Understanding gas welding process

Today you’ll get to know the definition, applications, working, advantages, and disadvantages of gas welding. In a previous article, friction welding was discussed, you can check it out! oxyacetylene welding is a popular kind of welding often used for metal cutting these days. So,

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What is gas welding?

Gas welding is a metal joining process in which fuel gases (gasoline) and oxygen are used to weld and cut metals. It is also a metal joining process in which edge pieces of a metal that required joining are heated at their interface by producing coalescence with one or more gas flames such as oxygen and acetylene. the welding process can weld with or without the application of filler material to the joint.

These types of welding are also known as oxy-fuel welding, oxyacetylene welding, and oxy welding. It was developed in 1903 by some French engineers Edmond Fouche and Charles Picard. They use pure oxygen to increase flame temperature instead of air. This flame helps in melting metals and alloys e.g. steel.

Read more: 5 Different Types of Welding Joints

In the working of gas welding, oxygen, and acetylene burn at about 3,773k (3,500 degrees Celsius). The basic two operations of oxyacetylene welding include welding and cutting; the welding operation is carried out when two-parent metals are heated to a temperature that produces a shared pool of molten metal. It cools and produces a joint.

Watch the video below to learn the working of gas welding:

Filler materials are sometimes added to the joint. It improves the strength of the joint and produces a stronger joint even stronger than the parent metal. Whilst in oxyacetylene cutting, there is a special cutting flame (obtain by releasing oxygen gas than acetylene in a torch valve). The torch is used to heat metal to its kindling temperature. it reaches stages where metal burns into a molten oxide as it flows out of the kerf as slag. It contains a mixing chamber, which helps in mixing oxygen and acetylene before it releases as flame.

Read more: Understanding submerged arc welding (SAW)

Applications of gas welding

The applications of gas welding include welding and cutting metals. Below is the used gas welding:

• Joining of ferrous and nonferrous metals
• oxyacetylene welding can be used for joining carbon steels, alloy steels, cast iron, aluminum, and its alloys, copper and its alloys, nickel, magnesium, etc.
• Widely used in automotive and aircraft industries.
• oxyacetylene welding applications are used in sheet metal fabricating plants. finally,
• Can join materials that require a relatively slow rate of heating and cooling.

Read more: Applications, advantages, and Disadvantages of Electroslag Welding (ESW)

 Advantages and disadvantages of gas welding

Advantages

Gas welding offers greater advantages than disadvantages. The following are the benefits of oxyacetylene welding.

• Ability to weld ferrous and nonferrous metals together
• A neutral flame is used for welding and cutting both ferrous and nonferrous metals except brass
• Equipment and tooling are inexpensive
• It does not require electricity before it works
• Gas welding equipment is portable
• It does not require specialized labor

Read more: Understanding electro slag welding (ESW)

Disadvantages

Despite the great benefits of gas welding, it offers some disadvantages that can be overlooked. These include;

• A slow rate of cooling leads to slow production
• Not suitable for welding high-strength steel
• Cannot reach arc welding temperature
• Not suitable for welding thick sections

Read more: Understanding plasma arc welding

That is all for this article, where the definition, applications, working, advantages, and disadvantages of gas welding are discussed. I hope you get enough from the reading, if so, kindly share it with other students. Thanks for reading, see you next time!