EP0217900A1

EP0217900A1 - Method and welding electrode for making a welding seam

Info

Publication number: EP0217900A1
Application number: EP19860902411
Authority: EP
Inventors: Juhani Ensi Kyösti NIINIVAARA; Hannu Kalervo MÄKELÄINEN
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-04-12
Filing date: 1986-04-10
Publication date: 1987-04-15
Also published as: FI72066C; FI72066B; DE3690185T1; GB8629757D0; AU5813886A; WO1986006015A1; GB2185205A; FI851467L; FI851467A0

Abstract

Un procédé et une électrode de soudage servent à former un cordon de soudage sur un objet à souder à l'aide d'une électrode de soudage longitudinalement agencée, en particulier dans un environnement subaquatique. Le procédé se caractérise par le fait que le courant de soudage est transmis à l'électrode de soudage par un canal (1) formé dans l'électrode par un milieu conducteur tiré de façon contrôlée. L'électrode de soudage se caractérise par le fait qu'un élément (3) de canal d'écoulement du milieu est formé du côté de l'électrode éloigné de l'objet à souder, cet élément comprenant une unité (2) de commande de l'écoulement et une partie conductrice (4) pour transmettre le courant électrique du milieu à l'armature du noyau (5).A welding method and electrode are used to form a weld bead on an object to be welded using a longitudinally arranged welding electrode, in particular in an underwater environment. The method is characterized in that the welding current is transmitted to the welding electrode by a channel (1) formed in the electrode by a conductive medium drawn in a controlled manner. The welding electrode is characterized in that a medium flow channel element (3) is formed on the side of the electrode remote from the object to be welded, this element comprising a control unit (2) of the flow and a conductive part (4) for transmitting the electric current from the medium to the armature of the core (5).

Description

Method and welding electrode for making a welding seam

The invention relates to a method in compliance with the introductory section of the claim 1 and to a 5 welding element in compliance with the introductory sec¬ tion of the claim 7 for making- a welding seam by a longitudinally to the welding object placed elongated welding electrode.

Known in the art is, when a welding electrode placed *0 to the welding object is used, to convey the welding cur¬ rent to the other end of the welding electrode by suitab¬ le connection cables. In this case a disadvantage appears, that the welding current cannot be conducted in the most direct route to the welding object, so that the stability 5 of both the generated magnetic field and the burning of the core bar caused by the electric arc is reduced and becomes strongly fluctuating, whereby for instance slag closures and edge cuts are easily formed in the weld, which reduce the weld quality and make it readily unsui- 0 table for its purpose.

It is an object of the present invention to elimi¬ nate the mentioned disadvantages connected with the al¬ ready known welding electrodes to be placed longitudinally to the welding object and to provide a method and weld- 5 ing electrode suitable in addition to normal dry and wet welding also particularly for underwater welding to pro¬ duce a durable welding seam satisfying the classifica¬ tion norms.

These objects have been achieved by the welding 0 method according to the invention, the characteristic features of which have been presented in the appended claims 1...6, and by the welding electrode with the cha¬ racteristic features described in the enclosed claims

7...12. 5 The- advantages of the invention include that higher professional skills are not necessarily required for the welder to make successfully a welding seam, that welding is rapid and that by using the welding method and electrode according to the invention time-consuming changes of the welding rod are avoided. Moreover it must be stated, that the welding trace made according to the invention is absolutely smooth and does not in¬ clude any slag closures, edge cuts etc. deteriorating the weld.

The invention is described below by a preferable embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which a piece of the welding electrode according to the invention has been shown as a perspective view. In the advantageous embodiment presented in the figure the welding electrode according to the invention comprises a core bar 5 coated on its side placed against the welding object by coating 6 and melting as the welding proceeds. In this connection it must be noted, that the coated core bar can be replaced by a so- called core filling bar with the advantage of better bending qualities.

The conically tapering cross section shown in the figure suits particularly well for welding of so-called U-seams or for example sheets with a bevelled groove at their edges to their place e.g. as cover plates. The mentioned conical form is not, however, essential for the purpose of the invention, but also other sectional profiles can be used in the welding electrode depending on the welding adaptation and the desired seam.

By the method according to the invention the welding current is conveyed to the welding electrode through a conductive, preferably liquid medium, which is drawn hydraulically regulated along the weldin elect- rode to promote the welding process. As a medium liquid \. mercury can be used with good electrical conductivity, as is generally known. Naturally also other conductive electrolytes can be used without negative influences to 5 the action of the invention.

For conveying of the welding current and running of the medium the welding electrode according to the in¬ vention includes in this exemplary case a tubular flow channel element 3, which can be at its both or at least

10 one end connected to a medium source, whereby the me¬ dium can be drawn in the channel 1 by pumping and/or suction beginning from one or both ends of the flow channel element 3.

