SAW
SAW can produce an attractive bead and still contain a poor internal weld. The covered arc may conceal wire misalignment, unsuitable root preparation, excessive heat input, centreline cracking or side-wall lack of fusion.
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SAW can produce an attractive bead and still contain a poor internal weld. The covered arc may conceal wire misalignment, unsuitable root preparation, excessive heat input, centreline cracking or side-wall lack of fusion.
Wire supplies most of the weld metal and its chemical composition is the basis of the final properties. For non-alloy and fine-grained steels, types such as S1, S2, S2Si and S2Mo are used according to required strength, toughness and service temperature. High-strength steels, CrMo steels, stainless steels and overlays are selected according to other material standards.
Flux is not merely ‘sand covering the arc’. It stabilises the arc, forms slag, affects bead shape, desulfurisation/deoxidation, hydrogen, weld-metal oxygen and Mn/Si transfer, and therefore toughness. The same wire with a different flux can produce different mechanical properties.
Raw materials are melted, crushed and sieved. They offer good homogeneity and lower hygroscopicity, but more limited alloying capability. They are often stable for high-volume applications.
What the module covers
- SAW — submerged-arc welding
- SAW is not merely ‘large MAG without gas’. It is a controlled wire–flux–slag–geometry system.
- What occurs beneath the flux
- ISO 4063 — exact SAW process meanings
- When SAW is appropriate
- When SAW is unsuitable
- Main risks for IWE personnel
- Wire + flux: why the combination is assessed
Continue with the practical module.
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