Welding and Cutting Sample

Issue 2/2011
www.welding-and-cutting.info
+++ TWI hosts Chinese delegation +++ 16th Beijing Essen Welding with a record number of participants +++ Good
response for 2011 Welding World Exhibition +++ Helium additions to MIG shielding gas an economic option? +++
Join together.
In Russia.
RUSSIA ESSEN WELDING & CUTTING

23 26 MAY 2011 MOSCOW
4th International Trade Fair
Joining Cutting Surfacing
RUSSIA ESSEN WELDING & CUTTING 2011: CONVINCING TRADE SHOW IN MOSCOW
The event is a rm xture in the calendar of industry insiders: Exhibitors from many countries will be presenting
their latest processes and products at the 4th RUSSIA ESSEN WELDING & CUTTING. Trade visitors will not only
benet from the trade show all to do with welding, cutting, joining, separating and surfacing technologies
but can once again also obtain information at the concurrent theme-related fairs Wire, Tube, Metallurgy-
Lithmash, Aluminium Non-Ferrous and Metalloobrabotka.
www.russia-essen-welding-cutting.com
MESSE ESSEN GmbH, Telephone +49-(0)201-7244-232, torsten.hansen@messe-essen.de
EDITORIAL
Career Management
Whose job is it anyway?
A successful career depends on some help and some luck.
Mine has depended on rather more luck than I would like.
Not that I would choose to do things differently but I am
delighted to say that The Welding Institute is making efforts to
inspire, guide, mentor, and encourage both new starters and
the bright sparks already in our industry.
Please read more in the WJS Editorial on page 99.
Eur Ing Chris Eady CEng

Associate Director, Professional Affairs & Certification
TWI Ltd
Welding and Cutting 10 (2011) No. 2 67

CONTENTS
NEWS
70 New Masters course engineers a bright future for
first graduate
71 Energy leads the way for welding equipment and
consumables market in Europe
72 EAL Managing Director calls for clarity and parity on
the apprenticeship issue
73 Aerospace sector set to benefit from industrial research
collaboration
73 TWI hosts Chinese delegation
70 Dean Carran, Deborah Seddon from the Engineering

Council and Dr Peter Mason, Dean of the Faculty of
Engineering, Kingston University, at the graduation
ceremony (from left to right) FROM COMPANIES
The main application 74 Expanded silicate in welding technology
areas include struc- 76 BladeWelder welds challenging alloys
tural steel and high
alloy steels in thick- 77 Laser tracking system for robotic welding
nesses from 2 to100
mm, in shipbuilding, 79 Volvo relies on safety CMT welding of
tank construction, hot-stamped steels impresses bodywork manufacturer
towers for wind tur- 82 Retrofit torch technology for cutting systems
bines, pipelines and
rail carriers. 83 Short Messages
84 Products
74
WELDING PRACTICE
88 Information about practical welding
EVENTS
90 Russia Essen Welding & Cutting in May 2011 in
Moscow
90 Good response for 2011 Welding World Exhibition
91 16th Beijing Essen Welding with a record number
of participants
Even larger
parts can be
comfortably
REPORTS
machined
with the PSM 94 Trends in global energy demands
400 series.
105 An overview of some of the materials issues
behind AGR nuclear reactor life extensions and PWR
(Pressured Water Reactor) new build
76 109 User software for the welding shop
68 Welding and Cutting 10 (2011) No. 2

CONTENTS
Retrofit torch
www.welding-and-cutting.info
technology
for Power-
max systems.
82
Technical journal for welding and allied processes of

the DVS German Welding Society, Dsseldorf,
the Professional Division of The Welding Institute, Cambridge,
and the Institut de Soudure, Paris
Produced in Collaboration between
SPECIALIST ARTICLES
111 Sonja Zacke, Wolfgang Fricke, Sefika Elvin Eren,
Mustafa Kocak
Strength of block joints welded with large gaps
118 Andrew Gillies, Alex Galloway, Norman McPherson
Helium additions to MIG shielding gas an economic
option?
Three-point bending set-up, CTOD determination.
111
122 Thomas Bschorr, Heidi Cramer, Franz Zech
Optimisation of the projection geometry for the
resistance welding on newly developed advanced
high-strength to ultrahigh-strength steel materials
Sizewell B
PWR (1988-
1995).
126 Editorial preview (All photos:
courtesy
126 Imprint/Ad Index of EDF Energy)
NATIONAL PAGES Early steam

train boiler
explosion.
92 Information from the DVS
German Welding Society
99 WJS News The Newsletter of the 105
Professional Division of The Welding Institute

NEWS
New Masters course engineers

a bright future for first graduate
With university tuition fees set to rise Dean Carran,
dramatically in 2012, studying for a first Deborah Seddon
from the Engineering
degree is likely to be a difficult enough fi-
Council and
nancial choice for students, so deciding to Dr Peter Mason,
take time away from work to do an MSc is Dean of the Faculty
going to be an even tougher decision. Now of Engineering,
though, professional engineers are able to Kingston University,
at the graduation
gain an MSc which counts towards Char-
ceremony (from left
tered Engineer (CEng) status without having to right)
to give up their jobs thanks to a new
Kingston University Masters degree pro-
gramme.
Dean Carran, who originally graduated
from Kingston University in London/UK in
2006 with a BEng degree in aerospace en-
gineering, became the first graduate of the
MSc Professional Engineering programme
when he picked up his certificate at a gra- is recognised, which greatly adds to their issues and barriers faced by engineers see-
duation ceremony held at the Rose Theatre employability in the workforce. The new king to enter the professions through higher
in Kingston on 25 January 2011. The work- programme enables engineers to structure education.
based MSc is part of the Engineering Gate- their MSc learning round the professional More than 70 individuals in a range of
ways initiative launched in 2006 by the En- engineering tasks they undertake at work, companies are now enrolled on the MSc
gineering Council in collaboration with four without the disruption of time away from Professional Engineering programmes at five
universities, including Kingston. their company. In turn, this helps to attract higher education institutions, with numbers
After achieving his degree at Kingston, people to the profession who might other- set to grow. Twelve professional engineering
Dean set up his own engineering consul- wise not have achieved professional status, institutions have now signed up to support
tancy business and was initially, he said, Mr Hope said. these programmes. Further details are avai-
just focused on getting it off the ground. As The Institution of Mechanical Engineers lable at: http://www.engc.org.uk/education-
my business grew and developed, though, had already confirmed that Deans MSc -skills/engineering-gateways. For further in-
I realised that there was a definite benefit would provide him with the academic re- formation on the Kingston MSc in Profes-
in being recognised as a Chartered Engineer quirement for CEng registration. This, along- sional Engineering please visit:
within the aerospace industry, he explai- side the competences he has acquired http://www.kingston.ac.uk/postgraduate-
ned. I couldnt afford the time to go back through work, enables Dean to apply to course/professional-engineering-msc/.
to university full or even part-time to gain IMechE for the CEng professional qualifica- With more than 25,000 students,
the academic qualifications that would lead tion, using work from his MSc to demons- Kingston University is the largest provider
to Chartered status though, so the work- trate some of the required competences. of higher education in South West London,
based Masters degree at Kingston seemed Jon Prichard, Chief Executive Officer at offering an extensive range of courses both
ideal as it let me build my Masters modules the Engineering Council said: We would in the United Kingdom and overseas. The
around my day-to-day work. Its been a real like to congratulate Dean on being the first University is renowned for teaching excel-
benefit to both me personally and my com- graduate of the MSc in Professional Engi- lence, has established itself as a growing
pany. neering, and hope that he is the first of force in research and is a pioneer in e-learn-
Mike Hope, leader of work-based lear- many. The Engineering Council has been ing. The Engineering Council holds the na-
ning at Kingstons Faculty of Engineering very pleased with the take up of these degree tional registers of Chartered Engineers
said Dean had made good use of his Masters programmes and has received positive feed- (CEng), Incorporated Engineers (IEng), En-
programme both to enhance his own engi- back from students, employers, universities gineering Technicians (EngTech) and Infor-
neering learning and to boost his business, and the professional engineering institutions mation and Communication Technology
JNDC. For engineering companies, having involved. Technicians (ICTTech). It also sets and main-
staff with Chartered status is important be- The new flexible pathways provide lear- tains the internationally-recognised stan-
cause this demonstrates the industry gold ning through work-based activities and pro- dards of competence and ethics that govern
standard to their clients and denotes a high jects, with individuals also able to access the award and retention of these titles. (Ac-
level of knowledge and experience, he university resources electronically. Employ- cording to press information from the Engi-
said. For individuals, too, being a CEng ers have welcomed the new pathway, in neering Council/Kingston University Lon-
means that their professional competence particular its flexible nature, which tackles don)

NEWS
Energy leads the way for welding equipment and

consumables market in Europe
The welding equipment and consum- High quality welding consum- Optimistic future
ables market is experiencing high growth ables increase revenues Recently, the energy industry has been
opportunities from the projects in the power The market for energy is witnessing a major area of focus in the policies of the
industries, pipeline and offshore sectors in growth of automated technologies and high- European Union. There has been high in-
Europe. According to the international man- alloyed consumables. Such automated wel- vestment on the renewable energy sources
agement consultancy Frost & Sullivan, the ding systems are preferred for their better like wind and hydroelectric power in all
demand for welding equipment and con- weld penetration, resistance to corrosive the European regions which is benefiting
sumables is expected to surge with increas- environments (like offshore, cut down fa- the welding equipment and consumables
ing pipelines being laid, newer power brication costs and repair) and better return market. The market focus is gradually shif-
plants constructions being planned and on investment. Despite higher prices of au- ting from price to quality and technology
thrust toward renewable energy. tomated products, as opposed to manual in the energy industry and this is also true
There is a lot of effort underway to re- ones, there was an increasing trend for such in the case of welding equipment and con-
duce the dependence on imported energy equipment during recession. sumables market.
sources and protect the long-term economic Welding in the offshore and LNG (Li- Quality is expected to play a prominent
and political interests of the European Union quefied Natural Gas) units are becoming role in the market and high-alloyed con-
(EU). The World Energy Council envisages increasingly automated owing to the lack sumables will be a dominant market in the
that, by 2050, in a global energy mix of at of trained and skilled welders and increasing energy industries. Increasing demand for
least eight energy sources (coal, oil, gas, nu- labor costs. The industries in energy gene- austenitic steels consumables in the Euro-
clear, hydro, biomass, wind and solar), none ration like offshore, LNG tanks and the pipe- pean regions, especially for welding power
is expected to have more than a 30% share lines are prone to high corrosion, which re- plants, is expected to continue. Such deve-
of the market. This indicates widening of sults in susceptibility in the different areas lopment and high investments in the rene-
the growth trajectory for welding goods in of the weld joint. The use of alloyed metals wable and low-carbon technologies, which
the energy sector. with better resistance to environment, re- are gaining importance, will oblige higher
gular repairs and maintenance in pipelines revenues in the European welding equip-
Emphasis on renewable energy and offshore also aids in stable growth of ment and consumables market in future.
market drives new projects revenues for the welding consumables from R. Padmanabha Govindan,
The increasing wind turbine installations the energy industries. Research Analyst Industrial Automation
in Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the and Process Control
United Kingdom are expected to drive the Central and Eastern European
welding equipment and consumables mar- economies stimulate growth
ket. The EU policy, driving the need to de- Eastern European countries that are wit-
velop renewable energy sources to reduce nessing increasing investments in the
dependence on imported fuel, is expected energy sector with specific interest in de-
to increase the welding activities, despite veloping the renewable energy are driving
several projects in pipeline and offshore in- the market for welding equipment and con-
dustries been abandoned during recession. sumables. In the past few years, the region
The market for arc welding equipment has received a lot of support and aid from
and consumables in energy industries is multi-lateral organisations such as the EIB,
poised to reach US $3.0 billion by 2015 EBRD and the World Bank. Green Certifi-
at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) cates supports from the Government have
of 7.1 between 2008 and 2015. Power in- favoured the energy market invariably crea-
dustry has been providing high growth op- ting a demand in the welding market. For
portunities, and to a large extent recession example, the Polish government supports
!.4)0%22 (CERAMIC-SPRAY)
proof, with increasing installations of wind solar power providing 45% subsidies and based on mineral-powder, guaranties
turbines in several regions across Europe. the market is expected to see high instal- best results, heat-resistant, ke eps the
nozzles clean for hours, also those of
There is also a significant demand from lations by 2013. Estonia and Romania are robots
the thermal boilers, hydropower projects expected to see high wind turbine instal- Ask for samples
Fordern forund
Sie Muster testing (EURO
Angebot 14,50 exw.)
an:
and nuclear cells. The trend to automate lations, while Bulgaria is expected to be
().4:-!2+%4).''-"(
and an increase in reliance on high-al- supported through solar projects. Additio- "!5-'!24%.
loyed consumables for critical industries nally, Eastern Europe has a higher growth $ 2(%).-.34%2
like offshore, contribute to the increase in potential as most of the welding is not au- Fon: ++49 (0)7227/22 82 . FAX: ++49 (0)7227 2920
revenues for welding equipment and con- tomated in this region. HINTZMARKETING AOLCOM
WWWHINTZMARKETINGDE
sumables.

NEWS
EAL Managing Director calls for clarity and parity

on the apprenticeship issue
Ahead of National Apprentice Week (7- and can provide life-long, engaging careers (SASE), is likely to be highly detrimental to
11 February 2011), Ann Watson, Managing for students. engineering and manufacturing industries
Director of specialist engineering and ma- As a country, we need to ensure that when implemented. She concludes: A one
nufacturing awarding organisation EAL both university and vocational training are size fits all mentality does not work for skil-
(EMTA Awards Limited), Watford and promoted equally to young people who are led industries whose apprentices require
Leeds/UK, has called on the UK Govern- deciding on their next move. Bright children, training programmes bespoke to their trade.
ment to build on the momentum generated regardless of background, should be made We need to see both clarity and considera-
in recent years to finally put vocational trai- aware of the merits of vocational training; tion when it comes to apprenticeships; cla-
ning on a par with its academic counter- an apprenticeship, for example, provides a rity when it comes to the Governments
part. mix of academic and on-the-job learning plans for the future of the skills sector, and
The last two years have seen a drama- that can make the student incredibly valu- consideration for the needs of the highly
tic shift in the way Government has viewed able once they have finished their training. skilled industries which are vital to the coun-
apprenticeships. For too long now, this Watson continues: We have recently trys economy and industrial heritage.
country channelled our brightest and best seen signs of improvement in the manu- EAL (EMTA Awards Limited) is a leading
down the degree route, suggesting it was facturing sector, and it has been reported UK Awarding Organisation for vocational
the only option. University becomes the time and again how sectors like this will qualifications in the engineering, manu-
gold standard for school leavers at the ex- play an important role in leading the UK facturing and building services engineering
pense of our skills sector. Today, the situa- out of recession. But how can this happen sectors. With more than 40 years experi-
tion has changed and a degree is no longer if they dont have the skills within the work- ence, EALs qualifications are recognised
the guarantor of a job in the way it was 20 force? as representing the highest standard of
years ago. In the meantime, the skilled Watson highlights how the Govern- practical achievement. For more informa-
sector for example manufacturing and ments latest initiative, the Specification of tion, visit the website at: www.eal.org.uk.
engineering is crying out for new blood Apprenticeship Standards for England (According to press information from EAL)
Nominations are now open for li- missions may be made by anyone using while the instructor guide provides a re-
ving individuals to be inducted into the the official form provided by the Aca- source for the teacher to complete the
Plastics Hall of Fame, it was announ- demy and accompanying it with appro- curriculum. More information is availa-
ced by SPI The Plastics Industry Trade priate supporting information. More ble from the Hobart Institute, e-mail
Association, Washington D.C., repre- information and nomination forms are hiwt@welding.org, Internet www.weld-
senting the third largest manufacturing available online at www.plasticsindu- ing.org.
industry in the United States. To be eli- stry.org or by e-mail from Susan Dou-
gible, nominations must be submitted glas at douglas@plasticsindustry.org. The Gedik Education Foundation
no later than 30 September 2011. SPI is (GEV) and the Turkish Welding Techno-
administering the nominating process The new Shielded Metal Arc Wel- logy Academy (TKTA) invite welding
on behalf of The Plastics Academy, ding Pipe Downhill curriculum from scientists, engineers from industry and
whose officials will make up the initial the Hobart Institute, Troy, Ohio/USA is academia to take part in IIW Internatio-
screening committee. The induction ce- now available on two DVDs with stu- nal Congress AWST 2011 in Antalya,
remony and gala banquet will take dent workbook, instructor guide, tests Turkey on 21 and 22 October. The
place on 2 April 2012 during SPIs and answer key. The completely revised event aims to bring leading scientists and
NPE2012 exposition in Orlando, Flo- course includes demonstrations and engineers to share recent advances in
rida. Election into the Plastics Hall of exercises on 2-inch and 6-inch pipe in welding & joining sciences and techno-
Fame is an honor bestowed on indivi- the 5G and 6G downhill positions. There logies to achieve cost-effective, environ-
duals who, by consistent dedication are topics on safety, health and weld mental friendly, safe and long-lasting
and extraordinary accomplishments, quality. Students are provided with in- welded systems in construction, energy
have contributed to the growth of the struction on downhill welding in pipeline and transportation. The congress will be
plastics industry, said John R. Kretz- construction including how to read and chaired by TKTA President Dr. Mustafa
schmar, chairman of The Plastics Aca- apply welding procedures. The student Koak. For more information please visit
demy. Individuals from any country in workbooks provide students the oppor- the congress website at www.awst-
the world may be nominated, and sub- tunity to follow the DVD step-by-step 2011.com

NEWS
Aerospace sector set to benefit from industrial

research collaboration
A 3.8 m (Euro 4.4 m) industrial re- to make a significant contribution to industry, different stages of the manufacturing process
search collaboration announced on 2 Feb- specifically the aerospace sector: Its great is actually hampering and slowing down
ruary 2011 is set to have a significant impact news to hear that Wales is leading the way the entire process. Our aim is to increase
on the worldwide aerospace industry by on the research and development of highly the process by 400% without losing relia-
speeding up the production of composite sophisticated technologies with the potential bility or sensitivity and once we have de-
materials. Composite materials are used in- to make a significant impact on the production veloped the inspection technology at the
creasingly in aircraft with the demand in- of composites. I am particularly pleased the manufacturing level we will further develop
creasing on a global scale but the rate of Welsh Assembly Government is supporting testing and inspection capabilities for in ser-
production is hampered by the speed at this research and that Wales is taking the lead vice maintenance and repair.
which the composites can be inspected du- and working with major players in the aero- Composites, such as carbon fibre com-
ring the manufacturing process. space sector and benefiting from academic posites, are increasingly being used in air-
A four-year research project led by TWI support from our Universities. Our Economic craft construction and other areas such as
Wales, based in Port Talbot/UK, is designed Renewal strategy highlights the need to build wind turbine blades, because of their ex-
to speed up the inspection process by 400% upon the expertise that exists within Welsh ceptional strength, superior physical pro-
using advanced non-destructive testing tech- universities and businesses to harness the perties and increased mechanical perfor-
nologies. IntACoM (Improving the Inspecti- commercial opportunities of innovation and mance. Initially composite materials were
bility of Aerospace Composite Materials) research. This is a good example of such col- only used in secondary structure but with
which has had funding from the Welsh As- laboration between the private and public the development of materials, their use in
sembly Government, involves an industrial sector and between industry and academia. primary structures such as wings and fuse-
collaboration with Rolls Royce, GKN Ae- Philip Wallace, Regional Manager of lages has increased to the extent that in
rospace and Bombardier Aerospace, with TWI Wales, explained that the advancement some aircraft they account for around 25%
academic support from Swansea University, in composites had not been equally mat- of the weight. Composite components and
Swansea Metropolitan University and the ched by an advancement of inspection ca- reinforcements are also being more widely
University of Wales. pability: Composites inspection is a difficult used in aircraft repair technology.
Launching the project, Lesley Griffiths, and highly complex area but is not yet suf- For more information, please contact
the Welsh Deputy Minister for Science, In- ficiently developed to meet industry needs. Philip Wallace at philip.wallace@twi.co.uk.
novation and Skills, said it had the potential The time it takes to carry out inspections at (According to press information from TWI)
TWI hosts Chinese delegation

On 10 January 2011, over 50 dele- Graham Wylde, TWI Associate Director
gates from Chinese industrial companies said: We were delighted to be chosen by the
made an hour-long visit to TWI The Chinese Embassy in London to host part of
Welding Institute in Cambridge/UK. The the delegations Trade Mission tour in the UK.
group was led by Mr Sun Guangbin, Di- We have a long history of working with Chi-
rector, China Chamber of Commerce for nese companies, which goes back twenty
Import and Export of Machinery and Elec- years TWI staff spends more than twenty
tronic Products. weeks a year servicing their Chinese customer
This is the second trade visit to TWI by base to maintain good relations and look at
a high ranking Chinese Government offi- future business opportunities. Today has been
cial in less than a month. In December extremely productive and we have received
2010, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) led positive feedback from the delegation, with
a visit by Chinese Minister Counsellor. Mr many companies keen to meet again and ex-
Zhou Xiaoming was so impressed with TWI plore how our services could further benefit
and the companys strong links with China, their future business. Working together with
that he advised this delegation to find out UKTI and Embassies abroad, in hosting events
for themselves the potential business op- for vitally important trade missions like these,
portunities at TWI during their UK Trade is a great opportunity for TWI. (According Delegates from Chinese industrial companies
visited TWI in Cambridge/UK.
Mission. to press information from TWI)

FROM COMPANIES
Expanded silicate in welding technology

Electrode
Contact piece
Powder funnel
Cavern with arc
Welding powder
Solid liquid slag
Welding seam Fusible inductor

with metal flow Preferred
Solidification/ droplet
melting zone transfer
Heat affected zone (HAZ)
Parent material
Welding direction
Fig. 1. In general, spatter-free welds at a very High temperature proven during for- Fig. 3. The welding process is sub-merged by
high quality are achieved provided appropriate mation, the processed expanded silicate a layer of coarse mineral flux. The granulation of
welding techniques are used. By selecting a the welding powder (0.4 to 2.0 mm) is perfor-
Rotocell plays a critical role during the
particular combination of wire and powder, the med with the addition of Rotocell (types 0.09
chemical composition of the weld metal can be submerged arc welding process with its to 0.3 mm, 0.09 to 0.5 mm or 0.25 to 0.5 mm).
influenced, due to the occurrence of a transfer important contribution to quality and effi-
efficiency of alloying elements through reacti- ciency. For decades Rotocell the nesses from 2 to 100 mm, in shipbuilding,
ons of molten metal and slag in the cavern. expanded silicate has been used in welding tank construction, towers for wind turbines,
technology for the submerged arc welding pipelines and rail carriers.
process. Submerged arc welding (SAW For submerged arc welding, the welding
welding, EN ISO 4063: Process 121) is a process is submerged by a layer of coarse
fully mechanised process used to achieve mineral flux. The granulation of the welding
high deposit rates. It is mainly used for powder (0.4 to 2.0 mm) is performed with
industrial large-volume welding seams or the addition of Rotocell (types 0.09 to 0.3
thick-walled components. Usually, the mm, 0.09 to 0.5 mm or 0.25 to 0.5 mm).
powder is fed automatically and protects The flux will melt from the heat emitted
the weld from oxygen by forming slag and by the arc formed directly on the molten
improves the conductivity of the arc gap. liquid slag that floats on the metallic weld
The main application areas include struc- pool due to its lower density. Because of its
tural steel and high alloy steels in thick- low bulk density of 360 g/l, its fine grading
Fig. 4. The main appli-

cation areas include
structural steel and high
alloy steels in thicknes-
ses from 2 to100 mm,
in shipbuilding, tank
construction, towers for
wind turbines, pipelines
and rail carriers.
Fig. 2. High temperature proven during forma-

tion, the processed expanded silicate Roto-
cell plays a critical role during the submerged
arc welding process with its important contri-
bution to quality and efficiency.

