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 NOVEMBER 2015

PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND APPLICATION OF WELDING
AND ALLIED JOINING AND CUTTING PROCESSES WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING BRAZING, SOLDERING, AND THERMAL SPRAYING
For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
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For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
November 2015 • Volume 94 • Number 11 CONTENTS
FEATURES
*46 Six Things to Consider before Purchasing Ambient
Fume Collection Equipment 46 48
Take a look at some common misconceptions
before making your buying decision — K. Wear

48 Keeping Inspection Technology in Pace with

Weld­Industry Advancements
The evolution of inspection technology must keep
in line with advances in welding technology
W. Habermann 52
52 Safety Tips for Weld Prep in Pipe Fabrication
Proper surface preparation is critical in pipeline
welding, but so are the safety factors in obtaining
that proper surface — D. Jescovitch

BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY

56 Reliability Analysis of Pin­in­Hole Solder Joints
Through-hole solder joints on a printed wiring 62 68
assembly were evaluated for reliability
P. T. Vianco and M. K. Neilsen

62 Silver­Free Filler Metals Meet Strength Requirements

in Brazed Joints
Silver-free filler metals were analyzed on spreading
area, joint strength, and microstructure
J. T. Marchal et al.

68 Aim for Small, Concave Braze Fillets

This discussion explains what a braze fillet should
look like and what to look for in inspecting it
D. Kay

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT

343­s Disaggregated Metal and Carbide Catchment
Efficiencies in Laser Cladding of Nickel­Tungsten
Carbide
Cladding with a CO2 laser system was tested for the
effects of power, powder feed rate, and travel speed
G. Wood and P. F. Mendez
358­s Effect of FCAW Current on the Hardfacing Layer
— Microstructure and Wear Resistance
Different welding currents were used to deposit
hardfacing layers to determine which gave the
optimum increase in hardness and wear resistance
J. Yang et al.

351­s Properties of Silicon­Added, Iron­Based, Slag­Free,

Self­Shielded Flux­Cored Wire
Silicon addition to the composition proved beneficial in
improving wear resistance — D. S. Liu and P. Wei

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 3

 DEPARTMENTS
6 Editorial 80 Welding Workbook
10 Press Time News 83 Society News
12 International Update 85 Tech Topics
14 News of the Industry 89 Section News
22 Business Briefs 101 Guide to AWS Services
24 Letters to the Editor 102 Personnel
28 Stainless Q&A 112 Classifieds
32 RWMA Q&A 113 Advertiser Index
36 Product & Print Spotlight
Brazing & Soldering Today
70 Technology News
On the cover: Frank Detsch gas metal
74 Coming Events arc welds a cooling ring fabrication for
78 Certification Schedule a rotary hearth furnace. (Courtesy of
Abbott Furnace, St. Marys, Pa.)

M. Sebergandio (Dist. 3), CNH America D. Levin, Airgas

OFFICERS
President David Landon
Vermeer Mfg. Co.
Vice President David L. McQuaid
D. L. McQuaid and Associates, Inc.
Vice President John R. Bray
Affiliated Machinery, Inc.
Vice President Dale Flood
Tri Tool, Inc.
Treasurer Robert G. Pali
J. P. Nissen Co.
Executive Director Ray W. Shook
American Welding Society
DIRECTORS
T. Anderson (At Large), ITW Welding North America
U. Aschemeier (Dist. 7), Subsea Global Solutions
R. E. Brenner (Dist. 10), CnD Industries, Inc.
D. J. Burgess (Dist. 8), Alstom Power
N. C. Cole (Past President), NCC Engineering
D. L. Doench (At Large), Hobart Bros. Co.
T. A. Ferri (Dist. 1), Thermal Dynamics Automation
K. Fogleman (Dist. 16), Consultant
P. H. Gorman (Dist. 20), Sandia National Laboratories
S. A. Harris (Dist. 4), Altec Industries
K. L. Johnson (Dist. 19), Vigor Shipyards
J. Knapp (Dist. 17), Gas and Supply
M. Krupnicki (Dist. 6), Mahany Welding Supply
T. J. Lienert (At Large), Los Alamos National Laboratory
S. Lindsey (Dist. 21), City of San Diego
D. E. Lynnes (Dist. 15), Lynnes Welding Training
C. Matricardi (Dist. 5), Welding Solutions, Inc.
S. P. Moran (At Large), Weir American Hydro
W. R. Polanin (At Large), Illinois Central College
R. L. Richwine (Dist. 14), Ivy Tech State College
D. J. Roland (Dist. 12), Airgas USA, LLC,
North­Central Region
R. W. Roth (At Large), RoMan Manufacturing
K. E. Shatell (Dist. 22), Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
M. Skiles (Dist. 9), Consultant
J. Stoll (Dist. 18), The Bohler Welding Group U.S.
H. W. Thompson (Dist. 2), UL, Inc.
R. P. Wilcox (Dist. 11), Consultant
J. A. Willard (Dist. 13), Kankakee Community College
D. R. Wilson (Past President), Welldean Enterprises
WELDING JOURNAL
Publisher — Andrew Cullison
Editorial
Editorial Director Andrew Cullison
Editor Mary Ruth Johnsen
Associate Editor Kristin Campbell
Assistant Editor Melissa Gomez
Assistant Editor Annik Babinski
Peer Review Coord. Sonia Aleman
Publisher Emeritus Jeff Weber
Design and Production
Production Manager Zaida Chavez
Sr. Production Coordinator Brenda Flores
Manager of International Periodicals and
Electronic Media Carlos Guzman
Advertising
Sr. Advertising Sales Exec. Sandra Jorgensen
Sr. Advertising Sales Exec. Annette Delagrange
Manager of Sales Operations Lea Paneca
Sr. Advertising Production Manager Frank Wilson
Subscriptions
Subscriptions Representative Evelyn Andino
eandino@aws.org
PUBLICATIONS, EXPOSITIONS,
MARKETING COMMITTEE
D. L. Doench, Chair, Hobart Brothers Co.
S. Bartholomew, Vice Chair, ESAB Welding
& Cutting Prod.
Lorena Cora, Secretary, American Welding Society
D. Brown, Weiler Brush
C. Coffey, Lincoln Electric
D. DeCorte, RoMan Manufacturing
S. Fyffe, Astaras, Inc.
R. Madden, Hypertherm
D. Marquard, IBEDA Superflash
J. F. Saenger Jr., Consultant
S. Smith, Weld­Aid Products
D. Wilson, Welldean Enterprises
J. N. DuPont, Ex Off., Lehigh University
L. G. Kvidahl, Ex Off., Northrop Grumman
Ship Systems
D. J. Landon, Ex Off., Vermeer Mfg.
S. P. Moran, Ex Off., Weir American Hydro
E. Norman, Ex Off., Southwest Area Career Center
R. G. Pali, Ex Off., J. P. Nissen Co.
N. Scotchmer, Ex Off., Huys Industries
R. W. Shook, Ex Off., American Welding Society
American Welding Society
8669 NW 36 St., # 130, Miami, FL 33166­6672
(305) 443­9353 or (800) 443­9353
Welding Journal (ISSN 0043­2296) is published monthly by
the American Welding Society for $120.00 per year in the United
States and possessions, $160 per year in foreign countries: $7.50
per single issue for domestic AWS members and $10.00 per single
issue for nonmembers and $14.00 single issue for international.
American Welding Society is located at 8669 NW 36th St., # 130,
Miami, FL 33166­6672; telephone (305) 443­9353. Periodicals
postage paid in Miami, Fla., and additional mailing offices. POST­
MASTER: Send address changes to Welding Journal, 8669 NW
36th St., # 130, Miami, FL 33166­6672. Canada Post: Publications
Mail Agreement #40612608 Canada Returns to be sent to
Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2,
Canada.
Readers of Welding Journal may make copies of articles for
personal, archival, educational or research purposes, and which
are not for sale or resale. Permission is granted to quote from arti­
cles, provided customary acknowledgment of authors and sources
is made. Starred (*) items excluded from copyright.
Copyright © 2015 by American Welding Society in both
printed and electronic formats. The Society is not responsible for
any statement made or opinion expressed herein. Data and infor­
mation developed by the authors of specific articles are for infor­
mational purposes only and are not intended for use without inde­
pendent, substantiating investigation on the part of potential users.

4 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

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EDITORIAL
Replacing the Welder Workforce
As we close the year celebrating the AWS
Foundation’s 25th anniversary, we have
much to be proud of, but there is still much
to be done. In 2014, the Foundation award-
ed $549,531 to 580 individuals. The major
portion of these awards went to students
who are seeking either a two-year degree at
a community college or a four-year welding
engineer-related degree.
A major mission of the AWS Foundation
is to recruit welders into the workforce.
Based on the work of the National Skills
William Rice Panel, which uses U.S. government data sta-
Chairman, tistics, we continue to estimate that by 2020
AWS Foundation we will need 250,000 new welders in our
workforce. These welders will be needed to
replace current welders in the U.S. work-
force due to retire.
We are renewing our efforts at the Foun-
dation to focus on scholarships directed to-
ward this segment of welding professionals
to increase the number of welders in the
United States. The welder training-related
scholarships we currently award through
the Foundation are usually less than $500,
which provides a small part of the total dol-
lars needed for training.
We currently have a program approved
“A major mission by the AWS Board of Directors to match en-
of the AWS Founda­ dowments by AWS Districts and Sections at
tion is to recruit a 150% level. Also, 150% matching is avail-
welders into the able for additions to current District/Sec-
tion endowments. We will ask our AWS Dis-
workforce...we con­ trict and Section leadership to work with us
tinue to estimate to establish guidelines so the major focus of
that by 2020 we will their scholarship programs will be to fund
need 250,000 new scholarship dollars at a minimum $1000
welders...to replace level for welder training scholarships. Cur-
rently, our 22 AWS Districts have $10,000
current welders in available to them annually for local awards.
the U.S. workforce Our renewed efforts will have these funds
due to retire.” used for welder scholarships.
We will also engage local companies who
depend on welders employed in the market
area they serve to support this effort. These
companies employ welders, or they sell sup-
plies to support welding processes and oth-
ers who depend on welders to manufacture
items for them. We will ask for a $15,000
pledge payable over three years, and we will
match that amount to create a $30,000
scholarship endowment for welder training.
The endowment, when funded, will provide
an annual award amount of $1500 to help
local welders receive training.
6 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
We also have identified some endow-
ments in the Foundation, and on a selective
basis we will be talking to some of those
donors about a repurpose of the scholar-
ships to have more influence on welder skill
training. A few have already indicated they
would be open to discussion.
This will not have an impact on the cur-
rent level of support for both two-year and
four-year degree postsecondary programs.
We currently have $4.6 million in National
Named Endowments that support these
programs exclusively. The recipients of
these scholarship awards are selected by the
AWS National Education Scholarship Com-
mittee. Also, annually, the Foundation pro-
vides funding for four $25,000 fellowships
($100,000) to support research at universi-
ties. These fellowships are selected by the
AWS Welding Research and Development
Committee. We will continue to attract
funding from donors who prefer their dol-
lars to go toward these efforts.
As I have indicated, the AWS Board of Di-
rectors has been very supportive of our ef-
forts to increase scholarship funding by
transferring dollars to support our match-
ing programs. Because of this, we have been
successful in attracting new dollars both for
new endowments as well as existing ac-
counts. This has been at a 100% match.
And, as mentioned, we have the 150%
match for funds to support new
District/Section scholarships.
If you are in a position to help us fund
the next generation of skilled welding pro-
fessionals, contact us to discuss the money
matching opportunity we currently have.
We would welcome the opportunity to
speak with you. Please e-mail Foundation
Executive Director Sam Gentry at
sgentry@aws.org.
We have great expectations during the
next 25 years for the AWS Foundation. We
are in a very strong position to support
welder education at all levels.
Our immediate need is to support schol-
arship opportunities to provide additional
trained welders for the U.S. workforce.
There is currently a critical need in particu-
lar industries and geographic areas for
welders. Many opportunities will open in
the future due to retirements. Our mission
is to help fill this gap. WJ
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PRESS TIME NEWS
Airbus Opens U.S. Manufacturing Facility
During a
recent cere-
mony in Mo-
bile, Ala., Air-
bus inaugurat-
ed operations
at its first U.S.
manufactur-
ing facility.
The plant is
officially open
Major components of the first two aircraft to for business
be assembled at the Airbus U.S. manufactur­ with a team of
ing facility are shown in the main final assem­ more than
bly hangar at this American A320 family 250 manufac-
production site. turing em-
ployees now
at work on the
first U.S.-made Airbus aircraft.
“Our commercial aircraft production in Mobile signifies
two things: that Airbus has become the first truly global air-
craft manufacturer, and that Airbus is now also a truly
American manufacturer,” said President and CEO Fabrice
Brégier.
The company announced plans for the $600 million facil-
ity in 2012. Construction began at the Mobile Aeroplex at
Brookley the following year.
The first U.S.-made Airbus commercial aircraft, an A321,
is scheduled for delivery next spring. By 2018, the facility
will produce between 40 and 50 single-aisle aircraft per year.
The following individuals were also present at the cere-
mony: Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders, Alabama Governor
Robert Bentley, Senator Jeff Sessions, Congressman Bradley
Byrne, plus other dignitaries, executives, and local leaders.
The industry- and community-wide event convened un-
der the theme, “Let’s Get to Work – Together!” and culmi-
nated in the placement of a placard on a component of the
first aircraft to be produced in Mobile.
Hudson Valley Community College Manufacturing
Program Receives $1 Million Challenge Gift
Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, N.Y., recently
received a leadership challenge gift of $1 million from the
Gene Haas Foundation for expanding its Advanced Manu-
facturing Technology program as well as Lang Hall, the
building that houses the program’s labs and classrooms.
The expansion to the Lang building will be named the
Gene Haas Technology Center. Funding will also enable the
college to double the number of advanced manufacturing
technology students.
“Hudson Valley Community College is extraordinarily
grateful...today, we take a huge step forward in our efforts
to bridge the skills gap between the existing workforce and
21st-century jobs,” said Drew Matonak, its president.
Plans call for a two-story addition to the college’s existing
training facility, Lang Hall, including up-to-date machine
tools, equipment, and software in labs for metrology,
CAD/CAM, metallurgy, electronic controls, machining,
10 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
assembly, and grinding.
Currently, the Associate in Occupational Studies program
serves a maximum of 40 students through day and evening
coursework along with hands-on training.
The Advanced Manufacturing Technology program pre-
pares graduates for immediate employment with many local
and regional high-tech manufacturing companies. In addi-
tion, several manufacturing companies in the region provide
scholarships and hire students for part-time jobs that lead
to full-time employment upon graduation. The program has
a 100% job placement rate for graduates.
ESAB Launches 2015 Student Cutting, Welding,
and Essay Contest
ESAB, Florence,
S.C., has launched
its 2015 “A Cut
Above” student
contest that’s open
to students in
welding, cutting,
and related pro-
grams at second-
ary and postsec-
ondary schools
These high school students each won who are residents
$500 in ESAB’s 2014 contest for their “Fish of the United
Tank” project. They also provided tips on States or Canada
how to win the 2015 contest in a video on (excluding Que-
the company’s YouTube channel. bec). The company
will award more
than $30,000 in
equipment and cash prizes.
Visit www.esab.com/acutabove for rules, entry forms, and
winning tips. Entries will be accepted until December 31
with winners announced on February 1, 2016.
The contest has two categories — individual essay and
team fabrication project — and ESAB judges will select three
winners in each category. Individuals will win $250 by sub-
mitting a 500-word essay that best supports the contest
theme. Each member of a winning team receives $500;
teams will submit a metal fabrication project that incorpo-
rates both welding and cutting. Additionally, each of the
schools associated with the winners at their time of entry
will receive a prize package valued at more than $4000.
Bernzomatic Launches Public Safety Campaign
Bernzomatic, Columbus, Ohio, a provider of handheld
torches, has launched a public awareness and education pro-
gram on the proper use and disposal of handheld nonrefill-
able fuel cylinders, called CylinderSafeTM.
A newly created website at www.bernzomatic.com/cylinder-
safe provides a resource for information on how to properly
use, store, and dispose of their nonrefillable cylinders.
As disposal procedures vary by municipality, the site also
features a built-in search function for visitors to research
their local solid waste authority’s contact information. It of-
fers an instructional cylinder safety video and safety check-
list as well. WJ
For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE
Hitachi Brings Rail Manufacturing Back to the UK
Hitachi Rail unveiled its class 800/801, seen here, at the Newton
Aycliffe facility opening. (Photo courtesy of Paul Bigland.)
Hitachi Rail recently celebrated the return of rail manu-
facturing to its British home in the North East, joining with
key delivery partners at the official opening of a $225 mil-
lion rail vehicle manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe,
England. The facility is where the government’s new InterCi-
ty Express (IEP) trains for the East Coast Main Line and
Great Western Main Line, and AT200 commuter trains for
Scotland, will be manufactured.
Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman and CEO, Hitachi, Ltd., wel-
comed Patrick McLoughlin MP, secretary of state for Trans-
port, and Claire Perry MP, rail minister, along with more than
500 guests, to the opening ceremony and guided tours of the
manufacturing facility. Those in attendance also witnessed the
unveiling of the first fully fitted-out IEP train to arrive in the
United Kingdom.
“Today we see a major boost for the UK with Hitachi invest-
ing millions in returning train manufacturing to the North
East. This state-of-the-art facility will grow and secure jobs for
decades to come and will help us to build the Northern Power-
house, while at the same time revitalizing one of our oldest in-
dustries in the region within which this tradition is synony-
mous,” said Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.
“Newton Aycliffe will be the engine room driving Hitachi
Rail’s future growth across the UK and into Europe, and I’m
incredibly proud to lead a company committed to making
the North East a rail manufacturing center of excellence
once again,” added Karen Boswell, managing director of Hi-
tachi Rail Europe.
Second Annual Dominican Republic HVAC/R
Tradeshow Held in Santo Domingo
Articco, Inc., a distributor of air conditioning and refrig-
eration parts, recently held its second annual Dominican Re-
public HVAC/R tradeshow. Held at Club Los Prados in Santo
Domingo, more than two hundred technicians, contractors,
and distributors were in attendance.
Uniweld, a manufacturer of welding, HVAC/R, plumbing,
and alloy products, participated in the tradeshow, showcas-
ing its oxyacetylene equipment and holding live demonstra-
tions of safety practices. The company was represented by
Mario Portillo, international sales executive, and Richard
Apodaca, director of international, at the two-day show.
Those in attendance received information on common
12 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
Mario Portillo (second from left) and Richard Apodaca (third
from left) from Uniweld pose with the booth’s first visitors at
the HVAC/R tradeshow in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
products used in the industry, watched live demonstrations,
and received insight they could implement into their daily
occupations.
Electronic Soldering Materials Manufacturer
Honored for Technical Paper
Alpha, a manu-
facturer of electron-
ic soldering materi-
als, was recently
honored at the Chi-
na International
Solder Technology
Forum and Exhibi-
tion, held in
Suzhou, China.
The Best Con-
ference Paper Award
Alpha’s technical paper, “Thermal and
Mechanical Reliability of Low­ went to Alpha’s pa-
Temperature Solder Alloys for Hand­ per titled “Thermal
held Devices,” recently won The Best and Mechanical Re-
Conference Paper Award. liability of Low-
Temperature Solder
Alloys for Handheld
Devices,” presented by Andy Yuen, technical services direc-
tor, Alpha Southern China, which discusses the use of mi-
croadditives in eutectic Sn-Bi alloys to improve thermal fa-
tigue and mechanical shock properties for handheld devices.
“We developed a new, low-temp, Pb-free, no-silver alloy
with enhanced mechanical properties, particularly higher
tensile strength and impact energy, which resulted in im-
proved drop shock performance over standard Sn-Bi alloy
systems,” said Yuen. “The alloy is capable of delivering high
reliability performance at lower soldering temperatures,
leading to increased throughput and production value in
your assembly process.”
The paper was chosen from more than ten technical pa-
pers presented at the conference, which is held jointly by the
ITRI-IPC China Solder Technology Group, International Tin
Research Institute, and IPC Association Connecting Elec-
tronics Industries (China), and was attended by about 250
industry affiliates. WJ
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NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY
Welding Lesson ‘Strikes’ Guinness World Record
Excitement built as participants checked in for the Guinness
World Record attempt to establish the largest welding lesson.
This event, held on April 11 at the ETI School of Skilled Trades,
ultimately captured the title. (Photo courtesy of Three Fires
Council Program Director Buzz Wheeler.)
In attendance were 275 Boy Scouts along with the welding les­
son’s organizer, Walter Berkowicz (shown speaking to the audi­
ence in the center of the front line). (Photo courtesy of Three
Fires Council Program Director Buzz Wheeler.)
Once more, welding has secured a place in history by
setting the Guinness World Record for the largest welding
lesson.
Walter Berkowicz, an adult volunteer and welding cham-
pion for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Three Fires Coun-
cil, St. Charles, Ill., recently received an e-mail from the or-
ganization’s records management team informing him about
this title holder position.
On April 11, he organized the gathering of 275 Boy
Scouts at the ETI School of Skilled Trades, Willowbrook, Ill.
Planning for this record, however, started even before the
official application was submitted in November 2014.
“The intent was to conduct a fun event that would gener-
ate interest on the part of youth and adults to achieve some-
thing that would be distinctive. The motto was ‘Go big or go
home,’” said Berkowicz.
This lesson consisted of three distinct, individual instruc-
tion components. Tony Mattson and Ron Feldman, BSA
merit badge counselors, managed safety and welding/cut-
ting processes, respectively, while Kevin Pflanz, director of
education at ETI, covered welding careers.
14 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
It took nearly two
weeks to gather the evi-
dence in an uploadable
format to submit to the
Guinness site. This in-
cluded verifications from
the steward, witness,
timekeeper, photogra-
pher, and videographer;
photos; a video; and press
coverage.
Upon hearing the
largest welding lesson had
One hundred and twenty­two been accomplished,
Boy Scouts earned the Welding Berkowicz said he felt two
merit badge (shown above) after
emotions: joy and
the experience.
relief.
“Joy because we not
only accomplished something that was significant, but we
were the first to do it,” he said. “From a relief perspective,
there were many details, many moving parts, and many ‘sin-
gle points of failure.’ If even one of them was not successful,
the entire enterprise would fail. To mitigate the risks, I re-
quired backups not only for people serving in various capaci-
ties, but also for supplies. Then, where possible, I needed
‘backups to the backups’ in case someone couldn’t make it or
a part broke. There were hundreds of people depending on
the flawless execution of this event in order to get a Guin-
ness World Record.”
In addition, after the lesson, 122 scouts earned the Welding
merit badge, which is part of the BSA’s science, technology, en-
gineering, and math curriculum. They performed gas metal
arc, flux cored arc, or shielded metal arc welding depending on
the equipment available and merit badge counselor.
A gratifying aspect of the day was how the scouts stayed
attentive, respectful, and nondisruptive. Maybe most signif-
icant, many told Berkowicz the most interesting thing
learned was the career opportunities available to welders.
“All the boys prized their welded creations. There was not
one left behind that we found during the cleanup,” he added.
He further mentioned that thanks to Charlie Cross of
The Lincoln Electric Co., enormous progress within the re-
gion, which includes several BSA councils, had been made.
“I knew nothing about welding other than how to spell it
when I made a promise to the troop of boys at the 2013 Na-
tional Jamboree,” Berkowicz said. While there, he encour-
aged his troop to visit the company’s welding area.
“I committed to all the boys in the troop that I would do
whatever it took so they would have the opportunity to
complete the badge when we returned home,” he said.
Berkowicz held true to that promise by taking training
offered by Lincoln Electric and enrolling in a welding course
at the College of DuPage along with volunteer counselors
Paul Chemler and Joe Harrington. He now considers weld-
ing a hobby.
Moving ahead, Berkowicz’s aspiration is to realize an ulti-
mate objective of implementing a sustainable program for
scouts to earn the Welding merit badge long into the future.
“The sustainability of this beyond any one person has
been a goal from day one,” he concluded. — Kristin Campbell
(kcampbell@aws.org), associate editor
Community College of Denver Opens Advanced
Manufacturing Center; Welder Training Offered

Jessica Schechter, a student in the advanced GTAW class, poses

for a picture in one of the Advanced Manufacturing Center’s
welding booths. (Photo courtesy of the Community College of
Denver.)

The Community College of Denver’s Advanced Manufac-

turing Center, located about four miles from the main Au-
raria campus, welcomed its first students on August 24.
This 33,280-sq-ft facility provides three times the space
for machining and welding programs formerly within the
Center for Career & Technical Education, which outgrew its
10,000-sq-ft building on Downing St.
— continued on page 18 For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index

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NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 15
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NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY
— continued from page 15

Renovations and upgrades took place with a Colorado

Helps Advanced Manufacturing Program (CHAMP) Grant,
funded through the U.S. Department of Labor. The college
was awarded more than $3 million, allowing for the pur-
chase of new equipment, curriculum development in tech-
nologies (advanced milling, 3D technology, CNC machining,
fabrication welding), and more. To raise additional funds, a
capital campaign has been established as well.
The welding program offers two 7.5-week sessions that,
at maximum capacity, accommodate 186 students. Current-
ly, there are 78 students in the first part-of-term for the se-
mester and that will increase to 140 total students for the
first semester in the new facility.
Kevin A. Dowell, an American Welding Society (AWS)
Certified Welding Inspector, and John Wenner serve as full-
time welding faculty. There are also three part-time adjunct
faculty members, one of whom is a woman, Chris Niksar.
The center is set up three ways, with 62 work stations,
consisting of welding booths, work stations, and cutting ta-
bles. Extra features include three welding simulators and
carbon air arc room that’s used to cut thick metals.
The Associate of Applied Science in welding fabrication
gets graduates ready as entry-level specialists to work with
most operations in oxyacetylene welding, shielded metal arc
welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), and gas
tungsten arc welding (GTAW) on heavy plate/pipe to thin-
Logan Lewis (left) and Brad Sorensen, students in classes for cut­
ting and welding processes, practice their skills using hand tools.
(Photo courtesy of the Community College of Denver.)
gauge sheet metals. They will be prepared to test for AWS
qualifications in SMAW and GMAW/GTAW.
Certificates are available in these four areas: fabrication
welder, arc welder, intermediate welding, and basic welding.
The arc welder and basic welding certificates can be complet-
ed in one semester.
Women welders have played a part in the program, too.
Earlier this year, a broadcast on 9NEWS in Denver, Colo., de-
tailed the industry’s need for skilled trades workers and pro-
filed a welder-mom at the college. As shown in this story’s first
image, Jessica Schechter and others are continuing the trend.
In 2016, the college is starting industry-specific noncred-
it classes by offering a series of two-week classes.

For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index

18 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
 In addition, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited the Ad-
vanced Manufacturing Center on July 21. He toured the new
building with Manufacturing Director Tony Rubino and
spoke one-on-one with welding student Wilma Harp and
machining student Luke Irick. A round-table discussion,
with prominent panelists in attendance, focused on the im-
portance of building a Colorado workforce with the right
skills for jobs that pay well.
For more information, visit www.ccd.edu/amc.

General Dynamics NASSCO Launches

Natural­Gas­Powered Containership
General Dynamics NASSCO
recently launched the second
ship in a series of what’s
claimed to be the world’s first
natural-gas-powered contain-
erships. Perla del Caribe has
been built for TOTE, a trans-
portation and logistics compa-
ny. Its christening, as well as
the launch ceremony, took
place at the company’s ship-
yard in San Diego, Calif.
The new Marlin Class ships,
constructed by NASSCO ship-
builders and measuring the
same length as two-and-a-half
football fields, will carry cargo For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
exports between U.S.-owned
Perla del Caribe, pictured ports. They will also reduce
above, has been built for particulate matter by 98% and
TOTE, a transportation and carbon dioxide emissions by
logistics company. 72%, the equivalent of remov-
ing more than 15,700 cars
from the road.
Sponsor Emma Engle, a third-generation shareholder of
Saltchuk, TOTE’s parent company, christened the ship with
a traditional champagne bottle break over its hull.
In addition, Alcinda Buirds, a 32-year NASSCO employ-
ee, pulled the trigger to release the ship into San Diego Bay.

Amthor Expands Production, Adds New Jobs

Amthor International, a fourth-generation family-
owned company that manufactures truck-mounted tanks,
is adding 30 new jobs to its 100-person workforce at its
86,000-sq-ft plant in Gretna, Va.
Welders, mechanics, electricians, and tank cleaners will
be hired. Applications are at www.amthorinternational.com
and the plant (237 Industrial Dr., Gretna, Va.).
In addition, the company is introducing a customized
training program, Amthor University, with Virginia Techni-
cal Institute. Graduates will be guaranteed employment
with Amthor upon training completion. It will last four to
five weeks. In partnership with the West Piedmont Work-
force Investment Board and Dan River Region Collabora-
tive, costs will be covered for qualified applicants.

— continued on page 21
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NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 19
For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY
— continued from page 19
Welding Process for Next Orion Spacecraft Begins
Friction stir welding connects Orion spacecraft’s tunnel and for­
ward bulkhead. (Photo credit: NASA)
Lockheed Martin and NASA engineers have welded the
Orion spacecraft’s tunnel and forward bulkhead together.
The tunnel is the passageway astronauts crawl in and out
of when Orion is docked with another vehicle. The forward
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bulkhead must handle extreme loads during re-entry; that’s
where parachutes are connected when they deploy.
“After going through the manufacturing process for the
Exploration Flight Test-1 vehicle, we determined we could
reduce the vehicle’s weight if we lessened the number of
pieces being welded together since those welded areas
weigh more,” explained Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin Ori-
on vice president and program manager. “So for this next
spacecraft, seven bigger pieces are coming together, instead
of the eighteen for EFT-1, which makes the welding process
a little more challenging than before.”
Additionally, the team at Michoud Assembly Facility
welded a pathfinder vehicle to verify the design and weld-
ing changes would perform as expected.
In early 2016, once the pieces that make up the crew
module’s pressure vessel are welded together, it will be
shipped to the Operations and Checkout Facility at NASA’s
Kennedy Space Center. There, it will undergo final assem-
bly, integration, and testing to prepare for Exploration Mis-
sion-1 when Orion is launched atop NASA’s Space Launch
System for the first time.
National Science Foundation Invests in Science
and Engineering Infrastructure Across the Nation
The National Science Foundation has recently awarded
four jurisdictions with grants ranging from $6 to $20 mil-
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BUSINESS BRIEFS
EB Industries Achieves 50th Anniversary
EB Industries has been in operation for 50 years. Pictured above
are stainless steel commercial aircraft gears as they are electron
beam welded.
EB Industries, LLC, Farmingdale, N.Y., a provider of elec-
tron beam/laser welding and hermetic laser sealing services,
recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1965 by
George DeLalio, the company is now headed by his son Steve
DeLalio. It started with a single electron beam welding ma-
chine operated around-the-clock in a 5000-sq-ft facility.
“There was a boom in aerospace and electronics, and my
dad was here 18 hours a day, always committed to delivering
customers’ parts on time,” DeLalio said. The company sup-
ported Apollo missions, engaged in relay manufacturing, and
precision welded millions of military aircraft components.
EB Industries eventually moved to a 16,000-sq-ft facility
built for precision welding in Farmingdale. Additional staff
met the capacity of four electron beam welding machines.
Other accomplishments over the years include adding
laser welding services and hermetic laser sealing; adapting a
lean manufacturing methodology; incorporating a quality
management system that enables the company to meet
NADCAP and ISO certifications, plus standards; and launch-
ing an initiative aimed at expanding capabilities, including a
larger shop floor, more welding equipment, and a bigger
workforce.
Ford Motor, Huntington Ingalls, and TransCanada
Report Strong Second Quarters
Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., recently reported its
2015 second quarter financial results. Highlights include the
following: a pretax profit of $2.9 billion, up $269 million or
10% from a year ago (excluding last year’s special item
charges); net income of $1.9 billion, up $574 million or 44%
from a year ago; after-tax earnings per share of 47 cents, up
7 cents from a year ago (excluding last year’s special item
charges); and global market share growth to 7.6%, up one-
tenth of a percentage point from a year ago.
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News, Va., a
large military shipbuilding company, also revealed second
quarter 2015 statistics. Revenues were $1.75 billion, up
1.5% vs. the same period last year. Diluted earnings per
share was $3.20 vs. $2.04 in the same period of 2014. New
contract awards were approximately $4.5 billion.
In addition, TransCanada Corp., Calgary, Alberta, Cana-
22 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
da, an owner and operator of pipelines, gas storage facilities,
and power plants, announced its net income attributable to
common shares for second quarter 2015 of $429 million/
$0.60 per share vs. $416 million/$0.59 per share for the
same period in 2014. Comparable earnings for second quar-
ter 2015 were $397 million/$0.56 per share vs. $332 mil-
lion/$0.47 per share for the same period last year.
Confidence Levels Among Manufacturing and
Logistics Workers Continue to Rise
The Randstad Manufacturing & Logistics Employee Con-
fidence Index rose from 55.9 at year-end 2014 to 60.8
points in mid-year 2015. This online survey is conducted by
Harris Poll among manufacturing and logistics workers on
behalf of Randstad US.
The mid-year report also found that 38% of manufactur-
ing workers believe the economy is getting stronger, and
37% stated they believe there are more jobs available.
As confidence in the economy’s overall state and avail-
ability of jobs continues to rise, findings indicate workers’
personal confidence levels are rising as well. However, de-
spite growth drivers, hiring activity within the manufactur-
ing sector has been fairly slow so far in 2015.
Traci Fiatte, group president, Randstad US, added that
PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates high shale gas recovery
and low prices could add 1 million U.S. manufacturing jobs
and reduce natural gas costs by up to $11.6 billion annually
through 2025.
Lockheed Martin Named to the 2015
Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
Lockheed Martin, Bethesda, Md., a global security and
aerospace company, has recently been named to the Dow
Jones Sustainability World Index for 2015.
This distinction represents the top 10% of the largest
2500 companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index
based on long-term environmental, social, and economic
criteria.
The underlying research methodology evaluates corpo-
rations based on specific standards, including the follow-
ing: climate strategy, operational eco-efficiency, human
capital development, risk/crisis management, stakeholder
engagement, and corporate governance.
Senvol Database Adds More Than 100 New
Additive Manufacturing Machines, Materials
The Senvol Database, New York, N.Y., a 3D printing list
of industrial additive manufacturing machines and materi-
als, has added more than 100 new machines and materials.
Available online at www.senvol.com and free to access,
participants are able to search by more than 30 fields, such
as machine build size, price, material type, or material ten-
sile strength.
With these latest additions, the database has now sur-
passed 1000 machine and material entries overall.
Global users come from companies such as GE, Caterpil-
lar, Northrop Grumman, and General Motors. WJ
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Reader Comments on Use
of AWS B2.1
With regard to the article “Keys to
Success for a New Welding Engineer,”
by Richard Holdren, that starts on
page 67 of the June 2015 Welding
Journal, the cited article contains
statements that are potentially mis-
leading.
For instance, the article states:
“AWS B2.1 (Specification for Welding
Procedure and Performance Qualifica-
tion) groups materials with similar
weldability so that when a base mate-
rial from a given M-number group is
used for the qualification test, the pro-
cedure is qualified for use with any of
the other materials from that same
M-number group. This can be a
tremendous help when working with
AWS D1.1 and using nonapproved
base metal. Per AWS D1.1 require-
ments, this requires that a procedure
be qualified by testing, and that proce-
dure is only applicable for that single
base metal. Employing AWS B2.1
24 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
would allow that procedure to cover
the welding of all of the base metals in
the same M-number group.”
This could be read to mean that
AWS D1.1:2010, Structural Welding
Code — Steel, accepts the use of all ma-
terials listed under an M-number in
AWS B2.1 as approved for use in pre-
qualified connections. That is not cor-
rect. While the D1.1 Code contains
some of the materials listed in AWS
B2.1, the AWS D1 Committee consid-
ered and rejected a proposal that
would permit the use of all the materi-
als listed in B2.1 as approved materials
in prequalified connections.
The article further states that Weld-
ing Procedure Specifications (WPSs)
using materials not listed in D1.1,
Table 3.1, need to be qualified. That is
partly correct. In D1.1, Table 4.9 has
additional approved materials that re-
quire qualification. Table 4.8 lists com-
binations of materials that can be used
in qualified procedures, and once quali-
fied the procedures can be extended to
weld to other D1.1 listed materials in
the same or lower groups.
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
The statement, “Employing AWS
B2.1 would allow that procedure to
cover the welding of all of the base
metals in the same M-number group”
is misleading and incorrect for D1.1
code provisions.
“Additionally, welding position is a
nonessential variable for AWS B2.1;
however, D1.1 requires procedure
qualification testing in all positions to
be used in production when prequali-
fied procedures are not applicable.”
The above is a true statement, but
the implied notion is that B2.1 is right
and D1.1 is wrong. Many members of
D1 believe changes in position affect
bead shape, penetration, and other
physical characteristics of the weld,
and therefore, WPSs should be quali-
fied with position as an essential
variable.
The article discusses the concept of
reentrant angles in weld surfaces as an
acceptance criterion. This concept was
presented to the D1Q Committee and
rejected. The concept was based on a
— continued on page 26
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 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
— continued from page 24

purported performance improvement

and a purported ease of visual inspec-
tion. It was rejected because members
did not concur with the ease of inspec-
tion; there was no technical evidence
presented showing an improvement in
performance in statically loaded welds;
and there were no fatigue tests show-
ing unsatisfactory performance of
welds using current criteria. There
were no tests showing an improve-
ment in fatigue category for welds
meeting the newly proposed criteria.
AWS D1.1 does include provisions for
toe grinding and remelting in Clause 8
on Strengthening and Repair and
for improved profiles in the tubular
provisions.

