aws welding journal december 2013

PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND APPLICATION OF WELDINGAND ALLIED JOINING AND CUTTING PROCESSES WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING BRAZING, SOLDERING, AND THERMAL SPRAYING

December 2013

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3WELDING JOURNAL

CONTENTS26 Aluminum Weld-Quality Solutions Come in Threes

A trailer manufacturer finds ways to improve its aluminumweldsF. Armao

30 Tips for Job ShopsFive suggestions are offered to job shops to be more efficient and cost-effectiveJ. Leisner and D. Benson

34 Welding and Cutting Fair Attracts a Worldwide AudienceThis every four-year event is still the gathering place to display worldwide technologyA. Cullison

38 How Wire Diameter Affects Aluminum WeldingFind out how changing wire diameter might be the answer to improving productivityR. Krause

Welding Journal (ISSN 0043-2296) is publishedmonthly by the American Welding Society for$120.00 per year in the United States and posses-sions, $160 per year in foreign countries: $7.50per single issue for domestic AWS members and$10.00 per single issue for nonmembers and$14.00 single issue for international. AmericanWelding Society is located at 8669 NW 36th St., # 130, Miami, FL 33166-6672; telephone (305)443-9353. Periodicals postage paid in Miami, Fla.,and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes to Welding Journal, 8669 NW36th St., # 130, Miami, FL 33166-6672. CanadaPost: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip Interna-tional, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2,Canada.

Readers of Welding Journal may make copies ofarticles for personal, archival, educational or research purposes, and which are not for sale orresale. Permission is granted to quote from arti-cles, provided customary acknowledgment of authors and sources is made. Starred (*) items excluded from copyright.

DepartmentsEditorial ............................4Washington Watchword ..........6Press Time News ..................8News of the Industry ............10Aluminum Q&A ..................16Brazing Q&A ......................20Product & Print Spotlight ......22Coming Events....................42Certification Schedule ..........46Society News ....................49

Tech Topics ......................50Amendment Notice: D14.3:2010Amendment Notice: D15.1:2012Errata A5.16:2013Guide to AWS Services ........67

Personnel ........................68American Welder

Learning Track ..................79Fact Sheet ......................82

Welding Journal Index ..........84Classifieds ........................98Advertiser Index ................100

347-s Spatter and Porosity in Gas-Metal Arc Welding ofMagnesium Alloys: Mechanisms and EliminationThe needs of the automotive industry have acceleratedresearch into welding magnesium alloysD. C. Wagner et al.

363-s Effect of Adhesive Characteristics on the Weld Qualityin Weld-Bonding Multiple Steel SheetsThis hybrid joining process was investigated and suggested guidelines for success are providedY. S. Zhang et al.

375-s Arc Characteristics of Ultrasonic Wave-Assisted GMAWExperiments with this newly developed welding method produceddeep penetration and fine-grain crystallizationC. L. Fan et al.

381-s Sensing Dynamic Keyhole Behaviors in Controlled-Pulse Keyholing Plasma Arc WeldingNew insight into the dynamics of keyhole behavior and its effect onweld quality is revealedZ. M. Liu et al.

390-s Heat Input Reduction in Fillet Welding Using Bypassand Root OpeningThe optimum root opening in a T-joint was sought that was compatible with a submerged arc process using a double electrodeY. Lu et al.

Features

Welding Research Supplement

The American Welder

30

26

38

December 2013 Volume 92 Number 12 AWS website www.aws.org

On the cover: It is important for job shops to improve productivity, ensure thebest quality, and reduce costs to remain competitive. (Photo courtesy of MillerElectric Mfg. Co., Appleton, Wis.)

70 AWS Scholarships Proved a Channel to SuccessLearn how successful professionals got a boost in theircareers with AWS scholarshipsK. Campbell

74 Women Learn Welding Skills for New CareersWomen enter the workforce as welders through a specialprogram that helps the underprivilegedB. Atkinson and D. Flood

December 2013_Layout 1 11/13/13 1:10 PM Page 3

EDITORIAL

As 2013 draws to a close, I can assure you that it has been an important year for theAmerican Welding Society, for welding careers for women, and especially for me. OurSociety is healthy and growing both in the numbers of domestic and international mem-bers and with regard to its financial position. American Welding Online (awo.aws.org),which is often referred to as AWO, is up and running with the CWI pre-seminar readyand available as well as classes on safety, metallurgy, math, nondestructive testing, andthe Certified Welding Sales Representative program. Through AWO, you can accessinformation on the AWS SENSE program, podcasts, the AWS You Tube channel, andblogs. The AWS believes everyone should have easy access to welding education andknowledge anywhere and at any time, and AWO is one way to make that happen.

The AWS continues to offer new opportunities through membership, certifications,and welding shows both in the United States and abroad. Its also now heavily involvedwith the social media phenomenon. You can find AWS on Facebook, Twitter, and othermedia that I must admit I dont quite understand, but my grandchildren and other mem-bers of our next generation certainly do.

As I have traveled the country throughout this year, I have encountered enthusiasticDistrict and Section leaders, people working in nearly every type of career in the weld-ing industry, and excited students and teachers. I have enjoyed visiting companies mak-ing an interesting variety of products all requiring welding of some type and most inneed of additional welding professionals. It is my hope that through all of us workingtogether, these firms can soon find the skilled and educated welding professionals theyneed.

As you may know, all year long I have emphasized the opportunities available forwomen in welding and showcased some of the outstanding women already employed inour industry. I have been pleased to see the interest employers have shown in hiringmore women. The jobs are there. We just need to interest women in these opportunitiesand get them trained and educated so they can fill those positions and help our nationprosper. Not many people, especially females, grow up thinking about a career in weld-ing. We must change that mindset and update the welding image that is so limiting anddoes not reflect the reality of the types of positions that need to be filled. Of course, thejobs are not solely for females, but I believe women are a largely untapped resource forindustry and so have made that my focus this year.

On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone who came to see me and listen tomy talks, as well as all the manufacturers and schools that opened their doors to me. Ihad the opportunity for some lively question-and-answer sessions with students, and hadthe honor of hanging medals around the necks of the winners of the national weldingcompetition at SkillsUSA in Kansas City in June.

I was pleased to hear women say they were inspired by the females I featured, womenwhom I think are excellent role models for others considering entering our industry. Ihope my presentations have made a difference to someone. I loved visiting schools andmanufacturing facilities and seeing the progress being made and the clean, well lit, andsafe environments in which our nations welding professionals are working. Jobs areavailable for all aspects of welding, from welders as the base to technicians, engineers,supervisors, salespeople, and Certified Welding Inspectors. Id like to thank the dedicat-

ed AWS staff who pull together the ideas and activitiesof volunteers and produce and disseminate the knowl-edge in a financially responsible manner. I wish toespecially thank all of my hosts who have been invalu-able in making my travels run so smoothly and be sorewarding. As I said previously, its been an incredibleand, I believe, an important year.

DECEMBER 20134

OfficersPresident Nancy C. Cole

NCC Engineering

Vice President Dean R. WilsonWell-Dean Enterprises

Vice President David J. LandonVermeer Mfg. Co.

Vice President David L. McQuaidD. L. McQuaid and Associates, Inc.

Treasurer Robert G. PaliJ. P. Nissen Co.