FROM COMPANIES
curves and its chemical composition, Roto-

cell plays a decisive critical role. In this
process the liquid components of the liquid
glass can be well bound due to its lightness
and the micro pores of Rotocell that is the
carrier material. Through the slag layer with
Rotocell, the melt pool is protected from
atmospheric contamination. The arc burns T H E R E I S O N LY
in a gas-filled cavity under the slag and pow-
der. After the welding process, the slag layer O N E W AY
typically resolves on its own, the unmelted
powder can be reused. T H E S M A R T WAY.
Particularly noteworthy is the minimal
emissions achieved by this process, due to PRECITEC. THE SMART WAY TO LASER
the arc being submerged which burns below
the powder layer allowing only small
amounts of smoke to be released. Because
of the coverage of the process, the method
has a high thermal efficiency, but limits the
use to large sheet metal thicknesses.
For a high quality weld seam, the very
low phosphorus content of Rotocell plays
a pivotal role. Additionally, the micropores
of the expanded silicate granulate of about
0.005 to 0.03 mm encourage the gas release
of the melt. Therefore the addition of Roto-
cell in the production of granulated weld-
ing flux, to produce a high quality weld
seam, is decisive. (According to press infor-
mation from Rotec GmbH & Co. KG)
APRIL 11-16
VISIT US: E5 | D203
WWW.PRECITEC.COM
Fig. 5. Due to its lightness and the micro pores
(5 to 30 m) of Rotocell the liquid compo-
nents of the liquid glass can be well bound and
the melt pool is protected from atmospheric
contamination through the slag layer.

FROM COMPANIES
BladeWelder welds challenging alloys

After a successful start one year ago,
Schunk Laser Technology from Lauffen/Ger-
many, has intoduced a second version of
their PSM 400 laser welding machine to
the market. With its high-performance laser
source, the PSM 400 BladeWelder is par-
ticularly designed for welding high-temper-
ature nickel, or cobalt base alloy, an ideal
precondition for machining turbine blades
and high-alloy tool steels. Moreover, its
fibres absorb harmful reflections.
Scaleable pulse duration of up to

200 ms
The PSM 400 BladeWelder is an
expert for working with materials which are
difficult to weld, as they are used in modern
gas turbines. Its highly developed laser weld-
ing process allows crack-free, quick and
cost-efficient machining of challenging
materials. It can be used for manufacturing, Fig. 1. The Blade Welder is suitable for machining turbine blades and high-alloyed tool steels.
for build-up/overlay and repair welding.
The peak pulse output of the Lasag laser and programmed. The PSM 400 series is complex workpieces, workpieces with a
source amounts to 8 kW. Thereby the setting standards in machining individual surface damage or wear can be quickly con-
machine achieves a pulse energy of 120 J. items, small and medium-sized series. Free nected in three dimensions, making time-
Via a freely scaleable pulse shaping and formed surfaces for which no geometry data consuming external programming works
modulation the laser parameters can adjust exists, can be quickly adjusted. For fine unnecessary.
to the specific characteristics of the mate- adjustment the teached points in the spline High-precision linear and rotating axes
rials. The pulse shaping can be enlarged to mode can be connected to a curve. This assure that the machine is working at max-
200 ms. An adaptive closed-loop control shortens the teaching process and the sol- imum precision and repeat accuracy. The
assures that the lamp-pumped solid-state dering path becomes easier to follow. Even welding lines are variably off-set which pro-
laser is working precisely and is perform- duces constant and process reli-
ance stable. In order to avoid reflecting laser able laser welding results. The
beams that could damage the fiber when standard machines of the PSM
reflecting materials are machined, powerful 400 series are also available as
fibres are used for the BladeWelder which a 3-axes CNC machine. On
can absorb such reflections. request, it can be quickly and
cost-efficiently modified to a 5-
Flexible in use axes laser welding machine. The
The high-precision laser welding Schunk Lasertechnik GmbH is
machines of the PSM 400 series are the youngest company of the
exceptionally flexible in use. They can be Schunk group, an expert in
used for machining small and large com- clamping technology and grip-
ponents quickly and comfortably. An elec- ping systems, and was founded
trically height adjustable, double-sided swiv- at the beginning of 2010.
elling machine table, as well as a slidable (According to press information
and swivelling laser welding head provide from Schunk Lasertechnik
a high level of flexibility in the working area. GmbH)
The operators have access to all the machin-
ing, programming and control functions,
independent from the workpiece size.
The user-friendly look-ahead control
unit and the unique teach function for lines, Fig. 2. Even larger parts can
arcs, circles and splines of the innovative be comfortably machined with
family-owned company are quickly adjusted the PSM 400 series.

FROM COMPANIES
Laser tracking system for robotic welding

Meta Vision Systems, a leading interna- water for more arduous applications), front
tional manufacturer of laser vision equip- window blow-off and an integrated weld
ment for welding automation, has launched spatter shield ensure the sensor will survive
the Smart Laser Pilot, a new seam tracking in the most hostile of welding environments.
system for robots that sets a price-perfor- The SLS central to each Smart Laser
mance point that was previously unattain- Pilot system is mounted just ahead of the
able in the market. The distinctive capability welding torch on the robot end effector and
of the Smart Laser Sensor (SLS) on which acquires data at 30 full frame images per
the system is based, namely integrating high second. Much higher frame rates are pos-
performance image processing functionality sible using a windowing function that con-
within the sensor head itself, makes it pos- centrates image analysis on a defined region
sible to simplify the overall architecture of interest. All image processing is done in
while simultaneously enhancing robot inter- the sensor head itself and a tracking accu-
face flexibility. The Smart Laser Pilot rep- racy of 0.1 mm is possible in both the hori-
resents a leap in the marketplace, as it cre- zontal and vertical planes with a field of
ates a new class of flexible robot guidance view of 50 mm.
system that is powerful, easy to use and less SLS features several advancements that
Metas new Smart Laser Pilot laser-based
expensive than previous generations. simplify setup and operation of the system seam tracking system for robotic welding.
Metas SLS technology at the heart of and that greatly improve performance on
the Smart Laser Pilot integrates a high- shiny and other difficult surfaces. This For example, when welding two differ-
resolution megapixel camera, a laser stripe includes an automatic laser intensity control ent materials together whose surfaces have
projector and advanced image processing function, exclusive to Meta, which solves been prepared differently or when fillet
hardware and software within a compact laser reflection problems that are common welding shiny aluminium components, the
and rugged sensor head design. Integral in applications involving variable material laser line from a conventional sensor may
cooling (gas or chilled air, or optionally surface conditions. appear too bright in certain areas and dull
For permanent
joining
Y\iZfn\c[
High-tech wire solutions made of

copper for brazing and welding.

FROM COMPANIES
in others. This may also cause the laser light own Windows XP/Vista/Win7 computer The Smart Laser Pilot is able to control
to reflect brightly, causing the vision analysis running Meta Smart Laser Pilot tools soft- virtually any robot that has a real-time ether-
software to make poor and inaccurate meas- ware supplied for setting up and changing net interface. If a robot is not equipped with
urements. system operating configurations. The laser an ethernet interface, an optional ethernet
Automatic laser intensity control in the safety circuit is incorporated as required by I/O board (EIO) is available to convert the
SLS rapidly varies the intensity of the laser international regulations to manage and ethernet signals and send them to the robot
stripe so that darker areas become brighter control how and when the SLS laser is acti- controller via a serial or analogue/digital
and brighter areas become darker. The result vated. interface.
is an image of more uniform intensity along Ease of use is leveraged further using a In many critical applications, robots
the entire length, contributing to more reli- dedicated graphical user interface touch that are performing automated arc welding
able and accurate measurements. This also screen device (GIO). Housed in its own pro- without some form of external guidance
simplifies the setup process, as varying sur- tective enclosure, the GIO displays the will produce defects if the parts to be
face conditions no longer need to be con- analysed weld joint profile and other data welded are not in the proper position.
sidered while setting up a system. as processed by the SLS, providing an impor- While costly, high quality joint preparation
The Smart Laser Pilot communicates tant tool for production monitoring and or complex fixtures may be employed to
with the robot controller using an ethernet problem rectification. ensure the robot does what it is pro-
connection. Provided with each system is The GIO is implemented as an independ- grammed to do, a more precise and less
a break out board incorporating an Ethernet ent yet convenient means to display data of costly alternative is to use a non-contact
switch, laser safety circuitry and a 24V DC interest to the user coming from the SLS head laser sensor to track the weld joint and to
power supply for the SLS. The break out via the ethernet interface. The use of an ether- adjust the robots path while welding. This
board allows the use of a single cable for net interface also makes it easy for the sensor allows the welding torch to follow the
ethernet and power between the robot con- to be used more generally when information actual joint position and to correct for
troller and the sensor. on the position of a feature or its surface pro- changes in part positioning in real time.
The ethernet switch can route the SLS file is required by another application to (According to press information from Meta
signal to the robot controller or to the users achieve greater levels of integration. Vision Systems Ltd)
DVS Reports
Conference on Joining Plastics

This years event featured the latest technical developments from industrial and aca-
demic experts.
Areas covered include new developments in laser welding, infrared welding, ultra-
sonic welding, and adhesive bonding; welding of thermoplastic tanks and pipes;
joining of composites; testing of welded joints; and qualication of plastics welders.
This conference provided an international forum for anyone involved in joining plas-
tics, including processors, fabricators, manufacturers, design engineers and product
developers.
DVS reports | Conference on Joining Plastics

Lectures of the 2nd International Conference taking place in Dsseldorf on
2nd November 2010. Complete conference transcript on CD-ROM.
128 Pages, 241 Pictures + Illustrations, 19 Tables

ISBN: 978-3-87155-261-8 U Order No. 300269 U Published October 2010
96.00 Euro
DVS Media GmbH U Aachener Strae 172 U 40223 Dsseldorf

Tel: +49 (0) 211/15 91 161 U Fax: +49 (0) 211/15 91 250 U Mail: media@dvs-hg.de U www.dvs-media.info

FROM COMPANIES
Volvo relies on safety CMT welding of hot-

stamped steels impresses bodywork manufacturer
quality and economy, or where particularly acteristics of these materials are obtained
difficult materials are to be welded together. by heat treatment and quenching during
The special arc welding process was devel- the forming process. This thermo-mechan-
oped by Fronius from Wels/Austria and has ical process lends them excellent quench-
exceptional properties when joining light- ability and good structural homogeneity,
gauge sheet, such as good gap bridging, low the prerequisites for a good strength
heat input, low distortion of the welded com- response to high levels of mechanical stress.
ponents and almost complete freedom from In practice, these steels exhibit an unusually
spatter, with less need for rework as a result. high fatigue strength and impact resistance.
At the Gothenburg body assembly plant, Compared with standard steels with a
these criteria play a vital role in the produc- higher yield point, they can achieve weight
tion of the Volvo S80, V 70 and XC 70 savings of up to 50%. An aluminium-sir-
models. The fact that sheets such as Usibor conium coating protects the metal against
is coated and Boron are non-coated means oxidation (scaling) and decarburisation dur-
that specific requirements exist in terms of ing hot stamping. This coating also has a
production reliability, shorter welding times, benefit further down the line, as final parts
attractive seam appearance and the option have improved corrosion resistance after
of using thinner and specially coated sheet painting.
steels. Typical applications are for safety and
structural parts, such as bumper beams, door
Hot-stamped steels and gas reinforcements and, above all, the A-, B-
Fig. 1. Mikael Carlsson shows the critical joi-
ning areas of the Volvo V 70.
metal arc welding and C-pillars as well as reinforcing the floor
Car manufacturers primarily use hot- and roof of the body shell. However, the
stamped high-strength steels for lightweight Volvo experts maintain that despite the
Volvo is well known for its perfectionism construction. The specific mechanical char- many positive properties of Usibor and sim-
with regard to the safety of its cars. Quality
and responsibility for the environment have
a high priority in the production process. In
the production areas, the primary objective
is to deliver and ensure the highest possible
product quality at a reasonable price. To do
this, developers and production experts com-
pare their technologies and methods with
those used in other factories. As a result,
engineers at the main factory in Gothen-
burg/Sweden, found CMT technology to be Fig. 2. Four seams join
the best way of MAG-welding hot-stamped 1 mm thick sheets in
high-strength bodywork panels to meet their the body shell area
stringent demands for quality and economy. between the wind-
Within the Ford Group the parent of screen, A-pillar and
the front side panel.
the Volvo Car Corporation technical man-
agers and experts maintain an intensive
transfer of knowledge and information. It
was in this way that Johnny K. Larsson, Tech-
nical Specialist BIW Joining Technologies,
Joel Lundgren, Welding Technician, and
Mikael Carlsson, Process Engineer Manu-
facturing, first became aware of CMT (Cold
Metal Transfer) technology. This welding
technology often produces impressive results
in situations where conventional MAG Fig. 3. The CMT systems have been integrated into Fig. 4. Volvo integrated the original CMT trial
(Metal Active Gas) welding is not adequate the production process and the existing welding system into the ongoing production process just
for users with stringent demands in terms of cells without having to modify the body shells. one year after the initial idea.

FROM COMPANIES
ilar steels, experience shows that they suffer view has a very short history. They heard
from several disadvantages when using gas about the CMT process from their colleagues
metal arc welding. These mainly concern at Ford. Samples of material for the welding
the welding of door hinges and body frames. tests were provided by the steel supplier.
The considerable heat input during the Axson, Volvos welding equipment partner,
GMAW process causes distortion of the obtained more detailed information and
welded components and hence a reduction carried out the initial welding tests. Their
in precision and quality. Welding spatter welding expert Patrick Gylln remembers:
especially on visible components increases We started the CMT welding tests without
the amount of rework necessary and the risk having any experience of Usibor as a mate-
of visible defects. A very restricted process Fig. 6. To find potential for improvement, the rial. After just a few weeks we obtained
Volvo engineers critically evaluate the key pro-
window reduces the availability of the weld- duction and welding data.
increasingly better results and at the same
ing cells. As the process cannot be efficiently time an ever larger process window.
automated, the labour-intensive production results of the experiments involving the join- The results encouraged Volvo to try it
and rework results in high costs. Further cost ing of thicker sheets were less discouraging. for themselves. The R&D department there-
drivers are the necessary destructive material However, they did not satisfy Volvos fore hired a CMT system from Axson in the
tests and the personnel required to carry requirements for reproducible series pro- summer of 2008. Larsson reports on the
them out. duction. There was also a requirement that results that followed: After initial scepticism
Specific recommendations for the weld- particularly bothered Joel Lundgren: What from many colleagues about arc welding,
ing parameters when joining Usibor to Usi- we can see with CMT is that we have a pos- CMT turned out to be very impressive. We
bor, for instance, or other steels were not sibility to weld boron steel combinations found that we could make considerable sav-
available. The parameters had to be deter- that was not possible with MAG and also ings in comparison with laser welding. The
mined by individual test runs for each com- sheet combinations with thinner base metal quality was also much better when we com-
bination. In these tests, the Volvo welding and also reduce the amount off spatter in pared the results with the conventional
experts varied the wire feed speed, for exam- production. GMAW process. This applied to both the
ple, from 2 to 8 m/min and also the range From Volvos point of view, the problem product and the process itself.
from a short-circuit arc to a spray arc. The could be solved in the following ways: 1. Very shortly afterwards, in October
torch offset was also changed, as were the accept an increased repair and failure rate, 2008, Volvo engineers integrated the orig-
welding positions and the diameter of the 2. design the joints so that a process other inal CMT trial system into the ongoing pro-
G3Si1 filler metal from 0.8 to 1.0 mm. The than gas metal arc welding could be used, duction process. Volvo purchased two new
correct parameters for each combination of 3. find an alternative colder arc welding TransPuls Synergetic 4000 CMT systems,
sheet thickness also had to be determined technology which generates less heat input. which have been operating in the welding
on a case-by-case basis. An example of this The Volvo engineers went for this third strat- cells of the body shell production line since
is the joining of 1.0 and 1.2 mm Usibor egy and subsequently opted for CMT. mid-May 2009. Welding is carried out by
sheets. For this combination, however, it existing ABB robots. That was a new record
was not possible to find a suitable set of Cheaper than laser better for us. Wed integrated the first CMT system
parameters that would permit reproducible quality than GMAW into production just one year after the initial
production. Serious welding defects such as Thats how Johnny K. Larsson sum- idea. Everyone worked well together and it
massive fusion penetration and burn-through marises his experience with CMT. For the all went very smoothly right from the start.
occurred repeatedly. To some extent, the Swedish automobile experts, this positive All those involved, both internally and exter-
nally, were always highly committed,
Fig. 5. The CMT
systems join high-
noted Mikael Carlsson during a visit to the
strength hot-stamped welding cell four weeks after it was com-
steels such as Boron missioned. At that time the system had been
and Usibor to the working for a whole week without interrup-
body shell of the tion, which confirms the current trend.
Volvo V 70 with
almost no spatter.
Three Usibor modules are integrated e.g.
into the Volvo V 70: The rear bumper beam
(1.6 mm thick), the external body sill (1.3
mm) and the C-pillars (1.0 mm). The char-
acteristic values for the coated steel sheets
after hot stamping are 1,050 to 1,100 MPa
yield strength, 1,500 to 1,550 MPa tensile
strength and 5 to 7% elongation. The hot-
stamping process modifies the microstructure

FROM COMPANIES
of the approx. 45 m thick coating and the Fig. 7. The CMT

boundary region of the steel beneath. Fronius system enables Volvo
to reduce cycle times
supplied Volvo with synergy characteristic
in the pressing plant.
curve 1,053 for the CMT welding of the
sheets. The parameters for welding the 1.0
mm sheets to the 1.2 mm sheets are: shielding
gas ATAL5 with 82% argon and 18% CO2,
20 to 22 mm gas nozzle diameter, 1.0 mm
diameter G3Si1 (EN 440) filler metal, 4 m/min
wire feed and 14 mm/s welding speed. These
parameters provide a welding range within
which the Volvo engineers can weld satis-
factorily. For joining thicker sheets, only the
wire feed speed and welding speeds are mod-
ified, e.g. to 8.5 m/min or 16 mm/s. The fact seam length of 274 mm produced by a robot of CMT in body production has brought
that were now able to consistently weld thin- as its contribution to each body shell. Com- about a change in production conditions.
ner sheets with CMT fits in very well with our pared with the situation prior to the intro- The exchange of information within the
plans for a lightweight construction. It helps duction of CMT technology, system avail- Ford Group is very good. Engineers from all
us achieve even greater weight savings. The ability has increased considerably and qual- the plants get involved and pass on their
ability to join sheets which could not previ- ity has improved several times over. With knowledge and experience. Everyone
ously be welded gives our designers even CMT, the trend is most definitely towards knows whats going on. The same applies
more flexibility, explains Mikael Carlsson. further positive results. In Gothenburg, how- to CMT and the results that Volvo has
Larsson adds: In the future, well prefer using ever, the most impressive aspect is quality. obtained in Gothenburg. Johnny K. Larsson
CMT for gas metal arc welding. From our Compared with conventional arc summarises: The introduction of the new
point of view, the higher investment is offset processes, the significantly cooler CMT tech- technology couldnt have gone better. And
by easily justifiable and distinct technical nology gives a better seam appearance, and I mean both from a technical and a time
and commercial benefits in production and above all theres no spatter to stick to the point of view. It was important for us to
product quality. bodywork. Its also worth noting that we no introduce a new joining system into the
longer need to protect the threads in weld ongoing production process without having
Experience benefits everyone nuts, yet they still do their job. We can there- to modify the product. This means we
The developers and production engi- fore increase the cleaning intervals for the havent had to obtain new certifications.
neers in Gothenburg painstakingly record gas nozzles. This is an important outcome Joel Lundgren adds: From production point
their experiences. They established that the that increases productivity and which well of view, the almost spatter-free welding is
MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) value utilise in the future. The higher welding very important. We save both on the rework
for welding without CMT is about 19.5 speed of CMT allows us to reduce the cycle of the body as well as the equipment
hours, with an average interruption of 5 times in the welding cell, comments pro- wearparts in the welding cell.
minutes. This is based on a total welding duction expert Joel Lundgren. The arrival Gerd Trommer, Gernsheim/Germany
Hannover Messe
04.04. - 08.04.2011
Your Single Source For R
Hall 5, Stand D03

Stud Welding Technology
Blechexpo Stuttgart
ENHANCE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY 06.06. - 09.06.2011
Hall 7
www.soyer.com
AND PROFIT BY MORE PRECISION!
Bernd
Bernd Siegmund GmbH Aehrenstrae
Aehrenstrae 29 86845 Grossaitingen
Grossaitingen
Or
Order
der our fr
free
ee catalogue or visit us on www.siegmund-group.com
www.siegmund-group.com export@soyer.de +49 (0) 8153 8850
Hannover Messe, 04.04. - 08.04.2011, Hall H5 / Booth B26

FROM COMPANIES
Retrofit torch technology for cutting systems

The wait is over for Powermax1000
and Powermax1250 owners interested in
upgrading to the latest Hypertherm torch
technology. Beginning today, those cus-
tomers can enjoy all the benefits of Hyper-
therms Duramax torch series, including
more durability and longer consumable life,
while using their existing Powermax sys-
tems.
Similar to the new Duramax torches
introduced last fall with Hypertherms new
Powermax65 and Powermax85 sys-
tems, the torches were designed with dura-
bility in mind. They can withstand impacts
five times greater than the previous gener-
Fig. 1. Retrofit torch technology for Powermax systems.
ation of torches and are more heat resistant
so they can easily conquer the most
demanding job. as the standard Powermax1000 and Hypertherm designs and manufactures
The Duramax torches use a Conical Powermax1250 torches, enabling switch- advanced cutting systems for use in a variety
Flow nozzle and spring electrode for longer ing from the older torch to the new in just of industries such as shipbuilding, manu-
consumable life. Hypertherm testing shows seconds. These retrofit torches use the same facturing and automotive repair. Its product
an up to 55% increase in the life of the consumables as Hypertherms Power- line includes handheld and mechanised
Duramax consumables, which translates max65 and Powermax85, allowing cus- plasma and laser systems, consumables, as
into a 30% savings on consumable costs. tomers with a mix of systems to simplify well as CNC motion and height controls
We were using five sets of tips per their consumables stock. In addition, Spring and cutting software. Hypertherm systems
week. Now with the new retrofit torch, we Start technology, a new patent-pending are trusted for performance and reliability
use the system more and are using only one design eliminates moving parts within the that results in increased productivity and
set per week, said Travis Bering, a manu- torch for greater reliability. profitability for tens of thousands of busi-
facturing foreman at JMH Trailers, a U.S. The Duramax retrofit torches are avail- nesses. The companys reputation for
fabricator from Hamburg, PA/USA. Bering able in either an ergonomic, 75 hand torch plasma innovation dates back more than
estimates the money his company is saving (HRT) or a 38 cm full-length machine torch 40 years, to 1968, with Hypertherms inven-
on consumables will help JMH buy another (MRT). Similar to the standard Duramax tion of water injection plasma cutting. The
plasma system for their shop. machine torches, customers have the ability company has more than 1,000 associates
The Duramax retrofit torches also offer to convert the MRT into a 15 cm short-bar- along with operations and partner repre-
convenience. They are designed with the reled machine torch perfect for robotic and sentation worldwide. (According to press
same Easy Torch Removal (ETR) connection pipe-cutting applications. information from Hypertherm)
Fig. 2. Hand torch Duramax HRT. Fig. 3. Machine torch Duramax MRT.