D. C. Phillips, AWS D1 Member

Past Chair, D1M, Materials

Following is the author’s response:

Mr. Phillips does provide some valid
points, and I appreciate his extensive ex-
perience with AWS D1.1 and its require-
ments. It must be understood that the
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
purpose of this article was to provide a
welding engineer with some recommen-
dations on how to effectively utilize weld-
ing engineering principles when dealing
with applicable standards. To effectively
perform the job, the welding engineer
must employ sound engineering judg-
ment, while complying with the standard.
To do this, the welding engineer must
know both what is allowed and prohibit-
ed. I am not indicating that D1.1 is
wrong. Rather, I’m providing rationale for
a welding engineer to utilize the Code to
dramatically reduce the amount of test-
ing required without jeopardizing the in-
tegrity of the resulting welding procedure
specification.
Mr. Phillips’s first two comments refer
to my recommendation to employ the re-
quirements of AWS B2.1, Specification
for Welding Procedure and Perform-
ance Qualification. My position here was
not to apply the requirements of AWS
B2.1 to modify those of AWS D1.1. My
stance is based upon D1.1, clause 4.2.1.2,
which allows the Engineer to permit the
use of procedures qualified in accordance
with other standards. In that clause, it
states “AWS B2.1-X-XXX Series on Stan-
dard Welding Procedure Specifications
may, in this manner, be accepted for use in
this code.” It must also be realized that
AWS D1.1 is being employed extensively
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
26 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
for weldments that do not fit into the
classic “steel structures” for which the
Code was originally intended. For these
nonclassic applications, we encounter
many base metals that are not contained
in Table 3.1, which lists “approved mate-
rials.” Just because they are not included
in Table 3.1 does not mean they have re-
duced weldability. Hence, my recommen-
dation to employ AWS B2.1 for qualifica-
tion is for those situations where a nonap-
proved base metal is being qualified.
For these situations, use of AWS B2.1
can result in huge savings without any
detrimental effects. Per AWS D1.1, quali-
fication of a welding procedure using a
nonapproved steel only allows that proce-
dure to be used for the welding of that
specific steel. In comparison, if permitted
to qualify the welding procedure per AWS
B2.1, that procedure can then be applied
for welding any other steel in that same
M-number group.
A further cost-saving offered when
B2.1 is used as the qualification standard
is that the welding procedure only needs
to be qualified in the flat position and it
is considered qualified for welding in all
positions. D1.1 considers welding posi-
tion to be an essential variable for proce-
dure qualification, even though prequali-
fied procedures are considered qualified
in all positions, with minor exceptions.
Mr. Phillips states that “Many members
of D1 believe changes in position affect
bead shape, penetration, and other physi-
cal characteristics of the weld, and there-
fore that WPSs should be qualified with
position as an essential variable.” While
that may be the case, position has no ef-
fect on mechanical properties, which is
what we are trying to determine. I agree
that position is critical for performance
qualification, but not procedure. Both
B2.1 and ASME Section IX are consistent
in this approach that flat position quali-
fies all positions.
The bottom line is that to become ef-
fective as a welding engineer, one must
understand how to achieve the desired re-
sults by complying with Code require-
ments while being cognizant of the asso-
ciated costs. If given the option of quali-
fying a procedure using a single steel in
the flat position vs. multiple steels in
multiple positions, it quickly becomes evi-
dent that significant cost savings can be
realized with absolutely no reduction in
the effectiveness of the procedure.
The final comment Mr. Phillips makes
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NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 27
has to do with my proposed use of reen-
trant angle as a means of determining
the acceptability of weld profile. This has
been proposed from the standpoint of
ease of measurement by the inspector in
the field. There has been no implication
that this will improve fatigue perform-
ance. If that’s what was presented to the
Committee, then it was misrepresented
or misinterpreted. This approach is set
forth in ISO 5817 and has been adopted
by AWS D14.4. Users agree that the sim-
ple direct measurement of reentrant an-
gle is much more efficient than the cur-
rent approach of limiting fillet weld con-
vexity. This measurement is burdensome,
and as pointed out in the article, it can
lead to acceptance of undesirable weld
profiles. Most in the business of visual
weld inspection agree with this approach,
and it is helpful to the welding engineer
to understand the most effective ways to
evaluate and control weld quality.
Richard Holdren
Senior Welding Engineer
Arc Specialties Technical Services
Houston, Tex., and president Welding
Consultants, LLC, Columbus, Ohio
STAINLESS Q&A
BY DAMIAN J. KOTECKI

Q: We have been having on­going

discussions in our shop about
when it is advisable to use an
open root joint preparation vs. a
closed root for gas tungsten arc
welding (GTAW) stainless steel.
Can you offer any practical
guidance?

A: In the vast majority of root pass

welding situations, it makes no differ-
ence. Of course, autogenous welding
would virtually always be done with a
closed root. If matching filler metal is
recommended, open root or closed
root makes no difference unless nitro-
gen backing gas is to be used (see the
January 2015 and July 2000 Stainless
Q&A columns). In short, an open root
with nitrogen backing can raise the ni-
trogen content of the root pass and
convert weld metal expected to solidi-
fy as primary ferrite into weld metal
that solidifies as primary austenite
and, as a result, is sensitive to solidifi- Fig. 1 — Open root joint preparations that have been successfully used to avoid
cation cracking. high dilution in root pass GTA welding. (®Weir Materials & Foundries)

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28 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

 That reservation aside, if the filler ance is important. These stainless The other stainless steels in this
metal matches the base metal (e.g., steel base metals contain more than group contain more than 6% Mo and
ER308L for 304L base metal, ER316L 4% Mo. During solidification of the are termed “superaustenitic” stainless
for 316L base metal, ER347 for 347 weld metal, molybdenum segregates steels. Examples are 254SMO (UNS
base metal, etc.), open root and closed on a microscopic scale so that the so- S31254), AL6XN (UNS N08367), and
root are equally applicable. Further, if lidifying dendrite cores are low in Mo 654SMO (UNS S32654). Note that the
the two sides of the joint are not the and the interdendritic spaces are high UNS Numbers are somewhat inconsis-
same, but are stainless steels, which in Mo. The base metal becomes ho- tent for these steels. All are a bit high-
are expected to solidify as primary fer- mogenized by hot working and anneal- er in iron content than in nickel con-
rite (e.g., 304, 304L, 304H, 316, 316L, ing, but that luxury is almost always tent, so they are commonly referred to
309, 309L, 347, etc.), open root and unavailable for the weld metal. The re- as stainless steels, but the N in some
closed root are equally applicable with sult is that the dendrite cores in the UNS Numbers implies a nickel-based
a filler metal that matches one side or weld metal can be prone to pitting at- alloy. In reality, 654SMO (with an S in
the other. If the two sides of the joint tack if the filler metal matches the its UNS Number) contains less iron
are stainless steels, which solidify as base metal nominal composition. To than 904L or AL6XN (with N in each
primary austenite or fully austenite combat this, nickel-based alloy filler UNS Number). For all of these base
(e.g., 310, 330, 320), and matching metals containing 9% or more Mo are metals, including 904L, the recom-
filler metal is recommended, open root generally recommended. The lowest mended filler metals include AWS
and closed root are equally applicable, Mo content in this group of stainless A5.14M/A5.14 Classes ERNiCrMo-3
although the procedure should be de- steels is 4%, found in 904L (UNS (about 9% Mo), ERNiCrMo-10 (about
signed in either case to produce a con- N08904), and there is a matching filler 13% Mo), and ERNiCrMo-4 (about
vex bead and fill craters. metal, ER385, available and recom- 16% Mo). Failure to use an open root
Now let’s turn to those situations mended for less-than-severe pitting joint preparation will generally result
where an open root is virtually essen- situations. But the manufacturers of in a root pass that is low in Mo and
tial for success. There are several. 904L invariably state that optimum susceptible to pitting corrosion. Fur-
These generally involve a recommend- pitting resistance is obtained with the ther, specifically with ERNiCrMo-3
ed filler metal that is, at least to some high-Mo, nickel-based alloy filler filler metal, failure to use an open root
extent, different from one or both metals. often results in solidification cracking
base metals. This does not mean
ER308L with 304L base metal — these
are essentially the same.
One situation involves welding of
duplex or superduplex stainless steels.
In general, these steels are welded
with a filler metal that matches the
base metal in all respects except one
— the nickel content is significantly
higher. The higher nickel is designed
to improve austenite formation under
weld cooling conditions so that the
weld metal will have appropriate me-
chanical properties and corrosion re-
sistance. For example, 2205 base met-
al (UNS S32205 or UNS S31803) con-
taining about 5% Ni is normally weld-
ed with ER2209 (9% Ni) filler metal.
Likewise, 2507 (UNS S32750) and Ze-
ron 100, both containing about 7% Ni,
are normally welded with ER2594 (9%
Ni) filler metal. In these cases, failure
to use an open root is likely to result in
excessive ferrite in the root pass,
chromium nitride precipitation in the
ferrite, poor ductility and toughness in
the root pass, and markedly inferior
corrosion resistance in the root pass.
A second situation where an open
root is essential for optimum results
involves the welding of austenitic
stainless steels that are high in molyb-
denum content, where pitting resist-
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 29
in the root pass due to dilution of the
niobium in the filler metal to low and
crack-sensitive levels.
A third situation where an open
root is essential for optimum results
involves the use of stainless steel filler
metals chosen to produce primary fer-
rite solidification under normal dilu-
tion conditions with one or more non-
stainless steel base metals involved in
the joint. If high dilution is obtained
in these cases, as in a closed root joint
preparation, the solidification mode is
likely to change to primary austenite
and the joint becomes susceptible to
solidification cracking. This situation
may arise when carbon steel or low al-
loy steel is welded to an austenitic
stainless steel such as 304L or 316L
using filler metal like ER309L. With
normally expected dilution on the or-
der of 30% or less (half from the car-
bon steel or low-alloy steel), primary
ferrite solidification is expected and
solidification cracking is normally
avoided. But with a closed root, much
more than 30% dilution can be expect-
ed, and primary austenite solidifica-
tion with a tendency for solidification
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
30 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
cracking can also be expected.
The same thing can happen if 304L
or 316L is welded to a fully austenitic
stainless steel like 310, 330, or 320
with ER309L. Again, an open root is
beneficial and preferred.
A variant of this third situation
arises when both sides of the joint are
carbon steel or low-alloy steel and a
higher ferrite stainless steel filler met-
al like ER312 is used. ER312 might be
chosen when one side of the joint (or
both) is a high-carbon steel such as
4140 or 1080 steel. In these cases,
even with ER312 filler metal, dilution
from use of a closed root can result in
primary austenite solidification, with
likelihood of solidification cracking.
Or even worse, with high enough dilu-
tion of the root pass weld metal can
transform to martensite, be very brit-
tle, and defeat the whole purpose of
using ER312 filler metal. Then hydro-
gen-induced cracking becomes a
possibility.
In all of these situations, the func-
tion of the open root is to force the
welder to add a large amount of filler
metal to the root pass so that base
metal dilution into the root pass is
limited to about 30% maximum. In
GTA welding, there is, in general, no
connection between welding speed or
welding current and filler metal depo-
sition, so that dilution can vary from
nearly 100% to levels less than 30%.
With no root opening, the welder
tends to fuse the two base metals ex-
tensively and only add a bit of filler
metal intermittently, resulting in near-
ly 100% dilution. A typical recom-
mended root opening to provide about
30% dilution is 2 to 3 mm (5⁄64 to 1⁄8 in.).
Root openings up to 4 mm have been
successfully used. See Fig. 1 for exam-
ples of open-root joint preparations
that have been found suitable for
these situations.
Such a root opening is not easy to
maintain. The root opening has a ten-
dency to close as welding progresses
along a joint. One way to overcome
this is to place regularly spaced tacks
that are fairly heavy and are made
with the recommended filler metal. In
general, welders do not like welding
with an open root, so there is a ten-
dency for the open root to disappear
when supervision is lacking. A tech-
nique to overcome this tendency is to
place “witness marks” a fixed distance
from each edge of the joint prepara-
tion, and then to measure the spacing
between these marks after the root
pass is completed. One can then easily
determine from the measurement of
the spacing if the root was allowed to
close.
Another way to be certain that ex-
cessive base metal dilution into the
root pass does not take place is to use
a consumable insert that matches the
appropriate filler metal in the root,
and takes the place of the open root,
mainly in pipe welding. AWS A5.30/
A5.30M classifies consumable inserts,
but consumable insert rings matching
the filler metals mentioned above are,
in many cases, not classified. IN309L
and IN312 consumable inserts are
classified in AWS A5.30/A5.30M, and
these are useful in joining carbon steel
or low-alloy steel pipe to stainless steel
pipe to obtain primary ferrite solidifi-
cation in the root pass. Insert rings in
alloys matching ER2209, ER2594, ER-
NiCrMo-3, ERNiCrMo-4, and ERNiCr-
Mo-10, which are not classified in
AWS A5.30/A5.30M, can be found
online — just Google “consumable
inserts.” WJ
DAMIAN J. KOTECKI is president,
Damian Kotecki Welding Consultants,
Inc. He is treasurer of the IIW and a
member of the A5D Subcommittee on
Stainless Steel Filler Metals, D1K Sub­
committee on Stainless Steel Structural
Welding; and WRC Subcommittee on
Welding Stainless Steels and Nickel­
Base Alloys. He is a past chair of the A5
Committee on Filler Metals and Allied
Materials, and served as AWS president
(2005–2006). Questions may be sent to
Damian J. Kotecki c/o Welding Journal,
8669 NW 36 St., # 130, Miami, FL
33166, or via e­mail at
damian@damiankotecki.com.
An Important Event
on Its Way?
Send information on upcoming
events to the Welding Journal
Dept., 8669 NW 36 St., #130,
Miami, FL 33166. Items can also
be sent via FAX to (305) 443-7404
or by e-mail to ababinski@aws.org.
For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
RWMA Q&A
BY GREG LABELLE

Q: How do I select a portable spot

welding workstation?

The fundamental difference be-

tween a remote transformer cable gun
(Fig. 1) and an integral self-contained
portable spot welding machine (Fig. 2)
is the location, size, and kVA ratings of
the transformer needed to weld simi-
lar gauges of metal. These differences
can have a significant impact on the
installation and operating costs of the
selected equipment.
The welding transformer converts
the high voltage and low current of the
primary electrical service to the low
voltage and high current required at
the electrodes for welding. This sec-
ondary voltage and current is affected Fig. 1 — Illustration of a remote transformer cable gun.
by the impedance of the secondary cir-
cuit, which consists of all items joining increases the impedance, a larger welding gun and eliminates the heavy
the secondary terminal pad of the transformer is required to deliver kickless or single conductor cable. This
welding transformer to the welding the needed welding current at the in turn reduces the impedance of the
head or gun. Since the length of the electrodes. welding machine. This low impedance
kickless or single conductor cable used The transgun-type incorporates a factor allows a lower-kVA-rated trans-
with a remote transformer cable gun compact welding transformer into the former to be used. The lower KVA re-

For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index

32 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

Fig. 2 — Illustration of an integral self­contained spot welding machine.
quirement offers several advantages.
The first advantage is a reduced de-
mand on the plant electrical system,
which permits a transgun to be uti-
lized where the old-style cable gun
might overload an already loaded elec-
trical power system. The second ad-
vantage is the cost factor. The lower
kVA rating allows the user to have a
less-expensive electrical installation.
Since many electric-generating utilities
may charge rates based on plant kVA
capacity, whether fully utilized or not,
the transgun offers lower operational
costs than the cable gun.
Transguns are much more efficient
than cable-type guns. As an example, a
typical 18-kVA transgun can weld two
pieces of 0.050-in. (1.26-mm) low-
carbon mild steel requiring 10,300 sec-
ondary amperes welding current. In
order to weld the same material using
a typical cable gun, a 50-kVA or possi-
bly larger transformer is required due
to the high impedance created by the
long kickless cable. If both the trans-
gun and cable gun are designed for a
220-V primary supply, the comparison
shown in Fig. 3 of electrical efficiency
can be made.
The lower primary current demand
of the transgun means lower installa-
tion costs resulting from a lower buss
duct, switchgear and fuse require-
ments, as well as lower operational
costs.
Although cable guns are available in
a greater number of configurations,
this advantage is frequently offset by
the better maneuverability of the
transgun. The stiff kickless secondary

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Table 1 — Advantages and Disadvantages of the Two Types of Portable Spot Welding Machines
Remote Transformer Cable Gun
Welding Head Available in a variety of configurations. Many
components may be specified to meet welding
requirements. Choice of pinch, scissor, “C,” and push
types.
Transformer Available in various kVA ratings. Requires secondary
cable to connect to any style welding head. Usually
remote­mounted overhead. May require balance beam
and a heavy­duty support structure.
Secondary Cable Connects welding head to transformer. Stiff,
cumbersome. May require water cooling. Restricts
movement. High impedance.
Gyrobail Rotation usually restricted to 90–140 deg due to stiff
secondary cable. Restricted movement may require
additional welding machines.
Primary Electrical Service Requires large primary cable, buss duct, switch gear, and
fuses. Greater installation costs.
Support Structures Requires larger overhead support structures to
accommodate greater weight of large transformer.
May increase costs.
Balance Beam Usually required for hanging transformer, varying
controller and spring balancer. Additional cost item.
Spring Balancer Permits up and down motion of welding head with
reduced effort.
Fig. 3 — Comparison of electrical efficiency.
cable of the remote transformer cable costs, as well as a lower cost per weld.
gun can severely restrict its maneuver- The new generation of self-
ability. It limits the rotation from only contained suspended transguns offer
90 to 140 deg. This may require two or additional economies. Self-contained
more cable-type guns to weld an as- transguns feature built-in micro-
sembly. Each additional gun would processor welding controls and encap-
mean greater equipment, installation, sulated solid-state contactors that
and probably labor costs as well. eliminate the old-style remote-
Since the transgun eliminates the mounted controller cabinet, further
stiff kickless cable, it can usually be ro- reducing the installation and servicing
tated a full 360 deg in three planes. cost. Combination earth leakage detec-
Due to this greater maneuverability, a tors and circuit breakers replace the
single transgun may now replace two electromagnetic isolation contactor
or more cable guns with a resultant re- common to the older generation
duction in capital equipment expendi- transguns.
tures, lower installation and labor Table 1 offers a summary of fea-
34 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
Transgun
Fixed geometric design. Major components
cannot be relocated. Usually choice of scissor
or “C” types.
Compact, lighter weight. Built into welding head.
Normally single kVA rating per model. Higher
kVA requires selection of a larger model. Usually
does not require heavy­duty support structure.
Eliminated. Small­diameter, primary cable, direct­
to­integral transformer.
Normally 360­deg rotation in two or three planes.
Greater maneuverability.
Smaller primary cable, buss duct, and so on. May
be installed in shop areas having limited electrical
service.
No special heavy construction needed.
Eliminated.
Permits up and down motion of welding head with
reduced effort.
tures with advantages and disadvan-
tages that may help fabricators
compare the merits and costs of
both types of portable spot welding
machines.
As we can see from the comparison,
both types of equipment can be used
for large, difficult-to-handle work-
pieces not suited for conventional sta-
tionary spot welding machines. While
the traditional cable gun may be best
suited for those applications where the
welding head is used in a single plane
and in a confined area, the need for
maneuverability, rotation of the weld-
ing head, and/or welding in more than
one plane may warrant the use of a
transgun. WJ
GREGORY W. LABELLE is president and CEO
of LORS Machinery, a Resistance Welding
Solutions, Inc., company, Union, N.J. Send
your comments and questions to Greg La­
belle c/o Welding Journal, 8669 NW 36 St.,
# 130, Miami, FL 33166, or via e­mail at
greg@lors.com.
Greiner’s job shop arsenal now includes the
world’s largest steel rolling capacity.

W40x593# I-beam being rolled to a

100-ft. radius.

Our Roundo R-16S Angle Rolling Machine is only the second machine
with this technology and capacity in the world, and the only one in
the United States. It can roll any beam size either the easy way or the
hard way. It can roll a W40-in. by 211-lb. beam to a radius less than
100 ft. with almost no distortion. Plus, roll up to 24-in.-OD pipe with
2-in. wall thickness.

Give it to us straight, and we’ll handle the curves

• Plate Forming: 2,750-ton Press Brake with 40' long bed
• Plate Rolling: Up to 4-3/4" thick by 12' wide carbon steel
• I-Beam Rolling: Up to 44" the “hard way” and any size the “easy way”
• Pipe Rolling: Up to 24" in diameter with 2
wall thickness
• Tube Rolling: Up to 30" square
• Channel Rolling: Up to 36" the “easy way” and 24" the “hard way”
• Structural Steel Fabrication
• Angle Rolling: Up to 12" by 12" • Steel Plate & Sheet Metal Fabrication
• Tees: Any size • Miscellaneous Metals
• Solid Bar Rolling: Up to 14" square and up to 16" round • Machining
• Flat Bar Rolling: Up to 40" by 7" the “easy way” and • Rolling & Forming Services
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(AISC Certified for Major Steel
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PRODUCT & PRINT SPOTLIGHT
Work Boot Protects Feet from
Crush and Impact Injuries
The Mt. Vernon work boot, avail-
able in 6- and 8-in. silhouettes, is
made of waterproof, full-grain leather
and features a KEEN.DRY waterproof,
breathable membrane with a Hy-
drophobic/Hydrophilic 2-zone comfort
lining delivering ventilation while
keeping feet dry. An oil- and slip-resis-
tant nonmarking rubber outsole fea-
tures channels that divert water, im-
prove stability, and meet Mark II non-
slip testing standards. Left and right
asymmetrical steel toes help protect
36 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
the delicate bones of the feet from
crush and impact injuries and meet
ASTM EH standards. Locking metal
lace hooks, a removable metatomical
dual-density EVA footbed, and TPU
shank for midfoot support make this
boot useful for a variety of work appli-
cations and environments.
KEEN Utility
www.keenutility.com
(800) 509­5336
Soldering System Optimizes
Laser Exposure Diameters
The company’s Multi-Phi laser sol-
dering system, which offers adjustable
beam spot diameters from 0.1 to 3.0
mm, optimizes laser exposure diame-
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
ters to fit any component size or board
pattern. Laser beam spot diameters
are adjustable without moving. The
variable spot diameters allow ideal sol-
dering outcomes to diverse compo-
nent shapes or various land patterns.
Both quality and speed are enhanced
because optimal conditions are de-
signed to each component.
Japan Unix Co., Ltd.
www.japanunix.com
81 3 3588 0551
Revised Welding Curriculum
Emphasizes Safety
The fifth edition of NCCER’s Weld-
ing Level 1 and Level 2 curriculum has
been updated to continue to meet the
most current industry standards. The
curriculum aligns with the American
Welding Society’s Schools Excelling
through National Skills Education
(SENSE) Entry Welder program. The
curriculum was revised by subject mat-
ter to incorporate the latest methods,
technology, tools, and techniques. In-
cluded are metric conversions, updat-
ed photos of new technology, and a
broadened emphasis on safety. In
addition, it is now in full color and
features a new instructional design
complete with lesson plans, class-
room activities, and PowerPoint
presentations.

NCCER
www.nccer.org For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
(888) 622­3720

Soldering Machine Fits Into Cell

Production Environments Education That Workks
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The Smartflow 2020 selective

soldering machine requires less than
3 sq m of space, fitting optimally into
cell production environments. In all
process steps, the automatic system
uses the same technology as the com-
pany’s large Versaflow systems. Due to
its universal pallet fastening, the ma-
chine can handle PCB sizes of up to
508 × 508 mm.
1.88800.238.D
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Lightweight Lenses Provide guard lenses are lightweight Drum Packaging Breaks Down
Full Face Protection and provide full face and eye protec- Flat for Easy Disposal
tion against spatters, small particles,
The company’s polycarbonate Brow- and nonhazardous liquids. Its wrap-
around design can be worn comfort-
ably with impact-resistant safety
glasses. Available in clear, dark green,
IR3, and IR5, the lenses do not yellow
over time and meet ANSI Z87.1
standards.

Allegro Industries
www.allegrosafety.com
(800) 622­3530 The Smart Pak® drum packaging is
100% recyclable, and breaks down flat
for easy disposal, reducing downtimes
associated with change outs. Lifting
straps allow for easy maneuverability,
and a wire let-off system provides
Prepare for
o smooth feeding. The box package is
Light Speed.
Speed available in round, square, and quick-
disconnect pay-off options.

National Standard
www.nationalstandard.com
(800) 777­1618

Soldering Device Useful for

Reliable, Repeatable Bonds

The word is out. We asked real-world “Using the HPPX-PR

- O has saveed
HPX-PRO users for their thoughts on us in exposur
x e times, majorly
boosting productivity.”
its performance in the field. And the
- NDT Technician
e Level 3
feedback was everything we already
knew about this portable, rugged “W e results
We can image and delivver
little unit. So, don’t take it from us, to our clients much fast
a err.”
- NDT Department Head
see what your colleagues have to say
about the HPX-PRO in action. “W i minimal training we put it
With
to work immediatelyy, the sofftware The newhorizon pulsed heat reflow
is really easy to understand.” soldering device is designed to maxi-
- NDT Technician
e Level 2 mize production output and is useful
“What a space saver!” for flex to ceramic, component to
- NDT Technician
e Level 3 printed circuit board (PCB), flex to
PCB, wire to PCB, and leadframe to
“W o pipe weld testing,
We use it for PCB. Using a Uniflow® 4 pulse-heated
the portability allows us to get reflow soldering power supply, the
really close to the job site.” newhorizon hot-bar reflow soldering
- NDT Technician
e Level 3 systems provide integrated heat
“It has made our livves
e much process control. Included in the stan-
easier in the field.” dard system configuration are pneu-
Wiinnerr of the 2015 Global Frrost & Sulliva
an
Award fo or New Product Innova ation - NDT Department Head matic bonding heads and two- or
three-dimensional thermodes, X-Y
See th
he HPX-PRO in action, go to: thermode planarity adjustment, elec-
www.carestream.com/hpx-pro/ tronic temperature and system con-
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trol, and digital bond force readout.
— continued on page 40
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38 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
 PRODUCT & PRINT SPOTLIGHT
WOORK
RK
— continued from page 38
The unit features active integrated
cooling for heavy-duty cycle
operation.
SSM
MART
M ART
RT
Amada Miyachi America, Inc.
www.amadamiyachi.com
(626) 303­5676
PPE Management Safety
Reduces Paperwork
Model 200 Positioner
3 models av
, when welding, grinding, or brazing.
. The 4 × 4-ft versatile quilt is a rugged
Active Safety, a personal protective
equipment (PPE) management sys-
Mode el 1200 Pipemate tem, helps reduce paperwork and time
Rottates pipe and tube spent on documentation and compli-
from 1 ½” to 17” diameter,, ance tasks. The software tool allows
environmental, health, and safety
(EHS) professionals to access data
when and where they need it, identify
trends, and ultimately help employers
keep workers safe and healthy. It uses
radio-frequency identification (RFID)
tags and cloud-based software that
runs on both mobile and desktop de-
vices. To deploy, EHS professionals
add each piece of PPE onto the plat-
form. An RFID tag is attached to each
piece, and a user scans that tag with a
mobile device to record PPE history,
usage, and location. It can also be used
to schedule upcoming events, such as
worker inspections and fit testing,
and can access data from a PPE pro-
gram on a simple dashboard. Addi-
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index tional features include worker-specific
40 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
record management, inspections and
maintenance, PPE audits, inventory
management and trackers for employ-
ee training, medical evaluations, and
fit testing.
3M
www.3m.com
(888) 364­3577
Hot Work Pad Meets NFPA
51B Requirements
The company has added Fire Quilt™
to its AMI-GUARD® line of hot-work
protection products. The modular hot-
work pad can be used as an FM-
approved curtain, blanket, or pad
modular composite of fabric and insu-
lation that provides added protection
and strength. It comes with grommets
on one side for easy hanging for verti-
cal work and is sturdy enough to be
used as a self-standing welding screen.
The quilted composite is composed of
a fiberglass insulation mat between
two layers of fiberglass fabric that is
coated with a specially formulated
black silicone compound. It repels wa-
ter, grease, and dirt and is approved
for all hot work in accordance with
NFPA 51B requirements.
Auburn Manufacturing, Inc.
www.auburnmfg.com
(800) 264­6689
Selective Soldering System
Includes Jet Fluxer
The IS-T-300, an all-in-one selec-
tive fluxing and soldering system,
comes fully equipped with high-preci-
sion drop-jet fluxing, laser-controlled
wave height compensation, and CAD
data import. Its solid titanium solder
pot and pump assembly, with a 12-kg
capacity for either lead-free or eutectic
solder, is mounted to a heavy-duty,
— continued on page 110
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Six Things to Consider before
Purchasing Ambient Fume
Collection Equipment
BY KAREN WEAR

Weld fume rising through a worker’s breathing zone.

Here are some

A
re you considering the installation of an ambient weld fume
collection system in your facility? Ambient systems provide
some benefits ducted systems don’t, so they’re worth a review.
things to think Following are some common misconceptions to consider before you
make a final decision.

about before you

Misconception 1: Airflow
make a buying Patterns Can Easily Be Predicted
Reality: The truth is we can’t be certain air will flow in a direction
decision just because we want it to. Sophisticated modeling software can

46 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

predict airflow patterns, but air can
only be forced in a direction when it is
channeled in a container (such as a
duct). Airflow modeling software has
its limitations, as air patterns are af-
fected by fans, make-up air systems,
open windows and doors, large sta-
tionary machines, moving machines,
beams/poles, curtains, and even the
people moving in the plant. Computer
models give us a general idea of air
patterns, but measuring patterns in
the real world is the only way to see
how the air actually flows.
Misconception 2: Air Can Be
Forced in a Push/Pull Pattern
Reality: Systems designed to cre-
ate a circular or racetrack air pattern
are often not as effective as shown on
paper. Depending on the size of the fa-
cility and the disturbing influences, air
may simply not have enough energy to
push across a large expanse and com-
plete the designed circuit. Air exhaust
can be thrown long distances, but it is
practically impossible to pull air across
even a very short distance. Air exiting
a duct retains roughly 10% of the ex-
haust velocity at a length 30 times the
diameter of the duct, but air entering a
duct is moving at 10% of the inlet ve-
locity only when it gets within about a
length of the duct diameter. To over-
come this condition of physics, a larger
volume of air has to be forced to move
in order to create the capture of fume
at the intake of a system. Therefore, it
takes a much larger fan (at a much
higher energy cost) to produce this
type of airflow pattern for large-vol-
ume spaces, and there may still be a
gap where the pushed air just can’t
reach the next collector in the circuit.
Misconception 3: Ambient
Collection Can Be Focused
on One Area
Reality: Ambient control strategies
function by allowing contaminants to
be diluted as they enter the plant air
space. The plant air is then filtered to
avoid an increase in contaminant con-
centrations above an acceptable
threshold. Contaminants are diluted
by the general air in the plant, not just
the air from the welding operations or
specific areas of the facility, unless
physical barriers are used to isolate the
contaminant-producing sections of
the plant.
Directional nozzles can help direct
air in a certain direction, but the air
will diffuse into the overall room as it
leaves the exhaust opening. The reality
is that the only way to prevent fume
from dispersing into the general sur-
rounding plant environment is to col-
lect it at the source and prevent the
contaminant from being diluted by
plant air.
Misconception 4: Ambient
Systems Have a Smaller
Footprint than Multiple
Source Collection Systems
Reality: In general, ambient collec-
tors need to be larger than source col-
lectors because they filter the entire
volume of air in the plant several
times an hour. Ambient collection is
generally considered as dilution venti-
lation to control average concentra-
tions of contaminants in the plant at
or below the acceptable threshold for
the contaminant.
Efficient filters can remove the con-
taminants, but ambient collection re-
moves the contaminant only after
those contaminants have passed
through the breathing zone of the
worker. By comparison, source capture
strategies use smaller air volumes to
control contaminants at their points
of generation so contaminants are di-
rected to collectors before they reach
the worker’s breathing zone. The net
result is often a smaller total footprint
for source control of contaminants.
Misconception 5: Inlet
Location Does Not Matter
Reality: There are no formal indus-
trial ventilation guidelines for ambient
fume collection, but here is a general
observation. Weld fume tends to rise,
due to heat during generation, until it
reaches the elevation of any stagnant
air layer in the plant. This creates a
blanket of fume that lingers and con-
centrates. The actual elevation of this
stagnant layer is influenced by many
variables, including the shape and
temperature of the plant ceiling and
the presence and influence of all the
disturbing air currents in the plant.
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 47
Collection strategies that employ high
air inlets and floor-level filtered air re-
turns tend to leverage the fume’s natu-
ral rise and can disrupt the stagnant
layer effect, creating a general air pat-
tern that carries fume to the filtration
system’s inlets.
By contrast, when air inlets are too
low (below the stagnant air layer ele-
vation), or filtered air is returned too
high (above the stagnant air layer ele-
vation), air patterns created in the
plant can actually work against con-
trolling the fume, leading to poor over-
all system performance.
Misconception 6: Ambient
Collection Protects Plant
Workers
Reality: Ambient collection strate-
gies seem like a great way to ensure
concentrations of fume are kept low to
avoid overexposure, but ambient fume
collection is a dilution ventilation
strategy. In ambient collection strate-
gies, contaminants pass through the
worker’s breathing zone as they are be-
ing diluted by plant air. The collector
system works to remove contaminants
at a rate to avoid increasing contami-
nant concentrations on average in the
plant, but fumes pass through the
worker’s breathing zone before they
are fully diluted, creating an opportu-
nity for overexposure. To avoid this
risk, you may need other strategies,
such as personal protection equipment
(PPE). Source collection strategies
avoid the overexposure risk by control-
ling the contaminants at their point of
generation, thereby preventing con-
taminants from crossing the worker’s
breathing zone.
Summary
Ambient collection strategies can
provide benefits, but you must under-
stand their limitations and implement
them only when they fit your plant’s
needs. To ensure you address worker
overexposure and facility housekeep-
ing, consider a combination of source
and ambient collection, and PPE to
cover your entire weld fume collection
needs. WJ
KAREN WEAR is a product manager for
Donaldson Torit, Minneapolis, Minn.,
www.donaldsontorit.com.
Keeping Inspection Technology in Pace
with Weld-Industry Advancements
As the welding industry expands,
inspection technology tools must
be improved
T
he 19th century marked the be-
ginning of the modern welding
age, and up to the present day
there have been continuous advance-
ments in the science and technology of
the global welding industry. Naturally,
this evolution created a demand for
more advanced welding quality stan-
dards, and therefore a coinciding evo-
lution in welding inspection technolo-
gy. Today we use more inspection
techniques, testing methods, and non-
destructive examination (NDE) equip-
ment than ever before to achieve weld
quality assurance.
Certified Welding Inspectors
(CWIs) and Certified Welding Educa-
tors (CWEs) uphold the standards of
weld quality and safety published by
the American Welding Society (AWS).
In order to adhere to these crucial
standards, CWIs and CWEs must use
the most advanced inspection equip-
ment and visual inspection methods
available. Looking for visual clues in
prior-to-weld examination, using spe-
cialized cameras during the weld
process, and utilizing NDE equipment
must be done in parallel in order to
achieve complete weld quality assur-
ance — Fig. 1. This also presents the
need for using this inspection equip-
ment in the welding classroom to en-
sure the latest weld testing techniques
are passed down to future CWIs and
CWEs.
History of Welding Industry
Quality Standards
The history of joining metals can be
dated back several millennia to the
Bronze and Iron Ages in Europe and
the Middle East. It was not until the
Industrial Revolution in the 19th cen-
48 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
BY WILL HABERMANN
tury that the modern-day electric arc
was discovered. Electric arc welding
techniques and technologies remained
rudimentary up until World War I and
II — Fig. 2. During this time period,
especially in the United States, the
manufacturing industry saw a massive
increase in demand for military equip-
ment, and therefore quality standardi-
zation became a necessity.
Scientific standards needed to be
objectively documented and published
Fig. 1 — Live weld inspection using the
as the welding industry rapidly accel- Visible Welding WeldWatch V 2015-Z
erated. The AWS began continually camera aides a welder by providing real-
publishing the Welding Journal in time, light-filtered video while recording
1922, and from there has published work performed.
more than 100 codes, procedures, and
safety regulations that provide weld-
ing quality assurance across the global
industry. In order to uphold these
standards and keep pace with this rap-
id, scientific evolution of the industry,
demand grew for weld inspection tech-
nology that could satisfy the complex
quality standards and regulations.
The Reliable Eye
Despite all of the modern inspec-
tion technologies in today’s welding in- Fig. 2 — Women workers weld handles
dustry, unaided visual examination during World War II.
continues to be the primary method to
control satisfactory welding. An experi-
enced set of eyes remains the key per-
formance indicator for ensuring weld
quality before, during, and after the
weld process. Visual examination is
fundamental to ensure joint fitup, set-
ting and marking hold/check points,
and checking for base metal disconti-
nuities and cleanliness. This sets the
Fig. 3 — Live weld viewing images of the
groundwork for a proper weld and usu- gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
ally requires no visual aid equipment process. The electrode and feed rod are
unless the target area of the weld is clearly visible to ensure alignment during
blind. It is not until the actual weld filler passes.
 A
C duced by the arc. It is possible to view
Fig. 4 — Live weld viewing in the class-
room proves to be a useful learning tool.
Using the Visible Welding WeldWatch V
2015-Z camera, the three images are
from the same GMA weld pass. A — A
well-formed conical arc shape and pool;
B — a point where an exhaust fan comes
too close to the weld and pulls the
shielding gas away from the arc; C —the
arc shape becomes blob-like and incon-
sistent, therefore causing porosity in the
finished weld.
process begins that technology plays a
heavy role in quality assurance.
Live Weld Viewing
Most commonly, visual examina-
tion of welding occurs before and after
the actual welding takes place, but live
viewing remains very limited due to
Fig. 5 — A cross section of slag inclusion from flux cored arc welding using Flux-Core
Dual-Shield 710X-U feed wire. This defect is not visible unless radiographic or ultrasonic
nondestructive methods are used or destructive methods are used in postweld inspection.
the bright and harmful UV light pro-
a live weld with welding glass shields
or helmets, but this still may remain
difficult. Specialized wide-dynamic-
range cameras provide valuable infor-
mation during the welding process to
give CWIs added advantages to control
welding quality, and therefore save
valuable time and material.
New digital camera technology
along with software is able to take dif-
ferent exposure values of the bright
arc and compile them into one homog-
enous, viewable image — Fig. 3. Certi-
fied Welding Inspectors are able to use
these images to analyze live welds in
order to keep its quality up to industry
standards. For example, in automated
tube fabrication, an inspector/opera-
tor is able to notice when alignment is
off or the arc shape is malformed, and
is able to adjust or shut down the au-
tomated process to save valuable time
and material.
With cameras that have recording
capabilities, CWIs can analyze the
footage of the root pass and filler pass-
es to verify electrode alignment with
the weld joint. There are opportunities
to view arc shape and the molten met-
al pool size. This visual evidence rein-
forces what caused an unsatisfactory
weld joint during the postweld inspec-
tion. These images also are very im-
portant educational tools that a CWE
can use in the classroom.
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 49
Live Weld Viewing in the
Classroom
Viewing a live weld arc by welders
in training proves to be very valuable
in a classroom. Visual examination
techniques are easily taught with AWS
Standards (AWS B1.11, Guide for the
Visual Examination of Welds) for pre-
and postweld inspection. Teaching
what to look for during the welding
process proves more difficult. Using
weld viewing camera images on large
monitor display gives students vital
examples as to why welding defects
may occur — Fig. 4. With live weld
viewing cameras, the CWE can show
multiple students at once on a display
monitor what improper arc shapes and
colors look like, bad alignment of the
electrode/torch in relation to the weld-
ing joint, and the pool formation and
size.
Postweld Inspection
To effectively complete a thorough
welding inspection, it is sometimes
imperative to use appropriate NDE
equipment, and at times, use destruc-
tive examination techniques to achieve
total weld quality assurance. Defects
such as incorrect weld geometry,
porosity, and cracks are easily identi-
fied by the eye, but not all weld defects
are discoverable from a surface visual
examination. The use of ultrasonic
and radiographic testing methods are
important to reveal any defects that
occur below the welding surface, such
as slag inclusion — Fig. 5.
Using NDE methods in conjunction
with recorded visual images from the
live weld cameras make postweld as-
sessments easier when gauging
whether or not the performed work
meets industry standards. Additional-
ly, the CWE can instruct students how
to use NDE equipment to find welding
defects, and then reinforce how those
defects occur by review of the recorded
visuals.
The final postwelding testing tech-
nique is destructive testing. Bend and
pull tests and macrographs of weld
cross sections prove the weld to be
sound and are useful educational ex-
amples. Figure 5 shows a clear exam-
ple of a postweld slag inclusion that
would not be visible without using
X-ray or ultrasonic imaging and then
cutting a cross section of the joint.
Conclusion
Certified Welding Inspectors and
Educators uphold the AWS welding
50 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
quality standards with the latest in-
spection technology and effective
training with the use of this technolo-
gy. Appropriate inspection methods
and testing equipment must not only
be used during every phase of the weld
process, but also be used in tandem to
ensure complete weld quality assur-
ance during production. Visual exami-
nation and documentation before,
during, and after the basic and ad-
vanced weld processes remain the
backbone for inspection. In the pres-
ent day, where time and materials are
more costly, there is a higher demand
for utilizing more innovative weld in-
spection
technology for maximum production
efficiency.
Weld inspection technology is not
only an aid, but a critical component
to ensure applicable quality and safety
standards are met. It is critical for
CWIs and CWEs to use camera tech-
nology while the weld is taking place
in order to illustrate and analyze im-
portant aspects of why and how de-
fects, such as porosity, cracks, and slag
inclusion may occur. Additionally, the
use of ultrasonic and X-ray NDE equip-
ment helps identify subsurface defects
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
that disqualify a poor weld. These test-
ing methods used comprehensively
during the various stages of welding
will decrease chances of missing a
weld defect.
As we move forward in the 21st
century, more welding techniques and
methods will be invented, innovated
upon, and implemented in manufac-
turing and construction weld process-
es. The quality of parts, assemblies,
and structures will continue to become
more complex. It is only natural that
the highest quality welding methods
and industry standards must keep
pace with our evolving, globally indus-
trial world. In order to meet or exceed
these standards, inspection-technolo-
gy tools must be innovated upon and
utilized to help the manufacturing and
construction industries continue to
flourish. WJ
WILL HABERMANN
(whabermann@intertest.com)
is technical product coordinator,
Intertest, Inc., Columbia, N.J.
For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
Safety Tips for
Weld Prep in Pipe
Fabrication
Fig. 1 — Any good weld starts with proper surface
preparation. Following common safety tips when using
the various tools for weld preparation in pipe fabrica-
tion can provide a safer environment for the operator
and workers who may be working in close proximity.

