Manufacturing Process I

LECTURE 2: ARC WELDING PROCESS

 Arc
Welding
• Arc welding is a group of welding processes wherein coalescence is produced by
heating with electric arc, mostly without the application of pressure and with or
without the use of filler metal depending upon the base plate thickness.
• In Electric Arc Welding a sustained arc provides the heat required for melting the
parent as well as filler material.
 Carbon Arc Welding
(CAW)
• The carbon arc welding (CAW) process is the oldest of all the arc welding
processes and is considered to be the beginning of arc welding. The Welding
Society defines carbon arc welding as "an arc welding process which
produces coalescence of metals by heating them with an arc between a
carbon electrode and the work-piece. No shielding is used. Pressure and
filler metal may or may not be used." It has limited applications today, but a
variation or twin carbon arc welding is more popular.
Joint Welded by Arc Welding
Carbon Arc Welding: Principles of
operation

• The workpiece and the electrode are connected to the two materials of the power
source. The arc is started by momentarily touching the electrode on to the
workpiece and then withdrawing it to a short distance (a few mm) from the
workpiece.
• When the electrode and workpiece are in contact, current flows and when they are
separated an arc is generated and the current continues to flow.
• The arc is generated by the electrons liberated form cathode and moving towards
anode. The arc changes electrical energy into heat and light.
• About 70% of the heat liberated due to striking of electrons at anode raises the
anode temperature to a very high values (5,000 to 30,000oC). This heat melts
the base metal as well as tip of the electrode in the area surrounding the arc.

• A weld is formed when the mixture of molten base and electrode metal solidifies in
the weld area.

• Since 70% heat is generated at anode a workpiece connected to anode will melt
50% faster as compared to if connected with cathode. This is why work piece is
usually made positive and electrode as negative and is termed as straight
polarity.
 Carbon Arc
Welding
Advantages
• Heat input to the workpiece can be easily controlled by changing the arc length.
• Process can be easily mechanized.
• Process is simple and good welding skill can be acquired in short time.
• Total welding cost is less as compared to other welding processes.
• Equipment required for carbon arc welding is simple and easily available.
Disadvantages
• There are chances of carbon being transferred from electrode to weld metal,
thus causing a harder weld deposit in case of ferrous materials.
• In the absence of proper electrode geometry and in confined spaces arc blow
results which gives poor welds with blow holes and porosity.
• A separate filler metal is needed; which (when used) slows down the welding
speed.
Applications
• Carbon arc welding process can be used for welding steel, aluminium, nickel,
copper and a good number of other alloys.
• Carbon arc can also be employed for brazing, preheating and post-heating of the
welded joints.
• Carbon arc welding can be used for repairing castings.
Shielded Metal Arc Welding
(SMAW)
 Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), is a manual arc welding process that uses
a consumable electrode coated in flux to lay the weld. An electric current, in the
form of either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) from a welding
power supply, is used to form an electric arc between the electrode and the metals
to be joined.
Shielded Metal Arc Welding
(SMAW)
 Arc temperature and thus the arc heat can be increased or decreased. A
high current arc and smaller arc length produces a very intense heat.

 Consumable electrodes usually have a coating on its outer surface which

on melting release gases like hydrogen or carbon dioxide to form a
protective covering around the molten pool.

 The electrode coating also reacts to form slag which is a liquid, lighter
than the molten metal.

 The slag therefore rises to the surface and on solidification forms a

protective covering over the hot metal.

 This also slows down the rate of cooling of the weld. The slag layer can
be removed by light chipping.

 More than 50% industrial arc welding is done by this method.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding
(SMAW)
Advantages
• The equipment can be portable and the cost is fairly low.
• Welding can be carried out in any position with highest weld quality.
• Joints which because of their position are difficult to be welded by automatic
welding machines are easily accomplished by flux shielded metal arc welding.
Disadvantages
• Because of the limited length of each electrode and brittle flux coating on it
mechanization is difficult.
• In welding long joints (e.g., in pressure vessels), as one electrode finishes, the
weld is to be progressed with the next electrode. Unless properly cared, a defect
(like slag inclusion or insufficient penetration) may occur at the place where
welding is restarted with the new electrode.
• The process uses stick electrodes and thus it is slower as compared to M1G
welding.
Applications
• Almost all the commonly employed metals and their alloys can be welded by
this process.
• SMAW is used both as a fabrication process and for maintenance and repair
jobs.
• The process finds applications in tank, boiler, Building, Bridge construction,
Ship building, Automotive and Aircraft industry, etc.
Submerged Arc
Welding

