Molly Ayala
Electric arc welding is a process that uses an electric arc to generate enough heat to melt and weld metals together. The electric arc is created between an electrode and the workpieces being welded. The electrode is a piece of conductive metal and can be consumable or non-consumable, depending on the type of welding. The intense heat generated by the electric arc melts the base metal and the electrode, forming a strong weld joint. This process is widely used in various industries due to its versatility, reliability, and ability to create strong bonds between different metal parts.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A method that uses an electric arc to create high temperatures to efficiently melt and weld metals |
| Temperature | 3,500 to 15,500 degrees Celsius |
| Use | To join metal to metal |
| Process | An intense electric arc is generated between two terminals of an electrical circuit, which creates enough heat to melt the materials |
| Power Supply | Constant current power supplies and constant voltage power supplies |
| Applications | Construction, industrial manufacturing, automotive industry, shipbuilding, aerospace industry, agriculture machinery, food processing plants, mining, aluminium smelting |
| Types | Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), Gas metal arc welding (GMAW), MIG/MAG welding, TIG welding, Submerged arc welding (SAW), Flux-cored welding |
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What You'll Learn
Electric arc welding process
Electric arc welding is a process that uses an electric arc to generate enough heat to melt and weld metals. This technique is widely used in industries due to its versatility, reliability, and ability to create strong bonds between different metal parts. The electric arc is generated between an electrode and the workpieces to be welded, creating an intense electric arc that can melt the materials.
The welding process can be manual, semi-automatic, or fully automated and can be used to weld different types, thicknesses, and shapes of metal. The electrode is a piece of conductive metal used to establish the electric arc and can be consumable or non-consumable. In the case of consumable electrodes, the electrode itself melts and forms part of the weld joint. The non-consumable electrode, on the other hand, does not melt and is typically made of tungsten or a tungsten alloy.
The power source for the electric arc can come from different types of welding machines, such as electric arc welders, welding generators, or other similar devices. The voltage and current supplied play an important role in the welding process. Constant current power supplies are commonly used for manual welding processes, while constant voltage power supplies are often used for automated welding. The voltage is directly related to the length of the arc, while the current determines the amount of heat input.
To protect the weld area from atmospheric contamination and oxidation, a shielding gas, vapour, or slag is used. In some cases, a filler metal is also used to guide the molten metal towards the weld pool. The choice of shielding material and filler metal depends on the specific welding process and the type of metal being welded.
Electric arc welding has found applications in various industrial sectors, including construction, industrial manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and shipbuilding. It is used to join steel structures, assemble car bodies, and manufacture a wide range of machines and equipment.
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Electric arc welding applications
Electric arc welding is a versatile welding technique used in various industrial sectors. It involves using an electric arc to generate intense heat, melting and joining two metal pieces together. The power supplied to the electric arc can be in the form of alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC).
Applications of Electric Arc Welding
Construction Industry
Electric arc welding is widely used in the construction industry to join steel structures, frameworks, beams, columns, and prefabricated elements. It is crucial for building infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, stadiums, and towers.
Industrial Manufacturing
In the industrial manufacturing sector, electric arc welding is employed to produce a diverse range of machines and equipment. This includes machine tools, industrial robots, tanks, boilers, containers, and machine components.
Automotive Industry
Electric arc welding is essential in the automotive industry for assembling car bodies and metal components. It is used for welding chassis, sheet metal parts, fenders, and other structural elements.
Shipbuilding
Arc welding gained commercial importance during the Second World War in shipbuilding. It is still used today for fabricating ships and vessels, playing a vital role in the assembly of marine vehicles.
Aerospace
The aerospace industry utilizes electric arc welding for various applications. It is involved in the manufacturing of aircraft components and structures, contributing to the production of aircraft frames and parts.
Art and Sculptures
Electric arc welding can also be used in artistic endeavours, such as creating metal art sculptures and exhibits.
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Electric arc welding equipment
Electric arc welding is a cornerstone technique in fabrication, offering a versatile and powerful means to join metals. It is a process that joins metal parts together by using an electric arc to melt and fuse the base metals. The intense electrical energy creates an ionized channel of conductive gas known as plasma, which can reach extremely high temperatures ranging from 3,500 to 15,500 degrees Celsius.
The welding equipment used in the electric arc welding process includes welding machines, safety gear, welding tables, and cutting tools. The welding machine is responsible for generating the electrical current needed to create the welding arc. There are several types of welding machines available, including stick welders (SMAW), TIG welders, and MIG welders. Stick welders are one of the most commonly used welding machines and are known for their cost-effectiveness and versatility. TIG welders offer top precision and can be used for detailed work. MIG welders, on the other hand, are known for their all-around versatility and can handle a variety of projects.
In addition to the welding machine, safety gear is crucial for any welding project. This includes welding helmets, eye protection, respirators, ear protection, welding screens, and curtains. Respirators protect against fumes and airborne particles, while ear protection is important to prevent hearing damage. Welding screens and curtains protect bystanders and nearby surfaces from sparks and UV radiation.
Other equipment used in electric arc welding includes an electrode oven to store low-hydrogen electrodes and prevent moisture absorption, a rod storage cabinet to protect welding rods from contamination and humidity, and sealable containers to store filler metals and prevent exposure to moisture. Proper labelling of all containers is also important to identify the type of welding consumables and their date of purchase.
