Module 07R - MMAW & SAW Rev 02
Module 07R - MMAW & SAW Rev 02
Module 07R - MMAW & SAW Rev 02
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Drooping characteristics power
source
Designed to give stable operation where the electrode moves
up and down with the welders hand eg MMAW and GTAW
processes.
Variation in arc voltage with movement of the welders hand
results in very little change in current
Stable current gives consistent arc heat and weld pool
1. Power source
2. Welding and ground cables
3. Electrode holder
4. Ground clamp
5. Chipping hammer and steel wire brush
6. Hand-shield / welding helmet / head-shield
7. Welding electrode
8. Re-drying oven
Coatings On SMAW Electrodes
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MMAW Electrode
Core Wire
Electrode core wire: C 0.10 max; Mn 0.38-0.62; Si
0.03 max; S 0.03 max; P 0.03 max
Important feature: low level of C, Si, S & P
Coating
Arc characteristics – Stability, Striking & Re-
striking, Force, Capability to work in positions, and
in AC & DC sets
Slag characteristics – Good shielding, Capability
to bring impurities out of molten weld metal, Good
detachability, Flowability as well as quick freezing
nature
Functions of the Flux coating
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Coating Constituents
Arc stabilisers
Slag formers
Deoxidisers
Gas forming materials
Binders
Alloying elements
Deposition efficiency improvers
Extruding/slipping agents
Coating types
Rutile
Basic
Cellulosic
Acid
Acid-rutile
Oxidising
Types Of Electrodes
Based on application:
> Carbon-manganese steel electrodes AWS A5.1
> Stainless steel electrodes A5.4
> Low alloy steel electrodes A5.5
> Copper & Copper alloy electrodes A5.6
> Aluminium & Aluminium alloy electrodes A5.10
> Nickel & Nickel alloy covered electrodes A5.11
> Hardfacing electrodes
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Merits/Demerits of coating types
Rutile: Merits
Easy striking/restriking
Good slag control
Good slag detachability
Good positional welding capabilities
Usable in low OCV sets
More welder friendly
Demerits
Limitation in mechanical properties
Alloy transfer difficult
High hydrogen level
Basic Coated Low Hydrogen
Electrodes
Baked at high temperatures
around 4500C during
Coating contains
manufacture.
Metal Carbonates &
Re-drying is a must before
Calcium Fluoride. use.
Releases CO2 in arc
atmosphere.
Fluxing by Calcium Fluoride.
(Fluorspar) Adequate penetration.
Moisture bearing materials are Slag removal is good.
restricted in coating. Contains more iron powder.
Good mechanical Properties.
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Basic Coated Low Hydrogen
Electrodes
Technologically very important
Weld metal integrity very high High radiographic quality
High toughness at subzero temperatures
Low amount of diffusible hydrogen content of weld metal (< 5
ml/100g deposited weld metal)
Fluid slag
Slag volume low,
Thin friable slag
Slag removal is good
Chemically slag is “basic”
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Merits/Demerits of coating types
Basic: Merits
Good mechanical properties
Low hydrogen level
Alloy transfer effective
Higher deposition efficiency
Demerits
Greater welder skill required
AC welding difficult, especially in low OCV
High temperature preheating before welding
necessary
Slag detachability not as good as rutile type
Merits/Demerits of coating types
Peculiarity: Cellulose
Electrodes need moisture in
Cellulosic: Merits coating for effective functioning
Hence, Do Not re-dry Cellulose
Fiery arc (Forceful & noisy arc)
electrode.
High arc force good penetration
Thin coating good manouverability in roots
Vertical down
Cross-country pipelines (for oil, gas)
Less slag volume
Good positional welding
Alloy transfer possible
Demerits
DC based
High hydrogen level
Operator skill is important
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Production Of Electrodes
The powdered coating materials are dry mixed and then liquid
silicate is added to form a paste.
The flux paste is extruded onto the core wire in an hydraulic
extruder. The two ends are brushed and linished for gripping
by the electrode holder and easy striking of arc.
The electrodes are then dried at between 110 – 130 C in
continuous or batch type ovens before packing.
Low hydrogen basic coated, stainless steel and other special
electrodes are further baked at 350 – 450 C to remove
moisture to very low levels.
Cellulose coated electrodes are dried at 80 – 90 C so that the
cellulose is not damaged and there is some residual moisture
to augment the arc force.
Handling And Storage Of Electrodes
2. Striking the electrode tip hard with base plate can cause peeling
of flux of electrode tip.
