NAME 345_Lecture-12

Welding Technology
Md. Habibur Rahman
Lecturer
Department of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology
Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Welding Defects and Discontinuities
 Defect
• A flaw or flaws that by nature or accumulated
effect render a part or product unable to meet
minimum applicable acceptance standards or
specifications. The term designates
rejectability.
 Discontinuity
• An interruption of the typical structure of a
material, such as a lack of homogeneity in its
mechanical, metallurgical, or physical
characteristics. A discontinuity is not
necessarily a defect.
 Weld Joint Discontinuities
• Misalignment (hi-lo) • Inclusions • Base Metal
• Undercut – Slag Discontinuities
– Wagontracks – Lamellar tearing
• Underfill
– Tungsten – Laminations and
• Concavity or Convexity Delaminations
• Excessive reinforcement • Spatter
– Laps and Seams
• Improper reinforcement • Arc Craters
• Porosity
• Overlap • Cracks – Uniformly Scattered
• – Longitudinal
Burn-through – Cluster
– Transverse
• Incomplete or Insufficient – Linear
– Crater
Penetration – Piping
– Throat
• Incomplete Fusion • Heat-affected zone
– Toe
• Surface irregularity microstructure alteration
– Root
– Overlap • Base Plate laminations
– Underbead and
• Arc Strikes Heat-affected zone • Size or dimensions
– Hot
– Cold or delayed
 Welding Defects
Welding Defects
Welding defects include the following:
Essentially a discontinuity
or flaw is called a defect if
Porosity
it exceeds the acceptance
Trapped slag
limits established by
Lack of fusion
engineering based on
Lack of penetration or excess penetration
Fitness for Service criteria.
Undercut
Hot cracking
Hydrogen induced HAZ cracking
Lamellar tearing

Any of these defects are potentially disastrous as they can all give
rise to high stress intensities which may result in sudden unexpected
failure below the design load or in the case of cyclic loading, failure
after fewer load cycles than predicted.
 POROSITY
Porosity is the presence of cavities in the weld metal caused by the freezing in of gas
released from the weld pool as it solidifies. The porosity can take several forms:
•distributed
•surface breaking pores
•wormhole
•crater pipes
Porosity is caused by the absorption of nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen in the molten
weld pool which is then released on solidification to become trapped in the weld
metal.
Nitrogen and oxygen absorption in the weld pool usually originates from poor gas
shielding. As little as 1% air entrainment in the shielding gas will cause distributed
porosity and greater than 1.5% results in gross surface breaking pores. Leaks in the
gas line, too high a gas flow rate, draughts and excessive turbulence in the weld pool
are frequent causes of porosity.
Hydrogen can originate from a number of sources including moisture from
inadequately dried electrodes, fluxes or the workpiece surface. Grease and oil on the
surface of the workpiece or filler wire are also common sources of hydrogen.
Surface coatings like primer paints and surface treatments such as zinc coatings, may
generate copious amounts of fume during welding. The risk of trapping the evolved gas
will be greater in T joints than butt joints especially when fillet welding on both sides.
Special mention should be made of the so-called weldable (low zinc) primers. It should
not be necessary to remove the primers but if the primer thickness exceeds the
manufacturer's recommendation, porosity is likely to result especially when using
welding processes other than MMA.
 POROSITY

Identification
Porosity is the presence of cavities in the weld metal
caused by the freezing in of gas released from the weld
pool as it solidifies. The porosity can take several forms:
• distributed
• surface breaking pores
• wormhole
• crater pipes

Cause and prevention

Distributed porosity and surface pores

Distributed porosity (Fig. 1) is normally found as fine pores throughout the weld bead.
Surface breaking pores (Fig. 2) usually indicate a large amount of distributed porosity

Fig. 1. Uniformly distributed porosity Fig. 2. Surface breaking pores (T fillet weld in primed plate)
 POROSITY

