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 […]
A welding procedure specification (WPS) consists of a series of welding variables and corresponding allowable ranges. The selection of these ranges is very important. The idea is that if the welder is within all acceptable ranges he or she will deposit a sound weld, provided of course that the welder has the required skill. The […]
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 […]
The formation of silicon islands on welds made with the GMAW (mig) and MCAW (metalcore) processes is very common. For the most part, these silicon islands are not a problem. However, if the weld is to be painted, you better remove these islands. Otherwise, they will eventually pop off and leave an unpainted spot in […]
The new edition of AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code (Steel) has been released. If you are looking to get the hard copy you may need to wait a few weeks, but the electronic version is ready for purchase from the American Welding Society (AWS) through their website. There is a significant cost to obtain the […]
It is very common to weld stainless steel to mild steel. But, when it comes to qualifying a welding procedure it can be somewhat confusing. Do you follow AWS D1.1 (Steel) or do you following AWS D1.6 (Stainless Steel)? Or is there another code or standard you should use? The answer to this question is […]
When qualifying a welding procedure specification (WPS) for fillet welds per Clause 4 of AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code you must only perform a single test. You must do macroetches in three locations as shown below. It is assumed that if we can show root fusion at these three locations that our welding procedure is […]
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 […]
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 […]
When it comes to precision welding and fabrication, it only takes one wrong document to cause a major problem. Still, many companies operate by the motto: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Assuming you have incredible attention to detail and a lot of luck, that approach might work for a while. That’s why companies […]