FROM COMPANIES
life examples of aluminium use in sustain-

Short Messages able products. Please find more information
on website: http://recycling.world-alu-
Aluminium for future generations minium.org
The International Aluminium Institute
(IAI), based in London/UK, has announced Acquisition of an orbital welding
the launch of a website highlighting the systems manufacturer
recycling advantages of aluminium prod- Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. from
ucts. Recognising the demand from cus- Cleveland, OH/USA has acquired substan-
tomers, consumers and policymakers tially all of the assets of Arc Products, a pri-
around the world for up-to-date and easy vately-held manufacturer of orbital welding
to access information, the IAI has developed Fig. 1 systems and welding automation compo-
the site to demonstrate the economic, social nents based in Southern California/USA.
and environmental benefits and the future reducing the environmental impact of its Orbital welding systems are designed to
potential of aluminium recycling. Launched facilities, increasing the use of aluminium automatically weld pipe and tube in diffi-
in February at the International Aluminium in energy saving applications and maximis- cult to access locations and for mission-
Recycling Congress, the website (Fig. 1) fea- ing the recycling of products at the end of critical applications requiring high weld
tures interactive content, based on the IAIs their useful life. The recycling website fol- integrity and sophisticated quality moni-
long-running mass flow research and lows on from the success of the IAIs recent toring capabilities. The acquisition will
extensive statistical database, as well as green building (greenbuilding.world-alu- complement Lincolns ability to serve
recycling success stories from around the minium.org) and transport websites (trans- global customers in the nuclear, power
world. The site also provides data on recy- port.world-aluminium.org) which have generation and process industries world-
cling rates and energy and emissions sav- proved popular with architects, car manu- wide. Arc Products has annual sales of
ings; measures that are central to the alu- facturers, policymakers and academics who approximately $5 million and employs
minium industrys sustainability strategy of are looking for quantitative data and real over 40 people. Terms were not disclosed.

FROM COMPANIES
Orbital welding is one of the fastest grow- in terms of TIG hot wire welding, especially
ing segments of our industry, said John in the fields of narrow gap welding and Products
M. Stropki, Chairman and Chief Executive cladding solutions. Polysoude is fully com-
Officer. Arc Products has a robust and mitted to this leading edge technology and
cost effective line of orbital welding prod- has continued developing the TIG hot wire Temperature distribution film
ucts that, combined with Lincolns welding process in a large number of Thermex is an economical thin film that
advanced welding power sources and diverse applications in numerous industrial can be used in virtually any application to
applications engineering expertise, will sectors, such as petro chemistry, offshore monitor heated contacting surfaces from 200
allow us to quickly build a global leader- and onshore (generally covered by the term to 300F (93 to 149C). It may be used alone
ship position in this important segment. process piping), power generation (con- or in conjunction with pressure indicating film
Joining with Lincoln will enable us to serv- ventional and nuclear) and many more. To from Sensor Products. Upon exposure to heat,
ice and support end-users on a global basis, introduce the benefits of the TIG hot wire Thermex (Fig. 1) changes colour instanta-
and will further accelerate our rapid growth process to a wider public, Polysoude has neously and permanently to reveal tempera-
in orbital welding systems, said Victor decided to tour the world in the true sense ture distribution between any two contacting
Miller, President of Arc Products. We have of the word in order to demonstrate these surfaces. The intensity of this colour change
been impressed with Arc Products strong new applications to welding specialists. directly relates to the temperature it was
product line and R&D capabilities, and we These demonstrations will take place in the exposed to enabling the film to reveal spot
believe that Arc Products will help expand United Kingdom, France, Scandinavia, Ger- high or low temperature zones and minute
and deepen our relationships with key cus- many, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the USA surface variations. Invasive intolerant envi-
tomers, said Mr. Stropki. and Japan. You can look forward to e.g. ronments and interfaces that arent easily
presentations of the advantages of the TIG accessed with traditional temperature indica-
Polysoude on tour around the hot wire process compared to the TIG cold tors and infrared thermometers are among
world wire process, live welding demonstrations candidates for the distribution film. A sheet of
TIG hot wire welding: A technological of carbon steel 168 x 12.5 mm in 5G posi- Thermex is available in 14 by 17 (35.6 by
process is going around the world to boost tion with open angle J and V, as well as 43.2 cm) format. It can be easily trimmed for
productivity threefold. Polysoude from stainless steel 355 x 90 mm in 2G position smaller applications or custom cut to defined
Nantes/France is known for its know-how narrow gap. dimensions. Common applications include
Tip of the Month!
Chinese Steel Grades

Comparison of Chinese steel grades with steel designations according to EN and DIN
This bilingual (German/English) reference work explains the Chinese standards system as well as the classi-
cation and designation systems for Chinese steels. The correspondence between the most common Chinese
steel grades and their European equivalents are presented in several tables according to application or
product form. The overview of Chinese steels with the corresponding European material numbers allows quick
and easy conversion. The book enables the user to compare Chinese steel grades with their European (EN)
and German (DIN) counterparts.
From the Content:
System and Codes of Chinese standards (CN standards)

Chinese Steel Grades
Classication and designation system for Chinese steels 1st edition 2010
Overview of CNN standards according to steel products 280 pp.; Paperback;
CN steel names by Peter Marks, Heinz Gnter Trost,
EN steel names Publisher: DIN, Berlin
DIN steel names EUR 26.80
EN DIN steel names Order by email to:
CN steel grades britta.wingartz@dvs-hg.de


FROM COMPANIES

Fig. 1

heat sealing, lamination/press, flat web-type
machines used in converting, ultrasonic weld-

ing, heat sinking and clutch/brake interfaces.

Post processing analysis of Thermex is avail-
able for temperature fluctuations that need to
be analysed with great precision. (Sensor Prod-
ucts Inc., 300 Madison Avenue, Madison/NJ
07940, USA; www.sensorprod.com)

Maximising inert gas retention
When welding stainless and other high
alloy metals, it is important to completely
displace oxygen in the weld zone with a
Welding facilities for all applications!
noble gas and prevent additional air from
We optimize your production processes please
entering. When surfaces are welded in the
contact us:
presence of oxygen, corrosion and other weld
defects will result, causing unnecessary re-
SAW Pipe Long./Circ.welding
work. Now, oxidation can be minimised and (up to 4 5 wire technique
even eliminated by welding the pipe joints and 7.000 mm O.D.)
with EZ Purge dams constructed with
ZAPTM (Zero Air Permeability) technology. SAW Plate welding
The patented EZ Purge is a pre-formed,
MAG Pre welding
water soluble and self adhesive purge dam.
Similar to a mechanical purging device, EZ RES Overlay welding
Purge is flat to allow equal distribution of
gases across the body of the dam. Made of PlasmaHybrid Long.welding
Aquasol water soluble paper combined
with other water soluble polymeric compos-
ites, EZ Purge substantive body and ZAPTM
technology prevents argon from exiting the
dammed area. Made of sodium carboxy
methyl cellulose and wooden pulp, the EZ
WELDEC GmbH
Purge dam dissolves instantaneously and
completely in most liquids and is 100% bio- WELDING FACILITIES - ENGINEERING - CONSTRUCTION
degradable. (Aquasol Corporation, 80
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14120, USA; www.aquasolwelding.com)
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Submerged arc welding Phone +49 (0) 2753 / 50703-0
flux production line for the Fax +49 (0) 2753 / 50703-30
international market E-Mail info@weldec.de
Gedik Welding has become the first www.weldec.de
company in Turkey which is able to produce

FROM COMPANIES
as compared to shielded metal arc welding. water jet cutting machines, precision water
Flux cored wires are available for non jet cutting systems, ultra-high pressure water
alloyed and fine grained steels (Fig. 2), fine blasting tools, and electric and diesel-pow-
grained steels with high strength, creep ered water jet intensifier pumps. Most
resistant steels, weather resistant steels, high recently, in emergency response to the Gulf
alloyed and stainless steels, hard facing, oil spill, the two companies partnered to
hard facing (cobalt based) and submerged develop the first-known waterjet intensifier
arc welding flux cored wire, e.g. Geka Sub- pump capable of operating at depths below
cor B 31 SC, Geka Subcor B-1D 35 SC. 5,000 feet. BP used the subsea waterjetting
The flux-cored wires are produced by the system to blast away hydrates that were
Fig. 2
seamless production method. They are cop- clogging a containment system. The tools
and supply submerged arc welding flux for per-coated and have a low level of hydrogen are ideal for use in environmentally sensi-
the Turkish and international market. The (H5) in them. (Gedik Holding Inc., Ankara tive marine environments or potentially
company is able to produce aluminate Caddesi No:306 Seyhli Pendik 34913, Istan- hazardous areas, including the Jet Edge
rutile, aluminate basic, fluorid basic and bul/Turkey; www.gedik.com) Hydraulic Versacutter portable linear and
manganese silicate, for the hard facing sub pipe cutting system; Gyra Jet LP ultra-
arc wires and stainless steel sub arc wires Water jet technology for high pressure lance for surface preparation,
fluxes with a capacity of 5,000 tons/year. undersea operations coating and corrosion removal; Ultra
By producing the fluxes, Gedik Welding is The waterjet manufacturer Jet Edge and Deckblaster walk-behind deck blasting
now able to provide wire+flux combina- its applications partner Chukar Waterjet system for removing coatings and corrosion;
tion for various applications. The advantages have developed numerous water jetting and the 80 hp 60,000 psi iP60-80DS
of flux cored wire are high deposition rate, tools for underwater operations, the work- diesel-powered portable water jet intensifier
smoothness seam, easiest functionality in boat and shipyard industries, including pump (Fig. 3). The pump is capable of pro-
every position and less distortion and stress undersea waterjetting equipment, portable ducing up to 1.35 gpm (5.1 l/m) of ultra-
June 0205, 2011

SNIEC, SHANGHAI
THE 16TH BEIJING ESSEN WELDING & CUTTING FAIR

The largest international welding show in Asia!
www.beijing-essen-welding.de
MESSE ESSEN GmbH, Telephone +49-(0)201-7244-232, torsten.hansen@messe-essen.de
FROM COMPANIES
N.E.,St. Michael, MN 55376-8427/USA;

www.jetedge.com)
Integrated diode laser system

The release of a new integrated diode
laser system based on fiber-coupled mod-
ules is available. Despite the extremely
small dimensions of 336 mm x 144 mm,
this high-power diode laser system delivers Fig. 4
optical output powers of up to 50 W CW
at 980 nm out of a 400 m fiber and up to can be used in conjunction with the Mini
35 W CW power out of a 200 m fiber. system. Furthermore, the integrated red
Cooling is provided by Peltier elements and pilot beam facilitates to adjust the laser to
Fig. 3 air flow. The system can either be con- the work piece. The Mini is used for a
trolled via an USB port using the supplied variety of applications in direct materials
high pressure water for mobile water jet software or by conventional analog and 24 processing such as selective soldering and
cutting applications, and is especially suited V signals. The Mini (Fig. 4) is available welding of plastics as well as for applica-
for cold cutting in environments where heat as an easily integrable OEM version (with- tions in illumination, analysis or research
and flames are restricted. The iP60-80DS out housing) or as a housed desktop ver- and development. For such applications,
is powered by a reliable four-cylinder Cum- sion. A fiber optic cable of 5 m length and different wavelengths (630 nm to 2,000 nm)
mins turbocharged diesel engine and is with SMA connector allows flexible beam are available upon request. (Dilas Dioden-
designed for portability and ease of main- guidance to the working area. Available laser GmbH, Galileo-Galilei-Strasse 10,
tenance. A 36,000 psi conversion kit is accessories like processing heads of differ- 55129 Mainz-Hechtsheim/Germany;
available. (Jet Edge, Inc., 12070 43rd Street ent focal spot sizes and working distances www.dilas.com)
TEMPERATURE INDICATORS
The Original.
Over 1 Million Quality-Tested, Superior Welds.
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Exceeds industry standards delivering products free
of sulfur, lead and halogen contaminants.
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maximizes control. Tempilstiks have a 70 year track
Know the Right Temperature record for measuring critical preheat,

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+/- 1% of rated temperature every time. for Welding requirements.
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Im Schlop 1 D-47559 Kranenburg (Germany)

Tel.: + 49 (0) 28 26-801 12 Fax: + 49 (0) 28 26-801 15
Torches Europe D-Tech GmbH E-Mail: info@itwweldingtorches.com
L E T S W E L D T O G E T H E R

WELDING PRACTICE
Electrode manipulation in the vertical-up position

Butt welds Fillet welds
In the event of incorrect electrode There are similar difficulties in the
manipulation (Fig. 2a), the U shaped case of fillet welds as well. The incorrect
movement results in an extremely rein- electrode manipulation (Fig. 3a) leads to
forced bead with deep undercuts. If a sec- an extremely reinforced root layer. In ver-
ond layer is welded without machining off tical-up positions, the welding is therefore
the reinforcement, this leads to slag inclu- executed in the so-called triangular
sions in the notches. These defects can be weaving (Fig. 3b). For the beginner, it is
prevented with the correct electrode recommended to make the movements by
manipulation (Fig. 2b). The slightly counting 1 2 3 4 1 2 The stick electrode
Fillet weld, vertical Single V butt weld, vertical upward movement and the dwelling at dwells at 3 and 4 in order to obtain good
the sides give rise to a flat bead. Notches root penetration. In contrast, the 1 2 step
Fig. 1. The most important factor is the correct and slag inclusions are avoided in this sequence is carried out quickly in order to
electrode manipulation. way. The arc can be kept short in this avoid heating the weld pool unnecessari-
respect. ly because the running-down of the pool
The most important factor in the case would otherwise be favoured.
of manual metal arc welding is the correct
manipulation of the electrode (Fig. 1). This
applies to every position and weld type. It
must always be possible to control the
molten pool in the vertical-up (PF) posi-
tion and the molten pool must not run
down. In the case of welds in the vertical-
up position, the welder must work in the
Notch
so-called Christmas tree pattern. In this
way, the previously deposited weld metal
can solidify before the next step is
a) unfavourable b) correct a) unfavourable b) correct
climbed.
Fig. 2. Stick electrode manipulation during the Fig. 3. Stick electrode manipulation during the
vertical-up welding of butt welds. vertical-up welding of fillet welds.
Heated tool butt welding of plastics

Not only metals can be welded. tion until the melt has solidified once again.
Thermoplastics can also be joined using No welding filler materials are needed. Fig. Prepare
various welding processes. Heated tool 2 shows a compact welding machine for
butt welding is one frequently utilised the heated tool butt welding of pipes. The
process. It has widespread applications in following process steps must be complied
plastics processing from the skilled trades with in order to produce a flawless joint:
sector to automated series welding. alignment, heating, changeover and join- Pipe Pipe
Heated tool
The utilisation fields encompass (for ing. The heated tool temperature is 200 to
Heat
example) automobile construction, appara- 220C for polyethylene (PE) and polypropy-
tus engineering, pipeline construction as lene (PP). In principle, it is true that the
well as the manufacture of windows. Fig. 1 upper temperature must be striven for with
shows an overview of the process: The join- smaller wall thicknesses and the lower tem-
ing regions of the plastic parts are pressed perature with large wall thicknesses. Fig. 3
against a correspondingly tempered heated illustrates the pressure course throughout Finished joint
tool until enough material has been melted the welding process.
completely. The heated tool is removed and
the plastified surfaces of the plastic parts are Alignment
pressed together. The parts cool down In this respect, the joining faces to be
under pressure or with displacement limita- welded are pressed on to the heated tool Fig. 1. Overview of the process.

WELDING PRACTICE
plate. The bead heights are regarded as an

indication of the fact that the entire areas
of the joining faces are touching the heat-
ed tool. The alignment pressure of 0.10
N/mm is effective throughout the align-
ment operation.
Heating
For the heating, the faces must be in
contact with the heated tool at a low pres-
sure. For this purpose, the pressure is low-
Fig. 2. Pipe welding machine. (Photo: Widos ered to nearly zero (under 0.01 N/mm). Fig. 4. Welding bead.
GmbH) During the heating, the heat penetrates
into the welding zone via the contact damaging or soiling the heated joining
until the entire faces are in contact with faces and brings the welding zone to the faces. Thereafter, the joining faces must be
the heated tool with parallel planes. This welding temperature. moved together quickly until they are
can be recognised by the formation of the nearly touching. The changeover time
beads. The alignment is concluded when Changeover should be kept as short as possible since
the bead heights have reached the stipu- After the heating, the joining faces the plastified faces would otherwise cool
lated values all around the pipe circum- must be detached from the heated tool. and the weld quality would deteriorate.
ference or all over the top side of the The heated tool must be taken out without
Joining
Fig. 3. Pressure The faces to be welded should come
Pressure
course. together and touch at a speed of nearly

zero. The required joining pressure is
Alignment Joining applied with a rise which is as linear as pos-
sible. The joining pressure is 0.10 0.01
N/mm. After the joining, there must be a
Changeover
uniform double bead (Fig. 4). The bead for-
Heating mation gives an orientation about the uni-
formity of the welds. Various bead forma-
tions may be caused by different types of
Time flow behaviour of the joined materials.
Pulsed arc
In the case of gas-shielded metal arc
welding, a distinction is made between Pulsed amperage
short, long, spray, intermediate short and
Amperage I
pulsed arcs depending on the input heat

Effective amperage
quantity and the type of the droplet trans-
fer. A background current which just
Background amperage
keeps the electrode tip and the weld pool
liquid is set in order to produce the pulsed
arc. Current pulses which lead to the Time
deposition of the droplets are superim-
posed on the background current. Since
the level of the pulsed current and the
pulse frequency can be adjusted exactly
to the base material and the welding task,
the droplets are transferred without any
short circuits or spatter. The pulsed arc is
utilised in the medium power range, for
thin sheets and out of position. Fig. 1. Pulsed arc.

