DEFECTS IN SMAW WELDING

1. Cracks 2. Lack Of Fusion

3. Slag 4. Porosity
5. Pinhole 6. Piping
7. Undercut 8. Overlap
9. Lack Of Penetration 10. Excess Penetration
11. Spatters 12. Suck Back
13. Under Flush 14. Burn Through
15. Uneven Bead 16.Stray Arcing
 Crack
Cause Remedy
1) Wrong Consumable 1) Use Right Electrode
2) Wrong Procedure 2) Qualify Procedure
3) Improper Preheat 3) Preheat Uniformly
4) Excessive Restrain 4) Post heating or ISR

crack
 Lack Of Fusion

Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate Current 1) Use Right Current
2) Wrong Electrode angle 2) Train /Qualify welder
3) Improper bead placement 3) Train/Qualify Welder

Lack Of Fusion
 Slag

Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate Cleaning 1) Clean each bead
2) Inadequate Current 2) Use Right Current
3) Wrong Electrode angle 3) Train / Qualify welder
4) Improper bead placement 4) Train / Qualify Welder

Slag
 Porosity

Cause
1) Damp Electrode
2) Damaged coating
3) Wet surface of BM
4) Rusted core wire
Remedy
1) Bake the electrodes
2) Replace the electrodes
3) Clean & warm the BM
4) Replace the electrodes

Porosity . .
 Pinhole

Cause
1) Damp Electrode
2) Damaged coating
3) Wet surface of BM/WM
4) Rusted core wire
Pinhole
•
Remedy
1) Bake the electrodes
2) Replace the electrodes
3) Clean & warm the BM
4) Replace the electrodes
 Piping

Cause Remedy
1) Damp Electrode 1) Bake the electrodes
2) Damaged coating 2) Replace the electrodes
3) Previous beads wet 3) Clean & warm the weld
4) Rusted core wire 4) Replace the electrodes

Piping
•
 Undercut
Cause Remedy
1) Excess Current 1) Reduce the Current
2) Excess Voltage 2) Reduce Arc length
3) Improper Electrode 3) Train & Qualify the
angle Welder
1) Eccentric Coating 1) Replace the electrode
Under cut
 Overlap

Cause Remedy
1) Wrong Electrode Angle 1) Train & Qualify welder

2) Inadequate current 2) Increase the current

Overlap
 Lack Of Penetration
Cause Remedy
1) Excess Root Face 1) Reduce Root Face
2) Inadequate Root opening 2) Increase Root Opening
3) Over size electrode 3) Reduce electrode size
4) Wrong Electrode angle 4) Train / Qualify Welder
5) Improper bead placement 5) Train / Qualify Welder
6) Improper weaving 6) Train & Qualify Welder
technique

LOP
 Excess Penetration
Cause Remedy

1) Excess root opening 1) Reduce root gap

2) Excess Current 2) Reduce Current
3) Inadequate root face 3) Increase Root face
4) Wrong Electrode angle 4) Train / Qualify Welder

Excess Penetration
 Spatters
Cause Remedy
1) Excess Current 1) Reduce to Right Current
2) Excess Voltage 2) Reduce Arc length
3) Wrong Polarity 3) Correct the polarity
4) Wet Electrodes 4) Use Baked electrodes
5) Rusted BM surface 5) Clean BM surface
6) Rusted Core wire 6) Replace the electrodes
7) Eccentrics coating 7) Replace the electrodes
Spatters
• ••
 Suck Back
Cause Remedy
1) Excess weaving in root 1)Reduce weaving
2) Excess Current 2) Reduce Current
3) Inadequate root face 3) Increase Root face
4) Wrong Electrode angle 4) Train / Qualify Welder

Suck Back
 Under Flush

Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate weld beads in 1) Weld some more beads
final layer in final layer
2) Inadequate understanding 2) Train / Qualify welder
on weld reinforcement
requirement 3) Train / Qualify Welder
3) Wrong selection of Electrode
size for final layer

Under flush
 Burn through*

Cause Remedy
1) Excess Current 1) Reduce the Current
2) Excess Root opening 2) Reduce root opening
3) Inadequate Root face 3) Increase root face
4) Improper weaving 4) Train / Qualify Welder

Burn trough *Applicable to root pass

 Uneven Bead Finish

Cause Remedy
1) Improper bead 1) Train & Qualify the
placement Welder
2) Excess Voltage 2) Reduce Arc length
3) Excess / inadequate 3) Train & Qualify the
current Welder
Uneven bead finish
 Stray Arcing
Cause Remedy
1) Wrong Arc Striking Practice 1) Train the Welder
2) Inadequate Skill of Welder 2) Train the Welder

Arc Strikes