STANDARDS FOR ELECTRIC WELDING

Products certified for your safety,
the Bollé Safety assurance
All Bollé Safety products conform to the Standards of the European Directive 89/686/CEE and the Standards EN175, EN379.

EN379, standard for filters

EN379 belongs to a series of European standards drafted by the European Standardization Committee (ESC) within the scope of the application of the European Directive on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It specifies the requirements related to welding filters which automatically switch their transmission factor in the visible to a lower value when a welding arc is ignited (qualified welding filters with numbers of switchable levels). The specifications of the standard apply if such a filter is to be used for the continuous observation of the welding process and if it is only used during the period where the arc is ignited.

The standard also specifies the requirements for welding filters with different welding factor areas in the visible (called welding filters with a double number of levels). These filters are used for the protectors of welder eyes or fixed to an installation.

EN175, standard for hoods

Specifies safety requirements and test methods related to the eye and face protective equipment used for welding and associated techniques. This European standard specifies the requirements and test methods related to the personal protective equipment used to protect the operator's eyes and face against harmful optical radiation and other specific risks due to customary welding or cutting processes or other associated techniques.

The standard specifies protection, including ergonomic aspects, against the risks or hazards of various kinds: radiation, inflammability, mechanical and electrical risks. This standard defines the terms used and specifies the requirements related to materials, design and manufacture.

THE VARIOUS ELECTRIC WELDING PROCESSES

Arc welding is a generic term for a process during which an electric arc is created between an electrode and the parts to be assembled.

1. Electric arc welding with coated electrodes

It is the best known of welding processes. When the coated electrode approaches the parts to be assembled, an electric arc is created which releases strong heat causing the electrode to melt.
Electrodes coated for the welding of carbon steels or light alloy steels.
Electrodes coated for the welding of stainless steels.

2. Arc welding with non meltable electrodes :
T.I.G. welding

The electric arc is created between the sheet metal to be welded and a non meltable W electrode protected by an inert gas (Argon or Helium). TIG means "Tungsten Inert Gas", where the word Tungsten designates the electrode and the words Inert Gas designate the type of plasmageneous gas used. This welding process falls in the category of arc welding processes with a non meltable electrode. The arc is created between the refractory electrode (- of the generator) and the part (+ of the generator) under a gaseous flux ; generally, it is a rare gas or a mixture of rare gases. T.I.G. welding is especially used for the welding of thin sheet metals, but more particularly for all metals which are
difficult to weld. Included among these metals are aluminium, magnesium, stainless steel, copper and its alloys, and carbon steels of various thicknesses.
- Tungsten electrodes with a 1% to 2% thorium content are particularly used for welding light alloy steels (soft steel). This type of electrode requires lower amperage.
- Tungsten / zirconium electrodes have the highest melting point and are most frequently used for welding aluminium.

Equivalents:
- GTAW Gas Tungsten Arc Welding according to American standards
- Process 141 according to ISO 4063

3. Arc welding with meltable electrode wire :
MIG-MAG welding

MIG-MAG welding is a semi-automatic welding process.
The protection atmosphere differs depending on the type used, that is, MIG or MAG :
- for MIG (Metal Inert Gas), helium, argon or a mixture of both is used
- for MAG (Metal Active Gas), a mixture of argon and carbon dioxide is used. Only steels can be welded with this type of active protection.
For MIG, the gas is inert, that is, it does not react with the metal. Conversely, for MAG, the gas must react with the metal and therefore be active.

Equivalents:
- Metal Inert Gas
- Metal Active Gas
- GMAW : Gas Metal Arc Welding (uses a solid electrode wire) according to American standards
- FCAW : Flux Core Arc Welding (employs a tubular wire, a so-called "fi lled" wire) according to American standards
- Process 131 (MIG) or 135 (MAG) according to ISO 4063

4. Plasma welding

Plasma welding is an automatic welding process.
Plasma defines the high energy state caused by the constriction of an electric arc by means of a diaphragm or pipe. The Plasma process is a major technological breakthrough for the free arc under a neutral gas (TIG process). Plasma welding is essentially used for stainless steels, metals and noble alloys.
PAW : Plasma Arc Welding according to American standards.