Prevention
The gas source should be identified and removed as follows:
Air entrainment
- seal any air leak
- avoid weld pool turbulence
- use filler with adequate level of deoxidants
- reduce excessively high gas flow
- avoid draughts
Hydrogen
- dry the electrode and flux
- clean and degrease the workpiece surface
Surface coatings
- clean the joint edges immediately before welding
- check that the weldable primer is below the recommended
maximum thickness
 Porosity
• Single Pore
• Uniformly Scattered
• Cluster
• Linear
• Piping
 Single Pore
• Separated by at least their own diameter
along the axis of the weld
 Uniformly Scattered Porosity
• Typically judged by diameter and proximity to
a start or stop
• often caused by low amperage or short arc
gap or an unshielded weld start
 Cluster Porosity
• Typically viewed as a single large discontinuity
 Linear Porosity
• being linear greatly affects the severity of this
discontinuity
 Piping Porosity
• Generally has special allowable limits
 Porosity
• preheat will help eliminate
• may need an electrode with more deoxidizers
• Use run-on/run-off taps
• restart on top of previous weld and grind off
lump
 POROSITY

Wormholes
Elongated pores or
wormholes

Characteristically, wormholes are elongated pores (Fig. 3) which produce a herring bone appearance on the
radiograph.
Cause

 
Wormholes are indicative of a large amount of gas being formed which is then trapped in the solidifying
weld metal. Excessive gas will be formed from gross surface contamination or very thick paint or primer
                                               
coatings. Entrapment is more likely in crevices such as the gap beneath the vertical member of a horizontal-
vertical, T joint which is fillet welded on both sides.           

When welding T joints in primed plates it is essential that the coating thickness on the edge of the vertical
member is not above the manufacturer's recommended maximum, typically 20µ, through over-spraying.

Prevention
Eliminating the gas and cavities prevents wormholes.
Gas generation
- clean the workpiece surfaces
- remove any coatings from the joint area
- check the primer thickness is below the manufacturer's maximum
Joint geometry
- avoid a joint geometry which creates a cavity
 POROSITY

Crater pipe
A crater pipe forms during the final solidified weld pool and is often associated with some gas
porosity.
Cause
This imperfection results from shrinkage on weld pool solidification. Consequently, conditions
which exaggerate the liquid to solid volume change will promote its formation. Switching off the
welding current will result in the rapid solidification of a large weld pool.
In TIG welding, autogenous techniques, or stopping the wire before switching off the welding
current, will cause crater formation and the pipe imperfection.

Prevention
Crater pipe imperfection can be prevented by removing the stop or by welder technique.
Removal of stop
- use run-off tag in butt joints
- grind out the stop before continuing with the next electrode or depositing the subsequent
weld run
Welder technique
- progressively reduce the welding current to reduce the weld pool size
- add filler (TIG) to compensate for the weld pool shrinkage
 POROSITY

Detection and remedial action

If the imperfections are surface breaking, they can be detected using a penetrant or
magnetic particle inspection technique. For sub surface imperfections, detection is by
radiography or ultrasonic inspection. Radiography is normally more effective in detecting
and characterising porosity imperfections. However, detection of small pores is difficult
especially in thick sections.

Remedial action normally needs removal by localised gouging or grinding but if the porosity
is widespread, the entire weld should be removed. The joint should be re-prepared and re-
welded as specified in the agreed procedure.
Porosity is a collective name
describing cavities or pores
caused by entrapment of gas in
molten metal during
solidification. Contaminants,
moisture or inadequate
shielding may stand at its origin.
Hydrogen can diffuse in molten
aluminum and is rejected upon
solidification causing porosity.

