Welding is a process of joining metals together by using high heat. The metal parts will be melted together and then subsequently cooled for the fusion process. A filler material is added to the welded materials to effectively bond them together as it prevents extraneous elements from entering the bead. It also provides additional material to fill the gap between the welded materials.

One of the materials that are being subjected to welding is stainless steel. It is a popular construction material due to its durability and resistance to corrosion. Welding stainless steel can be difficult since they can retain heat very efficiently. One wrong welding element and you will end up having a product that is either warped or distorted. Even blemishes and scratch marks may occur when you weld them improperly. For a great stainless steel welding, just follow these tips and techniques.

Use the Right Tungsten Rod

Tungsten rods varies depending on their composition. However, the only factor that you must consider is their diameter. One tip in choosing your tungsten rod diameter is to look out for the weight of your stainless steel. Welding heavy stainless steel means that you need to use a tungsten rod with a big diameter. Alternatively, welding lighter stainless steel equates to a smaller tungsten rod diameter.

Choose the Correct Filler Wire

Your filler wire must be appropriate with your welding process. Make sure that the material of your filler wire must be equal or greater in strength and quality of the stainless steel you are welding. The size of your filler wire must also fit the type of your welding application. Through trial and error on a practice section, you can easily find the correct filler wire size for your welding activity.

Use a Clean Sharp Tungsten Tip

Welding typically involves stainless steel products and filler material. When the tungsten tip touches the filler rod, a blob melts onto it, which can make your tungsten tip dirty. Having a dirty tip may not only get your arc distorted but also let you lose a huge amount of control over your aim. So, always use a clean sharp tungsten tip whenever you are welding so that your arc will be more accurate.

Clean your Stainless Steel Parts

All your stainless steel parts, including the welding joints, must be cleaned first before the welding process begins. Without cleaning, your weld might bubble, which adds weakness to the material and hinders the fluid motion your pass needs for a clean bead. Cleaning your stainless steel parts can be done by wiping them with a clean rag. Acetone or other thinners can also be used in cleaning them.

Increase Coverage of Gas

One important element in stainless steel welding is your gas coverage. If any air gets into your welded material, your bead may have impurities. The presence of air also changes the colour of your stainless steel parts. But if you use more gas, your welding material will have a cleaner and tidier look. Using a wider cup can also help you produce more gas that can be useful for your weld.

Weld with Enough Amperage

Welding with enough amperage can help you produce great welded material. With the right amperage, your welds must not blow through or cause undercut while traveling as fast as you can. In general, your welder must run at 10% less than one amp per 0.001 inches of stainless steel and then travel fast enough to match the heat.

By following these welding tips and techniques, you are guaranteed to obtain high-quality welded parts out of stainless steel. For more information about welding stainless steel, just give us a call at Sureweld Engineering. We cover all aspects of welding and fabrication in mild steel, aluminium, stainless steel, truck and heavy machinery repairs, maintenance, and refinishing, onsite welding service and certified coded welding.

Welding techniques are all extremely complicated processes regardless of the material you choose to join. One of the most common materials for this is aluminium. Before actually deciding on starting this, you must first understand some of the difficulties that are inherent to welding aluminium, as well as the types of welding that can be used. Below are welding techniques for aluminium.

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

One of the most popular welding processes for aluminium is gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), otherwise known as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. GTAW is a great process for aluminium because it does not require mechanical wire feeding, which can create feeding issues. Instead, the filler material is fed into the puddle by the welder with his hand. Also, the GTAW process is extremely clean, which prevents aluminium from being contaminated by the atmosphere.

Gas Metal Arc Welding

Gas metal arc welding (GMAW), or metal inert gas (MIG) welding is another great choice for welding aluminium. Gas metal arc welding generally has higher deposition rates and faster travel speeds than GTAW. However, GMAW uses a mechanical wire feeding system. Because of this, a push-pull gun or spool gun may be needed so that aluminium wire feeding is possible. Also, it is important to not use 100 percent Carbon Dioxide or  75 percent Argon or 25 percent Carbon Dioxide shielding gas. Such gas is a viable choice for steel, but aluminium cannot handle the reactive Carbon Dioxide gas. Follow the filler metal manufacturer recommendations for shielding gas type.