These guidelines will help you

safely obtain a clean surface in BY DAVID JESCOVITCH

preparation for welding

A
ny good weld starts with proper
surface preparation — Fig. 1. In
pipe welding, there are stringent
quality and code requirements, mak-
ing good weld preparation and starting
with a clean surface especially critical.
Surface preparation and interpass
and postweld cleaning can help pre-
vent issues such as porosity and in-
complete fusion that can cause a weld
to fail, which results in time and mon-
ey spent on rework.
While surface conditioning plays an
important role in pipe fabrication in
the shop and in the field, many weld-
ing operators receive little training in
the key safety issues involved in prop-
er surface conditioning.

52 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

 Following some common safety tips
for weld preparation can help keep op-
erators safe and improve the quality of
welds produced.
The Pipe Fabrication
Process
Typically when joining two pieces of
pipe, a bevel is cut on each pipe end.
Even when a pipe is beveled on the
ends, it still must be properly prepared
for the welding process. This elimi-
nates any rust, pitting, or corrosion
that can take place on the bevel itself.
In addition, there is a flat portion near
the bevel called the “land,” which also
must be properly cleaned.
Once the bevels and lands are pre-
pared and ready to be welded, the two
joints of pipe are lined up with an ap-
propriate root opening for welding. In
most cases, they are tack welded to-
gether. Those tack welds may be
ground or touched up with a grinding
or cutting wheel before the root pass
is laid.
After the root pass is complete, it is
Fig. 2 — For the safest operation, it’s important for the operator to position his entire
body square with the work surface, rather than just moving his arms. This allows the
operator to get the proper work angle and have the most control over the tool. Using
both hands and having one hand on the tool handle helps ensure a secure hold on
the tool, to resist kickback and slippage.
typically ground with a thin grinding
wheel to prepare the surface for the
next pass in the welding application —
the hot pass. After the hot pass is laid
down, a wire brush is typically used for
cleaning between each of the remain-
ing passes to remove any impurities or
slag.
Many of the same safety tips apply
to the various stages of pipe fabrica-
tion, no matter the surface prepara-
tion tool being used or the size of the
tool.
A general safety tip to be aware of
during weld preparation and interpass
cleaning of pipe is to watch any pinch
points where a wheel can snag and get
tied up in a tight area, which can result
in kickback of the tool.
Also, when there are two welding
operators welding on the same piece of
pipe — which often happens with
large-diameter pipe — the area where
their two separate welds meet is called
the button. This is typically a difficult
area to clean with a wire brush. Take
care to avoid applying too much pres-
sure when cleaning the button, which
can lead to wire breakage. Instead, in-
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 53
crease the “dwell time” at that spot by
allowing the brush to sit and spin in
that area without moving the grinder.
This lets the wire points hit that sur-
face for a longer amount of time to
clear up any small pockets that can
happen inside the button.
Appropriate Tool
Selection
For weld preparation in pipe fabri-
cation — just as with any surface con-
ditioning work — it’s important to
match the speed and size of the tool to
the speed and size of the accessory.
This applies whether the tool being
used is a wire brush, a grinding wheel,
or a flap disc.
No matter what type of accessory is
used to prepare the weld, the speed of
the accessory must meet or exceed the
rated speed of the tool for safe usage.
If the rpm rating on the tool or acces-
sory cannot be read, it should not be
used.
Always using tool guards is another
important safety step in weld prepara-
tion. Any accessory used with a tool
should fit inside the guard for safe
usage.
Some manufacturers make tool
guards that are easily moved or adjust-
ed, which can offer benefits for pipe
welding since the welding operator
may be continually changing positions
around the diameter of the pipe.
The tool guard should be posi-
tioned between the welding operator
and the working end of the tool or ac-
cessory to provide the appropriate lev-
el of protection.
Use the Right Amount
of Pressure
Whether preparing a weld in the
shop or in the field — and no matter
the tool — using the appropriate
amount of pressure is a safety tip that
always applies.
The pressure being applied should
basically be the weight of the tool be-
ing used. Applying too much pressure
when using a wire brush can cause the
wires to break. Applying too much
pressure when using a flap disc or
grinding wheel can cause the operator
to slip and possibly be injured.
The important thing to remember
about pressure is operators should ap-
ply only the weight of the tool, with-
 out leaning on the tool or pushing
hard, for the best and safest results. If
the welding operator has to apply
pressure to get the job done, it’s likely
he or she is using the wrong accessory
or using the tool at the wrong speed.
Proper Positioning
Using the proper positioning —
both of the tool and of the operator’s
body in relation to the workpiece — is
another important safety considera-
tion in weld preparation. This can be
more difficult when pipe welding in
the field, where often larger pipes can-
not be moved and the operator must
change positions around the pipe.
For the safest operation, it’s impor-
tant for the operator to position his or
her entire body square with the work
surface, rather than just moving his or
her arms — Fig. 2. This allows the op-
erator to get the proper work angle
and have the most control over the
tool. Using both hands and having one
hand on the tool handle helps ensure a
secure hold on the tool, to resist kick-
back and slippage.
The orientation of the tool on the
work surface is also important for op-
erator safety. Some tools should be
held perpendicular to the surface,
while others should be held flat
against the surface. This helps ensure
the right pressure is being used on the
tool, to reduce the chances of an oper-
ator slipping.
Watch for Wear
Another factor to keep in mind for
the safest usage of tools and acces-
sories in weld preparation is to watch
for wear of the products.
Often, as a product becomes small-
er in diameter with use over time, it
can become harder to control. This can
pose safety issues for operators. Over
time, the wires in wire brushes can
also begin to break down and have the
potential to come off during use,
which is a sign that it’s time to replace
the brush.
When a wheel stops cutting at the
rate that it was designed for, an opera-
tor has a tendency to apply more pres-
sure, which increases the chances of
slipping and injury. The need to apply
more pressure to get the same per-
formance from the product is another
sign that the accessory should be
replaced.
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
54 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
Additionally, as a grinding wheel or
cutoff wheel wears and becomes small-
er, it should never be used with a tool
of a different size for which it was not
designed. For example, a 9-in. grinding
wheel that reduces in diameter with
use should not be used on a 6-in.
grinder just because it fits. Remember,
the rpm rating of the accessory must
meet or exceed the rpm rating of the
tool.
Not only is the product worn down
so much that control becomes harder,
but it’s also an issue of the depth of
cut or reach of the accessory once it
becomes smaller with use. It may not
reach the areas necessary on a very
thick pipe, for example, which impacts
easy access and maneuverability for
the operator.
Be Safe in Weld
Preparation
Following these common safety tips
when using the various tools for weld
preparation in pipe fabrication can
provide a safer environment for the
operator and workers who may be
working in close proximity.
Using the proper procedures not
only improves the safety for operators,
it also can have an impact on the fin-
ished weld quality and result in re-
duced rework, saving time and money.
A quality weld starts with a clean,
prepared surface. Keep safety guide-
lines in mind when performing these
common tasks for welding. WJ
DAVID JESCOVITCH
(DJescovitch@weilercorp.com)
is market development manager,
Weiler Corp., Cresco, Pa.
Change of Address?
Moving?
Make sure delivery of your Welding Jour-
nal is not interrupted. Contact Maria
Trujillo in the Membership Department
with your new address information —
(800) 443-9353, ext. 204; mtrujillo@aws.org.
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Our contractors and ironworkers are hired to o build the most intricate projects on Earth. Rest asssured, your
project will be in great hands. For more inforrmation please call 1.800.545.4921.

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For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY
Reliability Analysis of
Pin-in-Hole Solder Joints
Model predictions addressed a sequence of
multiple environments that encompassed
handling, transportation, and use segments
within the assembly lifetime
A
reliability assessment was made
of the thermal mechanical fa-
tigue (TMF) resistance of defec-
tive through-hole solder joints on an
encapsulated printed wiring assembly
(PWA).
Printed Wiring Assembly
A schematic diagram is shown in
Fig. 1 of a “nontypical” PWA that has
components — resistors, capacitors,
etc. — “sandwiched” between two
through-hole printed wiring boards
(PWBs). Some components had the
leads soldered to one PWB with 63Sn-
37Pb (wt-%) alloy; others had one lead
soldered to each of the two PWBs us-
ing the same solder. The internal vol-
ume and external regions around the
PWBs were encapsulated with a glass
microballoon-filled epoxy to enhance
the assembly’s resistance to mechani-
cal shock.
Solder joints exposed to tempera-
ture cycling environments can experi-
ence thermal mechanical fatigue
(TMF) degradation that eventually
leads to cracked joints and an electri-
cally open circuit. Partially filled solder
joints pose an unknown reliability risk
especially in the presence of an encap-
sulant and the complex configuration
in Fig. 1. This circumstance warranted
the use of the solder fatigue computa-
tional model to predict the risk posed
by the defective interconnections to
56 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
the reliability of the PWA (Refs. 1, 2).
The computational modeling analy-
sis began with the development of ap-
propriate finite element meshes of the
various PWA constructions. Then, the
model was exercised to predict TMF of
the solder joints, taking into account
the multiple temperature cycling con-
ditions that occur during handling,
transportation, and use. Two failure
criteria were established that were
based on the number of temperature
cycles required to initiate a TMF crack
or cause 100% cracking that causes an
electrical open.
Setup of the Model
Finite Element Model. The blue re-
sistor in Fig. 1 was selected because its
configuration was more prone to TMF
in its solder joints. The development
of the finite element model is illustrat-
ed in Fig. 2 for the blue resistor in Fig.
1. Figure 2A shows the resistor body,
the solder joints, and the bottom PWB
to which the solder joints were made.
The introduction of the second, top
PWB and the encapsulant are shown
in Fig. 2B. The encapsulant is located
between the PWBs as well as under-
neath them; it was left out from above
the top PWB because it had minimal
effect on the TMF of the blue resistor’s
solder joints.
The presence or absence of encap-
sulant from underneath the bottom
BY P. T. VIANCO AND
M. K. NEILSEN
Fig. 1 — Schematic of the PWA. The com-
ponents are attached to one PWB (blue
resistor) or to both PWBs (green resistor).
The interior volumes and areas above
and below the PWBs were filled with an
encapsulant.
PWB affected the fatigue of the solder
joints. This case, which is shown in
Fig. 2C, addresses the worst-case sce-
nario of a void having developed in the
encapsulant.
The two solder joints of the resistor
are labeled “1” and “2.” Preliminary
modeling predictions indicated solder
joint 1, directly under the component,
experienced a greater degree of TMF
due in large part to the interaction be-
tween the resistor body and the encap-
sulant. Therefore, the finite element
model considered only joint 1.
The need to address only a single
solder joint allowed for the finite ele-
ment model, which at this point had
cylindrical symmetry, to be reduced
further to a 10-deg “pie slice” geome-
try as shown in Fig. 3. The predictions
 BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY

Fig. 3 — The 3-D finite element model (left) is reduced to the 10-deg slice model (right) by
considering only joint 1.

Fig. 4 — The 3-D solid model of the 1 joint is shown at left. The finite element mesh of the
10-deg slice is shown to the right.

Fig. 2 — Solid models show the single
symmetry plane of the assembly: A — Re-
sistor, its solder joints (labeled 1 and 2),
and the PWB; B — both PWBs and the en-
capsulant located between them and un-
derneath the bottom PWB; C — the same
as B except the encapsulant was
eliminated from underneath the bottom
PWB.
retained adequate fidelity.
The finite element construct shown
in Fig. 4 represents the baseline case
having full fillets on both sides of the
joint. The initial 3-D solid model is
shown at left and the 10-deg-slice fi-
nite element mesh is presented at
right.
The computational model analyzed
four variations of hole fill. The finite
element meshes illustrated in Fig. 5
are 100, 75, and 50% hole fill, respec-
tively. Figure 5D shows the case of en-
capsulant being absent from under the
PWB and the 50% hole fill. The miss-
ing solder was replaced by encapsulant
in the holes (magenta arrows).
Temperature Cycle Conditions.
The temperature cycling condition ex-
perienced in service had three seg-
ments. There are two transportation
and handling segments, #1 and #2, as
well as the final use segment. The de-
tails of the three segments are listed
below, including the minimum and
maximum temperature limits, which
define temperature range, ΔT; hold
times at temperature limits; the ramp
rates between the limits; and number
of cycles:
• Transportation and handling
segment #1: –29°C/49°C; 10-h holds;
2 h/ramp; 15 cycles;
• Transportation and handling
segment #2: –18°C/49°C; 10-h holds;
2 h/ramp; 15 cycles;
• Use segment: 16°C/33°C; 1 cycle/
year; sinusoidal between limits; 60
cycles (years).
The following methodology was
used to predict the total percentage of
TMF used up by the combination of
serial environments. The analysis be-
gan with the transportation and han-
dling segment #1 (–29°C/49°C; 24-h
period). Crack initiation is the failure
criterion, which is designated with the
subscript, i. The computational model
calculated the number of cycles re-
quired to reach crack initiation under
the transportation and handling seg-
ment #1, Ni, #1, to be 3600 cycles. How-
ever, the solder joints will experience
only 15 cycles under segment #1.
Therefore, the fraction of TMF life
used up by the 15 cycles is 15/3600 =
0.0042. The same computation is
made for transportation and handling
segment #2 as well as for the use
segment.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 57

BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY

The total percentage of TMF life

consumed by the service environment
is the sum of the percent lifetimes
used up by the three segments. This
methodology is referred to as Miner’s
Rule. Mathematically, that summation
is expressed by Equation 1:

Total % Life Used (service) =

[(15/Ni; #1) + (15/Ni; #2)
+ [60/Ni; use]] × 100 (1)

A similar equation was developed

for the failure criterion of a 100% A B
crack that would lead to an electrical
failure. These two equations were ap-
plied to each of the five solder joint
configurations represented in Fig. 4D
(baseline) and Fig. 5 (variants of hole
fill).

Results – Model
Predictions
The results are presented in Table 1
for the service environment that in-
cluded the two transportation and
handling segments, #1 and #2, as well
as the use segment. The first row is
the baseline condition. The model pre-
dicts that 0.66% of the solder joint’s
TMF life is used up by the time the in-
terconnection reaches the end of serv-
ice, based upon the crack initiation cri-
terion. When the failure criterion is
100% cracking, then 0.18% of the fa-
tigue life is consumed at the end of
service. (Note: The percentage of fa-
tigue life used to reach 100% crack for-
mation is because for the same num-
ber of cycles in the service environ-
ment (numerator), more cycles are re-
quired to reach 100% crack failure (de-
nominator) than crack initiation.)
Clearly, these percentages, as well
as those of the other hole fill configu-
Table 1 — Percent of Life Used Up in the Service Environment Based Upon the Two
Failure Criteria of Crack Initiation and a Complete Crack through the Joint
Through-Hole
Configuration
Full fillet, both sides
100% hole fill
75% hole fill
50% hole fill
50% hole fill;
No bottom encapsulant
C D
Fig. 5 — The 10-deg-slice finite element models are shown for the cases examined by the
computational model: A — 100%; B — 75%; and C — 50% hole fill. D — The fourth variant
has encapsulant absent from under the PWB and 50% hole fill. The magenta arrow signifies
missing solder was replaced with encapsulant.
rations are very small. All of the solder hole-fill (single fillet on one side) had a
joint configurations have ample mar- TMF lifetime similar to the baseline
gin to resist TMF failure under the case with two fillets. Thus, the loss of
service environment. This conclusion, the bottom side fillet was relatively in-
which is valid even when a 2 or 3× consequential to the TMF lifetime.
safety factor is added to the computa- The TMF remained very small when
tions, illustrates the inherent robust- the hole fill was reduced to 75% and
ness of through-hole solder intercon- 50%. The observation was made that
nections. the fractional change in TMF life cal-
Referring to the other configura- culated between the 100% and 50%
tions in Table 1, the case of 100% hole fill conditions differed between
the crack initiation and 100% cracking
criteria. This trend indicates the TMF
deformation, which leads to crack ini-
tiation, does not scale the same as the
TMF deformation-plus-cracking
Percent of Life Percent of Life process that leads to a fully cracked
Used to Crack Used to a Complete
interconnection.
Initiation (%) Crack (%)
The absence of encapsulant from
0.66 0.18 underneath the bottom PWB (Fig. 5D)
0.65 0.20 caused nearly an order of magnitude
0.73 0.28 increase of TMF damage to the joints.
0.94 0.33 Although the 3.9% and 1.7% loss of fa-
3.9 1.7 tigue life for the two respective failure
criteria appear to be small, they be-

58 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

 BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY

A B C D

Fig. 6 — A–C — Computational-model predictions are shown of TMF strain contours for the baseline configuration (full fillet, both sides) re-
sulting from a single temperature cycle of transportation and handling segments #1 and #2 as well as the use segment as noted below each
picture. The magenta arrow indicates the location of greatest fatigue strain; the latter’s magnitude is noted in parentheses. D — The contour
diagram shows the case of the 100% crack (electrical open) resulting from the TMF that initiated per the use segment in C. The white
elements, which are indicated by the red arrows, represent the cracked material.

A B C D

Fig. 7 — Computational-model-generated strain contours of the single use segment cycle (16°C/33°C; 1 cycle/year) for the following hole fill
conditions: A — 100%; B — 75%; and C — 50%. D — The strain contours are shown for the case of 50% hole fill, but in the absence of encap-
sulant under the PWB. The magenta arrows indicate the location of greatest strain (value in parentheses). The cyan arrows point out the bot-
tom terminus of the hole fill.

come significant when multiplied by
the aforementioned safety factors.
The computational model also pre-
dicted the TMF strain distribution
within the solder joint geometry.
Shown in Fig. 6A are strain contours
for the baseline solder joint (full fil-
lets, both sides) caused by a single cy-
cle of the transportation and handling
segment #1. The magenta arrow indi-
cates the location of the highest such
strain (0.021) and, as such, is the loca-
tion of TMF crack initiation. That lo-
cation of greatest strain was near the
top of the joint, not at the mid-plane
location. This behavior was caused by
the interaction between the resistor
body and the encapsulant, which re-
sulted in this asymmetry to strain dis-
tribution within the joint structure.
Similar diagrams are shown in Fig.
6B, C representing transportation and
handling segment #2 as well as the use
segment, respectively. In Fig. 6B, a re-
duced, maximum TMF strain value of
0.017 is observed vs. 0.021 for seg-
ment #1 in Fig. 6A because of the
smaller ΔT in the #2 condition. This
trend continues with Fig. 6C where a
smaller ΔT of the use segment caused
a nearly order of magnitude smaller
strain maximum when compared to ei-
ther transportation and handling seg-
ment. Therefore, ΔT has a larger effect
than a considerably longer cycle dura-
tion of one year vs. 10 h for the former
segments.
The diagram in Fig. 6D shows 100%
cracking due to the use segment. The

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 59

BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY
A B
Fig. 8 — Computational models generated the 100% crack situation for these hole fill conditions: A — 100%; B — 75%; C — 50%. D — The
100% crack morphology is shown for the case of 50% hole fill and the absence of encapsulant under the PWB. The computations were based
on the use segment (16°C/33°C; 1 cycle/year). The magenta arrow is the site of maximum strain. The cyan arrow in A signifies the bottom
terminus of the joint. The black arrow in B –D indicates the location where the primary crack and the second crack, which originated from the
bottom, joined together.
crack is represented by the white seg-
ment alongside the red arrows. The
initiation point was at the magenta ar-
row. The crack grew in two directions,
toward the top of the fillet as well as to
the bottom terminus. The crack path
was entirely along the pin/solder
interface.
The fatigue strain contour diagrams
shown in Fig. 7 represent the hole-fill
variants exposed to, in this case, a sin-
gle use segment (16°C/33°C; 1
cycle/year). Similar trends were ob-
served as were noted for the two
transportation and handling seg-
ments. The TMF strain values in-
creased approximately 10% between
hole fill conditions from 100% (Fig.
7A) to 50% (Fig. 7C), but then in-
creased by 57% from the case shown
in Fig. 7C to the configuration where-
by encapsulant was removed from un-
derneath the bottom PWB (Fig. 7D).
Yet the location of highest strain (ma-
genta arrows) remained unchanged
between all four cases. In fact, the lo-
cation and magnitude of strain in
Fig. 7A were identical to those parame-
ters in Fig. 6C (baseline), which rein-
forces the earlier observation that the
presence of the bottom fillet had limit-
ed impact on the fatigue life of the
solder joint in the presence of the
encapsulant.
Decreasing hole fill caused a
marked increase in TMF strain at the
bottom terminus of the joints (cyan
arrows). This enhanced strain re-
60 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
C D
mained less than that at the crack ini-
tiation point (magenta arrows), in-
cluding Fig. 7D. However, those cyclic
strains would also be imparted on the
Cu barrel of the PWB through hole and
potentially cause an electrical open by
fatigue of the Cu before a 100% crack
has propagated through the solder
(Ref. 3).
The finite element models are
shown in Fig. 8 that represent the
100% crack path in each of the four
configurations. Figure 8A shows the
100% crack had propagated in oppos-
ing directions from the location of
maximum strain (magenta arrow). The
cracks followed the solder/pin inter-
face to the top of the fillet and to the
bottom terminus (cyan arrow). A
small, localized strain at the latter lo-
cation was insufficient to deviate the
crack from that path.
The 100% crack path is shown in
Fig. 8B, C for the cases of 75% and
50% hole fill, respectively. The pre-
dominant crack path remained at the
solder/pin interface. However, the lo-
calized strain at the bottom terminus
increased in magnitude to the extent
that it generated a second crack at the
solder/Cu barrel interface. The crack
then joined up with the primary crack
at the locations denoted by the black
arrow. The number of cycles to 100%
cracking reflects the combined contri-
butions of the two cracks.
Lastly, the 100% crack diagram in
Fig. 8D shows nearly the same crack
morphology as that presented in Fig.
8C. The secondary crack joined the
primary crack closer to the terminus.
Therefore, the absence of encapsulant
affected propagation of the primary
crack along the solder/pin interface
more so than it impacted the second
crack that originated from the bottom
terminus.
Conclusions
1. A computational model was used
to predict the thermal mechanical fa-
tigue (TMF) of through-hole solder
joints that are partially filled with
63Sn-37Pb solder.
2. The model predictions addressed
a sequence of multiple environments
that encompassed handling, trans-
portation, and use segments within
the assembly lifetime.
3. There were two failure criteria: a)
cycles to reach TMF crack initiation,
and b) cycles to cause a 100% cracking
of the joint that leads to an electrical
failure.
4. The TMF lifetime used up in the
service environment (two transporta-
tion segments and the use segment)
was less than 1% for the more conser-
vative crack initiation criterion. An ab-
sence of encapsulant from under the
PWB caused a 3.9% loss of fatigue life.
5. Although the fatigue strains in-
creased at the bottom terminus with
decreasing hole fill, they did not sig-
nificantly affect the TMF failure of the

solder joint. However, those cyclic
strains were capable of causing fatigue
damage to the Cu barrel of the PWB
hole.
6. Three high-level findings were
obtained: a) TMF deformation, which
leads to crack initiation, does not scale
the same as the cracking process; b) in-
complete encapsulation accelerates the
TMF of through-hole interconnec-
tions; and c) transportation and han-
dling procedures can generate a
greater degree of TMF damage than
does actual the use segment. WJ
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Brian
Wroblewski for his careful review of
BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY
the manuscript. Sandia is a multipro-
gram laboratory operated by Sandia
Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., for the
U.S. Department of Energy’s National
Nuclear Security Administration un-
der contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.
References
1. Neilsen, M., and Vianco, P. 2014.
UCPD model for Pb-free solder. J.
Elect. Pack. DOI:10.1115/1.4026851.
2. Neilsen, M., and Vianco, P. 2013.
Simulating solder fatigue crack initia-
tion and growth in a surface mount
package. IPC Conference on Soldering
and Reliability, Costa Mesa, Calif., Nov.
2013, on CD-ROM.
3. Susan, D., Kilgo, A., Neilsen, M.,
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 61
and Vianco, P. 2008. Accelerated aging
and thermal mechanical fatigue mod-
eling of Cu-plated through-holes with
partial solder filling. Int. J. of Materials
and Structural Integrity Vol. 2, pp.
138–163.
P. T. VIANCO (ptvianc@sandia.gov) and M. K.
NEILSEN are with Sandia National Laborato-
ries, Albuquerque, N.Mex.
This manuscript won the Best Soldering Paper
award at the 2015 International Brazing and
Soldering Conference (IBSC) held April 19–22
in Long Beach, Calif.
BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY
Silver-Free Filler Metals Meet
Strength Requirements in
Brazed Joints
The results of wetting and shear strength testing along
with metallurgical characterization of Cu-4Sn-6P and
Cu-40Zn-1Sn-0.3Si silver-free filler metals designated
for brazing copper and brass are detailed
T
wo silver-free filler metals,
TiBraze®P14 (Cu-6P-4Sn wt-%)
and TiBraze®LOK59-03 (Cu-
40Zn-1Sn-0.3Si wt-%), were experi-
mentally evaluated to determine if
these alloys are suitable to replace sil-
ver-based filler metals for brazing cop-
per and brass.
Characteristics of the filler metals,
such as spreading area, joint strength,
and microstructure, were analyzed.
These characteristics were compared
to filler metals that are currently used
in the industry, such as standard sil-
ver-based BAg-1, BCuP-5, and a silver-
free BCuP-9.
Metallurgically compatible silver-
free braze alloys used to join copper
and brass-based materials were found
to yield ultimate joint strengths rival-
ing those of silver-based filler materi-
als. Data collected based upon compu-
tational models (Thermo-CalcTM), opti-
cal microscopy, and shear tests provid-
ed substantiation of compatibility. The
shear strength of brazed joints made
Table 1 — Brazing Filler Metals, Their Compositions, and Melting Ranges
Brazing Filler Metal
TiBraze®LOK59-03
TiBraze®P14
BCuP-9
BCuP-5
BAg-1
62 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
with TiBraze®P14 is higher by 21–24%
than that of low-silver standard BCuP-
5 filler metal.
Although the shear strength of sil-
ver-free filler metals is between 72 and
85% of the shear strength in silver-
based Alloy BAg-1, the high cost of sil-
ver-based joints can be significantly
reduced by using silver-free filler met-
als. By increasing the overlap and us-
ing silver-free fillers, joint costs can be
reduced while meeting strength re-
quirements.
Materials and Procedure
The base materials used in this
study were copper C110 and brass
C260 alloy containing 70 wt-% of cop-
per and 30 wt-% of zinc. These materi-
als are machinable and widely used for
manufacturing hydraulic and pneu-
matic pipes, cartridges, ammunition
casing, radiators, hardware, and so on.
They do not require heat treatment af-
ter welding, brazing, or soldering.
Chemical Composition, wt-%
Cu-39.7Zn-(0.9-1.1)Sn-(0.2-0.4)Si
Cu-(5.3-6)P-(3.5-4)Sn
Cu-(6-7)Sn-(6-7)P-(0.01-0.4)Si
Cu-(14.5-15.5)Ag-(4.8-5.2)P
Ag-(14-16)Cu-(14-18)Zn-24Cd
BY JACOB T. MARCHAL,
MATTHEW J. DUFFEY,
MATTHEW R. LONEY,
BOIAN T. ALEXANDROV, AND
ALEXANDER E. SHAPIRO
Two new silver-free filler metals,
TiBraze®P14 in the form of a brazing
paste using a rubber-based binder and
TiBraze®LOK59-03 rods Ø2.4 mm,
were evaluated to determine charac-
teristics such as spreading area, joint
strength, and microstructure.
Table 1 contains chemical composi-
tions of each filler metal. Test results
of the same silver-free filler metals in
combination with low-carbon steel
and stainless steel are reported else-
where (Ref. 1).
Two standard silver-containing
filler metals — BAg-1, BCuP-5 — and
a silver-free BCuP-9 alloy were tested
for comparison with new silver-free
filler metals.
Brazing was performed in air by
heating with a propane torch. The flux
used during brazing was the boron-
modified, black fluoroborate flux
601B/3411 (Superior Flux & Mfg. Co.,
Solon, Ohio).
Methods, materials, and sample de-
signs applied for testing wetting and
Melting Range,
°C °F
880–905 1616–1662
635–680 1175–1256
637–674 1178–1274
643–802 1190–1475
607–618 1125–1145
 BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY

Fig. 1 — Average spreading areas of tested filler metals on copper Fig. 2 — Average shear strength of tested filler metals on copper
and brass. and brass.

by P14 in such applications as the

Table 2 — Average Shear Strengths of Brazed Joints, for Each Filler Metal, ksi (MPa)
Braze Filler Metal Copper Brass
TiBraze®LOK59-03 18.0 (124.2) – copper brazed joints that can be ex-
TiBraze®P14 22.2 (153.2) 29.1 (200.8)
BAg-1 25.0 (172.5) 34.5 (238.1)
BCuP-5 17.8 (122.8) 26.0 (179.4)
BCuP-9 21.2 (146.3) 22.2 (153.2)
spreading, shear strength, and mi- standard silver-based Alloy BAg-1, and
crostructure characterization are de- silver-free filler metal P14 had almost
scribed elsewhere (Ref. 1). the same wetting characteristics on
brass as BAg-1. At the same time, P14
exhibited the worst spreading on cop-
Results and Discussion per among all tested brazing alloys.
Wetting Characteristics
Shear Strength
The spreading area provides an in-
dication of how the filler metal will The results of the average shear
spread and flow into the joint during strength testing for all filler metals are
brazing. Figure 1 shows the resulting presented in Table 2 and Fig. 2.
average spreading area of each filler Brazing with P14 resulted in suffi-
metal on different base metals. cient shear strength with copper and,
The filler metals with low spreading especially, brass — the second highest
area have difficulty spreading through value after the standard silver-based
the joint and creating fillets, thus de- Alloy BAg-1 that makes the silver-free
creasing the overall strength of the P14 alloy a prospective substitute for
joint. Silver-free LOK59-03 exhibited silver. At least 15%-silver containing
better spreading on copper than a BCuP-5 can be completely substituted
manufacture of copper tubing and
brass faucet brazed joints.
As expected, LOK59-03 exhibited
modest values of shear strength in
plained by higher yield strength of the
brazed joint metal than that of the
base metal, which results in limited
deformability of the joint metal.
The load-displacement diagram
(Fig. 3A) shows low ductility of the
LOK59-03 brazed joint, while the cop-
per brazed joint made with P14 has
mechanical behavior with some ductil-
ity of the joint metal (Fig. 3B).
Brass brazed joints made with the
silver-free P14 alloy exhibited certain
ductility and a yield point about 15.5
ksi (107 MPa). The load-displacement
diagram (Fig. 3C) shows formation of
several microcracks that, however, do
not propagate through the joint metal
but only release stresses, while the
joint continues to resist higher shear
loading. Shear strength of copper or
brass brazed joints made with the sil-
ver-free P14 filler metal is greater than
that of both phosphorus-containing
standard braze Alloys BCuP-5 and
BCuP-9. The strength of P14 joints is
second only to the silver-based BAg-1
brazing filler metal.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 63

BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY

1200 1400

1200
1000
1000

800
800

LOAD (lb)
LOAD (lb)

600 600

400
400

200

200
0

0 -200
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
A POSITION (in) B POSITION (in)

2000 Figure 4A, B No intermetallic layers were found

are images of a at the interface with the base metal.
copper joint made The Cu-Sn alloy phase was solidifying
with the P14 filler first along the base metal interface,
1500
metal. The quali- while the relatively low-melting eutec-
ty of this joint is tic system was ousted into the middle
characterized by of the joint, where it crystallized at a
LOAD (lb)

1000 dense joint metal lower temperature.

and smooth, de- Apparently, the liquid reached a low
fect-free fillets. enough temperature to begin to form
Phase composi- the eutectic phase prior to the com-
500 tion of the joint plete transformation of the FCC
metal and the phase. Formation of the FCC phase
amount of each predominantly occurs at the interface
0
phase as predict- in the uniform eutectic microstructure
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 ed by Thermo- of the joint metal.
C POSITION (in) CalcTM are repre- Figure 5A and B are images of a
sented elsewhere joint made with brass (base metal) and
Fig. 3 — Load-displacement relationships of brazed joints. A — (Ref. 1). P14 powder (filler metal). The phase
Low-ductile behavior of copper joints brazed with LOK59-03; B — Based on the composition of the joint metal is pre-
moderate ductile behavior of copper joints brazed with P14; C — calculations from sented by an FCC phase of a ternary
ductile behavior of brass joints brazed with P14 despite several mi- this software, solid solution Cu-(8.5-11)Zn-2Sn wt-%
crocracks, which appeared in the joint metal.
three phases are and an eutectic system containing
present in the Cu3P and Cu3Sn components. The mi-
Macro- and Microstructures P14 joint metal: the eutectic phase crostructure displays that the FCC
of Brazed Joints composed of Cu 3
P and Cu 3
Sn, and an phase grows along the joint interface
FCC phase, which is copper-tin alloy with the base metal, similar to the
Brazed joints were examined via with an insignificant amount of phos- copper-based metal joint. The eutectic
optical and scanning electron mi- phorus. The eutectic phase dominates phase dominates the middle of the
croscopy to characterize the phase in the joint metal that provides mod- joint.
composition and solidification mi- erate ductility and high shear strength Figure 5A portrays a smooth fillet
crostructure of each filler metal. of brazed joints 22.2 ksi (153.2 MPa). and uniform microstructure of the

Table 3 — ThermoCalcTM Predicted Phases and Constituents in the LOK59-03 Joint Metal

Filler Metal Phase Percentage of Each Composition (wt-%)

Phase at 25°C Cu Zn Sn Si

BCC 5.1 50.4 40.4 8.6 0

LOK59-03 Cu3Sn 1.2 61.6 0 38.4 0
FCC 93.7 60.2 39.8 0 0

64 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

 BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY

A B

Fig. 4 — A — Macrostructure of copper + P14 brazed joint, ×12.5; B — microstructure of copper + P14 brazed joint, ×200.