Relatively large bubbles or diffused clusters of small pores or pinholes, spherical or

elongated can appear. Shrinkage voids can also saw a similar aspect. The effects of
porosity on performance depend upon quantity, size, alignment and orientation.
When clustered at the center of a weld, they are not considered dangerous fatigue
promoters, or highly detrimental to fatigue resistance, although they may reduce
the static stress carrying capacity of the welded member.
 TRAPPED SLAG
Slag is normally seen as elongated lines either continuous or
discontinuous along the length of the weld. Slag inclusions are usually
associated with the flux processes, i.e. MMA, FCA and submerged arc, but
they can also occur in MIG welding. As slag is the residue of the flux
coating, it is principally a deoxidation product from the reaction between
the flux, air and surface oxide. The slag becomes trapped in the weld when
two adjacent weld beads are deposited with inadequate overlap and a void
is formed. When the next layer is deposited, the entrapped slag is not
melted out. Slag may also become entrapped in cavities in multi-pass
welds through excessive undercut in the weld toe or the uneven surface
profile of the preceding weld runs. As they both have an effect on the ease
of slag removal, the risk of slag imperfections is influenced by
•Type of flux
•Welder technique
The type and configuration of the joint, welding position and access
restrictions all have an influence on the risk of slag imperfections.
 TRAPPED SLAG
•they occur only in the weld metal
•they normally appear as straight lines along the centreline of the weld bead, as
shown in Fig. 1, but may occasionally appear as transverse cracking depending on
the solidification structure
•solidification cracks in the final crater may have a branching appearance
•as the cracks are 'open', they are easily visible with the naked eye On breaking
open the weld, the crack surface in steel and nickel alloys may have a blue
oxidized appearance, showing that they were formed while the weld metal was
still hot
•Segregation of impurities to the centre of the weld also encourages cracking.
Concentration of impurities ahead of the solidifying front weld forms a liquid film
of low freezing point which, on solidification, produces a weak zone. As
solidification proceeds, the zone is likely to crack as the stresses through normal
thermal contraction build up. An elliptically shaped weld pool is preferable to a
tear drop shape. Welding with contaminants such as cutting oils on the surface of
the parent metal will also increase the build up of impurities in the weld pool and
the risk of cracking.
 TRAPPED SLAG
•The overriding cause of solidification cracking is that the weld bead in the final stage of
solidification has insufficient strength to withstand the contraction stresses generated as the
weld pool solidifies. Factors which increase the risk include:
•insufficient weld bead size or shape
•welding under high restraint
•material properties such as a high impurity content or a relatively large amount of
shrinkage on solidification.
•Joint design can have a significant influence on the level of residual stresses. Large gaps
between component parts will increase the strain on the solidifying weld metal, especially if
the depth of penetration is small. Therefore, weld beads with a small depth-to-width ratio,
such as formed in bridging a large gap with a wide, thin bead, will be more susceptible to
solidification cracking, as shown in Fig. 2. In this case, the centre of the weld which is the
last part to solidify, is a narrow zone with negligible cracking resistance.
• of the plate and the filler determine the weld metal composition they will, therefore, have
a substantial influence on the susceptibility of the material to cracking.
Lack of cleanliness traps slags in the weld.
Large slag inclusion creates fusion problem. Inclusions are generated by extraneous
material and disrupt the continuity of the base metal. They can be slag-, tungsten-,
sulfide- or oxide-inclusions. Tungsten Inclusion is a flaw consisting in a bit of
tungsten electrode (from GTAW) embedded in weld metal. It can be found by x-ray
and ultrasonic inspections.

Display
 Misalignment (hi-lo)
• Definition: Amount a joint is out of
alignment at the root
• Cause: Carelessness. Also due to joining different
thicknesses (transition thickness)
• Prevention: Workmanship. Transition angles not to exceed
2.5 to 1.
• Repair: Grinding. Careful on surface finish and direction of
grind marks. Inside of Pipe /Tube difficult.
 Undercut
• Definition: A groove cut at the
toe of the weld and left unfilled.
• Cause: High amperage, electrode
angle, long arc length, rust
• Prevention: Set machine on scrap metal. Clean metal
before welding.
• Repair: Weld with smaller electrode, sometimes must be
low hydrogen with preheat. Sometimes must gouge first.
 Undercut
(cont......)

Undercut typically has an allowable limit.

Different codes and standards vary greatly in
the allowable amount.
Plate - the lesser of 1/32” or 5% (typ.)
 Excessive Concavity or Convexity

• Definition: Concavity or convexity of a fillet weld which

exceeds the specified allowable limits
• Cause: Amperage and travel speed

• Prevention: Observe proper parameters and techniques.