EVENTS
Russia Essen Welding & Cutting

in May 2011 in Moscow
For the fourth time, suppliers from the There is a great need for modernisation in
fields of joining, cutting and coating will all the industrial sectors and with regard to
present their products and services to the the further development of the partly anti-
trade public at Russia Essen Welding & quated infrastructure in the fields of transport
Cutting. On May 23 to 26, the fair will take and logistics. This is where Russia Essen
place in the Krasnaya Presnya Expo-Centre Welding & Cutting will take effect as the
Moscow. In parallel, fairs with related sub- newest products and processes will be
ject areas will be staged on the site: Wire shown at the trade fair. At the same time, it
Russia, Tube Russia, Metallurgy-Lithmash, will be the meeting place for established
Aluminium Non-Ferrous and Metalloobra- and intensifying business contacts.
botka. Exhibitors and visitors will thus be Proven partnerships safeguard the suc-
offered the possibility of far-reaching con- cess of Russia Essen Welding & Cutting.
tacts and high synergetic effects. From the Russian side, the National
After the deep slump in 2009, the Rus- Agency for Inspection and Welding
sian economy is on course for recovery. A (NAKS) inputs its knowledge and its con- logy. That highlights the significance of the
growth of 4 to 5% is expected for the year tacts in situ. Furthermore the DVS Ger- fair for the German companies.
2010 and should continue at this level in man Welding Society has been assisting The fair programme will be supplemen-
the following three years. In addition to the Messe Essen for over 50 years as a specia- ted by the 4th conference entitled Welding
still dominant raw material sector, the list partner and ideal sponsor of the Essen A Look into the Future, jointly organised
growth will also be borne more and more Welding Fair. Messe Dsseldorf is the by NAKS and DVS. In the already proven
by rising industrial production and increa- joint venture partner in the case of Russia form, experts will provide information about
sing employment. Essen Welding & Cutting. The appearance market trends and new developments. More
This dynamic market environment will of German companies in Moscow will information is available at www.schweis-
offer outstanding chances for welding tech- once again be supported by the Federal sen-schneiden.com (According to press in-
nology according to Western standards. Ministry of Economic Affairs and Techno- formation from Messe Essen)
Good response for 2011

Welding World Exhibition
Since announcing the 2nd Welding Cutting issue 6/2010, page 335). The ex- with the level of interest shown in the event,
World Exhibition, the Association of Weld- hibition is a one day event taking place on especially the number of companies that
ing Distribution (AWD) from Redditch, Wor- Friday 8 April, where manufacturers and did not attend last year putting their names
cestershire/UK is looking to considerably distributors will exhibit a wide range of forward to exhibit this year. This exhibition
increase the number of exhibitors over the welding and cutting equipment, welding is the only event of its type in the UK market,
2010 event. Companies already signed up consumables, health and safety equipment, where welding equipment and consumables
to exhibit include Air Products, GYS Ltd, process gases and other ancillary products. manufacturers and distributors are able to
INE Spa, Weldability-SIF, Corewire Ltd, Ne- Last year was the first time this event has exhibit their products under one roof at a
derman Ltd, JEI Solutions Limited and Pres- been held and was a pilot event to gauge one day event running alongside our AGM
tige Industrial Pipework Equipment Ltd. reaction from the market. and Conference.
The 2nd Welding World Exhibition Adrian Hawkins, AWD Vice Chairman More information is available from the
and the 37th Annual General Meeting and said: Last year was the first year of this ex- AWD Conference and Exhibition depart-
Conference of the AWD is being held at hibition and we are currently on line to in- ment, phone 01952 290036, e-mail secre-
Crewe Hall, Crewe, Cheshire over the week- crease the number of exhibitors at this years tariat@awd.org.uk (According to press in-
end 8 to 10 April 2011 (see Welding and event. As a result, we are extremely pleased formation from AWD)

EVENTS
16th Beijing Essen

Welding with
a record number of Cracks are dangerous !
participants G4 PHOENIX
The 16th Beijing Essen Welding & Cutting fair will go to

the starting line on 2 to 5 June 2011 with a record number of
participants, i.e. around 1,000 exhibitors from 30 countries. The
sister event of the Essen Welding Fair is the most important
and largest welding trade fair in the Asian region. In seven fair
halls at the SNIEC Expo-Centre in Shanghai, it will give an
overview of the latest products, processes and solutions for every-
thing to do with welding, cutting, joining and coating.
Beijing Essen Welding &
Cutting is the meeting place Fast determination of diffusible Hydrogen
in welds according to ISO 3690 & AW WS A4.3.
of the Asian and international
experts who obtain informa- Hot extraction method with thermal conductivity detection.
tion here, prepare purchasing
decisions or sign contracts. - Mercur y-free -
Companies from the interna-
tional leader in the sector right down to the niche supplier use www.bruker.com
www.bruker.com
this platform in order to be exhibitors here. This highly specialised ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
event is an outstanding opportunity to establish new business Innovation wit h Integrit y
contacts, to intensify existing relationships and to make use of
the diverse possibilities of the fair as a marketing instrument. In
the comprehensive supporting programme with conferences
and forums, they receive valuable information about new de-
velopments and the latest state of the art.
In addition to DVS German Welding Society as a long-
standing partner of Messe Essen, other renowned associations
from all over the world are behind Beijing Essen Welding, or-
ganise cooperative booths for the participants from their countries
and input their knowledge. This year as well, the Federal Ministry
of Economic Affairs and Technology will once again be involved
with a cooperative booth. In the German Pavilion which has
grown even further compared with the previous years, 26 Ger-
man companies will show their newest trends and technologies
and will use the fair in order to establish or intensify business
relationships.
In this respect, Beijing Essen Welding profits from the
know-how and success of the Essen Welding Fair. The worlds
premier fair which is staged at Messe Essen in Essen/Germany
every four years achieved one of the best results in its history in
2009 and will take place in Essen once more in 2013.
Apart from Beijing Essen Welding in China, the Essen Wel-
ding Fair has foreign offshoots in Russia, India and Brazil. The
following events will take place this year: Russia Essen Welding
& Cutting 2011 in Moscow on 23 to 26 May as well as the pre-
miere of the Brazil Welding Show 2011: Together with the
partner Aranda Eventos, it will be staged in So Paulo on 18 to
21 October 2011 parallel to the Corte & Conformao de Metais
fair. In 2012, India Essen Welding & Cutting will once again
take place in Mumbai on 29 to 31 October. (According to press
information from Messe Essen)

DVS organised visit to Abu Dhabi
In November 2010, DVS undertook a
visit to ADIPEC 2010 in Abu Dhabi. The
trade exhibition is one of the largest fairs for
oil and gas technology anywhere in the
world. The objectives of the visit were to
make German joining technology better-
known and to create prerequisites for greater
involvement of the sector in situ.
Discussions with representatives of the
government, regional bodies and German
companies with experience in the region
show the great significance of long-term
contacts for business success in Abu Dhabi.
The crucial factors are a permanent pres-
ence on the spot, investments in the training
of the specialists there as well as the will-
ingness of the suppliers to render services.
Short-term involvement is regarded as not
very promising. The United Arab Emirates
expect technological leadership from their
partners. Germany has a very good reputa-
Al Mashibi (Gulf Technical & Safety Training Centre, Abu Dhabi), Christian Ahrens (GSI Gesellschaft
tion in this field.
fr Schweitechnik International GmbH) and Dr.-Ing. Klaus Middeldorf (DVS German Welding
Society) speaking about the possibilities of advanced joining technology training in Abu Dhabi
Excellent infrastructure and tax (from left to right).
advantages
The free trade area is interesting for com-
panies. It offers an excellent infrastructure
as well as tax advantages. In any case, for-
eign firms need a lot of patience and con-
tinuous partnerships in order to obtain au-
thorisation as a registered company. One
appropriate alternative is to found an inde-
pendent company outside the free trade
area. However, the 51% principle according
to which foreign firms must cooperate with
a national partner is still applicable to this
at the moment. The German-Emirati Cham-
ber of Industry and Commerce supports and
advises companies which are planning to
settle in the region.
DVS, GSI Gesellschaft fr Schwei-
technik International as well as the econom-
ic representatives in the delegation on the
mission see a considerable business poten-
tial in the region. The German companies
EWM Hightec Welding and Linde have al-
ready dared to take the step and have set Meeting with the German Ambassador on the German cooperative booth at ADIPEC 2010: David
up plants in Abu Dhabi. The participants in Sutton (GDF Suez E&P Deutschland GmbH), Christian Ahrens (GSI Gesellschaft fr Schweitechnik
International mbH), Claus-Peter Regiani (Messe Essen GmbH), Klaus-Peter Brandes (Ambassador
the mission from Carl Cloos Schweitechnik
of the Federal Republic of Germany in Abu Dhabi), Dr.-Ing. Klaus Middeldorf (DVS German Wel-
and Putzier Oberflchentechnik are also ding Society), Dr. Joachim Henneke (JHCS GmbH) and Jens Putzier (Putzier Oberflchentechnik
showing great interest. DVS and Messe Es- GmbH) (from left to right).

sen therefore want to check further possi-
bilities of taking part in a fair in the United One year of cooperative
Arab Emirates. The oil and gas industry is a
sector with intensive joining technology ac- welding technology work in the
tivities. Until now, this aspect has not been
very present at ADIPEC. In order to highlight Baltic region
the significance of joining technology, DVS
sees the portrayal of the entire value added In December 2010, the DVS Expert ogy training in Riga. The expert group has
chain as a possible concept from pipeline Group for the Baltic Region held its annual translated one issue of the DVS information
and apparatus construction right up to the general meeting as well as an accompanying sheet Der Schweier (The Welder) into
repair of the installations. specialist seminar entitled Mechanisation Russian and another issue is planned. Fur-
and automation in small and medium-sized thermore, the sales of the Russian-German
94% of crucial oil and natural enterprises. At the moment, the group has technical dictionary from DVS Media are
gas deposits in the UAE 50 members from Belarus, Russia, Lithuania, being supported and an independent Inter-
Abu Dhabi possesses 94% of the crude Latvia and Estonia. The objectives of the ini- net appearance within the framework of the
oil and natural gas deposits of the United tiative are to promote the development of DVS homepage is being planned.
Arab Emirates. The complete economy of joining technology in the Baltic states and to The highlights in the year covered by
the country is based on the production incorporate the region into the DVS work. the report included the ongoing training of
and processing of these raw materials. At In the first year, a few specialist events welding shop foremen, instructors and su-
the same time, the country is preparing have already taken place in the Baltic re- pervisors at the DVS training establishment
for the time after the oil and is currently gion. For example, 80 participants from Rigas 3. Arodskola. It was the third event
opening up additional branches of the around 120 registered steel and metal con- according to the DVS1154 guideline and
economy. struction companies in Estonia attended an took place with the support of the DVS fed-
At the moment, Abu Dhabis industry event about the new DINEN1090 standard. eral state branch in Mecklenburg-Western
is completely characterised by workers from Moreover, there was an initial exchange of Pomerania and SLV Mecklenburg-Vorpom-
abroad. Not only management tasks but experience with regard to welding technol- mern.
also commercial activities are performed
by the so-called expatriates. As a rule, weld-
ing work is carried out by workers from
countries such as India and Pakistan. Man-
ual metal arc welding is utilised as the stan-
dard processes while gas-shielded metal arc
welding is still largely unknown.
In any case, there is currently a trend
amongst the natives to do something for
their country and to get involved in the
economy. Thus, vocational training has not
played any role amongst the affluent pop-
ulation until now this is changing slowly.
Together with Deutsche Gesellschaft fr
Technische Zusammenarbeit (German So-
ciety for Technical Cooperation), the coun-
try is setting up vocational colleges at the
moment in order to qualify nationals too.
Here, DVS and GSI can make a contri-
bution to personnel qualification and can
support companies in situ by offering prac-
tical training. Furthermore, GSI intends to
check correspondence courses as well as
lectures about joining technology at the uni- During the podium discussion, the Executive Committee and the speakers made themselves available
versities. The basic training of joining tech- to answer the questions asked by the participants.
nology specialists for the region continues
to be carried out in the neighbouring coun-
tries.

REPORTS
Trends in global energy demands

Introduction must have the highest priority such as hydro, Increased power consumption
The energy consumption is steadily gro- wind, wave, geothermal, tidal, and solar and supply
wing and it must be met by continuous ex- and biomass. Green light has been given in Coal, gas and oil are the main energy
pansion of power generation with careful several countries for expansion of the nu- sources close to 85% while wind power sup-
consideration of the lowest possible negative clear power, which will be asking for effi- ply 2007 was as low as 0.7% (Fig. 1). It can
impact on the environment. Welding, which cient and reliable manufacturing processes. be compared with 5.9% for the nuclear
is one of the most important manufacturing Another area getting high attention from an energy. The energy consumption will have
processes, must offer high and consistent environmental point of view is the automo- an annual increase with 1.2% or 35% higher
quality and productivity in a safe working tive industry. The weight of cars must be lo- in 2030 than in 2005. Coal, gas and oil will
environment. There are several different wered in order to reduce the fuel consump- remain to be the main energy sources but
energy sources to use but the renewables tion and hence the CO2- emission. one of the most important fuels will be
saved through improved efficiency (Fig. 2),
which is about twice the growth in global
energy demand through 2030. Fig. 2 shows
also that wind, solar and bio fuels will have
the highest annual increase with 9.6%. The
future of energy is directly linked to the future
well-being and prosperity of the worlds
people.
Energy consumption is increasing an-
nually with 1.2% or 35% higher in 2030
than in 2005. A BTU (British Thermal Unit)
is a standard unit of energy that can be used
to measure any type of energy source. We
see a tremendous challenge: how to meet
the worlds growing energy needs while
also reducing the impact of energy use on
the environment.
No single fuel can meet our energy chal-
lenges. To satisfy projected increase in global
energy demand to 2030 and ensure reliable
and affordable energy to help meet our in-
terlocking social, economic and environ-
Fig. 1. Global energy supply 1971-2007. mental challenges we will need to expand
all economic fuel sources through 2030.
Technology will play a key role. Many do
not realise the energy already is a high-tech
industry. New innovations and improvements
in energy technology continue to advance
the potential for all sources of energy.
Oil and gas exploration and

production
Oil and gas together with coal will re-
main to be the main energy sources. New
sources both on-shore and off-shore are
searched all over the world. There are many
huge projects to meet the increasing de-
mand of energy. In Europe we have three
major gas pipeline projects: Southstream,
Nabucco (Fig. 3) and Northstream. Russia
is already supplying one fourth of EU gas
import and is planning to increase this share
Fig. 2. Annual increase in % for different energy sources and what savings are expected to be by realising the Southstream project. This
achieved by improved efficiency. pipeline will avoid passing through risk

REPORTS
ORBITAL WELDING
SOLUTIONS
EXTREMELY
RELIABLE
TECHNOLOGY
Fig. 3. Planned pipelines into southeast Europe.
Discover the widest range of orbital welding

heads and power sources for tube, pipe
and tube-sheet welding. State of the
art eld proven solutions, easy to handle
for outstanding quality and productivity.
Fig. 4. Oil deposits and drilling depths in Brazil incl. the largest project Santos Basin (Tupi).
countries Ukraine and Belarus. The South- from Viborg/Finland to Greifswald/Germany

stream and Nabucco projects are estimated is just constructed. The cost for it is estimated
to cost together162 billion SEK (approx. to 8,5 billion Euro. Another impressing pro-
18,4 billion Euro). ject in Santos Basin (Tupi) is running in the
The Nabucco pipeline project is finan- sea 300 km outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
cially supported by EU in order to be less (Fig. 4). The drilling depth is close to 7,000
dependent on Russian gas supply. The con- m. This is the largest oil deposit discovered
troversial Northstream project covering two by Petrobras in Brazil. It is planned to be in
parallel gas pipelines 1,220 km under water full operation in 2017.

REPORTS
Table 1. Global distribution of wind power

installations.
Country GW %
US 35,159 22,3
Germany 25,777 16,3
China 25,104 15,9
Spain 19,149 12,1
India 10,926 6,9
Italy 4,85 3,1
France 4,492 2,8
UK 4,051 2,6
Portugal 3,535 2,2
Denmark 3,465 2,2
Sweden 1,560 1,0
Norway 0,431 0,3
Finland 0,146 0,1
Rest of the world 19,254 12,2
Total capacity 158 100
Fig. 5. Electricity generation by fuel.
Electrical power capacity ning for electrical power generation is ex- 3. Cost efficiency low and stable costs.
Fig. 5 shows the electricity generation tremely important as it takes 5 to 8 years to 4. Possibility to restrict, legitimate demand
by fuel. Demand will be practically intense build a nuclear power reactor and other and monitor.
for electric power generation, which com- years to get construction permit and design 5. Knowledge base and infrastructure is
prises 40% of the global energy need by it. The talking points for expansion of nu- available.
2030. It is fully understood when knowing clear power are: 6. There is a sustainable continuation to
that about 1,5 billion people a quarter of 1. Environmental advantage neglectable develop next generation IV.
the worlds population lack access to elect- CO2 emission and small environmental There is somewhat of a contraction to the list
ricity. impact. above when reading other articles about the
2. Safe supply small amount of fuel, required materials. The future reactors will
Nuclear power which is supplied from stable countries. work with higher temperatures, have higher
Nuclear power is produced mainly in
USA, Europe and Japan. China (11) and
India (18) have currently a few number of
operating reactors. There are totally 439 re-
actors in operation in 30 countries. It repre-
sents about 14% about of the global elect-
ricity generation. Another 56 reactors are
under construction, 136 planned and 299
proposed. China only stands for 25 to 35%
all of these. The Finnish government deci-
ded in June 2010 that building of another
two reactors can start with the objective to
have these in operation by 2020. Some
countries are very dependent on nuclear
power, which is illustrated in Fig. 6.
The average age of European nuclear
reactors is today about 25 years to be com-
pared with the Swedish ones with 30 years.
Methods are discussed to extend their life-
time to up to 60 years and at the same time
increase the output power. Long-term plan- Fig. 6. countries are very dependent of nuclear power.

REPORTS
CLADDING SOLUTIONS
EXTREMELY
RELIABLE
TECHNOLOGY
Fig. 7. Energy consumption in the four main end-use sectors.
Turnkey cladding solutions from

Polysoude include equipment and
related services. Our solutions are
cost effective, exible and reliable.
Perfect for small and medium volume
production.
Fig. 8. Number of assembled cars in different regions.
radioactivity, be more corrosive, have more all electrical power in Sweden. The ob-
wear but still have longer lifetime. The future jective is 20% by the year 2030. The worlds
will show which statements are correct. wind power capacity grew by 31% in 2009,
adding 37,5 GW to bring total installations
Wind power up to 158 GW. A third of these additions
Out of all energy sources the expansion were made in China, which experiences yet
of wind power generation has the highest another year of 100% growth.
growth (close to 10% p.a.) from a low level.
Table 1 shows the global distribution of Hydro power
wind power installations. There is no doubt hydropower can play
2009 the wind power generation with a significant role in meeting many envi-
1,419 towers represented less than 2% of ronmental goals, including climate change.

REPORTS
It is the worlds most important source of By 2030 the power generation sector will Challenging welding tasks
renewable energy. In our increasingly car- account for about 40% of the total primary The welding operations in the energy
bon-constrained world, renewable energy energy demand and its largest energy source sector are extremely demanding and in
forms, such as hydropower, have the po- will continue to be coal. In each sector, de- many cases 100% of all welds must care-
tential to meet the sustainability criteria mand would be growing much faster with- fully be non-destructive tested. Often all
demanded of our times. World-wide, 18% out improvements in efficiency. welding parameters must as well be regis-
of all electricity is generated by hydropo- tered and at the same time high productivity
wer with an annual increase of 2,2%. Car industry has major must be achieved. There are for instance
Hydro power is the leading source of re- challenges narrow gap welding heads marketed for joi-
newable energy. It provides more than Stricter petrol mileage requirements may ning of thick walled pressure vessels e.g.
90% of all electricity generated by rene- be a headache for car manufactures, but the for nuclear power stations. The head can
wable sources. Other sources including aluminium industry views them as good accept an almost parallel joint ranging in
solar, geothermal, wind and biomass ac- news. In 2009, the aluminium content rea- width from 18 mm and in depth down to
count for less than 10% of renewable elect- ched 8.6% of the average vehicle curb 350 mm. Welding of wind towers has cur-
ricity production. weight, continuing almost 40 years of unin- rently a two digit annual growth and these
terrupted growth. Over the next 10 years, the applications are demanding high deposition
Other energy sources worldwide auto aluminum content is pro- rates and powerful manipulators.
Use of solar, geothermal, tidal and wave jected to grow 28 to 30 billion pounds per In the automotive industry laser welding
power will certainly grow but from almost year currently 16 to 17 billion pounds has become a common process and as im-
a zero level. There are few pilot projects: not taking scrap and spare parts into account. portant as robotised arc and resistance wel-
This summer (2010) Europes largest For instance, the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette is ding has been for years. Friction Stir Welding
solar power station will be built for elect- a strong example of automotive work impro- is today often applied in the aircraft industry,
ricity supply to 17,000 households in ving vehicle safety while delivering ultimate while the FSW process is judged to become
Italy. performance. important for joining of cars.
In England there are plans to build the The steel industry is combating the alu-
first geothermal power plant with a ca- minium use with high strength steel (AHSS). Summary
pacity of 3 MW corresponding to the The use of AHSS in an average car is fore- The future of energy is directly linked
needs of 5,000 homes. casted to grow from currently 68 kg to 204 to the future well-being and prosperity
There is still only one large scale com- kg by the year 2020. We are noting a similar of the worlds people.
mercial tidal power station in the world trend for the use of plastic from 40 kg in Expanding access to energy and the
La Rance Tidal Power Plant in Brittany, Volvo 140 (1970) to 200 kg in Volvo V70 opportunities it affords should be a
France. This currently generates 240 (2010). Another strong trend is the move of shared global goal.
MW of power and has been in operation assembling and also manufacturing of cars Our energy and environmental challen-
for over 30 years without mechanical to the growing market in Asia and specifi- ges are intertwined and their scale is
breakdown. cally China. Fig. 8 shows the changes. enormous.
The first commercial scale wave-power Welding is an extremely important ma-
installation Pelamis has been success- Number of assembled cars in nufacturing process for the expansion
fully installed three miles off the north- different regions of the energy supply.
ern coast of Portugal. The capacity today (2010) is about 89 Bertil Pekkari, Floda/Sweden
These energy sources are still in an emerging million cars to be compared with the fore-
phase and will only be applied in niche mar- casted number of 61 million assembled. Literature
kets. The large overcapacity will certainly end [1] www.iea.org/statist/index.htm (Figure 1 and 5)
[2] www.exxonmobil.com. The outlook for
up with closures of factories in mature mar- energy: A view to 2010 (Figure 3 and 9)
Energy consumption in different kets e.g. Western Europe and USA. This in- [3] www.eurodialogue.org/681 (Figure 3)
sectors dustry sector is extremely competitive. Hy- [4] www.ewea.global.org. Global wind stati-
Regarding the four main end-use sectors brid electric vehicles (HEVs) are the new stics 2009 (Table 1)
(Fig. 7), the biggest demand for energy buzz in the car market, which is forcing car [5] www.howstuffworks.com/environmental/
energy/hydropower-plant1.htm
comes from electric power generation a manufactures to make major investments [6] www.puremusclears.com/cars/the-2009-
fact that might surprise some people, who in new technologies, often financially sup- chevrolet-corvette-zr1/
may think that transportation is the largest. ported by state governments. [7] PwC Automotive Institute. Analyst note/
12 October 2009 (Figure 8)

