The pipeline industry and pipe
metallurgy has evolved over time, giving rise to a great demand for welding
processes and products. For this purpose, many multipurpose welding machines
with multi process capabilities have been developed with inverter based engine
drives. One of the key factors that welders need to determine in welding
process pipe is which wires provide the best results for every weld pass. They
also need to select the highest quality filler metal. Process piping has its
unique requirements and challenges where welders need to comply with strict
codes and take precautions to eliminate the risk of defects that could
compromise weld integrity. Some welders have moved from gas tungsten arc
welding to wire processes. Technologies such as pulsed gas metal arc welding
(GMAW-P) have the capacity to increase production and produce the highest
quality welds in process pipe applications. One of the major tasks of the
welder is to choose the right filler metal.
Types of filler metals
Carbon steel in diameters
from 4 to 36 inches is widely used in process piping applications. For the
semiautomatic process, the most common diameter is 18 inches or smaller. The
filler metal wire options in such applications are solid wire; metal cored
wire; and gas shielded flux cored wire. Each type of wire has its unique
features and benefits, which must be considered prior to selecting a filler
metal for the job. Solid wire is one of the most popular choices since a
greater amount of filler metals goes into the weld joint when compared with
SMAW electrodes. On the other hand, to speed productivity on process pipe welding applications that use SMAW or GTAW, tubular gas shielded flux cored
wire is an ideal alternative. They meet industry mechanical properties such as
high strength and side-wall fusion to help reduce weld defects. Metal cored
wires, like solid wires can be used with a modified short circuit GMAW process,
and allows welders to standardize one wire and gas for the entire application.
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