ELECTRIC ARC WELDING PROCESS

WELDING
Divided into:

 A fusion welding in which coalescence is accomplished by

melting the two parts to be joined, or by adding filler material
to the joint
 Fusion welding includes: Arc welding, Resistance welding, Oxy-
gas fuel welding

 Solid-state welding in which heat/pressure is used to achieve

coalescence but no melting of base metal occurs and no filler is
added
 ARC WELDING
DEFINITION:
 A fusion welding process
 Coalescence of the metals is achieved from the heat of an
electric arc formed between an electrode and the work-piece.
In some cases adding filler material to the joint
 The same basic process is used in arc cutting
 INTRODUCTION
1. Arc between two electrodes is concentrated heat source that can
approach temperatures of 5000° C sufficiently hot to melt any
metal

2. This concept of generating heat source is used in ELECTRIC ARC

WELDING

3. Metallic rod or wire of filler material is made one ELECTRODE and

the work material forms another ELECTRODE

4. The wire or rod of filler material not only carries the electric
current, but as it melts in the arc, it also supplies the necessary
filler.
ELECTRIC CIRCUIT is as follows:

Electrode Holder

DC Generator A Electrode
Or
DC Rectifier ARC
Or V
AC Transformer

Work-piece Cable Work material

Power Supply
GENERAL POINTS ARC WELDING:

1. First contact is made between the work and electrode to

complete the electric circuit. Then arc is created by lifting
and separating the electrode from the work-piece and
creating a gap between the two
2. Great skill is required to maintain the arc by maintaining the
gap between the electrode and the workpiece.
3. Oxidation of the metal can result from exposure of heated
metal to the atmosphere
4. Shielded electrodes were developed in 1920’s
5. The shielded electrodes produce a stable arc by shielding it
from chemically reactive atmospheric constituents, and also
provides blanket of flux or gas (inert gases Ar, He, etc.) and
inhibit molten weld pool from exposure in to open air.
GENERAL POINTS ARC WELDING:
Flux is a substance used to prevent formation of oxides and
other contaminants, dissolve them or helps their removal

During welding flux melts and form liquid slag that preserves the
molten welding metals from environmental contaminants e.g., in
oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. Slag hardens upon cooling and
must be removed later by chipping or brushing

Flux provides:
Additional protective atmosphere for welding
Stablaize arc
Reduce sputtering
CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE ARC WELDING:

8
 THE ELECTRODE:
The Electrode
– Consumable: melts and serves as a filling material. Available as
rods or wire. Both rod or wire forms electrode consumed by arc
and added to weld joint as filler material
– Non-consumable: does not melt, parent metal is used, or a
separate filler rod. Made of ‘W’ or C.. They gradually deplete.
Filler material wire is separately provided in this case of AW
process
– Coated or Uncoated electrodes
Coating
– Provides a gaseous shield to prevent oxidation
– Lowers the voltage/current needed to establish the arc without
getting electrode red hot
– By using the coated electrode for welding process, the spattering
of metal during the welding process is prevented
– May provide slag-blanket to protect the joint
– Add alloying elements to enhance the properties of the joint.
 Polarity and power source in arc welding
1. All AW processes employ the same basic circuit as shown
2. Both DC and AC supply can be used in arc welding
3. When DC power supply is used and the work piece is made +ve (anode
of the circuit), and the electrode is made –ve, the condition is known as
straight polarity (spdc)
4. When the work piece is made -ve (cathode of the circuit), and the
electrode is made +ve, then we have the reverse polarity (rpdc)
condition
5. In reverse polarity condition and with shielded electrodes, deeper
welding penetration depth on the work-piece is achieved because
positive ions collect at the work piece and greater temperature is
produced there
5. In DC welding machines, 100 Amps rated currents are used
6. AC supply is used in AW but restricted to welding ferrous metals only
where DC used in all metals with good results and better arc control
 power source in AW
• In all welding operations power to drive welding operation is product of
current passing through arc and voltage across it.
• This power is transferred to heat but not all heat is transferred to
surface of the work
• Losses occurs in form of conduction and radiation and spatters. The
effect of loss is losses is accounted as heat transfer factor f1
Electrode Function
1. In most of the arc welding processes, the electrode is consumed and thus
supplies the metal needed to fill the void in the joint.

