Welding Articles

The Longevity MigWeld 100 is a simple machine to set up and operate. In just a matter of a few minutes we could be out-of-the-box and making sparks from your first weld. Intended for the do-it-yourself hobbyist or light steel fabrication, this is a great entry-level wire feeder machine for somebody who wants to explore the field of welding. Use of the self shielded wire eliminates the need or expense for shielding gas, hoses or a regulator. Weighing in at less than 40 pounds, you can transport this right to the place the work needs to be done. The fact it operates on 120 volts also adds to the possibilities of locations you could weld with this machine. With 100 amps at a 20% duty cycle, it should tackle most of your light steel fabrication needs. Joining 22ga sheet metal up to 3/16" plate can help when dreaming up your next project.  Straight out of the box, it has everything to get you started plugging up holes in plate without leaving a big hole in your wallet. 

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In the world of welding, besides our eyes our hands are the most important tools we have in our personal tool bag. Taking care of our hands is just as important as taking care of her eyes so, just like we need to have the proper safety glasses on our face, we need to have the proper gloves on our hands as well. Before we pick out the proper gloves, we need to make sure we understand the potential hazards that there could be, so we understand what they should protect us from. ANSI Z49.1 contains information about personal protective equipment and other safety gear in and around the welding and cutting industry. 

The hazards to our hands in the welding world are numerous. We can have our hand smashed or crushed if they get caught or pinched between two objects. We can cut our hands from exposure to sharp edges and other jagged surfaces. We can burn our hands from red hot metal, sparks and other hot flying metal. Gloves also protect our hands from the bright light and

Often the multiprocess welders have to weld ad work on stainless steels. The stainless steels, also known as steels that resist on corrosion are part of the iron-base alloys. As commercial welders know, these steels do not rust and have high resistance on the attacks of chemicals, gases and liquids. Most of the stainless steels come with good ductility and low-temperature toughness. MIG welders, Arc welders, TIG welders, and Stick welders, further say that these steels are resistant to high temperatures and show good strength properties. As a rule, the stainless steels contain iron and chromium, which could be varying from 11 to 30 %. It is the chromium that secures the basic corrosion resistance of the stainless steels. In general, there are almost 15 different types of chromium stainless steels.

The commercial welders know that to certain stainless steels is added nickel. These steels are known as chromium-nickel stainless steel. Due to the nickel, the thermal conductivity

In order for the MIG welders, Arc welders, Stick welders and TIG welders to perform a good hard surfacing or to do an overlaying operation, then a welding procedure has to be done. The welding process must be related to a certain part that is surfaced, as well as to the composition of that part.

The multiprocess welders should know which welding process needs to be used and which method to be applied. There are also several operations that need to be done before the welding such as cleaning, undercutting, etc.

Stick welders, TIG welders, Arc welders, and MIG welders should also be aware of the preheat temperature, as well as about the necessary techniques that need to be done. For example, they have to be aware of the hardsurfacing pattern, the welding wire method – waving or beading, as well as the adjacent beads interface and the post-welding operations – peening and cooling.

The Arc welders,

The TIG welders, MIG welders, Arc welders and Stick welders are pleased that the American Society for Metals Committee on Hardfacing has organized a hardfacing alloys classification. Thanks to that, the multiprocess welders can recognize five main groups of these alloys, where the division is based on their alloy content. We already presented group 1 – the low-alloy steels with the main alloying element in being chromium and their two subgroups. The multiprocess welders should also recognize the other four groups, namely:

Group 2 – these are the alloyed steels with higher content. The group also has two subgroups. The first one has chromium being the chief alloying element that has total alloy content of 12-25 %. Some of these alloys also contain molybdenum. The second subgroup has molybdenum as the principal alloying element, yet some of them also contain chromium. MIG welders, TIG welders, Stick welders and Arc welders know that the alloyed steels from thi

All multiprocess welders know well that there is no one standard method for the classification of the hardfacing alloy and for the specification of the different weld rods, welding wire and electrodes. In fact, as TIG welders, Stick welders, MIG welders and Arc welders know well, most of the hard facing electrodes which are available cannot be set under the most used specifications.

Most of the suppliers of filler metal are offering data setting classes and categorize their products into these classes. Some of the suppliers also offer information on how specific products can be applied and used in the different industries. In this way the multiprocess welders will know when and how to use them.

Like many of the Stick welders, TIG welders, Arc welders and MIG welders know, the American Society for Metals Committee on Hardfacing has established the best possible classification of the hardfacing alloys. According to that classification, the multiprocess welders can spot

TIG welders, Stick welders, Arc welders, and MIG welders use a special classification system in order to organize the different types of wear and to name the metal deterioration processes that change the welding wires and metal surfaces.

We have already discussed the processes of abrasion, thermal shock and impact wear. Now will be presented the rest of the surface wear types that are easily recognized by the multiprocess welders:

Erosion – this process of wearing away is known to the Stick welders, TIG welders, MIG welders and Arc welders as destruction of metals and of other materials, caused by the abrasive action of water that carries abrasive materials. Very often, this type of wearing hits the pump parts.

Compression –

Stick welders, MIG welders, TIG welders, and Arc welders are well aware that the wear or the so called deterioration of the surfaces is problem in many industries, including the welding industry. The wear of the welding wire and the filler rods, as well as all other materials used in the processes that multiprocess welders apply is the result of erosion, impact, abrasion, oxidation and corrosion.

Sometimes the wear is due to a combination of all those processes. The effects left from the wear can be repaired by the TIG welders, Stick welders, Arc welders, and MIG welders when they apply welding. When the multiprocess welders use special welding filler metals,

Every commercial welder will tell you that the arc length, also called arc gap, is the distance between the part that has to be welded and the electrode tip. The arc length depends on the arc stability, the weld current and the concentricity of the part. The task of the commercial welder here is to keep the electrode at a certain distance from the surface so that there is enough place to avoid stubbing out. In general, the arc length is 0.10 inch and this measurement is taken as a base. One half of the weld penetration is combined with the base measurement and this results in the arc length for a certain amperage.

The weld speed that the commercial welder has to choose is the speed of travel of the torch ad it is dependent on the flow rate of the material that has to be welded and also on the thickness of the material that needs to be welded. In general the commercial welders should weld as quickly

Every commercial welder will tell you that the typical welding system comprises of several elements which include supply of welding power, weld controller, welding torch, as well as tungsten electrode. Commercial welders know that during the gas tungsten arc welding process besides the welding equipment they should also use certain welding parameters. The weld program has specific welding parameters that are developed so that a certain weld quality can be reached.

When a certain parameter in that weld is changed, this leads to a change in the final quality of the weld. In general, the commercial welders write down the welding variables and store them in the memory of the welding equipment.

Sometimes in certain welding applications of great precision and purity, the welders are using specifications with recommended welding parameters that include diameter, base material, weld joint, and also type and purity of the shield gas, as well as arc length, surface condition, tungsten