9 Steps to Develop a Repair Welding Procedure
Some repairs, whether it is repairing a failed weldment or repairing a crack in a casting, may easily be done by simply grinding out the crack and applying more weld. Other repairs, however; are more complicated. Or at least they should be. Just last week a customer contacted us asking for help in developing a […]
What Filler Metal Should be Used to Weld Carbon Steel to Stainless Steel
It is not uncommon to find fabricating shops that are welding a variety of metals including carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and nickel alloys. In many cases some of these materials need to be welded to other types. Once very common situation, especially in automotive applications is welding carbon steel to stainless. One of the […]
9 Common Problems with Welding Procedures
The use of welding procedures specifications (WPS) is the foundation of a good welding quality control management system. It has a huge impact on quality as well as productivity. Despite this, many fabricators are still running their facilities without WPSs. And many who are, have significant issues which prevent this powerful document from maintaining quality […]
Preheat and Interpass Temperature for Structural Steels
Preheating of structural steels is carried out primarily to slow the cooling rate after welding and prevent the formation of martensite. Martensite makes the weld and the heat affected zone (HAZ) very hard and brittle. This newly formed microstructure is susceptible to cracking. By slowing the cooling rate we reduce or eliminate the formation of […]
The 9 Clauses of AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code Explained
The most widely used welding code in North America, and perhaps the world, is AWS D1.1/D1.1M Structural Welding Code – Steel. It is specified as the quality standard in hundreds of contract documents every year. Yet, we find that less than half of the fabricators that need to use it have a sound understanding of […]
12 Ideas to Reduce Welding Costs
Controlling costs associated with welding operations does not have to be complicated. Yet, many fabricators miss out on savings substantial amounts of time and money simply because they are too busy to take some time to implement cost reduction initiatives. Some of the ways in which costs can be reduced are presented below. Some of […]
Components of a Standard Welding Procedure Specification (SWPS)
A Standard Welding Procedure Specification (SWPS) is a welding procedure that must meet the rules for qualification of AWS B2.1 – Specification for Welding Procedure and Performance Qualification, and be approved by the AWS B2 Committee on Procedure and Performance Qualification. All SWPSs have supporting Procedure Qualification Records (PQRs) which comply with the rules set forth […]
How to Develop a Welding Procedure Specification
Developing a welding procedure does not have to be complicated. But when we are dealing with demand critical welds or with hard-to-weld metals we need to be careful. Simply setting our welding machine to get an arc we like is not enough if we are dealing with materials for which we need to limit heat […]
6 Mistakes That Can Lead to Cracked Welds
Cracks on welds are never good. Welding codes always have allowances for porosity, undercut, weld sizes, and even weld profiles. However, there is never an allowance for cracks. Being a linear discontinuity, a crack will tend to propagate through the weld and into the base metal with relative ease, especially in cyclically loaded structures. So […]
Protecting Your Eyes from the Welding Arc: Welding Shade Numbers and Safety Glasses
Have you ever had your eyes burned by the welding arc rays? Was it because you didn’t wear safety glasses at work? Or did you weld without a welding helmet? Regardless of the reason, if you got an arc burn you better be ready for a very unpleasant night. If you burn your eyes at […]