Welding is a process which is used to join two pieces of metal together permanently. Butt welding is one of the most common and widely used welding techniques. It can join materials of similar thickness and requires no filler material.
Butt welding is popular in the construction of equipment, vehicles, and products such as tanks, boilers, pipes, and other pressure vessels. According to a recent survey, more than 70% of welders use the technique for their welding projects.
This article will provide a brief overview of what is butt welding and some of its benefits.
What is Butt Welding?
Butt welding is a type of welding process used to permanently join two materials of similar thickness usually metals. In the process, two components are placed together at a 90-degree angle with their adjacent surfaces in contact.Heat is then applied to the overlapping area and pressure is applied to complete the weld.
Benefits of Butt Welding
Butt welding has several advantages over other types of welding:- Butt welds are generally very strong and offer excellent tolerance for normal stresses.
- As compared to other types of welds butt welding is faster and easier to perform.
- It is applicable to joining different types of materials.
- The appearance of a completed butt weld is neat and uniform.
- Since there is no filler material used in a butt weld, material costs are lower than with other types of welding processes.
Process of Butt Welding
- The materials that are to be welded are first beveled to a desired angle.
- The pieces to be joined must be closely fitted and located properly.
- The materials are then held in place by means of clamps or fixtures.
- An electrode is then used to provide an electric weld arc.
- The arc melts and fuses the overlapping edges of the materials together.
- As the weld cools, pressure is applied to complete the weld.