The major advantage of ESW is its high deposition rate.

If single electrode welding is not fast enough, then multiple

electrodes can be used.
In
fact, metal strip can be
used
instead of wire to increase
the deposition rate even
more.
Another
benefit
is that
there is
no special
joint
preparation
required.
In
fact,
a
rough, flame cut
surface
is
satisfactory
for
this
method.
Since
the
entire
thickness
of
the
joint
is
fused in a single
pass, there
is no
tendency
for any angular distortion to occur during or after welding,
so alignment
is easily
maintained.
The primary limitation of ESW is the extensive time
required to set up and get ready to weld. There is a tremendous
amount
of time
and effort
required
to
position
the
workpieces
and guides before
any
welding takes
place.
That is
why ESW is not
economical
for thinner
sections,
even though
the
deposition
rate
is quite
high.
The ESW process has associated with it several inherent
problems. When these problems arise, they can be of
major proportions. Gross porosity can occur due to wet
flux or the presence of a leak in one of the water cooled
shoes. Since electroslag welding resembles a casting process
in
many
respects, there is a possibility
of
getting

detachable tip. Tips are made in a variety of sizes to

allow welding of different metal thicknesses.
The filler material used for OAW on steel has a simple
identification system. Two examples are RG-45 and RG60.
The “R”
designates
it as a rod,
“G” stands for gas
and
the
45 and
60
relate
to the
minimum
tensile
strength
of
the
weld deposit
in thousands
of pounds
per square
inch
(psi).
So
RG 45 designates
a weld
deposit
having
a
tensile
strength
of
at
least
45
000 psi. and RG 65 designates
a weld
deposit
having
a
tensile
strength
of at least
65
000 psi.
Although not used as extensively as it once was, OAW
still sees some usage. Its primary tasks include the welding
of thin steel
sheet and small
diameter steel piping.
It
is
also applied
in many
maintenance
situations
as well.
The advantages of OAW include some desirable features
of the equipment itself. First, it is relatively inexpensive
and can be made very portable. This portability relates
not only to the compact size but also to the fact that there
is no electrical input required. Care should be taken
when moving the equipment so that the primary valves
on the cylinders are not damaged. If broken off, a cylinder
can
turn
into
a lethal
missile.
So, whenever
transported,
the
regulators
should
be
removed
and
the
valves
covered
with special
screw-on
caps for protection
from
impact.