Abstract

COMPARISON OF WELDMENT QUALITY OF CONVENTIONAL MULTIWIRE

TO COLD WIRE ADDITION IN SUBMERGED ARC WELDING PROCESS.

Abstract:
In recent years, demand of fuel has increased a lot. Generally the oil and
gas consumption is increased. For transporting this oil and gas, pipe lines of High
Strength low Alloy Steel is used.
Thus the demand for pipes for offshore and onshore application is
increased. And due to this demand, the productivity is to be increased by means
of applying welding processes having higher weld deposition rate. Such as multi
wire submerged arc welding. (3,4 or 5 wires at a time)
Cold wire addition is the newest development in submerged arc welding
process. It has many advantages over the conventional multi wire submerged arc
welding, such as, higher productivity, reduced heat input, enhanced mechanical
properties, and consumes less flux & power.
The current study is carried out on API5L X70 grade, having wall thickness
of 31.8mm. The objective is to compare the weldment properties between
conventional hot multiwire submerged arc welding process to cold wire feed
submerged arc welding process. The comparison includes mechanical properties,
dilution, consumable consumption, weld deposition rate, chemical composition,
hardness, bead geometry, micro and macro structural studies.
In this project, the aim is to, find out the effect of cold wire feed submerged
arc welding process on weldment properties which are specified in above
paragraph with respect to conventional submerged arc welding.

Keywords: Cold wire feed, Multi wire SAW, Productivity, API5L X70 steel,
Weldment properties, deposition rate, dilution.
 Synopsis

Title:
Comparison of weldment quality of conventional multiwire to cold wire addition in
submerged arc welding process.

Aim:
To compare the productivity and enhance the weldment properties by additional cold
wire feed submerged arc welding w.r.t. conventional multiwire submerged arc welding process
for heavy wall thick micro alloyed line pipe steel.

Scope:
This study is to compare conventional multiwire submerged arc welding to additional
cold wire feed submerged arc welding process on 31.8mm WT, API 5L X70 steel pipe.

Objectives:
This study and comparisons includes the following objectives.
1. Deposition rate.
2. Dilution
3. Consumable consumption rate.
4. Power consumption rate.
5. Mechanical properties (Tensile, Side bend, CVN, CTOD, Hardness)
6. Physical properties like Chemistry, Microstructure and Macrostructure.
7. Bead geometry

Weld Joint Design and Sequence:-

FIGURE:-1

2
 Synopsis

Design of Experiment:-

FIGURE:-2

3
 Synopsis

Weld Plan:-
Trial Location Type of Filler metal Current Voltage Welding Heat Wire configuration dimensions
no. current (A) (V) Speed input
Type of Size (mtrs./min) (kJ/mm)
wire (mm)
GMAW (manual) (No. of wire 1) DC 0
All OD DC ER70S6 1.2 250 25 0.30 1.25 SO=15mm

TANDEM SAW (No. of wires 3 or 4) AC3 CW AC1 DC

T-1 OD DC EG 4.00 1100 33 0.9 6.58 +15 +12 0 -10
AC1 EG 4.00 900 35
SO=33 32 31 30
CW EM12K 3.15 ----- -----
AC3 EG 4.00 800 39 12 12 18

ID DC EG 4.00 1050 32 0.8 7.10 AC3 CW AC1 DC

+15 +12 0 -10
AC1 EG 4.00 900 34
SO=33 32 31 30
CW EM12K 3.15 ------ -----
12 12 18
AC3 EG 4.00 800 38

T-2 OD DC EG 4.00 1200 34 1.5 5.18 AC3 AC2 AC1 DC

+20 +10 0 -10
AC1 EG 4.00 950 36
SO=33 32 31 30
AC2 EG 4.00 800 37
20 18 18
AC3 EM12K 4.00 650 39

ID DC EG 4.00 1100 33 1.3 6.03 AC3 AC2 AC1 DC

+20 +10 0 -10
AC1 EG 4.00 950 35
SO=33 32 31 30
AC2 EG 4.00 850 37
AC3 EM12K 4.00 750 40 20 18 18

4
 Synopsis

Trial Location Type of Filler metal Current Voltage Welding Heat Wire configuration dimensions
no. current (A) (V) Speed input
Type of Size (mtrs./min) (kJ/mm)
wire (mm)
T-3 OD DC EG 4.00 1100 33 0.9 6.58 AC3 CW AC1 DC
AC1 EG 4.00 900 35 +15 +12 0 -10
CW EM12K 3.15 ----- -----
AC3 EG 4.00 800 39 SO=33 32 31 30

12 12 18
ID DC EG 4.00 1050 32 0.8 7.10 AC2 AC1 DC
+12 0 -12
AC1 EG 4.00 900 34
SO=34 33 32
AC2 EM12K 4.00 800 38
20 22
T-4 OD DC EG 4.00 1200 34 1.5 5.18 AC3 AC2 AC1 DC
+20 +10 0 -10
AC1 EG 4.00 950 36
AC2 EG 4.00 800 37 SO=33 32 31 30

AC3 EM12K 4.00 650 39 20 18 18

ID DC EG 4.00 1050 32 0.8 7.10 AC2 AC1 DC
+12 0 -12
AC1 EG 4.00 900 34
SO=34 33 32
AC2 EM12K 4.00 800 38
20 22
T-5 OD DC EG 4.00 1275 36 0.8 5.77 CW AC2 CW DC
CW EM12K 3.15 ----- ----- +15 +12 0 -10
AC2 EG 4.00 850 37
SO=33 32 31 30
CW EM12K 3.15 ----- -----
12 12 18
ID DC EG 4.00 1050 36 0.7 5.93 CW AC2 CW DC
+15 +12 0 -10
CW EM12K 3.15 ----- -----

AC2 EG 4.00 850 37 SO=33 32 31 30

CW EM12K 3.15 ----- ----- 12 12 18

5
 Discard

100
2 All weld

1000
Tensile

2 Transverse
140 Tensile
Test plan & Sample Sketch:- (for single trial)

7 sets CVN:- Weld

700

Centre

21 sets CVN:- HAZ

(FL, FL+2mm,
2100

FL+5mm)

6
4490mm

2 CTOD: -45c,
(BS 7448)
200

0.5mm Min
0.38mm Avg.
0.38mm min.
2 Side Bend test
100

Ind.
Note: The CVN toughness testing will carried out at

Micro/ Hardness\macro
50

chemical (1)
temperatures 0c, -10c, -20c, -30c, -40c, -50c & -60c.

Discard
100
Synopsis
 Synopsis

Aiming for following Conclusions:-

1. What is the effect of cold wire addition on weld deposition rate w.r.t. conventional
multiwire submerged arc welding process?
2. What is the effect of cold wire addition on dilution w.r.t. conventional multiwire
submerged arc welding process?
3. What is the effect of cold wire addition on consumable consumption w.r.t.
conventional multiwire submerged arc welding process?
4. What is the effect of cold wire addition on power consumption rate w.r.t.
conventional multiwire submerged arc welding process?
5. What is the effect of cold wire addition on mechanical properties
Toughness-CVN & CTOD
Tensile strength (all weld and transverse tensile test)
Hardness (all weld, HAZ and base metal)
Bend test (side bend). w.r.t. conventional multiwire submerged arc
welding process?
6. What is the effect of cold wire addition on
Microstructure (weld, HAZ and base metal)
Macrostructure and
Weld metal chemical composition. w.r.t. conventional tandem
SAW process.
7. What is the effect of cold wire addition on bead geometry w.r.t. conventional
multiwire submerged arc welding process?
Bead height
Bead width
Toe angle
Penetration