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Section 8 hapte r 29
C hapter
Special
Welding
and Cutting
Chapter 29: Processes
Special Welding and
Cutting Processes
Chapter 30:
Robotics in Welding
Chapter 31:
Welding Plastics Learning
bjectives
Chapter 32:
Welding Pipe and Tube After studying this chapter, you will be able to: nontransferred arc restricted nozzle
orifice solid-state welding
Identify several special welding processes used orifice gas (SSW)
in industry for unusual metals or unusual oxyfuel gas cutting sonotrode
positions. (OFC) submerged arc
Identify several special cutting processes used in oxygen arc cutting welding (SAW)
industry. (OAC) transferred arc
List the advantages of some special welding and photons ultrasonic transducer
cutting processes that are used in industry. plasma ultrasonic welding (USW)
plasma arc welding upset
(PAW) vacuum
Face of
plate
#1 Plates in vertical position
Consumable
Water electrodes
connections
Molten slag
Molten
weld metal Water-cooled copper
slides confine molten slag
Solidified and weld metal
weld metal
Thickness
Plate 2 of plate Face of
Completed weld plate
#2 Completed weld
Figure 29-1. A schematic drawing of the electrogas welding process. The shoes are water-cooled and move up along with the weld. Figure 29-2. A schematic drawing of an electroslag weld in progress. Three consumable electrodes are used in this application.
A shielding gas protects the weld and molten metal. The molten slag floating above the weld prevents oxidation.
352 Welding Technology Fundamentals Chapter 29 Special Welding and Cutting Processes 353
AC or DC + - electrode Welding electrode Chuck Ferrule
Ground Stud
Solidified flux (slag) Welding flux tube
Direction
of welding
Vee if required
Figure 29-6. Plasma arc welding equipment used in an auto-
mated application welding a lid to a small canister. (Process AFluxed end of stud is placed
Welding Systems, Inc.) in contact with work.
Tungsten Figure 29-7. An arc stud welding gun. This gun is being used
electrode to weld aluminum. Shielding gas is fed into a chamber sur-
Arc
rounding the stud. (Nelson Stud Welding, Inc.)
Plasma Plasma
Arc
CStud is plunged into pool
placed against the base metal, as shown in Figure 29-8. of molten metal.
When the trigger is pulled, electricity flows through
the stud to the base metal. The stud is then automati-
Transferred Nontransferred cally pulled away from the plate, and an arc is struck.
Figure 29-5. Cross-sectional drawing of the transferred and Electricity flows for only a fraction of a second. The
nontransferred plasma arc welding torch. gun then forces the molten tip of the stud into the
molten base metal. It is held for a second or two and
the weld is completed. On nonferrous metals, a
In a nontransferred arc plasma torch, the arc shielding gas is used to produce good arc stud welds.
occurs between the tungsten electrode and the
restricted nozzle. See Figure 29-5. When automatic Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
plasma arc welding (PAW) is done, the filler wire is Underwater DOperation completedstud
fed into the weld pool automatically, Figure 29-6. is welded to work.
Figure 29-4. Two submerged arc welds being made during the Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) is done
Edge and flange joints may be welded without the Figure 29-8. The steps that take place during an arc stud weld
assembly of a vertical column exposed in an open atrium. underwater to repair bridges, ships, and oil drilling
addition of filler metal. on a steel plate. (Nelson Stud Welding, Inc.)
(The Lincoln Electric Co.) rigs. The process is similar to regular SMAW.
