TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 1010/2011
By V Kumar
Background
Arc welding is still the predominant welding process for fabrication industries. The availability of a wide range of process techniques and consumables, coupled with widely available equipment, continues to make arc welding an attractive proposition. Whilst higher welding productivity may be possible with alternative processes, for example, power beam welding, the relatively high cost and inflexibility of the equipment precludes its use for many applications. Even so, improved productivity continues to be a primary goal for most fabricators and there is a need to continue to develop high productivity arc welding process solutions.
High deposition efficient process variants such as AC SAW, twin/tandem SAW, and tandem MAG welding are available. However these technologies are not straightforward in their application as the numbers of operating variables needing to be optimised are larger compared with that of conventional processes. To derive the full benefits of these advanced processes, a clear understanding of the influence of each of the parameters on the weld size and penetration is required. This project aimed to provide general guidance regarding the practical implementation of some of these advanced arc welding techniques with a view to improving productivity.
Objectives
- Identify the influence of major welding parameters on the melt profile and deposition rate of AC SAW, its variants, and tandem MAG welding process, to provide general guidance on their practical implementation in thick section welding.
- Evaluate the performance of high speed grinding, as an alternate edge preparation method for thick section welding.