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WELDABILITY OF CARBON STEELS :Major factors affecting the weldability of steels are their chemical
composition, physical properties and the heat treatment to which they are subjected.
Carbon has a strong influence on the quality of the weld. An increase
in carbon content affects the strength, hardness, and toughness of the weld. When the
carbon content exceeds 0.3% the air-hardening capacity of the transition zone in the
base metal is increased and the steel becomes more brittle. The effect produced by
carbon is much less in arc- welding than in gas-welding process.
Carbon structural steels have a good weldability with any welding
technique for carbon contents upto 0.27%. Satisfactory welds can be obtained for
content upto 0.35%.
Structural steels, containing more than 0.36% C and susceptible to the
formation of hardening cracks, require preheating before welding and subsequent
heat treatment. Alloying the metal of the weld with manganese, silicon and other
elements can ensure Weld strength.
Phosphorus in steel, in amounts exceeding 0.04%, has an adverse
effect on the mechanical properties of the weld since the brittleness is increased.
Sulphur causes red shortness. The formation of cracks is observed at a
Sulphur content over 4.00%(especially in gas welding)
In L & T LTD, there are main four types of welding processes are
used to accomplished the required job. These processes are;
(1.)
(2.)
(3.)
(4.)
SUBMERGED ARC WELDING PROCESS (SAW): An arc welding process that uses an arc or arcs between a bare metal
electrode (s) and the weld pool. The arc and molten metal are shielded by a blanket
of granular flux on the work-pieces. The process is used without pressure and with
filler metal from the electrode & sometimes from a supplemental source (welding
rod, flux or metal granules).
GAS METAL ARC-WELDING (GMAW): An arc welding process that uses an arc between a continuous filler
metal electrode and the weld pool. The process is used with shielding from an
externally supplied gas and without the application of pressure.
GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING (GTAW): An arc welding process which produces coalescence of metals by
heating them with an arc between a tungsten (non consumable) electrode & the
work. Shielding is obtained from a gas or gas mixture. Pressure may or may not be
used and filler metal may not be used. This process has sometimes been called TIG
welding process.
EQUIPMENTS :-
The major equipment for SMAW is the power source, which may be,
A welding transformer,
A D.C. rectifier,
A D.C. motor generator set.
The selection of the equipment depends upon the provision for initial
investment and the range of materials to be handled.
EQUIPMENT ACCESSORIES :-
WELD JOINTS for SMAW are Butt-welds, Lap welds, Fillet welds etc.
bead whereas coating of electrode will make a layer on weld bead for protection
from atmosphere which is removed after the weld bead is been solidified.
ADVANTAGES: -
Shielded Metal Arc Welding is the simplest process of all the Arc Welding
processes,
The equipment can be portable and the cost is fairly low.
This process finds numerous applications because of the availability of a wide
variety of electrodes.
A big range of metal and their alloys can be welded.
Welding can be carried out in position with highest weld quality.
The process can be very well employed for facing and metal deposition to
reclaim parts or to develop other characteristics like wear resistance, etc.
DISADVANTAGES: -
Because of the limited length of each electrode and brittle flux coating, its
mechanization is difficult.
In long welding joints, when on electrode id finished, the weld is to be
accomplished with another electrode and if the care is not concerned, there are
chances of defects like slag inclusion or insufficient penetration may occur in the
area from where the welding by another electrode is started.
It is slower process than MIG process.
Because of coated electrodes, chances of defects like slag entrapment and other
related defects are also concern.
The arc generated is harmful to health.
APPLICATIONS :-
Now a days almost all commonly employed metals and their alloys can be
welded by this process.
Applications of the SMAW process are varied and wide spread. Depending upon
the coated electrodes available it finds extensive use in all major fabrication
industries which may include items of sundry repairs to shipbuilding and
pressure-vessel fabrication.
SUBMERGED ARC WELDING (SAW): SAW EQUIPMENTS AND MATERIALS (TYPES): Automatic process,
Semi-automatic process,
AUTOMATIC PROCESS:
For automatic SAW it consists of a welding power source [AC & DC are used
and they may be constant current (CC) or constant voltage (CV) type].