True to their promise of excellent customer support and a safe provide of products, Air Products has turn into a trusted associate to their customers and performs an integral position in guaranteeing that their production processes are environment friendly, cost-effective and delivers a high quality end product. These solid relationships have been formed as the end result of a combination of unsurpassed skilled and knowledgeable technical experience from the Air Products group. The team all the time strives to provide clients with sound advice on the most suitable products from Air Products’ intensive vary, to maximise their output.
According to Air Products, they’ve managed to position themselves as a market chief as they place an emphasis on the customer’s needs. Firstly, they goal to ensure that they’ve the product and the capability to provide product according to the customer’s wants and assist in preventing disruptions and pointless down time. Secondly, they be sure that the shoppers use the right gas for his or her purposes as this reduces post-weld actions and cleansing up. Their steerage is critical to customers, as these modifications eradicates accumulated prices which might be usually not anticipated.
Sean Young, Air Products Welding Specialist

Back to the drawing board with Sean Young

Sean Young emphasizes the significance of defending a molten weld pool from atmospheric contamination and oxidation, either by a flux or with a shield gasoline. A flux is used in shielded metal arc (SMA) electrodes or submerged arc processes. Shielding gases, then again, are used in gas steel arc welding (GMAW), fuel tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and a lot of the flux-cored processes.
Reviewing the specific criteria associated to a customer’s processes and offering steering is important. An assessment of the procedure, material and its thickness, and the preferred steel transfer ought to be performed. Furthermore, to optimize the selection and supreme quality of the weld, the porosity, spatter, penetration, bead profile and fusion ought to be thought-about.
The position and benefits of shielding gases

The most frequently used mixtures and shielding gases with respective applications are:
Ar: used for most GTAW application and GMAW of non-ferrous supplies

CO₂: used mostly for GMAW in dip switch mode of steels

Ar/CO₂, Ar/O₂ and Ar/CO₂/O₂ gas mixture: used for GMAW of stainless steel and other steels

Ar/He and Ar/H₂ mixtures: used for superior GTAW functions

Ar/He/CO₂ and Ar/H₂/CO₂ mixtures: used for GMAW

Argon and carbon dioxide each play a core shielding function in GMAW applications as they protect the weld steel from atmospheric oxygen or different contamination.
Young explains the difference between pure oxygen and argon within the welding course of. “Pure CO₂, which is the unique shielding gas for GMAW, is extensively used for basic objective welding of metal and is an effective shielding gasoline that forestalls porosity. Due to its inclination to trigger large droplet formation, it’s restricted in its use within the dip-transfer mode. This shielding gasoline on its own causes large volumes of spatter which reduces the efficiency and arc time of the welder and increases the welder’s post weld activities”.
Young further explains: “Argon, on the other hand, is mostly the dominant gasoline in any shielding gasoline mixture cylinder. In its pure kind, argon is an inert fuel which is purely used to maintain other gases out and has no chemical effect on the deposited weld metal. Argon is used in nearly all GTA welding as properly as for GMAW of aluminium alloys copper, its alloys and different oxygen sensitive material”.
The value of adding lively gases

Adding small quantities of protecting gases may obtain improved welding results, which signifies that the metallic transfer is steady, there’s decreased spatter and a delicate arc. According to Young, an improved transfer stability makes the welding process less delicate to welding parameters and extra tolerant to voltage and present variations. This ultimately results in a vast discount in machine set-up time and a noticeable enchancment in the general productiveness.
“It is essential to notice that when welding with cored wires, and the oxygen content material is simply too excessive, there might be an elevated risk for porosities as the additional oxygen the flux”, says Young. He explains that argon/oxygen mixtures with oxygen of up to 2% are ideal for stainless-steel functions.
To improve the penetration of carbon steel joints, CO₂ should be added to the argon in a two-part mix. Young comments that a rise in CO₂ will increase the warmth of the welding arc, increases penetration and will increase the welding velocity. He cautions that 20% CO₂ in argon shouldn’t be exceeded, as it causes spatter and instability. “It is important to notice that 15% is optimal, and within the case of thinner supplies where you don’t need penetration, 5% CO₂ is sufficient”.
Three-part mixtures– the confirmed advantages

It is important to know that a combination of shielding gases plays a role in offering one of the best weld properties for explicit functions. Young explains that three-part mixtures encompass argon and CO₂ (maximum 15%) and O₂ (maximum 3%). In an occasion where all three of those gases are used, arc stability is improved, penetration and bead profiles are improved, minimum spatter is generated, and metal switch characteristics are optimised.
เพรสเชอร์เกจ that Young is confident about is that there are definite advantages to using three-part combination, primarily based on his expertise with many customers within the trade over the years.
“The three-part mixtures are extraordinarily easy to make use of, and the welding stability permits for extra variations in setting parameters. We have seen how using these gases have increased the standard, productiveness and effectivity, and in the end, measurable will increase in profitability. Welding stability is extremely essential because it has a direct influence on the entire welding prices – it is interesting to see how small improvements could make a big difference”.
Young concludes: “At Air Products, we try to turn out to be and remain a trusted partner to each certainly one of our customers by offering them with the most effective solutions for their business, based on our knowledge and technical expertise. Our strategy is simple: We decide essentially the most appropriate gases for a customer’s processes –thereafter the client focuses on the efficiency of their processes while we focus on a secure product supply as per their specific necessities.
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