The Newsletter of the Professional Division of the Welding Institute March/April 2011
Editorial
Career Management whose job is it anyway? adults about the value of engineering and the exciting career op-
portunities an engineering background can afford. Better careers
Growing up in the East Midlands coalfields, the vast majority of education in schools and an improved, professional, independent
boys expected to work down the mines when they finished school careers service that advises young people of the many routes into
and many of the girls expected to go into administrative jobs or engineering will improve this situation. We must make sure that
work in local factories. We had a careers teacher but it only seemed young people are fully informed about the exciting opportunities
to be a part-time responsibility; he was less enthusiastic about afforded by a career in engineering, so that we will be able to meet
being at school than we were and he had little idea of career options the growing needs of our industries as we continue to re-balance
beyond the obvious. I do remember having to complete a ques- the economy.
tionnaire that was used to feed a computer programme, which all To supplement the efforts of the careers profession, The Welding
sounded very impressive in the days when computers with less Institute has an active engineering outreach programme that aims
processing power than a modern notebook PC filled an entire to deliver five major events for young people this year. We will be
room. However, the yard long printout listing possible careers taking the Welding with Chocolate experiment to Big Bang, the
based on an analysis of my preferences was less inspiring than the young scientists and engineers fair (www.thebigbangfair.co.uk)
careers teacher. in March, and to the skills zone at WorldSkills 2011 in October,
At school, one of the people who influenced my choice of career plus two other regional events. We are also firming up plans for
was a visiting technical drawing teacher who brought real-world an apprenticeship information day at TWI Cambridge, to be staged
industrial applications into the classroom. More effective career around the UK Finals of the BOC Apprentice Welder Competition.
guidance at school may have made my career progression more The Younger Members Committee also has a programme of in-
efficient but I remain eternally grateful to the inspirational people teraction with schools and colleges and a number of the committee
who nudged me in the right direction at the right time. Now, as members intend to become STEM Ambassadors this year. Your
then, youngsters experience of work is mostly gained through the support is essential in all of these activities to ensure that the correct
messages they receive from family, friends and teachers but the message is delivered in the best possible way, and that contacts
people they listen to most are their peer group. For the sake of our are made that can support and guide school and college leavers
young people and for the sake of our industry, it is more important into exciting careers.
than ever that we help to provide them with the options and the What about career management after gaining employment? Ulti-
information to enable them to choose a career that will be exciting mately, you are your own career manager but we all need support
and rewarding. to find new opportunities, to be encouraged to take further qualifi-
On your behalf, The Welding Institute supports and contributes cations or gain new skills, and to be coached and mentored to the
to E4E (www.educationforengineering.org.uk), the mechanism point that we are ready to move up to our next position. The Welding
through which the engineering profession offers coordinated and Institute and the Welding and Joining Society provide a network of
clear advice to UK Government and the devolved assemblies. In contacts with a keen interest in your industry sector and committed
welcoming the proposal by John Hayes MP, Minister of State for to furthering the profession and its personnel. Your engagement
Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, for the formation with the Institute, its members, and its events and activities can en-
of an all-age (13yrs+) independent careers service, E4E has also is- able you to create and deliver a personal development plan that will
sued a policy statement that includes five recommendations to turn your aspirations into a rewarding career. From role-specific
Government for improving the way careers education, advice and CSWIP certification that will assure your competence to perform in
guidance is delivered and provided in schools and colleges: your new role, through gaining recognition of your qualifications,
A statutory entitlement for young people in England to receive skills and experience to become a registered Engineering Technician,
lessons in careers education as part of Personal, Social and Health Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer, your professional
Education. development plan should be a route map to success.
The need to demonstrate competence in the teaching of careers And dont forget your commitment to lifelong learning. Continual
education as part of the professional standards for qualified Professional Development (CPD) is all of the learning that main-
teacher status. tains, refreshes and extends your knowledge. Reading journals,
The use of real-life science and engineering examples in lessons attending seminars, contributing to committees all add to your
with careers awareness embedded in the curriculum. knowledge and keep you up to date with developments. To retain
Improved access to local and national labour market information your registration and renew your certification, it is essential that
for schools and colleges and closer links with employers. you record and submit evidence of your CPD (see
Specialist science, engineering and technology advisors in careers http://www.twiprofessional.com/professional/index-develop-
advisory agencies echoing the recommendations of the careers ment.jsp). You are your own career manager but we will do all we
profession taskforce. can to support you in achieving your aspirations.
Dick Olver FREng, Chairman of BAE Systems and Chair of E4E If you would like to know more about career development, please
said, Young people often do not make the connection between visit www.twiprofessional.com or call The Welding Institute Por-
the mobile phones they use or the computer games console they fessional Division via +44(0)1223 899000.
play on a daily basis and the the engineers who created them.
He continued, We need to better inform our children and young Eur Ing Chris Eady BSc(Hons), MSc, CEng, MRAeS, MWeldI

WJS News WJS News WJS News WJS News WJS News
The Welding Institute sadly reports that Sir Bernard Crossland and Eastern Counties
John F Lancaster passed away in January 2011; both were eminent
Honorary Fellows of the Institute. Loyal Service Award presented to Ray G Butcher on the nineteenth
of January 2011 at the Eastern Counties Branch AGM
Sir Bernard Crossland began his career as an engineering apprentice
with Rolls-Royce and through part-time study gained his PhD from Citation
University of Bristol in 1953.
Sir Bernard was a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, In 1981 Ray came to a Branch meeting and was immediately sec-
Belfast and had an international reputation as a research pioneer in onded onto the committee. Since then he rarely missed a committee
high pressure engineering and explosive welding. He was perhaps meeting and seldom a Branch event. When needed Ray would take
best known for his role as an expert investigator of national accidents the Chair our meetings.
but was also a powerful advocate of strong integration between in-
dustry and education.
He served as an expert investigator of several tragic accidents, the
most noteworthy of which was the King's Cross Underground Fire
in 1987, for which he headed up the scientific committee that estab-
lished the unique nature of the fire and made recommendations to
prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. He also chaired the
Public Hearing following the Bilsthorpe Colliery roof fall in 1993,
and played an active role in investigation of the Ramsgate walkway
collapse, the destruction of a major liquid gas plant in Qatar, the
Southall high speed train crash and the Ladbroke Grove rail crash.
Sir Bernard lectured and published extensively throughout his career,
and published his memoirs, "The Anatomy of an Engineer", in 2006.
He also served on and chaired several government committees across
the UK and received many awards in recognition of his service to
his profession and to higher education.
As well as an Honorary Fellow of The Welding Institute, Sir Bernard
was a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the Royal Academy
of Engineering, a member of the Royal Irish Academy and president
of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers from 1986 to 1987. In 1987
he was made a Freeman of the City of London and in 1990 he was Ray Butcher (left) receiving his Loyal service award from Eastern Counties branch Chairman
knighted for services to education and industry. In June 2009 Sir Peter Brace
Bernard was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering's Sustained A loyal and working committee member, Ray has given good advice,
Achievement Award. useful suggestions and has taken on the organisation of numerous
John Frederick Lancasters career in metallurgy spanned nearly events. His contacts in the industry have been most useful in pro-
fifty years. He had been a member since 1948 and was internationally moting Branch activities. When Air Products had a facility in the re-
acknowledged as one of the world's leading authorities in the field gion Ray was instrumental in arranging a committee meeting venues
of materials and welding. His book The Metallurgy of Welding with them.
serves as an invaluable reference for metallurgists, welding engineers More recently his input has been vital to the continuation and smooth
and designers. It contains virtually all the information and guidelines operation of our annual golf tournament, that has, in this its 25th
engineers need to maximize the structural integrity and corrosion year, raised over 11,000 for the local Childrens Hospices.
resistance of the full spectrum of welded materials and remains an Ray has also been an active liaison officer with several of the local
indispensable hands-on reference and working companion for me- colleges where we have held events and provided awards.
chanical engineers and metallurgists. Ray worked in the welding sales and support sector and to his clients
John Lancaster had extensive industrial and academic experience in throughout our region he always strongly promoted the Welding
welding metallurgy. He worked at the APV Company on the welding Institute and has been an excellent ambassador. We also recognise
of non-ferrous metals and stainless steel and later with M W Kellogg, his work in the local community, particularly with youth football
where he was concerned with the fabrication of refinery and petro- teams.
chemical plant using carbon and low alloy steel. He was Visiting Pro-
fessor at Aston University from 1971 to 1976 and in 1980 was ap-
pointed Guest Professor at the University of Tientsin in China. New members
John served as TWI Vice President and President from 1967/68 and NAME STATUS ENG C BRANCH
also served on Council, Professional Board and F&GP Committee. Chin Sow Pang Member CEng Overseas
Amites Sarma Member CEng Overseas
Chiraz Ennanceur Member CEng Eastern Counties
Deceased Chen Fun Wee Member CEng Overseas
Richard Shepherd Member CEng London
Name Grade Years in Membership Lijuan Shang Member CEng Eastern Counties
Dennis Lomer CBE Hon Fellow Carl Hauser Member CEng Sheffield
Sir Bernard Crossland Hon Fellow Mario Celant Member CEng Overseas
John Scott Allen Fellow 60 Guiseppe Di Crisco Member CEng North Scottish
N R Blount Fellow 38 Paul Sidebotham Member IEng Manchester
Prof. John Frederick Lancaster Hon Fellow 63 Lawrence Barboza Graduate Interim CEng Manchester

Eastern Counties branch Ceramic tool materials

Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride (PCBN), is being promoted in
The use of refractory metal tooling for friction stir welding of steel the USA by MegaStir Inc. The PCBN is pressed and sintered under
and non-ferrous metal high temperatures and pressures to near net shape followed by di-
C E D Rowe (Cedar Metals Ltd) and Dr W M Thomas (TWI) amond grinding to finished profiles.
Wednesday 19 January 2011 This ceramic appears to be the best for wear resistance and weld
quality but the tools are of high cost and tend to be brittle. They also
David first outlined the principles of Friction Stir Welding (FSW), need precise set-up and process operating parameters to avoid dam-
a technique invented at TWI in 1991 by Dr Thomas. It is now a well- age. Once damaged, they cannot be refurbished. MegaStir Inc. has
established method for the solid state joining of aluminium and cop- also developed a composite tool combining W-25Re for ductility
per and has over 211 user licensees. However, the challenge is to strengthened with PCBN for wear resistance. It is reported to have
FSW steels and titanium alloys. increased tolerance to poor set-up and process parameters and offers
When welding aluminium alloys FSW has a number of benefits, a longer life compared to PCBN, W-Re or W alloys. This work is still
such as: at the development stage.
Joining alloys which are difficult to fusion weld
Distortion and shrinkage are low, even in long welds Future developments
Mechanical properties and quality are excellent Cedar Metals Ltd is promoting studies in various areas. With tung-
The process is energy efficient and there is no fume, porosity or sten alloys, studies are examining ways of altering the crystal struc-
spatter ture of the tungsten alloys to reduce the effect of recrystallisation
The process has some limitations, for example: embrittlement, which occurs as the alloys cool from welding tem-
A backing bar is generally required peratures. Also the addition of Hafnium Carbide (HfC), the hardest
A keyhole is left at the end of each weld
However, there are techniques for addressing each of these prob-
lems.
The tool, which the key to the operation of the process, must be:
Strong and torque resistant at working temperature.
Wear resistant and resistant to creep at welding temperatures.
Of a material that can be machined/processed to complex profiles.
A good friction couple with material being welded
These requirements lead to a list of desirable tool properties. These
include:
Good thermal conductivity (for heat removal from weld zone)
Resistance to oxidation (to avoid the need for shielding gas)
Be reasonably priced and readily available
Be non-hazardous during production and use
Material batch consistency to ensure consistent welding perfor-
mance
Resistant to cracking at ambient and welding temperatures
To FSW steels, which are harder and have higher melting and hence
softening temperatures than the aluminium alloys, harder higher
melting point tool materials are required. To address these issues
Mr. Rowe reported on studies where refractory metals and their al-
loys were used to make FSW tools.
He discussed the use of:
Molybdenum alloys, which proved not suitable for FSW of steels,

but may be a cost-effective alternative to expensive tool steels cur-
rently used for welding aluminium alloys.
Tantalum alloys which gave some success. The Ta10W alloy may
make a good shoulder material for the tool. While these alloys were
suitable for aluminium welding, molybdenum is a cheaper alterna-
tive.
Tungsten alloys, proved to be the most suitable for the welding of
12% Cr stainless steels and some excellent samples were viewed.
Composite materials In general, these involved making the probe

of one alloy and the shoulder of another. For example, a tool with a
lanthanated tungsten body and probe together with a tantalum 10%
tungsten alloy shoulder. Surface treatment of the tools by carburi-
sation and/or nitriding or ruthenium plating also helped improve
tool durability. Composite tools can be refurbished.

of subsonic, high bypass ratio turbofan jet engines of the late 1960s.
Public confidence in Concorde suffered from the fatal crash at Paris.
It necessitated extensive modifications to the fuel tanks to prevent
any future incidence of debris penetration. There is not likely to be
a successor to Concorde for at least 20 years.
The jumbo 747 and super jumbo Airbuss A380 have proved to be
the future of passenger airplanes from 1975, rather than supersonic
transport. These are manufactured from precipitation hardened alu-
minium alloys with both copper and lithium additions.
Today's latest high technology aeroplane is the Boeing 787 made ex-
tensively from carbon fibre to increase the power to weight ratio sig-
nificantly by producing a lighter structure. However this plane is
some three years late and not yet in passenger service. It will introduce
a huge leap in advanced manufacturing technology but a large fuse-
lage in composite material is highly controversial as its mechanical
properties are not as easily defined as with metal structures.
The talk was followed by several questions including a discussion of
carbide available, is being examined as a means of increasing wear the reasons for the Liverpool Bay pipeline failure (sulphide stress crack-
resistance. ing). Joining processes in the aviation industry included riveting (40%
Always the aim is to produce reasonably priced tools to bring FSW of the time to build an aircraft) because the 2024 Aluminium alloy used
of steel to general fabricators, lost strength when welded. Today friction stir welding permits aircraft
A lively question and discussion session followed this most inter- panels to be welded for the first time. However, so many of the high
esting presentation. technology processes in use today were developed in the 1960s; would
todays austerity bring similar advances in decades to come?
John Weston A vote of thanks was given by Charlie Barraclough who had worked
with Gerry on the Morecambe Bay node castings some 25 years pre-
viously; and several members of the audience found that they had
London branch trained in the aviation industry in Bristol at the same time, over 40
years ago.
December 2010
A lifetime of advanced design and manufacturing technology - January 2011
1966-2009
Gerry Francis, Metallurgist and Materials Consultant The January meeting of the London Branch of the Welding and Join-
ing Society was held on 20 January 2011 at the Henry Holland, Duke
The meeting of 24 December was held at the offices of CB&I Ltd., Street, London. This was the Annual General Meeting of the Branch
40, Eastbourne Terrace, London on the 9th of December 2010 and I followed by a presentation.
am indebted to Charlie Barraclough for the following report. Your correspondent was re-elected Chairman and gave thanks to
Gerry was introduced by Geoff Clarkson of CB&I. His presentation Mike Lawrence, Dan Weeks and Eric Martin, who were re-elected
included aerospace technology, including Concorde, communication to Programme Secretary, Secretary and Treasurer and whose hard
satellites and guided weapons, oil and gas technology including rework had contributed greatly to the success of the branch.
fineries and chemical plants and offshore rngineering of natural gas The presentation on the subject of TWI and the WJS was given by
production fields as well as innovations, process and chemical plant Lois Appleyard, Manager of the Professional Division of TWI ably
and hydrogen production assisted by Rachel Wall, Membership Officer and they were intro-
Gerry first discussed the materials and fabrication of the BAC duced by Mike Lawrence.
Aerospatiale Concorde. Amongst the items covered were the direction of TWI in the future;
The aerospace structural materials were based mainly upon Alu- predominantly in reaching out to the young with SkillWeld and
minium alloys [AL Cu] 2024 T6 strengthened by precipitation of Welding with Chocolate; the supply and delivery of services to
non metallic particles during heat treatment. This meant that fusion members and the integration of the professional division with the
welding could not be used for strength parts of a structure, therefore training and the research sides of TWI.
adhesive bonding with mechanical fastening was the primary means The lively question and answer session showed the Branch to be
of construction. A cruise speed of Mach 2.0 produces kinetic heating particularly concerned with the education aspects of TWI and other
of 1200C which allows aluminium to be used with the trade name organisations and their integration.
RR58. Airframe skins were manufactured by both chemical and me- Altogether an enjoyable evening was held to mark the end of one
chanical milling of plates and extrusions to produce parts of eco- successful year and hopefully another successful year to come.
nomic weight and thickness.
Quadrupling the oil price in 1972 proved that Concorde could only Peter Jackson
operate economically as a first class only mode of transport and the
supersonic bang proved to be an inhibitor for flying over land,
therefore London to Australia flights were not allowed. Life membership
Take off noise was extensive and thunderous, with a low bypass
Name Grade Branch Years in membership
ratio supersonic engine relying on reheat for power boost. The noise R Loebner FWeldI London 43
therefore could never match that emitted from the new generation

East Midlands branch arranged in a hexagonal structure with either OH- or F- at its centre.
During tooth formation, two distinct layers are laid down: enamel
24 November 2010 and dentine. The enamel is more highly mineralised and laid down
Joining in dental applications in laminates, thus increasing its strength, wear resistance and tough-
ness, trying to ensure that great lumps dont chip off during normal
A lecture by Dr Nigel Bubb, Fellow in Dental Materials, Leeds Dental use. This is supported on the tooth by a less mineral dense layer,
Institute, The University of Leeds, was given at the Rolls-Royce Club, dentine.
Derby. The teeth are then set in bone via a kind of flexible bungee chord
The resum that Nigel sent discussed the oral environment as being known as a periodontal ligament, which is formed from collagen.
challenging for any material, especially a single material (phase). Teeth are therefore able to move slightly, and resist food becoming
To be honest the world of engineering materials is pretty challenging, trapped and they also have self-repairing properties.
with materials that have to withstand temperatures in excess of All this is bathed in saliva, which washes the teeth and transports
1300C and as low as -60C, with mechanical strength upwards of a therapeutic cocktail of materials, which enables a complex self-re-
1200MPa, dependant on application. pair process. It is this process that keeps in check the destruction
Given these extremes we wondered just how challenging dental ap- caused during the Stephen cycle.
plications could be compared to those in engineering? The lecture
given by Dr Nigel Bubb soon exposed our lack of appreciation of What have we done - Mechanical attachments
the challenges faced in dentistry and the constant, relentless attack
teeth are subjected to. Historically repairs to teeth such as gold inlays, crowns and bridges
Most people at some time have suffered agonising pain when eating have been carried out using a variety of relatively crude mechanical
something cold like ice cream or drinking say a hot cup of tea. This attachments such as pins and bands (basically gold rivets and straps).
pain is probably caused by fluid flow within holes, dentinal tubules, The earliest examples known are credited to the Etruscans and date
as small as 1m in the dentine (Figure 1), providing a direct path to from 700BC, Figure 2. These examples took either human or animal
the nerve endings in the tooths pulp. teeth and mounted them in a gold band which was used to connect
to surviving teeth in order to bridge a gap caused by missing teeth.
Figure 1
Showing This technique was still being used well into the twentieth century,
typical holes though synthetic teeth were deemed more acceptable.
in dentine,
tubules in the Figure 2 - Etr-
order of 1m uscan bridge
in diameter Science museum
(Courtesy - London
University
of Leeds)
These tubules are exposed either as a result of the destruction of the

protective enamel coating or as a result of receding gums (getting Again relatively crude, mechanical methods are used to join the
long in the tooth). One major destructive mechanism is the Stephen restorative materials used for crowns and fillings. For crowns a sim-
cycle, which describes the drop in pH in the mouth after eating and ple taper of a few degrees is used (Figure 3), after the damaged tooth
its subsequent recovery. Once the pH falls below about 4 then the material is removed the remaining healthy tooth matrial is shaped
mineral phase of the tooth starts to dissolve. to form the crown preparation.
The Engineering challenges faced by dentistry
The environment Mechanics

Wet High forces
Temperature fluctuation Wear
pH variations Impact
Biological/disease. Teeth become damaged or diseased
Erosion
Hardness.
What does nature do

Figure 3 Tapers - adapted from: Paul Franklin
Nature restricts the use of materials and provides a type of dental
composite. Teeth, like bone, are formed from a mineral and organic If the preparation were to have parallel sides (or under cut), then
composite. The mineral, being aptly named, apatite and the organic the crown would not be able to be placed. If the angle were too obtuse
phase being collagen. Apatite is principally calcium and phosphorous then the crown would easily be knocked off.

