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 […]

The Importance of Contact Tip to Work Distance in GMAW

If you look at any of the structural welding codes you’ll notice that contact-tip-to-work-distance (CTTWD) is a variable which must be listed in welding procedure specifications (WPSs).  However, it is not an essential variable, meaning that changes to CTTWD of any amount do not require requalification.   This can seem puzzling to some, especially those […]

7 Variables That Affect Weld Penetration

Complete joint penetration (CJP) welds will have the exact same effective weld size regardless of welding process.

Getting deeper penetration, or at least adequate penetration is very important in welding.  There are a few applications in which we wish to minimize penetration, but in general we always want good penetration.  There are many variables that affect penetration, some more than others.  It is important to know how each individual variable affects the […]