FWB 22403: WELD DEFECT

LAB SHEET-3
WELD REPAIR

1. Learning Objectives
1. To identify location of defect area
2. To removed and examine defected area
3. To re-weld and inspected repaired weld location

2. Introduction
Weld defects happen for a host of reasons. According to study by American Society for
mechanical Engineer (ASME), welding defect causes are broken down as follows: 45
percent poor process conditions, 32 percent operator error, 12 percent wrong technique,
10 percent incorrect consumables, and 5 percent bad weld grooves.
Crack, is the most detrimental defect stated by many codes. No matter how small, every
crack is considered a defect, and it takes just one to fail a weld inspection. Thats
because a crack spreads over time. Name of the cracks such as longitudinal or centerline
cracking, of the weld bead is not often encountered in mig welding. However, that which
does occur can be one of two types: hot cracks and cold cracks
Others defect mostly encounter in the welding such as incomplete penetration is usually
caused by the use of too low a welding current and can be eliminated by simply
increasing the amperage. Other causes can be the use of too slow a travel speed and an
incorrect torch angle.

Lack of fusion, also called cold lapping or cold shuts, occurs when there is no fusion
between the weld metal and the surfaces of the base plate. The most common cause of
lack of fusion is a poor welding technique. Porosity is gas pores found in the solidified
weld bead. As seen in Figure 10-4, these pores may vary in size and are generally
distributed in a random manner. However, it is possible that porosity can only be found
at the weld center. Pores can occur either under or on the weld surface. The most
common causes of porosity are atmosphere contamination, excessively oxidized work
piece surfaces, inadequate deoxidizing alloys in the wire and the presence of foreign
matter.

3. Step for material removing

Defect with the dimension more than allowable tolerance need to be corrected. It may be
group as non-repair defect and repairable defect. A correct and with full flow of method
of affected material should be established. In most repair jobs it is necessary to remove
metal so that a full-penetration weld can be made. A layout should be made to show the
metal that is to be removed by cutting or gouging to prepare the part for welding. The
minimum amount of metal should be removed to obtain a full-penetration weld. The
layout should be selected so that welding can be balanced, if possible, and that the bulk
of the welding can be made from the more comfortable welding position.
1. Safety
The repair welding location or area must be surveyed and all safety
considerations satisfied. This can include the posting of the area required by
certain regulations, removal of all combustible materials from the area, the
draining of fuel tanks of construction equipment, aircraft, boats, trucks, etc.
Other precautions include the elimination of toxic materials such as thick coats of
lead paint, plastic coverings of metals, etc.
2. Cleaning
The immediate work area must be clean from all contaminants and this includes
removal of dirt, grease, oil, rust, paint, plastic coverings, etc., from the surface of
the parts being welded. The method of cleaning depends on the material to be
removed and the location of the work piece. For most construction and
production equipment, steam cleaning is recommended. When this is not possible
solvent cleaning can be used. Blast cleaning with abrasives is also used. For
small parts pickling or solvent dip cleaning can be used and, finally, power tool
cleaning with brushes, grinding wheels, disc grinding, etc., can be employed. The
time spent cleaning a weld repair area will pay off in the long run.
3. Disassembly
Except for the simplest repair jobs disassembly may be required. This can be
related to items mentioned above but also applies to lubrication lines, instrument

tubing, wiring, etc. Sometimes it is necessary to disassemble major components

such as machinery from machinery frames, etc.
4. Cutting and gouging
The oxygen fuel gas-cutting torch is most often used for this application. Special
gouging tips are available and they should be selected based on the particular
geometry of the joint preparation. It is possible, by closely watching the cut
surface, to find and follow cracks during the flame gouging operation. The edges
of the cracks will show since they become slightly hotter. The air carbon arc
cutting and gouging process is also widely used for weld repair preparation.
Proper power sources and carbons should be selected for the volume of metal to
be removed. The technique should be selected to avoid carbon deposit on the
prepared metal surface. For some metals the torch or carbon arc might not be
appropriate and in these cases mechanical chipping and grinding may be
employed.
5. Grinding and cleaning
The resulting surfaces may not be as smooth as desired and may include burned
areas, oxide, etc. Grind the surfaces to clean bright metal prior to starting to
weld. For critical work or where there is a suspicion of additional cracks it is
wise to check the surface by magnetic particle inspection to make sure that all
cracks and defects have been removed.

4. Steps for repair welding

1. Welding procedure
The welding procedure must be available for the use of the welders. It must
include the process to be used, the specific filler metals, preheat required, and
any other specific information concerning the welding joint technique.
2. Welding equipment
Sufficient welding equipment should be available so that there will be no delays.
Standby equipment might also be required. This not only includes welding
equipment but includes sufficient electrode holders, grinders, wire feeders if
required, cables, etc.
3. Materials
This includes the filler metals stored properly for use on the repair. It also
includes materials such as insert pieces, reinforcing pieces, etc. Materials also
include fuel for maintaining preheat and inter-pass temperature, shielding gases if
used, and fuel for engine powered welding machines.
4. Alignment markers

Prior to making the weld alignment markers are sometimes used. These can be
nothing more than center punch marks made across the joint in various locations.
5. Welding sequences
The welding sequence should be well described in the welding procedure and can
include block welding, back-step sequence welding, wandering sequence
welding, and peeling.
6. Safety
Finally, safety cannot be overlooked throughout the welding operation. For
example, ventilation must be provided when fuel gases are used for preheating,
etc.
7. Weld Quality
The quality of the weld should be continually checked. The final weld should be
smooth, there should be no notches, and reinforcing, if used, should fair
smoothly into the existing structure. If necessary, grinding should be done to
maintain smooth flowing contours.

5. Instruction for gouging and weld repair

1. Cut 2 pieces of plate with dimension 150 mm x 50 mm x 10 mm. Set the joint
preparation with 40-60 included angle, 1-2 mm root gap and root face.

2. Weld this fit up joint with SMAW process with your desire welding parameter
with full penetration profile.

3. Perform visual inspection on root and face side of the weld joint. Select the bad
weld joint location for repair area. The length shall not less than 70 mm.

4. Conduct gouging, grinding and NDT inspection to ensure all discontinuity has
been removed from the repair area.

5. Re-weld and perform visual inspection on the surface after completed welding.
You shall take notes and record the progress during repair process from the
beginning till to the end and shall be summited in your report.

6. Conclusion
Defect location shall be repaired with correct repaired procedures and performed by
qualified welder. The repaired location need to be re-inspected with visual. Repaired
areas shall be inspected by the same means previously used. If the company chooses, it
may re inspect all of a weld containing a repair in the same manner allowed for
inspection of any production weld.

References
1. American Petroleum Institute 1104- Welding Pipeline and related facilities
2. Welding Technology handbook
3. Handbook of Structure Welding: Processes, Materials and Methods Used in the
Welding of Major Structure, Pipelines and Process Plant, John Lancaster, Woodhead
Publishing, 1997.