2. Small droplets are melted from the end of the electrode and pass on to
the work piece.

3. As the electrode melts, arc length varies and adversely effects the quality
of the weld.

4. To maintain a stable arc and good welding conditions, electrode must be

moved towards work at controlled rate to maintain gap and thus the arc

5. Manual arc welding is almost always done with shielded electrodes

6. In a second family of arc welding process, the electrode is made of

tungsten (non consumable), which is not consumed by the arc. a
separate wire is used to supply the filler material.
METHODS OF ARC WELDING

Consumable electrode arc welding , there are:

Three Types of Welding Methods:

– Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)/ Stick Welding

– Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG)
– Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
– Fluxed core Arc Welding (FCAW)
– Electrogas Arc Welding (EGW)
Physics of welding - Power Density (PD =P/A)
• High density energy source supplied to faying surfaces,
resulting temp. are enough to cause localized melting of base
metal
• Heat density is power transferred to work per unit area
(W/mm2)
• Time to melt metal is inversely proportion to PD. At low PD,
more time needed to cause melting or melting never occurs at
too low PD and vice versa
• Minimum PD require to melt most metals is 10 W/mm2
• At too high PD, localized temperature vaporize the metal in
affected zone i.e., 10^5 W/mm2
• Example Oxygas welding produces large heat (max 3500 C)
but low PD as it spread over large area. AW produces high
energy and localized temp of max 5500C
 Physics of welding- Power Density (PD =P/A)
In welding it is desirable to melt metal with minimum energy, and
high PD
Welding type PD (W/mm2)
Oxyfuel welding 10
AW 50
Resistance Welding 1000
Laser Beam welding 9000
Electron beam 10000
Welding

Heat balance in fusion welding quantity of heat required to melt a

volume of metal depends on (1) heat to raise temperature to MP
that depends on volumertric specific heat (2) MP of metal (3) heat
to transform metal from solid to liquid phase at MP, that depends
on heat of fusion
 Physics of welding
Heat balance in fusion welding
=K Um is unit energy for melting in J/mm3; Tm is
melting Temp; K is constant
• Not all heat energy generated at heat source is transferred to
melt the weld metal. There are 2 heat transfer mechanisms at
work, heat transfer factor f1 and melting factor f2
• f1 is ratio of actual heat received by work piece divided by total
heat generated at source
• f2 proportion of heat received at work surface that can be used
for welding. As 2nd mechanism involve conduction of heat away
from weld area to be dissipated throughout work metal.
• Combined effect to two factors is to reduce
• Hw is net heat available for welding in Joules; H is total heat
generated by welding process
 Physics of welding-Features of double welded joint
• A typical fusion weld joint in which filler metal has been added
consist of several zones Fusion zone; Weld interface; heat
affected zone; unaffected base metal zone
• Fusion zone consist of mixture of completely melted filler metal
and base metal. Solidification here is same as in casting
• Weld interface is a narrow boundary that separate fusion zone
from heat affected zone. Its composition is same as base metal
• HAZ in this zone hold temperature lower than MP, yet enough to
cause changes in microstructures and HT of base metal
 WELDING:
CONSUMABLE-ELECTRODE

Shielded Metal AW/ Stick Welding (SMAW)

• Also called stick welding.
• Most common because of its versatility & low equipment cost
• Uses shielded electrodes (dia:2.5 – 9.5 mm and length: 22 –
45 cm)
• 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.
• Filler metal is compatible with welded metal
• Coating consist of cellulose (cotton or wood) powders
blended with oxides, carbonates and silicates as binders
CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE ARC WELDING SHIELDED-METAL
ARC WELDING

Schematic illustration of the shielded metal-arc welding process.