Laser Beam Welding and Electron Beam Welding

Beam welding processes are often quite capable of welding aluminium. Also, since the power density of beam welding processes are so high, cold starts are less of a concern. With laser welding, material light reflectivity can be a concern. Also, shielding gas optimisation is key to avoid porosity. Electron beam welding generally does not have these problems because it does not use light as an energy medium and it is performed in a vacuum.

Resistance Welding

Resistance welding is a possibility when welding aluminium. However, difficulties arise from the electrical and thermal conductivity of aluminium. Parameter development time may be significant and special tips and resistance welding equipment may be required to overcome these challenges.

Techniques Not Suitable for Welding Aluminium

There are several processes that are not well suited for welding aluminium. Any welding process that uses a flux, such as stick welding, flux cored arc welding, and submerged arc welding, are generally not effective methods for welding aluminium. Oftentimes, the welds created by these processes result in large amounts of porosity.

Know more about the welding techniques for aluminium from Sureweld Engineering. If you are looking for certified coded welder and supervisors for your stainless steel needs, we got you covered. We offer a 24/7 break down in mechanical and maintenance support. We also promise to service your business any time of the day or night. We are located in Hastings, Victoria and we can guarantee that you obtain prompt and highly efficient professional onsite repair services for your trucks or heavy machinery, thus reducing the possibility of weld defects.

 

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the multiple information presented on the different welding processes. However, it can be difficult to start such without knowing anything about it. Welding processes, in itself, are complicated enough without prior knowledge about its types. Some types are performed by machine and require expensive specialty equipment. Others can be performed at home without breaking the bank. Below is a brief guide to different welding processes.

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding 

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a simple form of welding that can easily be performed by new welders. MIG stands for metal inert gas, though it is sometimes called gas metal arc welding (GMAW). It is a quick process that involves the filler metal being fed through the wand, while gas is expelled around it to shield it from outside elements. This means it’s not great for outdoor use. Still, it’s a versatile process and can be used to weld many different types of metal at different thicknesses.

The filler metal is a consumable wire fed from a spool, and it acts as the electrode as well. When the arc is created from the tip of the wire to the base metal, the wire melts, becoming filler metal and creating the weld. The wire is continuously fed through the wand, allowing you to dial in your preferred speed. If done correctly, MIG welding produces a smooth and tight weld that is visually appealing.

Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding

Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding, otherwise known as Heliarc or gas tungsten arc welding, is a type of welding wherein the electrode is non- consumable and composed mainly of tungsten. It is one of the few types of welding that can be done with no filler metal, using only the two metals being welded together. You can add a filler metal if you desire, but you will have to feed it by hand. A gas tank is necessary with TIG welding to provide the constant flow of gas needed to protect the weld. This means it’s generally better performed indoors and away from the elements.

Shielded-Metal Arc Welding

Shielded metal arc welding, otherwise known as stick welding, has remained a popular form of welding because it is simple and easy to learn, as well as low cost to operate. However, it doesn’t create the neatest welds, since it splatters easily. Cleanup is usually necessary.

A replaceable electrode “stick” also serves the role of filler metal. An arc is created that connects from the end of the stick to the base metals, melting the electrode into filler metal and creating the weld. The stick is coated in flux that creates a gas cloud when heated up and protects the metal from oxidation. As it cools, the gas settles on the metal and becomes slag.

Since it doesn’t require gas, this process can be used outdoors, even in adverse weather such as rain and wind. It also works well on rusted, painted, and dirty surfaces, making it great for equipment repairs. Different types of electrodes are available and easy to swap, making it simple to weld metals of many different kinds, though it’s not great for thin metals. Stick welding is a highly skilled process with a long learning curve.

Laser Beam Welding

This type of welding can be used on metals or thermoplastics. As the name implies, it involves the use of a laser as a heat source to create the welds. It can be used on carbon steels, stainless steel, HSLA steels, titanium, and aluminum. It is easily automated with robotics and is therefore used often in manufacturing, such as in the automotive industry.

Electron-Beam Welding

This is a type of welding where a high-velocity beam of electrons creates heat through kinetic energy, welding two materials together. This is a highly sophisticated form of welding that is performed by machine, generally in a vacuum.

By contacting our welding maintenance and repair experts at Sureweld Engineering located in Hastings, Victoria, we can guarantee that you obtain prompt and highly efficient professional onsite repair services for your trucks or heavy machinery, thus reducing the possibility of weld defects.

