Underwater Welding is an important occupation that involves joining two pieces of submerged metal together. The weld is formed by using high-frequency welding tools that are made specifically for underwater use.
Underwater Welding is only possible when performed by thoroughly trained and qualified underwater welders. There are a number of requirements that need to be met before someone can become an underwater welder.
How does underwater welding work? Underwater Welding is a highly specialized craft, and dive training is required before a welder can work underwater.
There are many metaphors for underwater Welding: building a bridge, working on an oil rig, or doing surgery. Keep reading!
How Does Underwater Welding Work?
Underwater Welding is a process in which two pieces of metal are joined together using an electric arc. The two pieces being joined must be placed in a water-filled tank, and the entire tank must be submerged in water.
The first step in underwater Welding is to prepare the surface of both pieces of metal by grinding off any rust or corrosion.
To do this, a grinder is used to remove the rust from one piece of metal while another piece is held above it, and the third piece of sandpaper is used to smooth out any rough edges on the second piece.
Once both pieces have been prepared, they are placed into an underwater tank and connected to an electrical source via an electrode (an underwater electrode).
The electric current travels through water and creates an electric arc between the two pieces, joining them together.
To know more about underwater welding types and more, read the complete article.
What do Underwater Welders Do?
Underwater welders are responsible for repairing and maintaining underwater structures using a wide variety of welding techniques.
They work in a variety of environments, from lakes to oceans and even rivers. The work can be dangerous and physically demanding, but the pay is good, and there are plenty of opportunities to advance your career.
They also make repairs to underwater structures by using special equipment that allows them to see what they are doing while underwater.
Underwater welders must be trained in welding techniques and equipment, as well as in swimming, scuba diving, and other skills related to working underwater.
The job requires strong technical skills and it requires a lot of physical strength. The work is very dangerous because you have to operate in a low-light environment with very little oxygen—and if you’re on land, that’s pretty challenging!
But when you’re underwater, it gets even more difficult because of the pressure difference between being inside and outside of the structure.
It’s not just about being able to weld, though—underwater welders also need to be able to communicate with their team members so they can coordinate their efforts effectively without getting in each other’s way or risking injury by bumping into each other during their workday.
What are the Underwater Welding Types?
Underwater Welding can be divided into two main categories: dry Welding and wet Weldin
1. Dry Welding:
Dry Welding is the most common underwater welding type. In dry Welding, the weld is made before the pipe or tube is submerged in water. This allows for more precise control over the weld and improves quality.
Dry Welding can be done with a variety of equipment, including hand-held plasma torches and robotic welders. Dry arc welding involves directing an electrical arc between two electrodes that are held in place by a clamping device (called a torch).
The electrodes are typically made from high-carbon steel and must be replaced frequently. The torch itself may have one or more tips on it, depending on what type of job you’re doing.
The plasma arc is created when electricity passes through an inert gas (usually argon) that flows between these electrodes at a high rate of speed.
This creates heat and light as well as electromagnetic radiation (light), which melts the metal being welded together.
When the two pieces are brought together while they’re still hot enough to melt, they fuse together into one solid piece of metal without any additional help from other tools like hammers or chisels.
When using dry Welding, there are several options to go for. I will discuss all these options below in detail:
Pressure Welding:
In this type of underwater Welding, an inert gas is used instead of an inert gas mix. This type of gas fills up most of the space in the chamber so that there isn’t enough room for water to enter and cause an explosion.
Habitat Welding:
This type of underwater Welding uses a small amount of oxygen mixed with a large amount of helium as its welding fuel source, as opposed to using pure oxygen or all helium.
Habitat welding is also known as “marine bottom-side” or “subsea” Welding because it’s often used on oil rigs and other offshore drilling platforms where there’s no place for divers to go but down deep underwater!
Dry Chamber Welding:
Dry chamber welding is a form of dry Welding in which an inert gas is used to shield the molten metal while it cools. The gas prevents the formation of oxides, which are typically formed during standard dry welding techniques.
