One of the best solutions for welding distortion may seem counterintuitive. Many times, when a fabricator is experiencing distortion from welding, they often believe they are welding too hot. Their initial instinct is to reduce the heat input by lowering the amperage. So, they try it, only to find out the problem persists or even […]
We frequently receive questions regarding the preheating, welding, and post-weld heat treatment of ASTM A514 and other quenched and tempered steels. If you’re working with these materials, the following guidelines will be extremely helpful for welding this steel and avoid cracking or other problems. Metallurgy, Uses, and Welding Challenges of ASTM A514 ASTM A514, often […]
Austenitic stainless steels, renowned for their corrosion resistance and aesthetic appeal, are a staple in numerous industries. However, welding these materials often presents a significant challenge: distortion and warpage. This isn’t just a cosmetic issue; it can lead to dimensional inaccuracies, compromised functionality, and costly rework. So, why are austenitic stainless steels so prone to […]
When a weld fails in the field, the consequences can be catastrophic. Our experience as welding engineering consultants has shown us that such failures often expose deeper issues within a company’s welding operations. These situations can lead to fears of additional failures in other products or structures, potential harm or fatalities, litigation, and even bankruptcy. […]
Rework is extremely costly, especially in welding. If you consider what happens when a weld is rejected it is essentially triples the amount of work. You weld, you remove the weld, you reweld. On top of this it may require additional inspection. So, reducing rework can save considerable amounts of time and money.
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 […]
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: […]
Weld failures happen all the time. Some are more serious than others in terms of cost and potential for property damage and bodily harm. If a weld failure is considered serious it typically gets a lot of attention. Forensics labs and industry experts get called to determine the root cause of the failure. It may […]
Distortion caused by the heating and cooling cycles of welding is extremely problematic. It can place structures out of dimensional tolerance creating costly rework. In some cases parts need to be scrapped. Understanding the causes of distortion and the properties of the metal being welded are an absolute necessity for those managing welding operations. There […]
If you own, run or work at a welding facility you have undoubtfully had to troubleshoot bad welds. Troubleshooting is necessary in order to solve problems, but if you do not have a clear methodology or process for troubleshooting it can be a huge source of downtime. To properly troubleshoot bad welds, we must have […]
