GROUP 1

The Importance of Shipboard

Welding in Preserving Trim and
Stability
SEAM 226 LEC EDP:51923
(1:30-3:30 TTH)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

To understand the different types of welding used in shipboard

To learn the weld defects and weld quality testing
To understand the commonly used non-destructive methods of weld quality
inspection
SHIPBUILD WELDING VIDEO
 INTRODUCTION

Welding is one of the most widely used hot-work processes used in the shipbuilding
industry. The development in welding technology has enabled the industry to produce
perfectly watertight and oil-tight joints. Welded joints as compared to riveted joints are
much easier to produce and they reduce the cycle time of the project. Welded joints
have also resulted in reduced steel weight and require less to negligible maintenance
compared to rivet joints. The major contribution of welding technology to the
shipbuilding industry is the possibility of producing smooth hull surfaces, therefore
reducing the bare hull resistance and power requirements considerably.
Welded joints as compared to riveted joints are much easier to produce and they reduce
the cycle time of the project. Welded joints have also resulted in reduced steel weight
and require less to negligible maintenance compared to rivet joints. The major
contribution of welding technology to the shipbuilding industry is the possibility of
producing smooth hull surfaces, therefore reducing the bare hull resistance and power
requirements considerably.
 What is welding ?
Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics,
by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool,
causing fusion.
The three main welding techniques that are used in a shipyard are as
follows:
• Arc Welding
• Gas Welding
• Resistance Welding
Arc Welding

The fundamental principle of arc welding is to connect a metal electrode to an electrical

power supply, forming a closed circuit if the plate is touched with the electrode. When the
electrode is raised from the plate by a few millimetres, the electric current jumps the gap
and an electrical arc is created at high temperature. This results in melting the parent metal
and the metal in the electrode, allowing both the metals to fuse.
Arc shielding is an important aspect of all arc welding processes. In order to prevent oxidation the fused metal, the arc is shielded from the
ambient air, and contact with oxygen and water vapor are cut off.

The two mostly used shielding techniques used by shipyards are as follows:

Slag Shielded Arc Welding

Inert Gas Shielded Arc Welding

Slag Shielded Arc Welding
Slag is the residue left over after the parent metals and the electrode
metal has fused. It forms a layer over the arc and the welded joint,
protecting it from oxidation. 
 Three main Slag Shielded Arc Welding processes used in shipyards:

• Shielded Metal Arc Welding:The filler metal of most electrodes used in the
shipbuilding industry is mild steel. Mild steel drawn in form of rods are coated with a
mixture of mineral oxides, fluorides, silicates, hydrocarbons, and a liquefied binder
which binds them together to form a solid envelope around the fuller metal. This
coating forms the slag, stabilizes the arc and prevents oxidation of the joint.
Shielded metal arc welding is used in the fabrication of panels, grillages, tank units,
etc. 
Note: Positional flexibility with this welding process makes it the only welding process
used to weld the underside of overhead deck plates.
• Submerged Arc Welding: In this welding process, the arc is sparked and
maintained under a blanket of granulated flux which is laid on the weld joint
before the arc strikes the joint.
Stud Welding: This welding process is used when a stud or bolt is to be
welded to a parent metal. The stud is fixed at the muzzle of the stud welding
gun. When the gun is fired, the stud is struck onto the metal. The high
velocity of the stud along with the completed electric circuit generates the
arc which fuses both the metals. Once the stud is driven into the metal, the
electrical supply is automatically cut off. Granular flux is contained at the end
of each stud to provide insulation from air.