About 50% of all large-scale industrial welding operations use this
process.
 Shielded Metal AW/ Stick Welding (SMAW)
• A variety of electrode coatings have been developed and can
be classified as cellulosic, rutile (titanium oxide), and basic.
• The cellulosic and rutile coatings contain variable amounts of
SiO2, TiO2, FeO, MgO, Na2O, and volatile matter.

• 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 that often enhance the ductility or

strength of the weld.
 Consumable-electrode AW:
2. Gas metal-arc welding (GMAW) or metal inert gas
welding MIG
• Consumable electrode/wire is bare metal on which
shielding is achieved by flooding gas
• Electrode melts to become part of the weld seam.
• Weld zone is protected by a gas (Ar, He CO2) or a flux
and no slag is formed. Gas selection depends on
metal being welded
• Wire dia of 0.8-6.5 mm is used
• Several layers could be build with little or no
intermediate cleaning and suitable for use on most
ferrous/non-ferrous metals
• Wire electrode commonly used in long, coiled
lengths which allow uninterrupted welds in any
welding position.
 Gas metal-arc welding (GMAW) or metal inert gas
welding MIG
• Carbon and stainless steels and alloys of aluminum,
magnesium, copper, and nickel are the most common.
• Argon, helium, and mixtures of the two are the primary
shielding gasses.
• When welding steel, some O2 or CO2 is usually added to
improve the arc stability and reduce weld spatter
• High deposition rates and good versatility
• Fast,economical and currently accounts for more than half of
all weld metal deposition. There is no frequent change of
electrodes as with the shielded metal arc process.
 3. Submerged
3. SubmergedArc
ArcWelding
Welding(SAW)
(SAW)Consumable
Consumableelectrode
electrode

• Developed in 1930s, one of the 1st AW to be automated

• SAW uses continuous consumable bare wire electrode
• Weld arc is shielded by a granular flux consisting of lime, silica,
manganese oxide, calcium fluoride, and other compounds.
• Electrode wire is fed automatically from coil into arc
• The flux is fed into the weld zone from a hopper by gravity flow
through a nozzle

• 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.
Schematic illustration of the submerged-arc welding process
and equipment
 SUBMERGED ARC WELDING

5. The flux acts as a thermal insulator by promoting deep penetration

of heat into the work piece.
6. The consumable electrode is fed automatically through a tube
called welding gun.
7. Electrical currents range between 300 & 2000 A.
8. Because the flux is gravity fed, the SAW process is limited largely to
welds in a flat or horizontal position.
9. The process is automated and is used to weld variety of carbon
and alloy steel and stainless-steel sheets or plates at speeds as
high as 5 m/min.
10. Weld quality is very high – good toughness, ductility and
uniformity of properties.
11. Suitable for thick-plate welding for shipbuilding and pressure
vessels.
 NON-CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE ARC WELDING

Two Types of Welding Methods:

• Gas Tungsten Arc Welding ( TIG)

• Plasma arc welding
 NON-CONSUMABLE-ELECTRODE WELDING:

1. Gas Tungsten-arc Welding (Gtaw)

• Non-consumable gas tungsten Inert

gas welding (TIG)
• Weld zone is protected by inert gas
• DC with straight polarity is used with
steel, cast iron, and stainless
• Both hand and automatic operations
are possible
• The process demands considerable
skill but produces very high-quality
welds on almost any material
• No weld spatter or slag formation
 NON-CONSUMABLE-ELECTRODE WELDING:
2. Plasma-arc Welding (PAW)

• In PLASMA ARC WELDING the arc is maintained between a

non-consumable electrode and either the welding gun or the
work-piece.
• The key difference from GTAW is that in PAW, the electrode is
positioned within the body of the torch, so the plasma arc is
separated from the shielding gas envelope.
• The plasma is then forced through a fine-bore copper nozzle
which constricts the arc and the plasma exits the orifice at
high velocities
Plasma-arc Welding (PAW)