Dry chamber welding is commonly used in aerospace applications because it can be used to weld materials that are difficult to weld using other methods.
Dry Spot Welding:
Dry spot welding differs from dry chamber welding in that it does not use an inert gas and instead relies on a combination of heat and pressure to fuse two materials together without producing oxides or other impurities.
Flux-Cored Arc Welding:
It is a process that uses a special wire electrode coated with flux and an inert gas. The arc is started by striking an electrical arc between the wire and the workpiece.
The flux melts to form slag, which protects the molten metal being deposited from oxygen exposure until it solidifies.
Plasma Welding:
Plasma welding is a type of dry Welding where an inert gas is used instead of an electrode wire to produce plasma arcs.
These arcs produce heat so intense it can melt metal alloys together without using any filler materials like fluxes or rods to create a strong bond between them while still allowing the metal pieces themselves to remain clean and free from contamination by liquid substances.
2. Wet Welding:
When it comes to underwater Welding, there are a variety of different types of Welding that can be used.
One of the most common types is underwater wet Welding. Wet Welding is a type of arc welding that uses an electrode to weld metal together by passing an electrical current through the electrode and into the workpiece.
This process melts the metal and creates a bond between two pieces of material.
However, although SMAW is typically used for dry land applications, it can also be used underwater if necessary.
The main difference between dry land and underwater wet Welding is that there are additional considerations needed when working in an underwater environment.
Such as pressure differences between air pressure at sea level and water pressure at depth; increased heat generated by arc welding equipment due to increased resistance caused by water; oxygen content in water.
Which affects arc stability; increased electrical resistance caused by moisture buildup on electrodes.
There are two main types of wet Welding:
Flux-cored Arc Welding (FCAW):
It is a process that uses a continuous, electric arc to melt two pieces of metal.
I recommend this type of Welding for working with metals that can’t be easily worked in other ways, such as nonferrous alloys, cast iron, and nickel-based alloys.
Friction Welding:
A welding technique that fuses metal or thermoplastics together using friction and heat. Friction welders are used to join materials like plastic to steel, steel to steel, and other types of metals.
Dry Welding Benefits
Dry Welding is a process that uses heat to join materials together. It is often used in construction, especially for metal roofing and bridges.
This process can be done with a torch or a machine that uses electricity to heat the metal until it melts. The melted metal then melds together with the other piece of metal.
Dry Welding has several benefits over wet Welding, including:
High quality of Welding: Dry welds are stronger and last longer than wet welds, which can crack over time due to moisture exposure.
Welder/diver safety: Dry Welding allows you to work in areas where there is no oxygen or pressurized air, making it safer than wet welding processes like arc welding (TIG) or submerged arc welding (SAW).
Non-destructive Welding: As dry welds are stronger than wet welds, they don’t require as much post-weld cleaning or grinding before finishing touches like painting can be applied; this saves time and money on both ends!
Surface monitoring: Because dry welds are made without water vapor or slag formation during cooling phases, surface monitoring systems can detect cracks directly from the surface details instead of having to dig through layers of material.
Wet Welding Benefits
| No. | Benefits of Wet Welding |
| 1 | The welds are stronger, more durable, and last longer than those made by dry Welding. |
| 2 | The wet welding process also uses less material, so you can use less metal and save money on your project. |
| 3 | The wet welding process has no habitat because there is no need for an oxygen-rich environment to support the steel’s oxidation reaction. This means that you can use it in places where dry Welding would not be possible. |
| 4 | Wet welds have high tensile strength, which means they will hold up well under tension loads such as those caused by wind pressure or heavy weights placed on top of them. |
| 5 | Wet welds are also much easier to access than dry welds because they do not require any special equipment like masks or gloves; simply wash off your hands after touching the metal, and you’re done! |
Need for Equipment for Underwater Welding
Underwater Welding is an essential part of commercial diving. To weld properly underwater, I use six main tools as a commercial diver, and I will tell you in detail:
1. Diving Helmet:
The diving helmet is the most important piece of equipment a commercial diver will use. The helmet provides protection from the water pressure that would otherwise be too great for the human body to withstand, and it also allows me to see clearly underwater.
