Question,
Do any of you guys or your companies have written air arc procedures that say how to set up the machine, what setttings and polarity to set the machine at?
Similiar to a WPS for welding, but obviously for cutting and gouging.
I ask only because we all know WPS are required for welding, but Iv'e never had a requirement for the carbon arc gouging process.
thanks
Never seen wps for Air Arc . Just crank up the amps and crank up the air!
Air Carbon Arc gouging, formerly called Air Arc gouging, was patented in the 19 early sixties by a company called ARCAIR.
Sometime in the past (I don't know exactly when) Arcair was acquired by a company called Victor Technologies. They have a wealth of information in their site:
http.victortechnologies.com/arcair
Navigate into their site and you'll find a lot of information that will allow you to write your own specification
Giovanni S. Crisi
Sao Paulo - Brazil
Giovanni, Here is Victor Technologies website
http://victortechnologies.com/ You may recognise some of the companies they own, they are all established well known brands in the US.
Yes, I have worked to and written a procedure whilst Air-Arcing out excavations on large bore steam pipework (2 inch+thickness)!
Usually CMV type pipework and involving 200°C+ pre-heat before Air-Arc excavation began!
Engineers can specify anything they want. Generally, I've only seen gouging information on the tail of a welding symbol and remember that the groove can be specified in a welding symbol and that will dictate the result of the gouge. That said, I've never seen a gouging amperage or rod requirement in writing.
By welderbrent 
Date 10-12-2012 21:32
Edited 10-12-2012 21:35
Once again I think it may come down to which code you may be working to. D1.1 does not call for a 'WPS', so to speak, for Air Carbon Arc Cutting, CAC-A (as referred to and defined by the AWS A3.0 Standard Terms and Definitions-2001; I hope they didn't change it in the newer edition which is not with me here in the field).
Since being introduced to AirArc in the early 70's I have heard it referred to in many different arrangements of the terms. But all have usually sufficed to describe it so that a person familiar with it knew what was to be done.
I understand what 46.00 is saying, and it may be that in various locations, to a particular code, used on specific materials it could well be a critical factor and the engineer wants to make sure the contractor knows what he is doing and how to do it.
But for the average contractor working on average structural jobs it is not normally of any consideration.
Have a Great Day, Brent
