Cyber Rose Requirme

BET-MT-NS-1B
ASSIGNMENT # 3

Weld Defect in SMAW

The mig method will produce a high-quality weld deposit if the welding conditions, techniques, and
material quality criteria are all correct. Weld defects can occur, just as they might with any
other welding procedure. The majority of welding defects are caused by poor welding procedures.
The operator can quickly remedy the problem after the causes have been identified. Incomplete
penetration, incomplete fusion, undercutting, porosity, and longitudinal cracking are common
defects. This section discusses the steps that should be followed to correct the problem.

Incomplete Penetration

Welding current has the greatest effect on penetration. Incomplete penetration is usually
caused using too low a welding current and can be eliminated by simply increasing the amperage.
Other causes can be the use of too slow a travel speed and an incorrect torch angle. Both will
allow the molten weld metal to roll in front of the arc, acting as a cushion to prevent
penetration. The arc must be kept on the leading edge of the weld puddle.
This type of defect is found in any of three ways:
1) When the weld bead does not penetrate the entire thickness of the base plate.
2) When two opposing weld beads do not interpenetrate.
3) When the weld bead does not penetrate the toe of a fillet weld but only bridges across it.

Lack of Fusion

Lack of fusion, also called cold lapping or cold shuts, occurs when there is no fusion between the
weld metal and the surfaces of the base plate. The most common cause of lack of fusion is a poor
welding technique. Either the weld puddle is too large (travel speed too slow) and/or the weld
metal has been permitted to roll in front of the arc. Again, the arc must be kept on the leading
edge of the puddle. When this is done, the weld puddle will not get too large and cannot cushion
the arc. Another cause is the use of a very wide weld joint. If the arc is directed down the center
of the joint, the molten weld metal will only flow and cast against the side walls of the base
plate without melting them. The heat of the arc must be used to melt the base plate. This is
accomplished by making the joint narrower or by directing the arc towards the side wall of the
base plate. When multipass welding thick material, a split bead technique should be used
whenever possible after the root passes. Large weld beads bridging the entire gap must be
avoided.
Lack of fusion can also occur in the form of a rolled over bead crown. Again, it is generally
caused by a very low travel speed and attempting to make too large a weld in a single pass.
However, it is also very often caused by too low a welding voltage. As a result, the wetting of
the bead will be poor. When welding aluminum, the common cause of this type of defect is the
presence of aluminum oxide. This oxide is a refractory with a melting point of approximately
35000F (19270C). It is also insoluble in molten aluminum. If this oxide is present on the surfaces
to be welded, fusion with the weld metal will be hampered.
The best safeguard against this is to remove all oxide as soon before welding as possible.
Although iron oxide (rust, mill scale) can be welded over in mild steel, an excessive amount can
cause lack
of fusion.

Undercutting

Undercutting is a defect that appears as a groove in the parent metal directly along the edges
of the weld. It is most common in lap fillet welds but can also be encountered in fillet and butt
joints. This type of defect is commonly caused by improper welding parameters, particularly the
travel speed and arc voltage. When the travel speed is too high, the weld bead will be very
peaked because of its extremely fast solidification. The forces of surface tension have drawn
the molten metal along the edges of the weld bead
and piled it up along the center. Melted portions of the base plate are affected in the same way.
The undercut groove is where melted base material has been drawn into the weld and not allowed
to wet back properly because of the rapid solidification. Decreasing the arc travel speed will
gradually reduce the size of the undercut and eventually eliminate it. When only small or
intermittent undercuts are present, raising the arc voltage or using a leading torch angle are
also corrective actions. In both cases, the weld bead will become flatter, and wetting will
improve.
However, as the arc voltage is raised to excessive levels, undercutting may again appear. This is
particularly true in spray arc welding. When the arc becomes very long, it also becomes too wide.
This results in an increased amount of base material being melted. However, the heat transfer
of a long arc is relatively poor, so actually the arc is supplying no more total heat to the weld
zone. The outermost areas are very quickly cooled, and again proper wetting is prevented. The
arc length should be kept short, not only to avoid undercutting but to increase penetration and
weld soundness. Excessive welding currents can also cause undercutting. The arc force, arc heat
and penetration are so great that the base plate under the arc is actually” blown” away. Again,
the outermost areas of the base material are melted but solidify quickly. Puddle turbulence and
surface tension prevent the puddle from wetting properly. It is always advisable to remain
within the current ranges specified for each wire size.