Crowns are bonded to the tooth using thin weak lutting cement such Figure 5 - Dental
as zinc phosphate. composite:
(courtesy Paul
This cement is rigid and does not provide a chemical Bond. A more Brunton)
modern cement such as zinc polycarboxylate is more compliant and
forms a more resilient bond.
Whereas for fillings an undercut is required so as to form a dovetail
joint.
The successful crown preparation should look something like that
shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 Typical
crown preparation
(adapted from:
Paul Franklin)
Dental ceramics
Ceramics have been important in dentistry as a synthetic aesthetic
tooth material. Historically, their use historically can be tracked with
the development of fine tableware. Though due to deficiencies, main-
ly low fracture toughness, since the middle of the last century there
has been significant independent development.
Lately this has led to interest in glass-ceramic materials, some having

Some of the problems associated with crowns include: superior toughness. However, not all of these materials can easily
be made in the numbers of tooth colours and shades needed to aes-
A sufficient gap around the tooth is required for bonding. thetically restore teeth. As such there is a need to join conventional
The bonding cement itself (is forced out). ascetic dental ceramic to these new materials making up a structure
Weakening of the tooth from producing a taper. that in some crude way emulates the natural tooth structure.
Accesability around back of tooth when shaping.
Cosmetic colour match
What dentistry might do next
What do we do now?
A biomemetic approach
Modern restorative techniques have developed with the improve- Self-healing
ment of materials and the realisation that sound tooth tissue should Tissue engineering
be retained. As such the modern era of dentistry is using bonded
restorations. These make use of the latest generations of bonding There are research programmes on each of these areas throughout
agents which physically infiltrate the tooth structure. the world with some leading work being carried out at the University
In dentine, the material enters the tubules and wraps around any of Leeds. The programmes seek to take natural processes, augment
exposed collagen ends: in the enamel it enters the small voids be- them and utilise them in regenerative applications.
tween the crystals. This form of bonding is very effective, but only The East Midlands Welding and Joining Society would like to thank
if moisture is controlled, as the materials are hydrophilic; hence in Dr Nigel Bubb
Figure 5 you can see a blue rubber dam, which keeps the area dry
during placement of the restoration. Alan Caborn

REPORTS
An overview of some of the materials issues

behind AGR nuclear reactor life extensions and
PWR (Pressured Water Reactor) new build
A recent lecture was given by Chris Table 1. Risk of an individual dying. Reactors (AGR) detailed on the map in Fig.
Hamm of British Energy (now existing nuclear 2 were constructed between 1958 and
part of EDF Energy, London/UK), at Rolls Risk 1988.
Smoking 10 cigarettes/
Royce in Derby/UK. Chris started his lecture An overview of the EPR that EDF Energy
day 1 in 200
with an icebreaker or, to be more precise, a All natural causes, age 40 1 in 850 are intending to build was discussed and
picture of the Russian ice breaker ship, Ka- Influenza 1 in 5,000 Fig. 3 shows Flamanville 3 under con-
pitan Khlebnikov. This was used as an exam- Road accident 1 in 8,000 struction:
ple to give us a stark warning of how global Playing soccer 1 in 25,000 Areva design,
Accident at work 1 in 43,500
warming is shrinking the polar ice caps and Pressurised water reactor,
Murder 1 in 100,000
with it the ice flows such as those along the Hit by lightning 1 in 10,000,000 1,650 MW (electrical),
North-West Passage from the Bering Strait to Release of radiation from Under construction in Finland and
Greenland. This is where these ships operate a nearby power station 1 in 10,000,000 France,
and if global warming is unchecked icebrea- approx. 350 operating staff.
(Source: BMA guide to Living with risk)
kers could be a thing of the past.
EDF, we were told, were playing their Operating temperatures of the
part in reducing global warming by looking Everyday risks were balanced against Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors
to new nuclear future builds, other low car- examples of radiological risks such as (Table (AGR)
bon alternatives and sustainable energy 2): The overall thermal efficiency of the old
sources. The perception of the UK public is Table 2. Radiological risks. Magnox reactors was limited because of
that alternative energy sources such as nu- their low steam temperatures, see Table 3.
clear power (Fig. 1), although generally ac- Sv There was therefore an incentive to change
cepted as being positive in terms of reducing 1 week in Cornwall 100 the reactor type to a higher temperature and
global warming, are considered a risk. Dental X-Ray 20 more thermally efficient AGR.
Miner annual dose 1200
Brain scan 5000
The AGR steam pipes, turbines and an-
Risk 135 g bag of brazil nuts 10 cillary plant have similar temperatures as
To put risk into perspective, we were 1 glass of mineral water daily for the coal plant, with 565C steam. How-
shown pictures of the well-known 1943 Li- for a year 65 ever, AGRs are limited to ~540C steam
berty ship, the Schenectady, which Return flight to LA 140 and for comparison a PWR has ~285C
fractured in half just 24 hours out of harbour. 1000 Sv = 1 in 25,000 risk of death, the
steam.
Also shown were pictures of a less well same as playing soccer
known 1954 World Concord oil tanker Structural integrity related safety
that broke in two, however in this example (Source: BMA guide to Living with Risk) cases
both parts remained afloat until they colli- At all temperatures the structural inte-
ded together. Some risks, however, are per- The risk of radon exposure and radon grity of the plant is critical. But what is
ceived as acceptable. This was demonstra- levels in England and Wales was discussed structural integrity? Is it Fit for Purpose?
ted by using the BMA guide to Living with with the aid of a map. The widely publicised We were given some examples of structural
Risk that showed the risk of an individual high radon levels in Cornwall are well integrity, which included an early steam
dying in any one-year from various common known as being high, however what was train boiler explosion, shown in Fig. 4.
causes, such as (Table 1): surprising were the high radon levels in Structural integrity can be defined in
other areas such as the Midlands. many ways, such as: A structures un-
compromised ability to safely resist the re-
Overview of British Energy quired loads or: The science and tech-
nuclear sites nology of the margin between safety and
The British Energy (part of EDF Energy) disaster.
UK nuclear sites are shown in Fig. 2. Exam-
ples of each site were shown and discus- Failure tolerability of structural
sed. An overview of British Energy is that components
they employ approx. 5,500 people and are With the aid of Fig. 5 we were given an
the largest UK electricity generator, provi- overview of the process used to demonstrate
Fig. 1. Sizewell B PWR (1988-1995). ding 20% of the UKs and 50% of Scot- failure tolerability of structural components,
(All photos: courtesy of EDF Energy) lands energy. The Advanced Gas Cooled using a multi legged integrity safety case.

REPORTS
Fig. 2. EDF
UK nuclear
sites.
Fig. 3.
General view of
Flamanville 3
being construc-
ted October
2009.
Table 3. Comparison of thermal efficiency across different reactor types.
R6 Procedure Summary This was dis-
Reactor Type Magnox AGR PWR BWR CANDU RBMK cussed with the use of a failure assessment
Thermal Efficiency 31% 42% 32% 32% 30% 31% diagram that showed two distinct regions
Primary Coolant CO2 CO2 H2O H2O D2O H2O safe and unsafe, with axes representing
Coolant Outlet Temp. 360C 650C 325C 268C 305C 284C - crack tip fracture from crack growth and
plastic collapse. The R6 procedure can
Structural integrity assessment be used for both low temperature and
Chris explained that there were three high temperature defect tolerance assess-
main methodologies or codes used within ments.
British Energy (part of EDF Energy) for car- R5 Procedure Summary This is a high tem-
rying out structural integrity assessments: perature assessment methodology whose
R3 Impact Assessment Procedures, inputs include materials properties, degra-
R6 Procedure Assessment of the Inte- dation mechanisms, defect sizes and service
grity of Structures Containing Defects, conditions such as load, temperature and
R5 Procedure Assessment of Structural geometry. The outputs from this procedure
Fig. 4. Early steam train boiler explosion. Integrity at High Temperature. are defect tolerance and remaining life. R5
is the high temperature equivalent of R6 and
as such is more complex. Similar methods
to R5 and R6 are now covered in national
standards such as:
British Standard BS7910 (1999),
French standard A16 approach,
Japanese CRIEPI flaw assessment,
US standard API579.
AGR degradation mechanisms

Degradation of the AGR plant also
needs to be considered when carrying out
structural integrity assessments, Fig. 6. Ty-
pical AGR plant degradation mechanisms
were discussed in turn and several have
been illustrated.
Thermal ageing degradation

mechanism
The effects of accelerated thermal
ageing on the tensile properties of a type
347 stainless steel that has been aged to an
equivalent service exposure of 650C to
675C, are shown in Fig. 7.
Fig. 5. Failure tolerability.

REPORTS
Fig. 6. Showing
AGR degradation
mechanisms.
Fig. 7. Example
of thermal ageing
degradation.
Fig. 9. Showing creep dwell fatigue (a, b).
Creep-fatigue crack initiation

and growth degradation mech-
anism
Cyclic plant operation (start-up, shut-
Creep damage and cracking Creep was never fully considered in the ori- down) with steady operation at elevated
degradation mechanism ginal design codes, but as can be seen from temperature can lead to both fatigue and
Creep is the tendency of a solid material Fig. 8 it has resulted in a crack initiating. creep components of degradation. Time at
to deform permanently over time at elevated This is why integrity assessment codes such dwell can increase the crack growth rate
temperatures under the influence of stresses. as R5 have been developed. and lead to creep fatigue interaction as
shown in Fig. 9.
Reheat cracking type 316H

stainless steel
Reheat cracking can occur when the wel-
ded component is not subjected to post weld
heat treatment, such as a stress relief heat
treatment and has been subjected to high tem-
peratures during service. This is a particular
form of creep cracking that occurs during
stress relaxation at operating temperatures.
Cracking is typically found in the coarse
grained regions of the heat affected zone
(HAZ) beneath the weld or in the coarse
grained regions within the weld metal, as
shown in Fig. 10. Stress concentration areas
such as the weld toe are also susceptible to
reheat cracking as are residual stresses in
Fig. 8. Creep cracking (left) and microscopic creep damage (right). the steam header.

REPORTS
Reheat cracking experiment

Examples of a reheat cracking experi-
ment using Borland test specimens made
from segments of a type 316H ex-service
steam header were shown.
Inspection of these Borland test pieces
showed that cracking was due to heating
only, without being influenced by external
stress loads. Examples of the intergranular
nature of the cracks were shown on as-wel-
ded specimens after 15,116 hours at 525C,
15,442 hours at 550C and a repaired Bor-
land specimen after 11,810 hours at 575C.
A graph showing a comparison of pre-
dicted and observed creep damage was then
shown to illustrate the positions of the cracks
on node 1564.
Pictures showing typical weld types were
shown, illustrating the parent microstructure,
heat affected zone microstructure and the
Fig. 10. Showing reheat cracking in 316 stainless steel.
weld microstructure. This included a ferritic
multipass weld, an austenitic 2-pass weld
and an autogenous weld (no filler metal).
Primary Water Stress Corrosion

Cracking (PWSCC) degradation
mechanism
Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking
(PWSCC) is a source of degradation in the
PWR system, as shown in Fig. 11.
In addition to service loads one of the
key drivers in PWSCC crack growth are ten-
sile weld residual stresses. These tensile
stresses react with the water chemistry and
temperature and can lead to crack growth.
Experience of operating nuclear power
plants have underscored the need to re-exa-
mine the susceptibility of safety related com- Fig. 11. Showing typical degradation mechanisms PWR corrosion PWSCC.
ponents to PWSCC.
PWR service degradation has been ob- 2009 of automated ultrasonic inspection
served on components such as control rod of the pressuriser surge nozzle, as shown
drive mechanism, pressuriser and dissimilar in Fig. 12.
metal weldments. For instance the PWSCC
of pressuriser alloy 82/182 nozzle to safe- Lessons for new build
end butt welds is now ranked highest of the A personal view
ageing/degradation issues. Dont assume everything will be alright
These observations have motivated the keep looking for degradation. Dont stop
need to better understand PWSCC morpho- R&D activities the data are essential and
logy especially in nickel base alloys and to will probably save money in the long term!
assess the effectiveness of non-destructive The WJS East Midlands Branch would
examination (NDE) practices. like to thank Chris Hamm of British
Energy.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) Alan Caborn,
One of the improved NDT techniques WJS East Midlands Branch,
has been the introduction at Sizewell B in Derby/UK Fig. 12. Automated ultrasonic inspection.

REPORTS
User software for the welding shop

Both the Basic tungsten inert gas welded. Manual arc wel-
and the Professional ding was the process designated for the ba-
editions can be up- cking welds. The filler and capping runs
graded from version were to be produced using submerged arc
4 via free plug-ins. welding. Apart from the usual parameters
At present, in addi- for the welding, numerous further important
tion to the filler ma- specifications were required in the welding
terials and additives procedure specification. Among them:
from ESAB (OK precise specification of the layer thick-
Handbook) these ness per welding process deployed,
also include the specification of the welding current
shield and forming source and type,
gases from the gas welding method (manual, mechanised
suppliers AirLiquide, or automatic),
Praxair, PanGas and positional angle of the welding torch
Linde as well as the with tungsten inert gas welding,
tungsten electrodes seam diagram with simulated repair
Fig. 1. Opening screen of the software Weldassistant with the new from the company welding,
WPQR-administration module. Gesellschaft fr determination of the post-welding low
Wolfram Industrie. hydrogen annealing (soaking) in addi-
Enhanced functions tion to heat treatment.
First appearing in 2002, version 5 of the Example of a dual language
Weldassistant software will be available welding procedure specification English and German versions of the welding
from end of March 2011. It can be had in for nuclear power plant con- procedure specification made simple
the Basic and Professional editions which struction Using the Weldassistant software,
can be upgraded by means of free plug-ins. Do you speak English? Yes, sure even precisely this most sophisticated type
Whilst the Basic version of the Weld- Following the introduction of the Weld-
assistant software from hsk-welding solu- assistant plug-ins, the advantage of Weld-
tions GbR in Viernheim/Germany facilitates assistants multi-lingual software is now
the creation of welding procedure specifi- considerable. It even fulfils the high-level
cations (WPS), the Professional version requirements for safety elements in a Chi-
comes with the additional welder adminis- nese Nuclear Power Plant. This is illustrated,
tration, cost calculation and completely for example, in a welding procedure speci-
new to version 5 the procedure qualifi- fication available in two languages.
cation record modules (PQR) (Fig. 1). The On the new nuclear power plant con-
welder administration module enables the struction, Taishan 1+2 in China, class 1
creation of welder test certification in accor- safety valves (highest nuclear engineering
dance with EN 287-1. Comprehensive se- specifications) are necessary for safeguar-
arch functions for both the field of applica- ding the main steam line. One of the chal-
tion as well as qualification data assist in ra- lenges here was the creation of a subject
pidly finding the appropriate welder and/or to approval welding procedure specifica-
drawing up new qualifications. Once stored, tion (WPS) for welding the nozzle seam
information on qualifications can be further (arrow in Fig. 2) in accordance with:
utilised for extending the certification. EN ISO 15609-1 Specification and qua-
The new procedure qualification re- lification of welding procedures for me-
cord (PQR) module facilitates the adminis- tallic materials Welding procedure
tration of PQRs and their areas of application. specification - Part 1: Arc welding,
Comprehensive search functions for both RCC-M (French nuclear code),
the areas of application as well as the qua- extensive customer specifications.
lification data assist in finding the appropriate This concerns a link between the material
PQR for that special application. Because M1112 (20MN5M) as per RCC-M and the
the areas of application can be manifold, it fine grained steel P355QH (material number
is possible to define several of these for one 1.0571). A single U groove preparation was Fig. 2. Main steam safety valve Si9507 for the
test weld (e.g. in accordance with DIN EN designated for the 30 mm thick, 350 mm Chinese nuclear power plant Taishan 1+2 and
ISO 15614-1 and ASME Section IX). diameter nozzle seam. The root was to be position of the weld (red arrow).

REPORTS
the Weldassistant software it is possible

to enter format-independent parameters (Fig.
5, right) into the input boxes for the promp-
ted keywords (Fig. 5, left).
Welding software should not only be a
tool for filling out or creating forms (WPSs,
WPQRs) it also has to achieve the greatest
possible benefit to the user. With the intro-
duction of plug-ins, for the first time in wel-
ding software the manufacturers of welding
filler materials, for instance, were incorpo-
rated into its further development which has
considerably accelerated access to the ne-
cessary information. The new software ver-
sion 5 demonstrates that its enhancements
have still further improved the benefits to
the user. With it, even the highest level of
requirements in respect of the body of regu-
lations and customer specifications in power
Fig. 3. Welding procedure specification (WPS) in accordance with EN ISO 15609 for the customer station and nuclear technology can be ful-
in English, prepared using Weldassistant. filled.
Klaus Hoffmann, Viernheim/Germany
The company Bopp & Reuther Sicherheits-

und Regelarmaturen GmbH with its head-
quarters in Mannheim/Germany manufactures
control fittings, safety and gate valves up to
10 tons in weight. It has applications in the
petrochemical industry, in plant construction
and both conventional and nuclear power
plant. The applications range from low tem-
perature, -196C through to the latest gene-
ration of high temperature power plant valves
for up to 725C steam temperature. The va-
riety of materials resulting from this, together
with their sophisticated welding techniques,
calls for a high number of correspondingly
qualified welding processes. The requirements
emanating from the body of regulations pre-
sent welding technology, in particular WPS
creation and the documentation, with very
considerable challenges.
Fig. 4. After switching over the software language, the German version of the WPS is available after
a few changes.
Weaving String bead
Preheat temperature [C] 220
of welding procedure specification for class to the customer for approval had to be draf- Interpass temperature [C] 220-280
1 weld seams in the nuclear branch can be ted in English (Fig. 3). But it could not be Process Stress relieffannealing
implemented without problem. The com- used in this form for the works in Germany. Heating method Furnance from RT
pliance with the WPS schedule in accor- By switching over the software language, Heating rate 3+/- 10% K/min
dance with EN 15609-1 and the possibility and with few changes, a WPS in German Holding temperatur 580-615C
of integrating all statements in the customer was created for the factory in Mannheim, Holding time 90-120 min
specification into the WPS was, in the case Germany (Fig. 4). Cooling Furnance <300C, rest
of Bopp & Reuther, the decisive factor in The heat conduction during welding as calm air
selecting the software. The software was well as the weld seam heat-treatment were Cooling rate 3+/- 10% K/min
able to play to its multilingual strengths. The further criteria which had to be illustrated
welding procedure specification submitted in the welding procedure specification. With Fig. 5. Specification for heat treatment.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Strength of block joints welded with large gaps

Dipl.-Ing. Sonja Zacke studied civil enginee- 1 Introduction
ring at the Leibniz University of Hanover/ In shipbuilding the welding of large gaps at block joints is re-
Germany. In 2006 she completed her diploma gulated by the classification societies with respect to the welding
thesis on welding simulation and post-weld
procedure. At present, the maximum permitted gap amounts to
treatment. Since 2007 she has been a research
assistant at the Institute of Ship Structural 25 mm. Apart from the welding technique also the strength of the
Design and Analysis at the Hamburg welded structures becomes questionable with larger gaps. Unfa-
University of Technology (TUHH), currently vourable constraint conditions of the surrounding structure can
working on her doctoral thesis with a focus on also have negative effects. For this purpose, butt joints at 250 mm
computational assessment of residual stresses
wide and 15 mm thick plates made of mild and higher-tensile steel,
and their influence on the strength of ship block joints.
welded with different gaps under restraint conditions, were inves-
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Fricke studied naval tigated with respect to their fatigue strength. The investigated pa-
architecture at the Universities of Hanover rameters are:
and Hamburg/Germany. In 1985 he received gap width (8 to 30mm),
his doctorship for a dissertation on linear and
welding technique (string-bead technique, weaving techni-
non-linear analysis of ship structures. From
1986 to 2000 he was employed by the que),
Classification Society Germanischer Lloyd in steel grade (higher-tensile steel D36, mild steel A235),
Hamburg. In 2000 he became professor for preloading and stress ratio R,
ship structural design and analysis at the welding position (horizontal PA and vertical position PF).
Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH).
Altogether more than 60 specimens were welded; their geometry
Dipl.-Ing. Sefika Elvin Eren studied mechani- is presented in Fig. 1.
cal engineering at the Technical University of The 250mm wide specimens were cut after cooling to obtain
Munich/Germany. After two years of research the fatigue specimens. For the fatigue tests a cross section of 40
activities at the GKSS Research Centre in mm 15mm was specified, so that four to five fatigue specimens
Geesthacht/Germany, in 2009 she began with
were obtained from each welded plate. For statistical reasons of
her PhD in component reliability at Imperial
College London/UK. the fatigue evaluation at least eight specimens are needed, con-
sequently 2 specimens must be welded for each joint variant.
2 Welding of the specimens

Welding was performed under definite constraints to take into
Dr.-Ing. Mustafa Kocak studied mechanical
engineering at Middle East Technical account the structural ship stiffness. The constraint can be inter-
University, Gaziantep/Turkey. He then recei- preted as the spring stiffness, which was obtained by several mea-
ved his doctorship in 1982 at Bath surements on board within previous investigations [1]. For this
University/UK. Until 1984 he worked as a purpose, a restraining welding set-up was designed. The arrange-
researcher at Liverpool University. From 1984
ment as a closed system can show typical unfavourable constraints
to 2009 he was researcher and director of the
Department of Joining and Assessment at the (Fig. 2).
GKSS Research Center Geesthacht/Germany. The main properties of the investigated materials are summa-
Since November 2009 he has been General rised in Table 1. The welding procedure was the metal-active-gas
Manager of Gedik Holding in Istanbul/Turkey. (MAG) process; welding was done by an automatic system that is
able to weave along the welding line.
A main indication of the differences between both welding
The welding of block joints in shipbuilding often requires much techniques and the magnitude of the gap width is the energy input
effort because fabrication without margins sometimes leads to per unit length. Table 2 presents the averaged energy input for the
large gaps between blocks. The high stresses occurring due to passes and for better comparability (different number of passes per
constraints may be unfavourable. For this reason, a project was layer) also for the section. Furthermore the time needed for welding
undertaken to investigate if butt joints welded with larger gaps a 10m long joint is given. As one can see, both techniques have a
fulfil the requirements. The objective was the proof of sufficient similar energy input per section welded in horizontal position (W,
strength of welds fabricated with gap widths up to 30 mm. S). The energy increase for the large gap width corresponding to
the higher number of layers needed is remarkable. As shown in the
Sonja Zacke, Wolfgang Fricke and Sefika Elvin Eren, Hamburg/Germany last column, the most time consuming technique is the 30mm wide
and Mustafa Kocak, Ankara/Turkey gap welded in vertical position, whereas for the horizontal welding
position the difference can hardly be noticed for both welding tech-
Communication from the Institute for Ship Structural niques. These times do not include cooling times, responding to
Design and Analysis of the Hamburg University of Technology,
Hamburg/Germany.
the fact that the joint has cooled down after the welder has finished
the 10m long layer and started with the next one.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
3 Measurement of the reaction forces

It is assumed that the shrinkage stress of both welding
techniques is very different due to the high heat input
per layer for the weaving technique. The energy input
per section indicates a similar behaviour but the energy
input per layer is decisive regarding the shrinkage be-
haviour. Therefore, the reaction force transverse to the
welding direction was additionally measured during
and after welding. This load becomes part of the fatigue
Fig. 1. Geometry of the specimens (left) and welding technique (right).
tests as a preload or mean stress.
Fig. 3 shows the reaction force Fy, which ranges bet-
ween 250 and 700 kN. The upper three curves characterise the
weaving technique, the broken lines represent the results for mild
steel. Generally, the curves of the string-bead technique are below
those of the weaving technique. All curves depend on the gap
width. Although the gradient is steeper for the weaving technique,
overall it is relatively small.
Furthermore, the reaction moments were measured about the
axis in the welding direction as well as in the thickness direction.
It turned out that the weaving technique specimens barely showed
remarkable moments during welding and after cooling, while the
string-bead specimens showed significant moments about both
axes, which, moreover, increase with the gap width.
4 Material characterisation
In the context of the fracture evaluation performed by GKSS
Hamburg, extended material property investigations were done.
Fig. 2. Restraining welding set-up.
The characterisation of the base and the weld material was per-
formed with hardness measurements, chemical analysis, evaluation
Table 1. Material properties. of micrographs and extensive fracture toughness measurements.
The hardness measurements presented in Table
3 do not indicate any abnormalities and fulfil
the requirements of the classification societies.
The comparison shows an increased hardness
for the string-bead specimens by 25HV-30HV.
It can be seen that there is a decreasing trend
of hardness with increasing gap width. Further-
more, the root layer has higher values than the
top layer, which results from the multiple heating
of the root according to the number of passes.
This is also the reason for the decreased hardness
Table 2. Comparison of energy heat input and welding time (W weaving techni-
que, S string-bead technique, WS weaving technique welded in vertical position) for the large gap width, because the number of
passes needed increases with the gap width and,
therefore, the root layer is warmed up more often.
The base and the weld material were examined
within the scope of the chemical investigation.
Upon comparison of the carbon content of the
weld for both welding techniques, it was noticed
that the string-bead technique specimens have
a higher mass content of carbon than the weaving
technique specimens. This confirms the results
of the hardness measurements, since a higher
proportion of carbon explains the higher hardness
values of the string-bead technique specimens.
Overall, the requirements for the material com-

