Manual Metal Arc Welding

Manual Metal Arc Welding

 Manual metal arc welding was first
invented in Russia in 1888. It involved a
bare metal rod with no flux coating to
give a protective gas shield. The
development of coated electrodes did
not occur until the early 1900s when
the Kjellberg process was invented in
Sweden and the Quasi-arc method was
introduced in the UK.
 It is worth noting that
coated electrodes were
slow to be adopted
because of their high
cost. However, it was
inevitable that as the
demand for sound welds
grew, manual metal arc
became synonymous
with coated electrodes.
 When an arc is struck between the The process allows
metal rod (electrode) and the only short lengths of
workpiece, both the rod and weld to be produced
workpiece surface melt to form a due to the length of
weld pool. Simultaneous melting of
the electrode. Weld
the flux coating on the rod will
form gas and slag which protects penetration is low
the weld pool from the surrounding and the quality of the
atmosphere. The slag will solidify weld deposit is highly
and cool, this must be chipped off dependent on the
the weld bead once the weld run is skill of the welder.
complete (or before the next weld
pass is deposited).
 Types of flux/electrodes
Arc stability, depth of • Cellulosic

penetration, metal • Rutile
deposition rate and
• Basic
positional capability are
greatly influenced by the
chemical composition of the
flux coating on the
electrode. Electrodes can be
divided into three main
groups:
Cellulosic electrodes contain a high proportion of cellulose in the flux coating.
Features:
Deep penetration in all positions.
Easy to use in all positions.
Reasonably good mechanical properties
Rutile electrodes contain a high proportion of titanium oxide (rutile) in

the coating. This promotes easy arc ignition, smooth operation and low
spatter.
Features:
Moderate weld metal mechanical properties
Good bead profile produced
Positional welding possible , easily removable slag
Basic electrodes contain a high proportion of calcium carbonate (limestone) and
calcium fluoride (fluorspar) in the coating.
Typically used for welding medium and heavy fabrications.
Features:
Requires high welding currents/speeds
Poor bead profile (convex and coarse surface profile)
Slag removal difficult
Metal powder electrodes contain an addition of metal powder to the flux

coating to increase the maximum permissible welding current level.
Features:
Increased deposition rate
Easy slag removal
Reduced bead penetration
Power source
The power supply used in MMA has constant current output, ensuring that the
current (and thus the heat) remains relatively constant, even if the arc distance
and voltage change.
The preferred polarity of the MMA system depends primarily upon the electrode
being used and the desired properties of the weld. Direct current with a negatively
charged electrode causes heat to build up on the electrode, increasing the
electrode melting rate and decreasing the depth of the weld.
Reversing the polarity so that the electrode is positively charged and the work
piece negatively charged increases the weld penetration.
With alternating current the polarity changes over 100 times per second,
creating an even heat distribution and providing a balance between electrode
melting rate and penetration.
Welding current
Welding current level is determined
by the size of electrode - the
normal operating range and
current are recommended by
manufacturers. As a rule of
thumb when selecting a suitable
current level, an electrode will
require about 40A per mm
(diameter). So for example the
preferred current level for a
4mm diameter electrode would
be 160A, but an acceptable
operating range is 140 to 180A.
As you can see the MMA process has been developed over many years,
extensive use in industry has been conclusive in its development
however, MMA has been replaced in some industries by ever more
efficient methods and processes.
In today`s engineering world the MMA process still has definitive areas
where it is more suitable than any other processes.
 Questions
 Name 4 main parts essential to the
MMA plant?
 When was the MMA process 1st
developed?
 Why was there a slow uptake of coated
electrodes.
 Flux from the electrode causes what to
protect the weld from atmospheric
attack.
 Name 3 things that differing chemical
composition of flux and or electrode can
affect?
 Name the 3 main groups of electrode?
 What type of power source is required
by the MMA process to ensure relatively
constant heat ?
 What does reversing the polarity affect?
 How can we approximate the current
level required for differing size
electrodes?

Manual Metal Arc Welding

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Manual Metal Arc Welding

Manual Metal Arc Welding

Arc stability, depth of • Cellulosic

Rutile electrodes contain a high proportion of titanium oxide (rutile) in

Metal powder electrodes contain an addition of metal powder to the flux

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