Note: This process is used for fastening insulation panels to bulkheads,

wooden flooring onto deck plates.
Gas Shielded Arc Welding
this processes use a blanket of a gas, instead of flux, to provide insulation to
the arc against the ambient environment. They are used extensively in
shipyards to welding the comparatively lighter structures.
• Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG): In this welding process, the arc is
created between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and the parent metal
plates. The tungsten electrode is surrounded by a nozzle that maintains a
continuous flow of an inert gas around the arc. This inert gas shields the arc
from oxygen, hence stabilizing it, and preventing oxidation of the weld pool. A
filler rod is introduced into the arc, which helps in the fusion of the two
metals. The inert gas used in this process is usually Argon. TIG welding is
preferred for plates of thickness usually less than 6 to 8 mm.
• Metal Inert Gas Welding (MIG): Metal inert gas welding is, in a way, an
advancement on tungsten inert gas welding, where the electrode is a consumable
metal wire.
• Plasma Welding: This is similar to the process of TIG welding, except for the fact
that the tungsten electrode is separated from contact with the plasma. Plasma is
shot into the weld joint, which increases the temperature and provides shielding
effect. This welding process is used for thinner metal sheets, most usually, in sheet-
metal workshops in a shipyard.
• Laser Welding: Laser welding processes are used in advanced shipyards, and
since this requires minimum heat input, the welding distortions (we will discuss this
in detail soon) produced are minimized. The source of the laser in this process is
either carbon dioxide or Nd:YAG (neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet) crystals.
• Thermit Welding: Thermit welding is more of a typical fusion process which is used
to hold together large steel sections or forgings, for examples heavy sections of the
stern frame of a ship. The heating in this welding process is achieved from a mixture
of aluminum and iron oxide.
• Friction Stir Welding: This is a widely used process in shipyards, the
source of heat being friction created between the rotating pin and the
parent metal plates. The advantage of this welding process is its
feasibility in the vertical direction, which makes it possible to friction
weld but joints of side shells between blocks of a ship.
Resistance Welding
is generally used to join two plain metal work pieces together. An electric current is delivered to the
metal sheets (or any work pieces being joined) through weld electrodes which apply force to the sheets.
This force is then converted to heat. The heat is generated so that it melts the metal at the point where
they join – the point of ‘resistance’ between the faying surfaces. The electrode then extracts heat from
the molten weld area which forms a weld nugget at the point where it solidifies. A force is applied
before, during and after a current is applied, which confines the contact area.
Types:

• Resistance spot welding has been used extensively in the automotive industry for
the joining of steel and in the aerospace industry for airframe components made from
aluminum alloys. It is one of the oldest and simplest forms of resistance welding, in
which a weld nugget is produced by passing an electric current between the two metal
components whilst they are held together between electrodes, typically made from
copper-based alloys due to its superior conductive properties.
• Resistance projection welding is a form of resistance welding where the electricity,
force, and weld time are concentrated on raised ‘projections’ across the surface.
Projection welding is generally used for welds using thicker materials than the thinner
metal pieces that spot welding is usually required for, and often not metals. It is used
primarily in the electrical, automotive and construction industries.
• Resistance seam welding is a variation of the standard spot welding
form, however instead of spot one nugget, a series of overlapping nuggets is
produced. This is usually done by replacing the conventional spot welding
electrodes with wheels, which turn as the parts are fed between them. The
process thus produces a continuous welded seam rather than a single spot.
Seam welding is often used in the production of thin sheet, leak-tight
containers such as fuel tanks, and is generally unsuitable for welding
aluminum.
• Flash butt welding is similar, but in this case the energy transfer is primarily
provided by the resistance heat arising from the parts themselves. This is a faster type
of resistance welding where the welder joins the parts by applying some pressure,
then by passing a heavy current through the joint which burns away surface
irregularities. After the weld has generated enough heat, the parts are connected by
applying heat and pressure simultaneously. This produces a forge butt weld with no
melted metal remaining in the joint.
• Resistance butt welding is a process in which the two components
of similar cross section can be joined together in one operation that
takes place simultaneously across the entirety of the affected object,
rather than just in small spots. The welding application of butt welding
is often in wires and rods with small diameter measurements,
generally up to about 16mm diameter.
 Weld Defects and Weld Quality Testing
Every weld joint is inspected by a team of trained inspectors for weld defects.
Welding defects may arise due to lack of skill in welders, use of incorrect materials, or
improper welding methods and ambient conditions.

