1.

Arc Welding
Arc welding is a process utilizing the concentrated heat of an
electric arc to join metal by fusion of the parent metal and the
addition of metal to joint usually provided by a consumable
electrode. Either direct or alternating current may be used for the
arc, depending upon the material to be welded and the electrode
used.
1.1

Electroslag Welding
Electroslag

Welding

(ESW)

deposits the weld metal into the

weld cavity between the two
plates to be joined. This space is
enclosed by water cooled copper
dams

or

shoes

to

prevent

molten slag from running off.

The weld metal is produced from
a filler wire that forms an initial arc with the workpiece until a
sufficient pool of liquid metal is formed to use the electrical
resistance of the molten slag.
This process requires special equipment used primarily for
horizontal welds of very large plates up to 36 inches or more
by welding them in one pass as in large machinery and
nuclear reactor vessels.
There are also variations of ESW where shielding is provided
by an appropriate gas and a continuous arc is used to provide
weld metal. These are termed Electrogas Welding or EGW
machines.
1.2

Fluxed-Core Arc-Welding
Fluxed-Core Arc-Welding (FCAW) uses a tubular electrode filled
with flux that is much less brittle than the coatings on SMAW

electrodes
while
preserving
most

of

its

potential
alloying
benefits.
The emissive fluxes used shield the weld arc from surrounding
air, or shielding gases are used and nonemissive fluxes are
employed. The higher weld-metal deposition rate of FCAW
over GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) has led to its popularity in
joining relatively heavy sections of 1" or thicker.
Another major advantage of FCAW is the ease with which
specific weld-metal alloy chemistries
can be developed. The process is also
easily automated, especially with the
new robotic systems.
1.3

Gas Metal-Arc Welding

Gas Metal-Arc Welding (GMAW), also
called Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding, shields the weld zone
with an external gas such as argon, helium, carbon dioxide, or
gas mixtures. Deoxidizers present in the electrode can
completely prevent oxidation in the weld puddle, making
multiple weld layers possible at the joint.
GMAW is a relatively simple, versatile, and economical welding
apparatus to use. This is due to the factor of 2 welding
productivity

over

SMAW

processes.

In

addition,

the

temperatures involved in GMAW are relatively low and are

therefore suitable for thin sheet and sections less than inch.

GMAW may be easily automated, and lends itself readily to

robotic

methods.

It

has

virtually replaced SMAW in

present-day

welding

operations

in

manufacturing plants.

1.4

Gas Tungsten-Arc Welding

Gas Tungsten-Arc Welding (GTAW), also known as Tungsten
Inert Gas or TIG welding, uses tungsten electrodes as one pole
of the arc to generate the heat required. The gas is usually
argon, helium, or a mixture of the two. A filler wire provides
the molten material if necessary.
The GTAW process is especially suited to thin materials
producing welds of excellent quality and surface finish. Filler
wire is usually selected to be similar in composition to the
materials being welded.
Atomic Hydrogen Welding (AHW) is similar and uses an arc
between two tungsten or carbon electrodes in a shielding
atmosphere of hydrogen. Therefore, the work piece is not part
of the electrical circuit.

1.5

Plasma Arc Welding

Plasma Arc Welding (PAW) uses electrodes and ionized gases

to generate an extremely hot plasma jet aimed at the weld
area. The higher energy concentration is useful for deeper and
narrower welds and increased welding speed.

1.6

Shielded-Metal

Arc

Metal

Arc

Welding

Welding
(SMAW)

is

one of the
oldest, simplest, and most versatile arc welding processes.
The arc is generated by touching the tip of a coated electrode
to the workpiece and withdrawing it quickly to an appropriate
distance to maintain the arc. The heat generated melts a
portion of the electrode tip, its coating, and the base metal in
the immediate area.
The weld forms out of
the

alloy

materials

of

these

as

they

solidify in the weld

area. Slag formed to
protect
against

the

weld
forming

oxides, nitrides, and inclusions must be removed after each

pass to ensure a good weld.
The SMAW process has the advantage of being relatively
simple, only requiring a power supply, power cables, and

