In this article, you will read more about what welding positions are. And the different types of welding positions.
What is the welding position?
A welding position is simply put, different angles of joining metals. Workpieces cannot be moved or held in an exact position due to their size or various shapes. Therefore, welders weld metals in different welding positions.
What types of welding positions do we have?
There are generally 4 basic welding positions:
- Flat position
- Horizontal position
- Vertical position
- Overhead position
With these positions, you can make a groove weld, which means a weld between the two workpieces. AWS has the following definitions for this: “A weld in a weld groove on a workpiece surface, between workpiece edges, between workpiece surfaces, or between workpiece edges and surfaces.”
Furthermore, we have fillet weld, which means that the weld comes on the surfaces in a triangle type.
#1 Flat position
The flat position is also called the down-hand position. It is most of the time the easiest and best position to weld with. In the flat position, the workpiece is flat and your welding electrode moves in a horizontal direction. In the flat welding position you weld on the top side of your workpiece. Hilco products that can be used in the flat position are; Bronze F, Hardmelt 600.
#2 Horizontal position
In the horizontal position, the weld is on the upper side of a horizontal surface and against a vertical surface. The axis of a horizontal weld is along the horizontal plane, and it’s often used for fillet welds or groove welds. You will read more about fillet welds and groove welds later in this article. This type of weld is more difficult than a flat weld. A potential issue for this welding position, which makes it more difficult than a flat weld, is that the molten metal can fall to the lower side of the joint and heat can rise to the upper side. This creates an irregular and uniform deposit. However, weaving the welding electrode up distributes heat equally and prevents the puddle from running down, and has the additional benefit of faster freezing. Hilco products that can be used in the horizontal position are; Regina 160, Hilchrome 312R.
#3 Vertical position
In a vertical position, the welds axis is almost vertical. The main problem faced with a vertical weld is that the molten metal tends to run down the joint and pile up at the bottom. By angling the welding electrode up to 45 degrees, you ensure good fusion and it prevents runoff. Hilco products that can be used in the vertical position are; Red extra, Pipeweld 7010.
#4 Overhead positions
This position requires more skill, due to the fact that welding is performed from the underside of the joint. For overhead welding must wear a cap, coat, cape, and possibly chaps to protect the welder from falling molten metal. The angle of the electrode to the joint surfaces is the same as for other welding positions. The stick electrode should be held almost straight to the weld axis for overhead welding. A travel angle of only 5 to 10 degrees is suggested. A weaving motion is not required to cool the weld pool. As the weld pool increases in size, the possibility of the metal falling out or sagging increases. The use of several narrower beads, rather than a weaving motion is recommended. Hilco products that can be used in the overhead position are; Brown, Basic.
While preparing for your project, always check whether the selected welding electrodes are suited to use in the required position.
AWS
AWS uses commonly letters and numbers to recognize the welding positions and types. The letters refer to G= Groove weld and F= Filled weld. The numbers refer to the welding position. See our overview below.
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