Arc Welding

Shielded-Metal Arc Welding

Figure: Shielded metal-arc welding process.

About 50% of all large-scale industrial welding operations use this process.
In case of AC supply:
Voltage required to strike the arc is : 80 -100 volts
Voltage required to maintain the arc is : 30 -40 volts
In case of DC supply:
Voltage required to strike the arc is : 40 -80 volts
Voltage required to maintain the arc is : 18 -30 volts

Figure: A deep weld showing the build-up sequence of

eight individual weld beads.
 Equipments used in Arc welding
1.Arc welding equipment: For electric arc welding both AC and DC power
supply are used.

-For AC arc welding normally a step-down transformer is utilized which receives

current from the main supply at 220 volts (single phase) and 400-440 volts(3-
phase supply).
-Step down to normal open circuit welding voltage 80-100 volts
-For DC usually obtained from the generator driven by an electric motor or a
rectifier set meant for welding.
2.Welding electrode. Cable, cable connector
3.Electorde holder
4.Earth clamp
5.Hand screen
6. Hand gloves
7.Chipping hammer
8. Wire brush
9. Aprons
ARC WELDING EQUIPMENT
Shielded-Metal Arc Welding

Figure: The effect of polarity and

current type on weld beads:
(a) DC current straight polarity;
(b) DC current reverse polarity;
(c) AC current.
Positive (+)

Negative (-)
Various Zones near the weld bead:
 Metallurgy of welds
CROSS SECTIONAL VIEW OF A TYPICAL WELD JOINT
VARIOUS GRAIN STRUCTURE AFTER SOLIDIFICATION
OF FUISION ZONE
3metallurgical phenomena play an
important role.
Weld metal is melted and then
re-solidified under equivalent chill
casting conditions.
The base metal is subjected to a
complex heat treatment in the
form of temperature gradient
extending from melting range to
the ambient temperature.
 The temperature and phase
changes taking place to produce
volume changes in the
surrounding zone of the weld,
which result in plastic flow,
residual stresses and results in
cracking.
ARC WELDING ELECTRODES

1. Consumable electrode
2. Non-consumable electrode :
Tungsten, graphite & carbon

Consumable electrodes are two types

1. Bare electrode
2. Coated electrodes:

Electrode dia: 1.6mm to 9mm

Electrode length: 250mm to 450mm
(ISI Specification)
Electrode Designations
Welded Joints

Figure: Examples
of welded joints and their
terminology.
 WELDABILITY

Weldability of a metal is usually defined as its

capacity to be welded into a specific, suitably
designed structure having certain properties and
characteristics and to perform satisfactorily in the
intended service.

In other words Weldability refers to the ease with

which a metal can be welded and how effectively a
joint can be produced so it will have qualities
comparable to the base metal
 FUNCTIONS OF COATED ELECTRODES
1. Provide a protective atmosphere to molten metal from the
oxygen and nitrogen of the air by producing a shield of gas
around the arc and weld pool.
2. Facilitate the welding in various positions such as overhead
welding.
3. Facilitates the establishment and stabilization
/maintenance of the arc.
4. Provide slag of suitable characteristics to protect the
molten metal.
5. Help in adding alloying elements to the weld metal.
6. Reduce the spatter of weld metal
7. Increase the deposition efficiency
8. Slow down the cooling rate of the weld.
9. Remove the oxides and impurities and influence the depth
of arc penetration.
 Factors affecting the arc welding
1. Factors limiting welding current (current, voltage, speed)
2. Effect of welding current on weld (AC/DCSP/DCRP)
3. Selection of type of welding current
4. Electrode size and coating factor
5. Welding bead and their selection.
Limiting factors : - Current – Upper level of WC
Lower level of WC
Heat generated in the core wire due to the electrical resistance heating and its
effect on the thermal decomposition of the electrode coating.

So, the level of current at which the thermal decomposition of the coating starts
that limits the upper level of the welding current.

Another aspect is that lower level of the welding current,

So, limited heat generation and low temperature leads to the frequent extinction
of the arc.

To avoid the situation of the unstable arc it is desired that the welding current is
reasonably on the higher side so, the lower level of the welding current affected by
the arc stability aspect.
lower level of the welding current,

Further some time lower level of welding current is selected intentionally so, that
we can have the desired limited flow-ability of the weld metal, to avoid the
following tendency of the weld metal in odd position welding process like Vertical
or overhead welding
 CAW: In which heat is generated by an
electric arc struck between an carbon
electrode and the work piece.

The arc heats and melts the work

pieces edge, forming a joint.

It is a oldest welding process, If

required, filler rod may be used in
CAW.

End of the rod is held in the arc zone.

The molten rod material is supplied to
the weld pool.

Shields (Neutral gas ,flux) may be used

for weld pool protection depending on
Carbon electrode is connected to –ve pole type of weld metal.
Work piece is connected to +ve pole

So, only DC is used in carbon arc welding

 The reason for connecting carbon
electrode to –ve terminal is that the
heat generated at the tip of the
electrode is less than that of the job so
that the carbon content of the
electrode will not fuse and mix up with
the job.

