

protective atmosphere of CO,CO2, and other gases that stabilizes the
arc and protects the molten and hot metal from contamination
 SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
• Other coating components surround the metal droplets with a
layer of liquid flux and slag.
• The fluxing constituents unite with any impurities in the
molten metal and float them to the surface to be entrapped in
the slag coating that forms over the weld.
• The slag coating then protects the cooling metal from
oxidation and slows down the cooling rate to prevent the
formation of hard, brittle structures.
• The glassy slag is easily chipped from the weld when it has
cooled
 SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
• The shielded metal arc process is best used for welding ferrous
metals; carbon steels, alloy steels, stainless steels, and cast
irons can all be welded.
• Welds can be made in all positions.
• DCEP conditions are used to obtain the deepest possible
penetration, with alternate modes being employed when
welding a thin sheet.
• The mode of metal transfer is either globular or short circuit.
Summery of SMAW
Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)
Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)
 Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)
• Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) overcomes some of the
limitations of the shielded metal arc process by moving the
powdered flux to the interior of a continuous tubular electrode

• (Figure).

• When the arc is established, the vaporizing flux again

produces a protective atmosphere and also forms a slag layer
over the weld pool that will require subsequent removal
 Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)
• Alloy additions (metal powders) can be blended into the flux to
create a wide variety of filler metal chemistries.
• Compared to the stick electrodes of the shielded metal arc
process, the flux-cored electrode is both continuous and less
bulky, since binders are no longer required to hold the flux in
place.
• The continuous electrode is fed automatically through a
welding gun, with electrical contact being maintained through
the bare-metal exterior of the wire at a position near the exit of
the gun.
 Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)
• Overheating of the electrode is no longer a problem, and
welding currents can be increased to about 500 A.
• The higher heat input increases penetration depth to about 1
cm (3/8 in.).
• The process is best used for welding steels, and welds can be
made in all positions.
• Direct-current electrode-positive (DCEP) conditions are
almost always used for the enhanced penetration.
 Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)
• High deposition rates are possible, but the equipment cost is
greater than that of SMAW because of the need for a
controlled wire feeder and more costly power supply.
• Good ventilation is required to remove the fumes generated by
the vaporizing flux.
• In the basic flux-cored arc welding process, the shielding gas
is provided by the vaporization of flux components.
• Better protection and cleaner welds can be produced by
combining the flux with a flow of externally supplied shielding
gas, such as CO2.
Summery of FCAW
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
Cutaway schematic of SAW
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
• In submerged-arc welding (SAW), the weld arc is shielded by a granular
flux consisting of lime, silica, manganese oxide, calcium fluoride, and
other compounds.
• The flux is fed into the weld zone from a hopper by gravity flow through a
nozzle (Fig)
• The thick layer of flux completely covers the molten metal.
• It prevents spatter and sparks and suppresses the intense ultraviolet
radiation and fumes characteristic of the SMAW process.
• The flux also acts as a thermal insulator by promoting deep penetration of
heat into the work piece.
• The unused flux can be recovered (using a recovery tube), treated, and
reused.
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
• The consumable electrode is a coil of bare round wire 1.5 to 10
mm in diameter; it is fed automatically through a tube
(welding gun).
• Electric currents typically range from 300 to 2000 A.
• The power supplies usually are connected to standard single-
or three-phase power lines with a primary rating up to 440 V.
• Because the flux is gravity fed, the SAW process is limited
largely to welds in a flat or horizontal position having a
backup piece. Circular welds can be made on pipes and
cylinders—provided that they are rotated during welding
 Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
• SAW is used to weld a variety of carbon and alloy steel and
stainless-steel sheets or plates at speeds as high as 5 m/min (16
ft/min).
• The quality of the weld is very high with good toughness,
ductility, and uniformity of properties.
• The SAW process provides very high welding productivity,
depositing 4 to 10 times the amount of weld metal per hour as
the SMAW process.
• Typical applications include thick-plate welding for
shipbuilding and for pressure vessels.
Limitations OF SAW
• Need for extensive flux handling, possible contamination
of the flux by moisture (leading to porosity in the weld),
the large volume of slag that must be removed, and
shrinkage problems due to the large weld pool.
• The high heat inputs can produce large grain size
structures, and the slow cooling rate may enable
segregation and possible hydrogen or hot cracking.
Limitations OF SAW

• Welding is restricted to the horizontal position, since the flux

and slag are held in place by gravity. In addition, chemical
control is quite important, since the electrode material often
contributes over 70% of the molten weld region.
Summery of SAW