• Repair: Grind off or weld on. Must blend smoothly into the
base metal.
Concavity
Convexity
 Reinforcement
The amount of a groove weld which extends beyond the surface of the plate

• Excessive Face Reinforcement

• Insufficient
• Improper
contour

Root Reinforcement
 Excessive Reinforcement
• Definition: Specifically defined by the standard. Typically,
Reinforcement should be flush to 1/16”(pipe) or flush to
1/8” (plate or structural shapes).
• Cause: Travel speed too slow, amperage too low

• Prevention: Set amperage and travel speed on scrap plate.

• Repair: Remove excessive reinforcement and feather the

weld toes to a smooth transition to the base plate.
 Insufficient Reinforcement
• Definition: Specifically defined by the standard. Typically,
Underfill may be up to 5% of metal thickness not to exceed
1/32” as long as the thickness is made up in the opposite
reinforcement. Not applied to fillet welds.
• Cause: On root reinforcement - Too little filler metal will
cause thinning of the filler metal. In OH position, too hot or
too wide will cause drooping of the open root puddle.
• Prevention: Use proper welding technique. Use backing or
consumable inserts. Use back weld or backing.
• Repair: Possibly simply increase the face reinforcement. If
backwelding is not possible, must remove and reweld.
 Improper Weld Contour
• Definition: When the weld exhibits less than a 1350
transition angle at the weld toe. 1350

• Cause: Poor welding technique

• Prevention: Use proper techniques. A weave or whip

motion can often eliminate the problem.
• Repair: The weld face must be feathered into the base
plate.
 Overlap
• Definition: When the face of the weld extends beyond the
toe of the weld
• Cause: Improper welding technique. Typically, electrode
angles and travel speed.
• Prevention: Overlap is a contour problem. Proper welding
technique will prevent this problem.
• Repair: Overlap must be removed to blend smoothly into
the base metal. Be careful of deep grind marks that run
transverse to the load. Also be careful of fusion
discontinuities hidden by grinding. Use NDT to be sure.
 Burn-through (non-standard)
• Definition: When an undesirable open hole has been
completely melted through the base metal. The hole may
or may not be left open.
• Cause: Excessive heat input.

• Prevention: Reduce heat input by increasing travel speed,

use of a heat sink, or by reducing welding parameters.
• Repair: Will be defined by standards. Filling may suffice.
Otherwise, removal and rewelding may be required. Some
standards may require special filler metal and/or PWHT.
 Incomplete or Insufficient Penetration

• Definition: When the weld metal does not extend to the

required depth into the joint root
• Cause: Low amperage, low preheat, tight root opening, fast
travel speed, short arc length.
• Prevention: Correct the contributing factor(s).

• Repair: Back gouge and back weld or remove and reweld.

 Incomplete Fusion

• Definition: Where weld metal does not form a cohesive

bond with the base metal.
• Cause: Low amperage, steep electrode angles, fast travel
speed, short arc gap, lack of preheat, electrode too small,
unclean base metal, arc off seam.
• Prevention: Eliminate the potential causes.

• Repair: remove and reweld, being careful to completely

remove the defective area. This is sometimes extremely
difficult to find.
 INCOMPLETE ROOT FUSION OR PENETRATION
INCOMPLETE ROOT FUSION OR PENETRATION

