Welded tube cracking is an issue that appears every so often with these utensils. It can cause a fair amount of annoyance and some serious issues. Fortunately, there are prevention methods you can use to help stop this issue. To give you a helping hand, we are going to go over the causes and prevention methods of the cracking. Then, if you need high quality products, buy from us and choose the best ERW steel tube supplier in the West Midlands.
Insufficient strength
The first cause is inadequate strength of your metals. It is one of the leading causes of welded tube cracking. It’s a result of the quality concerns with the actual materials. If you use low-quality material, the chances of cracking will go up.
Residual stress
During the welding, the fusion between the welding material and patent material can be poor. Stress concentration will happen here. You can have issues with it in the weld itself and the area surrounding it. If you don’t correctly eradicate these stresses, they can cause cracking.
Using the improper welding technique
Several flaws with the technique can cause issues. Examples of this include a welding speed that is too quick or attempting to weld too much. The current might also be too small or large. Maybe the welding angle is incorrect. There might even be a mismatch between the parent material and welding rod. Or, the parent material’s temperature can be too low during welding.
You need to watch out for improper operation as well. If the operator lacks experience or doesn’t have professional training, cracking may happen. Talk to us if you need help from the best ERW steel tube supplier in the West Midlands.
Improper welding material selection
The selection of improper welding substances can result in inadequate strength. It may lower the toughness at your weld joint. In addition the weld point can end up being too hard as well. With the material, the chemical composition can affect the stability of its crystal structure. This then affects the tendency of stress corrosion cracking. For instance, stainless steel possessing high iron content is more likely to suffer cracks.
The presence of oxides and similar impurities in the weld material also spells trouble too. Such impurities lower the corrosion resistance and strength of your tubing, potentially causing cracks.
Parent material defects
There might also be defects in the parent material, such as pores, slag inclusions, or cracks. If this is the case, they will increase the likelihood of cracking during welding.
Weld design
A number of issues here can cause cracking. For example, an unreasonable weld bead design is a major problem. The same goes for the inadequate cleanliness of your parent material. Speak to us if you want to work with the best ERW steel tube supplier in the West Midlands.
Prevention methods
Now that we know the causes, we can discuss some prevention methods. One is choosing suitable welding materials. Favour high calibre ones for welding. Choose them focusing on the performance and material requirements.
See to it that you eliminate residual stress as well. You need suitable annealing treatments to treat your welded tubes. This can effectively eradicate stresses, so it is worth it.
Choosing the right welding technology can help too. This includes controlling parameters like weld angle, speed, and current. They will help ensure quality and also lower the danger of cracking.
Similarly, you need the proper welding materials. These are ones that produce decent welds and lower the presence of oxides and other impurities. They must reduce stress concentration in the welding area at the same time.
Lastly, you can clean the welded tube before welding. Do this to stop impurities from getting into the weld joint. It will reduce the chance of weld cracking.
Unbeatable quality from the best ERW steel tube supplier in the West Midlands
At Union Steel Tubes, we have a large collection of ERW tubes in stock. This includes many shapes and sizes, as well as finishes like deburred, and zinc or chrome plated. They give our customers plenty of options to choose from. Finding something that suits you shouldn’t be difficult.
Therefore, if you’d like to work with the greatest ERW steel tube supplier in the West Midlands, contact us. We can arrange fast delivery in the majority of cases.
