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Orbital welding became practical for many industries in the early 1980's when N o t e t h e p u l s e d a r c f i n i s h
combination power supply/control systems were developed that operated
on the weld surface.
from 110 VAC and were physically small enough to be carried from place to
place on a construction site for multiple in-place welds. Modern day orbital welding systems offer
computer control where welding parameters for a variety of applications can be stored in memory and
called up when needed for a specific application. The skills of a certified welder are thus built into the
welding system, producing enormous numbers of identical welds and leaving significantly less room for
error or defects.
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the welding device. Weld heads may be used in rows of boiler tubing where it would be difficult for a
manual welder to use a welding torch or view the weld joint.
Many other reasons exist for the use of orbital equipment over manual welding. Examples are
applications where inspection of the internal weld is not practical for each weld created. By making a
sample weld coupon that passes certification, the logic holds that if the sample weld is acceptable,
that successive welds created by an automatic machine with the same input parameters should also
be sound.
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Material Weldability
The material selected varies according to the application and environment the tubing must survive. The
mechanical, thermal, stability, and corrosion resistance requirements of the application will dictate the
material chosen. For complex applications a significant amount of testing will be necessary to ensure the
long term suitability of the chosen material from a functionality and cost viewpoint.
In general, the most commonly used 300 series stainless steels have a high degree of weldability with
the exception of 303/303SE which contain additives for ease of machining. 400 series stainless steels
are often weldable but may require post weld heat treatment.
Accommodation must be made for the potential differences of different material heats. The chemical
composition of each heat batch number will have minor differences in the concentration of alloying and
trace elements. These trace elements can vary the conductivity and melting characteristics slightly for
each heat. When a change in heat number is made a test coupon should be made for the new heat.
Minor changes in amperage may be required to return the weld to its original profile.
It is important that certain elements of the material be held to close tolerances. Minor deviations in
elements such as sulfur can vary the fluid flow in the weld pool thus completely changing the weld profile
and also causing arc wander.
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When two tubes are butted together for welding, two of the main considerations are mismatch and gaps.
In general, the following rules apply:
l
Any gap should be less than 5% of the wall thickness. It is possible to weld with gaps of up to 10%
(or greater) of wall thickness, but the resultant quality of weld will suffer greatly and repeatability
will also become a significant challenge.
Wall thickness variations at the weld zone should be +/- 5% of nominal wall thickness. Again, the
laws of physics will allow welding with mismatch of up to 25% of wall thickness if this is the only
challenge but again, the resultant quality of weld will suffer greatly and repeatability will also
become a significant issue.
Alignment mismatch (high-low) should be avoided by using engineering stands and clamps to align
the two tubes to be welded. This system also removes the mechanical requirement of aligning the
tubes from the orbital weldhead.
Shield Gas(es)
An inert gas is required on the tube OD and ID during welding to prevent the molten material from
combining with the oxygen in the ambient atmosphere. The objective of the welder should be to create a
weld which has zero tint at the weld zone ID.
Argon is the most commonly used shield gas (for the OD of the tube)and the purge gas (for the ID of
the tube). Helium is often used for welding on copper material. Mixed gases such as 98% Argon/2%
Hydrogen, 95% Argon/5% Hydrogen, 90% Argon/10% Hydrogen or 75% Helium/25% Argon my be used
when the wall thickness to be welded is heavy (.1" or above). Using mixtures of 95% Argon/5%
Hydrogen is incompatible with carbon steels and some exotic alloys, often causing hydrogen
embrittlement in the resultant weld. As a general rule, for simplicity and reduction of shield gas cost, use
100% argon gas.
Gas purity is dictated by the application. For high purity situations where the concern for microcontamination is paramount, such as semiconductor and pharmaceutical applications, the shield and
purge gases must minimize the heat tint that could otherwise be undesirable. In these applications,
ultra high purity gas or gas with a local purifier are employed. For non-critical applications, commercial
grade argon gas may be used.
Tungsten Electrode
The tungsten welding electrode, the source of the welding arc, is one of the most important elements of
the welding system that is most commonly ignored by welding systems users. While no one would refute
the importance of the ignition device on an automobile airbag, the rip cord for a parachute, or quality
tires for automobiles, the importance of tungsten electrode for quality welding is often overlooked. Users
continue to manually grind and wonder why they produce inconsistent results. Whether in manual or
automatic welding, this is the area where manufacturing organizations can improve the consistency of
their welding output with minor effort.
The objective for the choice of tungsten parameters is to balance the benefits of a clean arc start and
reduced arc wander with good weld penetration and a satisfactory electrode life.
Electrode Materials: For quite some time, tungsten manufacturers have added an oxide to pure tungsten
to improve the arc starting characteristics and the longevity of pure tungsten electrodes. In the orbital
welding industry, the most commonly used electrode materials are 2% thoriated tungsten and 2%
ceriated tungsten.
