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April 08, 2021

Emphasizing correct welding is crucial. Avoiding welding mistakes not only ensures you a good quality weld but also avoids costly mistakes. Welding mistakes can cause severe injuries, incorrect welding of parts, increased downtime, and rework. Welding is an important process in multiple industries. Your aircrafts manufacturing is largely dependent on the right welding process. Critical welding mistakes can cause bigger consequences.

Welding technologies are emerging, and new methods are being introduced. That’s why it’s vital to know of the costly welding mistakes you should avoid. This blog post highlights common welding mistakes that welders make and how to avoid them.

Understanding The Dangers Associated With A Poor Welding Procedure

Many people think that not wearing PPE can lead to welding injuries. However, that is only one side of the picture. Many injuries result from unsafe welding procedures. For example, flying sparks or spatter can travel up to 35 feet. This can injure the welder. Following improper executing procedures for welding can cause cracks, distortion, more spattering, and more injuries.

Therefore, welding technicians must know the correct method for welding. It is one of the major mistakes that new welders make. There are many details available for you to determine the suitability of a welding method for a certain task. What method you use will mainly depend on the type of material that is to be joined.

Not Knowing The Dangers Of Spatter

Welding spatters are common. They are dangerous and can cause serious injuries. Spatters are common in Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW). It occurs because of incorrect polarity and gas shielding.

You can prevent this by reducing your welding current and arc length. Also, check the shielding gas type, flow rate, and polarity. Cleaning the gas nozzle can also reduce spatter.

Not Preparing The Metal

Sometimes, you might not pay much attention to preparing the metal before welding it. You should clean the metal to avoid mixing contaminants during the welding process. This also involves removing rust or paint from the surface. Not preparing the metal for welding will cause weak welds or cracked metals that can be costly.

Not Wearing Safety Equipment

Another common cause of costly welding is not wearing proper safety equipment while welding. Welding fumes can affect your lungs and even cause cancer.

Welding safety equipment includes the following things:

  • Safety Glasses
  • Safety Gloves
  • Hearing Protection
  • Auto-Darkening Helmets
  • Respirators
  • Fire-resistant Clothing

Cracks

Cracks are a major issue in the welding process. With time, they can become large and problematic. Fixing cracks is not as simple as filling them. You can avoid welding cracks by spending time on grinding and cleaning. Ensure you have the right amount of heat while welding. Clean and deburr the edges of the plates so that they fit easily.

Not Knowing The Welding Passes

Thicker metals may require multiple welding passes. Doing it in one pass will cause improper bonding to the base metal. A metal with a thickness of more than a quarter-inch will require multiple passes.

Using Wrong Electrodes And Wires

Don't use the wrong electrodes. Electrodes have contaminants on them and can cause too many sparks. You should store them in a sealed container to keep the moisture out.

Bad Cables

Poor connections and cables are another common welding mistake. You would get inconsistent welding with a poor connection. The connections can become loose. Therefore, regularly checking your cables and connections is crucial. Otherwise there will be more spatter during the welding process.

Too High Gas Pressure

Welders often make the mistake of setting their gas pressure too high to compensate for the fans' blowing. The fans blow away the shielding gas. This can cause additional spatter and unstable arcs. Knowing the right welding process becomes important here. This includes setting an ideal level of gas pressure to avoid danger.

Other Common Issues In Welding Processes

  • Handling the filler metal in the wrong way
  • Choosing the wrong gun
  • Welding the worn-out metal
  • Slag inclusions
  • Welding with the wrong current

About Acorn Welding

If you are looking for quality welding services, Acorn Welding is your go-to aviation welding specialist in Edmonton. We have a team of qualified welders who know how to do their job. If you wish to get in touch with us, contact us here.