The most common weld defects are as follows:

1. Lamellar tearing.
2. Crater cracks.
3. Inadequate cross section or insufficient penetration of weld pool.
4. Underbead cutting.
5. Gas entrapment within the weld pool.
6. Slag inclusions within the weld joint.
7. Overlaps.
8. Undercuts.
9. Lack of reinforcement.
10. Excessive reinforcement or extra deposition.
11. Lack of fusion within the weld pool.
Visual Inspection: Visual inspection is carried out by a trained inspector, in
which any surface defect is detected by the aid of a naked eye. Surface slag
deposition, the incorrect shape of weld beads, incorrect alignment of plates and
excessive reinforcement on the surface can be detected by visual inspection.
However, all the undersurface defects require other methods of inspection that
are discussed further.

The most commonly used non-destructive methods of weld quality inspection

are discussed below.
• Dye Penetrant Inspection (DPI): Surface cracks are most commonly
detected by the dye penetrant method. First, the weld joint is cleaned so as to
remove any slag or unwanted material on the surface of the welded joint. A
layer of developer is sprayed over the weld joint. This is white in color and aids
the eye in the further steps. The dye is then sprayed over the weld joint. The
color of this dye is usually bright red because it is most noticeable to the human
eye. After a sufficient waiting time, the weld joint surface is cleaned. The
cleaning removes all the dye from the surface, however, the layer of developer
remains. In the case of presence of any surface crack, the dye seeps in, hence
after cleaning of the surface, the crack clearly appears red. It is in order to
notice this with clarity that the developer is applied. The presence of any red
lines indicate surface cracks, and corrective measures are hence taken.
• Magnetic Particle Testing: Smaller cracks are not noticeable in DPI tests.
However, magnetic particle inspection reveals them clearly, due to the
change in magnetic field at the cracks. In this test, the magnetic powder is
spread on the weld joint to be tested. The alteration in magnetic field at a
crack on a ferrous material, the magnetic particles accumulate along the
length of the cracks, forming clusters at their vicinity. This provides a clear
indication of surface cracks.
• Radiographic Testing: The method of radiographic testing is based on a
fundamental principle of subjecting the test piece to a beam of radiation
from one side, and capturing or recording the emitted radiation on a
photographic plate on the other side of the test piece. This is where
radiographic testing comes of great use in detection of subsurface weld
defects. Any obstacle within the weld joint would change the radiation
density in that area, which would be reflected on a photographic plate.
Hence radiography is basically used to test the consistency of the weld
metal.
• Ultrasonic Testing: Ultrasonic testing uses the same principle as that of radiographic
testing, but with two major differences. First, use of ultrasonic radiations eradicates the
health hazards related to harmful X-Rays and Gamma rays used in radiographic tests.
Secondly, the recordings need not be processed as much as that of radiographic tests,
because they are obtained in graphical format.
SUMMARY:

Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using

high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing fusion.

Three main welding techniques that are used in a shipyard are Arc Welding, Gas Welding and
Resistance Welding.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding process makes it the only welding process used to weld the
underside of overhead deck plates.

Stud Welding is a process used for fastening insulation panels to bulkheads, wooden flooring
onto deck plates.

Resistance seam welding is often used in the production of thin sheet, leak-tight containers
such as fuel tanks, and is generally unsuitable for welding aluminum.

The color of this dye used in DPI is usually bright red because it is most noticeable to the
human eye.
 Q&A

How does welding work?

 D/C Jhudiel Carlo A. Andoy
LEADER

D/C Dej Alutaya

MEMBER

D/C Christian Len Arcilla D/C Ghenmar Antipuesto

MEMBER MEMBER