Deposition requirements
Joint design / fit up
Penetration requirements
Selection of electrodes
Group contains
- Mild steels to IS : 2062
- Boiler quality steel to IS: 2002
- Micro-alloyed steels to IS : 8500
- Weathering steels to IS : 11587
For mild steel non-critical, applications in static
loading upto 40 mm combined thickness – E6013
medium coated electrodes
For mild / boiler quality steel for all applications above
40 mm combined thickness and sub-zero conditions
– E 7018 electrodes + pre-heat as required for higher
thicknesses
Selection of electrodes for Micro-
alloyed steels
Range of medium and high tensile steel developed to give
improved strength and toughness without impairing
weldability. Covered by IS:8500 - 1991
Small amounts of carbide forming elements eg. Nb, V, Ti etc
added Total amount 0.20% max as such called Micro-
alloyed steels
Controlled rolling at low finish roll temperatures results in
very fine grain size ASTM 12 – 14.
Properties : UTS 450 – 600 MPa
YS 400 – 500 MPa
Elongation 20 – 22 %
Weld all sections with E7018 / E8018 G electrodes
depending on minimum yield requirements
Selection of electrodes for
Weathering steels
These are medium tensile steels with Cu, Cr & small amount of
Phosphorous added to improve atmospheric corrosion
resistance. However P gives hot shortness and lower impacts
and latest grades have reduced P levels
Example - Corten A, B & C and Sailcor –HR & CR steels used
for rolling stock in railways and other transportation sectors.
Corten B & C with lower P levels have better weldability
For the lower strength Corten A & B type use E7018 – W1
electrodes
For higher strength Corten C use E8018 – W2 electrodes.
Note the electrode weld metal does not contain P
MMAW – Best practice
Voltage
Try to use highest voltage setting available,
specially for basic coated low hydrogen
electrodes.
MMAW – Best practice contd.
Operator control
Quality of welding
highly dependent on the
skill of operator
A high level of manual
dexterity is required to
co-ordinate the
electrode to match the
burn off rate and to
maintain a constant
ARC length.
MMAW – Best practice contd.
Automatic process
Down-hand position
and H-V fillets only
Heavy section welding
of straight sections
Circumferential
welding
SAW Features
Soilid wires for mild and low alloy steel applications are
normally copper coated.
Flux cored wires are often referred as composite
electrodes and comes under “EC” designation in wire –flux
classification.
Flux :
A. Fused flux :
Ingredients ( ground minerals ) are mixed and melted in a
pot / furnace at high temperature [ 1600 – 1800 deg.C ].
melt is rapidly solidified and fragmented by quenching in
water. These flux fragments are dried , crushed , sieved ,
sized and packed.
Consumables contd.
B. Agglomerated flux ;
finely powdered ingredients are mixed and mix is steadily
moistened with liquid alkaline silicates.The mixer blades
are designed to assist agglomeration.
The green agglomerates are baked in rotary oven gradually
with final exposure at 600 to 800 deg.C.While baking the
water evaporates leaving the binder as bridges between
particles. The flux is then sieved , graded and packed.
C. Sintered flux :
Produced by grinding the dry charge together, pressing
into small balls and heating to just below melting point [
1000 – 1100 deg. C ] in furnace. These semi fused masses
are crushed, sieved, sized and packed.
SAW Fluxes
Fused Agglomerated
Heavier, higher bulk Lighter, lower bulk
densities, hence less densities, hence volume
volume for same weight is more for same weight
Thicker slag cover,
Thinner slag cover, less
more consumption
consumption
Higher manufacturing
temperature and so Lower manufacturing
ferro-alloys, alloy temperature and hence
addition not possible. ferro-alloys, alloys
additions possible
Neutral , Active And
Alloy Fluxes
A change in arc voltage will change the quantity of
flux interacting with a given quantity of electrode
resulting change in composition of weld metal
Neutral fluxes :
These fluxes do not produce any significant change in the weld
metal chemical composition due to a large change in arc
voltage or arc length / stick out.
Active fluxes :
These contain manganese and / or silicon bearing ingredients
as de-oxidiser and changes the weld metal chemical
composition with change in arc voltage / stick out.
Alloy fluxes :
contain alloying ingredients in the flux and when used with non
–alloyed carbon steel electrode give alloy weld metal.
Basicity Index ( B.I )
B.I = BASIC OXIDES / ACIDIC OXIDES =
[CaO+MgO+Na2O+CaF2+ ½ (MnO+FeO)]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[SiO2+ ½ (Al2O3+TiO2+ZrO2)]
kg/m
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Slag Inclusion
- Contaminants of flux, Usage of cold flux.
- Improper joint geometry
- Viscosity of the slag
- Inadequate interpass cleaning
Influence of Amperage and Voltage
A: 25 mm
B: 57 mm
C: 83 mm
Deposition rate
Recommended current range and deposition rate (kg/h)
for different wire diameters
Tandem SAW
Mr.R.Senguta
Mr.R.Banerjee
Mr.R.Ravi
Mr.N.K.Mukherjee
THANK YOU