QUESTION PAPER CODE: 80644

B.E/B.Tech DEGREE EXAMINATION, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Seventh Semester
Mechanical Engineering
ME6008 - WELDING TECHNOLOGY (Regulation 2013)
PART - A
1. Principle of Arc Welding process

The process, in which an electric arc between an electrode and a workpiece or between two
electrodes is utilized to weld the base metals.

2. Application of TIG welding process

 The offshore industry

 Combined heat and power plants
 The petrochemical industry
 The food industry
 The chemical industry
 The nuclear industry

3. Resistance Welding:
In resistance welding the metal parts to be joined are heated by their resistance to the flow of an
electric current.
Applies to practically all metals and most combinations of pure metals and those alloys

4. Applications of flash butt welding process:

 All conducting forged metals
 Number of dissimilar can also be welded by controlling the welding conditions
 Automobile industry, welding of solid and tubular structural assemblies
 Air-craft industry, welding of band saw blades, welding of tool steel drills, reamers and taps etc to mild
steel or alloy steel shanks, welding of pipes and tubes

5. Friction welding: In this process, the heat for welding is obtained from mechanically induced sliding motion
between rubbing surfaces of workpieces. In friction welding one part is firmly held while the other (usually
cylindrical) is rotated under simultaneous application of axial pressure

6. Transducer: The transducer, also known as the converter, is the key component of ultrasonic welding. The
transducer converts the electric energy from the generator to the mechanical vibratyions used for the welding
process. It consists of a number of piezoelectric ceramic discs sandwiched between two metal blocks, usually
titanium.

7. Importance of atomic hydrogen in welding: The shielding gas used in AHW is hydrogen, which is reactive in
nature compared to argon. The hydrogen molecules when passing through an electric arc, gets disassociated into
two hydrogen atoms (H+). The hydrogen atoms are highly reactive. They form hydrogen molecule and combine
with oxygen, if present to form water vapour and thus release intense heat for the necessary melting of the joint.
Because of its reactivity, the atomic hydrogen is able to break the oxides on the base metal and thus allow the
formation of clean weld.
8. Applications of Thermit Welding: The first and most widely employed application of thermit welding is for
joining rail tracks. Chiefly used in the repair or assembly of large components such as rudder frames, propeller
shafts and steel rolling mill pinions. Other applications of thermit welding include butt welding pipes end-to-end,
welding sections of castings where size prevents their being cast in one piece.

9. Comparison of Lap joint with butt joint in welding

 Plates are brought face to face such that overlap exists in case of lap joint and plates are brought together
without forming any overlap in case of butt joint.

10. Advantages of Non-destructive testing of weldments:

 Real time availability of results
 Higher penetrating power of ultrasonic waves in case of ultrasonic testing
 Higher sensitivity for planar defects
 Low cost for inspection
 Higher portability of the equipment
 Compatibility for automation

PART - B
11.a.i. TIG welding process (Diagram - 2marks and Explanation - 3marks)
 Also called Gas Tungsten Arc Welding(GTAW)

 Heat necessary to melt the metal is provided by very intense electric arc which is struck between a
virtually non consumable tungsten electrode and metal workpiece.
 The electrode does not melt and becomes part of the weld.
 On joints where filler metal is required, a welding rod is fed into the weld zone and melted with the
base metal.
 The weld zone is shielded from the atmosphere by an inert gas ( a gas which does not combine
chemically with the metal being welded) which is ducted directly to the weld zone where it surrounds
the tungsten.
 Inert gases used are argon and helium

MIG Welding (Diagram - 2marks and Explanation - 3marks)

  Appropriately called as gas metal arc welding
 Utilizes consumable electrode which is in the form of a wire reels fed at a constant rate, through feed
rollers
 Welding torch is connected to the gas supply cylinder which provides necessary inert gas.
 Electrode and work piece are connected to the welding power supply which is constant voltage type.
 Normally DC arc welding machines are used for GMAW with electrode positive (DCRP). The DCRP
increases the metal deposition rate and also provides for a stable arc and smooth electrode metal
transfer

11.a.ii. Comparison of Gas and Arc Welding process (Any 6 points with each 1 mark)

