Welding is a tricky game, for even the vets of welding run into troubles because welding is such a complex beast. When those issues appear, it is important to address them quickly in order to keep project schedule and quality. A large portion of the biggest welding mistakes has to do with the welding wire or fab arc and it is this interaction that commonly give rise to many common welding problems. At Udo. But here at HostMyth. In this guide, we will highlight a few welding defects, including how they formed and the appropriate techniques to overcome them.
1. Porosity (Holes in the Weld):
Porosity is due to a variety of reasons most commonly from atmospheric contamination i.e moisture, oil, rust or mill scale in the base metal or welding wire. Porosity can also be caused by inadequate shielding gas coverage, insufficient flow rate of the gas or improper welding technique.
Solution:
- Before welding, the base metal and the welding wire shall be vigorously cleaned.
- Shielding gas coverage will be poor in the Fireball and may require increased gas flow.
- Employ a low-hydrogen welding wire specifically engineered to reduce water retention.
- Maintain the correct arc length and travel speed (to avoid welding in gas with the weld pool)
2. Undercut (gouge beside the weld toe)
Cause: Excess burning often results in undercut, which is caused by a lack of heat input, the incorrect angle of the electrode or the rapid welding stick.
Solution:
- Lower your amperage or voltage to lessen heat input.
- Angle your electrode correctly for equal heating of the workpiece.
- Reduce travel speed and introduce more filler metal.
- Use a weaving motion to fill the weld joint consistently.
3. Spatter (Metal Droplets or Metal Scatter on Workpiece):
Cause: Most spatter results from using incorrect welding settings (ie: too high amperage or voltage) or a long arc length, wire feed speed is also commonly determined to be the cause. Dirty welding wire.
Solution:
- Follow the recommended welding parameters for the welding wire and base metal being used.
- Do not allow it to get overly long or you will lose control of it.
- Confirm proper wire feed speed
- Always clean the welding wire and keep it free from anything that could contaminate it,
- Use anti-spatter spray
4. Incomplete Joining of Metals & (Lack of Fusion)
Cause: This defect is occasionally caused by inadequate heat, poor joint design or fit-up, allowing the electrode to operate too shallow of an angle, or changing to the wrong style or diameter of welding wire.
Solution:
- If water droplets are obtained, increase heat input by adjusting amperage or voltage.
- Appropriate joint design with clean, well-fitting surfaces.
- Proper electrode angle and welding technique for the particular joint design.
- Use welding wire of proper size and composition for the base metals.
5. Burn-Through (hole in the weld):
Cause: Burn-through is when excessive heat drills into the base metal. This happens because of high amperage, slow travel speed, or welding on thin material lacking proper backing.
Solution:
- Either decrease amperage, or increase travel speed to lower heat input.
- To avoid burn-through on thin materials, you should use a backing plate.
- Move to a welding process requiring lower penetration;
Udo. co.th Your Welding Success Partner
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