2. Accessories:
Commercial divers need to have access to a variety of accessories that can help them perform their job more efficiently. These accessories include a
- Diving knife
- Umbilical cord
- Harness
- Gas panel/compressor.
Diving Knife: A diving knife is essential because it allows the commercial diver to cut through underwater debris and free trapped divers or objects.
Umbilical Cord: The umbilical cord attaches the diver’s air supply to his helmet so that he can breathe safely while working underwater in dangerous conditions with limited visibility; using this device ensures that if something happens to one of these connections (such as getting tangled up).
Both parties are protected from being exposed directly to high pressures without any protection against them whatsoever).
Harness: A harness keeps everything together, so no one gets lost under the water.
Gas panel/compressor: Divers control the air supply rather than a machine. The compressor sends compressed air to the divers via a low-pressure hose.
Below the diver, the dive team monitors the gas gauge and keeps a steady supply of air coming. Divers also observe these directly.
3. Diving Clothes:
Diving clothes are the most important thing for underwater Welding. The diving clothes have to be water resistant, and they should be able to withstand pressure.
They should also be flame retardant and fireproof. They must not catch on fire when you are working underwater, or else there will be a risk of explosion.
I recommend the best material for diving clothes is neoprene. It is lightweight and flexible, which makes it easy to move around while you’re working underwater. I also uses neoprene clothes for my commercial diving projects.
Neoprene is also odorless, so it doesn’t leave behind any unpleasant smells that could affect your breathing apparatus or other equipment while you’re working underwater (such as an oxygen tank).
4. Electrodes:
The electrodes are what allow you to weld things together underwater without getting hurt by sparks or hot metal pieces flying around at high speeds because there’s no oxygen present in water molecules—they’re too large for hydrogen molecules to bond with them.
5. Stringers:
An underwater welder requires the best stringers available. Stringers must be waterproof and lightweight but also strong enough to withstand the rigors of Welding in cold water for long periods of time.
They must be well-insulated to prevent electrical shock and fused with a wide range of connectors.
A good stinger is ergonomic and fits your hand perfectly while providing adequate dexterity to complete even the most delicate welding processes.
6. DC Power Source:
Industrial Grade DC power source is defined as the output voltage of at least 300A on the open circuit of the welding generator type.
This kind of industrial-grade DC power source is the most popular and practical power source used in the field of underwater Welding by means of flux cored wire and submerged arc welding.
The underwater welder should have a DC power source capable of maintaining the essential power source during peak periods.
Final Words!
Underwater Welding is certainly a unique occupation that requires a unique set of skills and knowledge. Above article provided you with helpful information about how does underwater welding work?
Understanding the basics behind this career – challenges, training requirements, salary, etc., is the first step to better understanding what people who engage in underwater Welding do on a daily basis.
As you can see, it’s not an easy job by any definition. But the work is crucial to some industries, and it’s likely that underwater welders will remain in demand for decades to come.
FAQs:
How do underwater welders not get shocked?
Underwater welders don’t get shocked because of the thickness of their wet suit and the electrically grounded diving helmet. The thick layer of gaseous bubbles that the weld creates to shield itself will keep the diver alive.
How hard is underwater Welding?
Underwater Welding has a reputation as being one of the most dangerous professions around, but it’s also one of the most exciting. Welding underwater requires a lot of concentration and planning, so it can be difficult without training and experience.
What do underwater welders breathe?
Underwater welder breathes mixed gas helium and oxygen. The atmospheric pressure of helium is always 0.2 bar. That’s why the normal composition is 0.5 bar. Their daily working period varies from 4 to 6 hours, but sometimes it could go up to 12 hours as well. The depth should be as shallow as possible; otherwise, it may cause problems with decompression sickness after ending the workday.
