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Gas welding is a fusion welding process. It joins metals, using the heat of
combustion of an oxygen/air and fuel gas (i.e. acetylene, hydrogen,
propane or butane) mixture. The intense heat (flame) thus produced melts
and fuses together the edges of the parts to be welded, generally with the
addition of a filler metal.
A filler metal rod is generally added to the molten metal pool to build up
the seam slightly for greater strength. Oxyacetylene welding does not
require the components to be forced together under pressure until the weld
forms and solidifies.
The oxygen control valve of the welding torch is then opened in order to
adjust the proportions in which acetylene and oxygen are required to mix
and burn. This results in three distinct types of flames as discussed under.
Types of Flames
1. Neutral Flame (Acetylene oxygen in equal proportions)
2. Oxidising Flame (Excess of oxygen)
3. Reducing Flame (Excess of acetylene)
In oxyacetylene welding, flame is the most important tool. All the welding
equipment simply serves to maintain and control the flame.
The correct type of flame is essential for the production of satisfactory
welds.
The flame must be of the proper size, shape and condition in order to
operate with maximum efficiency.
Neutral Flame
A neutral flame is produced when approximately equal volumes of oxygen
and acetylene are mixed in the welding torch and burnt at the torch tip.
(More accurately the oxygen-to-acetylene ratio is 1.1 to 1). The temperature
of the neutral flame is of the order of about 5900ºF (326ºC)
The flame has a nicely defined inner cone* which is light blue in colour.
This envelope is usually a much darker blue than the inner cone.
A neutral flame is named so because it effects no chemical change in the
molten metal and therefore will not oxidize or carburize the metal.
Oxidising Flame -
If, after the neutral flame has been established, the supply of oxygen is
further increased, the result will be an oxidising flame.
The outer flame envelope is much shorter and tends to fan out at the end
on the other hand the neutral and carburizing envelopes tend to come to a
sharp point.
Moreover, an excess of oxygen causes the weld bead and the surrounding
area to have a scummy or dirty appearance.
Reducing Flame –
If the volume of oxygen supplied to the neutral flame is reduced, the
resulting flame will be a carburising or reducing flame, i.e. rich in
acetylene.
The outer flame envelope is longer than that of the neutral flame and is
usually much brighter in colour.
With iron and steel it produces very hard, brittle substance known as iron
carbide.
This chemical change makes the metal unfit for many applications in which
the weld may need to be bent or stretched.
Metals that tend to absorb carbon should not be welded with reducing
flame.
The weld is commenced on the right hand side of the seam, working
towards the left hand side.
The filler rod is added using a backward and forward movement of the
rod, allowing the flame to melt the bottom edges of the plate just ahead of
the weld pool.
Since the flame is pointed in the direction of the welding, it preheats the
edges of the joint.
When work piece thickness is over 3 mm, it is necessary to bevel the plate
edges to produce a V-joint so that good root fusion may be achieved.
Welding begins at the left hand end of the joint and proceeds towards the
right, hence the name rightward technique.
During welding, the filler rod may be moved in circles (within the puddle)
or semicircles (back and forth around the puddle.)
In rightward welding, the weld puddle is less fluid and this result in a
slightly different appearance of the weld surface.
Rightward technique has got certain. Advantages over the left ward one, as
listed below:
i) Up to 8.2 mm plate thickness no bevel is necessary. This saves the cost of
preparation and reduces the consumption of filler rod.
(ii) For welding bigger thicknesses, where beveling of plate edges becomes
necessary, the included angle of V need be only 60°, which requires less
filler metal against 80°V preparation used in leftward welding technique.
(iii) The welder's view of the weld pool and the sides and bottom of the V
groove is unobstructed. This results in better control and higher welding
speeds.
(iv) The smaller total volume of deposited metal, as compared to leftward
welding, reduces shrinkage and distortion.
(v) The weld quality is better than that obtained with the leftward
technique.
There are separate manifolds for oxygen and acetylene gas supplies.
A manifold system for acetylene.
1. Since gas cylinders have not been scattered throughout the work area,
rather, they have been kept at a central place:
(a) The possibility of accidents is reduced.
(b) More space is available at each workplace.
2. In case of fire, one can easily reach the cylinders.
3. There is more effective use of gases.
4. Cylinders are transported by less distance.
5. There is no replacement of cylinders inside the workshop.
Welding Torch
Oxygen and the fuel gas having been reduced in pressure by the gas
regulators are fed through suitable hoses to a welding torch which mixes
and controls the flow of gases to the welding nozzle or tip where the gas
mixture is burnt to produce a flame for carrying out gas welding operation.
In this type of blowpipe both the oxygen and acetylene are fed to the
blow pipe at equal pressures and the gases are mixed in a mixing
chamber prior to being fed to the nozzle tip.
The equal pressure or high pressure type of blowpipe is the one most
generally used because
(i) It is lighter and simpler.
(ii) It does not need an injector.
(iii) In operation, it is less troblesome since it does not suffer from
backfires to the same extent.
2. Welder has considerable control over the temperature of the metal in the
weld zone. When the rate of heat input from the flame is properly
coordinated with the speed of welding, the size, viscosity and surface
tension of the weld puddle can be controlled, permitting the pressure of the
flame to be used to aid in positioning and shaping the weld.
3. The rate of heating and cooling is relatively slow. In some cases, this is
an advantage.
4. Since the sources of heat and of filler metal are separate, the welder has
control over filler metal deposition rates. Heat can be applied preferentially
to the base metal or the filler metal.
5. The equipment is versatile, low cost, self sufficient and usually portable.
Besides gas welding, the equipment can be used for preheating, post
heating, braze welding, torch brazing and it is readily converted to oxygen
cutting.
Filter metal is the material that is added to the weld pool to assist in filling
the gap (or groove).
Filler metal is usually available in rod form. These rods are called Filler
Rods.
Filler rods have the same or nearly the same chemical composition as the
base metal.
Welding filler rods are available in a variety of compositions (for welding
different materials) and sizes.
Welding Fluxes –
During welding, if the metal is heated/melted in air, oxygen from the air
combines with the metal to form oxides which result in poor quality, low
strength welds or, in some cases, may even make welding impossible.
A flux prevents the oxidation of molten metal. The flux (material) is fusible
and non metallic.
During welding, flux chemically reacts with the oxides and a slag is formed
that floats to and covers the top of the molten puddle of metal and thus
helps keep out atmospheric oxygen and other gases.