Weld Troubleshooting for Non Welding Engineers

NOW AVAILABLE! Troubleshoot common welding and welding equipment problems the way welding engineers do. For more information CLICK HERE or the image  below. Learn and follow the process used by welding engineers to find the root cause of welding problems and their solutions. This troubleshooting guide goes beyond your typical troubleshooting charts on the back […]

Why you should take Undercut very seriously

Can it lead to catastrophic failure?

Undercut is a surface discontinuity resulting from melting of the base metal at one or both toes of a weld which remains unfilled by the weld metal.  It can also occur at the root of groove welds.  Undercut presents two problems. First, it forms a mechanical notch which acts as a stress riser and is […]

3 Keys to Troubleshooting Welding Problems

Troubleshooting of welds and other welding problems increases costs in welding, causes delays and affects weld quality.  Even a moderate understanding of welding problems, their symptoms, causes and potential solutions can help tremendously.  The more informed you are the better. To successfully troubleshoot and fix welding discontinuities, welding defects and other welding problems we need […]

9 Maintenance Problems that Cause Bad Welds

Maintenance-related problems are responsible for a large portion of bad welds in every day welding. However, these causes go unnoticed and unresolved because they happen slowly over time. A proper preventive maintenance program for welding machines, CNC cutting tables and other industrial equipment is absolutely necessary. Many of the problems related to maintenance that cause […]

3 Reasons Why You Need to Make Smaller Welds

Bigger is not always better, at least not in welding.  Making welds bigger than they need to be is not only wasteful and costly, but can cause other problems such as distortion and premature failure. Below are 3 reasons why you may need to pay close attention to your weld sizes.  1. Bigger welds cost […]

Factors Affecting Cooling Rates of Welds and Heat Affected Zones

Different ways to manage the rate of cooling

Our next article will discuss a question we are asked quite often: Can we eliminate preheating before welding?   Preheating is necessary to slow the cooling rate down after welding which in turn avoids excessive hardening of the weld and heat affected zone.  Eliminating preheat can lead to hydrogen induced cracking and catastrophic failure.  A […]

Causes of Porosity in Submerged Arc Welds

Submerged arc welding is typically done automatically, meaning it is not done by hand, but rather set up as hard automation.  The operator simply controls the welding machine and torch position to obtain the desired results.  Typically,the system is run by an operator, not a welder.  So when problems come up, the operator may not […]

Danger of Using the Wrong Shielding Gas for GMAW

In our previous article we mentioned that a customer was inquiring about running their 98% argon / 2% carbon dioxide (98/2) shielding gas on mild steel.  This gas is used on stainless as it maintains the amount of reactive gas (in this case CO2) under 3%.   Our quick answer was “yes, you can weld carbon […]

Troubleshooting Erratic Wire Feeding

The majority of troubleshooting calls we receive regarding the GMAW (mig)  process has to do with erratic wire feeding.  This problem disguises itself in many forms, from bad looking welds to lack of penetration.  Sometimes the effects of poor feeding are obvious and easily corrected. However, sometimes these effects are not easy to troubleshoot and […]

Why You Must Have Welding Procedure Specifications

Our previous article discussed the importance of having a specification for weld quality.  In this article we’re talking about the importance of one of its basic components: Welding Procedure Specifications (WPSs). Many fabricators don’t have WPSs. They rely in the experience of their welders to select the right parameters.  As much as we want every […]