The choice of welding equipment depends on the specific requirements of the task, including the type of metal, thickness, and desired weld quality. Electric arc welding equipment offers several benefits, including relatively low cost, high productivity due to automation capabilities, and the ability to create strong, durable welds.
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Electric arc welding vs other welding processes
Electric arc welding is a fusion welding process that uses an electric arc to generate enough heat to melt and weld metals. The process involves creating an intense electric arc between two terminals of an electrical circuit, which melts the materials and allows them to be fused together, forming a strong, lasting bond when cooled.
Electric arc welding is widely used in industry due to its versatility, reliability, and ability to create strong bonds between different metal parts. It can be used to weld different types, thicknesses, and shapes of metal, making it suitable for various applications. Some of the main applications of electric arc welding include the construction industry, industrial manufacturing, and the automotive industry.
One of the most common types of electric arc welding is shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), also known as manual metal arc welding (MMAW) or stick welding. This process uses a consumable electrode with a protective coating, which is brought into contact with the base material to create an electric arc that melts both the electrode and the base material. The protective coating creates a shielding gas that prevents oxidation and a slag that protects the weld as it cools. SMAW is versatile and requires little operator training and inexpensive equipment, but it can be slow due to the frequent replacement of electrodes and the need to chip away slag after welding.
Another type of electric arc welding is gas metal arc welding (GMAW), commonly known as MIG (metal/inert-gas) welding. GMAW uses a continuously fed consumable wire electrode and an inert or semi-inert shielding gas to protect the weld site from contamination. This process is semi-automatic or automatic and offers relatively high welding speeds, but the more complicated equipment reduces its convenience and versatility compared to SMAW.
Other types of electric arc welding include TIG welding, which uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode and is suitable for high-quality welds on thin, demanding materials; submerged arc welding (SAW), where the arc is submerged beneath a layer of granular flux to create a protective shield; and atomic hydrogen arc welding, which uses a hydrogen atmosphere to protect the arc and cool the electrode.
While electric arc welding offers many advantages, it also has some limitations. For example, it is generally limited to welding ferrous materials, although specialty electrodes have extended its use to other metals. Additionally, the process can be time-consuming and may require skilled operators for certain techniques, such as TIG welding.
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History of electric arc welding
The history of electric arc welding dates back to the late 19th century. However, metalworking and welding have a much longer history, with the first metalworking thought to have taken place in Egypt around 4000 BC. Ancient civilizations progressed from using copper to bronze, silver, gold, and eventually iron.
In 1800, Sir Humphrey Davy invented the first electric arc by creating an arc between two carbon electrodes using a car battery. This invention is credited as the foundation of modern welding. However, it wasn't until 1881 that Auguste De Meritenes used the heat of Davy's electric arc to join lead plates for storage batteries, marking the first use of welding in practice. De Meritenes's pupil, Nikolai N. Benardos, was granted the first patent for this welding process in 1885. Benardos and another student of De Meritenes, Stanislaw Olszewski, also patented a carbon electrode to be used with arc welding technology.
In 1890, C.L. Coffin of Detroit was awarded the first U.S. patent for arc welding with a metal electrode, introducing the use of a bare electrode that melted to provide the weld metal. Around the same time, the Russian scientist Nikolay Slavyanov independently developed a similar concept using a consumable electrode with filler metal. Although De Meritenes and Slavyanov are sometimes credited with inventing metallic arc welding, Coffin's method is generally acknowledged as the foundation of modern arc welding techniques.
In the early 20th century, scientists worked to improve the newly discovered arc welding method, as the use of bare electrodes often produced inconsistent arcs and cracks in the weld. In 1900, Arthur Percy Strohmenger produced the first coated metal electrode, which provided a more stable arc and led to further breakthroughs. By 1907, Oscar Kjellberg of Sweden had developed a stronger coating for metal electrodes, creating the foundation for the self-shielded Stick electrodes used today.
During the 1920s, various types of welding electrodes were developed, and there was significant research into shielding the arc and weld area using externally applied gases. This research led to the development of the gas tungsten arc welding process and the forerunner of the gas metal arc welding process. The 1930s saw the widespread use of covered electrodes, and in 1930, stud welding was developed at the New York Navy Yard for attaching wood decking over metal surfaces.
During World War II, arc welding became commercially important in shipbuilding. The Washington Naval Treaty of 1921 limited the construction of battleships, battlecruisers, and aircraft carriers by weight, and welding ship plates eliminated the need for rivets and bolts, reducing the overall weight of the ships. Additionally, the gas tungsten arc welding process patented by Russell Meredith in 1941 enabled the efficient welding of materials like magnesium and aluminum, which were essential in the aerospace industry.
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Frequently asked questions
An electric arc in welding is the process of using an electric arc to create high temperatures that can melt and weld metals.
Electric arc welding uses an electric current to generate enough heat to melt metals and form a strong weld joint between the pieces. The electric arc is created between an electrode and the workpieces being welded.
The temperature of the electric arc in welding can range from 3,500 to 15,500 degrees Celsius, which is high enough to melt and join metals.
Electric arc welding is versatile and can be used to weld different types, thicknesses, and shapes of metal. It can also produce strong and reliable welds, making it suitable for various industrial applications.
There are several types of electric arc welding, including shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) or MIG/MAG, and tungsten inert gas welding (TIG). Each type has unique characteristics and is suitable for specific applications.