Fig. 2 Effect of electrode size on root fusion

 
                                                                     a)
a) Large diameter electrode

                                          b)
b) Small diameter electrode
 INCOMPLETE ROOT FUSION OR PENETRATION
Causes

These types of imperfection are more likely in consumable electrode processes (MIG, MMA and
submerged arc welding) where the weld metal is 'automatically' deposited as the arc consumes the
electrode wire or rod. The welder has limited control of weld pool penetration independent of depositing
weld metal. Thus, the non consumable electrode TIG process in which the welder controls the amount of
filler material independent of penetration is less prone to this type of defect.
In MMA welding, the risk of incomplete root fusion can be reduced by using the correct welding
parameters and electrode size to give adequate arc energy input and deep penetration. Electrode size is
also important in that it should be small enough to give adequate access to the root, especially when using
a small bevel angle (Fig 2). It is common practice to use a 4mm diameter electrode for the root so the
welder can manipulate the electrode for penetration and control of the weld pool. However, for the fill
passes where penetration requirements are less critical, a 5mm diameter electrode is used to achieve
higher deposition rates.
In MIG welding, the correct welding parameters for the material thickness, and a short arc length, should
give adequate weld bead penetration. Too low a current level for the size of root face will give inadequate
weld penetration. Too high a level, causing the welder to move too quickly, will result in the weld pool
bridging the root without achieving adequate penetration.
It is also essential that the correct root face size and bevel angles are used and that the joint gap is set
accurately. To prevent the gap from closing, adequate tacking will be required.
 INCOMPLETE ROOT FUSION OR PENETRATION
Best practice in prevention

The following techniques can be used to prevent lack of root fusion:

• In TIG welding, do not use too large a root face and ensure the welding current is sufficient
for the weld pool to penetrate fully the root
• In MMA welding, use the correct current level and not too large an electrode size for the
root
• In MIG welding, use a sufficiently high welding current level but adjust the arc voltage to
keep a short arc length
• When using a joint configuration with a joint gap, make sure it is of adequate size and does
not close up during welding
• Do not use too high a current level causing the weld pool to bridge the gap without fully
penetrating the root.
 Arc Strike

• Definition: A localized coalescence outside the weld zone.

• Cause: Carelessness
• Prevention: In difficult areas, adjacent areas can be
protected using fire blankets.
• Repair: Where applicable, arc strikes must be sanded
smooth and tested for cracks. If found, they must be
remove and repaired using a qualified repair procedure and
inspected as any other weld.
 Inclusions
• Slag
• Wagontracks
• Tungsten
 Slag Inclusion
• Definition: Slag entrapped within the weld

• Cause: Low amperage, improper technique, Trying to weld

in an area that is too tight. Slow travel in Vertical Down
• Prevention: Increase amperage or preheat, grind out tight
areas to gain access to bottom of joint.
• Repair: Remove by grinding. Reweld.
 Tungsten Inclusion

• Definition: A tungsten particle embedded in a weld.

(Typically GTAW only)
• Cause: Tungsten electrode too small, amperage too high,
AC balance on +, Upslope too high, electrode tip not
snipped, electrode dipped into the weld pool or touched
with the fill rod, electrode split.
• Prevention: Eliminate the cause

• Repair: Grind out and reweld fix when you see it. otherwise
grind out & fix
Whiskers
Whiskers are short lengths of electrode wire sticking through
the weld on the root side of the joint. They are caused by
pushing the electrode wire past the leading edge of the weld
pool. Whiskers can be prevented by:
Reducing the wire-feed speed and the speed of travel.
Increasing the stick-out distance and weaving the gun.
 Whiskers
• Unsightly
• Inhibits material flow in piping
• Are inclusions
• Can break off in pipes and damage equipment
downline
 Spatter

• Definition: Small particles of weld metal expelled from the

welding operation which adhere to the base metal surface.
• Cause: Long arc length, severe electrode angles, high
amperages.
• Prevention: Correct the cause. Base metal can be protected
with coverings or hi-temp paints.
• Repair: Remove by grinding or sanding. Sometimes must be
tested as if it were a weld.
 Arc Craters

• Definition: A depression left at the termination of the weld

where the weld pool is left unfilled.
• Cause: Improper weld termination techniques

• Prevention:

