Weld Joint Design

There are five basic joint configurations. They are butt, lap, tee, edge or flange and corner. We have
limited our discussion to the four commonly used production welding processes i.e. electron beam, laser,
GTAW and PAW. In addition, we have also limited weld joint thickness not to exceed 0.250". Although
electron beam and laser are capable of penetrating greater thickness in the "keyhole" mode this
technique is usually not necessary based on the assumption the weldments we are concerned with i.e.
sensors, electronic devices and instruments rarely require weld joint thickness or penetration exceeding
0.250". Because of these limitations we need not be concerned with joint preparation involving beveling,
grooving and root face dimensioning all of which are necessary to accommodate filler wire addition.
We, of course, are very much concerned with preparations involving cleaning, surface finish, tolerances
and burr removal. All of these conditions have an effect on welding particularly with regard to electron
beam and laser which are precision processes utilizing focused beams and therefore have relatively little
ability to tolerate abnormalities and deficiencies in joint preparation.
The butt joint provides the advantages of smoothness, uniform appearance and no excess material. Joint
strength, which is tensile, can equal that of the parent metal. However, there is little tolerance for weld
defects. Voids, excess porosity, lack of fusion, insufficient penetration and undercutting reduce the area of
the weld cross section and therefore the joint strength. Cracks if associated with localized residual stress
can propagate to joint failure. In view of the above it is readily apparent that weld joint configuration,
tolerances and location are critical along with weld parameter development and processing.
Joint design tolerances for electron beam or laser are especially critical to avoid continuous or intermittent
gaps that exceed 0.005". Gaps beyond this dimension may leave insufficient parent metal or joint edge
material located within the limits of the focused spot diameter necessary to fill the joint. With the thinner
materials for example 0.010" to 0.020" to perhaps 0.040" the relationship of joint gap to joint thickness
becomes increasingly critical. Joint gaps also influence surface tension and if too wide the weld pool may
not be supported. Inconsistent gap widths affect parameters and heat balance causing irregular results.
Foils and diaphragm thickness ranging from 0.001" to perhaps 0.010" would be difficult to butt weld.
There is insufficient base metal strength in these thin material to resist buckling, overlapping and
misalignment. These conditions disrupt heat consistent balance causing sudden melt back and burn
through. If butt welds of these thin materials are required then for linear welds the nose of the hold down
clamps must be very close to the weld joint and preferably individualized in a finger-like array to assure
the edges of the weld joint are locally prevented from moving as the weld progresses.
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Often "flange" joints are resorted to with these thin materials. Flange joints are formed by pre-bending
(approximately 90 degrees) the edge of the material along the weld joint so that at assembly the upturned
flanges are in contact. Burrs should be removed if they prevent intimate contact. Stamping direction
should be considered so that if burrs are formed they should be extruded outboard from the weld joint.
The upturned flanges, dependent on their height, can provide sufficient filler to develop a weld pool which
can significantly reduce the critical characteristics which surround the welding of very thin materials. A
secondary and helpful advantage is the upturned thin metal flange can be tack welded either by fusion or
possibly by resistance weld tacking procedures.
It should be noted that tack welding to assist in pre-weld assembly must be done carefully whether the
material be thin or thick especially when butt joints rather than lap joints are being tacked. In the instance
of the butt joint the resistance welding electrode is momentarily immersed in the molten tack weld. Copper
alloying in a stainless steel weld can be considered a contaminant producing local "hot shortness"
exhibited as weld drop through as well as the potential for other defects.
The lap joint configuration is not only convenient for assembly but can reduce the critical aspects of weld
location. However, the strength of the joint is subject to shear and therefore the narrow welds of electron
beam and laser may not provide sufficient shear strength. To overcome this problem two parallel welds
can be made if the increased cost is acceptable. The wider welds of the GTAW and PAW processes may
be more suitable. If the weld or welds of the lap joint are located inboard from the joint edges capillary
passages may be formed. These passages have the potential for trapping corrosive fluids either from
post-weld cleaning or the ultimate environment in which the assembly will perform. Welds, therefore
should preferably be located on or close to the lap joint edges if the potential for corrosion exists.
If the lap joint involves materials of dissimilar thickness the thinner member, if possible, should be located
on the side nearest the weld torch or beam impingement. In this manner penetration requirements are

reduced and accordingly costs are lessened. In welding lap joints weld parameters should be developed
to prevent the melt in of the upper sheet from occurring too far in advance of the necessary conducted
heat into the lower sheet. If this occurs thermal equilibrium is sacrificed and it is possible the upper sheet
may move away by thermal expansion therefore, causing sudden overheating of the upper member and
possible "drop through" of the molten weld puddle or vaporization.
Edge joints are similar to flange joints. A common example is found in assemblies which recess a cover
inside a container so that the edge of the container extends beyond the recessed cover. Care should be
taken in fabrication and tolerance control to assure the cover and container are in close contact with
minimum edge extension so that minimum weld melts are produced to avoid excessive weld melt roll over
often resulting in the necessity of removing the excess in a subsequent finishing operation. This can be a
costly operation. Corners of these assemblies are frequently poorly matched due to radii tolerances
resulting in lack of fusion and melt back in these areas. This condition is especially critical if parts are to
be machine welded.
The angles formed by the joint intersection create stress concentration areas. This condition is reduced
by filler metal addition. Welds should produce fillet geometry which provides a smooth weld metal
transition at the "toes" of the fillets. The fillet should have a concave contour rather than convex to favor
this blending. If the material of both or one leg is thin the size and shape of the fillet may not be as critical
since some of the forces would be absorbed in bending and not all transferred to the weld area. This
would not be the case with thick materials.
If the materials are thick and 100% weld penetration difficult to achieve it may be necessary to prepare
either one or both sides of the vertical member by beveling the weld joint edge. Filler metal must then be
added during welding. Without this preparation excessive melting would be required to achieve the
penetration. An exception often available in the use of the concentrated beams of the electron and laser
beam processes is to direct their energy beams from the underside through the horizontal leg and into the
edge or base of the vertical leg. An analogy is driving a nail through a board and into the face of a stud.
This welding approach is satisfactory if the ultimate use of the assembly is such that bending forces
concentrated at the weld do not exceed the tensile strength of the weld. As in other joint configurations
joint gaps or fit-up interference caused by machine or stamping burrs can cause problems.
Corner joints require relatively little explanation other than as with other configurations, fit-up is important
to assure uniform heat balance during welding. Poor fit-up or improper pre-weld tacking for assembly
purposes can promote gaps due to local restraint of thin materials before or during welding. As stated
earlier, gaps upset uniform heat balance causing weld melt back and burn through.