What Is Welding?
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What is welding? The first step toward achieving welding safety is to mission apparatus with clutches, gears and cou- follow the safety and maintenance instructions sup- plings should have these danger points screened plied by the manufacturer of the apparatus. or guarded. Insulate all parts that carry current. Turn off the generator before changing electrodes Next, the welder should check the equipment. or cables. Have a compentent person condust a thorough inspection of all equipment at least once a month. If using a gasoline-powered generator indoors or Replace or repair excessively worn equipment. Dis- in a confined space, transmit the exhaust outdoors continue using unsafe or defective equipment until to prevent an accumulation of carbon monoxide. you make repairs. Use replacement parts specified Also, check for fuel leaks. by the equipment’s manufacturer. Keep machines clean. To prevent excessive flash- Safety-approved electrical arc welding equipment ing, keep commentators clean; for cleaning, use should meet the standards of the National Electri- No. 00 sandpaper, not flammable liquids. Keep rec- cal Manufacturers Association (NEMA). Most insur- tifiers free of dust or lint that could interfere with ance companies and local authorities recognize ventilation. oxygen and acetylene equipment listed by Under- writers’ Laboratories Inc. Check the cables While the safety suggestions in this booklet apply Welding cables should have high-quality insula- specifically to portable welding equipment and its tion, and should be flexible and large enough for use, they also are generally applicable for the safety the job. Overloading burns away the insulation, maintenance and operation of stationary welding causing both shock and fire hazards. machines. It is important that the neutral wire (often referred Arc welding equipment to as the ground wire) be fully insulated. When using DC current, this is a current-carrying wire, Because arc welding involves an electrical arc, the and becomes the hot wire. source of power is the first point to check. Are all electrical connections tight and properly made? Frequently inspect cables. Always keep them in Does the generator or transformer safety-discon- good repair and out of water, oil, ditches or the bot- nect switch have adequate amperage? Are detach- toms of tanks. Try to avoid abrasion caused by rub- ing plugs on smaller equipment easily accessible? bing against sharp corners or being dragged over objects on construction sites. Do not leave cables Correct current is important in the paths of workers and ship trucks. If it is nec- essary to cross the line of traffic, suspend cables Too little current reduces the efficiency of the overhead if possible. operation. Too much current causes inferior welds, overloads and damages equipment. For the correct Watch those splices current, refer to the operations manual supplied with the equipment. Check the current load with an When splicing cables, make sure the connectors ampmeter. are well-insulated and have a capacity equal to or greater than the cable. Make splices with insulated pressure connectors or welded joints. Connecting Guard it well lugs should have more than one bolt for a reliable, To prevent accidental contact, welding machines tight connection and complete insulation. Do not should have mechanical and electrical protection. use cables with splices within 10 feet of the holder. Guard all moving parts. Mechanical power trans- 1 Hold out for safe electrodes Caution: Cut off current before making an adjust- ment on any part of electrical welding equipment— Fully insulate holders because they support the the welding wire, wire reel, mechanized welding electrode and transmit the current from the machine head and electrode holder. to the electrode. Fully insulated holders, an added safety factor for operation in close quarters, reduce the danger of striking an accidental arc. Spot welding equipment Resistance (or spot) welding is usually performed Using inert gas for shielding on a permanently installed machine. The machine may be manual, semiautomatic or fully automatic. Precautions for handling inert argon, helium gas The hazards and routine protective measures are and oxyacetylene cylinders are the same. Always generally controlled through engineering. attach the regulator and flowmeter to the argon supply. Use argon at 20 psi pressure. Check for Because spot welding machinery varies in its meth- leaks. ods of applying pressure — manual, mechanical, electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic — and often has Do not touch metal with a water-cooled inert-gas intricate timing and control devices, it demands torch. On contact, the arc jumps from the electrode strict and frequent