However, the electrode holder for underwater weld-
Arc Stud Welding (SW) ing has especially good electrical insulation. The coat-
In the transferred arc process, an arc is struck Arc stud welding (SW) was developed to weld ing on the electrode is waterproof. See Figure 29-9.
between the electrode and the work. The inert gas is threaded studs, location pins, or nails to metal plates. Special training, equipment, and safety procedures
turned into superheated plasma as it passes through The process is fast and simple. It requires little skill. are required to weld underwater.
the arc at the orifice (hole) in the restricted nozzle. It To perform the weld, the stud is loaded into a stud
is the plasma that melts the base metal. welding gun, Figure 29-7. The gun and stud are
354 Welding Technology Fundamentals Chapter 29 Special Welding and Cutting Processes 355
A special rotating tool, firmly pressing on the Laser Beam Welding (LBW)
parts to be welded develops heat. The rotating tool A laser creates a beam of light with a high energy
has a wide shoulder and a probe or pin that pene- density. This light energy is emitted from the laser
trates the parts along the weld joint. Friction created beam welding (LBW) machine as energy particles
by the rapidly rotating tool softens the base metals called photons. The photons produce heat by striking,
and the base metals are mixed together. Full penetra- and having their energy absorbed by, the base metal.
tion welds can be made. Figure 29-11 shows a draw- The most popular lasers include the Nd:YAG
ing of the process and a completed butt weld. (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) crystal
laser and the CO2 gas laser. A schematic view of a CO2
Ultrasonic Welding (USW) laser is shown in Figure 29-13. Electrical energy is
Figure 29-9. Underwater welding electrode holder. Note that
Sound waves can cause vibrations in objects. For
the holder is well insulated, with no bare metal areas exposed.
(Broco, Inc.) example, a loud stereo can make the walls vibrate. In
ultrasonic welding (USW), a very high-pitched sound is Clamping
used to vibrate the surfaces of the metals to be welded. force
Ultrasonic welding has many advantages. Since A
Solid-State Welding Processes there is literally no heat, there is no metal distortion.
The American Welding Society lists nine processes Fluxes and filler metal are not needed. Very thin metals
and four subprocesses in the solid-state welding can be joined easily. Ultrasonic welds are normally
group. Refer to Figure 2-6. Solid-state welding (SSW) small welds like resistance spot welds. Seam welds
may be defined as a group of welding processes that can also be made.
produce a fusion weld by application of pressure at a Reed
welding temperature below the melting temperature
of the base metal and filler metal. Solid-state welding Wedge
may be done cold, warm, or hot, but never above the
melting temperature of the base or filler metal. The Sonotrode
following sections describe some of the more common tip Vibration
solid-state welding processes. Ultrasonic
transducer
Friction Welding (FRW) B Anvil
Weldment
When two objects are rubbed together, they gen- Figure 29-11. AA rapidly rotating tool with a large shoulder
erate heat. This principle is the basis of friction and a probe to penetrate the parts being welded softens the base Figure 29-12. A schematic drawing of the wedge-reed ultra-
welding (FRW). Figure 29-10 shows the steps in a fric- metal. The base metals are welded together by stirring and sonic welding principle. A small spot weld is made by vibrating
mixing. BA completed friction stir weld is shown. (TWI) the reed while it is in contact with the base metal. (Sonobond
tion weld. One part is held stationary, while the other
Ultrasonics, Inc.)
part is held in a chuck and rotated rapidly. The parts
are pressed tightly together. Friction heats the two
Figure 29-12 shows a schematic of an ultrasonic
parts to their welding temperature. The welding tem-
weld in process. The parts to be joined are placed Turning
perature is lower than the solidus of either part, but mirrors Electrodes
between two tips, as in resistance spot welding. An
high enough to allow fusion under pressure. When Partially
electronic device called an ultrasonic transducer causes
the welding temperature is reached, the rotation is reflecting
either a wedge-reed or a lateral drive to vibrate mirror
stopped. The parts are then suddenly forced together
extremely fast. This, in turn, causes a sonotrode
under heavy pressure. After the heavy pressure is
(sound electrode) to vibrate. A slight force is applied
applied, the parts are held firmly until they cool. The
to the parts through the sonotrode. The vibrations Shutter
finished weld is strong, with complete fusion over
break up surface films, causing the parts to bond
the entire joining surface. As shown in Figure 29-10,
together without heat. An ultrasonic weld is completed
the weld is upset (enlarged) where the parts meet.
faster than a resistance spot weld. Ultrasonic welds
Friction welds are often produced in less than Laser
can be made on similar or dissimilar metals.