A B

Fig. 5 — A — Macrostructure of brass + P14 brazed joint, ×12.5;

B — microstructure of brass + P14 brazed joint, ×500.

joint metal. Some fillets contain few
defects, particularly pores. It is likely
that the pores appeared due to insuffi-
cient heating upon formation of the
joint. Considering the relatively high
strength of the brazed joints, as well
as joint and fillet formation, this base
metal and filler metal combination is
good for brazing brass parts.
Figure 6 is an image of a joint made
with copper (base metal) and LOK59-
03 (filler metal). According to thermo-
dynamic modeling with Thermo-
CalcTM, three phases should occur in
the LOK59-03 joint metal (Table 3):
FCC phase, BCC phase, and Cu3Sn in-
termetallic compound. The BCC phase
is the high-temperature phase that so-
lidifies around 890°C. This means that
the BCC phase will begin to form first.
The entire liquid will transform into
the BCC phase around 884°C, which is
the solidus temperature. As the joint
metal cools, the BCC phase begins to
transform into the FCC phase at
689°C.
Upon cooling to room temperature,
most (93%) of the microstructure will
have transformed into the FCC phase.
There should be very little Cu3Sn
phase because its transformation be-
gins at a lower temperature, ~450°C.
There is insufficient time for a signifi-
cant amount of Cu3Sn to form
upon cooling from 450°C to room
temperature.
However, after studying the mi-
crostructure of the joint metal (Fig. 6),
we suggest that the FCC phase (which
is simply yellow brass) is crystallized
first on the solid copper and the FCC
grains grow rapidly to the middle of
the joint because the solidus of this
brass phase concurs with the low limit
of the brazing temperature range.
Low-temperature phases, such as
Cu3Sn, are ousted to the central zone
by said growing FCC grains.
Our point of view is supported by
the multiple epitaxial crystal growth
of the FCC phase on copper grains that
is clearly seen in Fig. 6, because the
copper (base metal) and the yellow
brass component of the joint metal
have the same FCC lattice. Rapid solid-
ification of the FCC phase is evidenced
by the appearance of shrinkage pores
in the central zone of the joint. Such
pores are typical for rapidly solidified
cast structures. The same pores were
also found between dendrites in the
fillet area. Supposedly, these pores lo-
cated along the central line cause a rel-
atively low-strength copper joint
brazed with LOK59 filler metal.
Hence, LOK59-03 is recommended

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 65

BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY

6 7

Fig. 6 — Microstructure of copper + LOK59-03 brazed joint,

×1000.

Fig. 7 — Copper-to-copper and copper-to-steel tubing brazed

joints made with silver-free P14 and LOK59-03 filler metals.

Fig. 8 — Brass tube brazed joints made with silver-free P14 filler
metal.

for brazing steels or copper to steel,
while the P14 alloy is more suitable for
brazing copper and brass structures.
Silver-free brazing filler metals P14
and LOK59-03 are suitable to substi-
tute silver-based alloys in joining hy-
draulic, pneumatic, and lubrication
pipelines and can be widely used in the
manufacture of automobiles, refrigera-
tors, house water pipes, machinery
equipment, electronics, and so on.
Typical examples of brazed joints of
copper, steel, and brass tubes made
with these silver-free filler metals are
presented in Figs. 7 and 8.
Conclusions
1. Silver-free brazing filler metals
are capable of meeting strength
requirements in copper and brass
brazed joints. Brazing with the low-
temperature silver-free filler metal
TiBraze®P14 (Cu-4Sn-6P) resulted in
sufficient shear strengths with copper
and, especially, brass — the second
highest value after the standard silver-
based Alloy BAg-1. This makes the sil-
ver-free P14 alloy a very likely substi-
tute for silver-based filler metals. At
least 15%-silver containing BCuP-5
can be completely substituted by P14
in such applications as the manufac-
ture of copper tubing and brass faucet
brazed joints.
2. When used for joining copper or
brass tubes with connectors, adapters,
and faucets, both tested silver-free
filler metals provided formation of
quality, dense brazed joints with
smooth fillets. Significant cost savings
can be realized with silver-free brazing
filler metals, warranted even in the
case that sometimes joint overlap
lengthening is required. WJ
Acknowledgment
This work has been performed as a
Capstone Project at the Welding Engi-
neering Program of the Ohio State
University supported by Titanium
Brazing, Inc. The authors express
thanks to Greg DuBois and Bruce
Turner of CTL Engineering, Inc.,
Columbus, Ohio, for their valuable
help in the mechanical testing of
brazed joints.
Reference
1. Duffey, M. J., Marchal, J. T.,
Loney, M. R., Alexandrov, B. T., and
Shapiro, A. E. 2015. Evaluation of new
silver-free brazing filler metals. Weld-
ing Journal 94(3): 40–46.
JACOB T. MARCHAL (marchal.16@buck-
eyemail.osu.edu), MATTHEW J. DUFFEY,
MATTHEW R. LONEY, and BOIAN T.
ALEXANDROV are with the Welding Engi-
neering Program at The Ohio State Uni-
versity, Columbus, Ohio. ALEXANDER E.
SHAPIRO (ashapiro@titanium-
brazing.com) is with Titanium Brazing,
Inc., Columbus, Ohio.

66 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

For Info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index
BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY
Aim for Small, Concave
Braze Fillets
Correcting common misconceptions about
creating and inspecting braze fillets
F
illets on brazed assemblies can
often look quite different from
one another. Some fillets might
be rounded, and others might look
small and appear concave in shape. Ex-
ternal brazing fillets are often greatly
misunderstood. Some people insist
that big fillets are needed in brazing,
whereas others say they are not. In re-
ality, large fillets are a part of the
welding world, but are not desirable in
brazing. This article details how your
braze fillet should look, and what to
watch for when you inspect your braze
fillets.
What Does a Braze
Fillet (Meniscus) Do?
A braze fillet, first of all, is actually
a casting along the outside of a braze
joint. It is a natural outcome of the
brazing process, and merely gives evi-
dence that the brazing filler metal
(BFM) has melted and flowed along
the edge of a braze joint. However, it
does not tell you if the BFM has ade-
quately penetrated the joint. Caution
is therefore strongly advised to anyone
attempting to use the size of a braze
fillet as the only inspection criteria for
judging the overall quality of a braze
joint.
Because of its size and shape, a
braze fillet is also commonly called a
“braze meniscus.” Both terms are per-
fectly acceptable to use. A braze fillet
can show you whether or not there is
good compatibility between the BFM
and the base metal, and can tell you
about the base metal cleanliness in the
joint region, as well as about the fur-
nace atmosphere quality.
68 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
Fig. 1 — A nice concave fillet (meniscus)
at the edge of a brazed joint (image from
AWS Brazing Handbook, fifth edition).
Desirable Braze Fillet
Characteristics
Fillets Should Be Concave
The shape of a fillet is very impor-
tant, and concave is the desired shape.
When the fillet is concave, the edges of
the fillets tend to feather out at each
edge and blend in nicely with the base
metal, as shown in Fig. 1.
A concave meniscus (fillet) indi-
cates three things: (a) there is good
metallurgical compatibility between
the BFM and the base metal, (b) the
base metal surfaces are clean, and (c)
the brazing “atmosphere” is good. This
is very important.
Due to surface-tension characteris-
tics, the molten BFM wants to spread
out over the metal surface, and can
only do so if the BFM is metallurgical-
ly compatible with the base metal, i.e.,
they are able to alloy with each other.
When this happens, the molten
BFM will diffuse into the base metal
surface, and the base metal con-
stituents will diffuse into the BFM. It
doesn’t require a lot of diffusion, but
some must occur to allow BFM-to-
BY DAN KAY
base-metal bonding. As an example,
pure copper can only diffuse into steel
up to a maximum of approximately
5%, but this is sufficient to alloy good
copper-BFM flow into a steel joint.
In contrast to this, if the shape of
the fillet is convex instead of concave
(as shown in Fig. 2), that would tend
to indicate there may be poor metal-
lurgical compatibility between the
BFM and the base metal, the base met-
al faying surfaces are not clean enough
(faying surfaces contaminated with
surface oxides or oils, etc.) to allow
proper BFM flow, the brazing atmos-
phere is poor, or any combination of
these three factors.
Fillets Should Be Small
This is where people often get
themselves in trouble. Some people er-
roneously believe that the larger the
fillet, the better the braze joint. In ac-
tuality, just the opposite is true. A
braze fillet (meniscus) should be as
small as possible, as shown in Fig. 3.
Since a fillet is an external casting,
more casting imperfections will be
present on a large fillet. These imper-
fections include voids, porosity,
shrinkage cracks, open dendritic “fir-
tree” structures, and so on. Typical
causes of porosity and voids in joints
are outgassing from the filler and base
metals, and surface contamination.
Cracks and dendritic structures gener-
ally become more pronounced as fillets
get larger. When the liquid BFM in the
fillet begins to cool and solidify, den-
drites can form, and as the remaining
liquid continues to cool, it can pull
away from the dendrites, leaving a
porous area. These fillet imperfections

Fig. 2 — Why didn’t this fillet flow? Be-
cause of its convex meniscus (fillet).
might act as stress-risers at the joint
edge that could actually hurt the per-
formance of a part in service. There-
fore, aim for a smaller fillet because it
is less likely to have imperfections
than a larger fillet.
Inspecting Fillets
Visual Inspection
The best way to check the quality of
a fillet is simply to look at it, perhaps
Fig. 3 — The braze fillet (meniscus) should be very small, like the one shown here.
BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY
even using a 10X magnifier. Is the fil-
let concave in shape? Does it go com-
pletely around the joint? Is it clean
and smooth, or is it filled with porosi-
ty or cracks?
Be very careful about specifying the
number of voids per linear inch (cm),
or specifying the size of each void, etc.
This practice can be a trap and could
result in the rejection of parts that
might otherwise be perfectly fine. The
fact that a fillet might have three bub-
bles at its surface in a 1-in. length (in-
stead of the two allowed bubbles) has
nothing to do with the quality of the
BFM that flowed inside the brazed
joint. It also calls, once again, for a lot
of extra inspection time to do these
external fillet measurements, when
what’s happening inside the brazed
joint is actually more important.
Fluorescent Penetration
Inspection
Fluorescent penetration inspection
(FPI) is not recommended. Many peo-
ple still use FPI on braze fillets to ac-
cept or reject parts. This can be a big
mistake. Fluorescent penetration in-
spection is fine for welds, but it is not
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 69
really useful for brazed joints for two
primary reasons: (a) FPI merely shows
that there may be surface imperfec-
tions on the outside of the fillet, but it
tells absolutely nothing about the in-
side of the brazed joint itself, and (b)
FPI chemical removal requirements
are very different in welding than in
brazing. If FPI reveals cracks in a weld
fillet, the entire fillet needs to be cut
out or ground away (thereby complete-
ly removing all the FPI chemicals), and
a new weld bead is then laid down in
place.
However, in brazing, the BFM in
the joint is not going to be cut away
and replaced, and therefore any en-
trapped FPI chemicals have to be com-
pletely removed from the fillet itself
either by ultrasonic cleaning or by
fluoride-ion cleaning (FIC) before a re-
braze can be attempted. Do not think
that FPI contamination in surface
voids, cracks, or dendritic porosity will
be effectively removed by soaking in a
solvent or by either hydrogen or
vacuum-furnace cleaning.
The American Welding Society’s
Standard, Specification for Furnace
Brazing (Ref.1) specifically discourages
anyone from using FPI in brazing in-
spection procedures. It clearly states
that penetrant inspection techniques
“are not suitable for the inspection of
braze fillets because they routinely
give false results.”
Conclusion
A braze fillet (meniscus) is a natural
outcome of a brazing process. Visual
inspection is easy and highly reliable
when brazing is done properly. Simply
look to see that BFM is indeed present
all around the joint, that any filleting
is concave in shape, and the fillet is as
small as possible. WJ
Reference
1. AWS C3.6/C3.6:2008, Specification for
Furnace Brazing. Miami, Fla.: American
Welding Society.
DAN KAY (dan@kaybrazing.com) is an advisor
to the C3 Committee on Brazing and Soldering
and has contributed to the 5th edition of the
AWS Brazing Handbook. He operates his own
brazing training and consulting business.
BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY
New Low­Silver Filler Metal for
Brazing Cemented Carbides
A new brazing filler metal contain-
ing 28 wt-% of silver (instead of the
49–50% content in standard BAg-22
and BAg-24 alloys) was designed and
tested by Umicore AG, Hanau-Wolf-
gang, Germany, for joining cemented
carbide tips to a steel shank.
The filler metal has a composition
of Cu-28Ag-20Zn-10Mn-1Ni-2In wt-%
in the melting range of 680°–760°C
and with a lower limit brazing temper-
ature 710°C (Ref. 1). A lower content
of silver may significantly reduce the
production cost of brazed parts.
The new alloy has a density of 8.5
g/cm3. This is beneficial, for example, in
manufacturing circular saw blades. The
average shear strength of brazed joints
of steel to cemented carbide WC-6Co
manufactured by induction brazing is
~280 MPa (40.6 ksi), which is compara-
ble with BAg-22. It is higher than the
strength of joints made with BAg-24.
Brazing at 720°C allows the user not to
exceed the temperature AC1 of ferrite-
austenite transformation in steel joined
to cemented carbide tips.
Method of Identifying Phase
Composition in Brazed Joints
Thermodynamic simulation was
used by The Ohio State University and
Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Ind.,
to predict the formation of microcon-
stituents in brazed joints.
The joints considered were CNSX-4
superalloy made by two nickel-based
filler metals, BNi-2 and BNi-9. Metal-
lurgical characterization by optical mi-
croscopy and electron probe micro-
analysis (EPMA) was performed to
confirm quantitative results of the
simulation made using Thermo-CalcTM
software. The thermodynamic simula-
tion predicted the same phase compo-
sition as was experimentally identified
for these brazed joints (Ref. 2).
Phases that are stable before the
end of solidification are more likely to
form large precipitates, such as nickel
and chromium borides in the BNi-2
joints. Diffusion of melting point de-
pressants and some components of
the base metal, during the brazing
process, was not captured in the equi-
librium calculation. This diffusion can
70 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
contribute to the solidification tem-
perature range and formation of the
isothermally solidified region.
In general, a thermodynamic simu-
lation allows for the prediction of mi-
croconstituents in nickel-alloy brazed
joints. It can be a useful tool when
modeling and designing these joints or
brazing processes.
Nonionic Soldering Flux and
Controlled Heating for
Soldering Water­Cooling Tubes
The National Spherical Torus Ex-
periment program is being enhanced
to significantly expand plasma condi-
tions with upgrades, including friction
stir welding CuCrZr copper connecting
flags and soldering ETP copper tubing
to silver bearing oxygen-free copper
toroidal field (TF) conductors (Ref. 3).
Solder paste 96Sn/4Ag with non-
ionic flux was developed in the Prince-
ton Plasma Physical Laboratory, N.J.,
to eliminate possible insulation degra-
dation. Such degradation could lead to
potential carbon tracking between the
TF conductors.
The solder flux contains glycerol
monostearate as an emulsifier, and
TergitolTM as a nonionic surfactant,
plus succinic acid as an active compo-
nent. The flux residues allow efficient
water cleansing after soldering. The
tensile strength of soldered joints
manufactured with this solder-flux
paste reached 110 MPa (~16 ksi). It
was reported that no sign of solder
voids were evident.
To produce a homogeneous solder
and fully wetted joint area, a reducing
flame was required. This was done to
dissociate the remaining oxides. The
original soldering temperature, 270°C,
was increased to 300°C. This was done
to ensure the boiling of the glycerol.
The temperatures across the TF con-
ductor during soldering were typically
between 300° and 350°C. Hardness
measurements before and after solder-
ing indicated no softening of the cop-
per TF conductors occurred.
Load­Capable Design of Arc
Brazing Joints for Automotive
Applications
High-strength steels and steel-
aluminum structures are applied for
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
vehicle weight reduction.
A digitally controlled short arc
process suitable for the low-energy
brazing of these materials using zinc-
based filler metals was developed by
the Welding and Joining Institute of
the RWTH, Aachen, Germany.
The following filler metals were
tested for brazing (in wt-%): ZnAl4,
ZnAl5Cu3.5, and ZnAl5Cu3.5 + Mg.
Arc brazing was carried out without a
flux.
The design simulation allowed
learning the geometry of brazed joints
for both base materials steel-to-steel
and steel-to-aluminum Alloy AA6016-
T4 with the required mechanical and
technological properties, and the suit-
able length of the liquid filler metal
flow (Ref. 4). Real manufacturing tol-
erances also have been considered.
The molten zinc fills the adjusted
opening completely to guarantee reli-
able joining. Thanks to the low energy
input in this process, there is a way to
diminish the negative influence of the
brittle intermetallic phases that un-
avoidably appear at the steel and alu-
minum interfaces. These brittle phas-
es are embedded in the ductile zinc-
based matrix.
Wide Amorphous Foils for
Brazing Titanium, Ceramics,
and Graphite
New brazing filler metals in the
form of amorphous foils 50 microns
thick and 75 mm wide were evaluated
for use in vacuum brazing titanium al-
loys, graphite, and ceramics by NASA
and Titanium Brazing, Inc., Columbus,
Ohio.
The following amorphous foils were
tested:
a) Ti-20Zr-20Cu-20Ni wt-%, which
has the higher melting range 845°–
863°C (1553°–1585°F)
b) Zr-17Ti-20Ni-1Hf wt-%, which
has the lower melting range 796°–
813°C (1465°–1495°F)
c) Zr-14.7Ti-12.6Ni-7Cu-1Hf
wt-%, which has the lowest melting
range 772°–786°C (1422°–1447°F).
New amorphous foils provide reli-
able vacuum brazing in a wide range of
temperatures below α → β transus,
not only of α- and (α + β)-titanium-
— continued on page 72
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BRAZING & SOLDERING TODAY
— continued from page 70
based alloys, but also near-β and β-
titanium-based alloys.
Where used, they resulted in satis-
factory strength brazed joints of vari-
ous combinations of base materials.
They were found to have good compat-
ibility with base materials CP titanium
or Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and in joints of dis-
similar base materials titanium to cop-
per, titanium to stainless steel, or to
nickel-plated carbon steel, ceramics
(alumina, silicon carbide, and boron
nitride), and graphite.
Joints made with the amorphous
foils had low erosion of the base metal
and high brazed joint quality in titani-
um heat exchangers and honeycomb
panels (Ref. 5).
Brazing temperatures of titanium
joints with amorphous foils are signifi-
cantly lower than that of standard
filler metal AWS BTi-1 (Ticuni®). Braz-
ing of titanium to ceramics and
graphite with new foils should be done
at temperatures greater by 50°–60°C
than that of brazing titanium to titani-
um. If compared to traditional active
brazing filler metals that do not
spread on ceramic surfaces, the tested
Ti- and Zr-based amorphous foils re-
vealed excellent wetting, and some-
times spreading, along ceramic sur-
faces of alumina and boron nitride as
well as graphite.
Assessing and Reducing
Residual Thermal Stresses in
Metal­Ceramic Brazed Joints
Mismatch of thermal expansion co-
efficients between metals and ceram-
ics results in significant residual
stresses in brazed joints. These can
lead to cracks in the interfacial region
or to a failure of the joint during serv-
ice. This problem was investigated by
EMPA, Dübendorf, Switzerland, with
numeric modeling and experimental
methods to assess and minimize criti-
cal residual stresses in metal-ceramic
joints manufactured by transient liq-
uid phase (TLP) bonding and active
brazing (Ref. 6).
A buffer metallization layer of silver
decreases local stresses at the interface
area of silicon or aluminum nitride
72 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
brazed to copper using the TLP
process at a low temperature, 280°C.
Small pores and slight increase of the
bonding temperature do not increase
residual stresses significantly. Molyb-
denum, nickel, or copper foils 50–200
microns thick placed between YSZ ce-
ramic and nickel superalloy signifi-
cantly decrease residual thermal
stresses in the joint. An interlayer of
copper foil 200 microns thick provides
effective distribution of residual
stresses in the joint. Both strategies —
the use of a low expansion metal inter-
layer like molybdenum or a ductile in-
terlayer like copper — are beneficial to
increase the lifetime of metal-ceramic
brazed joints.
Joining of Kovar to Alumina
and LTCC Ceramics Using
Active Filler Metals
Kovar (Fe-29Ni-17Co) was used in-
stead of stainless steel to compensate
the mismatching thermal expansion
behavior when brazing with alumina
and low-temperature cofired ceramic
(LTCC) sensors. Brazing experiments
were performed by Fraunhofer IKTS,
Dresden, Germany, for combinations
of Kovar/Al2O3 and Kovar/LTCC with
commercial active filler metals, Cusil®-
ABA and Incusil®-ABA, respectively.
For both active brazing filler metals,
optimized processing parameters were
investigated to realize hermetic Kovar/
Al2O3 and Kovar/LTCC joints (Ref. 7).
Active metal brazing of Al2O3 and
LTCC to Kovar with Cusil-ABA was
performed at three different brazing
temperatures — 810°, 830°, and 850°C
— and 755°C for Incusil-ABA. Her-
metic joining of Al2O3 to Kovar was
possible with Incusil-ABA and Cusil-
ABA for all investigated temperatures.
Only after brazing LTCC/Kovar joints
at a temperature of 810°C, a few of the
assemblies were hermetic. A mi-
crostructural study showed that the
interface between LTCC and the joint
metal is weakly bonded because only a
noncontinuous and very thin reaction
layer was formed. Thus, no reliable
joining is possible at this brazing
temperature.
If the brazing temperature is in-
creased to 830°C, all brazed LTCC/
Kovar joints showed gas tightness due
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
to the formation of a continuous reac-
tion layer at the interface between
LTCC and Kovar, which is shown later
in detail. In contrast to Al2O3, brazing
of LTCC at 850°C was not tried as the
LTCC is sintered at this temperature
and the stability of the ceramic materi-
al is limited. WJ
References
Refs. 1–7 are Proceedings of the 6th In­
ternational Brazing and Soldering Confer­
ence, April 19–22, 2015, Long Beach, Calif.
1. Schimpfermann, M., Wiel, G.,
Schnee, D., and Rädecker, P. New silver-
based brazing filler metals for brazing ce-
mented carbides with a highly decreased
level of silver and low brazing temperature.
Paper #39.
2. Riggs, B., Alexandrov, B., Benatar, A.,
and Xu, R. Thermodynamic simulation of
single crystal superalloy CMSX-4 brazed
joints with BNi-2 and BNi-9 filler metals.
Paper #50.
3. Jurczynsky, S. Z., and Schneider, H.
Solder development and fabrication tech-
niques for coolant tube bonding in lengthy
high current conductors. Paper #76.
4. Reisgen, U., Anderhausen, M., Gef-
fers, C., and Pipinikas, A. Load-capable de-
sign of arc brazing joints for different ap-
plications in automotive engineering. Pa-
per #92.
5. Shapiro, A. E., and Flom, Y. Evalua-
tion of low-temperature amorphous foils
for brazing titanium and ceramics. Paper
#22.
6. Ivas, T., Lis, A., and Leinenbach, C.
Assessing and reducing thermal residual
stresses in metal-ceramic joints by com-
bined experimental and numerical investi-
gations. Paper #90.
7. Pönicke, A., Schilm, J., Goldberg, A.,
Partsch, U., and Michaelis, A. Joining of
Kovar to alumina and to low-temperature
co-fired ceramics (LTCC). Paper #86.
Information provided by ALEXANDER E.
SHAPIRO (ashapiro@titanium­brazing.com)
and LEO A. SHAPIRO, Titanium Brazing, Inc.,
Columbus, Ohio.
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COMING EVENTS

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www.lasercongress.org.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Certified Welding Inspector Courses. Allentown, Pa. CWI

Training: Nov. 2–6; D1.1 Endorsement: Nov. 6. Welder
Training and Testing Institute; (800) 223-9884; www.wtti.edu.
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index

Weldingg torches,
consumaables and
related equipment
e

Warehouse for fast
parts deelivery

N
New location to serve the A
Americas

David DiBiase, Director of Sales – The

e Americas
9844 W
Win
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ndisch Road,
Road West e Chester,
Chester Ohio
O 45069
513.644.9743 • info@tokinam merica.com
tokinameerica.com
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 75

 Certified Welding Inspector/Educator Courses. Troy, Ohio.
Classes begin Nov. 2, Dec. 7, 2015. Exams given Nov. 13,
Dec. 18, 2015. Classes begin Jan. 18, Feb. 15, March 14,
April 11, May 9, June 20, July 18, Aug. 15, Sept. 19, Oct. 17,
Nov. 7, Dec. 5, 2016. Exams given Jan. 29, Feb. 26, March
25, April 22, May 20, July 1, July 29, Aug. 26, Sept. 30, Oct.
28, Nov. 18, Dec. 16, 2016. Hobart Institute of Welding
Technology; (800) 332-9448; www.welding.org.

AWS Certified Welding Supervisor Exam. Troy, Ohio. Class-

es begin April 25, Oct. 10, 2016. Exams given April 29, Oct.
14, 2016. Hobart Institute of Welding Technology.
www.welding.org.

E­Courses in Destructive and Nondestructive Testing of

Welds and Other Welding­Related Topics. Online video
courses taken at one’s own pace offer certificates of comple-
tion and continuing education units. For information, con-
tact Hobart Institute of Welding Technology.
www.welding.org/product-category/online-courses/.

GE Industrial Computed Tomography (CT) Operator Course.

Learn to operate the 3D technology that is becoming more
prominent in industrial quality control and metrology.
Lewistown, Pa., (315) 554-2039; www.geinspection
academy.com.

Hypertherm Cutting Institute Online. Includes video tutori-

als, interactive e-learning courses, discussion forums, webi-
nars, and blogs. Visit www.hypertherm.com, www.hyper-
thermcuttinginstitute.com.
For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index — continued on page 111

76 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

CERTIFICATION SCHEDULE Certification Seminars, Code Clinics, and Examinations

Note: The 2015 and 2016 schedules for all certifications are posted 9­Year Recertification Seminar for CWI/SCWI
online at www.aws.org/w/a/registrations/prices_schedules.html. For current CWIs and SCWIs needing to meet education re-
quirements without taking the exam. The exam can be tak-
en at any site listed under Certified Welding Inspector.
Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)
Location Seminar Dates
Location Seminar Dates Exam Date
Miami, FL Dec. 6–11, 2015
Chicago, IL Exam only Nov. 12
New Orleans, LA Jan. 10–15, 2016
St. Louis, MO Exam only Dec. 12 Denver, CO Feb. 21–26, 2016
Los Angeles, CA Dec. 6–11, 2015 Dec. 12 Dallas, TX Mar. 6–11, 2016
Orlando, FL Dec. 6–11 Dec. 12 Miami, FL Mar. 13–18, 2016
Reno, NV Dec. 6–11 Dec. 12
Houston, TX Dec. 6–11 Dec. 12
Miami, FL Exam only Dec. 17 Certified Welding Educator (CWE)
Corpus Christi, TX Exam only Dec. 19 Seminar and exam are given at all sites listed under Certified
Charlotte, NC Jan. 10–15, 2016 Jan. 16 Welding Inspector. Seminar attendees will not attend the Code
Beaumont, TX Jan. 10–15 Jan. 16 Clinic portion of the seminar (usually the first two days).
San Antonio, TX Jan. 10–15 Jan. 16
Denver, CO Jan. 17–22 Jan. 23
Miami, FL Jan. 17–22 Jan. 23
Lexington, KY Jan. 17–22 Jan. 23
Pittsburgh, PA Jan. 17–22 Jan. 23
Certified Welding Sales Representative (CWSR)
CWSR exams will be given at CWI exam sites.
Long Beach, CA Jan. 24–29 Jan. 30
Portland, TX Exam only Jan. 30
Mobile, AL Jan. 31–Feb. 5 Feb. 6
Atlanta, GA Feb. 7–12 Feb. 13
Waco, TX Feb. 7–12 Feb. 13 Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS)
Seattle, WA Feb. 7–12 Feb. 13 CWS exams are also given at all CWI exam sites.
Miami, FL Exam only Feb. 18
New Orleans, LA Feb. 21–26 Feb. 27 Location Seminar Dates Exam Date
Milwaukee, WI Feb. 21–26 Feb. 27 New Orleans, LA Apr. 4–8, 2016 Apr. 9
Portland, TX Exam only Feb. 27 Cleveland, OH Sept. 19–23, 2016 Sept. 24
San Diego, CA Feb. 28–Mar. 4 Mar. 5
Kansas City, MO Feb. 28–Mar. 4 Mar. 5
Houston, TX Feb. 28–Mar. 4 Mar. 5
Norfolk, VA Feb. 28–Mar. 4 Mar. 5 Certified Radiographic Interpreter (CRI)
Scottsdale, AZ Mar. 6–11 Mar. 12 The CRI certification can be a stand-alone credential or can
Indianapolis, IN Mar. 6–11 Mar. 12 exempt you from your next 9-Year Recertification.
Boston, MA Mar. 6–11 Mar. 12
Miami, FL Mar. 13–18 Mar. 19 Location Seminar Dates Exam Date
Birmingham, AL Mar. 13–18 Mar. 19 Miami, FL Exam only Nov. 14, 2015
Chicago, IL Mar. 13–18 Mar. 19 Seattle, WA Feb. 22–26, 2016 Feb. 27
Springfield, MO Mar. 13–18 Mar. 19 Houston, TX Mar. 14–18, 2016 Mar. 19
Dallas, TX Mar. 13–18 Mar. 19
Portland, TX Exam only Mar. 26
Miami, FL Exam only Apr. 7
Minneapolis, MN Apr. 3–8 Apr. 9 Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW)
Las Vegas, NV Apr. 3–8 Apr. 9 ABB, Inc., Auburn Hills, MI; (248) 391–8421
Portland, OR Apr. 3–8 Apr. 9 OTC Daihen, Inc., Tipp City, OH; (937) 667-0800, ext. 218
San Francisco, CA Apr. 10–15 Apr. 16 Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland, OH; (216) 383-8542
Annapolis, MD Apr. 10–15 Apr. 16 Genesis-Systems Group, Davenport, IA; (563) 445-5688
Nashville, TN Apr. 10–15 Apr. 16 Wolf Robotics, Fort Collins, CO; (970) 225-7736
On request at MATC, Milwaukee, WI; (414) 456-5454

IMPORTANT: This schedule is subject to change. Please verify your event dates with the Certification Dept. to confirm your course status
before making travel plans. Applications are to be received at least six weeks prior to the seminar/exam or exam. Applications received after
that time will be assessed a $250 Fast Track fee. Please verify application deadline dates by visiting our website
www.aws.org/certification/docs/schedules.html. For information on AWS seminars and certification programs, or to register online, visit
www.aws.org/certification or call (800/305) 443­9353, ext. 273, for Certification; or ext. 455 for Seminars.

78 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

WELDING WORKBOOK
Burn Protection
The AWS Safety and Health Committee produces the
Safety and Health Fact Sheets. Following is Fact Sheet No. 7
dated October 2014.
Nature of the Hazard
Sparks and spatter fly off from the welding arc. Hot met-
al and sparks blow out from the cutting flame. The work-
piece and equipment get hot. The flying sparks and hot met-
al, slag, spatter, hot workpiece, and hot equipment can
cause burns. Additionally, arc rays can cause radiation burns
(see Fact Sheet No. 2).
How to Prevent Burns
• Use approved helmets or hand shields that provide
protection for the face, neck, and ears, and wear a head
covering.
• Wear approved safety goggles or safety glasses with side
shields, even under your helmet.
• Wear dry, hole-free insulating gloves.
• Wear flame-resistant ear plugs or ear muffs to keep
sparks out of ears when welding or cutting overhead or in
confined spaces.
• Wear oil-free protective garments such as leather
gloves, heavy shirt, cuffless pants, high shoes, and a cap.
• Wear leather leggings and fire-resistant boots, as
needed.
• In cold climates, heavy clothing may prevent awareness
of clothing fires.
• Use dry, hole-free aprons, cape-sleeves, leggings,
shoulder covers, and bibs approved for welding and cutting
service.
• Remove any combustibles, such as a butane lighter or
matches, from your person before doing any welding or
cutting.
• Touching hot equipment such as electrode holders, gun
tips, and nozzles can cause burns. Always wear dry, insulat-
ing gloves. Allow a cooling period before touching these and
other parts of equipment that are near the actual welding or
cutting operation.
• Do not wear pants with cuffs, shirts with open pockets,
or any clothing that can trap molten metal or sparks.
• Keep clothing free of grease, oil, solvents, or any flam-
mable substances.
• If combustible substances spill on protective clothing,
change to clean clothing before doing any welding or
cutting.
• Use sheet metal screens for extra protection when un-
usually heavy welding or cutting is involved.
• For highly hazardous processes or jobs, consider
AWS disclaims liability for any injury to persons or to property, or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, con­
sequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication, use of, or reliance on this information. AWS also makes no
guaranty or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.
American Welding Society, 8669 NW 36th St., #130, Miami, FL 33166, e­mail: info@aws.org, www.aws.org.
80 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
DATASHEET 361
automation.
• Do not attempt to repair or disconnect electrical equip-
ment under load. Disconnecting under load produces
arcing of the contacts and may cause burns or shocks.
How to Protect Others from Burns
• Use noncombustible screens or barriers to protect near-
by persons or watchers.
• Mark hot workpieces to alert others of the burn and fire
hazards.
• If the job requires several persons, have all wear proper
protective gear and follow all required procedures.
Information Sources
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Safety in Welding,
Cutting, and Allied Processes (ANSI Z49.1), published by the
American Welding Society, 8669 NW 36th St., #130, Miami, FL
33166; telephone: 800-443-9353; website: www.aws.org.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Code of
Federal Regulations, Title 29 Labor, Parts 1910.1 to 1910.1450,
available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, 732 N. Capitol
Street NW, Washington, DC 20401; telephone: 800-321-6742;
website: www.osha.gov.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Practice for Occupa-
tional and Educational Eye and Face Protection (ANSI Z87.1), avail-
able from ANSI, 25 W. 43rd St., New York, NY 10036; telephone:
212-642-4900; website: www.ansi.org.
ASTM International Standards, F2412, Test Methods for Foot Pro-
tection, and F2413, Specification for Performance Requirements for
Protective Footwear, available from ASTM International, 100 Bar
Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2559;
telephone: 610-832-9585; website: www.astm.org.
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Code of Federal
Regulations, Title 30 Mineral Resources, Parts 1 to 199, available
from the U.S. Government Printing Office, 732 N. Capitol St. NW,
Washington, DC 20401; telephone: 202-693-9400; website:
www.msha.gov.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Standard for Fire Pre-
vention during Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work (NFPA 51B),
available from National Fire Protection Association, 1 Battery-
march Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269–9101; telephone:
800-344-3555; website: www.nfpa.org.
American Welding Society (AWS). Safety and Health Fact Sheets,
published by the American Welding Society, 8669 NW 36th St.,
#130, Miami, FL 33166; telephone: 800-443-9353; website:
www.aws.org. WJ
BY MELISSA GOMEZ — mgomez@aws.org
SOCIETY NEWS
AWS Employees Expand Their Welding
Knowledge

Three AWS employees recently attended Hobart’s four­day Welding for the Non Welder course in Troy, Ohio. From left: Jennifer Rosario,
AWS program manager; Fred Henman, Hobart instructor; Russ Shurtz, Hobart instructor; Lorena Cora, AWS director of marketing; and
Melissa Gomez, AWS assistant editor.

Three AWS employees — Lorena Cora, director,

Marketing, Jennifer Rosario, program manager, Tech-
nical Services, and Melissa Gomez, assistant editor,
Welding Journal — recently attended the Hobart Insti-
tute of Welding Technology’s Welding for the Non
Welder course. In total, there were 19 individuals in
attendance.
The Hobart instructors included Russ Shurtz, Fred
A. Henman, and Elmer Swank Jr. The course was held
for four days, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The first
half of every day students received classroom instruc-
tion, and the second half was spent in the welding lab
putting into practice what had been learned. Topics
covered included shielded metal arc, flux cored arc,
gas tungsten arc, and gas metal arc welding, along
with oxyacetylene welding, brazing, and cutting.
“It was very rewarding. The hands-on
experience and course instruction provided valuable
knowledge that I can employ at work. I can relate the
technical information in AWS Standards to industry
applications and better assist our volunteers, mem-
bers, and industry professionals,” said Rosario. “
Hobart’s class was eye opening for me. It gave me a
AWS Program Manager Jennifer Rosario practices shielded metal
better understandting of the different kinds of weld-
arc welding her first day in the lab.
ing procedures plus practice them in the lab,” added
Cora.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 83

SOCIETY NEWS
Notice of Annual Meeting of the American Welding Society
The Annual Meeting of the members of the American
Welding Society will be held on Monday, November 9, 2015,
beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill.
The regular business of the Society will be conducted, in-
cluding election of officers and nine members of the Board
of Directors. Any business properly brought before the
Membership will be considered.

Call for Questions and Answers for Use in CWI Certification Exam

The Certification Department is
asking students as well as experienced
CWIs and SCWIs to submit questions
they think would be valuable additions
to our current CWI Fundamentals
exam, which is a closed book exam.
Submissions should include the fol-
lowing: Question text, five answer
choices, indication of the correct an-
swer, and the corresponding specific
reference information.
We will also ask for your contact in-
formation and you will have the op-
portunity to win a $100 AWS
voucher.
To submit your questions and for Welding Processes
guidelines to writing good items, Heat Control and Metallurgy (carbon
please visit www.aws.org/submit-ques- and low-alloy steel)
tion.html. Weld Examination
Questions must be developed uti- Welding Performance
lizing one of the following references: Definitions and Terminology
AWS A1.1, Metric Practice Guide for the Symbols — Welding and NDE
Welding Industry; AWS B2.1, Specifica- Test Methods — NDE
tion for Welding Procedure and Perform- Reports and Records
ance Qualification; or AWS B4.0, Stan- Duties and Responsibilities
dard Methods for Mechanical Testing of Safety
Welds. Destructive Tests
Additionally, questions should Cutting
come from the following subject Brazing
areas: Soldering.

President Landon Attends DVS EXPO 2015

AWS President Dave Landon recently attended DVS (German Welding Society) EXPO 2015 in Nuremberg, Germany, where joining, cutting,
and coating products and services were presented. From left: DVS General Manager Roland Boecking, DVS President Heinrich Flegel, AWS
President Dave Landon, and AWS Germany Section Chairman Peter Mayr. While in Germany, Landon was also able to attend a meeting
held by the AWS Germany International Section, where he gave a short address. (Photo courtesy of DVS.)

