Weldin travel speed

Date 07-22-2008 12:02 Edited 07-22-2008 12:05

Not sure if there is a formula to figure that out or not, being that there are so many different variables. Material thickness, joint design, preheat, voltage/amperage, type of steel, process, position, and skill of welder. But yes, the larger the diameter, the higher the deposition rate, so travel speed usually goes up as well.

Jason

By Metarinka (****)

Date 07-22-2008 13:37

Stick welding?

I did some tests and measured the parameters of every welder at my company and travel speed, to graph the relationship between travel speed and voltage, or travel speed and WFS. Very interesting, allowed me to accurately guess travel speed of a welder by looking at their machine settings. But that was all MIG and wire size was a constant

My instinct tells me that changing the electrode size which changes the metal deposition rate and heat input would require changing travel speed. This will vary from joint to joint and depends on other factors.

By js55

Date 07-22-2008 14:05

There is no inherent relationship between travel speed and electrode diameter.

By rafael Angarita (*)

Date 07-22-2008 16:25

Thanks for yor answer. The thing is that the welding speed travel mus be specified in WPS ¿How can i know that?¿are there a specs about it?

By Richard Cook (**)

Date 07-22-2008 17:26

this is not an essential variable for prequalified WPS per AWS D1.1, if you are qualifying a WPS you would record the actual conditions used in the PQR and allow the plus and minus variance allowed per table 4.5, then include this on the WPS.

By rafael Angarita (*)

Date 07-22-2008 18:40

Looking at AWS D1.1, art. 3.6 and table I noted that travel speed is considered an essential variable for SAW, GMAE, FCAW, and GTAW. Not for SMAW. If it is so, dosen`t matter for WPS with SMAW process only care for the other above ¿What do you think?

By Richard Cook (**)

Date 07-23-2008 11:49

You are right, I stand corrected, whats bad, I use that specific section of the code all the time and had my blinders on. The material manufacturer we use provides data sheets and specification sheets that provide for most variables yet they don't put in the travel speed (?). We verify the travel speed using these variables and the deposition rate they provide. We do actual runs with the material then allow for the code variance, plus or minus.

By ziggy

Date 07-26-2008 02:18

glad to see you have not confused wire feed speed with travel speed. that happens but they are two completely different variables.

there is no chart or spec that will tell you the travel speed that your welders are welding at day in and day out. there may be suggested or optimum speeds supplied by a consumable manufacturer or supplier...but that's all they are...suggestions...

the reliable way to measure travel speed (inches per minute or ipm) is to go out in the shop with a stopwatch and tape measure and start gathering data from the welders as they perform production welding. you do not have to worry about the welder's performance...if a welder believes you are trying to increase production and your stopwatch intimidates them, they might decide to slow down but the other essential variables of a written prequalified or qualified WPS (in particular amps and volts) will keep them working at the travel speed that needs to appear on your WPS in order to produce a sound weld.

here are two ways to measure travel speed

1. mark off a distance on the production piece with soapstone...say 5 inches...as the welder starts their weld, you start the stopwatch...when they arrive at the marked distance, stop the stopwatch...do your calculation and note the results...or

2. have the welder begin their production weld...start your watch...when the timer hits 6 seconds have the welder stop...measure the length of the weld...multiply the length by 10 and you have the inches per minute (60 seconds in a minute = 6 seconds x 10)...if the welder travels 1.5 inches in 6 seconds then the travel speed is 15 ipm...

as is true with most data collection, the more sample data you collect the more accurate your results should be...it doesn't hurt to discard the highest and lowest results so that your final number is a more accurate average...

once you arrive at your welders' travel speeds, it is good practice to indicate a range on the WPS...it should reflect the actual ranges you noted during your data collection...that way your WPS will reflect the actual practice in your shop...

happy timing!

ziggy

PS - you correctly noted that there are four essential variables for a prequalified WPS. and those variables must comply with table 4.5. be sure you also give attention to D1.1 section 6.3. that section is entirely new in the 2006 release of the D1.1