Executive Director Ray W. ShookAmerican Welding Society

DirectorsT. Anderson (At Large), ITW Global Welding Tech. Center

U. Aschemeier (Dist. 7), Miami Diver

J. R. Bray (Dist. 18), Affiliated Machinery, Inc.

R. E. Brenner (Dist. 10), CnD Industries, Inc.

G. Fairbanks (Dist. 9), Fairbanks Inspection & Testing Services

T. A. Ferri (Dist. 1), Victor Technologies

D. A. Flood (At Large), Tri Tool, Inc.

S. A. Harris (Dist. 4), Altec Industries

K. L. Johnson (Dist. 19), Vigor Shipyards

J. Jones (Dist. 17), The Harris Products Group

W. A. Komlos (Dist. 20), ArcTech, LLC

T. J. Lienert (At Large), Los Alamos National Laboratory

J. Livesay (Dist. 8), Tennessee Technology Center

M. J. Lucas Jr. (At Large), Belcan Engineering

D. E. Lynnes (Dist. 15), Lynnes Welding Training

C. Matricardi (Dist. 5), Welding Solutions, Inc.

J. L. Mendoza (Past President), Lone Star Welding

S. P. Moran (At Large), Weir American Hydro

K. A. Phy (Dist. 6), KA Phy Services, Inc.

W. A. Rice (Past President), OKI Bering

R. L. Richwine (Dist. 14), Ivy Tech State College

D. J. Roland (Dist. 12), Marinette Marine Corp.

N. Saminich (Dist. 21), NS Inspection and Consulting

K. E. Shatell (Dist. 22), Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

T. A. Siewert (At Large), NIST (ret.)

H. W. Thompson (Dist. 2), Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

R. P. Wilcox (Dist. 11), ACH Co.

J. A. Willard (Dist. 13), Kankakee Community College

M. R. Wiswesser (Dist. 3), Welder Training & Testing Institute

D. Wright (Dist. 16), Wright Welding Technologies

Founded in 1919 to Advance the Science,Technology and Application of Welding

Its Been a Very Good Year

Nancy C. ColeAWS President

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White House Manufacturing Board RevivedThe White House has announced it will restart the former Ad-

vanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) under the new name,Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Steering Committee 2.0.The group disbanded last year after issuing a report, CapturingDomestic Competitive Advantage in Advanced Manufacturing, inwhich it advocated the following: Sustaining U.S. investments in science, technology, and in-

novation; establishing the National Network of ManufacturingInnovation Institutes a set of public-private partnerships tobuild shared high-tech facilities and advance U.S. leadership inemerging technologies; Upgrading community-college workforce training programs

and deploying the talent of returning veterans to meet criticalmanufacturing skills needs; Improving the business climate for manufacturing invest-

ment through tax, regulatory, energy, and trade reform. The new committee is expected to build on these three areas.

Members of the committee are leaders from manufacturing, ac-ademia, and labor.

Legislation Introduced to Reform PatentTroll Litigation The bipartisan Innovation Act (H.R. 3309), introduced in the

U.S. House of Representatives in late October, is intended toeliminate certain practices considered by many to be abuses ofthe U.S. patent system, discourage frivolous patent litigation,and keep U.S. patent laws up to date. A fee-shifting provision is probably the most impactful. Under

present law, a court may compel a losing plaintiff in a patent in-fringement case to pay the legal fees of the prevailing defendant,though in practice this rarely occurs. The result is that defendantcompanies are often compelled to settle claims rather than bearthe costs of defense, which typically range from $3 million to $10million per patent case. Yet, litigation settlements only encour-age more frivolous suits. This bill would compel a court to awardattorneys fees to a prevailing defendant in most cases.Another reform is to strengthen the pleading requirements

for patent lawsuits. Under current law, a plaintiff may file a com-plaint with sparse allegations that fail to provide any notice as towhat products are being accused of being infringing and preciselyhow they are alleged to infringe. The result is that so-called patentassertion entities, or patent trolls, sue scores of defendantswho are left to guess as to what is being accused and why.

OSHA Publishes PEL Comparison ChartThe U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has

developed a new chart of permissible exposure limits (PELs) thatcompares those contained in the so-called Z-Tables in OSHAregulations, 29 CFR 1910.1000, with the analogous restrictionsset by three other organizations, the California Division of Oc-cupational Safety and Health PELs; National Institute for Occu-pational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended ExposureLimits; and the American Conference of Governmental Indus-trial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values and Biological ExposureIndices. The new OSHA-annotated tables include a side-by-sidecomparison of the OSHA PELs, Cal/OSHA PELs, NIOSH RELs,and ACGIH TLVs. These new tables are informational only;OSHAs mandatory PELs in the Z-Tables remain in effect.

NIST Sets Up Website for ManufacturingResearch and ReportsThe Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership at the Na-

tional Institute of Standards and Technology has a new websitethat collects reports and studies on manufacturing policy andpractice. The site, www.nist.gov/mep/reports-102213.cfm, is in-tended to serve as a resource for the manufacturing community.

Bill Introduced to Facilitate Cross-BorderEnergy Projects The North American Energy Infrastructure Act (H.R. 3301)

is a bipartisan bill intended to create a more modern and effi-cient approval process for energy infrastructure projects thatcross the borders of the United States. Most importantly, thislegislation would consolidate and standardize the cross-borderapproval process for oil pipelines, natural gas pipelines, and elec-tric transmission lines, replacing and superseding the currentprocesses that have been created in an ad hoc fashion throughmultiple executive orders. It would also require agencies to ap-prove most cross-border applications within 120 days of submission.

U.S. Implements First Export ControlReform MeasuresThe first regulatory amendments implementing export con-

trol reforms took effect October 15. These amendments modifythe U.S. State Departments International Traffic in Arms Regu-lations (ITAR), which generally apply to military items, and theU.S. Commerce Departments Export Administration Regula-tions (EAR), which generally apply to commercial dual-use items.The amendments will transfer certain types of equipment andsoftware, mostly related to military aircraft and related compo-nents and technology, from the ITAR to the EAR.While this step is limited, it is expected to be followed by ad-

ditional reforms of export rules. The process has been slow; thefederal government announced its Export Control Reform Ini-tiative over four years ago.

Water Infrastructure Legislation ProgressingThe U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-

ture has unanimously approved the Water Resources Reform andDevelopment Act (H.R. 3080), a bipartisan bill. The Senateadopted its version of similar legislation in May (S. 601). TheHouse bill contains no earmarks and establishes a process forproject approval with congressional oversight. The focus is ondevelopment, maintenance, and support of port and waterwayinfrastructure. In the past, Congress approved water infrastruc-ture legislation every two years; however, the last bill to beadopted was in 2007.

WASHINGTONWATCHWORD

DECEMBER 20136

BY HUGH K. WEBSTERAWS WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICE

Contact the AWS Washington Government Affairs Office at 1747 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006; e-mail [email protected]; FAX (202) 835-0243.

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PRESS TIMENEWS

United Yacht Transport to Build Worlds LargestYacht CarrierUnited Yacht Transport LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has committed to building a

semisubmersible vessel for servicing the yacht transportation industry. It is scheduledfor delivery in the second tax quarter of 2015.The company believes that the conversion of a Panamax size bulk vessel will produce

the worlds largest yacht transport vessel with a cargo capacity exceeding 40,000 dead-weight tonnage. Completed dimensions of this vessel will be 755 151 ft, allowing forpassage through the newly widened Panama Canal. Certain market conditions in thedry bulk shipping industry have led to a reduction in the value of bulk vessels, creatingan opportunity for developing a lower-cost, semisubmersible vessel.

Andringa Inducted into Manufacturing Hall of FameMary Vermeer Andringa, CEO, Vermeer Corp., Pella, Iowa,

has been inducted into the 2013 IndustryWeek ManufacturingHall of Fame class. Her citation reads, in part, With a trackrecord of 2350 kaizen (constant improvement) events since cre-ating the Vermeer Lean Manufacturing Journey in 1997, An-dringa has earned a seat at the lean guru table. Lean has beenemployed across the entire organization translating into strongfinancial results. Andringa and the other seven inductees werecited as having integrity, passion, and a laser focus on servingtheir customers, employees, and communities.

Grant Helps Wisconsin Indianhead Technical CollegeMove Welding Program ForwardBacked by a $14.9 million, three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labors

Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant awardedto Wisconsins 16 technical colleges, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC)is able to better assist students entering the welding field.The grant is a result of a state-wide collaboration between educational systems work-

ing with industry groups, workforce development boards, and more than 50 businesses.Wisconsin technical colleges have committed to train more than 2500 individuals in thenext two years, in hopes of reducing the skills gap to meet employer manufacturingneeds.According to Mary Ann Pebler, WITCs director of resource development, the grant

has provided funding to purchase a robotic welding machine and allowed expanding thewelding program by two sections.WITC will use its grant portion to assist welding students entering the five Short

Term Embedded Technical Diploma pathways. The U.S. Department of Labors Em-ployment and Training Administration has funded 55% of this project, equaling $605,450.The intent of the welding career pathway is to provide students with options for

multiple entry and exit points that result in employment opportunities at each stage.Students then have the option of coming back into the program should they choose tocomplete the one-year technical diploma, said Cindy King, WITCs director of curriculum.

Welders Sought in Western CanadaThe need for welders in western Canada was recently called out in the Welders

Wanted in the West article by Virginia Galt for The Globe and Mail. As an example, inSaskatchewan, Canada, when searching for the keyword welding on its governmentsonline job site at SaskJobs.ca, nearly 300 positions were available as of press time.In addition, the article profiled Michael Reid who moved from Sarnia to Saskatchewan

and works as a welder for farm equipment manufacturer Morris Industries Ltd.Its a challenge in Saskatchewan on the skilled labor side, said Don Henry, chief

operating officer of Morris Industries, Yorkton, Saskatchewan. I think our biggestshortfall right now [at Morris] is welding.

