Why Preparation Is Important for Pipe Spool Welding
Every welder, no matter how experienced, needs to know how to properly clean and prepare a weld land. Preparing your weld is an important step that prevents you from ending up with weak welds and defects. Below, we’ll explain why preparation is important for pipe spool welding and what steps to take.
Avoid Welding Complications
Welding creates metallic reactions between the workpiece and gases in the atmosphere. That’s why so many welding processes use a shielding gas to block atmospheric gases from interfering with the weld. However, if you leave paint or lubrication on the pipe, it may burn up and produce unwanted gases near the weld site. The result could be all sorts of defects, weakening the weld and making the finished product look unprofessional.
Prevent Inclusions
An inclusion is a type of welding defect where you accidentally include a piece of slag or debris inside the weld. The trapped debris blocks the weld from fully bonding with the metal, making it weaker. Unfortunately, you can’t always tell if there’s an inclusion just by looking at a weld, making them very dangerous. Proper cleaning prevents these kinds of mistakes.
Inhibit Bacteria Growth
One of the steps to preparing a pipe spool weld is to refine the alignment between the two pipes. If the inner diameter (ID) is even slightly off, the weld could create a ridge that traps bacteria. This bacteria then causes rust and corrosion, weakening the pipe over time. A perfect alignment is key to a smooth finish and a long-lasting pipe spool.
How To Prepare for a Weld
Hopefully, this post has convinced you why preparation is important for pipe spool welding. Now, we’re going to take a quick look at how you should prepare each workpiece for welding.
- Cut and/or bevel the pipe butt
- Strip any paint, lubricants, or coatings near the weld land
- Clean the ID with a wire wheel or cup brush to remove shavings and debris
- Match the IDs of both pipes and grind where needed
- Add tacks to hold pipes in place for welding
As you can see, there are several steps to take to ensure a strong weld. If you find that welding by hand is too difficult, you may need to invest in an automatic pipe spool welding machine. These devices use computer precision to create strong welds in hard-to-reach places. You can find welding machines and more at SEC Industrial.
