SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING

MANUAL METAL ARC WELDING

STICK WELDING
PROCESS
 SMAW
• Shielded metal arc welding uses the heat of an electric arc between a
covered metal electrode and the work.
• Shielding comes from the decomposition of the electrode flux coating.
• Filler metal is supplied by the electrode core wire and covering.
• This process is manually applied. The basic equipment is a power source,
electrode cable, work cable, an electrode holder, a work clamp, and the
electrode.
• Electrodes for SMAW operate variously on AC (alternating current), DCEP
(reverse polarity), or DCEN (straight polarity).
 SMAW
• SMAW is the most widely used welding process because of its low cost,
flexibility, portability, and versatility.
• The SMAW process is very flexible in terms of the metal thicknesses that
can be welded and the variety of positions it can be used in.
• Metal as thin as 2 mm thick to several feet thick can be welded using the
same machine with different setting.
• The flexibility of the process also allows metal in this thickness range to be
welded in any position.
• SMAW is a very portable process because it is easy to move the equipment
and engine-driven generator type welders are available.
• The process is versatile, and it's used to weld almost any metal or alloy,
including cast iron, aluminum, stainless steel, and nickel.
The electrode identification for SMAW electrodes is shown below:
COVERED ELECTRODES

• A shielded metal arc weld is strengthened by adding alloying elements to

the electrode covering.
• Unfortunately, some ingredients and the binder in the covering can attract
and hold moisture (a source of hydrogen), which can cause cracking in
certain metals.
• A group of electrodes specifically formulated to result in weld deposits
having very low levels of hydrogen are referred to as low hydrogen.
• Electrodes that are classified as low hydrogen have identification numbers
ending with 5, 6, or 8.
LOW-HYDROGEN ELECTRODES

FLOW CHART OF HANDLING OF LOW HYDROGEN

ELECTRODE

Electrode Holding Oven Issue

125C - 150C 4 Hours  4 Hours

HABIS

Baking Oven
C. Steel Low Alloy
260C - 430C 370C - 430C
2 Hours 1 Hours
LOW-HYDROGEN ELECTRODES

UTS
E701
6

E60
1 3

4 Humidity (%)
The electrode coating provides the following:

1. Arc stabilization from ionizing elements (which dictate the usability of

the electrode on AC, DCEP, or DCEN).
2. Gas shielding for the weld puddle when some of the coating breaks
down.
3. Slagging agents contained in the coating that remove impurities from
the work surface and weld puddle.
4. Deoxidizers, contained in the coating that reduce the tendency for
porosity in the weld.
5. An insulating blanket formed by the slag that protects the cooling weld
metal from the atmosphere.
6. Alloying elements contained in the coating that strengthen the weld
metal.
7. Increased weld metal deposition, when iron powder is incorporated in
the coating.
ADVANTAGES:

1. Low initial investment cost

2. Simple and operationally reliable
3. Low cost filler materials
4. Wide range of filler materials
5. Same equipment for all materials
6. Spans a large thickness range
7. All welding positions
DISADVANTAGES:

1. Slow (changing electrodes)

2. A layer of solidified slag must be removed
3. Low-hydrogen electrodes require special storage
4. Low deposition efficiency
 As a Rule of Thumb for SMAW

electrode diameter
WELDING CURRENT

The welding current is an

electric current.
An electric current is the flow
of electrons.
Electrons flow through a
conductor from negative (-) to
positive (+).

Resistance to the flow of electrons (electricity) produces heat.

The greater the resistance, the greater the heat.
Air has a high resistance to current flow. As the electrons jump the air gap
between the end of the electrode and the work, a great deal of heat is produced.
Electrons flowing across an air gap produce an arc.
 MEASUREMENT

Voltage, or volts (V), is the

measurement of electrical
pressure.
Voltage controls the maximum gap
the electrons can jump to form the
arc.

Amperage, or amps (A), is the measurement of the total number of

electrons flowing.
Amperage controls the size of the arc.
Wattage is a measurement of the amount of power in the arc.
The amount of power, watts, being put into a weld per cm controls the width and
depth of the weld bead.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature of a welding arc
exceeds 6000OC.
The exact temperature depends on the
resistance to the current flow. The
resistance is affected by the arc length
and the chemical composition of the
gases formed as the electrode covering
burns and vaporizes.
As the arc lengthens, the resistance
increases, thus causing a rise in the arc
temperature.