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
of austenite are transformed. A very homogeneous microstructure

can be seen in the root layer especially for the 30mm wide gap
specimens welded with the weaving technique, which resulted
from the high heat input per unit length of the weld due to the
large weaving amplitude. The straight-line movement of the string-
bead technique, however, causes a continuous heat input for every
pass with faster cooling rates. This is why the rough phase austenite
is not totally transformed.
As a part of the determination of the fracture parameters three-
point bending tests were performed using small specimens (cross
Fig. 3. Reaction force Fy measured after cooling. section 15 mm 15mm). The fracture toughness value CTOD
(crack tip opening displacement) was measured with 5-clips [3].
The test set-up is presented in Fig. 5.
Table 3. Comparison of hardness measurement results HV10.
The CTOD values can be interpreted as the displacement of
the surfaces of a crack normal to the original (undeformed) crack
plane at the tip of the fatigue precrack. After precracking a static
load is applied resulting in a stable crack growth. As third and last
part of the procedure a post-fatigue load follows. The pre- and
post-fatigue parts are the most time-consuming steps of the testing
procedure. However, these steps are essential to assure stable
fracture.
This approach ensures a sufficient data quantity for stable crack
position of Germanischer Lloyd [2] are fulfilled for all specimens. propagation. As a result of the investigations it was found that the
The micrographs (Fig. 4) show significant differences in the base material has the highest fracture toughness CTOD-values wit-
welding technique comparisons. The microstructure of the weaving hin a scatter band of 0.85 to 1.05mm (Fig. 6).
technique specimens is finer and more homogeneous; that of the The fracture resistance of the filler material welded with the
specimens welded with the string-bead technique is coarser ac- weaving technique is in the range of about 0.7mm; the CTOD-
cording to the higher hardness values. values of the string-bead technique are shown in the lower part
The fine-grained microstructure results from a diffusion-con- of Fig. 6 as separate columns for the various gap widths. On ave-
trolled phase transformation during cooling, where large quantities rage, these specimens only reach half the fracture resistance of
those welded with the weaving technique.
The result of 0.251mm for steel grade
D36 with the 8mm wide gap is even cri-
tical. Within the chemical analysis a mar-
tensite portion was found only in the
structure of this series of specimens. Mar-
tensite is a very brittle structure and may
be the reason for the low fracture
toughness of these specimens.
5 Fracture safety assessment

Fracture analysis is rarely applied in
ship structural design. However, there are
special cases where a strength assessment
should be based on this analysis type. The
recently developed European Fitness for
Service (FFS) procedure FITNET [4] offers
possibilities in this respect and has a
hierarchy of methods, designated Option
0 to 5. In general, the assessment becomes
less conservative and more accurate with
increasing option number, under the con-
dition that the user must provide increas-
ingly accurate material data and/or carry
Fig. 4. Micrographs of specimens with 30 mm wide gaps. out a more detailed analysis. This hierar-

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
clips were installed. The test set-up and the measurement arran-
gement are shown on the left-hand side of Fig. 7.
During the experiments eight signals were recorded; the most
important parameter is the ultimate load leading to failure. This
was subsequently compared with the failure load predicted by
FITNET.
5.2 Structural integrity assessment using FITNET

The FITNET Fracture Module used in this project is based on
fracture mechanics principles and is applicable to the assessment
of metallic structures (with or without welds) containing actual or
postulated flaws. The purpose of the analysis is to determine the
significance, in terms of fracture and plastic collapse, of flaws pos-
Fig. 5. Three-point bending set-up, CTOD determination. tulated or present in metallic structures and components.
The procedure is based on the principle that failure is deemed
to occur when the applied driving force acting to extend a crack
(the crack driving force) exceeds the materials ability to resist the
extension of that crack. This material property is the materials
fracture toughness or fracture resistance. Two approaches for de-
termining the integrity of cracked structures and components have
been selected for the FITNET procedure. The first uses the concept
of a failure assessment diagram (FAD) and the second a diagram
that uses a crack driving force (CDF) curve. Both approaches are
based on the same scientific principles and give identical results
when the input data are treated identically. In this project, FAD
was preferred to CDF due to its simplicity in representing results.
Within the FAD approach, the analysis is based on the position of
Fig. 6. Maximum CTOD values of A235 and D36 steels welded by the one evaluation point of the investigated structure relative to a
string-bead and weaving technique. failure curve that is independent of the structure. The following
figures show the respective FAD diagram with the corresponding
chical approach to analysis is a feature of all major fracture as- maximum force and the failure points of the residual strength tests.
sessment procedures, including ASME/API 579, British Standard The evaluation with FITNET offers various conservative approaches
7910 and R6. for the calculation, which depends on the available input data.
The options are ascendingly less conservative and have been in-
5.1 Residual strength tests cluded in the investigations for Options 1 to 3.
Residual strength tests of the welded plates with centre cracks Fig. 8 shows the results of the FITNET analysis for a specimen
(M-(T)-panels) were carried out on 250mm wide plates instead of having a 30mm wide gap and the base material D36 welded with
the small specimens used for the fracture toughness tests. These the weaving technique. Kr can be interpreted as a geometry and
tests are intended for a
comparison and thus a ve-
rification of the critical load
that leads to failure deter-
mined by FITNET assess-
ment. For this purpose, the
specimens were dynami-
cally precracked until re-
markable crack edges were
visible. At these edges 5-
Fig. 7. Experimental set-up

for testing M(T) panels and
geometry of the specimens
for the residual strength tests.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
load dependent (crack driving) pa-

rameter including the fracture
toughness values CTOD. Lr is de-
fined as the ratio of external load
F and the plastic limit load Fp. The
three options are compared with
each other: For option 1 a maxi-
mum stress of 412MPa is reached
and for Option 3 460 MPa is
achieved. The residual strength
tests showed a maximum stress of
463MPa. The critical crack length
is 88mm for Option 1 and 99mm
for Option 3. The critical crack
Fig. 8. Assessment of D36 steel welded by the weaving technique using Options 1, 2 and 3; 2H = 30 mm.
length is the entire length of the
crack when the specimen fails if
the maximum load of the experi-
ment is assumed. This calculated
crack length was taken as the star-
ting crack length for the residual
strength tests. For the series of the
weaving technique welded speci-
mens with a 30 mm wide gap
(steel grade D36) the critical crack
length calculated with FITNET is
almost 100mm, the crack length
2a within the residual strength tests
is also 100mm.
The critical stress of 460MPa
is in the range of the yield stress
Fig. 9. Assessment of D36 steel welded by the string-bead technique using Options 1, 2 and 3; 2H = 30 mm.
of the base and the weld material
for this series of specimen. The cri-
tical crack lengths are quite large
as a result of the good CTOD va-
lues.
The corresponding diagram
for the specimens welded with the
string-bead technique is presented
in Fig. 9. For Option 3 the same
Fig. 10. Testing set-up and geometry of the specimens.
critical stress of 460MPa can be
seen. The crack length for the re-
sidual strength tests, however, was
only 33mm and the correspon-
ding maximum stress was
563MPa. In this case, the test re-
sults reached a higher critical stress
than those calculated with FIT-
NET. This is to be considered with
caution because of the different
critical crack lengths, which are
very short compared to the series
of specimens discussed above.
Fig. 11. Scatter bands of the fatigue

strength of all test series of D36 steel.

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For the evaluation the nominal stress as well as two local stress
approaches were used [5][6], furthermore the fatigue resistance
against crack propagation was calculated for two specimens.
The evaluation based on the nominal stress approach is inde-
pendent of the local weld geometry and the imperfections of the
specimens; the result only refers to the applied load and the number
of cycles to failure. Therefore all local effects affecting the failure
of the specimens are implicitly included in this procedure. When
extrapolating the fatigue strength for the survival probabilities
Ps=10%, 50%, 90% and 97.7% with a slope exponent m=3 to
Fig. 12. Comparison of FAT classes derived from nominal and local 2106 load cycles, the scatter bands shown in Fig. 11 are obtained.
stress approaches.
The scatter bands of the specimens are very different and for the
string-bead technique specimens they are relatively large. Therefore
The only significant difference in the results of both welding the Ps=50% values as averaged fatigue strengths are more reliable,
techniques can be seen in the crack lengths. The specimens welded since they give a comparable estimation of the influences of the
with the string-bead technique reach their critical crack lengths investigated variations.
at 30% of those of the weaving technique welded specimens. This The fatigue strength of the weaving technique specimens de-
means a remarkably small fracture safety or damage tolerance. creases with increasing stress ratio R. For these test series the mean
values show a remarkable change, while the specimens welded
6 Fatigue tests with the string-bead technique have a relatively constant level re-
Butt welds having a width of 250mm were cut to a width of garding the stress ratio. Because of the different scatter bands the
40mm, Fig.10. Altogether about 200 specimens were tested; they characteristic values and also the detail categories have other ten-
were separated into different test groups for the welding technique, dencies than the mean values. This means that the 97.7%-values
steel grade, gap width and preload. The testing set-up is also shown for the stress range are more uncertain than the average due to the
in Fig. 10. small number of specimens. Generally, for small gaps the weaving
The upper and lower stress was defined according to the steel technique seems to be adequate; for larger gaps the string-bead
grade, the upper stress was set to 80 to 90% of the nominal yield technique is better.
stress and 70% of the real yield stress. This way a comparability The structural stress and the notch stress approaches were also
of results was obtained. applied. To quantify the effects of the weld geometry and the wel-
For each test series with constant parameters at least eight spe- ding deformations on the life time, two finite element calculations
cimens are needed to obtain statistical coverage. To investigate were performed for each specimen. The structural stress and the
the influence of the residual stresses, a part of the specimens was notch stress were used as parameter for the S-N curve, where the
tested with a preload. Generally it is assumed that the level of the corresponding FAT classes were obtained with the slope exponent
residual stresses including the reaction forces reaches the yielding m=3 for N=2106 load cycles. Figure 12 compares the resulting
point of the material. If a construction is subjected to high residual FAT classes from the nominal and local stress approaches. For the
stresses, further loading leads to stress redistribution, whereby the three concepts it can be stated that the results of the weaving tech-
original residual stress state is changed. The investigation of the nique fulfil the requirements. For the string-bead technique spe-
influence of residual stress should also take into account this aspect. cimens, however, only the evaluation with the nominal stress ap-
proach corresponds to the required values;
the local approaches show significantly
lower fatigue strengths than necessary.
The results achieved with the structural
approach are especially remarkable. The
reason for this is a low stress level at the
crack initiation point due to angular mi-
salignment and the weld geometry leading
to correspondingly lower fatigue strength.
Important is that the numerical structural
and notch stress models did not corres-
pond to the real crack location.
Altogether, the comparison shows that
the weaving technique fulfils the require-
ments with the nominal and the local
stress approaches. The string-bead tech-
Fig. 13. Endured load cycles of the specimens with 30 mm wide gap calculated with FRANC2D. nique, however, achieves the required fa-

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
tigue strength only with the nominal stress approach. This means Despite a small decrease in the fatigue strength, the results for
that these specimens endured much more stress cycles in the tests the weaving technique agree with the existing fatigue class. As ex-
than the local approaches predicted. pected, the reaction forces showed an appreciable influence on
To clarify the unusual results for the local concepts and the higher the fatigue strength, which is considered by increasing the stress
number of cycles endured in the tests, a crack propagation analysis ratio R. Welding by the string-bead technique also leads to the
was performed. This concept has been successfully applied to fa- usual fatigue class when based on the nominal stress approach.
tigue assessment of welded joints in the past. This concept showed However it leads to a relatively low fatigue class when assessed
good accordance with test results especially for welded joints with with local approaches. This is due to the unexpected crack initiation
high notch effects or imperfections and the resulting short crack at the weld root where decreased stresses occur due to downwards
initiation lives. oriented angular distortion. Material effects or effects of the local
For the calculation the two-dimensional finite element program weld geometry as well as unfavourable residual stresses may cause
FRANC2D [7] is used. Only two specimens with the base material root cracks. The measurements of the transversal reaction force
D36 and 30mm gap width are investigated. Both specimens are showed high shrinkage forces. In [8] a continuative welding si-
based on the same numerical model regarding the geometry and mulation for both welding techniques is presented and shows that
the material data. The discretisation of the initial model is very the residual strains in the root are different for the various specimens.
fine with an element length of 0.5mm. During crack propagation Welding with the weaving technique leads to compressive strains,
the mesh is modified around the crack tip by the program. while the string-bead technique leads to tensile strains that may
The main difference between both models is the load distri- be responsible for the bad fatigue results of this technique.
bution. From the structural stress calculation, the bending stresses Generally, the fatigue investigations indicate a clear influence
resulting from angular misalignment were determined and used of the welding technique on the fatigue strength of a weld.
as load for the crack propagation. As shown on the right-hand side
of Fig. 13, the weaving technique specimen (P) is bent downwards
due to negative angular misalignment phi=0.75, while the string- The investigations were carried out within the project Strength of block
bead technique specimen (S) is bent upwards due to positive an- joints welded with wide gaps in shipbuilding which was funded with
public means within the programme Industrial Cooperative Research
gular misalignment phi=1.5. As stated before, the crack initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology via AiF
at the root side even in the string-bead technique specimen although and was coordinated by the Center of Maritime Technologies (CMT) in
the lower stress is only 40% of the upper one. Hamburg.
The result of the crack propagation calculation is shown in
Fig. 13. The lifetimes of both welded joints are very different. The
curve of the weaving technique specimen is steeper compared to Literature
[1] Savu, D. and G. Huismann: Joining by welding of two volume sec-
that of the string-bead technique specimen and reaches about tions of a ship using wide gaps. Final Report BMBF-Research Project
100,000 load cycles for a crack length of about 10mm. The string- 03SX133B/ Part P3.1. Universitt der Bundeswehr. Hamburg 2003.
bead technique specimen achieves a lifetime twice as large. The [2] Germanischer Lloyd: Classification Rules II Materials and
values in brackets are the number of cycles to failure reached in Welding, Part 1; Metallic Materials, Chapter 2: Steel and Iron
the tests. A comparison of both values shows the same trend, which Materials. Germanischer Lloyd. Hamburg. 2009.
[3] Eren, S. E., S. Zacke, W. Fricke and M. Kocak: Fatigue and Fracture
means that the test results are well reflected by the crack propa- Strength of Ship Block Joints Welded with Large Gaps. IIW doc. X-
gation analysis. Thus, this concept, in contrast to the local ap- xxxx-10/XIII-xxx-10. IIW Conference, Istanbul, 2010.
proaches, is able to predict the endured load cycles of the tests [4] FITNET 2006 Fracture Fatigue - Creep-Corrosion. Proc. of Int.
conservatively. The reason for this is the stress gradient of the Conf. on Fitnet-for-Service (Ed. M. Kocak). GKSS Research Center,
structural bending stress in the specimens, which is considered in Geesthacht, 2006.
[5] Hobbacher: Recommendations for Fatigue Design of Welded Joints
the crack propagation analysis, leading to a shorter life time for and Components. IIW doc.1823-07, Welding Research Council
the string-bead technique. Bulletin 520, New York 2009.
[6] Radaj, D., C.M. Sonsino and W. Fricke: Fatigue Assessment of
7 Conclusions Welded Joints by Local Approaches. Woodhead Publ., Cambridge
2006.
The aim of the investigation was to evaluate the fatigue strength
[7] Franc2D/L. http://www.cfg.cornell.edu/software/franc3d_casca.htm
of butt joints welded with the weaving technique in comparison [8] Zacke, S., and W. Fricke: Welding of large gaps of block joints in
to the string-bead technique as well as the applicability of both ships using different techniques. Proc. of Int. MARSTRUCT-Conf. on
welding techniques for large gap widths welded with unfavourable ADVANCES IN MARINE STRUCTURES (Ed. W. Fricke & C. Soares).
constraints. Taylor & Francis, Hamburg 2011.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Helium additions to MIG shielding gas

an economic option?
1 Introduction
Andrew Gillies graduated from the University
of Strathclyde, Glasgow/UK, in 2010 with a
There is an ongoing requirement to reduce rework related to
MEng degree, with distinction. He then joined heat induced distortion on thin plate structures. The most evident
Weir Oil and Gas in Glasgow as a graduate area for this is currently in the shipbuilding industry where there
trainee within the Engineering Department. is a drive to reduce weight by using higher strength steels. This
He was awarded an EPSRC sponsored sum- has resulted in the extensive use of 4 and 5 mm thick plate, espe-
mer placement with the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at the University of
cially in naval vessels, particularly Lloyds DH36 grade steel. The
Strathclyde, under which this work was car- top side of destroyers, Fig. 1, has been the focus of this for some
ried out. time and landing craft units (LCU), Fig. 2, are relatively light weight
structures overall. In the case of the LCU much of the thin steel
Dr. Alex Galloway started his career with plate was Lloyds EH32 grade steel.
Babcock Power as a welder and took up a
position as an engineering tutor at the
Whilst hybrid laser welding is seen as a possible option to con-
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow/UK, in trol the distortion, there can be significant capital costs incurred
1993. He was appointed lecturer there in depending on individual build yard configuration. In addition,
2007. His PhD completed in 2008 was on the many factors contribute to thin plate distortion, but reducing heat
weldability of nitrogen enriched austenitic input has a dramatic effect, hence the interest in hybrid laser weld-
stainless steels. This work has led on to a
number of welding gas shielding projects. He
ing. However, there is still scope within the accepted arc welding
is an advisor to the Ministry of Defence on processes to reduce heat input. Increasing the welding speed has
matters relating to special processes, welding a significant effect, but only if it can be achieved without compro-
metallurgy and corrosion protection. mising the weld quality in any way.
Dr. Norman McPherson graduated BSc, PhD in metallurgy from the

University of Strathclyde, Glasgow/UK. From 1973 to 1986 he was
employed by British Steel at the Ravenscraig Works, specialising in
the development of the continuous casting of steel slabs. He was
awarded the Sidney Thomas Gilchrist Medal by the Metals Society
for his work in this area in 1982. In 1987 he became Technical
Manager of Thor Ceramics and in 1990 he moved to the position of
Quality Manager of Kvaerner Govan in Glasgow, in the shipbuilding
sector. Between 1990 and 2000 he held various positions including
Deputy Production Director. When BAE Systems took over the he
was appointed Welding Engineering Manager for BAE Systems
Naval Ships. He is into a second term as Visiting Professor within the
Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of
Strathclyde and along with Dr. Alex Galloway is building up a re-
search portfolio on MIG shielding gases. He has published over 100
journal and conference papers and is the co-author of three books on
continuous casting.
Fig. 1. A Type 45 destroyer with a top side containing a significant pro-
portion of 4 and 5 mm thick plate.
An investigation has been carried out to establish the technical
and economic benefits of adding two levels of helium to a normal
shielding gas. Technically no adverse issues were established
using the two levels of helium, and the most significant positive
one was the highly beneficial effects on travel speed increase and
heat input decrease. Although helium gas carries a significant
cost premium, the economic evaluation showed that overall this
was a beneficial approach as the man-hour reduction associated
with the welding process dominated the process cost effects.
Andrew Gillies, Alex Galloway and Norman McPherson, Glasgow/UK
Communication from Weir Oil and Gas, the Department of

Mechanical Engineering of the University of Strathclyde and BAE
Systems Surface Ships, Glasgow/UK. Fig. 2. A Landing Craft Unit (LCU) which contains significant quantities
of 4 mm thick plate.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Table 1. All weld metal chemical analysis of metal cored wire. 2 Bead-on-plate welds
The initial welds were bead-on-plate produced using 500 mm
500 mm 4 mm pieces. This allowed basic parameters to be
set for the butt welds, but also contributed useful data on weld
and heat affected zone (HAZ) dimensions. In addition, travel speed
optimisation was established in this part of the work.
It has been recognised that helium additions to shielding gases The data shown in Table 2 summarises the findings. Basically
can have beneficial effects, particularly by increasing the weld the two gases containing helium showed benefits in terms of re-
penetration. This is mainly related to the good thermal conductivity ducing HAZ width and increasing depth/width ratio.
of the gas and its ability to improve the heat transfer from the arc Every 1% increase in helium content produced a 0.2mm/sec in-
to the component. Much of this was founded on tungsten inert gas crease in travel speed, on average. Each 10% addition of helium
(TIG) welding research carried out on steel some time ago [1, 2] to the shielding gas created a 20% increase in welding speed,
and also for welding aluminium [3]. which was linked to about a 4% decrease in voltage, and 21% de-
There is also evidence [4] that helium additions to twin wire crease in HAZ width. Therefore these data were viewed as being
automated metal inert gas (MIG) systems appear to generate some highly encouraging in terms of the subsequent butt welding.
benefits too. The outcome of that work could be transmitted to It was also evident that as the helium content increased, the
single wire MIG welding of carbon steel plate by aiming for the depth/width ratio of the weld also increased, which is in line with
same penetration with the helium containing shielding gases, by the findings of Mills [1] on TIG welds, although in that work the
increasing the welding speed. effects were more marked due to the much higher helium contents
On the basis of this, a series of trials was set up to establish the involved.
technical and economic feasibility of using helium additions to a
standard shielding gas. 3 Butt welds
Three shielding gases were used to produce 4 mm thick butt The butt welds were created from 500 mm 250 mm 4
welds in DH36 steel with a 1 mm diameter metal cored wire at mm plates with 35 weld preps and a 1 mm face. As before ther-
constant gas flow of 15 l/min. The all weld metal composition of mocouples were attached to the plates, but only to one of the plates
the cored wire is shown in Table 1. 4 mm thick plate was selected as it was considered that the heat flow would be symmetrical.
as it would accentuate any distortion effects. A ceramic backing tile was fitted to the root side of each
The base case gas was argon / 20% carbon dioxide, and the weld prep. Apart from that, the same format was followed as
two helium-bearing gases were: for the bead on plate welds, with the exception that the weld
Argon/10% helium/14% carbon dioxide and was left to cool for 10 minutes, while thermocouple data were
Argon/20% helium/14% carbon dioxide collected.
Welding was carried out on a welding jig which held the plate For each case the material distorted in the same manner i.e. with
rigid as it travelled beneath the fixed welding nozzle. This allowed a saddle shape shown in Fig. 3 , which was the base case
the jig to be used to carry out distortion measurements before and (argon/20% carbon dioxide).
after welding, with a laser scanner. It was important also to capture The maximum distortion for each case was as follows:
thermal data from the plates during and after welding, and this Argon/20% carbon dioxide 7.28 mm
was achieved by having an array of thermocouples at right angles Argon/10% helium/14% carbon dioxide 6.34 mm
to the weld, 10, 20 and 30 mm from the weld centreline. This was Argon/20% helium/14% carbon dioxide 6.69 mm
validated using thermal imaging equipment. The increased helium content did not have a beneficial effect on
All welding was monitored using a PAMS unit, to be able to distortion over the 10% helium-bearing shielding gas.
quantify parameters in the location of the thermocouples. The welding parameters for each weld are shown in Table 3
and show a reduction
Table 2. Welding parameters and related data for bead-on-plate welds.
in heat input (which is
based on an arc effi-
ciency of 0.8) with in-
crease in the helium
content. It should be
noted that this is related
to an increase in travel
speed too. Thermal
measurements showed
there was little diffe-
rence between the peak
temperatures of the two
helium-bearing gases (~