• Repair: If no cracks exist, simply fill in the crater. Generally

welding from beyond the crater back into the crater.
 Cracks
• Longitudinal
• Transverse
• Crater
• Throat
• Toe
• Root
• Underbead and Heat-affected zone
• Hot
• Cold or delayed
 Cracks
A crack is produced by a fracture which can
arise from the stresses generated on cooling
or acting on the structure. It is the most
serious type of imperfection found in a weld
and must be removed. Cracks not only
reduce the strength of the weld through the
reduction in the cross section thickness but
also can readily propagate through stress
concentration at the tip, especially under
impact loading or during service at low
temperature
Cracked weld. Craters are visually
inspectable depressions indicating
improper weld terminations,
usually with the presence of radial
cracks. They should be avoided or
eliminated through improved
welding skill or repaired if
present. Cracks can appear of
two different kinds. Hot cracks
form when the material solidifies,
generally because of the presence
of low melting constituents. Cold
cracks are generated later, when
the material is cold and under
stress, sometimes by the
presence of dissolved atomic
hydrogen. They are easily
differentiated under the
microscope, but anyhow, hot or
cold they should not be allowed in
a sound structure, otherwise the
structure is in danger if not
already failed altogether.
 Longitudinal Crack
• Definition: A crack running in the direction of the weld axis.
May be found in the weld or base metal.
• Cause: Preheat or fast cooling problem. Also caused by
shrinkage stresses in high constraint areas.
• Prevention: Weld toward areas of less constraint. Also
preheat to even out the cooling rates.
• Repair: Remove and reweld
 Transverse Crack
• Definition: A crack running into or inside a weld, transverse
to the weld axis direction.
• Cause: Weld metal hardness problem

• Prevention:

• Repair:
 Crater Crack
• Definition: A crack, generally in the shape of an “X” which is
found in a crater. Crater cracks are hot cracks.
• Cause: The center of the weld pool becomes solid before
the outside of the weld pool, pulling the center apart
during cooling
• Prevention: Use crater fill, fill the crater at weld termination
and/or preheat to even out the cooling of the puddle
• Repair:
 Throat Crack
• Definition: A longitudinal crack located in the weld throat
area.
• Cause: Transverse Stresses, probably from shrinkage.
Indicates inadequate filler metal selection or welding
procedure. May be due to crater crack propagation.
• Prevention: Correct initial cause. Increasing preheat may
prevent it. be sure not to leave a crater. Use a more ductile
filler material.
• Repair: Remove and reweld using appropriate procedure.
Be sure to correct initial problem first.
 Toe Crack
• Definition: A crack in the base metal beginning at the toe of
the weld
• Cause: Transverse shrinkage stresses. Indicates a HAZ
brittleness problem.
• Prevention: Increase preheat if possible, or use a more
ductile filler material.
• Repair:
 Root Crack
• Definition: A crack in the weld at the weld root.

• Cause: Transverse shrinkage stresses. Same as a throat

crack.
• Prevention: Same as a throat crack

• Repair:
 Underbead Crack
• Definition: A crack in the unmelted parent metal of the
HAZ.
• Cause: Hydrogen embrittlement

• Prevention: Use Lo/Hi electrodes and/or preheat

• Repair: (only found using NDT). Remove and reweld.

 Hot Crack
• Definition: A crack in the weld that occurs during
solidification.
• Cause: Micro stresses from weld metal shrinkage pulling
apart weld metal as it cools from liquid to solid temp.
• Prevention: Preheat or use a low tensil filler material.

• Repair:
 Cold Crack
• Definition: A crack that occurs after the metal has
completely solidified
• Cause: Shrinkage, Highly restrained welds, Discontinuities

• Prevention: Preheat, weld toward areas of less constraint,

use a more ductile weld metal
• Repair: Remove and reweld, correct problem first, preheat
may be necessary.
 Repairs to Cracks
• Determine the cause
• Correct the problem
• Take precautions to prevent reoccurrence
• Generally required to repair using a smaller
electrode
 Base Metal Discontinuities
• Lamellar tearing
• Laminations and Delaminations
• Laps and Seams
 Laminations
•Base Metal Discontinuity
•May require repair prior to welding
•Formed during the milling process
Lamination effects can be reduced by joint design:
 Lamellar Tearing
IT is a dangerous planar defect occurring when certain plate materials presenting
laminations are welded to a perpendicular element. Tearing occurs in the base
metal plate adjacent to welds due to high shrinkage stresses in the thickness
direction, introduced by weld metal shrinkage in highly restrained joints. Tearing
takes place along laminations. These internal cracks usually run parallel to the
weld.
 Defects In GTAW