The shorter the arc, the lower the arc temperature produced.
Most shielded metal arc welding electrodes have chemicals added to their
coverings to stabilize the arc. These arc stabilizers reduce the arc resistance,
making it easier to hold an arc. By lowering the resistance, the arc stabilizers also
lower the arc temperature. Other chemicals within the gaseous cloud around the
arc may raise or lower the resistance.
HEAT

The amount of heat produced is

determined by the size of the
electrode and the amperage setting.
Not all of the heat produced by an
arc reaches the weld. Some of the
heat is radiated away.
Heat also is lost through conduction
in the work.

In total, about 50% of all heat produced by an arc is missing from the weld.
The 50% of the remaining heat the arc produced is not distributed evenly
between both ends of the arc.
This distribution depends on the composition and polarity of the electrode's
coating.
MEASURING HEAT INPUT IN ARC WELDING

When considering heating effects, it is usual to express the amount of heat

energy in joules.
joules In arc welding it is difficult to measure heat input directly in
joules, but we can deduce it from the power input. input

Power is the rate at which energy is converted from one form into another.

When dealing with a welding arc, almost all the electrical energy is converted to
heat - only a small proportion is used in the generation of the bright light and
ultra violet radiation given off by the arc.

For example, with an MMA electrode operating at 150 A, 25 V,

power input = 25 V x 150 A = 3750 watts = 3.75 Kw = 3.75 kJ/s

This applies to both D.C and A.C welding.

MEASURING HEAT INPUT IN ARC WELDING
If the arc was kept stationary this would be the heat input to the weld at one
point, but in practice the welder moves along the joint line. The heat is therefore
distributed, and the input at any given point depends on the travel speed.

Knowing the energy being supplied to the arc and the travel speed, it is possible
to calculate the heat input and to express it as the amount of heat per unit
length of weld run (i.e. in joules/mm).

In general terms:
CURRENTS

The three different types of current used for welding:

1. Alternating current (AC)
2. Direct-current electrode negative (DCEN)
Direct-current straight polarity (DCSP)
3. Direct-current electrode positive (DCEP)
Direct-current reverse polarity (DCRP)

Each welding current has a different effect on the weld.

Direct-current electrode negative (DCEN)
Direct-current straight polarity (DCSP)

In direct-current electrode negative, the electrode is negative, and the

work is positive.
DCEN welding current produces a high electrode melting rate.
Direct-current electrode positive (DCEP)
Direct-current reverse polarity (DCRP)

In direct-current electrode positive, the electrode is positive, and the

work is negative.
DCEP current produces the best welding arc characteristics.
Alternating current (AC)

In alternating current, the electrons change direction every 1/120 of a second

so that the electrode and work alternate from anode to cathode.
The rapid reversal of the current flow causes the welding heat to be evenly
distributed on both the work and the electrode; that is, half on the work
and half on the electrode.
The even heating gives the weld bead a balance between penetration and
buildup.
TYPES OF WELDING POWER
Constant Current (CC) – a constant current machine varies its output voltage
to maintain a steady current

Constant Voltage (CV) - a constant voltage machine will fluctuate its output
current to maintain a set voltage

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) will use a constant current source and G
as Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) and Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) typically
use constant voltage sources

The nature of the CV machine is required by GMAW and FCAW because the
welder is not able to control the arc length manually.

If a welder attempted to use a CV machine to weld with SMAW the small

fluctuations in the arc distance would cause wide fluctuations in the machine's
output current.

With a CC machine the welder can count on a fixed number of amps reaching
the material to be welded regardless of the arc distance but too much distance
will cause poor welding.
TYPES OF WELDING POWER
TYPES OF WELDING POWER
OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE
Open circuit voltage is the voltage at the electrode before striking an arc
(with no current being drawn).
This voltage is usually between 50 V and 80 V (manual machine), or 100 V
(automatic or semi-automatic machines).
The higher the open circuit voltage, the easier it is to strike an arc.
The higher voltage also increases the chance of electrical shock.