If it so happens, the resultant weld

would be brittle and unsound.

In the view of changing the polarity

the use of AC current is not
recommended in this type of welding
process.

The process is best suited for joints which require only to be melted without addition of
filler metal such as flange or edge joints.

This method is suitably used for joining sheet metal/ steel sheets and repairing steel
castings.
CAW extensively used for joining alumimium, bronze, brass and alloys of copper.
Advantages of Carbon Arc welding
• Low cost of equipment and welding operation.
• High level of operator skills.
• The process is easily automated.
• Low distortion of workpiece.
Disadvantages of Carbon Arc welding
• Unstable quality of the weld (Porosity).
• Carbon of electrode contaminates weld material with carbides.
CAW has been replaced by Tungsten inert gas welding (TIG, GTAW) in
many applications.
Modification of CAW is Twin Carbon electrode Arc welding, utilizing
arc struck between two carbon electrodes.
Workpiece is not a part of Welding electric circuit in Twin carbon
electrode arc welding, therefore the welding torch may be moved from
one workpiece to another without extinguishing the arc.
 INERT GAS ARC WELDING PROCESS (GMAW, TIG,MIG)

In case of shielded metal arc welding the shielding atmosphere around the molten pool
to prevent the atmospheric gases from coming in contact with molten metal and also
prevent the molten metal-pool from the action of contaminants fluxes are utilized.

The gases that can be used as shields for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) are Argon,
nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and a mixture of these gases in various proportions.

Each gas has their effect on the formation of bead and penetration.
This also prevents oxidation and eliminates impurities from the weld.

Argon reduces the spatter and concentrates the arc

It results in deep penetration welds and is the most widely used among all the shielding
gases.

GMAW further classified in to two types-

1. Tungsten Inert Gas Arc Welding (TIG)

2. Metal Inert gas Arc Welding (MIG)
 TIG WELDING
The gas displaces the air around the weld pool thus
preventing contamination of the weld metal by
gases in air.
Either AC or DC power is used in this method of
welding. The selection is determined by the kind of
metal to be welded.
TIG welding is an inert gas
shielded arc welding using non –
consumable electrode.
In this process, the arc is
established between the
tungsten electrode and the base
metal/WP to be welded.
The weld zone is protected by a
blanket of inert gas fed through
the water cooled electrode
holder.
The inert gases used are Helium
or Argon. Argon is more widely
employed than helium or some
times the mixture of these two
gases are used.
Argon is 10 times heavier than
helium gas and 1.33 times air for
producing better shielding.
GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING
Direct current with straight polarity is required for the Steel, CI, Stainless steel as well
as copper alloys.

AC power supply is used for welding Al, and magnesium.

In the view of cost of inert gases required for shielding the electrode, this process is not
utilized in the welding of light gauge work and is not competitive with welding
processes usually selected for welding the heavier gauges of material.

Mostly TIG is done manually.

The filler metal may or may not be used, normally the filler metal rod is fed manually
into the weld pool.
The automatic feeding of the filler rod/wire in the TIG are has been developed now in
order to speed up the process.

The electrodes used in this technique are made of tungsten and its alloys. Pure tungsten
electrodes are less expensive but will carries less current.

The thoriated tungsten i.e tungsten containing 1-2% of thoria (thorium oxide) electrode
carry high current and are more desirable since they can strike and maintain a stable arc
with relative ease (Compared to pure tungsten electrode).
TIG Welding set:

1. A cylinder of Argon gas.

2. Welding torch having connections for a current cable, tubing for shielding gas supply
and cooling water arrangement.

In order to obtain satisfactory welding operation three elements have to be properly

controlled.
1. Current
2. Voltage
3. Speed of travel

The TIG welding process is employed for the fusion welding of stainless steel, CI,
Magnesium alloy, aluminum and its alloy, copper and its alloys.

This process can also be used for the combining of dissimilar metals.
 GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING

(a) The gas tungsten-arc welding process, formerly known as TIG (for tungsten inert gas)
welding.
(b) Equipment for gas tungsten-arc welding operations.
Advantages of TIG:

1. Unlike metals such as mild steel to stainless steel and brass to copper can be
welded to each other.
2. Heat affected zone is very small
3. Practically no weld cleanup is required due to absence of spatter or slag.
4. The arc and weld pool are clearly visible to the welder and filler metal does not pass
through superheated electric arc.

Welding current ranging from 3A-200 A or 5A – 300A (Air cooled), <1000 A ,water
cooled electrodes.