S.No Arc Welding Gas Welding

1. In the arc welding, electricity is used to In gas welding, fuel gases like acetylene,
generate heat hydrogen are used to generate heat
2. This welding generates higher temperature This welding generates lower temperature
than gas welding. Temperature is about than arc welding. Temperature is about
40000C 36000C
3. Generates stronger joint Gives weaker joint
4. Poor surface finish Good surface finish
5. Consumable electrode is used Non consumable electrode is used
6. Electrode is combined with filler metal Filler rod is used separately if required
7. Mostly used to join similar material Mostly used to join both similar and different
metals
8. Heat is concentrate Heat is distributing according to the flame.
There is higher loss of energy
9. More efficient Less efficient
10. Speed of welding is high Speed of welding is low
11. Initial cost of arc welding is high Setup cost of gas welding is low
11.b.i. Plasma arc welding (Diagram - 3marks, Equipment - 2 marks, Working - 3 marks)

Equipment:

 Power source: Open circuit voltage of 80 volts

 Current - (50-300A)
 Dc welding current is required
 Welding torch - Non consumable tungsten electrode
 Cooling system: Water circulator
 Plasma gas: Argon
 Shielding gas: Argon, Argon/hydrogen or Helium

Working:
 Tungsten electrode has a negative polarity and the workpiece a positive polarity. Electrons flow to the
workpiece
 Plasma consists of electrons, ions and neutral particles and have disorder violent movement
 So, molecule are partly disassociated and the atoms ionized.
 On collision with the w/p surface they give their energy to the w/p and recombine
 Jet deliver a narrow and constricted plasma with a very high energy density
 Transferred PAW: Arc established between electrode and workpiece
 Non-transferred PAW: Arc is established between electrode and nozzle

11.b.ii. Shielded Metal Arc Welding: (Diagram - 4 marks and Explanation - 4marks)

 Commonly used arc welding process in which heat for welding is produced through an electric arc
setup between a flux coated electrode and the workpiece.
  Flux coating decomposes due to arc heat and serves many functions like metal protection, arc stability
etc.
 Inner core of the electrode supply the filler material

Applications:
 Almost all commonly employed metals and their alloys can be welded
 Used both as a fabrication process and for maintenance and repair jobs
 Building and bridge construction, automotive and aircraft industry, air receiver, tank, boiler and
pressure vessel fabrication, ship building, pipes and penstock joining

12.a.i. Percussion welding: (Diagram - 4marks and Explanation - 4marks)

 Percussion welding is a resistance welding process in which heat required for coalescence is obtained
from an intense discharge of electrical energy applied to the locality of the proposed weld in a short
time.
 Percussion welding machine comprise of means for converting alternating current from the mains into
direct current (in the form of a transformer and a rectifier), a storage medium and a suitable spot
welder.
 After clamping, by application of force, the two workpieces are brought near each other and an arc is
struck between the two, which heats the two surfaces to be joined. Pressure applied extinguishes the arc
and holds the workpiece together till the weld cools

12.a.ii. Resistance Seam Welding: (Diagram - 4marks and Explanation - 4marks)

 It is a continuous type of spot welding wherein spot welds overlap each other to desired extent.
 Coalescence at the faying surfaces is produced by the heat obtained from the resistance to electric
current through the workpieces held together under pressure by circular electrodes
 Circular rolling electrodes are used to produce a continuous air-tight seam of overlapping welds.
  Used for making leak proof joints in fuel tanks of automobiles, except for copper and high copper
alloys most other metals can be seam welded

12.b.i. Spot Welding: (Diagram - 2marks and Explanation - 2marks)

 In this process overlapping sheets are joined by local fusion at one or more spots, by the concentration
of current flowing between two electrodes.

12.b.ii. Projection Welding: (Diagram - 2marks and Explanation - 2marks)

 It is a resistance welding process in which two or more weld spots are made simultaneously by making
raised portions or projections on predetermined locations on one of the workpiece.