CLOSED/OPERATING CIRCUIT VOLTAGE

Operating voltage, or closed circuit voltage, is the voltage at the arc during
welding.
This voltage will vary with arc length, type of electrode being used, type of
current, and polarity.
The voltage will be between 17 V and 40 V.
V A
BELUM MENEMPEL
60 0

V A
ARC STARTING
0 250

V A
DURING WELDING
25 150
 4
4
4

7
4
2

V = 25 V = 35 V = 25
ARC BLOW

When electrons flow they create lines of magnetic

force that circle around the line of flow.
Lines of magnetic force are referred to as magnetic
flux lines.

The force that they place on the wire is usually small.

However, when welding with very high amperages, 600 amperes or more, the
force may cause the wire to move.
A flowing current or residual magnetic field in a plate being welded will result in
uneven flux lines.
These uneven flux lines can, in turn, cause an arc to move during a weld.
This movement of the arc is called arc blow.
Arc blow makes the arc drift like a string would drift in wind.
Arc blow is more noticeable in corners, at the ends of plates, and when the work
lead is connected to only one side of a plate.

To control arc blow, the work lead is connected to the end of the weld joint, and
weld should be made in the opposite direction, or two leads must be used, one
on each side of the weld.
The best way to eliminate arc blow is to use alternating current.
AC usually does not allow the flux lines to build.
TYPES OF POWER SOURCES
A welding transformer uses the alternating current (AC) supplied to the welding
shop at high voltage to produce the low voltage welding power.
TRANSFORMER
Transformer
 Inverter
By using solid state electronic parts the incoming power in a inverter welder is
changed from 60 cycles a second to several thousand cycles a second (ACHF).
This higher frequency allows the use of a transformer that may be as light as 7
pounds and still do the work of a standard transformer weighing 100 pounds.

Additional electronic parts remove the high

frequency for the output welding power.
The use of electronics in the inverter type
welder allows it to produce any desired type of
welding power.
Before the invention of this machine, each type
of welding required a separate machine.
Now a single welding machine can produce the
specific type of current needed.
 Generator & Alternator
Generators and alternators both produce welding electricity from a mechanical
power source.
In an alternator, magnetic lines of force rotate inside a coil of wire. An
alternator can produce AC only.
In a generator, a coil of wire rotates inside a magnetic force. A generator can
produce AC or DC.
It is possible for alternators and generators to both use diodes to change the
AC to DC welding.
 Rectifier

Alternating welding current can be converted to direct current by using a series

of rectifiers.
A rectifier allows current to flow in one direction only.
Rectifier
Pemilihan Power Source

* Jenis Arus Las

* Rentangan Ampere
* Posisi Pengelasan
* Sumber Tenaga Listrik ( PLN )
 Keuntungan Mesin Las DC

* Arus listrik lebih Stabil

* Polarity dapat diubah
* Bisa digunakan amper rendah
* Variasi electrode lebih banyak
 Kerugian Mesin Las DC

* Harga dan perawatan mahal

* Arc blow
* Ampere drop bila kabel panjang
 Keuntungan Mesin Las AC

* Arus listrik tidak terpengaruh

panjang kabel
* Tidak ada Arc Blow
* Murah
* OCV kecil
 Kerugian Mesin Las AC

* Tidak bisa digunakan ampere kecil

* Polarity tidak dapat diubah
* Mengganggu tegangan jaringan
waktu pemakaian
DUTY CYCLE

Welding machines produce internal heat at the same time they produce the
welding current.
Except for automatic welding machines, welders are rarely used every minute
for long periods of time.
The welder must take time to change electrodes, change positions, or change
parts. Shielded metal arc welding never continues for long periods of time.

The duty cycle is the percentage of time a welding machine can be used
continuously.
A 60% duty cycle means that out of every ten minutes, the machine
can be used for six minutes at the maximum rated current.
When providing power at this level, it must be cooled off for four minutes out
of every ten minutes.
The duty cycle increases as the amperage is lowered and decreases for
higher amperages.
Most welding machines weld at a 60% rate or less.
Therefore, most manufacturers list the amperage rating for a 60% duty cycle
on the nameplate that is attached to the machine.
Other duty cycles are given on a graph in the owner's manual.

The following formula is for estimating the duty cycle at other than rated
output and for estimating other than rated output current at a specified duty
cycle: