Welding is an indispensable technology in metal structures. Among them, fillet welding is more commonly used, and it hides many secrets of welding. Fillet welding is the process of joining two pieces of metal at right angles or at different angles, commonly seen in "T" joints or overlapping joints. The weld produced by this type of welding is triangular in shape and can have concave, flat or convex sides depending on the skill of the welder.
Welders often use fillet welds when connecting flanges to pipes and when welding at intersections in infrastructure. When bolts are not strong enough, welding is used to provide a more stable connection.
Each fillet weld consists of five parts, namely the root, foot, face, leg and throat. The root is the deepest part of the weld and is located at the opposite corner of the weld; the foot is the edge of the weld, like the vertices of a triangle. The face of the weld is the outer visual part you can see when you look at the weld, while the legs are the other two sides of the triangular weld; the length of the legs is often considered the scale of the weld. Finally, the throat is the distance from the center of the face to the root and should generally be at least as thick as the metal being welded.
Understanding the structure of fillet welds not only helps with welding accuracy, but also improves welding quality and ensures structural soundness and safety.
It is vital that fillet welds are marked on technical drawings so that the welder understands the manufacturer's specific requirements. The symbol for a fillet weld is a triangle placed above or below a line with an arrow connected to it pointing toward the weld joint. This line is called the "reference line" and the side where the triangle is will indicate where the weld should occur.
In the global market, there are two labeling methods: "A System" and "B System". System A uses two parallel lines as reference lines: a solid line and a dotted line, while system B uses only a solid line.
When the triangle is placed below the solid line, the weld is on the side of the arrow, otherwise it is on the opposite side. This rule helps the welder to find the exact spot to weld.
The manufacturer will also list the strength requirement for the weld, usually as a letter and number combination before the reference line, such as E70, which means the arc welding electrode has a tensile strength of 70,000 pounds per square inch. The aesthetics of welding cannot be ignored either. The surface treatment of the weld can be adjusted through welding technology or post-processing.
Different welding techniques can bring different surface effects, which have a profound impact on the aesthetics of the weld.
Intermittent fillet welds are welds that are not performed continuously at the joint. These welds are represented by a set of two numbers, the first number indicating the length of the weld and the second number indicating the spacing between the welds. Intermittent welding is often used when continuous welding is not required to avoid deformation caused by welding continuity.
Normally, the two triangles of the welding symbol are offset to ensure stability and strength during the welding process. Understanding intermittent fillet welds is critical to field construction operations, especially during rapid construction and when resources are limited.
The advantage of intermittent welding is that it not only saves resources but also reduces thermal stress, making it suitable for demanding welding applications.
As welding technology continues to advance, the field of welding is also evolving. Whether in industrial production, construction or automobile manufacturing, welding is a key technology. Do the secret corner welding techniques give you a deeper understanding and thinking about welding?