maintenance. to the gas cup and causes a short. Be sure the cool- ing water is clean and use filters to prevent clogged If welding machines store up energy in capacitors passages, which can cause equipment to overheat. or combination transformer — reactors, the low Check for water leaks. Do not wear exposed cotton currents and high voltages can be hazardous to the clothing while doing gas-shielded arc welding, operator. because higher levels of ultraviolet radiation disin- tegrate cotton clothing rapidly. Check for danger- Only qualified personnel should install spot weld- ous trichloroethylene and perchloethylene vapors. ing machines. Throw the line disconnecting switch before making any adjustments. This is impera- Take special care when using inert gases in an area tive where single-pole primary circuit breakers and of confined entry, due to the danger of asphyxia- electrical contactors are used because it leaves one tion. In such a situation, there will be no obvious hot line to the machine. warning signs of a hazard. Atomic hydrogen welding Check electronic controls You must properly insulate and guard electronic Fire, accident and health safeguards are the same controls in the primary circuit of the machine with for gas and electrical welding. Precautions against lockouts and safety switches to protect the opera- electrical shock are doubly important because of tor from high voltage hazards. the much higher voltage. Hydrogen tanks increase the danger of fire and explosion. Follow general safety suggestions of oxygen and acetylene han- How are your connections? dling and storage. No plug connections are permitted, except in the control circuits. Attach power lead terminals per- Set up for safety manently with screws or bolts. For maximum performance and safety, set up electri- cal welding equipment carefully. Faulty installation Don’t overlook spot welding cables and operation are dangerous. Poor or worn connec- Resistance welding cables must withstand severe tions can cause short circuits, defective welds, dan- abuse, so even the best require frequent replace- gerous arcs and electrical shock. Look for grease or ment. Twisting, bending and electrical impulses at oil in plugs, sockets or on the machine. Dry, clean 3,600 per minute cause rapid breakdown. and tight electrical connections are the best and safest. Make sure the welding machine frame is Strapping the cable to the machine helps reduce adequately grounded. If equipment becomes wet, wear and kicking, which can cause muscular strain dry it thoroughly and test it before use. for the operator. Cable blowouts caused by steam pressure from faulty water cooling circulation cause 2 injuries; a periodic cable checkup will uncover weak Fill the water chamber of an acetylene genera- spots and prevent accidents. tor completely before repairing it. This eliminates the possibility of explosive gas pockets or carbide Safe electrodes and holders dropping into an insufficient amount of water. If possible, make hot repairs outdoors. Both the electrode and the holder should be water- cooled to minimize the danger of heat softening the Watch the space around the generator; it should metal and radiant burns. Redress and replace elec- be easily accessible for making adjustments and trodes frequently because of the wear caused by charging. Remove all clutter and obstacles. the application of force and high current density. Check the generator’s hydraulic back-pressure Can you answer these questions about spot weld- valve regularly, and keep it properly filled with ing equipment? water. Don’t overlook the proper grounding of the • Is it grounded? Make certain welding generator. machines and all auxiliary equipment are grounded. Portable generator precautions • Is stored energy equipment (more than 550 volts) completely enclosed? Are the condens- Clean and charge portable acetylene generators outdoors. Do not move carbide-charged genera- ers short-circuited when the door or panel is tors by crane or derrick. Anchor the generator to a opened? Is there a safety switch or absolute vehicle before transferring it. Turn off truck motors discharge or condensers? before charging, cleaning or operating a genera- • Are machine access doors locked to prevent tor. tampering? • Are punch press-type-guards on the machine? After emptying carbide and gas from portable gen- Are they in good working order? erators, store them in well-ventilated rooms where • Is the ventilating system working? there are no open lights or flames. • Is the hood on the flash welding machine adequate to control the flash? Carbide storage precautions • Is there a safety glass or shield available to Store carbide in dry, well-ventilated locations. protect the operator and others from flying Clearly mark containers: Calcium Carbide — DAN- sparks? GEROUS IF NOT KEPT