For continuous arc welding operations, the consumables electrode is bare

wire in the form of a coil and the flux is fed into the welding zone, or the
weld area is covered by an inert gas. In Submerged Arc Welding the base
electrode is shielded by granular flux consisting of silica, lime, manganese
oxide, calcium fluoride and other compounds supplied from a hopper.
Submerged Arc
Welding
 Submerged Arc
Welding
Advantages
• Because of high heat concentration, considerably higher speeds can be used.
• Welding is carried out without sparks, smoke, flash or spatter.
• It can be used for welding in exposed area.
Disadvantages
• Since the operator cannot see the welding being carried out, he cannot judge
accurately the progress of welding.
• The process is limited to weld in flat positions
Applications
• Automotive, aviation, ship-building and nuclear power industry.
• Rebuilding of worn out part.
• For welding metals like mild steel.
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or MIG
Welding
Gas Metal Arc Welding is frequently referred to as MIG welding. MIG welding is a commonly
used high deposition rate welding process. Wire is continuously fed from a spool. MIG welding is
therefore referred to as a semiautomatic welding process.
Principle of Operation
Before igniting the arc, gas and water flow is
checked. Proper current and wire feed speed is
set and the electrical connections are ensured.
The arc is struck by any one of the two methods.
In the first method current and shielding gas
flow is switched on and the electrode is
scratched against the job as usual practice for
striking the arc. In the second method,
electrode is made to touch the job, is retracted
and then moved forward to carry out welding;
but. before striking the arc, shielding gas, water
and current is switched on. About 15 mm length
of the electrode is projected from the torch
before striking the arc. During welding, torch
remains about 10-12 mm the job and length is
kept between 1.5 to 4 mm. Arc length is
maintained constant by using the principles of Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or
self-adjusted arc, and self-controlled arc in Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding
semi-automatic (manually operated) and
automatic welding sets respectively.
 MIG Welding
Advantages
Because of continuously fed electrode, MIG welding process is much faster as compared to TIG
Thick and thin, both types of workpieces can be welded effectively
Large metal deposition rates are achieved by MIG welding process
The process can be easily mechanized
No flux is used. MIG welding produces smooth, neat, clean, and spatter free welded surfaces,
which require no further cleaning AND reducing welding cost.

Disadvantages
The process is slightly more complex as compared to TIG because a number of variables (like
electrode stick out, torch angle, welding parameters, type and size of electrode, welding torch
manipulation, etc.) are required to be controlled effectively to achieve good results.
Welding equipment is more complex, more costly and less portable
Since air drafts may disperse the shielding gas, MIG welding may not work well in outdoor
welding applications

Applications
The process can be used for welding of carbon and low alloy steels, stainless steels, aluminum,
magnesium, copper, nickel, and their alloys, titanium, etc.
For welding tool steels and dies, For the manufacture of refrigerator parts
MIG welding has been used successfully in industries like aircraft, automobile, pressure vessel,
and shipbuilding.
Shielding Gas
The shielding gas, forms the arc plasma, stabilizes the arc on the metal being welded,
shields the arc and molten weld pool, and allows smooth transfer of metal from the weld
wire to the molten weld pool. There are three primary metal transfer modes:

Spray transfer
Globular transfer
Short circuiting transfer
The primary shielding gasses used are:
Argon
Argon - 1 to 5% Oxygen
Argon - 3 to 25% CO2
Argon/Helium

CO2 is also used in its pure form in some MIG welding processes. However, in some
applications the presence of CO2 in the shielding gas may adversely affect the mechanical
properties of the weld.
Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding

 Heating the job with an electric

arc struck between a tungsten
electrode and the job
 A shielding gas is used to
avoid atmospheric
contamination of the molten
weld pool. (Like MIG Welding)
 A filler metal may be added, if
required

 Welding current, water and

inert gas supply are turned on
 The arc is struck either by
touching the electrode with a
scrap metal tungsten piece or
using a high frequency unit
Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding

Advantages
No flux is used, hence there is no danger of flux entrapment when welding refrigerator and air
conditioner components
Clear visibility of the arc and the job, the operator can exercise a better control on the welding
process
TIG welding is very much suitable for high quality welding of thin materials (as thin as 0.125 mm)
It is a very good process for welding nonferrous metals (aluminium etc.) and stainless steel
Disadvantages
MIG welding is a much faster process as compared to TIG welding, since. TIG welding requires a
separate filler rod
Tungsten if it transfers to molten weld pool can contaminate the same. Tungsten inclusion is hard
and brittle
Filler rod end if it by chance comes out of the inert gas shield can cause weld metal contamination
Equipment costs are higher than that for flux shielded metal arc welding
Applications
Welding aluminium, magnesium, copper, nickel and their alloys, carbon, alloy or stainless steels,
inconel, high temperature and hard surfacing alloys like zirconium, titanium etc.
Welding sheet metal and thinner sections
Precision welding in atomic energy, aircraft, chemical and instrument industries