DECEMBER 20138MEMBER

Publisher Andrew Cullison

Publisher Emeritus Jeff Weber

EditorialEditorial Director Andrew Cullison

Editor Mary Ruth JohnsenAssociate Editor Howard M. WoodwardAssociate Editor Kristin Campbell

Editorial Asst./Peer Review Coordinator Melissa Gomez

Design and ProductionProduction Manager Zaida Chavez

Senior Production Coordinator Brenda FloresManager of International Periodicals and

Electronic Media Carlos Guzman

AdvertisingNational Sales Director Rob Saltzstein

Advertising Sales Representative Lea PanecaAdvertising Sales Representative Sandra JorgensenSenior Advertising Production Manager Frank Wilson

SubscriptionsSubscriptions Representative Tabetha Moore

[email protected]

American Welding Society8669 NW 36 St., # 130, Miami, FL 33166-6672

(305) 443-9353 or (800) 443-9353

Publications, Expositions, Marketing CommitteeD. L. Doench, ChairHobart Brothers Co.

S. Bartholomew, Vice ChairESAB Welding & Cutting Prod.

J. D. Weber, SecretaryAmerican Welding SocietyD. Brown, Weiler Brush

T. Coco, Victor Technologies InternationalL. Davis, ORS Nasco

D. DeCorte, RoMan Mfg.J. R. Franklin, Sellstrom Mfg. Co.

F. H. Kasnick, PraxairD. Levin, Airgas

E. C. Lipphardt, ConsultantR. Madden, Hypertherm

D. Marquard, IBEDA SuperflashJ. F. Saenger Jr., ConsultantS. Smith, Weld-Aid Products

D. Wilson, Well-Dean EnterprisesN. C. Cole, Ex Off., NCC EngineeringJ. N. DuPont, Ex Off., Lehigh University

L. G. Kvidahl, Ex Off., Northrop Grumman Ship SystemsD. J. Landon, Ex Off., Vermeer Mfg.

S. P. Moran, Ex Off., Weir American HydroE. Norman, Ex Off., Southwest Area Career Center

R. G. Pali, Ex Off., J. P. Nissen Co.N. Scotchmer, Ex Off., Huys Industries

R. W. Shook, Ex Off., American Welding Society

Copyright 2013 by American Welding Society in both printed and elec-tronic formats. The Society is not responsible for any statement made oropinion expressed herein. Data and information developed by the authorsof specific articles are for informational purposes only and are not in-tended for use without independent, substantiating investigation on thepart of potential users.

Mary VermeerAndringa

PTN December 2013_Layout 1 11/14/13 3:00 PM Page 8

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DECEMBER 201310

NEWS OF THEINDUSTRY

Ironworkers Union in California toHost Free Womens Welding Program

The Oakland San Francisco Bay Area Ironworkers Appren-ticeship Program is planning another Womens Welder Program.The 6-week, 150-h course will prepare up to 20 women for a 4-year apprenticeship program as a Union Ironworker. There isno cost for this training.

Women with prior welder training or experience are sought.The Ironworker welders specialize in shielded metal arc and flux

cored arc welding processes and oxyfuel cutting. The programwill include an initial five days of training, then Friday night andweekend classes during February and March, concluding in earlyApril.

Upon successful completion, these women will roll into thefour-year apprenticeship program and receive credit for classescompleted. Welding performed by Ironworkers is outdoors andoften at heights as they work on new construction of buildings,stadiums, bridges, and industrial plants.

An orientation session is planned for January 6. To get an ap-plication and more information, visit universityofiron.org.

Ingalls Shipbuilding Starts ConstructingSixth National Security Cutter

Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding division,Pascagoula, Miss., has started fabricating the U.S. Coast Guardssixth National Security Cutter (NSC), Munro (WMSL 755).

Our shipbuilders have a great jump start on the constructionof this ship as we have already cut and processed more than 400tons of steel for NSC 6, said Jim French, Ingalls NSC programmanager.

Currently, Ingalls is building three NSCs and has deliveredthree that are serving as the flagships of the Coast Guards cut-ter fleet. An electronics light-off milestone, where the ships elec-trical system is powered up for the first time, was recently achievedon Ingalls fourth NSC, Hamilton (WMSL 753). Also, Ingallsfifth NSC, James (WMSL 754), has more than 70% of its unitserected and will launch in the spring of 2014.

Alcoa, U.S. Army to Develop Worlds Largest Single-Piece Aluminum HullAlcoa, Pittsburgh, Pa., and the U.S. Army Research Labora-

tory, Washington, D.C., have launched a cooperative effort for de-veloping an aluminum system to address a soldier safety threat improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A single-piece aluminumhull for ground combat vehicles would replace todays assembledhulls.

For decades, the Army has recognized the survivability bene-fits of a single-piece hull due to its thickness, size, and shape forground combat vehicles, said Dr. Ernest Chin of the Army Re-search Laboratory. Our collaborative effort to develop continu-ous and seamless aluminum hull technology has the potential tobe a game changer for how combat vehicles are designed and madeto better protect our soldiers.

Alcoas single-piece aluminum hull would improve combat ve-hicle performance through improved blast protection, increaseddamage resistance, efficient design, and cost savings.

Our experts are now developing the worlds largest, high-strength aluminum hull for combat vehicles to better defendagainst IEDs, the greatest threat our troops face in Afghanistan,while meeting the Armys affordability needs, said Ray Kilmer,Alcoa executive vice president and chief technology officer.

The Army Research Laboratory, in partnership with AlcoaDefense, initiated the program after Alcoa modeled performance advantages of the single-piece hull.

In addition, Alcoa Defense, the Armys Research, Development and Engineering Command, and the Defense AdvancedResearch Projects Agency will coordinate R&D efforts with scientists at the Alcoa Technical Center to refine the hull designand develop alloy requirements. Alcoa Defense will then work with engineers at Alcoa Forgings and Extrusions in Clevelandto produce 20- by 7-ft demonstrator hulls. These hulls will also be forged using Alcoa Clevelands 50,000-ton forging press.

Alcoa and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory have started acooperative effort to develop the worlds largest single-piecealuminum hull for ground combat vehicles (as shown here ina sketch).

Attendees from the previous Ironworkers Womens Welder Programare shown with their instructors.

NI DECEMBER 2013_Layout 1 11/13/13 4:02 PM Page 10

11WELDING JOURNAL

Designed to replace the 378-ft Hamilton-class high-endurancecutters, the NSCs are 418 ft long with a 54-ft beam and displace4500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots,range of 12,000 miles, endurance of 60 days, and crew of 110.

Serving It Up Weld Done: High SchoolStudents Create BBQ Smoker

After devoting nearly 300 h of their time, often early in themorning and on weekends, Chris Crosslin and Jose Farias fin-ished constructing Patriot a custom-made, 20-ft-long tandemaxle trailer with BBQ smoker. The recent high school graduates,

Joined at the hip.

ABI-CLIPMIG TORCH CABLE HOLSTER

www.binzel-abicor.com

T E C H N O L O G Y F O R T H E W E L D E R S W O R L D .

Abicor Binzel USAPhone: 800.542.4867Fax: [email protected]

Gas metal arc welding was used during fabrication of a 20-ft-longtandem axle trailer.

For info, go to www.aws.org/ad-index



DECEMBER 201312

formerly part of the welding program at Eisenhower High School,Yakima, Wash., received senior project guidance from their in-structor, Gary Kurpgeweit, an American Welding Society mem-ber. They participated at the SkillsUSA national contest in KansasCity, Mo., this past June and earned welding positions right afterhigh school.

The purpose of the smoker is a fundraiser for students,Kurpgeweit said. Cookouts will take place to support field tripsand hotel/food costs during SkillsUSA competitions, plus helpwith welding shop needs. We are able to take profits and put itback into the program, he added.

The 7-ft-long smoker made out of 24-in.-diameter pipe, 14-in. wall thickness, and a stainless steel tank was fabricatedusing gas metal arc welding (GMAW). It can be fueled by propanegas and heated wood. The trailer was also constructed using

GMAW. The means to purchase new materials came from sell-ing the schools previous smoker along with metal roses and otherprojects made by the welding students.

Compartments on its front and backside hold a refrigerator,water heater, woodbox, holding tanks, two sinks, and storagearea. Bolts are in place for all metal parts to be removed.

