The Most Dangerous Weld Defect

Have you ever wondered if there is one type of welding discontinuity or defect that is the absolute worst one to have?  Have you heard that cracks are by the far the worst?  Or do you think others like lack of fusion, undercut or overlap can be worse?  The reality is that there isn’t a […]

Welding Procedure Development: Selecting Welding Parameters

When writing a welding procedure one of the most critical steps is selecting our welding parameters. This means determining the appropriate amperage and voltage as well as other critical aspects that the welder must adhere to such as travel speed and travel and work (transverse) angles.  What follows is an explanation as to the importance […]

Welding Procedure Development: Selecting the right filler metal

Selecting the filler metal should not be a trivial matter.  The easy way out is to select a filler metal that has matching strength, meaning that the minimum specified tensile strength of the filler metal matches that of the base metal. However, this is not always the best option. In some cases it may be beneficial to use undermatching filler metals.  There are many factors to consider when selecting the right filler metal. Understanding requirements in the areas of strength, ductility, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, in-service demands, cost and productivity is essential.  

Welding Procedure Development: Selecting the right welding process

Selecting the best welding process is a critical step in developing a welding procedure that attains the desired quality and optimizes productivity.  Many times we look for the welding process that can give us the highest deposition rate to optimize productivity. However, every welding process has limitations. For example, submerged arc welding (SAW) has extremely […]

Special considerations for welding Stainless Steel

Stainless steels possess many properties that make them different from those of carbon steels. These differences provide certain advantages, such as corrosion resistance, but we must be aware of some of the intricacies of welding stainless steel to avoid problems.   Many welding professionals, including welding engineers,  that have worked primarily with carbon steels develop welding […]

Troubleshooting Welding Burn-through

Burn-through is a common defect in welding of light gauge materials.  It is typically results in costly scrapping of parts since it can be difficult to fix.  Or, if left in place when there are not structural integrity concerns it looks awful and portrays extremely poor quality.   The following is an excerpt from our guide: […]