15 seconds. Friction welding has been used successfully beam
to join some dissimilar (unlike) metals that normally CO2 laser tube Lens
cannot be welded by other processes. Other Welding Processes Weld
356 Welding Technology Fundamentals Chapter 29 Special Welding and Cutting Processes 357
generally used to excite the lasing material in the laser Advantages of Laser and Electron Low heat input. permit the cutting of nonferrous metals and even con-
source, releasing photons. Photon energy is allowed to crete. These processes make it possible to cut metals
build up in the laser or laser welding machine until the
Beam Welding Controlled welding atmospheres.
that cannot be cut using regular oxyfuel gas cutting.
desired level is reached. The energy is then released to Laser and electron beam welding machines are The ability to weld dissimilar metals.
fuse the weld joint. made in a variety of energy levels. The greater the elec- The ability to weld parts as thin as .001.002
trical energy input, the greater the energy output.
Oxyfuel Gas Cutting (OFC) Underwater
Fusion occurs at the point where the laser beam (.025 mm.050 mm).
strikes the weldment. Laser beams may be continuous Nd:YAG lasers are produced in sizes from 100W4000W Underwater cutting is often done to repair under-
(watts). CO2 lasers are produced in sizes from No need for filler metal. water structures. It is also used to cut and salvage
or pulsed. They can be focused with lenses to a very
small and accurate beam. Their direction can be 500W25,000W. A 600W Nd:YAG laser will penetrate Very precise aiming of beams to produce sunken ships. Oxyfuel gas cutting (OFC) is a process
changed through the use of mirrors. steel .01 (2.5 mm) in thickness. accurate and repeatable welds. that can be done underwater, using a special torch.
Electron beam welding machines are produced in The torch is similar to the regular OFC torch, with two
Electron Beam Welding (EBW) sizes from 1kW100kW (kilowatts). A 100kW EB major changes. First, an air jacket is installed around
welding machine will produce 100% penetration on
Special Cutting Processes the cutting tip. Second, a tube is added to carry com-
Figure 29-14 shows the basic parts of an electron Special cutting processes using oxyfuel gas and pressed air to the air jacket, Figure 29-17.
beam welding (EBW) machine. Electrons are emitted steel 10 (254 mm) thick. See Figure 29-16. Laser beam
and electron beam welding offer these advantages: oxygen arc cutting equipment have been developed Oxygen and fuel gas are mixed in the torch and
from the electron gun. They are then focused and
for use in underwater salvaging and repairs. Other burned at the tip, as in a regular cutting torch. A cutting
directed at the weld joint. The kinetic energy of the
special thermal cutting processes were developed to oxygen valve and lever directs pure oxygen through
electrons creates the heat for welding. Kinetic energy
is the energy of an object in motion. In this case, the
objects in motion are the electrons.
Electron beam welding may be done in a high vac- 39 40
uum, a partial vacuum, or under normal atmosphere
pressure. A vacuum is a condition in which atmos-
pheric pressure in a closed vessel has been decreased.
This is done by pumping out air. Figure 29-15 shows
an electron beam welder in use in industry. The OXY
beam energy is easier to direct under high vacuum
conditions. Also, less energy is lost in a vacuum. 41 42
8 10 11
High vacuum
7
9 12 15 16 17 18 20
13 14 19 21 22
Upper 6
column
358 Welding Technology Fundamentals Chapter 29 Special Welding and Cutting Processes 359
the center orifice for cutting. The compressed air in the Air Carbon Arc Cutting and Gouging
air jacket keeps water away from the cutting tip.
Air carbon arc cutting (CAC-A) uses an arc between
a carbon electrode and a base metal to heat and melt the
Oxygen Arc Cutting (OAC) Underwater base metal. The electrode holder has holes just behind
Oxygen arc cutting (OAC) uses an electrode and the electrode through which high pressure air is blown.
electrode holder. The electrode holder is equipped This high pressure air blows the molten metal out of the
with an oxygen passage. The cutting oxygen flow is cutting area. While cutting goes through the entire thick-
controlled by a lever, Figure 29-18. The oxygen flows ness of the base metal, gouging only carves out a
through the hollow electrode to the kerf (cut). U-shaped groove in the base metal, Figure 29-19.
