Finishing of welded parts—four basic stages

Welding is currently used in many industries, so it is worth knowing what it is and what activities the finishing of welded elements consists of.

What is welding?

Welding is a process aimed at joining materials by heating them to the appropriate temperature and, consequently, melting them at the point of joining. There are two types of next steps in this operation, namely the binder and the no-binder method. The most common heat source in this process is the welding arc. It is created by the action of the current generated by the welding power source. Only the heat generated by the arc can be used in arc welding, which causes the parts to fuse. We call this arc welding. Most often, however, the additional material is also fused to the joint. It can be delivered via the wire feeder to which the welding gun is connected or manually as a stick electrode. Beyond that, there are at least several other types of this process.

Gravity welding
Laser welding
Plasma welding
Ultrasonic welding
electron beam welding.

Before starting welding, the edges of the parts to be welded should be prepared to obtain the appropriate welding groove, e.g., V-shaped. During welding, the arc melts the edges of the groove and welding material. This creates a weld pool. The most common metals are aluminium, carbon steel, and stainless steel (also known as high-alloy steel). But plastics can also be welded—then the heat source is hot air or an electrical resistor.

What is the finish of welded parts?

Abrasive treatment of welded parts: the most important stage of finishing welded parts

First stage: weld preparation

The first stage in the finishing of welded elements is their proper preparation for secondary processing, i.e., grinding and cleaning. To perform the weld properly, a smooth and clean cutting edge is necessary, as well as appropriate chamfering of the elements to prepare the place for the weld. This is especially important for thicker elements.

Second stage: basic sanding

The next stage of the process is basic grinding, i.e., basic processing of the weld. During this process, depending on the specific requirements of the customer and the material, we level the joint or remove its excess to obtain an aesthetic appearance.

Finishing sanding is the third stage

For finish grinding, a wide range of rotary products are used, driven by a grinder with speed control and other power tools designed for this purpose. The main purpose of this procedure is to obtain even greater surface smoothness, while in the case of stainless steel elements, this action ensures that the surface is given an appropriate grinding image.

Cleaning is the fourth stage

The final stage of finishing the welded elements is the process which removes the tarnish resulting from welding and grinding the weld surface. The most common cleaning of welded elements is with a sanding fleece.