1. Cracks 2. Lack Of Fusion

3. Porosity 4. Undercut
5.Lack Of Penetration 6. Excess Penetration

7.Overlap 8. Suck Back

9. Under Flush 10. Burn Through
11. Tungsten Inclusion 11.Stray Arcing
 Crack
Cause Remedy
1) Wrong Consumable 1) Use Right Filler Wire
2) Wrong Procedure 2) Qualify Procedure
3) Improper Preheat 3) Preheat Uniformly
4) Inadequate Thickness 4) Add More Filler Wire
In Root Pass in root Pass

crack
 Lack Of Fusion

Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate Current 1) Use Right Current
2) Wrong Torch angle 2) Train /Qualify welder
3) Improper bead placement 3) Train/Qualify Welder

Lack Of Fusion
 Porosity
Cause Remedy
1) Impure Argon Gas 1) Replace Argon Cylinder
2) Argon Leak Within Torch 2) Replace Leaking Torch
3) Defective Filler Wire 3) Replace Filler Wire
4) Wet surface of BM 4) Clean & Warm BM
5) Rusted / Pitted Filler wire 5) Clean Filler Wire
6) Improper Flow Of Argon 6) Provide Gas lens

Porosity . .
 Undercut

Cause Remedy
1) Excess Current 1) Reduce the Current
2) Excess Voltage 2) Reduce Arc length
3) Improper Torch angle 3) Train & Qualify the Welder

Under cut
 Lack Of Penetration*
Cause Remedy
1) Excess Root Face 1) Reduce Root Face
2) Inadequate Root opening 2) Increase Root Opening
3) Over size Filler Wire 3) Reduce Filler Wire size
4) Wrong Direction of Arc 4) Train / Qualify Welder
5) Improper bead placement 5) Train / Qualify Welder
6) Improper weaving technique 6) Train & Qualify Welder

* Applicable to SSFPW

LOP
 Excess Penetration*
Cause Remedy
1)Excess root opening 1) Reduce root gap
2) Excess Current 2) Reduce Current
3) Inadequate root face 3) Increase Root face
4) Excess Weaving 4) Train Welder
5) Wrong Direction Of Arc 5) Train Welder

* Applicable to SSFPW

Excess Penetration
 Overlap
Cause Remedy
1) Wrong Direction Of Arc 1) Train & Qualify Welder
2) Inadequate Current 2) Increase Current
3) Excess Filler Wire 3) Reduce Filler Metal

Overlap
 Suck Back*
Cause Remedy

1) Excess weaving in root 1) Reduce weaving

2) Excess Current 2) Reduce Current
3) Inadequate root face 3) Increase root face
4) Wrong Electrode angle 4) Train / Qualify Welder

* Applicable to SSFPW in 4G, 3G & 2G

Suck Back
 Under flush
Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate weld beads in 1) Weld some more beads
final layer in final layer
2) Inadequate understanding on 2) Train / Qualify welder
weld reinforcement
3) Wrong selection of filler wire 3) Train / Qualify Welder
size

Under flush
 Burn through*
Cause Remedy
1) Excess Current 1) Reduce the Current
2) Excess Root opening 2) Reduce root opening
3) Inadequate Root face 3) Increase root face
4) Improper weaving 4) Train / Qualify Welder

*Applicable to root pass

Burn trough
 Tungsten Inclusion
Cause Remedy
1) Ineffective HF 1) Rectify HF Unit
2) Improper Starting of Arc 2) Never Touch Weld
With Tungsten Rod
3) Tungsten Tip Comes in 3) Train / Qualify welder
Contact With Weld

Tungsten Inclusion
 Common Defects In GMAW
1. Porosity 2. Spatters
3. Lack Of Fusion 4. Under Cut
5. Over Lap 6. Slag
7. Crack 8. Lack Of Penetration
9. Burn Through 10. Convex Bead
11. Unstable Arc 12. Wire Stubbing
 Porosity