As part of finishing, the trailer was disassembled for sand-blasting followed by powder coating in the U.S. flag and highschool colors red, white, and blue. Now put back together, it canbe pulled by a truck. The smokers propane and water lines werepressure tested, too. The finished trailer weighs 4200 lb and isvalued at around $30,000.

It has been a lot of work, but they have had a lot of fun doingit, Kurpgeweit said.

mikeroweWORKS Foundation and TulsaWelding School Create Scholarships

The mikeroweWORKS Foundation (MRW) and Tulsa Weld-ing School (TWS) recently formed the MRW/TWS ScholarshipProgram for high school seniors. A total of 49 full-tuition paidscholarships will be offered, a collective value of approximately$800,000, across TWSs campuses in Tulsa, Okla., Jacksonville,Fla., and its sister school, The Refrigeration School, Phoenix,Ariz.

1.6 million dollars in mikeroweWORKS scholarships is apretty big deal, and Im hopeful more schools will follow...wereon our way to building an affiliation of excellent trade schoolsthat are not only determined to train the workers our countryneeds, but reward the kind of work ethic we all want to encour-age, said Mike Rowe, mikeroweWORKS CEO and Dirty Jobshost.

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Chris Crosslin (left) and Jose Farias pose in front of Patriot, thetrailer they finished featuring a BBQ smoker.



The MRW/TWS Scholarship Program works in four phases:Applicants register via the campus Facebook pages; they submitrequired materials, including a 500-word essay explaining whyhe/she is interested in a skilled trades career, with other qualifi-cations; up to 100 of the top applicants at each campus will beasked to submit a 23 min video, which will be posted on TWSsFacebook page, explaining why he/she deserves this scholarship;and the public will choose winners by voting on Facebook, thenthe top applicants whose videos have the most votes will beawarded a full-tuition paid scholarship to one of TWSs programs.

To qualify, applicants must be scheduled to graduate fromhigh school during the 2013/2014 academic year. Visit www.weld-ingschool.com/mrw-scholarship/ for more details.

Tri-County Technical College to AddMore Welding Booths, Equipment

A $250,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commis-sion will add 24 new welding booths and equipment at Tri-CountyTechnical Colleges Industrial Technology Center (ITC), SandySprings, S.C.

Our total enrollment for the welding program is 120 studentsbetween day and evening, said Paul Phelps, welding programcoordinator. This grant will allow us to expand our program toaccept 48 more students and funding to purchase most of thewelding equipment needed for instruction. Matching funds willsupply the remainder of the welding equipment and all installa-tion costs, including special ventilation and piping of the poten-tially hazardous gasses.

Until the ITC opened in spring of 2013, enrollment was lim-ited to the number of welding booths at the Pendleton Campusand students were not able to take classes that accommodated

their varying schedules, he stated.Also, one lab at the ITC will serve participants in SC Accel-

erate, a fast-track educational and career pathway for adults.Two new companies, McLaughlin Body Works and SMF, re-

cently located in this area, giving our graduates more job place-ment opportunities, Phelps added.

Victor TechnologiesTM Unveils PlasmaDesign Center in West Lebanon, N.H.

Victor Technologies recently unveiled its West Lebanon De-sign Center in New Hampshire dedicated to advancing plasma

13WELDING JOURNAL

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Joe Finklea, a former student, gas tungsten arc welds in the 2G position on 2-in., schedule 40 carbon steel pipe.

For info, go to www.aws.org/ad-index For info, go to www.aws.org/ad-index

NI DECEMBER 2013_Layout 1 11/15/13 10:26 AM Page 13

cutting and arc welding technologies.The center encompasses 50,000 sq ft and employs approxi-

mately 75 people. It is equipped with a plasma process researchand development laboratory, applications laboratory, classroom,demonstration facility with cutting tables for hands-on trainingof customers and employees, global technical support and serv-ice center, and pilot production lines for new products.

Our dedicated staff is focused on developing innovative so-lutions for our end-user customers and providing technical sup-port and training for our distributor partners, said Victor Tech-nologies CEO Martin Quinn, during the opening ceremony.

Industry Notes Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, N.C.,

has bought a vacant property near its Jamestown Campus toexpand welding and transportation programs. The 37-acresite includes a 253,000-sq-ft warehouse. The purchase costwas $8.3 million.

UK-based Connor Solutions is investing nearly $6 million aspart of a three-year expansion plan for its manufacturing siteand increasing electronics production capabilities. Also, itrecently purchased Ersa Powerflow wave and Versaflow se-lective soldering lines from Blundell Production Equipment.

Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth, Fla., will enhance itswelding, information technology, and machining programsusing two grants totaling nearly $2.4 million awarded as partof the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Community Col-lege and Career Training grant program.

Applied Fusion, San Leandro, Calif., completed installing itssecond 8-axis CNC large electron beam welding machine thatprovides a larger working envelope due to a 125-ton, 64-cubic-meter vacuum chamber. A 65-in. tiltable rotary table with az-axis movement opens up a range of part options.

The Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland, Ohio, has earned thenew Certified Robot Integrator designation from the RoboticIndustries Association.

RathGibson, Janesville, Wis., a manufacturer of welded tub-ing, has achieved the American Society of Mechanical Engi-neers BioProcessing Equipment certification.

DECEMBER 201314

Victor TechnologiesTM CEO Martin Quinn uses a Victor Ther-mal Dynamics plasma system to cut a copper ribbon, officiallyopening the companys new Design Center in West Lebanon, N.H.

continued on page 96



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greiner_FP_TEMP 11/13/13 7:46 AM Page 15

DECEMBER 201316

ALUMINUMQ&A BY TONY ANDERSON

Following are the answers to the quizquestions published in the October Alu-minum Q&A column with a list of the tenlucky winners.

1. What is the principal alloying ele-ment in the 8xxx series alloy group?

A CopperB LithiumC Zinc and TinD Other Element

D Other Element ANSI H35.1,Alloy and Temper Designation System forAluminum, is clear in defining the 8xxx se-ries alloys as being those with principal al-loying elements other than the 1xxx through7xxx series. The series consist of 1xxx Pure,2xxx Copper, 3xxx Manganese, 4xxx Silicon,5xxx Magnesium, 6xxx Magnesium and Sil-icon, and 7xxx Zinc. The 8xxx series alloysare comprised of some aluminum/lithium(Li) alloys that contain higher Li contentthan copper (Cu), unlike the 2xxx series al-loys that contain more Cu than Li. Also,some aluminum/ferrite (Fe) alloys are in-cluded in the 8xxx series. The 8xxx series al-loys are often described as the catch-all se-ries since it contains any alloy that does notfit the principal alloy category of the 1xxxto 7xxx series.

2. What do the 2xxx, 6xxx, and 7xxx se-ries alloys have in common?

A Heat TreatableB CopperC Nonheat TreatableD Chemistry

A Heat Treatable 2xxx, 6xxx, and7xxx are all heat-treatable alloys that arestrengthened through various types ofheat treatment. The initial strength ofthese alloys is also produced by the addi-tion of alloying elements to pure alu-minum. These elements include copper(2xxx series), magnesium and silicon,which is able to form the compound mag-nesium silicide (6xxx series), and zinc(7xxx series). When present in a givenalloy, singly or in various combinations,these elements exhibit increasing solid sol-ubility in aluminum as the temperatureincreases. Because of this reaction, it ispossible to produce significant additionalstrengthening to the heat-treatable alloysby subjecting them to an elevated thermaltreatment, quenching, and, when applica-ble, precipitation heat treatment knownalso as artificial aging.

Note: Because of additions of magne-sium and/or copper, there are also a num-

ber of silicon (4xxx series) alloys that areheat treatable.

In solution heat treatment, the mate-rial is typically heated to temperatures of900 to 1050F, depending upon the alloy.This causes the alloying elements withinthe material to go into solution. Rapidquenching, usually in water, which freezesor traps the alloying elements in solution,follows this process.

Precipitation heat treatment, or artifi-cial aging, is used after solution heat-treat-ment. This involves heating the material fora controlled time at a lower temperature(around 250 to 400F). This process, usedafter solution heat treatment, both in-creases strength and stabilizes the material.

3. Which of the following aluminum al-loys has been solution heat treated andnaturally aged to a substantially stablecondition?