Pulse current: Pulse TIG welding, Peak current (Ip) and Base current(Ib)

Mean current (Im)= [(Ip x Tp) + (Ib x Tb)] / (Tp + Tb) Tp

Im
Voltage: 10 volts to 35 volts
Gas flow rate : 5 – 50 lit/min Tb

DCEN (Straight Polarity): Good arc stability

Tip of the electrode: Conical tip tungsten electrode provides deeper penetration
Ball (round) type tungsten electrode provides wider penetration
 MIG WELDING
The metal inert gas (MIG) welding is the old
name of the process that is still widely used. The
official description of this method is GMA or Gas
Metal Arc welding technique.

The high heat of an electric arc between a

continuously fed, consumable bare wire
electrode and the work piece.

Since the filler is transferred through the

protected arc, greater efficiency is obtained than
the TIG welding process resulting in more rapid
welding.

The weld metal is deposited in an atmosphere

that prevents contamination.
In this process, a wire is fed continuously through a gun to a contact surface which imparts a
current upon the wire. Direct current reverse polarity provides a stable arc and provides the
greatest heat input at the work piece.
A.C is not used in this method. Even D.C with straight polarity is not used. It is employed only
sometimes when a very small penetration is needed. The use of D.C reverse polarity provides
a deeper penetration and clean weld surface.
The main equipment used in MIG process consists of :
1. MIG welding gun
2. A spool (a cylindrical device on which flexible wire wound) of electrode wire
3. A power source and welding leads (cable, clamps)
4. Electrode wire feeder
5. Inert gas cylinder
6. Gas hoses and connection
7. Gas regulator and flow meter
8. Water supply with water hoses
9. Apron and goggles etc.
The MIG welding gun can be either air or water cooled depending upon the current
being used.
A water cooled gun is used in case of high amperages.
The electrode wire is very often bare. Very lightly coated or flux cored wire is also
utilized.
The electrode wire is usually in a diameter of 0.8mm to1.6mm. However, a size up to
3mm is also made and utilized depending upon the thickness of the job.
Similar to the TIG welding process, the welding arc is also flooded with an inert gas which
will not combine with the metal.

The rate of flow of argon is sufficient to keep oxygen of the air away from the hot metal
surface being welded.

MIG welding process is generally recommended for aluminium, magnesium, copper, steels
(i.e, carbon steel, low alloy steel, high alloy steel and stainless steel) and nickel

Inert gases like argon, helium and cabondioxide or a mixture of these gases are used to
provide the inert gas shield. In a majority of these cases, argon or its mixture with
carbondioxide or helium is employed as the shielding inert gas.

This process is fast, gives deeper penetration with strong and tough joints. The quality of
weld produced is high and free from welding defects such as gas contaminants, porosity
and blow holes etc

Advantages of MIG Welding

1.No slag formation
2.Higher deposition rate
3.Deeper penetration
4.Suitable welding for thin sheets
The limitations of this technique are that it is expensive and less portable thus unsuitable
for outdoor work where strong wind may blow away the shielding gas.
 SUBMERGED ARC WELDING (SAW)
This process,
sometimes called
hidden arc welding, is
so named since the
metal arc is shielded
by a blanket of
granular, fusible flux
during the welding
operation.

Both D.C and A.C power supply can be used in SAW welding.
While using A.C the open circuit voltage varies from 60 to 100V depending upon the
current used for welding.
The current used depends upon the work piece thickness. A.C is preferable particularly
for welding of low carbon steel.
The current of A.C machines is usually 1200A to 2000A. for welding of stainless steel,
alloy steels, usually D.C is employed using 600A to 1000A current.
For starting the welding process, the pieces/job to be welded are kept in position.

Granular flux of requisite nature is then fed from the hopper onto the joint through a flux
feed pipe/tube.

Wire is continuously fed to the electrode.

The arc is struck between the end of the electrode and the workpiece under the shielding
of flux. The flux used may be of silica, metal oxides and other compounds fused together
and then crushed to the requisite size

The heat generated by the arc melts the surrounding flux granules as well as the filler
metal.

The filler metal forms the weld bead and flux is fused to form a covering slag over the bead

The welding process continues as the welding head proceeds along the joint with a
predetermined speed, the entire flux hopper unit sliding ahead of the arc.

The entire flux fed by the hopper over the weld is not melted. The unutilized part of flux is
collected back by another unit, following the welding head and is fed back to hopper for
reutilization. The slag deposited over the weld is removed after the weld cools down.
 Submerged-Arc Welding

Schematic illustration of the submerged arc welding process and equipment. The un-fused
flux is recovered and reused.
In an automatic submerged arc welding machine, the feeding of the electrode wire, the flux
and welding speed automatically controlled.

The process is limited to flat welding although welds can be made on a slight slope or on
circumferential joints.
The technique is not suitable for welding of metal thicknesses less than 4.5mm.

Advantages of submerged arc welding:

1. This process is much faster than other arc welding techniques. Speeds up to
3900mm/min are possible on 5mm thick steel plates
2. Provides high quality welds with deep penetration
3. In case of fully automated submerged arc welding system, the heat input is the unit arm
and due to high speed, less distortion occurs
4. Mostly it is used for welding of low carbon and alloy steels but it can be used on many
non-ferrous metals
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