Author:
Lars-Erik Stridh, IWE, Global Welding Application Manager ESAB AB, Swedenm
Abstract
Electro Slag Welding with strip material, is compared to Submerged Arc Welding to prefer.
The deposition rate increases with 60 – 80%, gives less dilution with the base material and
increases the welding speed with 50 – 100%. Using a 30 mm wide strip, the minimum pipe
diameter that is weldable, is 250mm for longitudinal welding and 350 mm for circumferential
welding. The number of steel grades that are required to achieve the desired surface
properties, results in many different strip analysis. In order to facilitate this, R&D has been
done with the flux. Aim is to reduce the amount of strip qualities and add alloying elements
from the flux. This paper describes how this is possible with Ni, Cr and Mo, and shows the
corrosion properties.
A new technique to weld the longitudinal seam of “raiserpipes” is shown. The welding is
done with HybridLaser combining a CO2 laser with MAG process. The welding with
conventional technique of a 12 m long pipe, wallthickness 16 mm takes app: 2 hours 10
minutes. With the new process it can be done in 18 minutes, maintaining the quality and
mechanical properties. This opens up many possibilities for pipe welding.
1. General about surfacing
For many reasons, cladding of an un-alloyed or low-alloyed material is commonly used by
industry as a cost efficient way of achieving a corrosion resistant surface on different
applications like pipes, pressure vessels, valve parts and other types of storage containers.
Surfacing is done on many different shapes and geometries, it can be done on the outside
surface on a sphere for ball valves. It can be done inside a pipe, it can be done on the edge
of a cutting tool, it is often done on flat plates and many more applications. The cladding
can be done by many different processes, both manual, mechanized and automated. Many
small objects are cladded manually with MMA, GTAW or GMAW, if volumes are large
enough it is relatively easy to mechanise the cladding with the GTAW and GMAW process.
Next development for cladding is to use oscillating GMAW with flux cored wires in diameter
up to 2.5 mm. This process can be used for all type of applications and has the advantage
to be able to enter small diameter pipes. The same is also possible with GTAW and also
with PAW, with PAW it is possible to perform cladding in as small inner diameter as 80 mm.
When it comes to larger surfaces and the need of increased productivity we move to SAW
and ESW cladding with strip and flux. With these two methods it is possible to clad large
areas at high efficiency and with a very controlled dilution with the base material.
ESW strip cladding relates to the resistance welding processes and is based on the ohmic
resistance heating of a molten, electrically conductive slag. There is no arc between the
strip electrode and the base material, except in the starting moment where the arc ignites
between the strip and the base material, melts the slag and when the slag amount is
enough the resistance welding process starts. The heat generated by the molten slag melts
the surface of the base material and the edge of the strip electrode is submerged in the
slag and flux. The great advantage of ESW cladding is high deposition rate, low dilution
and cost effectiveness. The ESW cladding process with strip has been shown to generate a
substantially greater deposition rate with much less dilution compared to SAW cladding.
Because of the high CaF content in the flux, the layer deposited by ESW contains about
one third of the oxygen content compared to SAW cladding.
1.3 Differences.
The main differences between SAW and ESW cladding lies in the way the melting of the
strip is achieved, in SAW the arc is melting the strip but in ESW it is the resistance heat
from the molten slag that melts the strip. In the process equipment there are also
differences as it comes to the design and build up of the welding head. In SAW the flux is
feed to the process from both sides of the strip and the process is totally hidden under the
flux. In ESW the flux comes from only one side, this results in that the molten slag pool is
unprotected and the heat radiation is strong, hence the need to have water cooling of the
contact jaws of the welding head.
Note the intense heat radiation, but since the arc is hidden there is no UV radiation.
The deposition rate for ESW is 60 – 70% higher than SAW.
The dilution is less for ESW, 7 – 12%.
The arc voltage for ESW cladding is lower than SAW (24 – 26V)
Possible to weld with up to 2300Amp with ESW.
Welding speed is increased with up to 200% for ESW
The heat input is approximately the same.
Flux consumption is less with ESW, 0.6 kg/kg strip instead of 0.8 kg/kg strip for SAW.
