Alps Welding performs more than 100 different welding procedures

Alps Welding is known for its flexibility in manufacturing. The company has more than 40 years of experience custom fabricating a wide variety of equipment, from pressure vessels and heat exchangers to stacks and piping systems. To meet the diverse requirements involved with these projects, Alps has continually expanded its capabilities.

One example is the company's welding capabilities, as it can perform more than 100 distinct welding procedures.

Welding basics

There are many different methods of welding, which joins metals or thermoplastics through fusion. Typically, an electric arc is used between an electrode and the base material. Welding differs from other joining processes, such as brazing and soldering, in that it involves the melting of the base material. Often, filler material is added to the joint, which creates a pool of molten material known as the weld pool. When the weld pool cools and solidifies, it creates a joint that is as strong or stronger than the base material.

Welding methods

Some of the most common types of welding include shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and flux-cored arc welding (FCAW). 

SMAW involves the use of an electrode that is shielded in a flux that prevents oxidation. In this process, the electrode is usually made of steel, which acts as the filler material. Its benefits include inexpensive equipment and only modest training requirements. One of the downsides is that it’s typically limited to welding ferrous materials.

GTAW involves the use of a tungsten electrode that is nonconsumable, so a separate filler material is required. To protect the weld area from atmospheric contamination, an inert gas is used such as helium or argon. This type of welding offers high-quality welds, but requires a skilled operator and can only be performed at low speeds.

GMAW involves using a continuous wire feed as the electrode. The process can be automatic or semi-automatic, and offers faster welding speeds than SMAW. To protect the weld from contamination, an inert or semi-inert gas mixture is used.

Alps Welding expertise

Alps Welding has the experience to identify and perform the most appropriate processes for a given application. The company has the capability to work with a range of materials to produce equipment for a variety of industries. 

For more information about the company’s capabilities, contact Alps Welding.

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