Different Types of Welding used in the Shipbuilding Industry

Welding is one process that is used widely across an array of industries - aerospace, railroad, automotive, construction, and even for household projects. Any industry that requires joining two different pieces of metal needs to use the process of welding. Thus, it is not surprising that the shipbuilding industry also relies heavily on welding. After all, welding is the most effective way of creating such humongous structures. Using the right electrodes procured from welding electrodes suppliers ensures that the structure constructed is strong enough to withstand any external forces.

Benefits of using welding for shipbuilding

Decades of research and experience combined with technological advancements have made it possible to build oil-tight as well as watertight ship structures. Without utilizing the right techniques and materials procured from welding electrodes manufacturers in India, it’d be impossible for these structures to function properly and efficiently.

Of course, there are other methods that can be used for creating these structures such as riveting but this process increases the expenses of the initial stage. It also requires periodic maintenance. Alternatively, welding joints not only reduce the weight of the structure but also require minimal maintenance.

Various kinds of welding used for building ships

Now that it has been established that welding is better, it is also crucial to develop an understanding of how welding is incorporated into the design of a ship. Based on the ship’s structure, the process of welding can be selected. Welding is a versatile process that allows the reduction of a number of welding materials and also provides a cost-effective solution. Some of the most commonly used welding techniques are shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) which makes use of welding rods procured from Welding Electrodes Suppliers in India, resistance welding, and gas metal arc welding (GMAW).

While SMAW is used for welding grills, tanks, and panels, GMAW is used for welding relatively lighter structures. The flexibility of shielded metal arc welding makes it possible to use the process for welding the underside of the overhead deck plates. The entirety of ship structures is built using a combination of these two welding techniques.

The following are some welding practices that are used during the primary stage of shipbuilding:

• Multiple Passes Welding: This technique is used for filling the gaps that might remain between two welded plates of 5 mm to 6 mm thickness. A considerable amount of welding passes are needed for achieving proper penetration.

• Tack Welding: Tack welding method is used for preventing the plates that might open because of heat gradients. This is usually done periodically across the length of the weld’s joint to ensure that the plates are in position.

Conclusion

Given that welding is used for joining several different parts of a ship, it is evident that it is an integral part of shipbuilding. Moreover, researchers are always trying to improve the quality of the weld by trying to study distortions. Moreover, there are some in-depth norms that have been laid for welding parts of the ship and also regarding the kind of electrodes from Welding Electrodes Manufacturers that should be used. This ensures that the structure built is reliable.