84 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015


TECH TOPICS
Standards in Public Review
The AWS was approved as an ac-
credited standards-preparing organi-
zation by the American National Stan-
dards Institute (ANSI) in 1979. The
AWS rules, as approved by ANSI, re-
quire that all standards be open to
public review for comment during the
approval process. This column also ad-
vises of ANSI approval of documents.
The following standards are submitted
for public review. A draft copy may be
obtained by contacting the staff secre-
tary of the committee as listed below
at AWS, Technical Services, 8669 NW
36 St., #130, Miami, FL 33166-6672;
(800/305) 443-9353.
B2.1-1-302:201X, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification for Naval Appli-
cations (SWPS-N) for Shielded Metal Arc
Welding of Carbon Steel (S-1), 1⁄8 inch [3
mm] through 11⁄2 inch [38 mm] Thick,
MIL-7018-M, in the As-Welded or
PWHT Condition, Primarily Plate and
Structural Naval Applications. New
Standard. $124.00. ANSI public review
expired 10/19/15. J. Rosario, ext. 308,
jrosario@aws.org.
B2.1-1-312:201X, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification for Naval Appli-
cations (SWPS-N) for Shielded Metal Arc
Welding of Carbon Steel (S-1), 1⁄8 inch [3
mm] through 11⁄2 inch [38 mm] Thick,
MIL-7018-M, in the As-Welded or
PWHT Condition, Primarily Pipe for
Naval Applications. New Standard.
$124.00. ANSI public review expired
10/19/15. J. Rosario, ext. 308,
jrosario@aws.org.
C2.21M/C2.21:201X, Specification
for Thermal Spray Equipment Perform-
ance Verification. Revised Standard.
$26.00. ANSI public review expired
10/19/15. J. Rosario, ext. 308,
jrosario@aws.org.
D1.5M/D1.5:201X, Bridge Welding
Code. Revised Standard. $176.00.
ANSI public review expired 10/19/15.
S. Borrero, ext. 334, sborrero@aws.org.
Technical Committee Meetings
All AWS technical committee meet-
ings are open to the public. Contact
the staff member listed at (800/305)
443-9353 for information.
Nov. 8. C7 Committee on High En-
SOCIETY NEWS
ergy Beam Welding and Cutting.
Chicago, Ill. P. Portela, ext. 311,
pportela@aws.org.
Nov. 8. C7B Subcommittee on De-
sign and Fabrication. Chicago, Ill. P.
Portela, ext. 311, pportela@aws.org.
Nov. 8. C7C Subcommittee on Laser
Beam Welding and Cutting. Chicago,
Ill. P. Portela, ext. 311, pportela@
aws.org.
Nov. 8. C7D Subcommittee on Hy-
brid Welding. Chicago, Ill. P. Portela,
ext. 311, pportela@aws.org.
Nov. 9. B1 Committee on Methods
of Inspection. Chicago, Ill. J. Douglass,
ext. 306, jdouglass@aws.org.
Nov. 9. B1A Subcommittee on Non-
destructive Examination of Welds.
Chicago, Ill. J. Douglass, ext. 306,
jdouglass@aws.org.
Nov. 9. B1B Subcommittee on Visu-
al Examination of Welds. Chicago, Ill.
J. Douglass, ext. 306, jdouglass@-
aws.org.
Nov. 9. B1C Standing Task Group
on Welding Inspection Handbook.
Chicago, Ill. J. Douglass, ext. 306,
jdouglass@aws.org.
Nov. 9. C2 Committee and
Subcommittees on Thermal Spraying.
Chicago, Ill. J. Rosario, ext. 308,
jrosario@aws.org.
Nov. 9. C6D Subcommittee on Fric-
tion Stir Welding. Chicago, Ill. A. Nau-
mann, ext. 313, anaumann@aws.org.
Nov. 9. D17D Subcommittee on Re-
sistance Welding. Chicago, Ill. A. Nau-
mann, ext. 313, anaumann@aws.org.
Nov. 9. D17J Subcommittee on
Friction Stir Welding for Aerospace.
Chicago, Ill. A. Naumann, ext. 313,
anaumann@aws.org.
Nov. 9. D20 Committee on Additive
Manufacturing. Chicago, Ill. P. Portela,
ext. 311, pportela@aws.org.
Nov. 10. D14G Subcommittee on
Welding of Rotating Equipment.
Chicago, Ill. J. Douglass, ext. 306,
jdouglass@aws.org.
Nov. 10. D14I Subcommittee on
Hydraulic Cylinders. Chicago, Ill. J.
Douglass, ext. 306, jdouglass@aws.org.
Nov. 10. D9 Committee on Sheet
Metal. Chicago, Ill. J. Molin, ext. 304,
jmolin@aws.org.
Nov. 10. D15C Subcommittee on
Track Welding. Chicago, Ill. J. Rosario,
ext. 308, jrosario@aws.org.
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 85
Nov. 10. D17K Subcommittee on
Fusion Welding. Chicago, Ill. A. Nau-
mann, ext. 313, anaumann@aws.org.
Nov. 11. D14B Subcommittee on
General Design and Practices. Chicago,
Ill. J. Douglass, ext. 306, jdouglass@
aws.org.
Nov. 11. D14E Subcommittee on
Welding of Presses and Industrial and
Mill Cranes. Chicago, Ill. J. Douglass,
ext. 306, jdouglass@aws.org.
Nov. 11. D16 Committee on Robot-
ic and Automatic Welding. Chicago, Ill.
P. Portela, ext. 311, pportela@aws.org.
Nov. 11. D17K Subcommittee on
Fusion Welding. Chicago, Ill. A. Nau-
mann, ext. 313, anaumann@aws.org.
Nov. 12. D14 Committee on Ma-
chinery and Equipment. Chicago, Ill. J.
Douglass, ext. 306, jdouglass@aws.org.
Nov. 12. D14C Subcommittee on
Earthmoving and Construction Equip-
ment. Chicago, Ill. J. Douglass, ext.
306, jdouglass@aws.org.
Nov. 12. D17 Committee on Weld-
ing in the Aircraft and Aerospace In-
dustries. Chicago, Ill. A. Naumann,
ext. 313, anaumann@aws.org.
Revised Standards Approved by ANSI
D1.9/D1.9M:2015, Structural Weld-
ing Code — Titanium. Approval Date:
8/27/2015.
D18.3/D18.3M:2015, Specification
for Welding of Tanks, Vessels, and Other
Equipment in Sanitary (Hygienic) Appli-
cations. Approval Date: 8/20/2015.
New Standards Projects
Development work has begun on
the following new or revised stan-
dards. Affected individuals are invited
to contribute to their development.
Participation in all AWS Technical
committees is open to all persons.
C4.7/C4.7M:20XX, Recommended
Practices for the Safe Oxyacetylene Weld-
ing Of Steel. These recommended prac-
tices for oxyacetylene welding include
the latest procedures to be used in
conjunction with oxyacetylene equip-
ment and the latest safety recommen-
dations. Complete lists of equipment
are available from individual manufac-
turers. Stakeholders: Welders, welding
SOCIETY NEWS
instructors, manufacturers, education-
al institutions. New Standard. Contact
A. Naumann, ext. 313, anaumann@
aws.org.
C7.6/C7.6M:20XX, Process Specifica-
tion and Operator Qualification for
Laser Hybrid Welding. This document
will provide a list of normative refer-
ences, a short glossary of specialized
terms related to the use of hybrid
laser/arc welding, and a short descrip-
tion of special hazards associated with
the processes. Once these areas have
been addressed, requirements for de-
velopment of procedures and use of
the process for fabrication will be list-
ed along with the appropriate meth-
ods for documenting how the require-
ments are met. This will be followed
by sections on appropriate weld quali-
ty examinations, quality assurance,
and work approval. A short section on
requirements for equipment calibra-
tion will also be included. Stakehold-
ers: Fabricators and procurement or-
ganizations within the laser welding
community. New Standard. Contact: P.
Portela, ext. 311, pportela@aws.org.
D10.10/D10.10M:20XX, Recom-
mended Practices for Local Heating of
Welds in Piping and Tubing. This stan-
dard provides information on recom-
mended practices, equipment, temper-
ature control, insulation, and advan-
tages and disadvantages for the meth-
ods presently available for local heat-
ing of welding joints in pipe and tub-
ing. Stakeholders: Pipe and tube sys-
tem manufacturers, fabricators, in-
stallers, and those involved in repair
activities. Revised Standard. Contact:
A. Naumann, ext. 313, anaumann@
aws.org.
Interpretations
D1.5
Bridge Welding Code
Subject: Heat Input Qualifications
Code Edition: D1.5M/D1.5:2008
Code Provision: Subclause 5.12
AWS Log: D1.5-08-I08
Inquiry: To obtain the amperage and
voltage value for the heat input calcu-
lation from the list of weld pass values
on the PQR do you:
1. Use the one highest amperage and
voltage pass value OR
2. Average all passes and use the aver-
age amperage and voltage?
Response: The AWS
86 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
D1.5M/D1.5:2008 code is silent on
this issue. However, the AWS
D1.5M/D1.5:2010 code has addressed
this issue. See subclause 5.12 (2010).
Subject: Interpretation of the accept-
ance criteria for plate that has Type W
and Z discontinuities discovered in
base metal edges prior to fabrication
or welding.
Code Edition: D1.5M/D1.5:2010
Code Provision: Subclause 3.2.3 (Visu-
al Inspection and Repair of Base Metal
Cut Edges)
AWS Log: D1.5-10-I08
Inquiry: Is the following inquiry cor-
rect? Per subclause 3.2.3.7(1) that
when a Type W discontinuity is discov-
ered longer than one inch in length
the extent of the discontinuity is ex-
plored using the criteria of loss of back
reflection in conformance with ASTM
A435/A435M and that: 1. Only the
discovered discontinuity needs to be
explored and not the entire plate in
nine-inch grids. 2. The acceptance cri-
teria for a plate with a Type Z disconti-
nuity are per subclause 3.2.3.7(2) and
not per ASTM A435/A435M, which re-
jects any plate with a loss of back re-
flection in any three-inch circle.
Response: 1. In accordance with AWS
D1.5M/D1.5:2010, subclause
3.2.37(1), does only the extent of the
discovered discontinuity need to be ex-
plored? Yes.
2. In accordance with AWS
D1.5M/D1.5:2010, are the acceptance
criteria for a plate with a Type Z dis-
continuity per subclause 3.2.3.7(2)
and 3.2.2.7(3)? Yes.
Opportunities to Contribute to
AWS Technical Committees
The following committees welcome
new members. Some committees are
recruiting members with specific in-
terests in regard to the committee’s
scope, as marked below: Producers (P);
General Interest (G); Educators (E);
Consultants (C); and Users (U). For
more information, contact the staff
member listed or visit www.aws.org/
w/a/technical/comm_stand.html.
M. E. Rodriguez, ext. 310, mro-
driguez@aws.org
Automotive, D8 Committee (C, E,
G, U). Resistance welding, C1 Com-
mittee (C, E, G, U). Resistance weld-
ing equipment, J1 Committee (E, G,
U).
J. Douglass, ext. 306, jdouglass@aws.org
Methods of weld inspection, B1
Committee (E, U).
A. Naumann, , ext. 313, anaumann@aws.org
Oxyfuel gas welding and cutting, C4
Committee (C, E, G, U). Friction weld­
ing, C6 Committee. Welding practices
and procedures for austenitic steels,
D10C Subcommittee. Aluminum pip­
ing, D10H Subcommittee. Chromium
molybdenum steel piping, D10I Sub-
committee. Welding of titanium pip­
ing, D10K Subcommittee. Purging and
root pass welding, D10S Subcommit-
tee. Low­carbon steel pipe, D10T Sub-
committee. Orbital pipe welding,
D10U Subcommittee. Duplex pipe
welding, D10Y Subcommittee. Reac­
tive alloys, G2D Subcommittee (G). Ti­
tanium and zirconium filler metals,
A5K Subcommittee.
P. Portela, ext. 311, pportela@aws.org
High­energy beam welding and cut­
ting, C7 Committee. Robotic and auto­
matic welding, D16 Committee (C, E,
G). Hybrid welding, C7D Subcommit-
tee (G).
J. Rosario, ext. 308, jrosario@aws.org
Procedure and performance qualifi­
cation, B2 Committee (E). Thermal
spraying, C2 Committee (C, E, G, U).
Welding iron castings, D11 Committee
(C, E, G, P, U). Railroad welding, D15
Committee (E, G).
J. Molin, ext. 304, jmolin@aws.org
Welding sheet metal, D9 Commit-
tee (G, P).
S. Hedrick, ext. 305, steveh@aws.org
Joining of plastics and composites,
G1 Committee. Safety and Health
Committee (E, U, G, C). Mechanical
testing of welds, B4 Committee.
R. Gupta, ext. 301, gupta@aws.org
Magnesium alloy filler metals, A5L
Subcommittee.

MEMBERSHIP ACTIVITIES
New AWS Supporters
Sustaining Members
Jones Metal, Inc.
3201 3rd Ave.
Mankato, MN 56001
www.jonesmetalinc.com
Magna
111 Cosmo Dr.
Bowling Green, KY 42101
www.magna.com
Paradox Intellectual Properties, Inc.
8031 NW Camp Azalea Rd.
www.paradoxintellectual.com
SB Enterprises Pvt., Ltd.
238-A, Block II, Shahrah-E-Qaideen
P.E.C.H.S
Karachi, Sindh
Pakistan, 75400
www.sbepl.pk
Affiliate Companies
Aerokool Aviation Corp.
1495 SE 10th Ave
Hialeah, FL 33010
Custom Equipment Engineering, LLC
4300 Arrow Tree Dr., Unit H
St. Louis, MO 63128
Delta Machine & Ironworks, LLC
5185 Adams Ave
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
AWS Life Members Offered Free Registration for
Professional Program
AWS Life Members are offered free
admission to the upcoming FABTECH
Show scheduled for Nov. 9–12, 2015,
at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill.,
plus free registration for the Profes-
sional Program — a $325 value.
Registration for the Professional
Program entitles AWS Life Members
entrance to any of the technical ses-
sions occurring during the four-day
event. Registration forms are available
in the Welding Journal and in the Ad-
vance Program, or call (800/305) 443-
SOCIETY NEWS
Forza Engineering Services Pvt., Ltd. Sohar International Institution, LLC
No. 16, Ezhil Nagar Main Rd., P.B. No. 699
2nd Floor, Ag Complex, Selaiyur Sohar, Batinah
Chennai Tamil Nadu 600073 Oman 311
India
Gestamp Solar Steel
11040 N. Solar Canyon Way Welding Distributor Company
Surprise, AZ 85379 Members
JDH Contracting, Inc. Vibco Vibrators
8109 Network Dr. 75 Stilson Rd.
Plainfield, IN 46168 Wyoming, RI 02898
K­Tig
Bldg. 5, 9 William St.
Mile End SA 5031
Australia Supporting Company Members
Oak Creek Consolidated
Cashco, Inc.
326-I Old York Hampton Hwy.
607 W. 15 St.
Yorktown, VA 23692
Ellsworth, KS 67439
Steel Fab Enterprises, LLC
623 Baumgardner Rd. Mountain Man Welding and
Lancaster, PA 17603 Fabrication
2115 W. 14 Ave.
Denver, CO 80204
Educational Institutions Turbine Pros
14510 Northdale Blvd.
Federal Correctional Complex — Rogers, MN 55374
Lompoc
3901 Klein Blvd.
Lompoc, CA 93436
Rusyal Industrial, LLC
P.B. No. 16 Rd. 4 C
Rusyal, Muscat
Oman 124
9353, ext. 260, to have the form AWS Member Counts
mailed to you. October 1, 2015
To obtain your free registration, Sustaining.................................601
mark “AWS Life Member — Free Reg- Supporting ...............................350
istration” at the top of your registra- Educational...............................710
tion form. Fax both sides of the form Affiliate.....................................622
to (305) 443-5647, Attn: Rhenda Ken- Welding Distributor ...................55
ny, membership director; e-mail to Total Corporate .......................2338
rhenda@aws.org; or mail the form to Individual ...........................60,328
Rhenda Kenny, AWS Membership Student + Transitional ...........11,266
Dept., 8669 NW 36th St., Ste. 130, Total Members ..................71,594
Miami, FL 33166.
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 87
SOCIETY NEWS
Member­Get­A­Member
Campaign
Listed here are the members partici-
pating in the Member-Get-A-Member
Campaign that runs from Jan. 1 to Dec.
31, 2015. Members receive 5 points for
each individual Member and 1 point
for every Student Member they recruit.
For campaign rules and a prize list,
see page 97 of this Welding Journal.
Standings as of September 19 are listed.
If you have any questions regarding
your member proposer points, please
call the AWS Membership Department
at (800) 443-9353, ext. 480.
J. W. Morris, Mobile — 223
G. Bieniecki, Cleveland — 137
M. A. Pelegrino, Chicago — 127
Nominate Your Candidates for These Welding­Related Awards
The deadline for nominating candidates for the following awards is December 31 prior to the year of the awards’ presenta-
tions. E-mail Chelsea Lewis at clewis@aws.org or call (800/305) 443-9353, ext. 293.
William Irrgang Memorial Award
This award includes a $2500 hono-
rarium to recognize the individual who
has done the most over the past five
years to advance the science and tech-
nology of welding.
International Meritorious
Certificate Award
The award recognizes, in the broad-
est terms, the honoree’s significant
contributions and service to the inter-
national welding community.
Candidates Sought to Receive the MIT Masubuchi Award
The Prof. Koichi Masubuchi award,
with a $5000 honorarium, is presented
to one person, 40 or younger, who has
made significant contributions to the
advancement of materials joining
88 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
M. G. Poss, Detroit — 115
M. Krupnicki, Rochester — 58
D. Sorensen, Northwest — 58
G. G. Schroeter, Nebraska — 50
R. D. Zabel, Southeast Nebraska — 40
H. H. Hughes, Mahoning Valley — 37
T. Geisler, Pittsburgh — 36
D. E. Newman, Ozark — 36
P. Stigall, Chicago — 35
A. D. Stute, Madison-Beloit— 35
D. A. Saunders, Lakeshore — 34
J. J. Russell, Fox Valley — 27
R. L. Gilmer, Houston — 26
M. Ball, Canada — 25
B. R. Hackbarth, Milwaukee — 25
J. King, South Carolina — 25
R. F. Purvis, Sacramento — 25
M. J. Spodar, Dayton — 25
R. L. Thompson, Kansas — 25
S. Thornhill, St. Louis — 25
National Meritorious Award
The award includes a $2500 hono-
rarium to recognize the recipient’s loy-
alty, good counsel, dedication to AWS
affairs, and promotion of cordial rela-
tions with industry and other technical
organizations.
Honorary Membership Award
This award cites an individual who
has eminence in the welding profes-
sion or has made outstanding develop-
ments in the field of welding arts.
through research and development.
Send a list of your candidate’s experi-
ence, publications, honors, awards, and
at least three letters of recommendation
from fellow researchers to Prof. Todd
J. P. Theberge, Boston — 21
N. Baughman, Stark Central — 20
R. A. Washenesky, Arrowhead — 20
R. Riggs, Tulsa — 19
R. J. Ferguson, Indiana — 18
R. H. Randall, Detroit — 16
M. A. Stevenson, J.A.K. — 16
M. Cyphert, NW Pa. — 15
S. D. Lord, Rochester — 15
G. S. Mulee, South Carolina — 15
B. Scott, Dayton — 15
J. N. Burke, Louisville — 14
W. D. Elliott, Houston — 14
J. Foley, Pittsburgh — 14
S. H. Slagle, Cleveland — 14
J. K. Pruitt, Kansas City — 13
G. L. Gammill, NE Mississippi — 12
A. I. Duron, New Orleans — 11
D. L. Galiher, Detroit — 11
C. A. Renfro, Chattanooga — 11
George E. Willis Award
The award is presented to an indi-
vidual who has promoted the advance-
ment of welding internationally by
fostering cooperative participation in
technology transfer, standards ration-
alization, and promotion of industrial
goodwill for the Society.
Palmer, tap103@psu.edu. This award is
sponsored annually by the Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology, Dept. of
Ocean Engineering.
BY ANNIK BABINSKI — ababinski@aws.org
District 1
Thomas Ferri, director
(508) 527-1884
Tom_Ferri@Thermal-Dynamics.com
District 2
Harland W. Thompson, director
(631) 546-2903
harland.w.thompson@us.ul.com
LONG ISLAND
September 10
Location: The Nook Restaurant, Wan-
tagh, N.Y.
Event: Section members discussed the
establishment of a Named Scholarship
by the Section. In attendance were:
Jesse Provler, Ron Pandolf, Ray
O’Leary, Dist. 2 Director Harland
Thompson, Alex Duschere, Chair Bri-
an Cassidy, Barry McQuillen, and Deb-
orah McInnis.
SECTION NEWS
NEW YORK tion and the Lancaster named scholar-
August 10 ships. Barlow was given the awards for
his outstanding work and participa-
Location: Lynbrook Diner, Long Is-
tion in the York Student Chapter and
land, NY
the York Section.
Event: Executive Board Members held
a meeting to discuss criteria for the
national scholarship fund as presented
by District 2 Director Harland Thomp- District 4
son. Future general meeting dates and Stewart A. Harris, director
guest speakers were also arranged. (919) 824-0520
stewart.harris@altec.com
District 3 TIDEWATER
September 10
Michael Sebergandio, director
Location: Thomas Nelson Community
(717) 471-2065
College, Hampton, Va.
drweld13@gmail.com
Speaker: Doug Zoller, director of capi-
tal goods North America sales support
LANCASTER AND YORK
July 20 at ESAB Welding and Cutting
Topic: ICE submerged arc welding
Location: Hoss’s Steak House, York,
Event: Doug Zoller of ESAB gave the
Pa.
Event: During a dinner meeting, Alex Section an informative presentation
on ICE, which is a unique variation of
Barlow, a York Section student mem-
the submerged arc welding process.
ber, received the Student Chapter
Member Award as well as the York Sec-

TIDEWATER — Doug Zoller of ESAB is

LONG ISLAND — Seen (from left to right) after the Section’s meeting at The Nook Restau­ shown during his September 10 presen­
rant are Jesse Provler, Ron Pandolf, Ray O’Leary, Dist. 2 Director Harland Thompson, Alex tation to the Tidewater Virginia Section.
Duschere, Chair Brian Cassidy, Barry McQuillen, and Deborah McInnis.

LANCASTER AND YORK — Alex Barlow

LANCASTER AND YORK — Alex Barlow (middle), York Section student member, receives (right), York Section student member, re­
the Lancaster Section scholarship and the York Section Scholarship. Seen from left are ceives the Student Chapter member
Sean Moran, director at large; Mike Sebergandio, Dist. 3 director; Alex Barlow; Ed Cala­ award from Dist. 3 Director Mike Seber­
man, Section chairman; and Dean Whitmer, Section treasurer. gandio (left).

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 89

SECTION NEWS
boys participated in the welding por-
District 5 District 8 tion of the day. NWFSC instructors
Carl Matricardi, director D. Joshua Burgess, director Scottie Smith and Mark Gonzales, as
(770) 356-2107 (931) 260-7039 well as former student Lindsey Irvine
cmatricardi@aol.com djoshuaburgess@gmail.com ran the workshop with help from Sec-
tion members Tim DeVargas and Jerry
ATLANTA NORTHEAST TENNESSEE Betts. The Section also sponsored part
August 22 September 17–20 of the event by providing protective
Location: IHOP, Suwanee, Ga. Location: Tennessee Valley Fair, equipment during the workshop. Boy
Event: Members held an executive Knoxville, Tenn. Scouts who participated were William
committee meeting to discuss upcom- Event: The AWS Careers in Welding Barrett, Ian Blankenbeker, Ryan
ing meeting dates and different tools trailer visited the Tennessee Valley Blankenbeker, Robert Burgess, Aaryn
for meetings Rene Engeron learned at Fair in Knoxville, Tenn., and was well
the AWS Leadership Symposium. Ja- supported by local Section members
son Ayers was officially elected to the who volunteered their time.
executive committee as second vice
chairman and webmaster.
District 9
Michael Skiles, director
(337) 501-0304
District 6 michaelskiles@cox.net
Michael Krupnicki, director
(585) 705-1764 MOBILE
mkrup@mahanyweld.com August 8
Location: Northwest Florida State Col-
lege (NWFSC), Niceville, Fla.
District 7 Event: The college hosted more than
200 local area Boy Scouts from 11 dif-
MOBILE — Byron Dunn (left), president
of the Gulf States Shipbuilders Consor­
Uwe Aschemeier, director
(786) 473-9540 ferent troops as they trained to earn tium, is seen after his speech with Sec­
uwe@sgsdiving.com merit badges in different areas. Fifteen tion Chairman Clay Byron (right).

MOBILE — Instructors from Northwest Florida State College, Section members, and Boy Scouts after a day of welding toward their weld­
ing merit badge.

NORTHEAST TENNESSEE — A group photo of Section members and visitors in the Careers NORTHEAST TENNESSEE — The AWS Ca­
in Welding trailer: (from left) Bryson Elliot, Andrew Simcox, Daniel Stopnick, Maneel reers in Welding trailer visited the Ten­
Bharadwaj, Jonaaron Jones, Gilbert Cruz, Will Hoskins, and Danny Galicki. nessee Valley Fair in Knoxville, Tenn.

90 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015


NEW ORLEANS — Mike Skiles, Dist. 9 di­
rector (left), receives a guest speaker
award from Travis Moore, treasurer.
NEW ORLEANS — Travis Moore (left),
Section treasurer, and Aldo Duron
(right), Section secretary, present Earl
Dominique, SCLTC Welding Instructor,
with his 50/50 award.
NEW ORLEANS — Student Member Os­
car Duran (Delgado Community Col­
lege), shows off the Oxford Alloys, Inc.,
door prizes he won at the meeting.
SECTION NEWS
Cooper, Alan Cutler, Joshua Daniels,
Mike Davis, Tyler Duley, Jared Gasi,
Ryan Karle, Gavin LeBrun, Ethan Lin-
day, Wes Stephens, and Joshua
Williams.
September 10
Location: Original Oyster House,
Spanish Fort, Ala.
Speaker: Byron Dunn, president Gulf
States Shipbuilders Consortium
(GSSC)
Topic: History and purpose of the
GSSC, and an update on its current
activities.
Event: The Section celebrated its
scholarship recognition night with a
buffet dinner, a split-the-pot drawing,
door prizes, and a speech from Byron
Dunn of the GSSC. Clay Byron, Section
chairman, hosted the event, which
drew 49 participants.
NEW ORLEANS
September 15
Location: South Central Louisiana
Technical College, Reserve, La.
Speaker: Mike Skiles, AWS Dist. 9 di-
rector
Topic: Where Have All the Welders
Gone?
Event: The Section held its first gener-
al meeting of the 2015–2016 schedule,
which was sponsored by Oxford Al-
loys, Inc. The meeting was hosted at
South Central Louisiana Technical Col-
lege in Reserve, La., by Penelope Free-
man, campus dean. Chris Polanski,
sales engineer at Oxford Alloys, pro-
vided food and door prizes. A 50/50
raffle was held with proceeds going to
Section student scholarships and ac-
tivities. Guest speaker Mike Skiles,
Dist. 9 director, gave an interactive
presentation on the future of welding.
CLEVELAND — Frank Armao (left) re­
ceives a hearty thanks from Mike Bar­
rett for his presentation to the Section.
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 91
District 10
Robert E. Brenner, director
(330) 575-0198
bobren28@yahoo.com
CLEVELAND
September 8
Location: Toscana Party Center, Cuya-
hoga Heights, Ohio
Speaker: Frank Armao, director, alu-
minum technology, Lincoln Electric
Topic: Basics of Aluminum Welding
Event: Frank Armao spoke about the
aluminum alloy designation system,
alloy families, and the effects of weld-
ing on mechanical properties. Mem-
bers discussed the differences between
welding steel and aluminum. New
Chairman Mike Barrett presented a
certificate of appreciation to Past
Chair Paul Revolinsky.
NORTHWESTERN 
PENNSYLVANIA
August 7
Location: Whispering Pines Golf
Course, Meadville, Pa.
Event: The Section hosted a joint golf
outing with Drake Well’s Section. The
profits were split between the two Sec-
tions and later given as scholarships to
students.
September 9
Location: Erie Institute of Technology,
Erie, Pa.
Speaker: Tim Phillips, regional sales rep-
resentative for ESAB
Topic: CNC Plasma Cutting Technology
Event: Section members held a meet-
ing at the Erie Institute of Technology,
where they were toured through the
facility and given a demonstration of
the ESAB CNC portable plasma cutting
CLEVELAND — Past Chair Paul Revolin­
sky (left) receives a certificate of appre­
ciation from Chair Mike Barrett.
SECTION NEWS
system from Tim Phillips, who dis-
cussed the history and evolution of
plasma, the pros and cons of different
machines, and which types of machines
work with different applications.
District 11
Robert P. Wilcox, director
(734) 721-8272
rmwilcox@wowway.com
DETROIT
September 10
Location: Schoolcraft College — Vis-
TaTech Building, Livonia, Mich.
Speaker: David Landon, AWS presi-
dent, Vermeer Mfg. Co.
Topic: Triple Pass of the Torch —
Technology, Heroism, and Mentorship
Event: The Section’s annual student
night was held at Schoolcraft College’s
VisTaTech Building in Livonia, Mich.
This year the Section was able to
award 32 scholarships, totalling
$45,500 to students from eight differ-
DETROIT — Seen at the Section’s student
awards night is Michael Bilbrey II (left),
winner of the 2015–16 Amos and
Marilyn Winsand Scholarship.
DETROIT — The winners of the AWS­Detroit Section scholarships are seen with AWS President David Landon (third from right).
92 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
ent schools. The candidates all submit- Highlights: Twenty-five Student Chap-
ted an application, transcripts, and a ter members participated in the Wis-
letter for consideration. Recipients of consin Department of Transporta-
the 2015–2016 scholarships are stu- tion’s Adopt-a-Highway program. This
dents at Schoolcraft C.C., Monroe is a volunteer event to help keep the
C.C., Ferris State University, Baker highways clean of trash and debris.
College (Flint), Wayne C.C., Macomb The student chapter will participate in
C.C., Washtenaw C.C., and Lansing
C.C. AWS President David Landon
the cleanup twice a year.
gave a speech about technology, he-
roes, and mentoring in today’s work-
place.
District 12
Daniel J. Roland, director
(920) 241-1542
daniel.roland@airgas.com
Northeast Wisconsin Technical
College Student Chapter NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA —
May 14 Jason Neff (left) is seen with Tim Phillips
Location: Highway 55, Green Bay, Wis. (right), regional sales representative for
Event: Wisconsin Adopt-A-Highway ESAB, after touring Section Members
cleanup through the Erie Institute of Technology.
NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA — Members from both the Drake Well and Northwest
Pa. Sections are seen (left to right) after a day of fundraising golf: Eric Spear, Jason Neff,
Tom Kostreba, Donna Bastian, Marty Siddall, Ward Kiser, Travis Crate, and Mike Owens.
 SECTION NEWS
guest speakers to speak to Section cations, discontinuities, and successful
District 13 members about cross-country pipeline welds. Dan Morang provided a live
John Willard, director welding. David Viar discussed con- welding demonstration for members
(815) 954-4838 struction management and welding and college and high school students
kustom_bilt@msn.com qualifications in the visual examina- with 12 in., 6 in., and 2 in. pipe welding
tion of welds. Amanda Young dis- coupons for 6G pipe welding and testing
CHICAGO cussed nondestructive testing of on uphill and downhill progression.
August 30 pipeline welds, inspections and certifi-
Location: Brookfield Zoo, Ill.
Event: Section members met at the
Brookfield Zoo to participate in the
Summer Safari Adventure as part of
the District 13 meeting. Fifty mem-
bers were in attendance.

September 9
Location: Moraine Valley Community
College, Palos Hills, Ill.
Speakers: David Viar, Moraine Valley
C.C., Amanda Young, McNDT, and
Dan Morang, Embridge, Indiana.
Event: The Section brought three
CHICAGO — (From left to right) Aman­
CHICAGO — Members and college and da Young, Dan Morang, and David Viar
high school students attend David pose for a photo after their presenta­
Viar’s pipe welding demonstration. tions to Members and students.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Student Chapter — Pictured is one of
the highway signs recognizing the Stu­
dent Chapter’s cleanup commitment.
The sign is posted along a dedicated sec­
tion of Highway 55, just south of High­ CHICAGO — Members, along with area college and high school students listen as David
way 54, west of Green Bay, Wis. Viar and Amanda Young speak about cross­country pipeline welding.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Student Chapter — Pictured are Student Chapter advisor Jon Russell (far left) and Club President
Dan Wicker (center front) with Student Chapter members after their highway cleanup.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 93

SECTION NEWS
PEORIA prizes. Samuel Chance received four
September 22 awards and will attend Purdue Univer- District 15
sity in the spring. More than 50 people David Lynnes, director
Event: Mark Kerley of Caterpillar, Inc.,
were in attendance. (701) 893-2295
spoke about robot welding of heavy
dave@learntoweld.com
structures to Section members in
Washington, Ill. ST. LOUIS
September 10
Location: Trinity Products, St. Charles, District 16
Md.
District 14 Event: Charlie Lamb, Trinity Products,
Karl Fogleman, director
(402) 677-2490
Robert L. Richwine, director gave Section members a tour of the fogleman3@cox.net
(765) 606-7970 pipe mill, and was presented with an
rlrichwine2@aol.com appreciation award from Chairman
INDIANA
Michael Kamp.
District 17
September 10 TRI­RIVER Jerry Knapp, director
Location: Pipe Trades Local Union September 17 (918) 224-6455
440, Indianapolis, Ind. Location: Electronics Research, Inc., jerry.knapp@gasandsupply.com
Event: The Section’s Annual Student Chandler, Ind.
Night was held at the Pipe Trades Lo- Event: Former Chairman Phillip Young EAST TEXAS
cal Union 440 in Indianapolis. High- toured Section members through Elec- September 17
lights of the evening included a pres- tronics Research, Inc. Members later Location: Airgas plant, Tyler, Tex.
entation of the District, Section, and enjoyed a presentation on nondestruc- Speaker: Jerry Barbee, fill plant opera-
Named Scholarship awards, a tour of tive testing from Chairman Mike Bum- tor, Airgas Southwest.
the Pipe Trades Training Center, and a garner of Bumgarner Welding and Topic: History of oxygen and the filling
student drawing for door prizes. Every Inspection. of cyrogenic and high-pressure con-
student received a minimum of three tainers.

PEORIA — Past chairs of the Section are

seen together (from left) BACK ROW:
Phil England, Mark Kerley (speaker),
Kerwin Brown, and Rick Polanin; FRONT
INDIANA — Sam Chance (right) receiving his Brant Family Named Scholarship award ROW: Jess Hunter, Chris Laban, and
from (from left) Gary Halter, Dave Jackson, and Bennie Flynn. Curt Rippey.

TRI­RIVER — Quality Inspector John Hel­

INDIANA — Sam Chance (right) receiv­
ing his Indiana Section/Bob Richwine frich of Electronics Research explains the TRI­RIVER — Former Section Chairman
Named Scholarship from Dist. 14 Direc­ quality requirements for welding a Phillip Young conducts a plant tour at
tor Bob Richwine (left). broadcast tower section. Electronics Research.

94 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

 SECTION NEWS

EAST TEXAS — Section members (seen EAST TEXAS — Airgas Southwest Fill NORTH TEXAS — Paul Stanglin (left),
from left) Bryan Baker, treasurer, Jerry Plant Operator Jerry Barbee speaks to Section chairman, is seen with Floyd
Barbee, speaker, and J. Jones, chairman, Section members during a tour of the Kiel, applications engineer from Bohler
together after the Airgas plant tour. company’s plant. Welding, after Kiel’s presentation.