12.b.iii. Flash butt welding: (Diagram - 2marks and Explanation - 2marks)

 Flash butt welding is a type of resistance welding without using any filler metal used for joining two
metal parts together using heat and force.
 Parts to be joined are clamped against an electrode, usually a copper alloy which are being connected
to the secondary side of a transformer, while one piece is held firmly by a clamping device attached to
a stationary platen; the other piece is clamped to a movable platen.
 Platen travel is continuous starting at the time of flashing.
12.b.iv. Resistance butt welding: (Diagram - 2marks and Explanation - 2marks)

 Resistance butt welding is the simplest form of a group of resistance welding processes that involve
the joining of two or more metal parts together in a localised area by the application of heat and
pressure. The heat is generated within the material being joined by resistance to the passage of a high
current through the metal parts, which are held under a pre-set pressure.
 The process is used predominantly to make butt joints in wires and rods up to about 16mm diameter,
including small diameter chain. The faces of the pieces to be joined may be flat and parallel or
profiled in the case of larger sections. This reduces the initial contact area and further concentrates
the heating at the interface

13.a.i. Forge welding: (Diagram - 3marks and Explanation - 5marks)

 Oldest technique which is carried out with blacksmith’s fire using coal, charcoal or oil as fuels
 Process is carried out by heating the components to a plastic state, upsetting the edges and completing
the weld by hammering.
 Classified as butt, lap, L or T according to the shape of the component.
 Classified into fire welding and water gas welding
 Used in rail-road shops and repair shops of general character which is also used for making pipes from
plates by rolling
 Application is restricted to wrought iron and mild steel
 Correctly forge welded joint is as strong as oxy acetylene joint or arc welding joint.
 Requires considerable skill and slow as compared to other process

13.a.ii. Explosive welding: (Diagram - 4marks and Explanation - 4marks)

  Strong metallurgical bonds can be produced between metal combinations which cannot be welded by
other methods or processes.
 This process is carried out by bringing together properly paired metal surfaces with high relative
velocity at a high pressure and a proper orientation to each other so that a large amount of plastic
interaction occurs between the surfaces.
 Workpiece fixed is called target plate and other is called flyer plate.
 Contact pressures developed are extremely high, and the plate’s kinetic energy striking the mating
member produces a turbulent wavy interface; this impact mechanically interlocks the two surfaces.
 Flyer plate is placed at an angle, and any oxide films present at the interface are broken up and
propelled from the interface; as a result, bond strength in explosion welding is high.
 Explosive may be in the form of flexible plastic sheet, cord, granular solid or liquid that is cast or
pressed onto the flyer plate.

13.b.i. Diffusion bonding: (Diagram - 4marks and Explanation - 4marks)

 It is a process in which strength of the joint results primarily from diffusion (movement of
atoms across the interface) and secondarily from plastic deformation of the faying surfaces
 Requires temperature of about 0.5T m (where Tm is the melting point of the metal on the
absolute scale) in order to have a sufficiently high diffusion rate between the parts being
joined.
 Strength depends on pressure, temperature, time of contact, cleanliness of the faying
surfaces.
 Filler material can be used at the interface
 Pressure may be applied by dead weights, by a press, by differential gas pressure or by the
thermal expansion of the parts to be joined.
 Parts usually heated in a furnace or by electrical resistance
 Used in rocket engines, helicopter rotor hubs, turbine components, aerospace missile and
rocketry industries.
 Advantages: used for joining metals to metals as well as metals to non-metals, no likely
defects,very useful for making laminates, useful for welding ferrous materials, time can be
reduced by application of heat.
13.b.ii. Ultrasonic welding: (Diagram - 4marks and Explanation - 4marks)

 Coalescence of material takes place by local application of high frequency vibrations, as workpieces
are held together by pressure.
 Combined clamping pressure and vibratory forces introduce dynamic interfacial stresses between the
pieces to be joined which disperse off any surface film or other foreign matter and an intimate contact
and bonding of workpiece surfaces takes place.
 Does not involve high pressure and large deformation or any melting of metals
 Main aim of utilizing ultrasonic energy is to utilize it for breaking up the surface oxide and therefore
decrease the surface resistance of alloys
 Widely used in joining a broad range of similar and dissimilar materials in a variety of conventional
and unusual geometrical forms including spot welds, line welds, ring welds and continuous seam
welds.
 Used for consumer electronics, disposable medical tools, small welds in malleable metals, aerospace
industry, automobile industry, medical industry, textile industry and packaging industry.