 

 

Companies across Melbourne and this country rely on welding to create products, construct structures, maintain their properties, and at times, a combination of these purposes. The process requires expert skills, equipment and materials to perform properly. In the past, welding was only possible at the welder’s facilities, but today, the equipment is portable and easy to transport to the clients’ properties or job sites. As a result, business owners reap the following benefits from hiring on-site welding services.

Faster Service

When companies need to deliver their products to the welder’s facilities for service, they must wait their turn. There may be numerous projects ahead of theirs. The opposite is true for on-site welders since they show up at an allotted time to work on one specific company’s project. Also, they work efficiently in order to move onto the next job in a timely manner.

Convenience

Companies enjoy the convenience that on-site welding services provide them. They do not need to interrupt their normal operations most of the time to receive these services. Welders work efficiently and are in and out as quickly as possible.

Custom Options are Available

Mobile welding services offer unique possibilities for customisation that non-mobile ones overlook. This is especially true for those objects that are too large to transport off-site for the necessary welding.

Versatile Service

Since on-site welding is totally portable, the welder can perform his or her task at multiple sites of a company on the same day. An example of this is when a company has on-site welding needs at its headquarters, but it also requires this service performed at a few off-site projects.

Large Projects are More Cost-Effective to Weld With Mobile Services

Another benefit of on-site welding is that projects that are large and complex to transport off-site to a welder will be more budget-friendly. This is true due to the fact that you will save money on transportation and labour costs bringing the welder to your location. Also, these projects will be more time-efficient and easier to finish by the deadline when there is one.

Turn to Sureweld Engineering to receive all the benefits of on-site welding services in Melbourne. Not only does our company specialise in these services, but we also offer all aspects of fabrication and welding of mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, heavy machinery and truck repairs, certified coded welding, refinishing and maintenance. Upon request, our experts will meet with you to analyse your service needs and issue you a quote. In addition, our services are available around the clock all throughout the year.

Aluminium is a universally utilized metal. The tough material is lightweight and corrosion-resistant. Metal frames made out of aluminium are also thermally efficient. True, that’s a good feature to have when planning out a structure’s heat conductivity envelope, but welders don’t adopt quite the same positive outlook, not when it comes to joining this potentially heat-sensitive alloy. In other words, it’s not easy to weld aluminium.

Aluminium: Reviewing the Welding Headaches

Steel frames are weldable, although some super-alloys and high-carbon steels do require special attention. At any rate, you’re here to see why aluminium alloys can be hard to weld, not to worry about exotic steels. If you know anything at all about this popular fabrication metal, it’s that there a number of unique challenges to overcome when welding aluminium elements. For one thing, that thermal efficiency feature can actually sabotage the work, for the melting temperature of aluminium peaks at 660°C. By alloying the metal with other elements, that temperature rises, but then the alloying process introduces new issues, including crack propagation problems. With steel, there’s no such problem, not when it won’t melt until it’s superheated to 1500°C. As for those crack propagation issues, different grades of the alloy will crack when heated or they’ll transform dangerously, perhaps because the welding arc has caused the heat zone to undergo a transformative inter-granular change, one that produces a join undermining layer of precipitate material.

Utilizing Proper Procedures and Certified Welders

No worries, the defects can all be avoided. The best way to do so is to hire a welder who knows aluminium. The chosen journeyman should know all the ins-and-outs and challenges that could crop up during the welding of two or more aluminium elements. This individual will clean the alloy parts of oxide coatings, then remove oily deposits and dirt films. Done with the preparation work, the steel brushes and cleaning aids, there’s still the heat zone problems to address. Porosity propagation is a major headache here, for aluminium surfaces will chemically absorb hydrogen when they’re heated. Those tiny bubbles weaken the metal. Back with the procedurally skilled aluminium welder, hydrogen solubility headaches are combated by using material-specific shielding gasses.

The difference is found in the fine-tuning. Let’s clarify that slightly ambiguous statement. A material-savvy welder will bring in a special inert shielding gas to eliminate hydrogen solubility problems. To offset the gas mixtures unique blend, the equipment’s voltage rises slightly. The voltage increase is tiny, but it’s enough to overcome the ionization effect, as caused by the added argon. As for the cracking threat, magnesium and silicon-rich filler rods can help prevent such structurally undermining problems.