ST. LOUIS — Michael Kamp (center left) presents Charlie Lamb (center right) with a plaque of appreciation for touring Section members
through the Trinity Products pipe mill.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Section members, students from Caddo­Kiowa Technology Center, and Mark Dunn and students from his shop class at
Luther, Oklahoma, are seen at the Section meeting.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 95

SECTION NEWS
Event: Section members enjoyed a
presentation that covered the history
of oxygen and high-pressure contain-
ers from 1850, when oxygen was first
extracted from air, to today’s air sepa-
ration facilities and how oxygen is held
and transported. Members walked
through the oxygen-filling area where
cryogenic and high-pressure contain-
ers are filled.
NORTH TEXAS
September 15
Location: Humperdinks, Arlington,
Tex.
Speaker: Floyd Kiel, applications engi-
neer at Bohler Welding
Topic: Seamless Cored Wires
Event: Floyd Kiel presented on the dif-
ference between typical seamed cored
wires and seamless cored wires. He
discussed the advantages of seamless
cored wires, which include their lower
hydrogen values, reduced contamina-
tion from rust particles and typical
wire lubricants, and the lower heat in-
put of seamless cored wires because of
their better tip-to-surface contact.
OKLAHOMA CITY
September 17
Location: Alliance Steel, Inc., Oklaho-
ma City, Okla.
Speaker: John Trotter, QA manager at
Alliance Steel
Event: The Section held its meeting at
Alliance Steel, where members were
treated to a plant tour and enjoyed
dinner together. Members watched a
video, Building it Better: Earthquake
Testing Metal Buildings, published by
the University of California Television
and other industry partners. Scholar-
ships were announced, and National
Excellence in Welding Educator nomi-
nee Keith Theesen was given a token
of appreciation for his commitment to
involving his students in their local
OKLAHOMA CITY — Keith Theesen (left)
accepts the Section appreciation award
from John Trotter, Section chair.
96 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
AWS Chapter. Local educator Mark
Dunn brought some of his students to
the meeting, and the Section was im-
pressed with their creativity and moti-
vation.
District 18
John Stoll, director
(713) 724-2350
John.Stoll@voestalpine.com
HOUSTON
September 16
Location: Brady’s Landing Restaurant
Speakers: Uwe Aschemeier, Dist. 7 Di-
rector, and Jarrad Schmerl, project
manager with Subsea Global Solu-
tions.
Topic: Underwater-Wet and Underwa-
ter-Dry Welding around the World
Event: More than 100 people attended
this talk at Brady’s Landing Restau-
rant.
District 19
Ken Johnson, director
(425) 957-3553
kenneth.johnson@vigorindustrial.com
District 20
Pierrette H. Gorman, director
(505) 284-9644
phgorma@sandia.gov
COLORADO
September 10
Location: SVI Trucks, Fort Collins,
Colo.
Speaker: Ron Weinmeister, owner SVI
Trucks
Topic: Fabrication and welding of cus-
tom emergency equipment
Event: SVI Trucks Owner Ron Wein-
meister and Area Managers Mark
Thielman and Jerry Bartsch spoke
about the company’s history and the
available processes for custom fabri-
cating and retrofitting firefighting ve-
hicles and other emergency response
equipment. Members enjoyed a tour of
the facility work areas and a discussion
about the company’s extensive in-
house fabrication capabilities.
NEW MEXICO
October 9, 2014
Location: Eclipse Aerospace, Inc.,
Albuquerque, N. Mex.
Event: Intersociety meeting with
SAMPE, ASME, and ASM. Society
members toured Eclipse Aerospace
and enjoyed educational talks, a raffle,
and awards presentations.
Speakers: Past AWS President Dean
Wilson spoke about the society;
Eclipse Aerospace Director of Engi-
neering Brent Christener discussed
friction stir welding for the aerospace
industry; and Debi and Dean Wilson
ran a raffle and presented awards.
October 30, 2014
Location: Caterpillar Emissions Solu-
tion, Inc.
Speaker: John Fields of Caterpillar
Emissions Solutions
Topic: Designs and manufactures cus-
tomized stationary after treatment so-
lutions for internal combustion en-
gines.
Event: Membership milestones recog-
nized by Section 75 for the following:
Edward J. Kachenko Jr., Life Award,
35 years; Dr. Tom Lienert, Silver
Award, 25 years; and Patrick Bauman,
Silver Award, 25 years. Section mem-
bers discussed how Caterpillar Emis-
sions Solutions uses laser cutting
equipment and welding to produce in-
ternal combustion California Air Re-
sources Board (ARB)-verified particu-
late filters, oxidation catylsts, and si-
lencers as well as hybrid selective cata-
lysts reduction/particulate filer/si-
lencer system. These products are used
HOUSTON — Dist. 7 Director
and Speaker Uwe As­
chemeier (from left) seen
with Jarrad Schmerl, project
manager with Subsea Global
Solutions, who also spoke,
Section Chair Grant Peltier,
and First Vice Chair Justin
Kirby.
 AWS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Join or Renew: Mail: Form with your payment, to AWS Call: Membership Department at (800) 443-9353, ext. 480
Fax: Completed form to (305) 443-5647 Online: www.aws.org/membership 8669 NW 36 St, # 130
Miami, FL 33166-6672
CONTACT INFORMATION Telephone (800) 443-9353
FAX (305) 443-5647
q New Member q Renewal Visit our website: www.aws.org

q Mr. q Ms. q Mrs. q Dr. Please print • Duplicate this page as needed Type of Business (Check ONE only)
A q Contract construction
Last Name:_______________________________________________________________________________
B q Chemicals & allied products
C q Petroleum & coal industries
First Name:___________________________________________________________________ M.I:_______
D q Primary metal industries
E q Fabricated metal products
Birthdate: _____________________________ E-Mail:____________________________________________
F q Machinery except elect. (incl. gas welding)
G q Electrical equip., supplies, electrodes
Cell Phone ( )__________________________ Secondary Phone ( )______________________
H q Transportation equip. — air, aerospace
Were you ever an AWS Member? q YES q NO If “YES,” give year________ and Member #:____________________ I q Transportation equip. — automotive
J q Transportation equip. — boats, ships
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L q Utilities
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N q Misc. repair services (incl. welding shops)
_______________________________________________________________________________________ O q Educational Services (univ., libraries, schools)
P q Engineering & architectural services (incl. assns.)
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Ž Education level: q High school diploma q Associate’s q Bachelor’s q Master’s q Doctoral 01 q
02 q Manager, director, superintendent (or assistant)
q Check here if you learned of the Society through an AWS Member? Member’s name:_______________________Member’s # (if known):________ 03 q Sales
q 04 q Purchasing
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INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP 20 q Engineer — design
21 q Engineer — manufacturing
è Please check each box that applies to the Membership or service you’d like, and then add the cost together to get your Total Payment. 06 q Engineer — other
10 q Architect designer
q AWS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP (One Year)......................................................................................................$86 12 q Metallurgist
A wo Years SAVE $25 New Members Only....................................$147 13 q Research & development
22 q Quality control
q New Member Initiation Fee ...........................................................................................................................................$12 07 q Inspector, tester
08 q Supervisor, foreman
OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO AWS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS ONLY:
14 q Technician
A.) OPTIONAL Book Selection (Choose from 25 titles; up to a $192 value; includes shipping & handling) 09 q Welder, welding or cutting operator
q Individual Members in the U.S..................................................................................................................................$35 11 q Consultant
15 q Educator
q Individual Members outside the U.S (includes International shipping)...........................................................................$85 17 q Librarian
16 q Student
ONLY ONE SELECTION PLEASE. For more book choices visit www.aws.org/membership
18 q Customer Service
q (CD-ROM only) q q Welding Metallurgy 19 q Other
Welding Handbook Selections: q WH (9th Ed., Vol. 4) q WH (9th Ed., Vol. 3) q WH (9th Ed., Vol. 2) q WH (9th Ed., Vol. 1)
Technical Interests (Check all that apply)
Pocket Handbook Selections: q PHB-1 (Arc Welding Steel) q PHB-2 (Visual Inspection) q PHB-4 (GMAW / FCAW) A q Ferrous metals
B.) OPTIONAL Welding Journal Hard Copy (for Members outside North America) B q Aluminum
C q Nonferrous metals except aluminum
q Individual Members outside North America (note: digital delivery of WJ is standard)..............................................$50
D q Advanced materials/Intermetallics
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP TOTAL PAYMENT..................................................................................$_____________ E q Ceramics
NOTE: Dues include $16.80 for Welding Journal subscription and $4.00 for the AWS Foundation. F q High energy beam processes
G q Arc welding
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP H q Brazing and soldering
è Please choose your Student Membership option below. I q Resistance welding
J q Thermal spray
q AWS STUDENT MEMBERSHIP (One Year)...................................................................................................................$15 K q Cutting
Digital delivery of Welding Journal magazine is standard for all Student Members.
L q NDT
q AWS STUDENT MEMBERSHIP (One Year)...................................................................................................................$35 M q Safety and health
Includes one-year Welding Journal hard copy subscription. Option available only to students in U.S., Canada & Mexico. N q Bending and shearing
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP TOTAL PAYMENT......................................................................................$_____________ O q Roll forming
P q Stamping and punching
PAYMENT INFORMATION Q q Aerospace
R q Automotive
Payment can be made (in U.S. dollars) by check or money order (international or foreign), payable to the American Welding Society, or by charge card. S q Machinery
q Check q Money Order q AMEX q Diners Club q MasterCard q Visa q Discover q Other T q Marine
U q Piping and tubing
CC#:____________ / ____________ / ____________ / ____________ Expiration Date (mm/yy) ________ / ________ V q Pressure vessels and tanks
W q Sheet metal
X q Structures
Signature of Applicant:_________________________________________ Application Date:_______________________
Y q Other
Z q Automation
OFFICE USE ONLY Check #:_______________________________ Account #____________________________________ 1 q Robotics
Source Code: IT Date:_________________________________ Amount:_____________________________________ 2 q Computerization of Welding
REV. 11/14
 SECTION NEWS

NEW MEXICO— (Left) Section Chairman Pat Bauman (left) presents Jeremy Feidler (right) with the Section Educator Award in January.
(Middle) Matheson representatives Richard Moku and Laurel Flowers are given the Section Corporate Recognition Award. (Right) Herb
Smith is presented with the Section Meritorious Award.

COLORADO — Section Members pose with SVI Trucks Owner Ron Weinmeister, and Managers Mark Thielman and Jerry Bartsch.

ANNOUNCE YOUR
SECTION’S ACTIVITIES IN
ThE SECTION EVENTS
CalENdaR
If you would like to submit a calen-
dar, send along the following infor-
mation: Section name; activity name,
date, time, and location; and speaker
name, title, affiliation, and subject. If NEW MEXICO — AWS Past President
some of your meeting plans are Dean Wilson (left) presents an AWS Cor­ SAN FRANCISCO — Chairman Mike
pending, include the name and e- porate Recognition award to Brent Zinser (left) and Speaker Jennifer
Christener, the Section’s host at Eclipse Bernard at Spenger’s Restaurant in
mail or phone number of a contact Berkeley, Calif.
Aerospace in Albuquerque, N.Mex.
person for the event.

Please keep in mind that the Journal

publication cut-off is usually the
20th of the month, for two months
ahead. For example, if you want to
have your February meeting on the
January Journal calendar, the dead-
line is November 20.

Send your calendar event listing to

Annik Babinski, assistant editor, by
e-mail, ababinski@aws.org, or fax, COLORADO — Section Members pose with Jerry Bartsch in the middle of their tour of SVI
(305) 443-7404. Trucks in Fort Collins, Colo.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 99

SECTION NEWS

NEW MEXICO — (Left) Joe Sanchez is presented with the Section Educator Award. (Middle) Jesse Holden is presented with the Section Ed­
ucator Award. (Right) Richard Bingham is presented with the Dalton E. Hamilton Memorial CWI of the Year Section Award.

in retrofitting engine-powered genera- Event: Forty-four members and

tors. District 21 guests, including four new members
Sam Lindsey, director who joined at the meeting, attended
January 22 (858) 740-1917 the banquet presentation. Mike Zinser
Location: CNM Community College, slindsey@sandiego.gov and Jerry Azzaro received Section
Albuquerque, N. Mex. Chairman pins in honor of past serv-
Event: 2015 Section and District District 22 ice. Jennifer Bernard, quality manager,
Awards Presentation Kerry E. Shatell, director Mare Island Dry Dock LLC, spoke
Speaker: Patrick Bauman, chairman (925) 866-5434 about welding and inspection chal-
Highlights: After lunch a raffle was kesi@pge.com lenges in ship repair.
held, and then awards and plaques
were handed out. The Executive Com- SAN FRANCISCO
mittee announced that funds were de- September 2
posited for two new scholarships. Location: Spenger’s Restaurant,
Berkeley, Calif.

May 12, 2016 Kingsport, Tenn.

SECTION EVENTS Student Award Night Trade show of welding and cutting ma-
CALENDAR chines, tools, and clothing.
Contact Bob Teuscher for more informa-
Colorado tion about Colorado events at (303) 893- May 10, 2016, 6 pm
3602 or by e-mail at Regional Center for Advanced Manu-
November 12 bobteuscher@hotmail.com. facturing, 305 West Main Street,
Emily Griffith Opportunity School, Kingsport, Tenn.
1860 Lincoln St., Denver, Colo. Holston Valley Section Awards meeting.
Tour the school’s new welding lab.
November 10, 6 pm Contact Jon J. Cookson for more
December 8 229 Nolichuckey Ave. Erwin, Tenn. information about Holston Valley events
Visit from AWS President Dave Tour of the CSX rail car repair facility. at (757) 897-3748, or by e-mail at
Landon. jjcookson@northeaststate.edu.
January 12, 2016, 6 pm
January 14, 2016 500 Borla Drive, Johnson City, Tenn. New Orleans
Presentation on coiled tubing usage Tour of the Borla Performance Indus-
and manufacturing. tries, Inc., facility. Meetings are held on the third Tues-
day of each month. No meetings in De-
February 12, 2016 February 9, 2016, 6 pm cember, June, July, or August.
Ladies Night Regional Center for Advanced Manu-
facturing, 305 West Main Street, Contact D.J. Berger for more information
March 11, 2016 Kingsport, Tenn. about New Orleans events at (504) 415-
7th Annual Welding the Rockies Presentation of AWS Scholarships and 9165, or by e-mail at dj@nationalitc.com.
Symposium. information on the Chatanooga State
CC welding program. Please note that events are subject to change.
April 14, 2016 Reach out to the listed contact to confirm.
AWS joint meeting with ASNT at April 12, 2016, All Day
Intermountain Testing. Regional Center for Advanced Manu-
facturing, 305 West Main Street,

100 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

 Guide to AWS Services
American Welding Society® Director — International Activities
8669 NW 36th St., #130 INTERNATIONAL SALES Andrew Davis.. adavis@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(466)
Miami, FL 33166-6672 Managing Director of North American Sales International Standards Activities, American Coun-
(800/305) 443-9353; Fax: (305) 443-7559 Joe Krall..jkrall@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(297) cil of the International Institute of Welding
Phone extensions are in parentheses.
Learning Sales Representative Manager, Safety and Health
AWS PRESIDENT Efram Abrams.. eabrams@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(307) Stephen Hedrick.. steveh@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(305)
David Landon . . . . . . . .dlandon@vermeermfg.com Metric Practice, Safety and Health, Joining of Plas-
Vermeer Mfg. Co. Corporate Director, Global Sales tics and Composites, Personnel and Facilities Qualifica-
2010 Vermeer Rd. E., Pella, IA 50219 Jeff Kamentz..jkamentz@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(233) tion, Mechanical Testing of Welds
Oversees international business activities; certifi-
ADMINISTRATION cation, publications, and membership. Program Managers II
Executive Director Stephen Borrero... sborrero@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . .(334)
Ray Shook.. rshook@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(210) PUBLICATION SERVICES Definitions and Symbols, Structural Subcommittees
Dept. information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(275) on Reinforcing Steel, Bridge Welding, Stainless Steel,
Senior Associate Executive Directors Managing Director Brazing and Soldering Manufacturers Committee
Cassie Burrell.. cburrell@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(253) Andrew Cullison.. cullison@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(249)
Rakesh Gupta.. gupta@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(301)
John Gayler.. gayler@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(472) Welding Journal Filler Metals and Allied Materials, International
Publisher Filler Metals, UNS Numbers Assignment, Arc Welding
Chief Financial Officer Andrew Cullison.. cullison@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(249) and Cutting Processes, Computerization of Welding In-
Gesana Villegas.. gvillegas@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(252) formation
Editor
Chief Information Officer Mary Ruth Johnsen.. mjohnsen@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(238) Jennifer Molin.. jmolin@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(304)
Emilio Del Riego..edelriego@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(247) Structural Welding, Sheet Metal Welding
Society and Section News Editors
Board and Executive Director Services Melissa Gomez..mgomez@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(275) Program Managers
Associate Director Annik Babinski..ababinski@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(256) John Douglass..jdouglass@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(306)
Alex Diaz.. adiaz@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(294) Brazing and Soldering, Brazing Filler Metals and
Welding Handbook Editor Fluxes, Brazing Handbook, Soldering Handbook, Ma-
AWS Awards, Fellows, Counselors Kathy Sinnes.. ksinnes@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(303) chinery and Equipment, Methods of Inspection, Welding
Board and Executive Director Services in Marine Construction
Program Manager MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Chelsea Lewis.. clewis@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(293) Director Andre Naumann.. anaumann@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(313)
Coordinates AWS awards and Fellow and Coun- Lorena Cora.. lcora@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(417) Welding and Brazing in Aerospace, Joining of Metals
selor nominations. and Alloys, Piping and Tubing, Ti and Zr Filler Metals,
Public Relations Manager Friction Welding, Oxyfuel Gas Welding and Cutting
Administrative Services Cindy Weihl..cweihl@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(416)
Corporate Director Peter Portela.. pportela@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(311)
Hidail Nuñez..hidail@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(287) Webmaster High-Energy Beam Welding, Robotics Welding,
Jose Salgado..jsalgado@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(456) Welding in Sanitary Applications, Additive Manufactur-
HUMAN RESOURCES ing, Structural Welding Subcommittee on Titanium
Director Section Web Editor
Gricelda Manalich.. gricelda@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . .(208) Henry Chinea...hchinea@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(452) Maria Elena Rodriguez..mrodriguez@aws.org . . . . .. . (310)
Automotive, Resistance Welding, Resistance
Associate Director MEMBER SERVICES Equipment
Patrick Henry..phenry@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .( 211) Dept. information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(480)
Jennifer Rosario.. jrosario@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(308)
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF WELDING Senior Associate Executive Director Railroad Welding, Thermal Spraying, Welding Iron
Senior Coordinator Cassie Burrell.. cburrell@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(253) Castings, Welding Qualification
Sissibeth Lopez . . sissi@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(319)
Liaison services with other national and international Director CUSTOMER OPERATIONS
societies and standards organizations. Rhenda Kenny... rhenda@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(260) Program Specialists
Serves as a liaison between members and AWS head- Vivian Pupo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(362)
GOVERNMENT LIAISON SERVICES quarters. Danielle Garcia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(361)
Hugh Webster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .hwebster@wc-b.com Answer customer questions about AWS.
Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, Washington, D.C. (202) CERTIFICATION SERVICES
785-9500; F: (202) 835-0243. Dept. information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(273) AWS FOUNDATION, INC.
Monitors federal issues of importance to the Director, Certification Operations www.aws.org/w/a/foundation
industry. Terry Perez..tperez@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(470) General Information
Application processing, renewals, and exams. (800/305) 443-9353, ext. 212, vpinsky@aws.org
CONVENTION AND EXPOSITIONS
Director, Convention and Meeting Services Director, Accreditation Operations Chairman, Board of Trustees
Matthew Rubin.....mrubin@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(239) Judy Manso..jmanso@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(281) William A. Rice.. brice@oki-bering.com
ATFs, CWFs, and Audits.
ITSA — INTERNATIONAL THERMAL Executive Director, Foundation
SPRAY ASSOCIATION EDUCATION SERVICES Sam Gentry.. sgentry@aws.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (331)
Senior Manager and Editor Director, Operations
Kathy Dusa....kathydusa@thermalspray.org . . . . . . . .(232) Martica Ventura.. mventura@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . .(224) Corporate Director, Workforce Development
Monica Pfarr.. mpfarr@aws.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . (461)
RWMA — RESISTANCE WELDING Director, Development and Systems
MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE David Hernandez.. dhernandez@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(219) Associate Director of Scholarships
Committee Specialist Vicki Pinsky.. vpinsky@aws.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . (212)
Adrian Bustillo....abustillo@aws.org. . . . .. . . . .. . . . . .(295) TECHNICAL SERVICES
Dept. information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(340) The AWS Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charita-
WEMCO — ASSOCIATION OF WELDING Managing Director — Technical Services ble organization established to provide support for the educa-
MANUFACTURERS Annette Alonso.. aalonso@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(299) tional and scientific endeavors of the American Welding Socie-
Management Specialist Technical Committee Activities, Additive Manufacturing, ty. Promote the Foundation’s work with your financial support.
Keila DeMoraes....kdemoraes@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(444) Welding Qualification

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 101

PERSONNEL

Materials Research Society Fills facturing leadership experience, hav- second vice chairman and chairs the
New Executive Roles ing held several senior positions at Re- subcommittee B05.04 on pipe and
caro Group, part of Johnson Controls. tube.
The Materials Research Society He will be located at the company’s
(MRS), Warrendale, Pa., has appointed Tuttlingen, Germany, location.
Susan E. Trolier-McKinstry, The Penn- Cincinnati, Inc., Hires Sales
sylvania State University, as its vice Engineer for Texas
president beginning January 1, 2016. Sellstrom Mfg. Co. Announces
The election also brought five new Western Regional Manager Alex Gorosito
board members to the board of direc- has been appoint-
tors, to each serve three-year terms Sellstrom Mfg. ed regional sales
starting in January 2016. They are Co., Schaumburg, engineer for Texas
Matt Copel, IBM; Paul S. Drzaic, Ap- Ill., a manufactur- by Cincinnati,
ple, Inc.; Yury Gogotsi, Drexel Univer- er of personal pro- Inc., Harrison,
sity; Young-Chang Joo, Seoul National tective equipment Ohio, a laser cut-
University; and Magaly Spector, Uni- (PPE), has hired ting equipment
versity of Texas at Dallas. In addition, Daniel Bradlee as manufacturer.
David J. Parrillo, The Dow Chemical its new western Gorosito has been
Co., a current board member, was ap- regional manager. working in manu-
pointed MRS treasurer and chair of Bradlee brings an Alex Gorosito facturing indus-
the MRS finance committee, begin- extensive knowl- tries for more
ning January 2016 and lasting for one edge of PPE prod- than twelve years.
year. Daniel Bradlee ucts and welding, He earned his bachelor of science in
and a strong back- mechanical engineering from the Uni-
ground in fall-protection products and versity of Miami. In this new role,
Camfil Air Pollution Control systems. Gorosito will take care of direct ma-
Names Global EVP chine sales.

Camfil Air Pol- ASTM International Copper

lution Control, Committee Honors Contributor Fronius USA Brings on
Jonesboro, Ark., a New Talent
manufacturer of The ASTM Committee B05 on Cop-
dust, mist, and per and Copper Alloys presented
fume collection Charles Blanton, corporate director of
equipment, has environmental, health, and safety at
appointed Chris- Mueller Industries, Inc., Memphis,
tian Debus global Tenn., with the ASTM International
executive vice Copper Club Award. Blanton’s years of
president. Debus leadership and his contributions were
Christian Debus
has strong manu- honored. He serves as the committee’s

Jasen Lenaway Gary Holbrook

Fronius USA, Portage, Ind., has

hired Jasen Lenaway as a sales appli-
cation technician, and Gary Holbrook
as area sales manager for Texas.
Lenaway has 23 years of welding expe-
rience, 15 of which was spent robotic
welding. Holbrook has worked in the
industry since 1978 for companies
such as Linde and Oxygen Service, and
owned his own business for ten years
before selling it.

— continued on page 104

For info, go to www.aws.org/ad­index

102 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

PERSONNEL
— continued from page 102
New Regional Sales Manager
for Solar Atmospheres
Solar Atmos-
pheres Southeast,
Greenville, S.C.,
has announced
that Mike Harper
has accepted the
position of region-
al sales manager
for the southeast-
ern United States.
Harper has more
than 23 years of
Mike Harper experience in met-
al processing in-
dustries, business
development, and sales.
Tri Tool Appoints VP of Global
Sales and Field Services
Tri Tool, Inc., Rancho Cordova,
Calif., has hired Troy Todd as vice
president of global sales and field
services. Todd previously worked for
Tri Tool’s safety program and headed
up human resources for corporate,
manufacturing, and contract service
personnel. He has also held executive
positions at Cascade Drilling and
Waste Management.
The International Society of
Automation Names Winning
Authors
The International Society of Au-
tomation’s (ISA) publications depart-
ment, Research Triangle Park, N.C.,
has announced the winners of its an-
nual author awards. Authors and con-
tributors to ISA publications are hon-
ored for developing, reviewing, and
delivering its content. The Keith Otto
Award was presented to Leif Poulsen;
The Nels Tyring Award was given to
Allan Kern; The Raymond D. Molloy
Award was awarded to Terrence L.
“Terry” Blevins, Deji Chen, PhD, Mark
Nixon, and Willy Wojsznis, PhD, and
the ISA Transactions Best Paper Award
went to Junyong Zhai, PhD, and
Wenting Zha.
104 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
OMS Shortlisted for National
Engineering Award
Publish Your
Optical Metrology Services, Ltd., a
pipe measurement product and serv- Research in the
ice supplier based in Stansted, UK, has
WELDI
JouN G
been announced as a finalist for the
British Engineering Excellence Awards
in the Design Team of the Year catego-
ry. The nod was in part due to the de-
rn
na
al
sign and development of its new weld and You’ll Get
inspection tool, the AugaTM, which can
analyze the internal girth features of

Yoour research sent to mor
m e
oil and gas pipeline welds in less than
two minutes. than 71,000 American
We elding Society mem mbers
PFERD Appoints Customer
Yo
our published paper
Service Manager posted on the AWS We eb
site for FREE access
PFERD, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., has worldwide
hired Janet A. Schweitzer as customer (wwww..aws s.org
g/w//a
g a//
service manager. Schweitzer joins the
researc ch/indeex ml))
x..htm
company from Wm. K. Walthers Co.
She has more than nine years of expe-
The most recent Impact
rience in customer sales and service,
and nine years of training and devel- Factor of 1.378
opment experience in business-to-
business and consumer environments.
No page charges

Yoour paper printed in
full color
OBITUARY

Electronic submission a and
Douglas H. Juhl tracking through Editorial
Douglas H. Juhl passed away Manager
March 18, 2015, in Minneapolis, (wwww..ediitto
oriia
al
Minn., at the age of 64. Juhl studied manager..com//w wjj))
welding at the Dunwoody Industrial
Institute from 1969 to 1970, and at-
Everyy research paper
tended the University of Minnesota – published in the We eldin
ng
Twin Cities from 1980 to 1983. In Journal since 1970
1990, Juhl patented a paint color-
change system with David Walker and available FREE on the
Thomas D. Schmidt, and in 2001 he AWWS We eb site
patented a light seal for use with ro- (ww
ww..aws s.org
g/wjj//
botic equipment with Timothy Scher- supple ement//ssupplement--
er. In June 2012, Juhl was hired as a inde
ex ml))
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robotic sales engineer with PRI Robot-
ics, Minneapolis, Minn. Juhl joined
AWS in 1980 and achieved Life Mem-
ber status in 2015. He was an active
member of the D16 committee on Ro-
botics and Automation, and served as
vice chairman of the Northwest Sec-
tion in 2014. WJ
By far, the most people, at
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NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY
— continued from page 21
From left, Everest Ejigiri (Southern University) and Bin Zhang
(Louisiana State University) are shown in front of a high­
temperature, high­vacuum molding system used for replication
of metal­based microscale structures. (Credit: Eddy Perez, LSU
University Relations)
lion through its Experimental Program to Stimulate Com-
petitive Research.
The Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-1 coop-
erative agreements will support science and engineering ac-
ademic research infrastructure on the Island of Guam, and
in Arkansas, Louisiana, and West Virginia.
Each award will support fundamental research, educa-
tion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
fields, plus workforce development in areas relevant to the
jurisdictions’ economic and other vital interests.
Arkansas and Louisiana are developing approaches for
producing technologically relevant materials that can ad-
vance localized commercialization and manufacturing
economies. Water resource sustainability is a central theme
for West Virginia and Guam.
Welding Trailer Wins Minnesota
Innovation Award
Minnesota State Community and Technical College’s mo-
bile welding trailer was one of three top winners in Min-
nesota’s 2015 State Government Innovation Awards.
“The mobile welding trailer redefines education, as we’re
This converted refrigerated semitrailer for Minnesota State
Community and Technical College houses 12 training stations
where welding skills are learned.
108 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015
trying to take education to the student,” said G. L. Tucker,
director of M State’s Custom Training Services.
Nearly 300 men and women have been trained in the col-
lege’s welding trailer since it went on the road in May 2013.
This converted refrigerated semitrailer houses 12 train-
ing stations. Instructor Josh Heibel teaches welding skills in
sessions that range from 16 to 160 hours.
The college has partnered with workforce centers, state
agencies, businesses, and high schools to provide training,
which is generally free to students.
M State is also using grant funds to develop three addi-
tional mobile trailers to provide training related for com-
mercial driver’s licenses, industrial/construction workplace
safety, and precision measurement/manufacturing.
Industry Notes
• The Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland, Ohio, recently do-
nated welding equipment to Warfighter Made, Murrieta,
Calif., a nonprofit organization that adapts cars, trucks,
motorcycles, and off-road vehicles for ill, injured, and com-
bat-wounded service members and veterans. In addition,
the company has passed an accreditation process to become
an IACET Accredited Provider of continuing educational
programming. It now will be able to offer accredited contin-
uing education units for educational workshops, seminars,
and welding school courses held at its global headquarters.
• Vitronics Soltec, the Netherlands, has won the SMTA
China Best Exhibit Technology Award for its ZEVAv se-
lective soldering platform, first introduced in Nov. 2013, at
the recent SMTA China South 2015/NEPCON South China
2015 show. The honor recognizes electronics excellence.
• Recent graduates of the State University of New York
Delhi’s welding technology program all took the New York
State Department of Transportation field welder exam
for the first time and achieved a 100% pass rate. They will
be included on the department’s list of eligible personnel
and able to erect/perform repairs for New York state.
• ACE Production Technologies, Inc., Spokane Valley,
Wash., has recently placed two selective soldering systems.
A KISS-103IL has been installed at BAE Systems, Fort
Wayne, Ind., and a KISS-102IL has been connected at Ac-
celerated Assemblies, Elk Grove Village, Ill.
• Albany Technical College, Albany, Ga., and Turner Job
Corps recently held a prior learning assessment articula-
tion agreement signing ceremony. In support of the Com-
plete College Georgia agenda, the aim is to assist and
promote this assessment in the transferability of the Turn-
er Job Corps training achievement record to the college’s
associated diploma or associate of applied science degree.
Welding is among the courses; it will transfer to an Albany
Tech welding and joining technology diploma for welding.
• Saki Corp. has announced that Saki America, Fremont,
Calif., added three new distributors — SMT Equipment,
Bench Top Solutions, and Contek Sales & Marketing —
that will provide sales support for its 2D and true 3D
automated optical, solder paste, and X-ray inspection
systems. WJ
PRODUCT & PRINT SPOTLIGHT
— continued from page 40
to be customized or personalized with White Paper Analyzes Cost
site-specific hazards, making them Savings for Abrasives
useful for safety programs. With digi-
tal colorization, it is possible to print
readable QR codes, realistic color, gra-
dients, and fine lines onto coins. Lo-
gos and images, including faces and
fine detail, can be clearly shown, and
metal show-through is also an option.
Colors can be matched exactly to a
PMS number. Every coin can be per-
sonalized with a variable copy, like in-
dividual names or sequential number-
ing. Digital colorization is available on
39-mm coins or keytags in brass,
antique brass, nickel sliver, and fine
silver.

Osborne Coinage Co.

ball screw, X-, Y-, Z-axis drive mecha-
nism for highly repeatable, point-to-
point and continuous soldering of dif-
ficult or labor-intensive manual opera-
tions. Its 360-deg wettable nozzles
with diameters from 3 to 20 mm pro-
duce ultraprecise, miniature waves
that can be programmed to a 0.5-mm
minimum clearance from adjacent
components. The nozzle body is de-
signed to inject preheated nitrogen for
high-integrity, oxidation-free solder
joints. Also included is a MicroDrop jet
fluxer.
Manncorp
www.manncorp.com
(215) 830­1200
Personalized Color Coins
Useful for Safety Programs
The company is now able to print
four-color process directly onto a coin
surface, allowing each individual coin
www.osbornecoin.com
(866) 274­0868
Back Blow Air Nozzle Cleans
Inside Pipes and Hoses
The 1⁄4 NPT Back Blow air nozzle has
been designed to effectively blow de-
bris and liquids from pipe or hose in-
side diameters, channels, bores, holes,
internal threads, and other internal
part features. An array of holes pro-
vide a 360-deg airflow to clear out
coolant, chips, and light oils from ma-
chining processes. The nozzle prevents
blowing chips further into a part, tube,
or pipe, and eliminates any safety haz-
ard created by blowing debris out the
far end of a pipe or tube. The 1006SS
model is manufactured with a small
profile, will fit inside openings as
small as 7⁄8 in., and is effective on diam-
eters up to 4 in. Extension pipes from
12 to 72 in. are stocked to provide nec-
essary reach for longer tube and pipe
clean out. The sound level is low at 80
dBA, which meets OSHA noise re-
quirement 29 CFR 1910.95(a) and is
CE compliant.
EXAIR Corp.
www.exair.com
(800) 903­9247
“Documented Cost Savings for
Abrasives,” a new industry white pa-
per, formally reports on four compa-
nies — large, medium, and small —
and a range of industry types. Tom
Morris, the author of the white paper,
spent several months conducting com-
parative tests, including those done in
a laboratory setting, as well as in-field
tests performed on the customer’s
own equipment. The paper can be
downloaded at no cost from the com-
pany’s website.
Walter Surface Technologies
www.walter.com
(800) 522­0321
Submit a New Products
Item for Consideration
If your company has a new weld-
ing, fabricating, or manufacturing
product readily available, the details
required to be considered for possi-
ble publication in the Welding
Journal are as follows:
• Press release with the product’s
name, important features, and spe-
cific industries it’s aimed for
• High-resolution jpg or tiff photo
(266 or more dpi).
Please e-mail submissions to
Assistant Editor Melissa Gomez at
mgomezl@aws.org.

110 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

COMING EVENTS
— continued from page 76
INTEG Courses. Courses in NDE disciplines to meet certifica-
tions to Canadian General Standards Board or Canadian Nu-
clear Safety Commission. The Canadian Welding Bureau;
(800) 844-6790; www.cwbgroup.org.
Laser Safety Online Courses. Courses include Medical Laser
Safety Officer, Laser Safety Training for Physicians, Indus-
trial Laser Safety, and Laser Safety in Educational Institu-
tions. Laser Institute of America; (800) 345-2737;
www.lia.org.
Laser Safety Training Courses. Courses based on ANSI
Z136.1, Safe Use of Lasers. Orlando, Fla., or customer’s site.
Laser Institute of America; (800) 345-2737; www.lia.org.
Laser U — Online Education Portal. Offers practical infor-
mation to use on the job. Topics range from 3D printing to
drilling, welding, wireless and optical product requirements,
and many others. Visit website for complete information
and to sign up for modules. Laser Institute of America;
www.lia.org/laseru.
Laser Vision Seminars. Two-day classes, offered monthly
and on request, include tutorials and practical training. Pre-
sented at Servo-Robot, Inc., St. Bruno, QC, Canada. For
schedule, cost, and availability, send your request to
info@servorobot.com.
Machine Safeguarding Seminars. Rockford Systems, Inc.;
(800) 922-7533; www.rockfordsystems.com.
Machining and Grinding Courses. TechSolve, www.TechSolve.org.
NACE International Training and Certification Courses. Na-
tional Assoc. of Corrosion Engineers; (281) 228-6223;
www.nace.org.
NDT Courses and Exams. Brea, Calif., and customers’ loca-
tions. Level I and II and refresher courses in PA, UT, MP, ra-
diation safety, radiography, visual, etc. Test NDT, LLC; (714)
255-1500; www.testndt.com.
Online Education Courses. Topics include Introduction to
Die Casting ($99), Metal Melting and Handling ($99), Prod-
uct Design ($59), Energy Training ($19), Dross Training
($19), Managing Dust Hazards ($19), Safety (free). North
American Die Casting Assoc.; (847) 808-3161; www.diecast-
ing.org/education/online.
Plastics Welding School. A two-day course for certification
to European plastics welding standards. Malcom Hot Air
Systems; www.plasticweldingtools.com.
Protective Coatings Training and Certification Courses. At
various locations and online. The Society for Protective
Coatings; (877) 281-7772; www.sspc.org.
Resistance Welding Basics Seminar. Nov. 5 (New Britain,
Conn.); Dec. 8, 9, 2015 (Chattanooga, Tenn.); T. J. Snow Co.,
Inc. www.tjsnow.com/service/offsite_seminar_index.htm.
Robotics Operator Training. Presented by ABB University at
13 locations nationwide. For course titles and locations:
(800) 435-7365, opt. 2, opt. 4; www.abb.us/abbuniversity.
Robotic Welding Training. Offers a variety of courses to en-
hance productivity and product quality, presented on site at
your facility or at the address shown below. Wolf Robotics,
LLC, 4600 Innovation Dr., Fort Collins, Colo.; (970) 225-
7600; www.wolfrobotics.com.
Safety Training Online. Unlimited training on myriad indus-
trial safety course titles. Visit website for complete informa-
tion and previews of several courses; www.safety99.com.
Service Manager Course. Designed for sheet metal workers
and HVAC service shop owners. Various locations and dates.
International Training Institute. (703) 739-7200;
www.sheetmetal-iti.org.
Shielded Metal Arc Welding of 2­in. Pipe in the 6G Position
— Uphill. Troy, Ohio. Hobart Institute of Welding Technolo-
gy; (800) 332-9448; www.welding.org.
Soldering Training — Live, Interactive Online Courses. Three
courses offered: basic hand soldering, through-hole technol-
ogy, and surface-mount technology. Visit site for course out-
lines, schedules, prices, and to register. Soldering Training &
Certification (STC), www.solderingtraining.com/online-solder-
ing-training.php.
SSPC Training and Certification Courses. Courses in protec-
tive coatings, abrasive blasting, paint inspector, bridge coat-
ings inspector, surface preparation, NAVSEA inspector, and
many others. The Society for Protective Coatings;
www.sspc.org.
Superabrasive Materials, Principles & Applications. Two-
day course offered. $500 for one day of grinding and one day
of machining. $275 for just one day. Offered by the Industri-
al Diamond Association of America (IDAA) at the YG-I
America Advanced Manufacturing Center in Charlotte, N.C.
(614) 797-2265; www.superabrasiveseducation.com.
Thermadyne® Distributor Training. Year-round training at
Denton, Tex.; West Lebanon, N.H.; Bowling Green, Ky.; and
Chino, Calif. trainingteam@victortechnologies.com.
Tool and Die Welding Courses. Troy, Ohio. Hobart Institute
of Welding Technology; (800) 332-9448; www.welding.org.
Unitek Miyachi Corp. Training Services. Personalized train-
ing services on resistance and laser beam welding and laser
marking; (626) 303-5676; www.unitekmiyachi.com.
Vibration Training Short Courses. Presented at locations na-
tionwide, customer’s site, and by correspondence. Vibration
Institute; www.vibinst.org.
Welding Courses. A wide range of specialized courses pre-
sented throughout the year. The Lincoln Electric Co.; (216)
486-1751; www.lincolnelectric.com. WJ
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 111
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 ADVERTISER INDEX

ArcOne 51 Gedik Welding 15

www.arc1weldsafe.com (800) 223­4685 www.gedikwelding.com +90 216 378 50 00

Arcos Industries, LLC Inside Back Cover Genstar Technologies Co., Inc. 33
www.arcos.us (800) 233­8460 www.genstartech.com (909) 606­2726

Astaras 8­9 Greiner Industries 35

www.e3tungsten.com web contact only www.greinerindustries.com (800) 782­2110

Atlas Welding Accessories, Inc. 40 Gullco International, Inc. ­ U.S.A. 19

www.atlaswelding.com (800) 962­9353 www.gullco.com (440) 439­8333

AWS Advertising Sales 77, 103 Harris Products Group 67

www.aws.org (800) 443­9353, ext. 220 www.harrisproductsgroup.com (800) 733­4043

AWS Education Services 105 Hi Tecmetal Group 36

www.aws.org/education (800) 443­9353, ext. 455 www.htg.cc (216) 881­8100

AWS Foundation 106–107 Hobart Institute of Welding Technology 19

www.aws.org/foundation (800) 443­9353, ext. 250 www.welding.org (800) 332­9448

AWS Member Services 82, 109 Hodgson Custom Rolling, Inc. 5

www.aws.org/membership (800) 443­9353, ext. 480 www.hcrsteel.com (905) 356­6025

AWS Technical Services 76, 81, 114 Hypertherm 16–17

www.aws.org/technical (800) 443­9353, ext. 340 www.hypertherm.com/quality (800) 643­0030

Camfil Air Pollution Control 2 I.M.P.A.C.T. 55

www.camfilapc.com (800) 479­6801 www.ironworkers.org/www.impact­net.org (800) 545­4921

Carestream NDT 38 Interactive Safety Products, Inc. 71

www.carestream.com (888) 777­2072 www.helmetsystems.com (704) 664­7377

CDA Technical Institute 29 Intercon Enterprises, Inc. 21

www.commercialdivingacademy.com (888) 974­2232 www.intercon1978.com (800) 665­6655

Cor­Met 54 Intertest 18
www.cor­met.com (800) 848­2719 www.intertest.com (908) 496­8008

Diamond Ground Products, Inc. 25, 27 K.I.W.O.T.O., Inc. 74

www.diamondground.com (805) 498­3837 www.rodguard.net (269) 944­1552

Divers Academy International 37 Lincoln Electric Co. Outside Back Cover

www.diversacademy.edu (800) 238­3483 www.lincolnelectric.com (216) 481­8100

Donaldson Torit 73 Lucas Milhaupt 24

www.DonaldsonTorit.com (800) 365­1331 www.lucasmilhaupt.com (414) 769­6000

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products 23 Mercer Abrasives 45

www.esab.com/truth (800) 372­2123 www.mercerabrasives.com (631) 243­3900

Fabtech MEXICO 2016 79 Midalloy 26

www.fabtechmexico.com (800) 432­2832 ext. 267 www.midalloy.com (800) 776­3300

Fischer Engineering Co. 102 Miller Electric 20

www.fischerengr.com (937) 754­1754 www.MillerWelds.com/webuild (920) 734­9821

Fronius USA, LLC 1 MK Products 41–44

www.fronius­usa.com (877) 376­6487 www.mkproducts.com (800) 787­9707

Fusion, Inc. 26 National University Polytechnic Institute (NUPI) 74

www.fusion­inc.com (800) 626­9501 www.nupolytech.org (800) 432­3483

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 113

ADVERTISER INDEX

OTC Daihen, Inc. 31

www.daihen­usa.com (888) 682­7626

Prince & Izant Co. 76

www.princeizant.com (800) 634­0437

Schaefer Ventilation Equipment 75 American Welding Society®

www.schaeferfan.com (800) 779­3267
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Select­Arc, Inc. Inside Front Cover
www.select­arc.com (937) 295­5215

STEELFAB 2016 50
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Sumner Mfg. Co., Inc. 28

www.sumner.com (888) 999­6910

Superflash Compressed Gas Equipment/IBEDA, Inc. 13

www.oxyfuelsafety.com (888) 327­7306

Superior Consumables Inc. 30 IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES...

