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WELDING FIXTURES
Welding is a material joining process in
which localized joining is produced along
the surfaces of the work pieces. Joining is
produced by heating the materials to
suitable temperatures with or without the
application of pressure.





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 WELDING FIXTURES

Welding is a material joining process in

which localized joining is produced along the
surfaces of the work pieces. Joining is
produced by heating the materials to suitable
temperatures with or without the application
of pressure.
 WELDING FIXTURE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Ytress resulting from thermal expansion of work pieces

and fixtures must be considered in the design of clamps
and locators in the proper positioning of work pieces.
(Therefore close tolerances cannot be obtained and
should not be given in the drawing)

Handles subjected to heating should be made of

insulating materials such as wood.
Welding spatter should not be allowed to fall on
the threaded parts of the clamping elements.
The parts near the welding area should not be
threaded . Consequently toggle clamps without
threaded elements are used widely in welding
fixture. These can be operated quickly and
provide ample clearance in the unclamped
condition.
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Coefficient of thermal expansion of metals may result in

the cracking adjacent to the weld when tightly clamped.
This difficulty may be overcome with the fixture only
tack welding.

Welding fixture must properly locate and hold

workpieces for a complete welding operation. It
simplifies and/or eliminates handling and moving of the
work pieces and of associated tooling.





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Mevolving the fixture is preferable to removing and

turning the workpiece.

Vertical or overhead welding should be avoided.





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When beginning a new project for welding
fiixtures, consider these fixture design objectives:
Choose Your Fixture Material Wisely
Optimize the Welding Circuit
Orient the Fixture to Maximize Deposition Mates
Ytrive for Accessibility, Mepeatability, Yimplicity, and
Dependability
Consider Alternatives when Fixture Design Costs are
Prohibitive
 Fixture Material
One of the first steps in designing welding fixture is
choosing its base metal.
Factors include
1] initial cost;
2] long-term maintenance costs; and
3] special characteristics that make it suited to welding
application, such as maintaining accuracy and part
repeatability in an environment exposed to elevated heat
and weld spatter.
Most commonly used fixture materials :

1] Mild steel,

2] High-carbon tool steel,

3] Aluminum,

4] Ytainless steel, and

5] Copper
Õach material has different characteristics that can
affect productivity and quality
Mild Yteel:
From an initial cost standpoint, square or rectangular
structural steel tubing is economical for a majority of the
fixture's framework.
Tool Yteel:
From a wear resistance standpoint, fixture hard stops and
locating points often are made of alloyed high-carbon tool
steel to help resist deformation. Another commonly sourced
wear-resistant alloy, aluminum-bronze, work-hardens and isn't
as prone as tool steel to residual magnetism
Copper:
Pure copper generally is avoided when hardness is a consideration;
however, it's typically the best all-around material for electrical
conductivity. Õlectrical conductivity is critical for arc welding
stability, a desirable and necessary aspect for achieving maximum
travel speeds. Because pure copper is such a good electrical
conductor, alloys of copper and zinc (brass) or copper and tungsten
carbide can be used to help improve copper's wear resistance.
Aluminum and copper both have high thermal conductivity²the
ability to conduct heat²so they often are used for heat sinks that
conduct heat away from the workpiece and spread the heat over a
larger surface area. This helps minimize workpiece distortion.
 Optimize the Welding Circuit

Optimized welding circuit to maintain short arc lengths while

reducing spatter, stubbing, arc flare, and arc outages to maximize
travel speeds.
Take special care to identify the optimum location of the work lead
on the robotic welding fixture. Generally, the work cable and sense
lead (if applicable) should be as close to the welding arc as possible,
rather than placed indirectly through a series of bolted connections.
Connecting directly to the workpiece is preferred.
Make sure that the work cable and sense lead are separated from
each other, and from any robotic or welding communication cables,
to help ensure the best results.
 Orient the Fixture to Maximize Deposition Mates

The way you position your fixtures directly affects your travel speeds
and productivity. Position fixtures to the work so they take advantage of
gravitational forces, which will help produce welds that are flat,
uniform, and more easily made with higher deposition rates.
 Choosing the Right Welding Process

Õach metal joining process has unique characteristics and

ranges of capabilities. In selecting a process for a specific
joining operation, users should scrutinize the requirements
and conditions involved.

Considerations include:
1)Depth of penetration
2)Joint preparation
3)Cleaning
4)Inert gas
5)Vacuum environment
6)Weld proximity to heat-sensitive materials
For penetration beyond 0.100 in. without preparing the weld
joint for filler metal, consider ÕBW.

For critical, heat-sensitive weld joints and dissimilar materials,

LBW and ÕBW are suitable.

When distortion to any degree is unacceptable, LBW, ÕBW,

and PAW are suitable choices.

For high volumes and long production runs, LBW may be

appropriate.