Category Archives: Theory and Education

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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.  

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Key Components of Effective Welder Training Programs

Continuous learning is something that is very important for both personal and professional development.  This applies to all industries and to all positions.  The welding industry, as many of its counterparts, is challenged with a workforce that is lacking the skills necessary to do the job.  This is driven by the increased demand for welders, […]

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Who is responsible for determining weld size?

Who determines what size a weld should be?  This is a question we ask many of our customers.  And we never seem to get a straight answer.  In a perfect world, the design engineer should specify all weld sizes and clearly communicate this through welding symbols on the print.  But that is hardly ever the […]

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4 Types of Loading in Welded Structures

There are four types of loading experienced by welds and welded structures.  These types of loading are a function of the strain rate (the rate at which deformation occurs in a material due to an applied load) and the number of loading cycles experienced by the welded member.   The 4 types of loading are: Static […]

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3 Mistakes that lead to distortion in welding

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 […]

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Learning Welding Symbols: Groove Welds

The ability to write and/or interpret welding symbols is essential for many welding industry professionals including welders, supervisors, CWIs, welding engineers, estimators, QC personnel and more.  Yet, less than 5% of the customers we consult with have at least a basic understanding of welding symbols.   Welding symbols communicate vital information to the welder.  It allows […]

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Why demand for aluminum welding is increasing

The ability to develop welding procedures for aluminum and aluminum alloys coupled with the ability to weld these alloys is becoming even more important for fabricators. Whether it is a job shop producing different products every day or a firm that specializes in a single product, the ability to fabricate out of aluminum is necessary. […]

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Basics of Pressure Vessel Design

The design of pressure vessels is quite interesting.  At first it may appear extremely complicated.  Then, you learn the basics of pressure vessel design and realize it is not that big of a deal.  But, then you get into all variations of vessel heads and shells, the different kinds of loading conditions (it’s not just […]

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Are Concave Fillet Welds Bad?

You may be surprised to know that sometimes they are desired

The following is an exerpt from:  TROUBLESHOOTING FOR NON-WELDING ENGINEERS There is nothing wrong with concave welds so long as they attain the desired throat dimension. AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020 Structural Welding Code (Steel) states that “there is no restriction on concavity as long as minimum weld size (considering both leg and throat) is achieved.” Concave welds […]

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Which Welding Process Produces the Strongest Welds

SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, FCAW, MCAW or SAW?

This is a question that is often asked.   The short and quick answer is: they are all the same.  However, to understand why that is let’s take a quick look at the three elements that determine the strength of a weld: Weld length Weld size Weld (filler) metal strength Since we are trying to compare […]