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From the industry’s most respected
Thermo­Calc Software 32 leader in welding, comes the first
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Tokin America Corp. 75 designed for the welding industry.
www.tokinamerica.com (513) 644­9743

Triangle Engineering, Inc. 15

www.trieng.com (781) 878­1500

Voestalpine Bohler Welding USA, Inc. 11

www.voestalpine.com/welding (800) 527­0791

Weld Aid 75
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114 WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015

 WELDING RESEARCH
SUPPLEMENT TO THE WELDING JOURNAL, NOVEMBER 2015
Sponsored by the American Welding Society and the Welding Research Council

Disaggregated Metal and Carbide

Catchment Efficiencies in Laser Cladding
of Nickel­Tungsten Carbide
Using a CO2 laser, the effects of power, powder feed rate, and travel speed
were studied to determine their influence on the efficiency of depositing
a nickel tungsten carbide clad coating

BY G. WOOD AND P. F. MENDEZ

in the cladding. The carbide must re-

ABSTRACT main unmelted during the cladding
process, contrary to most other wear
Composite coatings made of nickel matrix reinforced with tungsten carbide particles protection alloys, such as chromium
are one of the dominant wear­protection systems in mining, oil, and gas applications. In carbide where the reinforcing phase
these applications, the balance of powders forming the final coatings is crucial to the forms in-situ during solidification. Al-
final product. This paper presents for the first time an analysis of powder utilization effi­
though the microstructural aspects of
ciency (“catchment efficiency”) where the metallic powders (mostly nickel) and tungsten
carbide are discriminated. Experiments were performed using a CO2 laser system with the Ni-WC are not a focus of this
coaxial powder deposition, and the effects of power, powder feed rate, and travel speed analysis, it is important to note the
were tested. The metal efficiency was higher than the carbide in all tests. Increasing WC symbol in Ni-WC does not directly
laser power resulted in increased efficiency for both metal and carbide. Increasing pow­ refer to the stoichiometric 1:1 form of
der feed rate decreased nickel efficiency and increased carbide efficiency, with the over­ the carbide only and is used inter-
all powder efficiency being approximately constant. Increasing travel speed resulted in changeably with WC, W2C, and the
strong reduction of efficiency for both carbide and nickel. nonstoichiometric WC1-x.
There have been various contribu-
tions to the understanding of catch-
ment efficiency in literature, which
KEYWORDS can be grouped into two categories:
• Cladding • Hardfacing • Composite Coatings • Metal Matrix Composites
models of catchment efficiency, and
experimental exploration of laser pa-
rameters to optimize efficiency.
Among models of efficiency, Picas-
Introduction contributing to the cladding buildup so et al. developed a numerical algo-
(Refs. 1–3). Not all of the powders rithm to compute powder efficiency,
that exit the head end up as part of the accounting for the angular dependence
Powder-based welding processes cladding bead; the fraction of powders of laser power absorption and the melt
such as laser cladding or plasma arc that do is termed the “catchment effi- pool shape based on a Gaussian heat
welding (PAW), also referred to as ciency” by practitioners. distribution (Ref. 4). Lin and Steen
plasma transferred arc welding The focus of this analysis is the effi- presented a model of efficiency based
(PTAW), are the industry standard for ciency in laser deposition of nickel on the geometry of the powder stream
depositing tungsten carbide-based tungsten carbide (Ni-WC) cladding. at the nozzle focus point, molten pool,
wear-resistant coatings (Ref. 1). The The Ni-WC powder blend contains a and the degree of overlap between the
dimensions, performance, and cost of primary Ni powder (referred to here- powder stream and molten pool (Ref.
the final coating or cladding are direct- after as metal powder), which solidi- 5). Frenk et al. proposed a model of ef-
ly dependent on the amount of free- fies to create the matrix, and ceramic ficiency for off-axis laser cladding with
flight powder that adheres to the tungsten carbide particles, which in a theoretical maximum mass efficien-
molten surface of the cladding pool turn serve as the wear-resistant phase cy of 69%, which was experimentally

G. WOOD (gentry@ualberta.ca) and P. F. MENDEZ are with Canadian Centre for Welding and Joining, Chemical and Materials Engineering,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 343-s

WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 1 — Schematic of a cross section of a deposited cladding bead
from the experiments.
Fig. 3 — Cross section of Bead 3 etched with 3% Nital for 5 s.
validated (Ref. 6). Partes studied the
effects of melt pool geometry and noz-
zle alignment on catchment efficiency
taking into account particle time of
flight and surface melting under the
beam (Ref. 7).
Researchers that have studied pa-
rameter optimization for laser
cladding of homogeneous alloys in-
clude Olivera et al. who analyzed the
effect of laser power, powder feed rate,
and substrate travel speed on powder
efficiency and proposed experimental-
ly determined correlations to fit 316L
stainless steel cladding trials (Ref. 8).
Gremaud et al. determined the opti-
mal efficiency for thin-walled struc-
tures made of single-stacked laser
cladding beads. This work explored the
effect of travel speed and powder feed
rate on the efficiency for a variety of
alloys (Ref. 9). A select few researchers
have also studied the efficiency of
laser cladding of Ni-WC.
Powder efficiency in Ni-WC laser
cladding is relatively unexplored. Zhou
et al. studied the effect of laser spot di-
mensions with laser induction hybrid
cladding on the efficiency of Ni-WC
coatings, but did not directly report val-
ues for efficiency. Increases in bead
width and height were qualitatively cor-
related to increased capture efficiency
(Ref. 10). Angelastro et al. optimized
the process parameters of power, pow-
der feed rate, and travel speed for a
multilayer clad of Ni-WC with Co and
Cr additions reporting only an overall
value for deposition efficiency (Ref.
11). Of the researchers who have meas-
344-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94
Fig. 2 — Laser cladding during the Bead 3 run.
ured and modelled effi-
ciency, most have used
homogeneous single- Fig. 4 — Python script output showing carbide area for Bead 3.
component powder
feeds, and for those
who have directly worked with Ni-WC,
none have discriminated between com-
ponents. This work presents for the
first time a detailed analysis of individ-
ual component efficiencies for a mixed
powder feed, linking the mass capture
of two types of immiscible powders to
measurable quantities of the process
and the cross section of the deposited
clad. In this work, laser power, powder
feed rate, and travel speed are varied to
study the effects on carbide and metal
powder catchment efficiency independ-
ently.
Experimental Setup
Laser Cladding Equipment
For the experimental trials per-
formed here, the power source was a
6-kW CO2 laser assembly with water-
cooled copper-mirror optics. The focal
distance of the final beam-focusing
mirror was 345 mm (13.959 in.), and
cladding was performed 19 mm (0.75
in.) out of focus beyond the focal
point, conforming to typical industri-
al practices. The laser spot diameter
at this working distance was 6.13
mm. A disk powder feeder was used
to meter powder to the cladding noz-
zle with a set Ar carrier gas flow rate
of 6.5 L/min. The cladding nozzle was
a coaxial production nozzle capable of
feed rates up to 150 g/min through a
series of 50 equally spaced ports be-
tween two concentric conical guides.
Argon shield gas flow rate was 1.27
m3/h. The substrate positioning sys-
tem is a CNC-controlled x-y lathe bed
with a mounted four jaw check head-
stock and tailstock spindle support.
Surface rotation speeds were pro-
grammed into the CNC system for a
given diameter substrate. For the pre-
cision equipment used, it was consid-
ered that the actual rotation speed
matched its set point.
Powder Feed
The powder feed used in this analy-
sis was a mixture of cast spherical-
fused tungsten carbide and a Ni-Cr-B-
S blend of metal, which comprise the
metal matrix in the deposited
cladding. The carbide chemistry re-
ported by the powder supplier was 3.8
wt-% C and the balance W, which cor-
responds to a stoichiometry of WC0.6.
The two component powders were
mixed together in 60–40% weight
fractions of carbide to metal powder,
respectively. Size range, reported man-
ufacturer hardness range, weight frac-
tions, and densities are listed in Table
1. The density of the WC1-x carbides is
analyzed in Appendix A.

Fig. 5 — Effect of power on catchment efficiency. Fig. 6 — Effect of powder feed rate on catchment efficiency.
Fig. 7 — Effect of travel speed on catchment efficiency. Fig. 8 — Density of WC1­Z as a function of C stoichiometry.
Table 1 — Properties of Powders Used in the Experiments
Component Size Range Expected Hardness Weight Fraction Density
Range After Deposition Wf ρ
(μm) (HV) (%) (kg/m3)
Carbide Powder 45–106 2700–3500 62.60 16,896
Metal Powder 53–150 425 37.40 8100
Sample Preparation straight line drawn between the clad
toes was used to divide above and be-
Individual beads were sectioned us- low surface levels. These areas and fea-
ing a wet saw, mounted, polished to a tures are shown in Fig. 1.
0.04-mm finish, and etched for 5 s The area fraction of the carbide was
with 3% Nital to reveal the HAZ. Pho- measured using an internally developed
tomicrographs of the sample cross sec- Python™ script that identified the car-
tions were stitched together to create bide based on color contrast with the
panoramas of the total bead area and matrix. The clad area was isolated from
HAZ using Adobe Photoshop™. The re- the picture and the contrast was adjust-
inforcement area AbR, dilution area ed using Photoshop to improve the dis-
AbD, and total area AbT were measured tinction between the two phases.
by analyzing pixels of the selected re-
gion and converting pixel measure- Cladding Procedure
ments to an actual area using the im-
age scale bar calibrated to a known The test claddings were performed
length. Due to the presence of machin- on a 254-mm-long, 20.3-mm-thick,
ing marks on the sample surface, a 165-mm outer diameter 4145 MOD
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 345-s
WELDING RESEARCH
cylindrical bearing substrate. The
loaded sample was rotationally centered
to within 25mm (0.001 in.) using an
alignment dial indicator. The surface of
the bearing was prepared with an initial
acetone wash to remove any oil or
grease, followed by manual grinding be-
tween passes to remove any remaining
debris. Conforming to the existing di-
rect carbide application procedures, a
533 K preheat was applied to the rotat-
ing substrate using a propane torch. The
temperature was checked before each
pass using a touch thermocouple at the
0-, 90-, 180-, and 270-deg positions on
the cylinder along the rotation direc-
tion. These temperature measurements
were performed along the centerline of
the upcoming bead. Some variation in
preheat temperatures was observed
across the four measured points, but
values within 25 K of each other and the
target preheat temperature were taken
as acceptable.
The laser power, powder feed, and
substrate rotation were programmed
to begin simultaneously with the shut-
WELDING RESEARCH

ter closed to momentarily delay the

start of cladding and allow the param- Table 2 — Experimental Matrix for Cladding of Ni­WC onto a 4145 MOD Substrate for All Beads
eters time to ramp up to test levels.
After a five-second waiting period, the Bead Number Laser Power Powder Feed Rate Target Travel Speed Average Preheat
shutter was opened and the cladding q m. p Vt (°C)
(kW) (g/min)
begun. A 360-deg bead was deposited
Target Measured Target Measured (in./min) (mm/s) Measured
with no pitch followed immediately by
a 2-mm pitch and 180-deg overlapping Bead 1(a,b) 5.0 4.98 50 49.20 60 25.40 257
bead without interruption. The over- Bead 2(a) 3.0 3.09 50 49.20 60 25.40 257
Bead 3(a) 4.0 3.99 50 49.20 60 25.40 261
lapping beads were included to provide Bead 4 4.0 3.99 50 49.20 45 19.05 258
bead-on-bead samples for future Bead 5(b) 4.0 3.99 30 28.80 60 25.40 268
analysis and are not included as part Bead 6(b) 4.0 3.99 50 49.20 75 31.75 264
of this study. Beads were placed 51 Bead 7(a) 4.5 4.54 50 49.20 60 25.40 263
Bead 8(a) 3.5 3.53 50 49.20 60 25.40 264
mm (2 in.) away from the edges of the Bead 9(a) 4.0 3.98 50 49.20 30 12.70 263
coupon to prevent heat accumulation Bead 10(b) 4.0 3.98 60 62.95 60 25.40 264
effects. A 12.7-mm (0.5-in.) gap be- Bead 11(b) 4.0 3.98 40 42.25 60 25.40 264
tween bead centers was left to allow Bead 12 4.0 3.98 50 49.20 90 38.10 267
adequate room for sectioning. Once Bead 13(b) 4.0 3.98 70 68.30 60 25.40 263
the half circumference overlapping
bead was finished, the shutter was (a) Laser power measurement performed immediately before test.
closed, effectively stopping the clad (b) Powder feed rate measurement performed immediately before test.
Target preheat was 260°C (500°F).
process while the laser power and
powder feed rate ramped down. The
travel speed was set to shift rapidly to
Table 3 — Bead Area and Carbide Volume Fraction Measurements for Experimental Test Beads
its maximum (25 deg/s) to complete
the second full rotation and place the Bead Number Total Area Reinforcement Area Carbide Volume Fraction
starting point directly beneath the AbT AbR fvcb
nozzle. Figure 2 shows an example of (mm2) (mm2) (%)
the in-process Ni-WC clad deposit. Bead 1 1.89 1.65 33.64
The laser power and powder feed Bead 2 0.72 0.68 30.05
rates were calibrated at the beginning Bead 3 1.52 1.40 28.48
of the experiment and before trials Bead 4 2.27 2.11 29.30
with a parameter change to confirm Bead 5 1.19 0.85 20.27
Bead 6 1.02 0.95 34.42
levels at the substrate. Laser power Bead 7 1.46 1.38 34.29
was measured using a 10-kW Comet Bead 8 1.19 1.12 38.04
10K-HD power probe, which acts as a Bead 9 3.59 3.42 34.71
copper calorimeter for one second Bead 10 1.90 1.79 36.39
Bead 11 1.37 1.16 36.26
laser exposures. Feed rate was meas- Bead 12 0.67 0.65 37.48
ured by manually capturing the pow- Bead 13 1.96 1.88 38.56
der flow rate for tp = 2 min, measuring
the accumulated mass, and reporting a
per-minute average rate. This calibra- tially. Interaction effects between pa- feed rates and velocities, and area frac-
tion is necessary to link the rotation rameters cannot be assessed with the tions in the solidified cladding bead.
speed of the disk feeder to the actual experimental matrix used, but these
mass flow rate. interactions do not affect the conclu- Carbide Powder Efficiency
sion obtained. The experimental de-
sign test run order was randomized to Carbide efficiency is the ratio of
Experimental Matrix eliminate procedural bias. This was mass of carbide in the bead to mass of
done by assigning each trial a random- carbide in the powder feed:
The parameters tested were laser ly generated number and arbitrarily
power, power feed rate, and travel
speed. These parameters were chosen
sorting low to high. Recorded test
mc′b
measurements of each parameter are ηmc =
because there is direct control over shown in Table 2. mc′ p
them, and they are known to have a (1)
large influence on the laser cladding
operation. Determination of where hmc is the carbide catchment ef-
The matrix has a center point (Bead Catchment Efficiency ficiency, m’cb is the linear mass density
3) and two higher and two lower of carbide in the clad bead, and m’cp is
points for each parameter, totalling 13 The derivations for carbide, metal the linear mass density of carbide in
experiments. Corners were omitted to powder, and total catchment efficiency the powder feed.
reduce the number of experiments are presented as functions of the pow- The linear mass density of carbide
that would otherwise grow exponen- der densities, compositions, process in the bead is given by

346-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94

 WELDING RESEARCH

of AbT to account for only the addition

Table 4 — Carbide, Metal Powder, and Overall Catchment Efficiency for the Experimental Cladding Beads
of mass from the process. This distinc-
tion excludes the bead area contribu-
Bead Number Carbide Efficiency Metal Powder Efficiency Overall Efficiency tion from dilution that was existing
ƞmc ƞmm ƞm mass prior to cladding; however, with
(%) (%) (%) AbD on the order of 1–2%, AbR can be
considered the same as AbT for con-
Bead 1 53.23 73.39 60.77
Bead 2 18.15 32.11 23.37
trolled cladding processes.
Bead 3 36.14 67.07 47.71 The mass of metal powder in the
Bead 4 41.83 74.91 54.13 total powder/carbide mix is given by
Bead 5 34.38 77.65 50.56
f m
mm p p
Bead 6 36.87 52.48 42.67
mm
Bead 7 41.73 60.81 48.87
′p =
Bead 8
Bead 9
37.75
52.01
46.70
74.92
41.10
60.58
Vt (7)
Bead 10 45.16 59.65 50.58 where fmmp is the weight fraction of
Bead 11 48.33 57.97 51.94 metal powders in the powder feed,
Bead 12 31.46 40.73 34.93
Bead 13 45.56 55.71 49.36
which is measured directly while
weighing each component during in-
house blending of the carbide and
mc′b = fυc AbT ρ c . metal powders.
carbide and metal powders m p is the to-
b (2) Substituting Equations 6 and 7 into
tal mass transfer rate of the powder
feed, which is determined after a two- Equation 5, the metal powder efficien-
where fvcb is the volume fraction of car- minute particle collection test and cy can be calculated from measured
bide in the bead, AbT is the total cross- weight measurement, and Vt is the sub- quantities as
sectional area of the bead, and rc is the
( )
strate travel speed, which is not directly
density of the carbide. fvcb and AbT are measured and taken as exact from the Vt Abr ρ m 1 − fν cb
measured from the image cross sec- program input into a high-precision η mm =
tion, and rc is calculated from crystal- m p f mm
CNC positioner. p (8)
lographic analysis of the unit cell Substituting Equations 2 and 3 into
shown in Appendix A. Equation 1, the carbide efficiency can be
Equation 2 is valid when the distri- Overall Powder Efficiency
calculated from measured quantities as
bution of carbides is isotropic, and the
volume fraction of carbides is the Vt AbT ρ c fυcb Overall efficiency is the ratio of the
ηmc = carbide and metal powders in the bead
same as the area fraction of any cross m p fmc
section. The total cross-sectional area p (4) to the total amount of powders exiting
of the bead AbT is subdivided into the the cladding head
reinforcement area AbR above the sur- Metal Powder Efficiency
face level as a result of mass addition mc′b + mm
′b
ηm =
from the process, and the dilution area Metal powder efficiency is the ratio m p / Vt
AbD due to the mixing of the steel sub- of mass of metal powder in the bead to (9)
strate and molten metal powders to mass of metal powder in the powder where hm is the overall powder
create a metallurgical bond. These ar- feed efficiency.
eas are shown in Fig. 1. AbT appears in Substituting Equations 4 and 6 into
Equation 2 to account for carbides that mm
′b Equation 9, the overall powder effi-
can settle below the surface during so- η mm = ciency can be calculated from meas-
lidification. In laser cladding process- mm
′p ured quantities as
(5)
es, AbD is small compared to AbR, typi- where hmm is the metal powder catch-
ment efficiency, m’mb is the linear mass ⎡ Ab fν ρ c + Abr ⎤
cally less than 5% of the total bead Vt ⎢ T cb ⎥
( )
area and has been reported to be as density of metal powder in the clad ηm =
m p ⎢ 1 − fν ρ m ⎥
low as 1–2% (Ref. 12). bead, and m’mp is the linear mass density ⎢⎣ cb ⎥⎦
The mass of carbide in the powder of metal powder in the powder feed. (10)
is given by The mass of metal powder in the
bead is given by Results
fmc m p
p
mc′ p =
Vt (3) (
′ b = 1 − fν c
mm
b
)A
bR ρ m
(6)
The calculation of efficiency re-
quires the total area of the bead, the
where fmcp is the weight fraction of car- where rm is the density of the metal reinforcement area, and volume frac-
bide in the powder feed, which is meas- powder reported from the powder tion of carbide in the deposited
ured directly while weighing each com- manufacturer. cladding, which all come from cross
ponent during in-house blending of the In Equation 6, AbR appears instead sections of the experimental beads.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 347-s

WELDING RESEARCH

Table 5 — Range of Variations Used for the Error Propagation Analysis

Variable Range of Variation Comments

a
q ± 5.5% Reported uncertainty from the manufacturer of the power probe
mp ± 0.01% Reported uncertainty from the calibration certificate of the 6000­g scale
tp ± 0.22 s Reported uncertainty in operator reaction time from Kosinski analysis of reaction time (REF. 14)
Vt 0 Assumed to be negligible from high precision CNC positioner
AbT ± 1% Variation in measurements of pixel area between the sum of
AbR, AbD,and AbT directly
lsc ± 0.01 mm Resolution of the microscope calibration scale
lsm ± 5% Variation in repeat measurements of scale bar in PhotoshopTM
ρc ± 82.5 kg/m3 Selected as half the range of Fig. 8
fcb ±5% Variation in measurements from the PythonTM script
fmcp ± 5% Variation in measurements from the PythonTM script
mc ± 0.01% Reported uncertainty from the calibration certificate of the 200­lb scale
mm ± 0.01% Reported uncertainty from the calibration certificate of the 200­lb scale
AbR ± 1% Selected to be consistent with AbT. In most cases AbR ≈ AbT
ρm 0 Assumed to be negligible from the reported manufacturer value

Figure 3 shows a typical cross section
of a Ni-WC cladding.
Occasionally, small sintered parti-
cles outside of the main bead were ob-
served, such as the one shown on the
left side of the bead in Fig. 3. These
sintered powders do not contribute to
the buildup of the main bead and are
not considered as part of this analysis
of efficiency for single beads. Voids in
the cladding were also occasionally ob-
served and were typically accounted
for as matrix material in the calcula-
tions. This is a reasonable approxima-
tion for beads with low porosity such
as those in these experiments. Figure
3 shows a void on the left side of the
bead likely caused by a carbide being
pulled out during the sample prepara-
tion process based on its size. Figure 4
shows the output of the Python™
script highlighting the carbide area.
The colors are randomly generated by
the program.
Table 3 summarizes the area and
carbide fraction measurements from
all experimental clads. Using the data
from Tables 2 and 3 and Equations 4,
8, and 10, the carbide, metal powder,
and overall efficiency were determined
for all experiments. These efficiencies
are summarized in Table 4.
The trends in efficiency for carbide,
metal powder, and overall were ana-
lyzed by separating the calculated effi-
ciencies from the cladding experi-
ments into the three test blocks for
power, powder feed rate, and substrate
travel speed. Figures 5, 6, and 7 show
the effects of power, powder feed rate,
and travel speed on catchment effi-
ciency of the experimental cladding
beads. The uncertainty for the calcu-
lated values of catchment efficiency
was estimated from error propagation
of Equations 4, 8, and 10 using stan-
dard techniques described in the NIST
handbook on statistical methods (Ref.
13). For this error propagation analy-
sis, Table 5 summarizes the range of
variation of each variable involved (±a).
For all variables, a uniform probability
distribution in the range of variation
was assumed as a conservative estimate
(Ref. 13). The standard deviation is
therefore 1/√3a. The t-statistic for a
two-tailed test with infinite degrees of
freedom for the 95% confidence level is
1.960.
Figure 5 shows increasing laser pow-
er increases both the carbide and metal
efficiency. The linear trend lines in the
graph aim to capture the overall behav-
ior of catchment; these lines are not
models or an attempt to represent a
particular physical phenomenon. The
trend lines indicate that the overall
catchment efficiency increases approxi-
mately 17%/kW for the conditions test-
ed.
Figure 6 shows that metal powder ef-
ficiency decreases with powder feed rate
(~0.45%/g/min), while carbide efficien-
cy increases (~0.22%/g/min). The small-
er effect on carbide efficiency was on
the order of the confidence interval and
further work is needed to confirm this
trend. For the values measured, the
overall catchment efficiency was nearly
insensitive to powder feed rate. It is im-
portant to highlight that while overall
efficiency was approximately constant,
carbide fraction varied in a measurable
way (carbide fraction increased with
powder feed rate). This carbide fraction
is of high importance for the quality
and performance of the cladding.
Figure 7 shows that increasing travel
speed decreases the carbide, metal pow-
der, and overall efficiencies. The overall
efficiency shows a decreasing trend of
1%/mm/s with a total ~25% decrease in
efficiency for the conditions tested.
Discussion
Increasing laser power demonstrat-
ed a rise in carbide, metal powder, and
total efficiency, which is most likely
due to increased molten pool size with
higher power density. There is also
likely an increase in particle preheat,
which contributes to increased effi-
ciency as observed by Kumar and Roy
(Ref. 15). In practice, there is a limit to
the effectiveness of the carbide effi-
ciency increase at high power levels, as
the heat-sensitive carbides dissolve
and reprecipitate brittle phases on
their surfaces, which degrades wear
performance (Ref. 1).
For the powder feed rate test block,
the decreased trend in metal powder
efficiency and increased trend in car-
bide efficiency with increased feed rate
can be exploited to manipulate the car-
bide fraction in the deposited
cladding. Despite the negligible change
in overall efficiency on a percentage
basis, this behavior would be limited
in practice by the likelihood of dis-
bonding the cladding from the
substrate.
The observed decrease in carbide,
metal powder, and overall efficiency
with increased travel speed was consis-
tent with the linearly decreasing ap-
proximation by Colaço et al. (Ref. 16).
This trend is likely due to the de-

348-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94


creased interaction time between the
laser beam and the substrate, which
decreases the molten pool size. This
explanation is supported by the de-
crease in width and height of beads
with increasing travel speed shown by
several sources (Refs. 8, 16, and 17).
For all experiments, the metal pow-
der efficiency was higher than the car-
bide, which is consistent with favor-
able wetting of the primarily nickel
powder to the molten nickel pool. This
explanation is supported by the find-
ings of Guest et al., who observed car-
bide ricocheting off the surface of a
molten nickel weld pool during gas
metal arc welding of Ni-WC (Ref. 18).
Some important assumptions were
made in this work that are addressed
here. It was assumed that the area
fraction of a single cross section was
representative of the bead volume.
This assumption is typically made be-
cause of the long preparation time re-
quired for each individual sample.
In measuring the carbide efficiency,
pores or voids were occasionally ob-
served in the cross section, which were
included in the calculations as matrix
area. These voids were not regularly
observed and can be reasonably as-
sumed to have a negligible effect on
the reported trends in this work.
The PythonTM program occasionally
missed tracking carbides, and the car-
bide fractions measured are a lower
bound. Because very few carbides are
omitted, the measurements are taken
as representative of the actual carbide
fraction.
Finally, the dilution of carbides in
the matrix was neglected; this is reason-
able because reprecipitated carbides
were not observed in any sample.
The accuracy of the Python measure-
ments could possibly be improved by
discriminating porosity due to shrink-
age from that of pulled-out carbides
during sample preparation. Shrinkage
porosity has a rough and irregular
shape, while gas porosity and pulled-out
carbides have round shapes. Gas porosi-
ty and pulled-out carbide can be further
discriminated due to the presence of a
smooth diffuse reflection in voids relat-
ed to gas porosity.
While the developed equations for
component efficiency were demonstrat-
ed using the Ni-WC system, this
method could be extended to any two-
component powder feed system with
the same distinct components in the
powder feed and deposited bead. The
same equations would also be valid us-
ing off-axis powder feeding, as typically
done for ID applications, and so they
are not exclusive to coaxial cladding.
Conclusions
This work has evaluated for the
first time the individual efficiencies
for a dual-component powder feed
made of tungsten carbide and metal
powders. Preliminary experimental
data for single beads of the Ni-WC
powder mixture deposited using a 6-
kW CO2 laser indicated the following:
1) Increasing laser power increased
carbide, metal powder, and overall
efficiency.
2) Power feed rate had a minimal
effect on overall efficiency, but
demonstrated a simultaneous decrease
in metal powder efficiency with an in-
crease in carbide efficiency. This be-
havior is relevant to controlling the
carbide fraction in the deposited
cladding.
3) Increasing travel speed showed
strong decreases in carbide, metal
powder, and overall efficiency.
4) In all cases the metal powder ef-
ficiency was observed to be higher
than the carbide.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the
helpful comments and suggestions from
Doug Hamre, head of research and de-
velopment at Apollo Clad Laser
Cladding, a division of Apollo Machine
and Welding, Ltd. Apollo was instru-
mental in sharing its knowledge, equip-
ment, and powder blends. The authors
also acknowledge NSERC for providing
project funding for this research. Stu-
dent scholarships from the American
Welding Society and Canadian Welding
Association were gratefully received.
Appendix A
Tungsten Carbide Density
The density of carbide rc was calcu-
lated using the mass and volume of the
unit cell (rc = mc/Vc). The crystallogra-
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 349-s
WELDING RESEARCH
phy of WC1–x is the cubic “rock salt” B1-
type (Ref. 19). For this type of carbide
(MC1–x where M stands for metal), the
variation in stoichiometry arises from
structural vacancies in the nonmetallic
sites (Ref. 20), namely C for WC1–x.
The mass of the unit cell is then
NW M W + N C M C (1 − X )
mc =
Na (11)
where mc is the mass of the WC1–x unit
cell, NW = 4 is the number of W atoms
in the unit cell, MW is the molar mass
of W, NC = 4 is the number of C atoms
in the unit cell, MC is the molar mass
of C, (1–X) is the stoichiometry of C in
the WC1–x phase, and NA is Avegadro’s
number.
The volume of the unit cell is given
by Vc = aB13 where Vc is the volume of
the WC1–x unit cell, and aB1 is the lat-
tice parameter of the same unit cell.
Kurlov and Gusev have investigated
the unit cell lattice parameters report-
ed in literature and developed a best-
fit quadratic to represent the change
in lattice parameter as a function of
carbon content in the WC1–x structure
(Ref. 21).
aB1 = 0.4015 + 0.0481(1–X)
– 0.0236 (1 – X)2 (12)
The final form of the theoretical densi-
ty of WC1–x is then
NW M W + N c M c (1 − X )
ρc = 3
⎡ 0.4015 + 0.0481(1 − X ) ⎤
NA ⎢ ⎥
⎢⎣ −0.0236 (1 − X )2 ⎥⎦
(13)
WC1–x has a homogeneity region be-
tween (1–X) = 0.59 and (1–X) = 1.00
(Ref. 22). Using Equation 13, the den-
sity of WC1–X was determined for the
entire homogeneity region shown in
Fig. 8. For the carbides involved in this
work, (1–X) = 0.604 corresponding to
a density of 16,896 kg/m3.
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350-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94

 WELDING RESEARCH

Properties of Silicon­Added, Iron­Based, Slag­Free,

Self­Shielded Flux­Cored Wire
The addition of silicon to the iron­based hardfacing alloy improved the wear resistance
owing to the higher hardness and refinement of the microstructure

BY D. S. LIU AND P. WEI

deposit in the welding process (Refs.

ABSTRACT 12, 13). Unfortunately, the fluxing
agents, such as marble, rutile, and flu-
In this investigation, a new type of silicon­added, slag­free, self­shielded flux­ orite, occupy more screen space be-
cored wire was developed. Silicon had a high affinity for oxygen and was easily cause of their lesser density compared
oxidized to change the pore formation tendency, and the residual silicon element af­ to the metal powders. The addition of
fected the microstructure during the following solidification process. The results ferroalloys, such as ferrochrome, is re-
showed that silicon up to 12 wt­% reduced the formation of the CO gas, resulting in stricted. The M7C3 carbides are insuffi-
the absence of the weld pool boiling, thus leading to weld porosity. The Si­free hard­
cient in the microstructure of hardfac-
facing alloy displayed a typical hypereutectic microstructure that consisted of primary
hexagonal­shaped M7(C, B)3 and eutectic colonies of M3(C, B) plus austenite. With in­ ing, mainly due to the addition diffi-
creasing the amount of silicon additive, the primary M7(C, B)3 carbides gradually re­ culties of ferroalloys in the core.
fined and became more uniform. The ferrite was formed directly from the liquid in Thus, we have developed a new
the silicon­added hardfacing alloy. Fe3Si was formed when the silicon concentration in slag-free type of iron-based, self-
the residual liquid reached a certain level (the alloy with 12 wt­% silicon additive). shielded flux-cored wires (Refs.
The addition of silicon to the iron­based hardfacing alloy improved the wear 14–16). The slag-free, self-shielded
resistance owing to the higher hardness and refinement of the microstructure. The flux-cored wires have a core composi-
iron­based, slag­free, self­shielded flux­cored wire offered the best combination of tion comprised primarily of metal
the properties when 12 wt­% silicon was added to the core. powders with substantially reduced
amounts of fluxing agents. To reduce
the pore formation tendency, strong
KEYWORDS deoxidizers like silicon were added
into the core to protect the weld met-
• Silicon Additive • Iron Base • Self­Shielded Flux­Cored Wire • Hardfacing al. Here, the effects of silicon on the
• Wear Resistance • Weld Porosity pore sensitivity, microstructure, and
wear resistance of iron-based, slag-
free, self-shielded flux-cored wires
Introduction 7, 8). Among these methods, self- were investigated.
shielded flux-cored arc welding has the
High-chromium, iron-based hard- highest values of deposition rate,
facing alloys have been widely used to which is particularly important for re- Experimental Procedures
achieve longer service life for the wear- generation of heavy working surfaces
resistant parts of steel rolling and (Refs. 9–11). During the manufacture of slag-
mineral pulverizing mills (Refs. 1–3). Self-shielded flux-cored wires are free, self-shielded flux-cored wires, the
Their excellent wear resistance is at- generally composite tubular filler met- core composition was blended and de-
tributed to the presence of a large vol- al electrodes having a metal tube and a posited onto a steel strip (H08A steel:
ume fraction of M7C3 carbides in the core composition of various welding 16 mm in width and 0.3 mm in thick-
microstructure (Refs. 4–6). The alloys fluxes. In the absence of any inert ness), which was formed into a tube,
are usually accomplished by welding shielding gas for protecting the arc about the core composition (contain-
technology, such as shielded metal arc, and the molten pool, the self-shielding ing ferrosilicon, high-carbon fer-
gas metal arc, submerged arc, and self- ability of the wire requires amounts of rochrome, graphite, and electrolytic
shielded flux-cored arc welding (Refs. fluxing agents, which form slag on the manganese, etc.) in a forming mill.

D. S. LIU (hardfacing@163.com) is with School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China. P. WEI is
with School of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China.

