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Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich
Submerged Arc Welding is a welding process, which utilizes a bare consumable metallic electrode producing an arc between itself and the work piece within a granular shielding flux applied around the weld.
The arc heats and melts both the work pieces edges and the electrode wire. The molten electrode material is supplied to the surfaces of the welded pieces, fills the weld pool and joins the work pieces.
Since the electrode is submerged into the flux, the arc is invisible. The flux is partially melts and forms a slag protecting the weld pool from oxidation and other atmospheric contaminations.
Advantages of Submerged Arc Welding (SAW):
- Very high welding rate;
- The process is suitable for automation;
- High quality weld structure.
Disadvantages of Submerged Arc Welding (SAW):
- Weld may contain slag inclusions;
- Limited applications of the process - mostly for welding horizontally located plates.