The welding positioner is solely made for welder’s comfort, to make their work easy and quick.
Welding positioners will help welders to reduce the fatigue produced by the nature of their work. With the introduction of a welding positioner, welders can do their job by standing in the same position as this welding positioner can rotate up to 360 degrees.
Industries that are dealing with metal fabrication or cnc machining widely use weld positioners to shape metal parts or components. Weld positioners are connected by either pipe joints or valves and the workpiece that has to be welded is adjusted above it. In the coming paragraph, we will discuss the benefits of welding positionersand the types of welding positions.
WHAT IS WELDING POSITIONERS?
A welding positioner is a mechanical piece of equipment made for the welder’s comfortable working that can hold and rotate a workpiece to allow a welder to work on a consistent surface at a proper angle.
These Weld Positioners can bear a significant weight and rotate at a fast speed. They will ensure the workpiece always stays in the most suitable and correct position for the welding process.
Some of the application areas of weld positioners include rotary positioning, rotation of parts for assembling, mounting of welding equipment, rotating workpieces with huge offset loads, and welding of shafts, wheels, pipes, and more.
A FEW REASONS TO USE WELD POSITIONERS
A welding positioner not only will improve the comfort level of the welder but there are several other advantages to weld positioners . Let us discuss some of the other benefits of Weld Positioners.
– Improved quality of work
By using a weld positioner you can gain the best accuracy so there is less chance for errors in the welding process. Since there are fewer errors then the end product will have the best quality.
– Worker safety
The weld position is designed to ensure the worker’s safety because the workpiece won’t move an inch from the place and it will be anchored well in the positioner. There are chances of uncontrolled motion which can cause dangerous situations if we chain it or sling it instead of anchoring it.
– Reduced fatigue
With the introduction of welding positioners, the welder can reduce their fatigue and strain since now they can work standing in one position. Weld positioners can be adjusted to the workers’ comfort level and height. This will in turn help to improve welding productivity.
– Small footprint
To reduce the clutter on the production floor, these weld positioners are designed to be adjusted in compact spaces, and this helps reduce the clutter on the production floor.
– Semi-automatic functioning
If we can connect them to a power source, the weld positioners can be used as semi-automatic machines. If it can function as a semi-automatic machine, then automatically the speed of the process will increase and in turn, it will reflect on the welder’s productivity.
– Flat Position (1G and 1F)
Flat positioning is considered the most alleged type of weld positioning, which is also called down-hand position. To weld the top of the joint you need a flat position and in that situation, for quick and easy welding the molten metal is drawn downward at the joint.
You are not fighting gravity flat is the easiest position to weld, so there is no worry about the puddle becoming too fluid and gravity pulling it out of the joint.
Therefore the operator can typically run hotter with higher deposition rates in the flat position.
If you can ensure to use the recommended techniques for whichever process you’re using, then you can use a flat position to weld any welding process.
In 1F and 1G, F stands for Fillet Weld, G stands for Groove Weld, and number 1 relates to the flat position. Depending on the weldment 1G or 1F proper work angle for a flat position weld will change.
There is a chance for incomplete fusion if the wire or electrode is off to one side or the other since the heat won’t be focused where the two pieces come together.
– Horizontal Position (2G and 2F)
Compared to the flat position the horizontal welding position is a little more difficult position that requires more skill from the welding operator. When the axis is kept in a horizontal plane or nearly horizontal then that’s for Groove Weld Horizontal Position that is 2G.
When the upper side of surfaces that are nearly horizontal against a nearly vertical surface where the torch is generally kept at an angle of 45 degrees is used to perform welding then they are for Fillet Weld Horizontal Position that is 2F.
There are many similarities between horizontal position welds and flat position welds. To ensure the weld puddle doesn’t get out of control or say too much the 2F provides a bottom shelf, this makes 2F weld simple compared to 2G weld. Knowing the puddle may sag a bit the top edge of the joint slightly with the working angle to combat the effect of gravity on the weld puddle in a horizontal groove weld. To make sure the heat is focused where the two pieces come together a 45-degree angle is kept in a horizontal fillet weld.
Since a puddle that’s too fluid can be the victim of gravity be careful not to run too hot in horizontal welds. To make sure the puddle doesn’t get too hot or too fluid make sure to tweak your weld parameters. Just like the flat position horizontal position can also weld all kinds of welding processes.
– Vertical Position (3F and 3G)
When both the workpiece and the weld are positioned vertically or nearly vertically that is a Vertical welding Position. 3F stands for vertical fillet positions and 3G stands for vertical groove positions. Since the force of gravity pushes the molten metal downward it tends to stack when the welding is done vertically. This is the main reason why welders are using an upward or downward vertical position.
