When is oxy acetylene welding used

Oxy-fuel cutting is a process to cut metals using a mixture of oxygen and fuel or gas. Fairly the same as the welding process, oxy-fuel cutting needs a torch to burn metal into a metal oxide that turns the kerf as slag.

The process will cause a chemical reaction and form the slag or iron oxide. The slag then will be blown away by the oxygen jet, resulting the metal to be cut.

The equipment of oxy-fuel welding and cutting is versatile, including torches, regulators, valves, and gas hoses. Here are the uses of each equipment:. Torches are used for welding, cutting, heating, and depositing metals. There are several types of torches, including welding torch, cutting torch, rosebud torch, and injector torch. Regulators are used to making sure the gas pressure from the tanks matches the hose pressure. There are two stages of regulators; a fixed-pressure regulator as well as the adjustable regulator.

This will ensure that any air present in the hoses is purged before the welding process is started. The gas should be lit using a suitable spark-lighter only, and that too, held at the right angles to the nozzle.

You should never use liquid igniters as they can be extremely dangerous. The supply of acetylene gas to the blowpipe should be adjusted up to the point the flame stops to smoke. Once the flame ceases to smoke, increase the oxygen supply slowly by means of the control valve. The final flame should have a sharply defined, white-colored inner cone with as little trace of acetylene haze as possible.

As mentioned above, the flame has to be adjusted to appear a certain way before you can proceed with the Oxy-Acetylene weld. Different types of flames are used to weld different types of metals. Carburizing flame contains an excess of acetylene gas. This type of flame is suitable for applications where a low-heat flame is required.

It is used for welding nickel, Monel metal, high-carbon steel, and a number of non-ferrous metals. This flame is not used to weld regular steel.

Neutral flame contains equal proportions of oxygen and acetylene gases. This type of flame is used in most welding operations since the chemical effect of this flame on heated metal is the least. As you can tell by the name, an oxidizing flame has a high content of oxygen the oxygen and acetylene ratio being 1. This type of flame is used when welding copper and alloys of copper, such as bronze and brass. It cannot be used to weld steel as it will oxidize it. Once you have lighted up the blowpipe and achieved a neutral flame, you are all set to start Oxy-Acetylene welding.

There are different types of techniques that you can practice, which have been listed below:. The leftward technique of Oxy-Acetylene welding is employed to weld steel plates that are up to 5mm thick. It can also be used to weld non-ferrous metals. In this technique, the blowpipe is held in the right hand, which forms a weld that runs from right to left.

The filler rod is held in place such that it is in front of the nozzle. For this technique, it is necessary that the flame is in a neutral condition. The flame should be close enough to the steel base metal but should not be touching it. The nozzle is moved in slightly side-to-side or circular motions to ensure consistent heating and achieve an even fusion. Before you start with the leftward technique, play the neutral flame at the edge of the joint until a molten weld pool is formed.

As the welding procedure proceeds, simply dip the filler rod into this molten pool. The filler rod should not be melted by direct flame but by dipping into the molten weld pool only. You should make sure that you do not keep the filler rod dipped into the pool continuously as it would act as a hindrance to thorough heating and keep the heat from the flame to reach the lower parts of the weld, and this might result in an imperfect fusion.

In the rightward technique, the blowpipe is held from the left hand, and the weld moves from the left to the right. The filler rod is preceded by the flame in the direction of the travel.

The filler rod is moved forward in a circular motion, with the blowpipe moving steadily along the seam of the weld. The rightward technique is faster as compared to the leftward technique. It also consumes lesser gas and filler rod; hence it is cost-effective. The V-angle is smaller, and there is less distortion.

The all-position rightward weld is a modification of the rightward technique. It is a suitable technique for mild steel pipes and plates in a vertical and overhead position. This technique comes with numerous advantages. It allows the welder to get an even build-up and a very uniform penetration bead. The welder is also given complete freedom to move and a clear view of the fusion zone and weld pool.

This type of Oxy-Acetylene welding can be used on unbevelled steel plates that are 3mm in thickness when two welders are working on each side.

The welding starts at the bottom of the plate and proceeds up vertically. Bronze welding, as the name implies, is used when there is a need to make joints in copper or make repairs to cast iron. It makes use of rods made of bronze alloy. The most commonly used rods include fluxobronze, which is a silicone bronze rod that has been flux-coated, manganese bronze rod, and plain nickel bronze rods with suitable flux.

In this technique, it is important that the edges of the metal to be welded are not melted but heated until they become red. The joint that is formed as a result of this type of Oxy-Acetylene welding is absolutely clean and has excellent mechanical properties. Rods that contain tungsten carbide are deposited using this technique. Do you want to know more about the benefits of using oxy-acetylene for gas welding? The next section discusses it in detail.

The following points will help you understand why acetylene is preferred for welding, since A Safe Fuel: Safety is an important priority in most process industries. As acetylene is lighter than air, there are rare chances of them accumulating at low levels. This property makes it safe to use in any processing facility or in underground applications.

Excellent Welding Quality: Acetylene is the hottest fuel gas when combined with oxygen. In the right applications, this makes acetylene ideal for welding different steel materials. Money Saver: Oxy-acetylene is well-known for its flexibility, and is suited for various machining operations other welding, such as brazing, cutting, etc.

In acetylene gas filling plants and other applications, acetylene cylinders for welding are available in various sizes. This flexibility makes them easy to source and transport when compared to other fuel gases. Rexarc is one of the leading manufacturers of equipment for filling acetylene cylinders for welding.

The team at Rexarc will help you understand the specifications and additional advantages of using acetylene for gas welding. We are a one stop shop from custom vessel production to full skidding, plumbing and instrumentation.