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Macro Micro
HV10 HV10
Argon/20% carbon dioxide 202 215
Argon/10% helium/14% carbon dioxide 216 235
Argon/20% helium/14% carbon dioxide 208 231
Parent plate 165 175
The differences in hardness from each shielding gas are not con-
sidered significant, although there is a slight rise with the helium
enhanced gases. With this grade of steel and its weld metal there
is a tentative relationship between hardness and toughness, i.e. as
the hardness increases the toughness decreases. As a result, it can
be inferred from this data that there would not be a weld metal
toughness problem.
The porosity contained in each weld was assessed from a num-
ber of images of each weld and the average volumetric porosity
Fig. 3. Distortion induced in 4 mm thick plate when welding with is as follows:
argon/20% carbon dioxide.
Argon/20% carbon dioxide 0.41%
Argon/10% helium/14% carbon dioxide 0.09%
360C at 10 mm from weld centreline). This was confirmed from Argon/20% helium/14% carbon dioxide 0.035%
the thermal imaging measurements. It is not particularly evident why the helium addition should in-
fluence the porosity within the weld metal, but even at the worst
4 Weld physical attributes level there is not a cause for concern, in typical circumstances. A
The macrosections of each weld are shown in Fig. 4a-c. The further positive benefit has been identified from Miklos work [4]
asymmetric roots in the helium bearing shielding gas welds were where there is significantly less top leg undercut on fillet welds
due to having to fit the ceramic backing bar in the vicinity of the and a very smooth transition from weld to plate when helium is
thermocouples. The smallest weld metal volume was found in the present in the shielding gas. It was also evident that as the helium
20% helium welds. In addition there is a need to refine the cross content increased, the depth/width ratio of the weld increased.
sectional root profile in areas such as undercut on the cap, and The technical evaluation has implied that the shielding gas
the root profile. This is particularly the case in the 20% helium could be used with a 10 or 20% helium addition without adversely
weld. affecting the weld metal properties, and in most cases it has im-
The weld width data is shown below: proved the overall weld and heat affected zone.
Argon/20% carbon dioxide 11.7 mm
Argon/10% helium/14% carbon dioxide 9.5mm 5 Economic evaluation
Argon/20% helium/14% carbon dioxide 7.2mm It is pointless to add a component to the process unless it is
The hardness data were expected to indicate that as the helium going to generate value to the process. For this reason an economic
and travel speed increase the weld metal hardness should increase evaluation was carried out to supplement the technical evaluation.
due to the higher cooling rate. Micro and macro hardness mea- The cost has been based on figures available at a particular point
surements (Vickers) were taken and found to be in broad agreement, in time for gas costs and labour costs. All the data has been tabu-
with the micro data being slightly higher than the macro data. The lated in Table 4. Although the gas cost per metre rises with increase
maximum weld metal hardnesses are shown below: in helium content, it is not particularly significant in terms of dif-
ferentials. The dominant cost factor/metre is the labour cost. As a
Table 3. Welding parameters for butt welded plates. result of the increase in speed developed from the use of the helium
gas, there is an overall increase in pro-
ductivity which results in a reduction in
the cost/metre of the welded length.
Indications from the practical situation
means that leaks will probably be pre-
sent in the supply system. Taking a sce-
nario where the leak rate is the same as
the gas usage rate/metre, the last row in
Table 4 shows that this has an almost
insignificant effect on the total cost per
metre.
Some factors have been omitted from
this evaluation:

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Table 4. Financial assessment of helium additions to MIG shielding gases.
Overall there is at least a 27% and a 16% cost benefit in adding

20% and 10% helium respectively to the base case shielding gas.
This could potentially create a very high level of saving in a high
throughput shipyard.
6 Concluding comments
Despite the apparent increased cost of adding helium to shiel-
ding gases, it has been shown to be technically and economically
a sound proposal. The only outstanding piece of work is to where
to introduce the helium into the shielding gas delivery system. The
most significant benefits would be seen in automated welding sys-
tems as the manual process creates a number of variables. The
small reduction in the carbon dioxide content of the shielding gas
will create a positive impact on the carbon foot print.
The support of the EPSRC for one of the authors (AG) is gratefully ack-
nowledged, as is permission from BAE Systems Surface Ships to publish
this work. In addition the involvement of BOC was most valued in the
supply of gases, and also the technical interaction with Dr. Chris Birch.
Literature
[1] Mills, G. S.: Fundamental mechanisms of penetration in GTA weld-
Fig. 4. Weld macro cross sections: a) Argon / 20% carbon dioxide, b)
ing. Welding Journal, Vol. 58 (1), January 1979, pp. 21s-24s.
Argon / 14% carbon dioxide / 10% helium, c) Argon / 14% carbon dio-
[2] Key, J. F., H. W. Chan, and M. E. McIlwain: Process variable influ-
xide / 20% helium.
ence on arc temperature distribution. Welding Journal Vol. 62 (7),
July 1983, pp. 179s-184s.
Power cost: will be lower with helium added gases due to in- [3] Arayama, T. and K. Nakata: Effect of He gas addition in Ar shielding
creased welding speed. gas on weld penetration of GMA welds of aluminium alloy.
Improvement of weld penetration of GMA welds of aluminium alloy
Consumable cost: will be lower due to increased welding circular fillet joints. Welding International Vol. 21 (1), January 2007,
speed at constant wire feed speed. pp. 39-44.
Distortion rework: A reduction in the man hours associated [4] Miklos, E.: Current process variants of MAG high-performance
with heat line straightening. welding. 7th International Welding Coloquium, Aachen 2001.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Optimisation of the projection geometry for the

resistance welding on newly developed advanced
high-strength to ultrahigh-strength steel materials
compared with the projections according to DIN EN 28167. Results
Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Bschorr studied automoti-
ve engineering at the University of Applied with the HCT690TD and HCT780TD TRIP steels, with the
Sciences in Munich. In 1994, he joined the HCT780CD complex-phase steel as well as with the DX54D+Z100
research and development department of the soft deep-drawing steel (all sheet thicknesses: 1.5 mm) are presented
Welding Training and Research Institute SLV within the framework of this publication. The welding was carried
Munich. There he concentrates on resistance
out with identical materials and in various mixed combinations.
welding such as point-, projection-, seam
welding and non-standard welding processes. The welds were executed on a medium-frequency projection weld-
Currently he investigates welding suitability of ing machine from Dalex, model: PMS 32-5 MF.
different material combinations, welding of high strength steel and
non-iron metals, as well as practical training on resistance welding. Thomas Bschorr, Heidi Cramer and Franz Zech, Munich/Germany
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heidi Cramer, born in 1961,

studied material science at the Bergakademie
Freiberg/Germany. In 1991 she completed 1 Experiments
her doctoral thesis. From 1991 to 2001 she A suitable embossing tool has been manufactured for the em-
was research engineer at the Welding Training bossing of the projections. It consists of a column structure which
and Research Institute SLV Munich, branch of
is provided with a pneumatic cylinder on the top side. The upper
GSI mbH. Since 2001 she is head of the re-
search and development department at SLV and lower dies are easy to replace and the projection heights can
Munich. be altered with stops. A holding-down device is used in order to
prevent the sheet from plunging during the embossing operation.
Dipl.-Ing. Franz Zech, born in 1954, studied In addition, there is the possibility of recording force and displace-
mechanical engineering at Fachhochschule
ment courses with suitable sensors. The geometries of the upper
des Saarlandes in Saarbrcken/Germany.
From 1992 to 2002 he worked as pre-produc- and lower dies suggested according to DIN EN 28167 [7] were
tion manager and outsourcing manager. From used and investigations were conducted into optimised variants
2002 to 2006 he was the responsible welding with an altered upper die geometry and lower forming die.
engineer and head of quality control at Terex-
Demag Cranes in Zweibrcken/Germany.
Since the beginning of 2007, he has been the
head of the Welding Training and Research Institute SLV Munich, Mean value
branch of GSI mbH in Munich/Germany.
Spot diameter [mm]
In series and mass fabrication, resistance projection welding is a

very economically viable joining process because of its short fa-
brication times. One decisive advantage of the process technology
lies in the fact that several joints can be manufactured in one ope-
ration [1...5]. However, the resistance projection welding on the
advanced high-strength to ultrahigh-strength sheets which have
been introduced into fabrication in the meantime [6] is leading to
great difficulties at the moment, amongst other reasons, because Weld spots
the projection geometry is not optimum. The strength of the joints
is frequently lower than in the case of conventional soft deep-draw-
ing steels and also exhibits a wide scatter. Moreover, fractures in
the joining plane (shear fracture) occur very frequently. In the re-
search project entitled Optimisation of the geometry of embossed
projections for the resistance projection welding on advanced high-
strength to ultrahigh-strength steel materials which is being pro-
moted by AiF, investigations into the optimised designing of the
projection geometries were conducted at SLV Mnchen and were
Fig. 1. Series welds (material: HCT780TD, sheet thickness tBl = 1.5 mm;
electrode force FE = 3 kN, welding time tS = 200 ms, welding current IS
= 13.0 kA); a) graphic representation of the evaluation, b) fracture pat-
Communication from the Welding Training and Research Institute SLV
tern of a weld at tS = 100 ms, IS = 15 kA and (dp min), c) fracture pattern
Mnchen, Niederlassung der GSI mbH, Munich/Germany.
of a weld at tS = 200 ms and IS = 13 kA.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
time welding especially at the beginning of the resistance heating

due to the simultaneous reduction in the welding current (13 kA).
Larger spot diameters up to 7.0 mm are achieved but the fracture
pattern exhibits an unsymmetrical welded joint more frequently.
The relatively wide scatter of the spot diameters is also recognisable
when 30 resistance projection welds are tested, Fig. 1. A low Cpk
factor (process capability index: [dp mean dp min] / [3 standard
deviation]) of 0.8 is reached there. In series fabrication, the Cpk
factor should be min. 1.67.
The cause of the relatively wide variation in the spot diameters
and of the greater inclination to spatter is shown by the evaluation
of the high-speed photographs, Fig. 2. In this respect, the sheets were
cut in the centre of the projection and the heating in the cutting
plane was viewed with a high-speed camera. It is easily recognisable
that the projection breaks through in the region of the side of the
projection with an extreme reduction in the sheet thickness at the
beginning of the welding and that the heating is carried out only in-
sufficiently in the contact area between the projection and the sheet.
The breakthrough of the projection can also be recognised in the
metallographic specimen, Fig. 3, by the cracks in the top sheet.
Fig. 3 shows the evaluation of the tensile shear and cross-
Fig. 2. Heating of the ISO projection and deformation behaviour during
the welding; a) welding time tS = 0 ms, the electrode force is applied, b) tension tests (ten specimens in each case) on the projection welds
tS = 60 ms, beginning of the heating at the sides of the projection at the with ISO C5 projections, material: HCT690TD. The established
smallest cross-section, c) tS = 100 ms, breaking-through of the projec- data was used in order to calculate the respective mean values
tion in the centre - slight heating in the bottom sheet, d) tS = 200 ms, and to determine the coefficients of variation. The ISO C5 pro-
complete melting of the projection greater in the top sheet.
jections reach a mean tensile shear force of 21.2 kN and a relatively
high coefficient of variation of 13.9%. The specimens exhibit an
2 Results irregular fracture pattern. Similar results are achieved in the case
2.1 Welding tests with ISO projections of the HCT780CD complex-phase steel (tensile shear force: 20.7
The ISO projections were fabricated according to the stipula- kN, variance: 12.8%).
tions in DIN EN 28167. The projections are divided into the various
Groups A to C. In this respect, provision is made for the projections
in Group C for applications with stringent strength requirements.
Group C is recommended for high-strength materials as well. The
Coefficient of variation [%]

utilised tapered upper die has a 60 taper angle (with varying cone
Tensile force [kN]
frustum diameters) and embosses the projection in a lower hole

die. Within the framework of the project, the investigations con-
centrated on the sheet thickness of 1.5 mm, i.e. the projection dia-
meter of 5.0 mm is used with a projection height of 1.25 mm.
Influence of the welding time

In interplay with the electrode force and the welding current,
the choice of the welding time has a strong influence on the incli-
nation to spatter in the case of the resistance projection welding of Cross-tension Shear tension
high-strength materials. With a welding time of 100 ms (current rise:
20 ms, short-time welding) for the projection diameter of 5.0 mm
(geometry: ISO C5 projection), the high-strength sheet materials in
particular have a greater inclination to welding spatter because of
the higher welding currents required (e.g. IS = 15 kA at FE = 3 kN).
At the beginning of the resistance heating, the current density is too
high and local overheating phenomena arise in the contact region
between the projection and the sheet surface. Even if the current
rise time is extended to 40 ms, this does not lead to any distinct re-
Fig. 3. Resistance projection welds with ISO projections (material:
duction in the inclination to spatter. The fracture pattern very fre-
HCT690TD, sheet thickness tBl = 1.5 mm; projection: ISO C5; electrode
quently exhibits unsymmetrical mixed-mode fractures in the joining force FE = 3 kN, welding time tS = 200 ms, welding current IS = 13.0 kA);
plane. Often, spot diameters of just 4.0 to 5.0 mm are achieved. a) cross-tension and tensile shear forces, b) fracture pattern: unsymmet-
If the welding time is extended to 200 ms, this results in a re- rical with spatter, c) metallographic specimen: cracks in the region of the
duction in the inclination to spatter in comparison with the short- embossing, pore or shrinkage cavity.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
2.3 Welding tests with optimised projections

High-speed photographs were also taken in order to illustrate
the advantages of the optimised projection geometry during the re-
sistance heating. The individual photographs at various welding
times are portrayed on Fig. 6. It becomes recognisable that the
initial heating takes place in the contact region between the pro-
jection and the sheet. In comparison with this, welds with ISO pro-
jections have an inclination to the burning-through of the projection.
The resistance heating in the optimised projection tends to be
stronger in the sheet base material. This leads to an additional re-
duction in the inclination to cracking at the embossed projection.
As can be seen on the individual photographs, the optimised
projection can be heated in a considerably more favourable way
than the ISO projection. The highest heat concentration arises, as
desired, directly at the apex of the projection (in the contact area
between the sheets to be welded together). The projection geometry
Fig. 4. Schematic representation of the optimised projection geometry is retained almost until the end and does not collapse abruptly.
(a) with a spherical upper die (b) and a lower forming die (c) as well as The more positive welding behaviour is also shown when the
recommended dimensions according to the table. cross-tension and tensile shear forces are established, Fig. 7.
It is to be recommended to increase the amperage and the
The test results show that the ISO projections are suitable for electrode force in comparison with the ISO projection (i.e. by 1
the advanced high-strength sheets to a limited extent only. The in- kA and 1 kN respectively) in order to achieve high tensile forces
clination to spatter is high and the unsymmetrical fracture pattern and uniform spot diameters. Approx. 20% higher tensile shear
and the relatively wide scatters of the results suggest that the geom- forces are obtained than in the case of the ISO projection with a
etry must be optimised. simultaneous reduction in the variance to 5% (ISO projection:
13%). In the cross-tension test, the rises in the tensile force turn
2.2 Optimisation of the geometry
A suitable geometry with the following criteria is necessary in
order to exploit the economic advantages of resistance projection
welding:
uniform sheet thickness in the formed region,
uniform strain hardening,
no sharp edges,
high stiffness,
no cylindrical lug at the edge of the projection,
embossing into a lower forming die.
One projection geometry in order to attain these objectives is por-
trayed schematically on Fig. 4. The welding projections are obtained
using a spherical upper die (diameter: 3.0 mm) and spherical lower
dies with different diameters.
In this respect, particular attention is paid to homogeneous in-
terfaces between the various regions of the welding projection
(side of the projection). The embossing of the projection in a ne-
gative form yields the advantages that the material is formed in a
more defined way in the lower die and also that the cracking at
sharp edges is prevented. The forming is carried out gently and
the interfaces are smooth. The lower die diameter was stipulated
at the nominal diameter of 5t. For the suitable projection height,
reference was made to DIN EN 28167. Fig. 5 shows a selection
of various diameters and heights which can be manufactured with
varying upper die penetration. For the indicated shapes, it is true
that the forming proceeds very harmoniously in the region of the
side of the projection and that reductions in the sheet thickness
are hardly recognisable.
The embossing forces for the manufacture of these geometries
Fig. 5. Examples of projection geometries which can be manufactured
are approx. 4.0 to 11.0 kN depending on the required projection
with different diameters; a) projection diameter: 4.5 mm, b) projection
diameters and heights. No cracks caused by the forming process diameter: 5.0 mm, c) projection diameter: 5.5 mm, d) projection diam-
were detected in the case of the investigated polyphase steels. eter: 6.0 mm.

SPECIALIST ARTICLES
Coefficient of variation [%]

Tensile force [kN]
Cross-tension Shear tension
Fig. 6. Heating of the optimised projection and deformation behaviour

during the welding; a) welding time tS = 0 ms, the electrode force is
applied, b) tS = 60 ms, beginning of the heating at the contact position
Fig. 7. Resistance projection welds with optimised projections (material:
between the projection and the sheet, c) tS = 100 ms, further heating
HCT690TD, sheet thickness tBl = 1.5 mm; optimised projection with
with drifting of the resistance heating outwards, d) tS = 200 ms, complete
diameter: 5.5 mm, height: 1.2 mm; electrode force FE = 4 kN, welding
melting of the projection with better complete melting of the base sheet.
time tS = 200 ms, welding current IS = 15.0 kA); a) cross-tension and ten-
sile shear forces, b) fracture pattern: detachment fracture, c) metallo-
graphic specimen: defect-free joint.
out to be smaller due to the loading since the notch effect exerts
a great influence on the attainable tensile force there. The cross-
tension forces increase by approx. 15% to 10.5 kN. and Technology via AiF within the framework of the programme for the
The investigations on mixed joints (e.g. between DX54 and promotion of joint industrial research and development (IGF). We
would like to express our gratitude for the promotion of this research
HCT690TD) also explain that very uniform and high tensile shear
work.
forces can be achieved with the optimised geometry. As shown Thanks also go to the following companies for supporting the
by the results, the new geometry is also suitable for soft deep-draw- research work: Audi AG, BMW AG, Conntronic Prozess- und Automati-
ing steels. Above all, the variance in the established tensile shear sierungstechnik GmbH, DALEX Schweimaschinen GmbH & Co. KG,
forces (10 kN) is very small at 3%. The penetration behaviour into Dring Schweitechnik GmbH, Harms und Wende, RFP Metallbearbei-
tung GmbH, Fritz Brenner GmbH & Co. KG, ThyssenKrupp Steel AG
the base sheet is very good.
and Voestalpine Stahl GmbH as well as to the members of the project-
accompanying committee.
3 Concluding remarks
The resistance projection welding of advanced high-strength
embossed sheets is possible with good process reliability if the Literature
[1] Merkblatt DVS 2905 Buckelschweien von Sthlen (Ausgabe Mai
projection geometries satisfy more stringent requirements. Cor-
2001). DVS Media, Dsseldorf 2001.
responding to the higher strengths, the new geometry should not [2] Krause, H.-J., and G. Simon: Untersuchung zur Weiterentwicklung
exhibit any reductions in the sheet thickness in the region of the des Buckelschweiens. DVS-Bericht 35. DVS Media, Dsseldorf
upper embossing die. A spherical upper die which makes pro- 1975.
vision for smooth interfaces at the side is suitable for advanced [3] Pollmann, W.: Buckelschweien von Groteilen in der
Serienfertigung. DVS-Bericht 35. DVS Media, Dsseldorf 1975.
high-strength materials. Because of the high material strength
[4] Eichhorn, F., et al.: Widerstandspunkt- und Buckelschweien ober-
and strain hardening resulting from the forming process, the stiff- flchenveredelter Stahlbleche. Stahl und Eisen 109 (1989).
ness is reduced only insignificantly. It was possible to demonstrate [5] Polrolniczak, H., and H. Hantsch: Untersuchungen zur Erhhung der
that the utilisation of the optimised projection geometries led to Fertigungssicherheit beim Buckelschweien unter Bercksichtigung
an improvement in the strength and, in part, in the coefficient der Buckelgeometrie. Schw. Schn. 45 (1993), No. 1, pp. 20-26.
[6] Tragl, E., et al.: AHSS Chancen und Herausforderungen fr die
of variation too.
Stahlindustrie. Tagung Dnnblechverarbeitung, SLV Mnchen
2004.
On the basis of a resolution of the Lower House of [7] DIN EN 28167 Buckel zum Widerstandsschweien (Ausgabe Juli
the German Parliament, the IGF project number 1992).
15.534N/DVS number 04.045 of the research
association Forschungsvereinigung Schweien
und verwandte Verfahren des DVS, Aachener
Strae 172, 40223 Dsseldorf was promoted by
the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs

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