Holding it at a 45-degree angle to the piece, point the flame upward to test it in the vertical position. This is the way the welder applies the force of gravity from the lower parts of the workpiece toward the weld. Welds can be done by moving bottom to top in the weld joint (vertically up) which is considered a common one for thicker materials or by moving top to bottom in the weld joint (vertically down). If you are working on a large weldment that cannot be easily moved into the flat or horizontal position, then we need a Vertical Position Welding Position.
Vertical welds won’t work like flat and horizontal welds since they won’t produce a very good weld as they don’t use the same techniques and parameters. The welds puddle will naturally want to sag out of the joint when moving up the plate for a vertical weld. To get the best results in vertical welds you have to adjust the weld parameters. To ensure the puddle does not get too fluid and fall or sag out of the joint it is better to use a reduced wire feed speed and voltage.
The travel angle that we recommend for a 3G weld is at 90-degree and for a 3F weld it is at a 45-degree angle. You can slowly manipulate the puddle so that it washes into each edge of the joint. As you travel up hold the toes of the weld longer and quickly move across the middle of the puddle. Zigzag motion, an upside-down T, or repeated triangles stacked on top of each other are some of the techniques used for puddle manipulation depending on the operator’s preference.
Always make sure you are in a comfortable position before starting vertical welding. And if it’s your first time trying vertical welding then it is advised to try it on scrap material to make sure the parameters and technique you’re using produce the results you want. So that you will get a better idea of how you can make adjustments before welding your workpiece.
– Overhead Position (4G and 4F)
In the overhead welding position welding is performed from the bottom of the joint which has the most complex and challenging position to work in. For both groove welds and fillet welds, Overhead welding positions are suitable. keep the molten puddle small so that the metal deposited in the joint won’t lead to a hole in the piece, occurring in a bead with a higher crown.
You should eliminate the flame for a moment to allow the molten metal to cool if the weld puddle becomes too long. If there is a workpiece that cannot be moved or in a fixed piece the overhead weld is the best option. find the most comfortable position with a range of motion, since to work with overhead welding the operator have to lie on the ground or floor or their shop.
Overhead welding and vertical welding both use the same techniques. Similar to vertical weld to wash in at the toes better a 4G weld will require a slight weave or manipulation of the weld puddle. To avoid the situation of a weld puddle that is too fluid to fall out of the weld joint and onto you, with the overhead welds, the parameters should also be dialed back to run cooler.
In the overhead welding position, the sparks will drop down. This is the biggest factor you should consider while doing an overhead welding position and to avoid this you must need extra protection on the top of your head, like a bandana under your welding helmet. And a fully leather welding jacket is also necessary especially for the stick welding process since they produce more sparks and spatters.
– Inclined Position
In an inclined welding position, the workpiece is placed in an inclined plane where the slope and rotation can vary from 10 to 40 degrees or from 0 to 90 degrees. Because of this, the force of gravity causes the molten metal to flow downward in a flat position. To produce proper beads in the inclined position a small arc should be used.
CONCLUSION ON WELD POSITIONERS AND ITS TYPES
Selecting a welding positioner completely depends on the welder’s comfort to perform the welding process so that we can get high productivity. So always have a few tests pass before performing the weld so that you can make sure that you can complete the entire length of the weld in a comfortable position and thereby the consistency.
The other thing you have to consider before choosing the welding positioner is your filler metal choice and mode of transfer. Make sure your filler metal is capable to weld overhead or out of position and then dial in your weld parameters to help optimize out-of-position welding.
The Kistler is considered one of the best welding positioner manufacturersin Europe. As a client-oriented company, they are popular for providing the best quality welding machines. They have a wide range of distribution facilities across the world. Some of the welding positions you can consider buying are;
HP 7500 (HP range)
R 100 (R range)
R 300 (R range)
L 15000 (L range)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON WELD POSITIONERS AND ITS TYPES
What are the two welding positions that are operated differently?
The two differently operated welding positioners are Headstock and Tailstock Positioners. In this, the headstock is used for rotating shorter workpieces horizontally but a support tailstock is required additionally for larger and heavier work parts.
What is the welding positioner’s main purpose?
A welding positioner will allow a welding worker to work at a proper angle and on a consistent surface because this mechanical piece of equipment will assist you in holding and rotating a workpiece.
List out the 5 procedures for setting up welding positioners.
These are the 5 suggestions that a welder should consider when selecting, operating, and maintaining a positioner, regardless of the size of the weldment.
Connect Ground Current to the Positioner.
Use turning rolls for cylinders
Keep It Flat
Remember the COG
Attach Weldment Correctly