14.a.i. Friction stir welding: (Diagram - 5marks and Explanation - 5marks)

 Solid state joining process that uses a non-consumable tool to join two facing workpieces without
melting the workpiece.
 Frictional heat is generated between the wear-resistant tool and the work pieces. This heat, along with
that generated by the mechanical mixing process and the adiabatic heat within the material, cause the
stirred materials to soften without melting. As the tool is moved forward, a special profile on the probe
forces plasticised material from the leading face to the rear, where the high forces assist in a forged
consolidation of the weld.
  Microstructure can be broken into four zones namely stir zone, flow arm zone, thermos-mechanically
affected zone and heat affected zone.
 Advantages: 1. No issues found such as porosity, solute redistribution, solidification cracking, liquation
cracking. 2. Low concentration of defects. 3. Very tolerant of variations in parameters and materials. 4.
Good mechanical properties, improved safety, no consumables, easily automated and low
environmental impact.

14.a.ii. Under water welding: (Diagram - 3marks and Explanation - 3marks)

 Welding carried out under water is known as submerged welding which is possible by electric arc.
 Heat generated by an electric arc in water is much lower than in open air welding hence special
electrodes are used which have low fusion points and are not affected under water.
 In arc method the arc passes between the electrode held in the holder with the welder and the job which
is connected to the second terminal of the electric supply. The arc drawn between an electrode and the
workpiece completes the electric circuit.
 In resistance method, current is passed through the two pieces held together under pressure. The
electric current causes heat in the joint due to eddy currents and loss of energy in the resistance of the
circuit. This is also called Thomson process.

14.b.i. Electron beam welding: (Diagram - 4marks and Explanation - 4marks)

  Electron beam welding fusion joins metal by bombarding a specific confined area of the base
metal with high velocity electrons. This operation is performed in a vacuum to prevent the
reduction of electron velocity.
 Allows fusion welds of great depth with a minimum width because the beam can be focused and
magnified. Depth of weld bead can exceed the width of the weld head by as much as 15 times.
 Greatest advantage is that it eliminates combination of both the weld zone and the weld head
because the vacuum in which the weld is done because of the electrons doing the heating. Initial
costs are high and operating costs are low. 3. Narrow bean reduces the distortion of the workpiece,
making the replacement of jigs and fixtures. 4. Energy conversion efficiency is high.
 Disadvantages: 1. Expensive equipment. 2. Limitations of the vacuum chamber. 3. High cost of
precision joint.
 Applications: Automobile, aerospace, and other types of equipments including bearing over
100mm.

14.b.ii. Laser beam welding: (Diagram - 4marks and Explanation - 4marks)

 It is the process of focussing a monochromatic light into extremely concentrated beams.

 System comprises of electrical storage tank, capacitor bank, triggering device, flash tube wrapped with
wire, lasing material, focussing lens, and work table.
 When capacitor bank is triggered energy is injected into the wire that surrounds the flash tube which
imbalances the material inside the flash tube, producing high power levels for a very short period of
time. The flash tubes or lamps are designed for operation at a rate of thousands of flashes per second
and now the lamp become an efficient device for converting electrical energy into light energy.
 Both Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers are used for welding
 Advantages: 1. can weld dissimilar metals with varying physical properties. 2. Metals with high
electrical resistance and parts of considerably different sizes and mass can be welded. 3. No electrode
required. 4. High degree of precision. 5. Holds thermal distortion and shrinkage to minimum. 6. High
depth to width ratio. 6. High production rate.
 Limitations: 1. High energy loss. 2. Highly skilled operation. 3. High equipment cost. 4. Eye protection
required.

15.a. NDT methods for detecting welding defects: (Any 4 methods with each carrying 4 marks)

 Liquid penetrant test

 Surface preparation
 Application of penetrant
 Removal of excess penetrant
 Development
 Observation and inspection
 Visual inspection
 Radiographic inspection
 Magnetic particle inspection
 Ultrasonic inspection
15.b. Weldability of steel:

 Ability of steel to be welded to serve its intended application. (1 mark)

 Increasing amounts of carbon and manganese which are necessary for higher strengths increase the
difficulty in welding (1 mark)
 Three failure modes by which weldability of steel can be measured are hydrogen induced cracking,
lamellar tearing and Spot weld peeling (Explanation 5 marks)
 Fe-C diagram (2 marks)
 Time temperature transformation diagram (2 marks)
 Continuous cooling transformation diagram (2 marks)
 Carbon equivalent equation (3 marks)