Welding is much more complex than joining two pieces of metal together. It is a versatile process that not only involves different type of angles and joints, but materials and methods. For example; Oxy-fuel welding is easy to use for high alloy steels, while arc welding is more limited to ferrous materials and is slower. IMH Products is one of the leading metal welding services in Indianapolis because of our variety of welding capabilities.
Whether it is manual or robotic welding, IMH Products seeks to elevate welding services in Indianapolis with its experience and the capacity to serve the diverse needs of our customers. This includes simple weldments or complex, robot-assisted welds.
Different Types of Metal Welding Joints
As mentioned above, welding is more than simply joining two or more pieces of metal together. Welding a nut onto a sheet of metal is very different from joining two pieces at a precise angle. For most projects it begins with the precise welding angle and joint. Welds can be prepared geometrically in in different ways, but there are five basic type of weld joints:
Butt Joints – This is accomplished by joining the two flat ends parallel to each other. It is simple to prepare and economical ot use, but it is limited by the thickness of the joint.
V-Joints – This type of weld is when both sides of the joint have a beveled edge. In thicker metals the weld can be made from both sides of the work piece. A double-V joint weld helps compensate for warping, while a single-V joint tends to warp the piece due to stress.
J-Joints – With a J-joint one piece of the weld is shaped like the letter J while the other piece is square. The shape of the J easily accepts the filler material and is cut by special cutting machinery or by grinding the joint edge. It is more costly and difficult to prepare than a V-joint, but generally provides a stronger weld.
U-Joints – Single-U butt welds are welds that have both edges of the weld surface shaped like a J, but once they come together, they form a U. Double-U joints have a U formation on both the top and bottom of the prepared joint. This is the most expensive weld to prepare and are reserved for thick base metals.
Tee-Joints – When two bars or sheets are joined perpendicular to each other to form a T shape it is a Tee-joint. These welds are joined at a 90-degree angle.
TIG, MIG, and More Metal Welding in Indianapolis
In addition to the type of joint used, the style of welding is also critically important. Arc welding uses an electric current to strike an arc between the base material and consumable electrode rod. The core itself is the filler material, but it is slower because the core often needs to be replaced.
Tungsten Inert Gas Welding is a manual process that uses a tungsten electrode with a separate filler material. This is great for welding thinner material, but requires significant operator skill. MIG welding is a semi-automatic or automatic process that uses a continuous wire feed as an electrode and an inert or semi-inert gas mixture to protect the weld from contamination.
Energy beam welding methods, namely laser beam welding and electron beam welding, are relatively new processes that have become quite popular in high production applications. The two processes are quite similar, differing most notably in their source of power. With laser beam welding, a highly focused laser beam creates the weld. Electron beam welding uses an electron beam in a vacuum.
Finally, there is also a difference between manual and robotic welding. Robotic welding produces high quality spot welds and is accurate every single time, but it is limited to its programming. Manual welding offers more versatility and complexity.
At IMH Products we have three robotic welding cells, a UR Cobot welding cell, and 10 MIG/TIG manual welding booths. This allows us to provide unparalleled metal welding services in Indianapolis.
For more information on how we can assist with your welding needs contact us at sales@imh.com.