Spray Arc Welding has been rapidly growing in popularity and appeal among professional welders. This type of welding provides a high-quality, high-precision joining of metal parts, helping to create strong, durable bonds in many essential engineering and construction projects. In fact, it is estimated that Spray Arc Welding is responsible for 95% of all production welding, and since its invention in 1938, has become one of the most popular and versatile welding methods available to welders today.
So what is Spray Arc Welding and how does it work? Read on and find out!
What is Spray Arc Welding?
Spray Arc welding is an economical, high productivity welding method which is used to join metals and to produce a strong bond.It is also referred to as spray transfer welding or MIG welding, and is one of the most popular welding methods used today. This welding technique is ideal for relatively thick metal components which require a good weld bead appearance.
How Does Spray Arc Welding Work?
In spray arc welding a metal shielded arc is used to heat the weld pool while a filler metal is transferred literally through the welding arc producing the weld bead. A continuous stream of metal is transferred into the weld pool leading to a continuous weld.
The weld pool may contain some type of metal flux to help control the weld quality and shape.
Advantages of Spray Arc Welding
- It provides a consistent deposit of metal with high strength and ductility.
- It is highly economical due to fast welding speeds.
- It has good penetration and the welded joints it makes have the same strength or greater than a parent metal.
- It is suitable for welding large sections of metals of varying thicknesses.
- The weld pool can be controlled with good accuracy, resulting in excellent weld quality.
Disadvantages of Spray Arc Welding
- It requires a high level of expertise due to complicated controls and set-up process.
- High level of skill is required to determine the right electrode size, welder settings and travel speed.
- The welds made can be uneven and are likely to have a diffused appearance.
- It is not suitable for thin sheets of metal and it can not be used outdoors because of the shielding nitrogen gas.