The use of temper bead welding for the repair of thick walled pressure vessels

This paper investigates the Temper Bead welding (TBW) technique using the Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) process. The FCAW process increases productivity, improves welding efficiency and provides a more cost-effective method of Temper Bead Welding (TBW) repairs compared with the other commonly used TBW techniques such as manual metal arc welding (MMAW) and gas metal arc welding (GMAW) which use solid wire. An automatic welding rig was created so that the TBW process could be tested using flux cored wire under different conditions. An experimental investigation was conducted to find the optimal welding parameters of the TBW using FCAW. This experimental investigation was done in order to provide the desired mechanical properties and microstructures without Post-Welding Heat Treatment (PWHT). Due to the difficulties encountered in the determination of residual stresses, the weld penetration depth into the base material was used as a guide to control residual stresses. In this study, analytical solution was used to support the use of TBW to repair damaged structures. This solution was based on statistical and experimental data. These data were used to establish the relationships between the technological parameters of TBW and the factors responsible for the quality of the required structure.