A 6061-T6B 2014-T4C 5052-H32D 7075-T62

B 2014-T4 The -T4 indicates thatthe alloy has been solution heat treatedand naturally aged to a substantially sta-ble condition. The Temper DesignationSystem addresses the material conditionscalled tempers. This is an extension of thealloy numbering system and consists of aseries of letters and numbers that followthe alloy designation number and are con-nected by a hyphen. Examples include6061-T6, 6063-T4, 5052-H32, and 5083-H112. The -T6 temper indicates solutionheat treated and artificially aged. The -H32 and -H112 are strain-hardened tem-pers, that apply to nonheat-treatable al-loys such as the 5xxx series, and the -T4temper is heat treated and naturally aged.

4. When gas tungsten arc welding a6xxx series aluminum base metal withoutfiller metal (autogenously), what type ofweld discontinuity would you most expectto find in your weld?

A PorosityB Incomplete FusionC Hot CrackingD Undercut

C Hot Cracking The 6xxx seriesbase metals have chemical compositionsthat are very susceptible to hot cracking.If these alloys are not welded with a fillermetal of a different chemistry than thatof the base metal, they will invariablycrack during solidification. Either a 4xxx

or 5xxx series filler metal (4043, 4943,4047, or 5356) is typically used to changethe composition of the resultant weldmetal to a chemistry different than thatof the base metal alone, thereby prevent-ing hot cracking.

5. What is the most common reason,when testing a weld made in 6061-T6 basemetal, for a transverse tension test to failin the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and notmeet the minimum tensile strength re-quirements of the welding code?

A Too Low PreheatB Overheating Base MetalC PorosityD Hot Cracking

B Overheating Base Metal Poros-ity and hot cracking are not usually foundin the HAZ of aluminum welds, and a lowor no preheat will help to improve thestrength of the HAZ, not lower it. Over-heating the base metal during welding,from excessive preheating and/or high in-terpass temperature, is the most commonreason for reducing the strength of theHAZ in the 6xxx series base metals. Thehigher the preheat, interpass tempera-ture, and heat input during welding plus the longer the HAZ is held at hightemperature the greater the reductionin strength of the HAZ. It is not uncom-mon for test samples to fail to meet theminimum tensile strength because of over-heating the base metal during welding.

6. What is the most suitable 5xxx fillermetal to be used for welding a structuremade from 5454 base metal and that is tobe exposed in service to temperatures between 150 and 350F for prolonged periods?

A ER5356B ER5183C ER5556D ER5554

D ER5554 Stress corrosion crack-ing (SCC) in 5xxx series alloys, contain-ing more than 3% magnesium, can be en-countered when exposed to prolongedtime at temperatures between 150 and350F. Base Alloy 5454 and filler Alloy5554 both have magnesium content below3%; therefore, both alloys are suitable forelevated-temperature applications andare not susceptible to SCC. Filler Alloys5356, 5183, and 5556 all have more than 3% magnesium and are not suitable for prolonged elevated-temperature applications.

ALUMINUM Q AND A DECEMBER 2013_Layout 1 11/13/13 3:05 PM Page 16

17WELDING JOURNAL

7. What is the usual cause of porosityin aluminum welds?

A OxygenB SiliconC HydrogenD Nitrogen

C Hydrogen Hydrogen is theusual cause of porosity in aluminum welds.The solubility of hydrogen in aluminumincreases dramatically after the aluminumreaches its liquid stage. When aluminumis taken to temperatures above its melt-ing point, it becomes very susceptible tohydrogen absorption. The hydrogen canthen form bubbles in the molten alu-minum as the aluminum solidifies, andthese bubbles are then trapped in themetal, causing porosity.

The sources of hydrogen that createporosity are as follows: hydrocarbons in theform of contaminants such as paint, oil,grease, cutting fluids, and lubricant; hy-drated aluminum oxide, as aluminum oxidecan absorb moisture and become hydrated,the hydrated oxide will release hydrogenwhen subjected to the heat during welding;and moisture (H2O), as moisture in the at-mosphere can be a serious cause of poros-ity under certain circumstances (changes in

temperature and high humidity).Moisture from other sources such as

compressed air, contaminated shieldinggas, or precleaning operations should alsobe considered.

8. The electrolytic process used forproducing aluminum that was discoveredin 1886 and still used today is known bywhat name?

A Davy ProcessB Hall-Heroult ProcessC Wohler ProcessD Henri-Etienne Process

B Hall-Heroult Process In 1886,by an amazing coincidence, two men (onein France, and the other in the UnitedStates of America) simultaneously discov-ered the electrolytic process for produc-ing aluminum, and this process is still usedtoday. Charles Martin Hall was an Ober-lin (Ohio) College student when he be-came interested in producing aluminuminexpensively. He continued to use thecollege laboratory after he graduated in1885 and discovered his method eightmonths later. He had developed a work-able electrolytic process that formedmolten aluminum when purified alumina

was dissolved in a molten salt called cryo-lite and electrolyzed with direct current.When Hall went to patent his process, hediscovered a French patent for essentiallythe same process, discovered by Paul L.T. Heroult. This process is now known asthe Hall-Heroult process. After severalunsuccessful attempts by Charles MartinHall to interest financial backers in pro-moting the discovery, he obtained the sup-port of Alfred E. Hunt and a few of hisfriends. Together, they formed the Pitts-burgh Reduction Co. (later to become theAluminum Co. of America, Alcoa).

9. In accordance with the requirementsof AWS D1.2/D1.2M:2008, Structural Weld-ing Code Aluminum, what is the maxi-mum preheat temperature when weldingbase metal 5052?

A 150FB 250FC 350FD It does not give a max preheat forthis base metal.

D It does not give a max preheatfor this base metal. Section 4.8 of AWSD1.2/D1.2M:2008, Structural WeldingCode Aluminum, Preheat and Interpass



Temperatures, states the following:When fabricating the heat-treatable alu-minum alloys or the 5000-series alu-minum-magnesium alloys containingmore than 3% magnesium, the preheatand interpass temperatures shall not ex-ceed 250F. Holding time at this temper-ature shall not exceed 15 min.

The 5052 base metal only has a maxi-mum magnesium content of 2.8%; there-fore, the code does not give a maximumpreheat for this base metal.

10. In accordance with the requirementsof AWS D1.2/D1.2M:2008, Structural Weld-ing Code Aluminum, what is the mini-mum length of an intermittent fillet weld?

A 112 in.B 212 in.C 3 in.D 312 in.

A 112 in. Section 2.4.2.4 clearlystates that the minimum length of an in-termittent fillet weld shall be 112 in.

11. In accordance with the require-ments of AWS D1.2/D1.2M:2008, StructuralWelding Code Aluminum, when testingfor a procedure qualification using a 5083-H112 (1-in.-thick forging) base plate com-plete-joint-penetration groove weld, whatwould be the minimum tensile strength re-quired to pass the reduced section trans-verse tension tests?

A 36 ksi

B 38 ksiC 39 ksiD 40 ksi

B 38 ksi Table 3.2 of AWS D1.2provides minimum tensile strengths for5083-H112 in sheet, plate, extrusions, andforgings. The 1-in.-thick forging has thelowest tensile strength requirement at 38ksi, with extrusions at 39 ksi, and sheetand plate at 40 ksi.

12. In accordance with the require-ments of AWS A5.10/A5.10M:2012, Weld-ing Consumables Wire Electrodes,Wires and Rods for Welding of Aluminumand Aluminum-Alloys Classification,the standard testing method for all ERClassifications is chemical analysis pluswhat other test?

A Tensile TestsB Bead-on-Plate TestC Radiographic TestD Guided Bend Test

C Radiographic Test Table 2of AWS A5.10 shows all classifications torequire chemical analysis, all R Classifi-cations shall require a bead-on-plate test,and all ER Classifications shall require ra-diographic testing.

Winners

I would like to thank all who partici-pated in this aluminum quiz. I was veryimpressed with the response and quality

of the answers. I received many commentsas to how individuals had enjoyed re-searching the correct answers, and manywho indicated that responding to the quizwas both educational and fun. What agreat combination!

The ten winners, selected at randomfrom all who sent me 100% correct answers,are listed below in alphabetical order.

DECEMBER 201318

The RWMAAnnual Meeting is a three-day event filled with unparalleled networking opportunities and enlightening presentations. Renowned economist Alan Beaulieu of the Institute for Trend Research (ITR) continues to be the keynote speaker for the meeting. Additional speakers will be announced. Non-members are welcome to attend! Registration opens mid-December. For more information please contact:

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.Registration opens mid-DecemberAdditional speakers will be announced. Non-members are welcome to attend! keynote speaker for the meeting.

