Welding is not the thing that comes to your mind when you see a classic skyscraper building or the latest model of range rover or sport vehicle, but it should be. Virtually almost everything we use in our daily lives was welded. Welding is simply defined as the way of joining two or more pieces of metal together in order to get a single piece. It is the best way of joining metals permanently. Cars, boats, aircrafts, tanks, machineries and thousands of products cannot be manufactured without welding.
In most welding projects, quality is tested based on the function for which it is intended. If you are fixing a part on a machine, if the machine functions efficiently, then the welding is often considered correct. There are few ways to distinguish a good welding job:
Distribution:
The welded materials must be evenly distributed across its joints.
Waste:
The welded area must be free of waste materials such as slag. The slag should peel away from the metal upon cooling and should be easily removed. All residues found in Mig welding from the shielding gas should be removed with little problem. Tig welding is absolutely free of waste except if the welded materials are not cleaned thoroughly as it is known as the cleanest process.
Porosity:
The welded surface must not have any irregularities or any porous holes. Holes contribute to weakness. If you see holes, this signifies that the base metal was dirty or had an oxide coating. If you are using Mig or Tig, porosity indicates that more shielding gas is needed when welding. Porosity in aluminum welding is a key indicator of not using enough gas.
Tightness:
Loose joints indicate a welding problem. In oxyacetylene welding, if using autogenous welding where there is no filler material, the welded area must not be loose. This also applies to Tig autogenous welding. The gap is not a problem in other types of welds since any gap is filled in by the filler material. Gaps in welding joints indicates a potential problem.
Leak Proof:
A leak in welded material that holds liquid indicates poor welding. This is also true for materials that accommodate gases. One testing method is to use soap bubbles to check for problems.
Strength:
The strength of most weld jobs need to be demonstrated. One way to ensure proper strength is to begin with a filler metal and electrode rating that is higher than your strength requirement.
At Shean, our daily can not be without welding. So welding is like the oxygen in life. Welding is applied on ground screw foundations at part of helix and nuts; on horse pen fencing at pipe joints, on barbecue grill mesh at wire joints; on post support bracket at plate joints. We carry strict rule to welding as we live without oxygen.