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 351-s

WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 1 — Schematic illustration of hardfacing.
A B
Fig. 3 — Effect of silicon on porosity of the hard­
facing alloy.
The steel tube surrounding the core
composition was then drawn through
reducing dies to a specified wire diam-
eter (2.8 mm). The chemical composi-
tion of the steel sheath is shown in
Table 1, and the composition of the
powdery metal-core fill within the
Table 1 — Composition of Steel Sheath
C ≤0.12
Si ≤0.04
Mn ≤0.50
P ≤0.035
S ≤0.035
Table 2 — Composition of the Flux Core
Alloy
(wt­%)
Ferrosilicon (75 Si)
High carbon ferrochrome (65 chrome, 9 C)
Electrolytic manganese (pure)
Magaluma (50 Mg, 50 Al)
Ferroboron (20 B)
Graphite (pure)
Iron power (pure)
352-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94
Fig. 2 — Typical weld appearance of the hardfacing alloy deposited by
slag­free, self­shielded flux­cored wire.
free, self-shielded flux-cored arc weld-
ing without preheat and postheat. The
welding parameters are presented in
Table 3.
Samples with dimensions of 10 ×
10 × 8 mm were cut from the top weld-
ing beads (see Fig. 1). The samples
were cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaning
machine for 5 min before and after the
test. The hardness was taken on the
top surface of the hardfacing alloys by
an HR-150A Rockwell hardness tester.
The chemical compositions of the
hardfacing alloys were analyzed by a
SPECTRO MAXx LAB optical emission
steel sheath (filling rate: 55 wt-%) is spectrograph (OES). The etching agent
shown in Table 2. In order to investi- was composed of 15 mL of 38% hy-
gate the effects of silicon additive on drochloric acid solution, 50 mL H2O,
the properties of iron-based, self- 3 mL of 68% nitric acid solution, and 3
shielded flux-cored hardfacing alloys, g ferric chloride. The microstructures
the mass fraction of Fe-Si (containing were observed by optical microscope
75 wt-% Si) added into the core wire (OM) and scanning electron micro-
was 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 wt-%. scope (SEM). Twenty randomly select-
Figure 1 shows a schematic illustra- ed regions with areas of 16 × 16 mm
tion of hardfacing. Mild steel with the were used for image analysis to deter-
dimensions of 150 × 75 × 50 mm was mine the carbide diameter in mi-
crostructures of hardfacing alloys with
selected as the substrate material. In
order to obtain the homogeneous varying Fe-Si content.
specimen, hardfacing alloys with four Abrasion testing was carried out us-
layers were prepared by means of slag- ing a UMT-2 pin on disc wear test ma-
chine. The parameters of the wear test
are summarized in Table 4. The corre-
sponding friction coefficient was got-
ten from the ratio of the friction force
Content to the applied load. The wear loss, V,
(wt­%)
was determined using the following
No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5
0 6 12 18 24 equation:
58.5 58.5 58.5 58.5 58.5
3 3 3 3 3 V = 2rS (1)
1 1 1 1 1
10 10 10 10 10 where r is the wear track radius, and S
3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 is the cross-sectional areas of the wear
24 18 12 6 0
track determined by a data visualiza-

A B
Fig. 4 — The mechanism of porosity of slag­free, self­shielded flux­
cored wires: A — Without silicon additive; B — with silicon additive. porosity pre-
tion and analysis tool Gwyddion 2.39.
Three testing specimens were made
from each sample and were tested sep-
arately. An average of the three num-
bers was calculated and recorded. The
wear tracks were observed by Gwyd-
dion 2.39.
Results and Discussion
Effect of Silicon on Porosity of
the Alloy
Figure 2 shows the typical surface
appearance of hardfacing deposited by
using slag-free, self-shielded flux-cored
wires. The hardfacing alloys show good
surface appearance without the pres-
ence of cracks or slags. Figure 3 shows
the changes of pore sensitivity of the
hardfacing with the percentage change
of silicon powder in the core of the
wire. With the silicon content increas-
ing from 0 to 12 wt-%, there was no
porosity observed in the hardfacing al-
loy. However, porosity appeared when
the silicon content reached 18 wt-%.
When the silicon content was 24 wt-%,
the porosity of the alloy was relatively
severe compared to the porosity of the
alloy with 18 wt-% silicon, and porosity
in the form of large discontinuous cavi-
ties or long continuous holes occurred
as shown in Fig. 3B.
Fig. 5 — XRD of hardfacing alloy with different silicon
additions.
Figure 4A
shows the
mechanism of
vented with
slag-free, self-
shielded flux-cored wires. The addition
of deoxidizers such as graphite (C),
magaluma (Al, Mg), manganese (Mn),
and ferrosilicon (Fe-Si) in the filler
metal helps reduce the amount of
porosity. Since Al and Mg are better
deoxidants than the others, they re-
duce the oxidizability of the welding
atmosphere at an earlier stage of deox-
idization. The reaction formulas of de-
oxidization are
2Al + 3O = Al2O3 (2)
Mg + O = MgO (3)
Moreover, at the latter deoxidiza-
tion (mainly in the weld pool), the re-
action formulas of deoxidization are
Mn + O = MnO (4)
Si + 2O = SiO2 (5)
C + O = CO (6)
Large amounts of CO gas resulting
from a chemical reaction (Equation 6)
bring the weld pool to the boil owing to
their intense escape from the pool.
Thus, the gas bubbles (H2, N2, CO2, etc.)
escape from the boiling weld pool easily.
The hardfacing alloys deposited by slag-
free, self-shielded flux-cored wires are
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 353-s
WELDING RESEARCH
practically porosity free.
Figure 4B shows the mechanism for
silicon to increase pore sensitivity.
With increasing Si content, the oxygen
concentration decreases in the weld
pool, as would be expected from Equa-
tion 5. It prevents the formation of
large amounts of CO gas (Equation 6).
When the silicon content exceeded 18
wt-%, the CO concentration was not
enough to keep the weld pool boiling.
The bubbles rose in the weld pool
more slowly. Under high cooling
speeds, gas bubbles that do not have
enough time to leave deep weld pools
result in weld porosity.
Moreover, silicon is well known to
promote ferrite. Ferrite has orders of
magnitude less soluble for nitrogen
than does austenite. The ferrite was
formed directly from the liquid in the
silicon-added hardfacing alloy (see Fig.
5); the porosity was also expected.
Porosity results and analyses dis-
cussed previously suggest that the ideal
content of Si was less than or equal to
12 wt-%. The residual silicon element
affected the microstructure during the
following solidification process.
Effect of Silicon on the Alloy
Microstructure
Table 5 shows the chemical compo-
sitions of the hardfacing alloys. With
the increase of silicon additive in the
wire, the silicon content increased in
the hardfacing alloy.
Figure 5 shows the XRD pattern of
the hardfacing alloys. The phase in the
WELDING RESEARCH

Si-free hardfacing alloy was mainly com- A B

posed of (Cr, Fe)7(C, B)3, Fe3(C, B), and
austenite. The figure also shows the
presence of ferrite and Fe3Si in the hard-
facing alloy with silicon addition (e.g.,
the alloy containing 12 wt-% Fe-Si).
The distribution of silicon, chromi-
um, and manganese is illustrated in
Fig. 6. Figure 6B shows chromium was
detected in the precipitations with
white color while manganese was
mainly detected in these precipitations
— Fig. 6C. It was identified that the
white precipitations were Cr-rich Mn-
rich carbides. In addition, silicon was
detected into the matrix but not M7(C,
B)3 carbides — Fig. 6D. Accompanying
the formation of the primary M7(C,
B)3 carbides, the residual liquid was
enriched in carbon, Fe, Si, B, and C.
The eutectic of austenite plus Fe3(C, B)
and Fe3Si was subsequently formed
when the silicon concentration in the
residual liquid reached a certain level.
Furthermore, changing the silicon
content altered the microstructure, as
illustrated in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig.
7A, the Si-free hardfacing alloy dis-
plays a typical hypereutectic mi-
crostructure that consisted of primary
hexagonal-shaped M7(C, B)3 and eutec-
tic colonies of M3(C, B) plus marten-
site and residual austenite as deter-
mined by XRD analysis. With increase
in the amount of silicon additive (Fig.
7B, C), the primary M7(C, B)3 carbides
gradually refined and became more
uniform. Figure 8 displays the change
of average diameter of the M7(C, B)3
carbides with different silicon con-
tents. The average carbide diameter
was the largest in the Si-free alloy
(17.8 um) followed by that in alloys
with 6 wt-% silicon (13.2 um) and al-
loys with 12 wt-% silicon (8.6 um). It
indicates the carbide size gets smaller
with the increase in the silicon content
in the hardfacing alloy. Similar results
were found in the high-strength steels
(Ref. 17).
Figure 9 shows the EDS results of
matrix of hardfacing alloys with vari-
ous silicon contents. The matrix of sili-
con-free hardfacing alloy consisted of
13.7 wt-% Cr as shown in Fig. 9A.
Moreover, when the Fe-Si additive was
6 wt-%, the Si and Cr contents were
6.15 and 12.32 wt-%, respectively —
Fig. 9B. When the Fe-Si additive was
12 wt-%, the Si and Cr contents
changed to 13.54 and 4.55 wt-%, re-
C D
Fig. 6 — EPMA area analysis for silicon­added alloy: A — Overall image; B–D — Cr, Si, Mn
distribution.
Table 3 — Welding Parameters
Process parameter Constant value
Welding current (A) 440–460
Arc voltage (V) 32–34
Electrode polarity positive
Welding speed (m min­1) 0.3
Stickout (mm) 25–32
Electrode angle to plate 10
surface (deg)
spectively — Fig. 9C. Therefore, the
effect of silicon was to increase the
level of silicon but reduce the level of
chromium in the matrix. The decrease
in the chromium content of the matrix
formed should, in fact, be beneficial
since chromium was best used in
forming hard M7(C, B)3 carbides dur-
ing earlier solidification.
Figure 10 shows the SEM images of
hardfacing alloys with various silicon
contents. As seen in Fig. 10A, there
was a typical hypereutectic structure
in the silicon-free alloy. During the so-
lidification process, the primary
hexagonal M7(C, B)3 carbides were
formed in the high-temperature weld
pool, followed by the eutectic reaction.
The eutectic colonies consisted of long
bar-like eutectic carbides plus austen-
ite matrix. In alloys with 6 wt-% sili-
con, the eutectic carbides were the
scattered web form — Fig. 10B.
Figure 11 shows the EDS spectrum
of a small strip of particles in the mi-
Table 4 — Sliding Wear Test Conditions
Parameter Value
Counterface Material Al2O3
Load (N) 10
Velocity (rev/min) 560
Wear time (min) 20
Diameters of the ball (mm) 3
Radius of wear track (mm) 4
crostructure of the alloy with 12 wt-%
silicon (see the red arrow in Fig. 10C).
The atomic ratio between Fe and Si was
about 3:1; therefore, the Fe-Si phase
was highly likely corresponding to the
Fe3Si in the phase diagram (Ref. 18).
This was confirmed by XRD analysis, as
shown in Fig. 5. The Fe3Si was also
found in the GTAW cladding alloyed on
the St52 steel with preplaced 45 Fe-39
Cr-6C-10Si powders (Ref. 19).
Effect of Silicon Addition on
Alloy Hardness and Wear
Resistance
Figure 12 shows the effect of silicon
on the hardness and wear resistance of
hardfacing alloys. It can be seen that
the hardness was increased steadily
with the increase in silicon content.
The hardness of the silicon-free alloy
was 58.8 HRC and increased to 62.7

354-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94


A B
Fig. 7 — Microstructures of hardfacing alloys with different silicon additions: A — 0 wt­%; B — 6 wt­%; C — 12 wt­%.
Fig. 8 — The change in average diame­
ter of the M7(C, B)3 carbides with differ­
ent silicon contents.
HRC when adding 12 wt-% silicon. Sol-
id solution of silicon in the matrix was
beneficial to the hardness. With the
increase in silicon content, the forma-
tion of more refined M7(C, B)3 carbides
also led to the increase in bulk hard-
ness. Furthermore, the wear loss de-
creased with an increase in the silicon
in the wire. This improved wear resist-
ance was attributed to the formation
of hard M7(C, B)3 carbides in the mi-
crostructure of the solid solution (Fe,
Cr, Mn, Si) and also to the significant
microstructural refinement.
The friction coefficient was meas-
ured automatically during wear tests,
and the results are plotted in Fig. 13.
The friction coefficients of the silicon-
added hardfacing alloys were less than
that of the silicon-free hardfacing alloy.
This can be attributed to the high hard-
ness of the silicon-added hardfacing al-
loy that resulted in a small real area of
contact, thus, the smaller number of
junctions required less energy to be
sheared during sliding than the silicon-
free hardfacing alloy. Moreover, the
tough matrix through hardenability and
the refinement microstructure reduced
the adhesion in the wear process.
WELDING RESEARCH
C
A B
Figure 14 shows the worn surface C
after the sliding wear test. The worn
surface of the silicon-free alloy was
easily plastically deformed and
grooved, and the wear behavior was
featured as abrasive and adhesive wear
— Fig. 14A. As can be seen, the worn
surface of the alloy with 12 wt-% sili-
con was characterized by the presence
of shallower grooves and slighter ad-
hesive features (Fig. 14C) than that of
the alloy with 6 wt-% silicon (Fig. 14B)
and silicon-free alloy — Fig. 14A. It Fig. 9 — The level of silicon and
indicates the alloy with 12 wt-% sili- chromium in the matrix of hardfacing al­
con additive displayed the best wear loys with different silicon additions.
resistance.
The microstructure of the hardfac- cient toughness. Both properties de-
ing alloys consisted of austenite with pended on the amount, size, and dis-
M7(C, B)3 carbides, M3(C, B) carbides, tribution of the hard carbides as well
or Fe3Si particles. In general, the two as on the hardness and fracture tough-
phases of the wear-resistant materials ness of both constituents and the
served different functions: the hard bond between them.
M7(C, B)3 carbides and M3(C, B) car- A major effect of silicon was to refine
bides were to impede wear by grooving the morphology of the primary M7(C,
or indenting mineral particles, while B)3 carbides. This morphological refine-
the matrix was meant to provide suffi- ment should be beneficial to the tough-
Table 5 — Chemical Compositions of the Hardfacing Alloys (wt­%)
Specimen Si C B Cr Mn Fe
(Fe­Si additive)
0 0 2.70 0.89 19.28 1.21 Bal.
6 2.14 2.79 0.92 18.59 1.16 Bal.
12 4.32 2.92 0.90 18.37 1.24 Bal.
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 355-s
WELDING RESEARCH

A B C

Fig. 10 — SEM images of hardfacing alloys with different silicon additions: A — Silicon­free; B — 6 wt­% silicon; C — 12 wt­% silicon.

Fig. 11 — The EDS spectrum of a small strip of particles in Fig. 12 — The effect of silicon on the hardness and wear loss of hardfac­
the microstructure of the alloy with 12 wt­% silicon. ing alloys.

crease the level of sili- ing the following solidification

Fig. 13 — The friction coefficient vs. sliding time for the
hardfacing alloy with different silicon additions.
ness of the alloy, perhaps imparting bet-
ter abrasion wear resistance, and in fact,
experiments are in progress to confirm
this. The effect of silicon was also to in-
con in the matrix. Solid
solution of silicon also
enhanced hardness. For
these reasons, the wear
loss of the alloy with 12
wt-% silicon was the
smallest among all the
alloys owing to the
higher hardness and
refinement of the
microstructure.
Conclusions
A new type of sili-
con-added, slag-free,
self-shielded flux-
cored wire was devel-
oped. Silicon had a
high affinity for oxygen and was easily
oxidized to change the pore formation
tendency, and the residual silicon ele-
ment affected the microstructure dur-
process. Based on the results, the fol-
lowing conclusions can be drawn:
1) Silicon up to 12 wt-% reduced
the formation of the CO gas, resulting
in the absence of the weld pool boil-
ing, thus leading to weld porosity.
2) The Si-free hardfacing alloy dis-
played a typical hypereutectic mi-
crostructure that consisted of primary
hexagonal-shaped M7(C, B)3 and eutec-
tic colonies of M3(C, B) plus austenite.
With increase in the amount of Fe-Si
additive, the primary M7(C, B)3 carbides
gradually refined and became more uni-
form. The ferrite was formed directly
from the liquid in the silicon-added
hardfacing alloy. Fe3Si was formed when
the silicon concentration in the residual
liquid reached a certain level (the alloy
with 12 wt-% silicon additive).
3) The addition of silicon to iron-
based hardfacing alloy improved the
wear resistance owing to the higher

356-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94


A B
hardness and refinement of the mi-
crostructure. The wear loss of the alloy
with 12 wt-% silicon was the smallest
among all the alloys.
4) The iron-based, slag-free, self-
shielded flux-cored wire offered the best
combination of the properties when 12
wt-% silicon was added into the core.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by Fund-
ing of National Natural Science Foun-
dation of China (Grant No.
51405208), Open Research Fund of
Provincial Key Laboratory of Ad-
vanced Welding Technology of Jiangsu
University of Science and Technology
(Grant No. JSAWT-14-03), Founda-
tion for Scientists of Jiangsu Universi-
ty of Science and Technology (Grant
No. 635061312), and a Project Funded
by the Priority Academic Program De-
velopment of Jiangsu Higher Educa-
tion Institutions.
References
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229-s to 235-s.
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%; C — 12 wt­%.
2010. Microstruc-
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characteristics of
high carbon Fe-Cr-
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WC hardfacing alloys under different tung-
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6. Zhou, Y. F., Yang, Y. L., Jiang, Y. W.,
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hardfacing alloys under abrasion and im-
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842–849.
WELDING RESEARCH

Effect of FCAW Current on the Hardfacing Layer

— Microstructure and Wear Resistance
An investigation was conducted to determine optimal binding strength through
the effects of flux cored arc welding current on the microstructure,
wear resistance, and welding association on the hardfacing layer

BY J. YANG, X. HOU, X. XING, C. WANG, Y. YANG, X. REN, AND Q. YANG

mance alloy, which posesses excellent

ABSTRACT mechanical properties (Ref. 3).
In the surface coating technologies,
The hardfacing layers were deposited with different welding currents. The hardfacing (hard-surface welding) is
microstructure was observed by optical microscope (OM), field emission scanning attracting more and more attention
electron microscope (FESEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The because of its high efficiency, low
phase structure was determined by X­ray diffraction (XRD). Macrohardness and
price, and excellent controllability
microhardness of the hardfacing layer were determined by a Rockwell hardness
tester and a Vickers hardness tester, respectively. The wear resistance was measured (Ref. 4). Of all of the hardfacing meth-
by a belt­type wear testing machine. Shear strength between the hardfacing layer ods, flux cored arc welding (FCAW)
and the base metal was determined by an electronic universal testing machine. Sub­ has been used more and more widely
sequently, the temperatures of the hardfacing molten pools were simulated by ANSYS because of its high deposition rates
software with three welding currents. The CCT curves of the hardfacing layers were and its excellent surface appearance
calculated by JMatPro software during the cooling process. The results indicate that (Refs. 5, 6).
binding strength of the hardfacing layer and the base metal enhances gradually with During the welding process, weld-
the increase of the welding current. When the welding current reaches 360–380 A, ing parameters directly affect welding
the binding strength is the highest. With the increases of the welding current, molten performance. C. E. Jackson (Ref. 7)
pool temperature of the hardfacing layer increases, which improves the hardenability
found the welding voltage controls the
of the hardfacing layer. Therefore, the amount of martensite increases while that of
retained austenite decreases, which leads to the increase of the hardness and wear welding arc length and weld bead
resistance of the hardfacing layer. width. With an increase of the welding
voltage, the welding arc length in-
creases and the weld bead width
widens as well. V. Gunaraj (Ref. 8) in-
dicated that, with an increase in travel
KEYWORDS speed, weld bead penetration and weld
• Hardfacing Layer • Welding Current • Wear Resistance • Numerical Simulation bead width both decrease. T. Kannan
(Ref. 9) showed that wire feed rate is
the most direct factor affecting the
morphology of the weld bead. With an
The hot-rolling supporting roller is when manufactured by integral cast, increase in the wire feed rate, the dep-
a key workpiece during hot-rolling the cost is high. Therefore, in recent osition rate increases, which leads to
production, because it plays an impor- years, the authors attempted to manu- an increase in the height and a de-
tant role in supporting the work roller. facture the hot-rolling supporting crease in the width of the weld bead.
Therefore, the quality of the hot- roller by a new method. During pro- Moreover, during the hardfacing
rolling supporting roller affects not cessing, the core material of the roller process, when the welding parameters
only its service life, but also the quali- is Q235 steel. This material is not only are selected incorrectly, weld defects,
ty and production efficiency of hot- cheap, but also has good toughness, such as pores, slag inclusions, and
rolled products indirectly (Refs. 1, 2). and can be used as a coating layer on a cracks, appear on the hardfacing layer
Although the quality of the hot- material’s surface. The layer material (Refs. 10, 11).
rolling supporting roller is certified is the self-developed, high-perfor- Of all the welding parameters,

J. YANG, X. HOU, X. XING, C. WANG, Y. YANG, and Q. YANG (yangjian0001@126.com) are with the State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and
Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China. X. REN is with the School of Engineering, Liverpool John
Moores University, Liverpool, UK.

358-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94

 WELDING RESEARCH

welding current is the most impor-

tant. After performing sensitivity
analysis experiments on the welding
parameters, S. Karaoğlu (Ref. 12) sug-
gested that welding current is the
most influential parameter in deter-
mining the dimensions of the weld
bead penetration and heat-affected
zone (HAZ). However, although some
scholars have realized the importance
of welding current on the welding
Fig. 1 — Dimensions of the shear testing specimen.
process, most researchers are focusing
their attention on the effect of pene-
tration, the size of the HAZ, joint A B
strength, and so on. Research on the
welding current’s impact on the micro-
structure and mechanical properties of
the hardfacing layer by FCAW is rare.
In this work, the authors studied
three hardfacing layers created by self-
developed flux cored wires operated at
different welding currents. The effects
of welding current on the microstruc-
ture, wear resistance, and welding as-
sociation of the hardfacing layers were
analyzed by experiments, numerical
simulation, and thermodynamic calcu- Fig. 2 — Abrasive belt­type wear tester. A — Photograph; B — schematic (Ref. 13).
lation, which can supply a theoretical
foundation for improving the mi- Microstructure and X­ray Dif­ EM), and a Jeolarm-200F transmis-
crostructure and properties of the fraction Characterization sion electron microscope (TEM).
hardfacing layer. In order to analyze the phase struc-
The morphologies of the hardfacing ture of the hardfacing layer, X-ray dif-
Experiment layer and welding joint surface, which fraction (XRD) of type D/max-
were etched with 4% nitric acid alcohol 2500/PC was undertaken on a diffrac-
Materials and FCAW Processing after being metallographically pol- tometer, using Cu-K radiation. The
ished, were characterized by an Ax- samples were scanned from 20 to 120
Parameters deg with a step size of 0.02 deg. Each
iovert 200 MAT optical microscope
(OM), Hitachi S4800 field emission step size was allowed 9 s for X-ray
YD-254M flux cored wire, combined
scanning electron microscope (FES- detection.
with HJ260 flux, which is produced by
Beijing Iron and Steel Research Insti-
tute, was used in this work. The base Table 1 — Chemical Composition of the Q235 Low­Carbon Steel
metal used was Q235 low-carbon steel,
whose composition is listed in Table 1. Elements C Mn Si S P Fe
In order to analyze the effect of
Content (wt­%) 0.15 0.55 0.30 0.03 0.03 balance
welding current on microstructure and
properties of the hardfacing layer, the
same welding voltage, travel speed, wire
Table 2 — Welding Parameters
diameter, and tracks overlap were em-
ployed with three different welding cur-
rents. The welding parameters are listed Welding Current Arc Voltage Travel Speed Layer Thickness Tracks Overlap Wire Diameter
(A) (V) (mm/min) (mm) (%) (mm)
in Table 2. The composition of the hard-
facing layer is given in Table 3. 200–220
280–300 29–30 300 7.5–8.5 45–50 2.8
360–380

Table 3 — Chemical Composition of the Hardfacing Layer

Elements C Cr Ni Mo V Mn Si La S Fe

Content (wt­%) 0.20 5.60 3.20 2.01 0.35 1.55 0.83 0.30 0.03 balance

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 359-s

WELDING RESEARCH
A B
Fig. 3 — Morphologies of the binding profiles with different welding currents. A — 200–220 A; B — 280–300 A; C — 360–380 A.
C
B Table 4 — The Amounts of Retained Austenite in the Hardfacing Layers with Different Welding
A
Fig. 4 — Shear strengths between the
hardfacing layers and the base metals
with different welding currents. A — 200–
220 A; B — 280–300 A; C — 360–380 A.
Shear Strength, Hardness, and
Wear Resistance Testing
Shear strength between the hard-
facing layer and the base metal was de-
termined by an Inspeckt-100 Table
electronic universal testing machine.
The specimen dimensions are given in
Fig. 1. During processing, the tensile
rate was set as 1 mm/min.
The macrohardness of the hardfac-
ing layer was measured using an HR-
105A Rockwell hardness tester with a
load of 150 kg. Subsequently, a wear
resistance experiment was carried out
on the abrasive belt-type wear tester,
in which SiC of 80 mesh was selected
as the abrasive material, the wear ve-
locity of the abrasive belt was 1.8 × 104
mm/min, and the applied load was
100 N. Figure 2 shows the photograph
and schematic diagram of the abrasive
belt-type wear tester (Ref. 13). Elec-
tronic balance with accuracy of 0.1 mg
was used to weigh the mass loss of the
layer per 30 min. After the wear test,
the worn surface morphology was ob-
served by a KYKY-2800 scanning elec-
tron microscope (SEM).
For the welding joint surface, the
360-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94
Currents
Welding Currents (A) 200–220
Contents (Vol­ %) 17.8
microhardness along the depth in the
profile section of the layer was meas-
ured by an FM-700 Vickers hardness
tester with a load of 0.2 kg for 10 s.
The value presented is the average of
five measurements after the highest
and lowest values were discarded.
Numerical Simulation and
Thermodynamic Calculation
In order to research the effect of
welding current on the temperature of
the hardfacing molten pool, ANSYS
software was applied to simulate the
welding temperature field. On the pro-
cessing, the temperature field module
was selected.
Subsequently, CCT curves of the
hardfacing layer during the cooling
process were calculated by thermody-
namic database JMatPro software
(Ref. 14) developed by Sente Software,
Ltd., UK. During the input data pro-
cessing, the general steel database was
selected as material type, and the
chemical composition was inputted ac-
cording to Table 3.
Results
Welding Associativity
Morphologies of the binding pro-
files between hardfacing layers and
base metals with different welding
currents are shown in Fig. 3. More-
over, the shear strengths between the
C
280–300 360–380
11.2 7.1
hardfacing layers and the base metals
with different welding currents are
given in Fig. 4.
When the welding current is 200–
220 A, the hardfacing layer and base
metal are not mutually merged, and
the weld interface exists between
them — Fig. 3A. As seen in Fig. 4, the
shear strength between the hardfacing
layer and the base metal is 374 MPa.
When the welding current increases
to 280–300 A, shown in Fig. 3B, the
weld interface still exists, but is signif-
icantly widened. Moreover, there are
some merge areas appearing between
the hardfacing layer and the base met-
al. Meanwhile, the shear strength in-
creases to 458 MPa.
When the welding current is 360–
380 A, the hardfacing layer and base
metal merge significantly and the weld
interface almost disappears, as shown
in Fig. 3C. Moreover, the shear
strength between the hardfacing layer
and the base metal is the highest at
546 MPa. These results show binding
strength between the hardfacing layer
and the base metal enhances gradually
with the increase in welding current.
Microstructure
Figure 5 displays the optical micro-
scope (OM) morphologies of the hard-
facing layers with different welding
currents. In Fig. 5A, when the welding
current is 200–220 A, the microstruc-
tures are composed of short black acic-
ular martensite and retained austen-

A B
Fig. 5 — Optical microscope morphologies of the hardfacing layers with different welding currents. A — 200–220 A; B — 280–300 A; C —
360–380 A.
A B
Fig. 6 — Scanning electron microscope morphologies of the hardfacing layers with different welding currents. A — 200–220 A; B — 280–
300 A; C — 360–380 A.
ite. With an increase in welding cur-
rent, shown in Fig. 5B and C, the
amount of martensite increases
constantly.
Figure 6 shows the scanning elec-
tron microscope (SEM) morphologies
of the hardfacing layers with different
welding currents. Similar conclusions
were obtained from these results; with
an increase in welding current, the
amount of martensite increases con-
stantly. Moreover, there is no change
in the martensite morphology.
Figure 7 illustrates the transmis-
sion electron microscope (TEM) mor-
phologies of the hardfacing layers with
different welding currents, in which,
with an increase in welding current,
the number of dislocations increases
because of the increasing amount of
martensite.
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pat-
terns of the hardfacing layers with dif-
ferent welding currents are shown in
Fig. 8. From these results, the authors
noted the intensities of martensite (-
Fe) peaks increase, while austenite (-
Fe) peaks decrease with the increase in
welding current. When the welding
current reaches 360–380 A, the
austenite (-Fe) peaks disappear com-
pletely. The amount of retained
austenite can be measured according
to the XRD patterns (Ref. 15):
1.4I
V = (1)
I a + 1.4I
where V is the volume fraction of re-
tained austenite; I is the average inte-
grated intensity of austenite diffrac-
tion peak of (200) and (311) planes;
and I is the integrated intensity of
martensite diffraction peak of (211)
plane.
Table 4 lists the amounts of retained
austenite in the hardfacing layers with
different welding currents. From it,
when the welding current increases to
360–380 A from 220 to 220 A, the
amounts of retained austenite decrease
from 17.8 to 7.1 vol-%. Because of the
very low carbon content, the amount of
carbide can be ignored, which means
the amount of martensite VM can be ap-
proximated as Equation. 2:
VM = 1–V (2)
Therefore, with the increase in
welding current, the amount of
martensite in the hardfacing metal in-
NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 361-s
WELDING RESEARCH
C
C
creases from 82.2 to 92.9 vol-%, which
is consistent with the results in Fig. 5.
Hardness
Figure 9 shows the hardness of the
hardfacing layers with different weld-
ing currents. When the welding cur-
rent is 200–220 A, average hardness of
the hardfacing layer is HRC 42. With
the increasing welding current, hard-
ness of the hardfacing layer increases
gradually, and it reaches HRC 45 when
the welding current is 360–380 A.
The average lateral microhardness
from the base metal to the hardfacing
layer is shown in Fig. 10. The value 0 on
the x-axis represents the weld interface
between the base metal and the hard-
facing layer. From Fig. 10, the authors
observed the microhardness of the base
metal is low. Due to the heat input of
the hardfacing, the microhardness of
the HAZ increases slightly. Meanwhile,
the fusion zone is relatively narrow dur-
ing the hardfacing process. With an in-
crease in welding current, the micro-
hardness of the hardfacing layer in-
creases. When the welding current is
200–220 A, the lateral microhardness is
422 HV; when the welding current is
WELDING RESEARCH

A B C

Fig. 7 — Transmission electron microscope morphologies of the hardfacing layers with different welding currents. A — 200–220 A; B —
280–300 A; C — 360–380 A.

– Table 5 — Thermal Properties of the Hardfacing

– Layer
–
Parameter Value
­1
Molar Mass / kg•mol 55.85
Density / kg•m­3 6976
Viscosity Coefficient / Pa•s 0.0063
Specific Heat Capacity / J•kg­1•K­1 809
Thermal Conductivity / W•m­1•K­1 13.4

wide and deep and flaking exists — Fig.

12A. With the increase in welding cur-
rent, surface scratches become shallow
Fig. 8 — X­ray diffraction patterns of the hard­ Fig. 9 — Hardness of the hardfacing layers and narrow. When the welding current
facing layers with different welding currents. with different welding currents. increases to 360–380 A, the scratches
are the shallowest and narrowest, as
shown in Fig. 12C.
– Figure 13 shows the XRD patterns of
–
– the hardfacing layers with different
– welding currents after the wear test.
– Compared with Fig. 8, the amount of re-
–
tained austenite in the worn hardfacing
layer is decreased, while that of marten-
site is increased. The result indicates
strain hardening is occurring during the
wearing and influences the wear resist-
ance of the hardfacing layer.

Fig. 10 — Microhardness along the depth­in­
profile section of the arc hardfacing layer.
280–300 A, the lateral microhardness
increases to 448 HV; when the welding
current is 360–380 A, the lateral micro-
hardness is the highest at 480 HV.
Wear Resistance
The weight loss curves of the hard-
facing surface layers with different
welding currents are shown in Fig. 11.
As shown, the weight loss of the hard-
facing layer with 200–220 A welding
Fig. 11 — Weight loss of the hardfacing
layers with different welding currents.
current is the largest. When the welding
current increases to 280–300 A, the
wear resistance of the hardfacing layer
improves significantly and the wear
weight loss reduces. When the welding
current is 360–380 A, wear resistance of
the hardfacing layer is the highest.
Figure 12 illustrates the wear mor-
phologies of the hardfacing layers with
different welding currents tested for
240 min. When the welding current is
200–220 A, surface scratches are both
Discussion
The results mentioned previously
indicated the hardness and wear re-
sistance of the hardfacing layer both
increase with the increase in welding
current. To further investigate the
mechanism, the effects of the welding
current on the hardfacing molten pool
temperature and the hardenability of
the hardfacing layer were studied.
However, because of the limit of
the experimental conditions, it was
impossible to directly measure the
hardfacing molten pool temperature
and the hardenability of the hardfac-

362-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94

 WELDING RESEARCH

A B C

Fig. 12 — Wear morphologies of the hardfacing layers with different welding currents tested for 240 min. A — 200–220 A; B — 280–300 A;
C — 360–380 A.

Fig. 13 — X­ray diffraction patterns of the hardfacing lay­ Fig. 14 — Element division of the calculated specimen.
ers with different welding currents after wear test.

ing layer. Therefore, ANSYS and JMat-
Pro calculation softwares were selected
to calculate, respectively, the hardfac-
ing molten pool temperature and sim-
ulate the CCT curves of the hardfacing
layers during the cooling process.
ANSYS Results
Heat Source Selection
The effect of welding current on the
hardfacing molten pool temperature
was simulated by ANSYS software. This
work only concerned itself with the rela-
tionship between the welding current
and the hardfacing molten pool temper-
ature. The other factors, such as welding
speed and welding direction, were ig-
nored. Because of the small computa-
tional amount and the high computa-
tional accuracy, the Gaussian heat
source model was used, in which heat
flux of point P is shown as Equation 3
(Ref. 16):
3UI 3r 2 
qr = exp  (3)

R 
2 2
R
where R is the effective heating radius
of the arc; h is the welding thermal effi-
ciency; U and I are welding voltage and
welding current, respectively; and r is
the distance between P to arc center.
Model Building and Thermal
Properties
The tested specimen used for calcu-
lation was made of the hardfacing lay-
er metal with the dimensions 60 × 20
mm. During the simulation process,
the temperature fields can be treated
as the axial symmetry. Therefore, in
order to reduce the calculation
amount, the calculated specimen was
halved, as shown in Fig. 14. The speci-
men was divided into 200 elements
and 231 nodes, and the hardfacing re-
gion is shown by the dotted lines —
Fig. 14. Thermal properties of the
hardfacing layer are listed in Table 5.
Boundary Conditions
The heat transfer control equation of
the welding process is given as follows:
T T 
c = 
+
t x
x 
T   T


y  + z 

z  + Q (4)
where  and c are specific heat capaci-
ty and density of the material, T is the
temperature, t is the time, Q is the
heat source, and  is the thermal con-
ductivity. Moreover, X, Y, and Z are the
coordinate axes.
The boundary conditions applied
during the ANSYS modeling can be di-
vided into upper surface boundary
condition, lateral and lower surface
ones, and the Y axis symmetry plane.
For the upper surface, because the
Gaussian heat source model was used,
the model cross section in the Z direc-
tion is round, and heat-flux density on
the cross section obeys Gauss distribu-
tion. Moreover, heat-flow density val-
ues are the same in all parts of the Z
axis. The specific boundary condition
is given as follows:

NOVEMBER 2015 / WELDING JOURNAL 363-s

WELDING RESEARCH

A B C

Fig. 15 — Molten pool temperatures of the hardfacing layers with different welding currents. A — 200–220 A; B — 280–300 A; C — 360–380 A.

the surface thermal emission rate, and

Ta is the room temperature. x

 ( x,T ) =
1
For the lateral and lower surfaces,
the boundary condition is D Tq  0

dx
(10)
( ) (1 x )
T 2x/3
= q +
T T0 (7) x 2(1 x )/3

= c
+ r
(8) where a = 2(G-1)/2,  is an empirical co-
efficient, G is the ASTM grain size, D
is an effective diffusion coefficient, T
where a is the total heat transfer coef- is the undercooling, and q is an
Fig. 16 — CCT curves of the hardfacing lay­
ers with different welding currents. ficient, ac is the thermal convection exponent.
coefficient, and ar is the thermal radi- Figure 16 shows the CCT curves of
ation coefficient. the hardfacing layers during the cool-
For the Y axis symmetry plane sur- ing process. With the increase of the
3CsQ face, the boundary conditions are molten pool temperature, the pearlite
( )
q x, y, z =
 1
shown as follows: phase region moves to the right, and
 H 1 3  the martensitic transition start tem-
 e  perature Ms decreases constantly —
T u w
 = 0, = 0, = 0, v = 0 (9) Fig. 16. When the molten pool temper-
y y y
 3C  ature increases from 2424.77 to
exp 
  H
s
( )
x2 + y2 

(5) 3278.27 K, the martensitic transition
start temperature Ms decreases from
 log  z   Simulation Results 243.7˚ to 174.1˚C.


The reason is, when the molten
Figure 15 shows the molten pool pool temperature (austenitizing tem-
where Cs is the heat source focus coef- temperatures of the hardfacing layers perature) is high, the cementite disso-
ficient, Cs = 3/R02, R0 is the heat source with different welding currents. When lution and austenitic homogenization
opening radius, H is the heat source the welding current is 200–220 A, are promoted, and the austenite grain
height, and Q is the heat source power. molten pool temperature is 2424.77 K is coarsened. Therefore, the formation
During processing, heat is lost in — Fig. 15A. With an increase in weld- of the pearlite is delayed, which causes
the forms of thermal convection and ing current, the molten pool tempera- the pearlite phase region to move to
thermal radiation. The boundary con- ture increases. When the welding cur- the right. At the same time, the grain
dition is shown in Eq. 6: rent is 360–380 A, the molten pool becomes coarse and dissolved carbide
temperature is the highest at 3278.27 increases, so the carbon content of
K — Fig. 15C. austenite increases, which decreases
T the Ms temperature (Ref. 18).
K
Z
(
= hc T Ta ) JmatPro Results The rightward motion of the
{

T 4 Ta4 } (6)
The CCT curves calculation by the
pearlite phase region and the decreas-
ing martensitic transition start tem-
JmatPro software follows the general perature in the CCT curve both illus-
where hc is the convection coefficient, equation established by Kirkaldy (Ref. trate the increase in hardenability of
s is the Stefan-Boltzman constant, e is 17): the hardfacing layer, which then caus-

364-s WELDING JOURNAL / NOVEMBER 2015, VOL. 94


es the amount of martensite to in-
crease. The CCT curves show that with
the increase in welding current, the
molten pool temperature of the hard-
facing layer increases, which leads to
the increase in hardenability. So, the
amount of hard martensite increases
while the soft retained austenite de-
creases. Therefore, the hardness and
wear resistance both increase with the
increase in welding current.
Conclusion
The effects of flux cored arc weld-
ing current on the microstructure,
wear resistance, and welding associa-
tivity of the hardfacing layer were in-
vestigated in this work. The results are
as follows:
1. Binding strength between the
hardfacing layer and the base metal
enhances gradually with the increase
in welding current. When the welding
current reaches 360–380 A, the bind-
ing strength is the highest.
2. With the increase in welding cur-
rent, the molten pool temperature of
the hardfacing layer increases from
2424.77 to 3278.27 K, which makes
the pearlite phase region move to the
right and the martensitic transition
start temperature Ms decrease (from
243.7˚ to 174.1˚C) during the cooling
process, which then improves the
hardenability of the hardfacing layer.
3. With the increase in welding cur-
rent, the amount of martensite in the
hardfacing layer increases while that
of retained austenite decreases, which
leads to the increase in hardness and
wear resistance.
4. After wear test, the amounts of
retained austenite in all of the hardfac-
ing layers are lowered, while those of
martensite are increased. This indi-
cates that strain hardening occurs dur-
ing the wearing, and then affects the
wear resistance of the hardfacing layer.
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