1. The non-consumable electrode is positioned back within the

“torch” in such a way so as to force the arc to pass through
or be contained within a small diameter nozzle.
2. An inert gas (argon) is forced through this constricted arc,
where it is heated to a high temperature, and forms a hot,
fast moving plasma.
3. The emerging gas then transfers its heat to the work-piece
and melts the metal.
4. When needed, filler material can be fed into the plasma
column.
5. Plasma arc welding has temperatures of the order of 16,000 o
C.
6. Offers fast welding speeds, narrow welds with deep
penetration, a narrow heat effected zone.
Plasma-arc Welding (PAW)
• Difference Between Transferred and Non-Transferred Plasma Arc Welding:
• 1. Transferred Plasma Arc Welding
• In this welding process, the tungsten electrode is fixed to the negative terminal
and the workpiece is fixed to the positive terminal. It also uses a DC current. An arc
is generated between the tungsten electrode and the workpiece.
• In this process, both plasma and arc are transferred to the workpiece it improves
the heating capacity of the process. It is employed to weld thick sheets.
• 2. Non-transferred Plasma Arc Welding
• In this welding process, DC current is used. In which, the tungsten electrode is
attached to the negative and the nozzle is attached to the positive pole. An arc is
produced between the tungsten electrode and nozzle inside the torch.
Plasma arc torch
ARC WELDING CHARACTERISTICS:

1. A number of arc welding processes are available.

2. Each type of process, however, requires a

selection/ specification of:
a) WELDING VOLTAGE (20 – 50 Volts)
b) CURRENT (100 TO 1000 Amps typical)
c) ARC POLARITY
d) ARC LENGTH
e) WELDING SPEED
f) ARC ATMOSPHERE
g) FILLER MATERIAL
h) FLUX
 FIRE PROTECTION & PREVENTION CONT.:

Welding areas should meet the following

requirements:
1. Floors swept & cleared of combustibles 35 ft. radius
of work area.
2. Flammable and combustible liquids kept 35 ft.
radius of work area.
3. At least one fire extinguisher – on site
4. Protective dividers to contain sparks and slag
a) Welding curtains
b) Non-combustible walls
c) Fire resistant tarps & blankets
 WELDING OPERATORS PROTECTION

Welding involves specialized personal protection

that must be worn every time you perform
welding operations. The following is a list of
basic PPE:
– Fire-resistant gloves
– Aprons
– Safety shoes
– Helmet
– Ultraviolet radiation filter plate (arc welding)
– Goggles with filter lenses
 Welding Defects
• Porosity and Blowholes

• Porosity is a group of small bubbles and blowholes are

relatively large hidden holes or pores. They are mainly caused
by trapped gases. Porosity is a result of weld metal
contamination.
Causes and Remedies of Porosity
• #2 Undercut
Undercut in welding makes imperfection, it is the
formation of grooves in the weld toe, which decreases
the cross-sectional thickness of the base metal. As a
result of this weld and workpiece get weakened.
• Weld Crack
• These are the most dangerous types of
welding defects. It is almost not allowed by all
standards in production. It can appear on the
surface, in the weld metal, or in an area
affected by strong heat.
The major cause of a
crack is when internal
stresses exceed the
strength of the weld
metal, the base metal,
or both. And once a
focal point for these
stresses—that is, a
stress riser—develops
and accumulates, a
crack can propagate.
The end of this lecture
• The exposed surface of a weld on the side
from which welding was done is called weld
face
• The junction of the weld face and the base
metal is called weld toe
• WELD GROOVE:Fusion Welding A channel in the
Surface of a workpiece or an opening between two
joint members that provides space to contain weld
metal.
• ACTUAL THROAT: The shortest distance between the
weld root and the face of a fillet weld.
• The minimum distance from the fillet weld face, minus any
convexity, and the weld root. In the case of a fillet weld
combined with a groove weld, the weld root of the groove
weld shall be used is called effective throat.