Safety: The safety issues of tungsten electrode material are now being looked at more closely. Many
users of the Tig welding process do not realize that the welding electrode they use contains Thorium, a
radioactive element added to the tungsten. While the radioactivity is of a low level, it brings an issue of
danger especially with the radioactive dust generated when grinding the electrodes to a point for welding.
Alternative, non-radioactive tungsten materials are now available, such as 2% ceriated electrodes, which
often offer superior arc welding. While these materials are commercially available they have been largely
ignored until recently.
Recommended Electrode Materials: Cerium, as a base material, has a lower work function than thorium,
thus it offers superior emission characteristics. Thus, not only do ceriated electrodes offer an advance in
electrode safety, they also improve the arc starting ability of the orbital equipment. However, as
mentioned earlier, it is always best to follow the advice of your orbital equipment manufacturer. 2%
ceriated and 2% thoriated electrodes are the most commonly recommended materials for orbital welding
equipment.
Electrode Tip Geometry: Given the ever increasing weld quality requirements of the final weld, more and
more companies are looking for ways to ensure that their weld quality is up to par. Consistency and
repeatability are key to welding applications. The shape and quality of the tungsten electrode tip is
finally being recognized as a vital process variable. Once a weld procedure has been established, it is
important that consistent electrode material, tip geometry and surface condition be used.
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1. H i g h q u a l i t y e l e c t r o d e m a t e r i a l
2. T h e e l e c t r o d e t i p d i m e n s i o n s s h o w n m u s t b e
held to close tolerances
3. T h e s u r f a c e f i n i s h ( g r o u n d o r p o l i s h e d ) o f t h e
electrode grind must be consistent.
Welders should follow an equipment supplier's suggested procedures and dimensions first, because they
have usually performed a significant amount of qualifying and troubleshooting work to optimize
electrode preparation for their equipment. However, where these specifications do not exist or the welder
or engineer would like to change those settings to possibly improve and optimize their welding, the
following guidelines apply:
A. Electrode Taper - This is usually called out in degrees of included angle (usually anywhere between
14 and 60). Below is a summary chart that illustrates how different tapers offer different arc
shapes and features:
Sharper Electrodes
Blunter Electrodes
In addition, to demonstrate graphically how the taper selection will effect the size of the weld bead
and the amount of penetration, below is a drawing that shows typical representations of the arc
shape and resultant weld profile for different tapers.
B. Electrode Tip Diameter - Grinding an electrode to a point is sometimes desirable for certain
applications, especially where arc starting is difficult or short duration welds on small parts are
performed. However in most cases it is best for a welder to leave a flat spot or tip diameter at the
end of electrode. This reduces erosion at the thin part of a point and reduces the concern that the
tip may fall into the weld. Larger and smaller tip diameters offer the following trade-offs:
Smaller Tip
Larger Tip
Tungsten Electrode Grinders and Pre-Ground Electrodes: Using electrodes pre-ground to requirements or a
dedicated commercial electrode grinder to provide electrode tip quality and consistency offers the
following benefits to the user in their welding process:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Improved arc starting, increased arc stability and more consistent weld penetration.
Longer electrode life before electrode wear or contamination.
Reduction of tungsten shedding. This minimizes the possibility of Tungsten inclusions in the weld.
A dedicated electrode grinder helps ensure that the welding electrodes will not become
contaminated by residue or material left on a standard shop grinder wheel.
5. Tungsten electrode grinding equipment requires less skill to ensure that the tungsten electrode is
ground correctly and with more consistency.
file://A:\Pro-Fusion Fundamentals of Orbital Tube Welding.htm
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Pre-Ground Electrodes: Rather than risk electrode radioactivity issues and also
constantly endure the variability of each operator grinding the electrodes with
a slightly different touch, many manufacturing organizations have chosen to
purchase electrodes pre-ground. In addition, since a small difference in the
dimensions of an orbital electrode can produce a big difference in the weld
results, pre-ground electrodes are the preferred electrode choice to maintain
the consistency of your welding. This low cost option ensures that the
electrode material quality, tip geometry and ground electrode surface input to
the welding process is constant. Consult electrode charts or a pre-ground
electrode supplier to obtain the electrode diameter and tip geometry that is
most suitable for your welding application.
Using pre-ground
electrodes ensures that
the electrode material
quality, tip geometry and
ground electrode surface
input to the welding
process is constant
However, it is impossible for the equipment suppliers to have welding procedures for every welding
application and there will always exist a trade off in maximum weld speed possible versus weld quality
and repeatability. Where weld parameter specifications do not exist or the welder or engineer would like
to change those settings to possibly improve or optimize their welding, the guidelines noted below give
information on how to modify the welding parameters for a desired result.
Note: The "rules of thumb" noted below are general guidelines only and will not apply to every
welding application and mix of parameters chosen. Although the welding parameters are often
chosen and changed according to the specific needs of the application, there are some
industry standards that have been developed as starting points. Experimentation and
experience will determine the final weld parameters.
Arc Length
The arc gap setting is dependent on weld current, arc stability and tube concentricity/ovality. The
objective of the welding engineer is to keep the electrode at a constant distance from the tube surface
with sufficient gap to avoid stubbing out.
