Welding Thin Materials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Welding Thin Materials - Essay Example A filler metal and an inert gas shielding are used to guard the weld region from contamination. In my opinion, the vice president of manufacturing is right. Although TIG welding is excellent and suitable for all metals, it is an expensive process and is limited to level welding. On the other hand, SMAW is advantageous in several ways, for instance; its equipment is simple and portable, is of low cost, it is appropriate for out-of-position welding and has a broad range of electrodes. For these reasons, SMAW is the most prevalent welding method globally. The main limitation of the SMAW process is that it causes metal burn-through, especially in thin wall tubing and sheets. However, if the following precautions are taken, it is possible to avoid metal burn-through. First, electrodes of suitable size should be used. It is important to note that big electrodes are intended for welding at great deposition levels. Welders normally use the largest electrode that is reasonable for their particular application and produces weld that is of good quality. However, when welding thin wall steel, it is advisable to limit the electrode size to prevent metal burn-through. Second, steel that is SMAW friendly should be used, in order to make the welding process simpler. The ideal steels to use are AISI-SAE 1015 to 1025 with a maximum of 0.035 percent sulfur and 0.1 percent silicon content. These steels are possible to weld at fast speeds with minimum metal burn through. Steels that contain high phosphorous and sulfur contents are not suitable to use. In cases where they are the only type available, low-hydrogen electrodes with small diameters should be used (Guide & Sa dler, 2009). Third, joint position and electrode should be carefully matched with the metal. Joint position normally influences the quality of a finished weld. When working with 10- to 18-gauge sheet steel, the quickest travel speeds are