Surfacing Area Safety
Safety must be practiced in the surfacing area to
prevent accidents and injuries. Working around heavy
machinery requires being alert to others working near
you. Once your hood is down, you cannot see your
surroundings. Let others know you are there so they can
help you, if needed. If possible, have a person work with
you at all times. Make sure you have all the equipment
necessary to complete the task. Keep a fire extinguisher
handy when working near a gasoline engine, a diesel
engine, or a fuel tank.
Test Welds
The actual welding operation should match the test
procedure as closely as possible. The test procedure deter-
mines the correct welding parameters and variables neces-
sary to complete the task and obtain a satisfactory weld.
The welder who develops the procedure should carry out
the actual welding or should instruct the assigned welder
in proper operation of the procedure. A test weld should
be made after the machine is set up to confirm the settings
are correct. A change in electrode diameter, welding
voltage, stickout, or travel speed may affect the deposition
characteristics and cause the weld to fail.
Conclusions
Surfacing offers many industries the opportunity to
reduce maintenance costs on a variety of equipment.
Replacement costs have increased so much that welding
is now being used to surface new parts before they are
placed in service to increase their useful life. As you
work in the welding field, be attentive to new areas of
surfacing in which you could become a welding
specialist, thereby increasing your employment potential.
Review Questions
Please do not write in this text. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. What is the purpose of surfacing?
2. What are the four causes of wear?
3. When welding two different material components
together, a(n) _____ material is used to make the
components compatible.
4. The object of surfacing is to deposit the material into
the base or buildup material with a minimum
amount of _____ to maintain the _____.
5. What type of electrode is used for the filler material
when welding a component that has considerable
wear?
6. What two types of buildup electrodes are used for
cast iron?
7. Holding a long electrode extension will _____ pene-
tration into the parent metal.
8. With surfacing, the welding electrode should be held
_____ to the workpiece, and all welding should be
done in the _____ position.
9. Oscillated welds are made slowly. As a result,
more _____ occurs and the amount of _____ is
affected.
10. Weld patterns are often designed to make _____ to
hold dirt, sand, or other soft materials.
11. What three factors determine if a welding operation
is cost-effective?
108 Flux Cored Arc Welding Handbook
B
Figure 12-13. Typical wear plate installations for protection of tractor blades. A—Wear plates are used when sufficient metal is not
available as a base for hardfacing. B—The wear plate was welded uphill in the vertical position.The weld was made with a backstep
technique to reduce heat input and warpage.
A