The solidification rate of the ESW weld metal is lower, improving the degasification and the
resistance to porosity. Oxides can rise easier out of the molten pool to the surface; the
overlay metal is cleaner from a metallurgical point of view and thus less sensitive to hot
cracking and corrosion.
1.4 Productivity.
The electro slag strip cladding method was developed in the early seventies to increase
productivity mainly by increasing the deposition rate and decreasing the dilution compared
with SAW process.
Due to the properties of ESW often only one layer is needed to fulfil the cladding
requirements and further the consumption of consumables is significantly reduced.
ESW can be advantageously use for productive cladding of second layer if two layer
technology is demanded. As first layer is commonly using SAW process or ESW process.
The unique ESAB OK Flux 10.14 is a high basicity flux used with the electro slag process,
designed for single-layer or multi-layer cladding in combination with austenitic type strips
Cr, Cr-Ni, Cr-Ni-Mo at very high deposition rates (up to 45 cm/min with 60 x 0,5 mm strip)
using high power intensity. With the 60 x 0,5 mm strip, the most common size, welding
currents up to 2300 A can be used. The difference in deposition rate between the methods
is illustrated in the diagram below.
Strip analysis:
OK Band C Si Cr Ni Mo
316L 0.017 0.64 17.2 12.8 2.6
317L 0.017 0.38 18.9 13.5 3.4
After the test pieces were taken out of the weld samples, they were analysed at three
different laboratories in order to get as good accuracy as possible and the results looks as
follows:
OK Band C Si Cr Ni Mo
316L 0.023 0.23 17.89 12.91 3.36
317L 0.023 0.53 16.99 12.49 3.16
The results shows two interesting trends, the first is that the effect from the added alloying
elements in the experimental flux is validated in the analyse of the welded layer. The
second thing is the fact that the Si-level is reduced in the welded layer with the
experimental flux, the reason for this is most likely that the addition of Cr in the flux is
changing the oxidation potential so that more Si is reacting and ends up as slag.
Detail from an ESW strip cladding head. Note that the strip has to be feed longitudinally
along the beam and then must be twisted in order to be welded to the rotating pipe.
3.1 Diameter and thickness limits.
The values in the table above shows the limitations for the SAW process.
The values in the table above shows the limitations for the ESW process.
• Joint preparation.
• Forming of pipe.
• Tack welding (GTAW)
• Root welding (PAW)
• Hot pass (GMAW)
• Fill & cap (SAW)
The time it takes to do the complete welding of 1 pipe is app: 2 hours and 10 minutes.
The time it takes to do the complete welding of 1 pipe is now app: 18 mins.
4.3 Results.
The welding during the trials was characterised by a very stable process with very little
disturbance. The part of the joint that was actually prepared into a V-joint had an joint angle
opening of 8 deg, in total and this is important, as this acts as an “light trap” that reflects
the laser into the bottom part of the joint.
5. Conclusion.
Strips for cladding purposes are widely used and the predominantly process has earlier
been the SAW but over the last 10 years the ESW process has gained a lot of market
share. The development work has clearly shown that it is possible to alloy through additions
to the flux and this opens up a rationalisation in the amount of qualities of strips. The
process has it´s limitations when it comes to diameters and wall thicknesses of pipe but
there is still room for improvement of welding head design to fit into even smaller inner
diameters.
The often time consuming welding process of the logitudinal joint is about to be
considerably reduced by introduction of new welding processes like the HybridLaser
process. It now remains to validate the process and to get approvals for different
applications, there is no doubt that the process can deliver very high quality and repetabilty.
In this specific case there lies an enormous potential in reduced welding time and reduction
of welding costs. The time to finalise a 12 m long pipe is reduced with a factor 7,2! Doing a
full cost calculation including the investment costs, depriciation and comparing the
conventional way of welding the longitidunal joint with HLAW process. The cost to weld
1000 pipes is reduces with a factor 6,6! At the same time the quality is enhanced.
6 References.
[1] J.H. Devletian, Y.P. Gao, Q.H. Zhao, W.E Wood. “Strip Cladding of main propeller
shafting with Ni alloy 625 by ESW surfacing” ADP023046.
[2] S. Wessman, R. Pettersson, S. Rigdal, L. Karlsson, P. Stenvall. “Properties of stainless
steel strip welds alloyed via strip or flux” KIMAB 2007-534.
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