Alan Beaulieu of the Institute for presentations. Renowned economist Additional speakers will be announced. Non-members are welcome to attend!

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Keila DeMoraes at [email protected] or 800-443-9353, ext. 444For more information please contact:

Additional speakers will be announced. Non-members are welcome to attend! rend Research (ITR) continues to be the TAlan Beaulieu of the Institute for


Additional speakers will be announced. Non-members are welcome to attend! rend Research (ITR) continues to be the


TONY ANDERSON is director of aluminumtechnology, ITW Welding North America. He isa Fellow of the British Welding Institute (TWI),a Registered Chartered Engineer with the BritishEngineering Council, and holds numerous posi-tions on AWS technical committees. He is chair-man of the Aluminum Association TechnicalAdvisory Committee for Welding and author ofthe book Welding Aluminum Questions andAnswers currently available from the AWS.Questions may be sent to Mr. Anderson c/o Weld-ing Journal, 8669 NW 36 St., # 130, Miami, FL33166-6672, or via e-mail at [email protected].

Wayne Abarca La Salle, Ill.Robert Allan Ross-Shire, Scotland, UKSteve Blevins Biloxi, Miss.Yasser Elmasri New Westminster, B.C.,

CanadaThomas Lienert Los Alamos, N.Mex.Sylvain Pedneault Chicoutimi, Que,

CanadaJonathan Roberts Mobile, Ala.Kyle Savoie Larose, La.John Speziale Canfield, OhioRick Ward Manns Harbor, N.C.


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Q: We make connections be-tween copper and steel tubingon our assembly line usingmanual torch brazing. We arehand feeding a silver bearingbraze alloy (38% silver) andusing a white flux. After havinga high leak rate on these joints,we identified significant differ-ences between brazers in theheating process. In order toapply more consistent heating,we have been trying inductionheating using a hand-held in-duction unit. The only othervariable we changed is that weuse a preform ring rather thanhand feeding brazing rod. Theleak rate has not dropped aswe anticipated. We obviouslyare missing something. Canyou offer suggestions as to howwe can evaluate this?

A: Induction heating is a good choice forbrazing as long as the joints you are mak-ing are of a consistent nature. It is a veryuniform and consistent heating method,but it requires the parts being brazed tobe similarly uniform and consistent.

Manual torch brazing gets a bad rapbecause of the difficulty in having it ap-plied the same way by a group of opera-tors, but it does have some benefits. Tu-bular joints like those found in refrigera-tion and air-conditioning systems featurea great deal of variation. These are notthought of as precision braze joints. Inaddition to the wide variation in heatingyou mention, joint clearances vary, jointinsertion depths vary, tube thicknessvaries, and cleanliness is usually an issueof some sort. Sometimes nitrogen is usedas a purge to keep interior surfaces oxidefree; sometimes a vapor flux is aspiratedinto the fuel gas stream to help keep ex-terior surfaces clean along with myriadmethods to apply alloy and flux. A skilledoperator with a torch, properly set for gaspressures and flame condition, can adjustto the conditions presented and make agood braze joint.

The word skilled is the issue. In previ-ous columns weve addressed the issue of

training. On some joints, rather than bat-tle the training issue it seems easier tolook at another process. Hand-held in-duction is a logical place to look. Figure1 shows a typical setup and Fig. 2 shows aclose-up view of the tubular joint beingbrazed.

If you are going to pursue this option,you will be addressing the variable ofheating but, to make it work successfully,you must make sure you address the oth-ers. The fact that you are brazing dissim-ilar metals (steel and copper) adds someadditional considerations. The variablesthat need attention are:

1. Joint clearance

2. Joint depth

3. Cleanliness

4. Braze alloy and flux

5. Thermal conductivity

6. Thermal expansion

7. Heating process

Take a look at Fig. 3. It shows a typicaltubing braze joint. It highlights what youare facing. You can see that the joint clear-ance varies greatly. Typically, these typesof joints have a tremendous range of clear-ances. The maximum strength of a silverbrazed joint is achieved at a radial joint

clearance of 0.0015 in. (0.038 mm). This isalso a good clearance size for capillaryflow to pull the braze alloy into the joint.Try to keep the radial clearance between0.001 and 0.002 in. (0.0250.05mm).

The next thing to notice in Fig. 3 is thejoint depth. This example shows an ex-treme amount of overlap. It is common tosee this in production, and it is not nor-mally controlled very well. As mentionedin Octobers column, we usually recom-mend an overlap of 3T to 6T, where T isthe thickness of the thinner of the twopieces. For practical purposes, a jointdepth of 0.200 in. on these types of jointsis all you need. This then needs to be con-trolled throughout the joining process.Various types of end forms can be incor-porated to help ensure the depth.

The problems with the conditionshown here start with the fact that it re-quires an excessive amount of braze alloyto fill this joint. It is difficult to heat sucha deep joint and achieve proper capillaryflow throughout. It also takes longer toheat because of the extra mass involved.In short, it takes longer to make thesejoints, requires more thermal energy, and more braze alloy (in this case, more silver).

The cleanliness of components re-quired for induction brazing is the sameas for torch brazing. While a torch can beadjusted to be oxidizing, neutral, or re-ducing in nature, an induction processsimply heats the parts. One feature thatinduction offers is that you can flood the

BRAZINGQ&A BY TIM P. HIRTHE

Fig. 1 Tubular joint in a hand-held induction coil.Fig. 2 Close-up viewof the joint.

DECEMBER 201320

BRAZING Q+A December_Layout 1 11/13/13 1:36 PM Page 20

21WELDING JOURNAL

joint during heating with an inert gas tooffer some protection from oxidation. Inboth torch and induction heating, you canprotect the inside of the tubes by purgingwith nitrogen.

The induction process allows you touse a preform ring. It eliminates the over-feeding of braze alloy rod that normallyoccurs during manual torch brazing. Thisoffers excellent control over the quantityof braze alloy. There is a good optionavailable that incorporates the flux intothe braze ring. These come in a variety ofcross sections and flux contents. They areavailable in the materials you are using.The braze alloy conforms to AWS A5.8BAg-34 and the flux conforms to AWSA5.31 FB3A. In your application, you willwant the ring to be in good physical con-tact with the outside of the inner tube andin contact with the edge of the outer tube Fig. 2.

When heating this combination ofbase metals, you will need to consider thedifferences in materials. The main differ-ences are in thermal expansion and ther-mal conductivity. Values for both materi-als, taken from the AWS Brazing Hand-book, 5th Edition, are as follows: 1020Steel coefficient of thermal expansion is6.5 106 in./in./F (11.7 106mm/mm/C). Copper coefficient of ther-mal expansion is 9.4 106 in./in./F(17.0 106 mm/mm/C). 1020 Steelthermal conductivity is 357 (Btu)-(in./h)/(ft2)(F) [51 W/mK]. Copperthermal conductivity is 2689 (Btu)-(in./h)/(ft2)(F) [388 W/mK].

It can be seen from these data, thecopper will expand more than the steel

and the steel will tend to hold the heatwhile the copper will tend to draw it away.With induction, a ferrous part will heatfaster than a nonferrous one. Since thesteel is the outer member of the joint,when placed into the induction coil, thesteel will heat quickly. The inner coppermember will be heated mainly by con-duction from the steel part. The powersupply will need to be adjusted to allowthe parts to heat uniformly. You will haveno problem getting the steel hot. Youneed to be sure the copper is up to braz-ing temperature to ensure a good bond.In addition, the induction coil will need

to be placed so that the braze alloy isdrawn into the joint. Molten braze alloytravels toward the hottest section of thejoint area, so place the coil accordingly.

Making the switch to induction heat-ing can be achieved successfully, but it re-quires a strong attention to detail. As Imentioned previously, manual torchbrazing gets a bad reputation because ofthe difficulty in getting a group of opera-tors on the same page. Likewise, induc-tion brazing gets a bad reputation for itslack of flexibility. To make it work, youhave to make sure you have all of the vari-ables under control.

Fig. 3 Tubular joint in a hand-held in-duction coil.

This column is written sequentially by TIM P. HIRTHE, ALEXANDER E.SHAPIRO, and DAN KAY. Hirthe and Shapiro are members of and Kay is an advisorto the C3 Committee on Brazing and Soldering. All three have contributed to the 5thedition of AWS Brazing Handbook.

Hirthe ([email protected]) currently serves as a vice chair of the Brazing & Sol-dering Manufacturers Committee (BSMC) and owns his own consulting business.