Cause Remedy
1) Less Mn & Si In Wire 1) Use High Mn & Si Wire
2) Rusted / Unclean BM / Groove 2) Clean & warm the BM
3) Rusted wire 3) Replace the Wire
4) Inadequate Shielding Gas 4) Check & Correct Flow Rate

Porosity . .
 Spatters
Cause Remedy
1) Low Voltage 1) Increase Voltage
2) Inadequate Inductance 2) Increase Inductance
3) Rusted BM surface 3) Clean BM surface
4) Rusted Core wire 4) Replace By Rust Free wire
5) Quality Of Gas 5) Change Over To Ar + Co2

Spatters
• ••
 Lack Of Fusion
Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate Current 1) Use Right Current
2) Inadequate Voltage 2) Use Right Voltage
3) Wrong Polarity 3) Connect Ele. + Ve
4) Slow Travel Speed 4) Increase Travel speed
5) Excessive Oxide On Joint 5) Clean Weld Joint

Lack Of Fusion
 Undercut

Cause Remedy
1) Excess Voltage 1) Reduce Voltage
2) Excess Current 2) Reduce Current
3) Improper Torch angle 3) Train & Qualify the Welder
4) Excess Travel Speed 4) Reduce Travel Speed

Under cut
 Overlap
Cause Remedy
1) Too Long Stick Out 1) Reduce Stick Out

2) Inadequate Voltage 2) Increase the Voltage

Overlap
 Slag
Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate Cleaning 1) Clean each bead
2) Inadequate Current 2) Use Right Current
3) Wrong Torch angle 3) Train / Qualify welder
4) Improper bead placement 4) Train / Qualify Welder

Slag
 Crack
Cause Remedy
1) Incorrect Wire Chemistry 1) Use Right Wire
2) Too Small Weld Bead 2) Increase wire Feed
3) Improper Preheat 3) Preheat Uniformly
4) Excessive Restrain 4) Post heating or ISR

crack
 Lack Of Penetration*
Cause Remedy
1) Too Narrow Groove Angle 1) Widen The Groove
2) Inadequate Root opening 2) Increase Root Opening
3) Too Low Welding current 3) Increase Current
4) Wrong Torch angle 4) Train / Qualify Welder
5) Puddle Roll In Front Of Arc 5) Correct Torch Angle
6) Long Stick Out 6) Reduce Stick Out

* Applicable to SSFPW

LOP
 Burn through*
Cause Remedy
1) Excess Current 1) Reduce the Current
2) Excess Root opening 2) Reduce root opening
3) Inadequate Root face 3) Increase root face
4) Too Low Travel Speed 4) Increase Speed
5) Quality Of Gas 5) Use Ar + Co2

*Applicable to root pass

Burn trough
 Convex Bead Finish
Cause Remedy
1) Low Current 1) Increase Current
2) Low Voltage 2) Increase Voltage
3) Low Travel Speed 3) Increase Travel Speed
4) Low Inductance 4) Increase Inductance
5) Too Narrow Groove 5) Increase Groove Width

Uneven bead finish

 Unstable arc

Cause Remedy
1) Improper Wire Feed 1) Check Wire Feeder
2) Improper Gas Flow 2) Check Flow Meter
3) Twisted Torch Conduit 3) Straighten Torch Cab
 Geometrical imperfections :

It refers to those characteristic of

the weld, like incorrect fit up,
misalignment, and poor bead
shape (undercut, underfill,
overlap, melt through and
distortion) as determined by visual
inspection. They are an indication
of inadequate workmanship and
may be cause for concern if
exceeding requirement limits.
Under fill - A condition in which
the weld face or root surface
extends below the adjacent
surface of the base metal. Root
concavity -
Overlap - The protrusion of weld
metal beyond the weld toe or
weld root. There may be fusion
problem.
Undercut - A groove melted into
the base metal adjacent to the
weld toe or weld root and left
unfilled by weld metal.
Undercut - A groove melted into the base metal adjacent to the weld toe or weld
root and left unfilled by weld metal.
Clean weld but irregular melting of edges because of high welding current
produce undercuts.