The flow channel element 3 is connected to a con-

15 ductive contact with the core bar 5 in the welding elect¬ rode by the electrically conductive portion 4. In the exemplary case shown in the figure the conductive portion is composed of a strip made of metal, preferably cop¬ per, and extending as wide as the welding electrode to

20 the whole length of the core bar 5 and forming a part of the wall of the flow channel element 3 defining the flow channel 1. In the preferred embodiment of the in¬ vention the other portion of the flow channel element 3 is made of a suitable, e.g. plastic-based flexible

25 material fixed by vulcanization to the conductive metal strip 4, which in turn is soldered to the core bar 5 provided with the coating 6.

To obtain a flexible and workable welding elect- _* rode the conductive portion 4 can be made of a thin and

30 flexible metal strip, so that the welding electrode can be stored f.ex. in rolls and a proper piece of it can be cut for each object of use.

As stated before the welding current is conveyed to the electrode by a liquid electrolyte. In the most advantageous embodiment in order to form a potential difference between the welding electrode and the welding object, the electrolyte is connected to the positive pole of the electric source and the welding object to the negative pole.. To regulate the velocity of propaga¬ tion of the light arc and to maintain the stability of the magnetic field, the flowing velocity of the elec- tr lyte in the flowing channel 1 is controlled.

For this purpose it is used in the flowing chan- nel 1 a flow limiting member 2, which goes with the medium flow tightly pressed against the walls defining the flow channel 1 before or after the medium depending mostly on the fact, whether the medium is drawn by suction or pumping. Thus the route of electrical con- duction from the medium to the welding object is always as short as possible and constant when the welding pro¬ cess progresses, so that the burning and the obtained weld are regular.

The invention has been described above referring only to one of its advantageous embodiments. This exemp¬ lary case does not naturally limit the invention, but several combinations and variations are possible within the limits of appended claims. Thus it is understandab¬ le, that the cross section of the flow channel can be different from the one shown in the figure, for instan¬ ce polygonal, that the structure of the conductive part can be composed of f.ex. matrices, in which case it conveyes the current only transversally in regard to the longitudinal direction of the welding electrode or that the conductive part is as unloaded separated from the core or core filling bar, so that the flow limiting part, which then is an electrically conductive piece, presses it to a conductive^-contact with the core or core filling bar.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A method for making a welding seam by a longi¬ tudinally to the welding object placed elongated welding

5 electrode, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the weld¬ ing current is conveyed to the welding electrode by a conductive medium drawn through the channel (1) in the electrode, and that the velocity of the progression of the light arc between the welding electrode and the 10 welding object and also the stability of the magnetic field are regulated by controlling the flow of the me¬ dium in the said channel.

2. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the conductive medium is convey-

15 ed to the welding electrode by both of its ends.

3. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the medium^*is sucked to the welding electrode.

4. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c - 20 t e r i z e d in that the medium is pumped to the welding electrode.

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that mercury is used as the conductive medium. /

25 6. A method according to any of the preceding claims_.1...4,^' c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the flow of the medium in the channel (1) is controlled by a flow limiting member (2) pushed before the flow o following behind it and pressed tightly against

30 the wall defining the channel (1).

7. An elongated welding electrode to be placed longitudinally to the .welding object, c h a r i z e d in that to the side of the welding electro¬ de far from the welding object a preferably tubular flow channel element (3) has been connected for the conductive medium, the said element comprising a con- ductive portion (4) for conveying the welding current from the medium to the core or core filling bar (5) , and that the welding electrode comprises means (2) for controlling the medium flow.

_ 8. A welding electrode according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the conductive portion (4) of the flow channel element (3) consists of a metal strip extending to the whole length of the core or core filling bar (5) and forming a part of the wall defining the flow channel (1) and is at least during the welding process in an electrically conduc¬ tive contact with the core or core filling bar (5) to convey the welding current from the medium to the core or core filling bar (5) .

9o A welding electrode according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the conductive portion (4) of the flow channel element (3) consists of a strip with matrix structure extending to the whole length of the core or core filling bar (5) and forming a part of the wall defining the flow channel (1) and conveyes the welding current from the medium to the core or core filling bar transversally in regard to the flow direction of the medium.

10. A welding electrode according to any of the preceding claims 7...9, c h a r a c t e r i-z e d in that the means for controlling the medium flow consist of a flow limiting member (-2) pressed tightly against the wall defining the flow channel and going with the medium flow in the flow channel (1).

11. A welding electrode according to claim.10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the electrically con- ductive portion consists of a flexible metal film (4) being as unloaded separate from the core or core filling bar (5) , and that the flow limiting member (2) is con¬ ductive and presses during the passage through the flow channel (1) the metal film (4) tightly to the core or core filling bar (5), so that an electrically conducti¬ ve contact is formed from the medium to the core or core filling bar (5) .

12. A welding electrode according to one of the preceding claims 7...11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the welding electrode is a preferably flexible, at its both ends open electrode tape, that can be severed to desired portions. ^*. ^*