Porosity

Porosity is gas pores found in the solidified weld bead, these pores may vary in size and are
generally distributed in a random manner. However, it is possible that porosity can only be found
at the weld center. Pores can occur either under or on the weld surface.
The most common causes of porosity are atmosphere contamination, excessively oxidized work
piece surfaces, inadequate deoxidizing alloys in the wire and the presence of foreign matter.
Atmospheric contamination can be caused by:
1) Inadequate shielding gas flow.
2) Excessive shielding gas flow. This can cause aspiration of air into the gas stream.
3) Severely clogged gas nozzle or damaged gas supply system (leaking hoses, fittings, etc.)
4) An excessive wind in the welding area. This can blow away the gas shield
The atmospheric gases that are primarily responsible for porosity in steel are nitrogen and
excessive oxygen. However, considerable oxygen can be tolerated without porosity in the absence
of nitrogen. Oxygen in the atmosphere can cause severe problems with aluminum because of its
rapid oxide formation. The gas supply should be inspected at regular intervals to insure freedom
from leakage. In addition, excessive moisture in the atmosphere can cause porosity in steel and
particularly aluminum. Care should be exercised in humid climates. For example, a continuous
coolant flow in water cooled torches can cause condensation during periods of high humidity and
consequent contamination of the shielding gas. Excessive oxidation of the work pieces is an
obvious source of oxygen as well as entrapped moisture. Again, this is particularly true for
aluminum where a hydrated oxide may exist. Anodized coatings on aluminum must be removed prior
to welding because they contain water as well as being an insulator. Porosity can be caused by
inadequate wire deoxidation when welding semi-killed or rimmed steels. The oxygen in the steel
can cause CO porosity if the proper deoxidizing elements are not present. Foreign matter can be
a source of porosity. An example is excessive lubricant on the welding wire. These hydrocarbons
are sources of hydrogen which is particularly harmful for aluminum. Other causes of porosity
may be extremely fast weld solidification rates and erratic arc characteristics. When
solidification rates are extremely rapid, any gas that would normally escape is trapped.
Extremely high travel speeds and low welding current levels should be avoided. Erratic arc
characteristics can be caused by poor welding conditions (voltage too low or high, poor metal
transfer) and fluctuation in the wire feed speed. All these occurrences cause severe weld puddle
turbulence. This turbulence will tend to break up the shielding gas envelope and cause the molten
weld metal to be contaminated by the atmosphere.

Longitudinal Cracking

Longitudinal or centerline cracking, of the weld bead is not often encountered in mig welding.
However, that which does occur can be one of two types: hot cracks and cold cracks. Hot cracks
are those that occur while the weld bead is between the liquidus (melting) and solidus
(solidifying) temperatures. In this temperature range the weld bead is” mushy”. Hot cracks
usually result from the use of an incorrect wire electrode (particularly in aluminum and
stainless-steel alloys). The chemistry of the base plate can also promote this defect (an
example would be any high carbon stainless steel casting). Any combination of the joint design,
welding conditions and welding techniques that results in a weld bead with an excessively concave
surface can promote cracking. One form of this defect which may often be encountered,
particularly with any 5000 series aluminum, is called a crater crack. These are small cracks which
appear at the end of the weld where the arc has been broken. Although small, these cracks are
troublesome since they can propagate into the weld bead. The major reason for this defect is the
incorrect technique for ending the weld. To properly end a weld, the crater should be filled. This
is done by reversing the arc travel direction before breaking the arc. In addition, if the welding
control is designed to supply gas for a short time after the arc is broken, the crater should be
shielded until it is completely solidified.
Those cracks that occur after the weld bead has completely solidified are called cold cracks.
These defects occur only when the weld is too small to withstand the service stresses involved.
 Basic Weave Pattern in SMAW

Circular patterns are often used for flat position welds on butt, tee, and outside corner joints,
and for buildup or surfacing applications. The circle can be made wider or longer to change the
bead width or penetration
“C” and square patterns are both good for most 1G (flat) welds but can also be used for vertical
(3G) positions. These patterns can also be used if there is a large gap to be filled when both
pieces of metal are nearly the same size and thickness.
“J” patterns work well on flat (1F) lap joints, all vertical (3G) joints, and horizontal (2G) butt
and lap (2F) welds. This pattern allows the heat to be concentrated on the thicker plate. It also
allows the reinforcement to be built up on the metal deposited during the first part of the
pattern. As a result, a uniform bead contour is maintained during out-of-position welds.

“T” patterns work well with fillet welds in the vertical (3F) and overhead (4F) positions. It also
can be used for deep groove welds for the hot pass. The top of the “T” can be used to fill in the
toe of the weld to prevent undercutting.
Straight step patterns can be used for stringer beads, root pass welds, and multiple pass welds
in all positions. For this pattern, the smallest quantity of metal is molten at one time as
compared to other patterns. Therefore, the weld is more easily controlled
Figure -8 and zigzag patterns are used as cover passes in the flat and vertical positions. Do not
weave more than 2 1/2 times the width of the electrode. These patterns deposit a large quantity
of metal at one time.