Welding Stainless Steel

Stainless steel welding can be done only by acquiring knowledge on stainless steel types, classes or groups commonly known as called austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, precipitation hardenable or duplex according to the prevailing microstructure or arrangement of their crystal structure. Welding stainless is not a very complicated process but before that one should gain proper knowledge about the material. The stainless properties of steel greatly depend on the quantity of chromium. This level of chromium is the minimum level of chromium to ensure a continuous stable layer of protective chromium-rich oxide forms on the surface.  The ability to form chromium oxide in the weld region must be maintained to ensure stainless properties of the weld region after welding.  In commercial practice, however, some stainless steels are sold containing as little as 9 weight percent chromium and will rust at ambient temperatures. The main constituent of the stainless steel is iron, carbon, chromium and nickel which drastically affect the microstructure and welding. Various alloys are added to control the microstructure properties.

 

Stainless steels are subject to several forms of localized corrosive attack.  The prevention of localized corrosive attack is one of the concerns when selecting base metal, filler metal and welding procedures when fabricating components from stainless steels. Stainless steels are subject to weld metal and heat affected zone cracking, the formation of embrittling second phases and concerns about ductile to brittle fracture transition.  The prevention of cracking or the formation of embrittling microstructures is another main concern when welding or fabricating stainless steels.  Welding stain steel need some precautions. Always bear in mind that stainless steel is highly reactive to high temperature. So if you weld the metal with high temperature, distortion marks are left over in the metal after the temperature reduces. So while welding stain steel use a heat sink such as brass or aluminum to avoid any distortion. A 3/8 brass behind the seam of the weld will absorb heat and prevent any destruction. The trick with stainless is to put as little heat into it as possible, especially with thin material. Ensure that you possess heat sinks in place before the inception of welding. This allows you to actually weld the entire seam without interruption. The moment you finish welding, the metal turns to darn gray after the removal of the heat. This is because you are all the heat with you and by the time you finish the whole process it is at the hottest point. You can definitely avoid this. At the end of the weld just remove your foot of the pedal. Just have patience till the weld pools solidify and then touch the tungsten to the metal and hold it there till your gas stops flowing. You’ll notice that the color will come back to the weld and you can get the nice salmon color back. Learning how to weld stainless steel comes down to using the correct equipment and choosing the best process for the job.
Steel is highly beneficial starting from economical to functional versatility and flexibility, environmental, safety and healthy factors. Internet offers you a wider choice of steel manufacturing companies and their products to see. In-fact they provide the ideal environment to search galvanized steel pipes and tubes manufacturers from the comfort of your home.

For more information on Stainless steel welding and steel manufacturing companies , Please visit http://www.springsfab.com/

Processing your request, Please wait....

Leave a Reply