As a "rule of thumb" use a base arc gap of 0.010" and add to this half the penetration required (usually
the tube wall thickness) expressed in thousandths of an inch. Thus if the tube wall is .030" then a good
starting arc gap would be 0.010" + 0.015" = .025". For a wall thickness/penetration requirement of .154"
the arc gap would be 0.010" + .070" = 0.080"
Weld Speed
The weld speed is dependent on flow rate of material to be welded, and wall thickness. The objective is
to weld as fast as possible while still yielding a quality output.
As a starting point the tungsten surface speed should be 4 - 10 inches per minute with the faster welding
speeds used for thinner wall materials and the slower welding speeds used for heavy wall thickness. As a
good starting point, use 5 inches per minute.
Welding Current
The welding current is dependent on the material to be welded, wall thickness, weld speed, and the
shield gas chosen. The objective is to achieve full penetration, defect free welds.
As a starting point use 1 average current per 0.001" wall thickness if the material is stainless steel. Thus
for a 0.030" wall tubing the average weld current will be 30 amps in the first level.
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Arc Pulsing
Arc pulsing involves using the welding power supply to rapidly alternate the weld current from a high
(peak current) to a low (background current) value. This creates a seam of overlapping spot welds. This
technique reduces the overall heat input to the base material and can also allow for increases in weld
speed. This welding technique brings many benefits to the welding procedure, often improving weld
quality and repeatability. In some cases materials and weld joints with poor fit-up that are difficult to
successfully weld with a non-pulsed arc can easily be welded with a pulsed arc technique. The result is
improved weld quality and increased output.
In orbital welding, arc pulsing also offers another advantage due to the fact that the gravity pulls the
weld puddle in different directions as the weld is created around the tube. When pulsing at peak current
the base material(s) melt and flow together, at the lower background current the puddle can solidify
before becoming liquid at the next peak current pulse. This diminishes the effect of gravity on the
molten weld, minimizes the weld sagging at the 12 and 6 o clock positions, and reduces the molten weld
puddle running/slumping downhill at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and effectively alters the electrode to
weld puddle distance. The arc pulsing technique thus becomes more advantageous as the wall thickness
increases resulting in a larger weld puddle.
Arc Pulsing Parameters: Arc pulsing involves four welding parameters: peak current, background current,
pulse width (duty cycle), and pulse frequency. Here again, opinions vary from one welding organization
to another and indeed from welder to welder. Many welders arrive at the same welding result having
somewhat different welding parameters.
It is important to understand how to choose convenient weld development starting parameters and the
effect on the weld by changing each parameter.
The primary objective is to use the benefits of weld pulsation to improve weld quality and output.
Peak/Background Current Ratios: The peak to background current ratios basically provide a means for the
welding current to pulse from one level to another. Industry usage generally varies from 2:1 ratios to
5:1 ratios. A good starting point is to use 3:1 ratios, make the required weld and test other parameters
to see if any benefit can be gained.
Pulse Frequency: The pulse frequency is dependent on spot overlap required. Good starting parameters
are to attempt for a 75% spot overlap. Pulse rate for thin wall tube is often equal to the weld speed in
ipm (5 ipm = 5 pps)
Pulse Width: The pulse width (the percentage of time spent on the peak current) is dependent on heat
sensitivity of material and available current from power supply. Higher heat sensitivity requires lower
pulse width % on peak current. Standard pulse widths are often 20% to 50%. A good starting parameters
would be to set a pulse width of 35%.
Free arc pulsation software is available from the internet that pre-calculates a variety of arc pulsation
parameters for any given amperage of an application. In this fashion, welders can arrive at an
acceptable weld program and quickly obtain a variety of alternative arc pulsation options to examine
without requiring lengthy calculations or tedious empirical "try it and see" test welding.
Conclusion
One of the best methods for a company to assume a superior position in the marketplace is to develop
a competitive advantage by optimizing the welding process in manufacturing. This will improve weld
quality, increase weld speed, and reduce scrap and rework costs. From this, a company can realize lower
costs per unit of product, quicker delivery of product, and less defects in workmanship. All of this can be
accomplished through the use of orbital welding systems using the consistency and repeatability of finetuned weld programs, control of input material and shield gas quality, and properly prepared pre-ground
electrodes.
Pro-Fusion Technologies provides pre-ground tungsten electrodes for orbital and tube mill applications.
The company offers free access to a welding web site with over 75% of the site dedicated to offering
information on welding processes and even allows the user to input data on what they are welding and
receive welding parameters. The site also gives information on various welding applications with
recommendations on the best techniques to use and handbooks for troubleshooting welding systems.
The web site may be accessed at www.Pro-fusionOnline.com
For free sample Tungsten electrodes, or more information on any of the above contact Pro-Fusion, 1090
Lawrence Drive #104, Newbury Park, CA 91320 U.S.A. Tel (805) 376-8021 Fax (805) 376-0619 Email:
Sales@Pro-FusionOnline.com
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