electrode holder. It is commonly used in construction,

shipbuilding, and pipeline work, especially in remote locations.
1.7

Submerged Arc Welding

Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) shields the weld arc using a
granular flux fed into the weld zone forming a thick layer that
completely covers the molten zone and prevents spatter and
sparks. It also acts as a thermal insulator, permitting deeper
heat penetration.
The process is obviously limited to welding in a horizontal
position and is widely used for relatively high speed sheet or
plate steel welding in either automatic or semiautomatic
configurations. The flux can be recovered, treated, and
reused. Submerged Arc Welding provides very high welding
productivity....4-10 times as much as the Shielded Metal Arc
Welding process.

2.0

MIG Welding
MIG (Metal Inert Gas) or as it even is called GMAW (Gas Metal Arc
Welding) uses an aluminium alloy wire as a combined electrode and
filler

material. The filler metal is added

continuously and welding without
filler-material
possible.

is

Since

therefore
all

not

welding

parameters are controlled by the

welding machine, the process is
also

called semi-automatic welding.

The

MIG-process uses a direct current

power source, with the electrode positive (DC, EP). By using a

positive electrode, the oxide layer is efficiently removed from the
aluminium surface, which is essential for avoiding lack of fusion and
oxide inclusions. The metal is transferred from the filler wire to the

weld bead by magnetic forces as small droplets spray transfer. This

gives a deep penetration capability to the process and makes it
possible to weld in all positions. It is important for the quality of the
weld that the spray transfer is obtained.
There are two different MIG-welding processes, conventional MIG
and pulsed MIG:
2.1

Conventional
Conventional MIG uses a constant voltage DC power source.
Since the spray transfer is limited to a certain range of arc
current, the conventional MIG process has a lower limit of arc
current (or heat input). This also limits the application of
conventional MIG to weld material thicknesses above 4 mm.
Below 6 mm it is recommended that backing is used to control
the weld bead.

2.2

Pulse
Pulsed MIG uses a DC power source with superimposed
periodic pulses of high current. During the low current level
the arc is maintained without metal transfer. During the high
current pulses the metal is transferred in the spray mode. In
this way pulsed MIG is possible to operate with lower average
current and heat input compared to conventional MIG. This
makes it possible to weld thinner sections and weld much
more easily in difficult welding positions.

3.0

TIG Welding
TIG-welding (Tungsten Inert Gas) or GTAW-welding (Gas Tungsten
Arc Welding) uses a permanent non-melting electrode made of
tungsten. Filler metal is added separately, which makes the process
very flexible. It is also possible to weld without filler material.

The most used power source for TIG-welding generates alternating

current (AC). Direct current can be used, but due to high heat
generation on the tungsten electrode when DC-EP (electrode
positive) welding, that particular polarity is not feasible. In some
cases DC-EN (electrode negative) is used, however, this requires
special attention before welding, due to the arc's poor oxide
cleaning action.
AC TIG-welding usually uses argon as a shielding gas. The process is
a multipurpose process, which offers the user great flexibility. By
changing the diameter of the tungsten electrode, welding may be
performed with a wide range of heat input at different thicknesses.
AC TIG-welding is possible with thicknesses down to about 0,5 mm.
For larger thicknesses, > 5 mm, AC TIG-welding is less economical
compared to MIG-welding due to lower welding speed.
DC TIG-welding with electrode negative is used for welding
thicknesses above 4 mm. The negative electrode gives a poor oxide
cleaning compared to AC-TIG and MIG, and special cleaning of joint
surfaces is necessary. The process usually uses helium shielding
gas. This gives a better penetration in thicker sections. DC TIGwelding is applicable for welding thicknesses in the range 0,3 - 12
mm. More and more popular is also pulsed DC TIG-welding, which
makes it possible to weld uniform welds with deeper penetration at
the same heat input. Pulse frequency is usually in the range 1 - 10
Hz.