Preheating is done by striking an arc between the
hollow electrode and the metal to be cut. Once the arc Exothermic Cutting
is struck, the cutting oxygen lever is depressed and the
Exothermic cutting is a cutting process that once
cutting begins. The arc and oxygen flow must be main-
started will continue to cut without any fuel gas or
tained as the torch is moved along the cutting line.
electricity for an arc. Electrodes are filled with small
Oxygen arc cutting may be done above or below
fuel rods that function as the heat source. Once the
water. Oxygen arc and plasma arc are two of the most
electrode and rods start to burn, they will continue to
effective ways of cutting underwater. Figure 29-20. An exothermic cutting rod is gouging and Figure 29-21. This exothermic burning bar is being used during
burn. Oxygen is used to accelerate the burning
removing a 3/4 (19 mm) fillet weld. A 24 (600 mm) long a salvaging operation to cut through 18 (460 mm) thick steel
process at a temperature of about 7600F (4200C).
weld bead can be removed in 20 seconds. (Oxylance, Inc.) casting. (Oxylance, Inc.)
The flow of high pressure oxygen also blows molten
metal away from the cutting area. Exothermic cutting
can cut any metal and also nonmetals like concrete.
This process can be used for underwater cutting.
Fuel rods in the electrode are called exothermic
cutting rods, Figure 29-20. These are usually 3/16,
1/4 or 3/8 (4.8 mm, 6.4 mm, or 9.5 mm) in diameter. Summary
Larger tubes, called burning bars, have a diameter of
.540 up to 1.05 (13.7 mm up to 26.7 mm), Figure 29-21. The electrogas welding (EGW) process was developed as a means of welding extremely thick metal. To
make the weld, the welding arc is struck, and the consumable electrode fed in from the top melts in the
Laser Beam Cutting (LBC) joint to form the weld. Two water-cooled copper shoes contain the molten metal in the weld area,
Lasers (particularly the CO2 laser) can cut mild supply shielding gas, and cool the completed weld.
steel, stainless steel, and even titanium cheaply and The electroslag welding (ESW) process is similar to electrogas welding. A thick layer of powdered flux
quickly. Laser beam cutting (LBC) produces clean-cut is placed in the joint before welding begins. Once welding starts, the powdered flux melts and forms a
Figure 29-18. An underwater oxygen arc cutting (OAC)
edges. Numerically controlled pulsed laser beams can protective, floating slag above the weld area.
torch. The arc furnishes the heat for cutting while oxygen oxi- also be used to drill or pierce clean holes of extremely In submerged arc welding (SAW), a consumable electrode is fed into the weld joint. A thick layer of a
dizes the metal and blows it away. A hollow electrode carries small diameter in production parts. An oxygen jet is powdered flux is deposited ahead of the electrode. The arc between the electrode and base metal
the cutting oxygen to the spot that is being cut. (Arcair, a sometimes used with laser beam equipment to drill or occurs beneath this thick flux layer. The flux cover prevents any spatter.
Thermadyne Company) pierce. Holes larger than .014 (.36 mm) are generally
made with conventional drill bits. Plasma arc welding (PAW) uses superheated plasma to melt the base metal. In the transferred arc
process, an arc is struck between a nonconsumable tungsten electrode in the torch and the base metal.
In the nontransferred arc process, an arc is struck between the electrode and the restricted nozzle. In
both processes, an inert gas emitted from the torch turns into superheated plasma as it passes through
the arc. It is the plasma that melts the base metal.
Arc stud welding (SW) was developed to weld threaded studs, location pins, or nails to metal plates. In
this process, a stud is loaded into a stud welding gun. The gun and stud are placed against the base
metal. When the trigger is pulled, electricity flows through the stud to the base metal. The stud is then
automatically pulled away from the plate, and an arc is struck. Electricity flows for only a fraction of a
second. The gun then forces the molten tip of the stud into the molten base metal.
Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) is done underwater to repair bridges, ships, and oil drilling rigs.
The process is similar to regular SMAW. However, the electrode holder for underwater welding has
especially good electrical insulation and the electrode coating is waterproof.
Solid-state welding (SSW) may be defined as a group of welding processes that produce a fusion weld
by application of pressure at a welding temperature below the melting temperature of the base metal
Figure 29-19. The air carbon arc cutting process is being used to gouge a groove into a base metal. High pressure air blows the and filler metal.
molten metal from the gouging area. (Arcair, a division of Thermadyne Industries, Inc.) (continued)
360 Welding Technology Fundamentals Chapter 29 Special Welding and Cutting Processes 361
In friction welding (FRW), one part is held stationary, while the other part is held in a chuck and rotated
rapidly. The parts are pressed tightly together. Friction heats the two parts to their welding temperature.
When the welding temperature is reached, the rotation is stopped. The parts are then suddenly forced
together under heavy pressure. After the heavy pressure is applied, the parts are held firmly until they cool.
In friction stir welding, a rotating tool under high pressure develops heat in the base metals. The
spinning tool mixes the softened base metals.
In ultrasonic welding (USW), a very high-pitched sound is used to vibrate the surfaces of the metals to be
welded. An ultrasonic transducer causes either a wedge-reed or a lateral drive to vibrate extremely fast.
This, in turn, causes a sonotrode (sound electrode) to vibrate. A slight force is applied to the parts through
the sonotrode. The vibrations break up surface films, causing the parts to bond together without heat.
In a laser beam welding (LBW) machine, electrical energy is used to excite a lasing material in the laser
source, releasing photons. Photon energy is released as a laser beam. The photons in the laser beam
produce heat by striking, and having their energy absorbed by, the base metal, fusing the joint.
In an electron beam welding (EBW) machine, electrons are emitted from the electron gun. They are then
focused and directed at the weld joint. The kinetic energy of the electrons creates the heat for welding.
Oxyfuel gas cutting (OFC) is a process that can be done underwater, using a special torch. The torch
has an air jacket installed around the cutting tip. Also, a tube is added to carry compressed air to the
air jacket. The compressed air in the air jacket keeps water away from the cutting tip.
Oxygen arc cutting (OAC) uses an electrode and electrode holder. The electrode holder is equipped
with an oxygen passage. Preheating is done by striking an arc between the hollow electrode and the
metal to be cut. Once the arc is struck, the cutting oxygen lever is depressed, oxygen flows through the
hollow electrode, and the cutting begins. Oxygen arc cutting may be done above or below water.
Air carbon arc cutting (CAC-A) and gouging use an arc to melt the base metal. High pressure air
blowing through holes in the electrode holder removes molten metal from the cutting area.
Exothermic cutting uses an electrode filled with small fuel wires and high volume oxygen to burn
continually without a fuel gas or an arc. The high pressure oxygen blows the molten metal out of the
cutting area. Cutting rods or burning bars are used to cut or gouge any metal or nonmetal.
Lasers (particularly the CO2 laser) can cut mild steel, stainless steel, and even titanium cheaply and
quickly. Laser beam cutting (LBC) produces clean-cut edges.
Review
? Questions
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper. Please do not write in this book.
1. How many welding and cutting processes are listed by the AWS?
2. How does EGW differ from ESW?
3. List three gases that may be used to form the plasma for PAW.
4. What process is used to rapidly weld nails, bolts, and location pins to metal plates?
5. List at least four advantages of SAW.
6. List three or more processes used to weld or cut underwater.
7. How is the oxygen delivered to the kerf area in OAC?
8. Which special welding process presses a rotating part against a stationary part?
9. In LBW, the metal is heated by a(n) _____ with high energy density. In EBW, the metal is heated by
_____ energy.
10. What temperature does the exothermic cutting process achieve?