Materials & Welding

Close cooperation between buyers and producers of forgings has always been a vital part of achieving the best possible product at the best possible cost. With recent major advances in forging methods and materials improvements, this collaboration is more critical than ever before. By keeping abreast of these advances, and working closely with the forger, the engineer or buyer can ensure delivery of high-quality products with important cost savings.   Despite its long history and the many technological developments that have taken place in recent years, forging still involves a good deal of artistry. Even as product designers and industrial buyers learn more about shaping of metals, there is still much to be gained from bringing the forger into the design and specification phases of product development.   Of course, such basic questions as whether a given part can or should be forged must be addressed at an early stage. There are many instances when any of several p...

FORGING - THE TECHNIQUE THAT PARALLELS THE DEVELOPMENT OF MAN   As with the cultural history of man, the history of metals springs from the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates, one called Mesopotamia . The earliest signs of metalworking date back to about 4500 B.C.   The inhabitants of this fertile valley were the Sumerians. These people, a mixture of many ethnic backgrounds, were the true founders of metallurgy as we know it today. The art of forging, shaping metal using heat and pressure, progressed until the Dark Ages; the same time that most industrial, scientific and cultural advancements halted. Before this time, possession of metals was highly regarded as a sign of wealth. The Romans even had gods dedicated to the forge, the most notable being Vulcan.   During the Dark Ages the production of weapons flourished. European culture and industry was severely set back due to constant wars. Yet the Iron industry remained much intact due to the need...

Tech Tips These welding tips are meant to be helpful hints. See your equipment Owner's Manual for all safety and operational information. MIG Welding Aluminum MIG Welding Self-Shielded Flux Cored Welding TIG Welding Stick Welding Plasma Cutting Resistance Welding MIG Welding 1. Keep a 1/4 ­ 3/8 in stickout (electrode extending from the tip of the contact tube.) 2. For thin metals, use a smaller diameter wire. For thicker metal use a larger wire and a larger machine. See machine recommendations for welding capacity. 3. Use the correct wire type for the base metal being welded. Use stainless steel wires for stainless steel, aluminum wires for aluminum, and steel wires for steel. 4. Use the proper shielding gas. CO2 is good for penetrating welds on steel, but may be too hot for thin metal. Use 75% Argon/25% CO2 for thinner steels. Use only Argon for aluminum. You can use a triple-mix for stainless steels (Helium + Argon + CO2). 5. For steel, there are two common wire typ...

Section I. PRINT READING 3-1. GENERAL a. Drawings . Drawing or sketching is a universal language used to convey all necessary information to the individual who will fabricate or assemble an object. Prints are also used to illustrate how various equipment is operated, maintained, repaired, or lubricated. The original drawings for prints are made either by directly drawing or tracing a drawing on a translucent tracing paper or cloth using waterproof (India) ink or a special pencil. The original drawing is referred to as a tracing or master copy. b. Reproduction Methods . Various methods of reproduction have been developed which will produce prints of different colors from the master copy. (1) One of the first processes devised to reproduce a tracing produced white lines on a blue background, hence the term "blueprints". (2) A patented paper identified as "BW" paper produces prints with black lines on a white background. (3) The ammonia process, or "Ozalids",...