Both industry and manufacturing serve as the society’s foundation. It allows us to have high quality living and holds promising future. However, the manufacturing as well as industrial sectors will not come in existence without structures, equipment as well as resources made by industrial fabrication and for that, industrial fabrication would not be available without welding.
Let’s check at the way welding plays a vital part in industrial fabrication and learn the different welding services used.
SMAW – it stands for Shielded Metal Arc Welding or sometimes called as stick welding. The stick here isn’t literally a stick rather, electrode coated in protectant flux. Electrode holder is holding the stick in place and then, an electric arc is achieved by using either alternating or direct current. In the process, the electrode melts slowly while also doing the same on metals that should be joined.
At the same time, the flux coating is releasing a gas vapor along with the slag creates a shielded environment that serves as protection to weld the area from any sort of contamination.
GTAW – this is called as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding and as the name suggests, it uses tungsten electrode in producing the weld. When compared to SMAW welding, the electrode isn’t consumed throughout the welding process. Rather, the welded area is protected from atmospheric contamination by inert gas which is often Helium gas or Argon.
GMAW – referred to as Gas Metal Arc Welding, it is using consumable wire electrode that’s fed through the welding gun. Inert shielding gas such as argon or mixture of carbon dioxide and argon is being sprayed to the welding puddle in order to protect it from contamination.
MIG welding becomes a typical welding method in different industrial setting because of its relative ease and versatility. It isn’t idea on the other hand to use it in outdoor setting and other locations with high air volatility.
FCAW – Flux Cored Arc Welding or FCAW is almost the same with MIG welding but this features using special tubular wire that is filled with flux. Well, the flux might be enough by itself in protecting the welding puddle from contamination or shielding gas might be used which depends on the filter material as well as other circumstances.
SAW – it means Submerged Arc Welding and uses consumable electrode that’s automatically fed. This has characteristic blanket of granular fusible flux consisting of different compounds like lime, silica, calcium fluoride as well as manganese oxide. This combination is then submerged completely to be able to protect the welding area.