Shapiro ([email protected]) is brazing products manager at Tita-nium Brazing, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.

Kay ([email protected]), with 40 years of experience in the industry, operateshis own brazing training and consulting business.

Readers are requested to post their questions for use in this column on the BrazingForum section of the BSMC Web site www.brazingandsoldering.com.


BRAZING Q+A December_Layout 1 11/13/13 1:36 PM Page 21

PRODUCT & PRINTSPOTLIGHT

Vertical Machining CentersDesigned for Job Shops

Two Bridgeport five-face vertical ma-chining centers are for job shop, OEM,aerospace, automotive, power generation,and other manufacturing industries. Twomachine sizes are available and come stan-dard with a Fanuc Oi-Model D control for

4 + 1 machining (refering to the use offour simultaneous axes plus one axis usedfor positioning only). The GX 250 withtravels of 11.8 15.6 16.9 in. providesfast rapid traverse of 1181 in./min on X,Y, and Z axes. It features a 20-hp, 15,000-rev/min, direct-drive spindle motor with70.4 ft-lb of torque and 30-tool swing-armautomatic tool changer. The larger GXR320 with travels of 20 24 20 in. pro-vides fast rapid traverse of 1693 in./minon X and Y axes with 1417 in./min on theZ axis. The machine features a 25-hp,12,000-rev/min, direct-drive spindle with86.3 ft-lb of torque and 48-tool swing-armautomatic tool changer.

Hardinge, Inc.www.hardinge.com(800) 843-8801

Textbook SupplementsWelding Training Programs

The company has published RoboticWelding Project-Based Lessons for use withits robotic welding training systems. Thetextbook includes lessons with an interac-tive approach to learning, emulating real-world use of robotics in production weld-ing and provides exercises designed to de-velop problem-solving and decision-mak-

ing skills. Suitable for varying educationalneeds, the book exposes students to vari-ous joint types and welding processes.

Lincoln Electric Automationwww.lincolnelectric.com(888) 935-3878

Discs are Nonloadingon Aluminum

The Cotton Fiber Quick Change Discsare rigid enough to reach into small cor-ners, yet flexible for use on flat and con-toured surfaces to remove small welds andbreak edges. They are made from multi-ple layers of reinforced nonwoven cotton,

Machines with AC Pulsing Weld Thin Aluminum

A companys new line of Heliarc machines for AC/DC GTAW andSMAW includes the 281i, a 280-A unit for single-phase 230 connections; the283i, a 280-A unit for three-phase 460 connections; and the 353i, a 350-A,three-phase 460 unit for more power when welding thicker materials. Allthree use inverter technology and offer arc heat input and pulse current forlower heat dissipation, better weld pool control, and less plate deformation.DC pulsing with square wave cuts current peaks and provides symmetricpower, a stable arc, and good interfusion between the base and filler mate-rial. AC pulsing up to 2 Hz makes the products useful for welding thin alu-minum. Five sections on the control panel allow choice of options and set-tings. The machines internal communication is digital. Buttons provide slopedown, pulse current, background current, pregas, postgas, pulse, and dutyoptions. Select between SMA, GTA 2- and 4-stroke mode (trigger latch),GTA spot, and trigger-enabled peak to background current. In SMA mode,the submenu allows for access to hot start and arc force settings. Addition-ally, the 281i and 283i are available as air- and water-cooled packages, whilethe 353i is in a water-cooled package. All three include the power source,25-ft torch, foot control, work cable, regulator flowmeter (ArCO2), and cart.

ESAB Welding & Cutting Productswww.esabna.com(800) 372-2123

Focus on Aluminum and Job Shops

DECEMBER 201322

P and P December 2013_Layout 1 11/13/13 1:42 PM Page 22

23WELDING JOURNAL

which are impregnated with abrasivegrains, then pressed/bonded together andfitted with Type R- and Type S-style fas-teners. Capable of grinding and finishingin one step, the discs provide smoothgrinding action with no smearing on tita-nium and stainless steel. Also, they arenonloading on aluminum, Kevlar, andother composites. Designed for use withright-angle grinders, they are available in2- and 3-in. sizes with aluminum oxide and

silicon carbide abrasives in seven differ-ent grain sizes and three different bonds.

Rex-Cut Abrasiveswww.rexcut.com(800) 225-8182

CMM Meets Needs ofJob Shops

The Ares XL coor-dinate measuring ma-chine (CMM) is de-signed to meet theneeds of the typicaljob shop. The CMMis an ultrarigid alloyplatform with a siliconcarbide Z-axis col-umn and an integral

dovetail X-axis machined directly into thegranite plate. The bridge beam is an FEA-designed alloy extrusion, providing the op-timum moment of inertia for minimumdeflection when operating at high accel-erations. The machine has a 0.1-m reso-lution measuring scale that uses dynamicsignal processing to provide a low subdi-visional error of better than 30 nm.

Coord3 Metrologywww.coord3-cmm.com(248) 397-5490

Sensor Catalog FeaturesTechnical Drawings

The companys full-line object detec-tion sensor catalog includes more than1000 pages of new products, includingphotoelectric, inductive, capacitive, andmagnetic cylinder sensors, along with ac-cessories and cables. The catalog featuresfull-color photos and application images,technical specs, accessories and recom-mended mating cables, technical drawingsand photos for every part number, selec-tion guides in each section, and short



DECEMBER 201324

order codes. It is available in print andelectronic formats.

Balluffwww.balluff.com(800) 543-8390

Aluminum Weld ScheduleImproves Consistency

The companys weld schedule for itsresistance welding Adaptive Control ad-dresses aluminum welding challenges.

The aluminum adaptive weld schedulecontrols weld quality by automaticallycompensating for multiple sources of vari-ations, such as material surface resistance,geometry variations, and condition of theelectrodes. The multivariable adaptiveschedule reduces the incidence of badwelds, increases the consistency of allwelds produced, and reduces or elimi-nates the manufacturers reliance on de-structive testing.

WeldComputer Corp.www.weldcomputer.com(800) 553-9353

Footwear Contains ColdWeather Technology

Included in the companys fall 2013collection is the Sheridan work boot. De-signed to take on the challenge of cold andwet working conditions, this insulatedmodel is the warmest company safety bootto-date. The cold weather style features awaterproof, full-grain leather upper withKeen.Dry waterproof, breathable mem-brane and hydrophobic/hydrophilic two-zone comfort liner to help keep the bootventilated and feet warm/dry. Lined with600 g of Keen.Warm insulation and a ther-mal heat shield footbed, it delivers warmthfor cold climate projects. The companys

asymmetrical left and right compositesafety toes are nonconductive to temper-ature. Also, this boot is offered in 400-gKeen.Warm insulation and soft toes.

Keen, Inc.www.keenfootwear.com(866) 676-5336

Honing Machine DrivesDiamond Abrasives

The SV-20 honing system is designedfor job-shop part production with a truelinear, vertical, servo-stroking system toproduce bore geometries on compressors,oilfield components, automotive/truckblocks, and similar parts. The machinefeatures a 760-mm X-axis, 1500-lb weightcapacity, and 508-mm stroke length forlarge-part capacity. Equipped with a vari-able speed of 15550 rev/min, a 4.1-kWspindle motor, metal bond, and diamondabrasives, the system can be used to honebores with inside diameters measuringfrom 19 to 200 mm.

Sunnen Products Co.www.sunnen.com(800) 325-3670

Report Discusses KeyBrazing Market Vendors

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Research and Markets Ltd.www.researchandmarkets.com(800) 526-8630

Aluminum Crane ControlsLoad up to 2 Metric Tons

The XA Aluminum Workstation Craneis lightweight yet strong enough to han-dle demanding production needs and cancontrol loads up to 2 metric tons. The sys-tem features a modular design intendedto reduce downtime during installation,expansions, or upgrades. High structuralstiffness, small rolling resistance, andquiet use make it useful for standard andtailor-made lifting systems. The aluminumconstruction has been designed to resultin a more ergonomic workflow. An an-odized surface provides corrosion resist-ance. The crane has different profile sizes.Customizable options include a motor-ized trolley with integrated frequency con-trol, suspensions and power-feeding lines,and a self-standing structure.

