MAGNETIC STEERING OF ARC AND BEAD CHARACTERISTICS IN SUBMERGED-ARC STRIP CLADDING

Submerged arc strip cladding has been widely used when larger thicknes ses of clad materials are required. Use of wider strips and higher cur rent have all been attempted to achieve higher productivity and these have been associated with arc blow phenomena and unacceptable bead cha racteristics. Investigations were carried out to study the effect of v arious magnetizing parameters (flux density, dwell time) and welding c urrent on the bead characteristics, using 60-mm-wide strips of 309L st ainless steel. Results of the investigation indicate very encouraging trends in increasing the melt-off rate/bead height and decreasing pene tration and hence dilution by 23%. The magnetizing flux density indivi dually did not indicate significant influence on any of the bead chara cteristics studied.