i have 2 questions for anyone whos welded electrical bus bar

Date 02-22-2011 03:36

Depends on who youre welding them for. Ive had to qualify several procedures for us to weld our client's bars on wind farm projects. It all depends on what grade of AL it is, the processes they want you to use, material thickness, the weld joint design and so on............. Sometimes we tig alot of the prefab and wire weld our field welds. Some weld joints need prheat others dont. We run GMAW-P on some of the thicker parts in prefab. Most of what we work with falls under AWS structural code for aluminum for this type of stuff. More than likely (Ive been suprised before) youre going to need to properly qualify a procedure if your client does not have one and then qualify your welders to it in accordance with AWS format. Basically, youre not going to just say you can weld aluminum and that day youll be welding bus bar. Hope this helps.

CM

By 803056

Date 02-22-2011 04:19 Edited 02-22-2011 04:23

The "Owner" is responsible for determining what welding standard is applicable. He may have to consult with an engineer that is familiar with that type of work or he has to make the necessary inquiries to find out what welding standard is applicable. It can be different for different projects or for different states.

I would expect that the engineer responsible for the design should have at some point considered what national standards apply to the aluminum bus bars. That national standard may reference a welding standard which by reference incorporates the requirements of the welding standard.

As the welder, it is not your responsibility to "know" what welding standard apply. However, as a contractor you should know what welding standards apply to the work you are about to undertake or be prepared for some repercussions if the work isn't performed properly.

The two welding codes most often referenced by other codes are AWS D1.X and ASME Section IX. If I had nothing else to hang my hat on, I would opt for AWS D1.2. The PQR qualified in accordance with AWS D1.2 will also meet ASME Section IX, but not vice versa. The acceptance criteria for AWS D1.2 is more stringent than ASME Section IX.

Best regards - Al

By louieRD (**)

Date 02-23-2011 21:44

thanks for the responses. im wondering where i could find these codes and standards, im wanting to try for my california certification but am having a difficult time getting any info,like 3g ,6g,what wall thickness,is it disected,xrayed or what to expect? i wanna get my foot in the door but dont know anyone who works it currently.

By G.S.Crisi (****)

Date 02-22-2011 18:22

I'm not an electrical engineer, so I'll make an ignorant question: Do perhaps NEC (National Electric Code) and/or NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association), both of the USA, say something about it?
Giovanni S. Crisi
Sao Paulo - Brazil