Konecranes, Inc.www.konecranesamericas.com(877) 363-1895

Robot Upgrade AllowsHandling of Larger Parts

The top payload of the IRB 1600 hasincreased from 8 to 10 kg, expanding therobots performance to heavier part ap-plications. The increased payload is in the1.2- and 1.45-m reach variants, plus willallow the robot to handle larger parts andend-of-arm tools. The companyspatented, second-generation Quick-Move motion control technology andlow friction spur gears allow speedingup/slowing down fast while second-gener-ation TrueMove technology ensuresmaintaining the same path at all speeds.

ABB Roboticswww.abb.com/robotics(248) 391-9000

Orbital Cutting MachineWorks in the Shop or Field

The Ultimate Split 1 is an orbital cut-ting machine designed for tube cutting ina workshop or at a job site. The portablemachine can be fixed on a bench oropened to handle tubular bundles. Formounting, it fits onto the Ultimasterbench unit system along with a 110- or 220-V battery adaptor. The machines featuresinclude self-centering, burr-free cuts, novibrations, no heat-affected zone, cord-less drive, and a split-frame housing. Itcan be used on mild and stainless steels,Inconel, Hastelloy, duplex and su-perduplex steels, and other materials.

Ultimasterwww.ultimaster.com49 (0) 7247 9393 - 0

25WELDING JOURNAL



DECEMBER 201326

Aluminum has become increas-ingly prevalent in manufacturingas a lightweight alternative tosteel, because it delivers an improvedstrength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resist-ance, and general, overall weldability.But, as those in the welding industryknow, aluminum behaves much differ-ently than steel in welding applications.

When it comes to welding perform-ance, aluminum definitely is a differentbreed. The typical characteristics andperformance one expects when weldingwith steel dont necessarily apply. Thismetal has high thermal conductivity anda low melting point factors that cancombine to yield such defects as melt-through and warping slowing produc-tion and impairing the ultimate weld integrity.

The secret to success for an aluminumwelding job comes down to three key fac-tors the right equipment, the rightwaveform, and the right consumable Fig. 1. These factors are especially im-portant when it comes to production withautomation systems.

Properly Equipped andProgrammed

Trailer manufacturing is one industrywhere the proper union of these variablescomes into crucial play. Manufacturersin this segment commonly use aluminumand, thus, require welding setups that de-liver strong, attractive welds quickly andefficiently. They seek fast travel speeds,

Aluminum Weld-QualitySolutions Come in Threes

FRANK ARMAO (www.lincolnelectric.com)is director of aluminum technology, The

Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland, Ohio.

BY FRANK ARMAOThe right combination of consumablechemistry, process, and equipment produceshigh-quality, 53-ft-long welds at arefrigerated-trailer manufacturing plant

Fig. 1 A reel of welding wire engineered for use with aluminum alloys.

Armao Lincoln feature DECEMBER_Layout 1 11/11/13 3:05 PM Page 26

27WELDING JOURNAL

clean welds, and consistent bead profiles.At the recently constructed Great

Dane Trailers refrigerated trailer manu-facturing facility, which opened in April2012 in Statesboro, Ga., company execu-tives sought to install the latest technol-ogy, including welding equipment. Con-sistent material flow and throughput is aconstant goal at the plant and thisholds true in the welding booths, as well Fig. 2.

When we put in new welding equip-ment, we wanted consistency to be ourfirst priority, noted Kevin Black, GreatDanes plant manager. And, if in theprocess, this equipment upgrade makesus a little more efficient, then thats evenbetter.

Great Danes fabrication crew usesPower Wave welding machines fromLincoln Electric with pulse waveformtechnology for automated welding on the

refrigerated trailers aluminum floors a complex process that involves a contin-uous, 53-ft-long weld of 12-in. boardsacross the entire trailer floor. The sys-tem features ten boom-mounted wirefeeders and fixed welding guns on an au-tomated setup with a mechanical gantrythat rides up and down the floor on rails Fig. 3.

Waveform Technology

Pulse waveforms typically deliver weldpenetration with low heat at fast travelspeeds, providing a stable and consistentarc with few defects. Through the instan-taneous feedback from the power source,the automated system responds morequickly to stickout changes and contam-ination in the weld.

Over the years, improvements inwaveform control technology have

helped operators gain fast arc responseand optimized performance in almostany application. Welding equipmentmanufacturers have improved the wave-form technology to boost efficiency andweld consistency. In the past, invertersmay have operated at 40, 60, or even 80kHz, but the waveform control was only10 kHz, so it only made decisions con-trolling the weld at that speed sacri-ficing the machines full power for thesake of accurate waveform control.

Today, both the waveform control andthe latest inverters operate at 120 kHz,with waveform capable of changing up toevery 8.3 s. Parts of the waveform canbe independently manipulated, includ-ing peak on time, peak current, back-ground, and current and pulse frequency.These are synergistically controlled whenthe operator picks a wire feed speed, orselects the nominal waveform for thegiven wire and welds. If there are job-specific parameters, these can be in-cluded in the setup.

This controllability makes a big dif-ference. It allows modern advancedprocess welding power sources to reactmuch faster to a higher level of detail andregulate the process with more precision,including both wire feed and travelspeeds. Operators have the ability tomaintain better control of the arc, whichcan adapt not only to gaps but also to ma-terial and joint variations.

In automated systems, such as thatused at Great Dane, welds can be madefaster without inconsistencies and loss ofweld pool control, eliminating spatter,incomplete fusion, and undercut, whileavoiding discontinuities in the weld andreduced quality. With the delicate natureof aluminum substrates, this is even moreimportant for achieving quality welds andconsistent throughput.

Consumables, ChemistryControl, and Quality

The success of the latest weldingpower source and waveform technology,however, also depends on the type of con-sumable specified for the job, particu-larly in aluminum trailer fabrication and on trailer floors because they are ahighly visible feature.

You want your floor to be sealedtightly and not have any issues with mois-ture infiltration, which could compro-mise the integrity of the floor and the in-sulation underneath it, Black said. Youwant to be sure you have good coverageon your floor. You can achieve this with

Fig. 2 A manual welder puts finishing touches on an aluminum panel.


a material that not only bonds as itshould, but that is easy for the operatorsand welding equipment to deliver a nice,smooth appearance. You want the floorscosmetic qualities to go hand in handwith the structural qualities.

Welders at Great Dane selected a con-sumable specifically designed for thetrailer manufacturing industry in thiscase, SuperGlaze 5356TM GMA weld-ing wire with chemistry developed by Indalco Alloys, a division of Lincoln Electric.

This aluminum alloy GMAW wire wasdesigned to provide weld pool clarity andarc action, as well as wetting for bothsemiautomatic and high-productivity au-tomatic applications. Additionally, itscontrolled chemistry contributes to aconsistent bead profile and appearancefor a smooth surface finish at high travelspeeds.

Chemistry control supports such fac-tors as a consumables mechanical prop-erties, flow, and operability, among oth-ers. Strict oversight of this chemistrythroughout the manufacturing process

can help eliminate troublesome varia-tions and ensure consistent, perform-ance, even on the most temperamentalsubstrates, including aluminum.

Chemistry control also ensures qual-ity; quality more often than not equalscertifications. When choosing the rightconsumable for any application, its alsoa good idea to review each products spe-cific certifications. Look for products cer-tified to meet AWS minimums; however,note that some manufacturers providemechanical properties beyond AWS min-imums without sacrificing the operabil-ity advantages.

Visible Results

At Great Dane, using an appropriate,automated power source with the properwaveform control, and specifying a con-sumable designed specifically for alu-minum welding and trailer fabricationhas delivered improved results both inproduct quality and integrity, as well asaesthetics on trailer floors.

Welding has been one of the tough-est quality items for us to manage, and itis an important one to manage, saidAlan Whiten, Great Danes director ofmanufacturing engineering. Weve re-duced pickups, which is huge. If a cus-tomer sees a pickup or a break in theweld, they arent going to like it.

Black said the nature of the particu-lar welding application requires startsand stops, and, in the past, the appear-ance of welded trailer floors at any man-ufacturing facility, Great Dane and oth-ers, just looked bad. He added, Thisis something the industry has just ac-cepted, but were trying to take that outof the equation and get rid of the blem-ishes in the trailer floors appearance. Wenow have equipment that allows us tocontrol the welds more than we previ-ously could. We can set the parametersso we dont get oversized welds. We donteven want our customers to know thereare welds there. We want material to runinto material, and we are achieving that.Our first priority always is the quality ofthe products we produce.

DECEMBER 201328

Fig. 3 Previously unobtainable technology makes possible high-quality, automated continuous welds, 53-ft-long, in aluminumflooring for refrigerated trailers that are smooth and attractive.



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aws welding journal december 2013

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