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Issue Two of Weld Purging World - February 2020

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Published by Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT®, 2020-02-11 04:18:41

Weld Purging World - February 2020

Issue Two of Weld Purging World - February 2020

ISSUE 2 FEBRUARY 2020

In February’s Issue:

• #Weld of the Month
• Calendar: Events in the Industry
• Our Upcoming Exhibitions
• Happy 45th Anniversary HFT®
• Product News: Weld Purge Plugs and Welding Enclosures
• Welding Knowledge Part 1

WELD PURGING PRODUCTS
INNOVATORS, MANUFACTURERS and
INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED SPECIALIST
MADE IN WALES - MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT® are proud members of:

www.huntingdonfusion.com

2 CONTENT

WHAT’S IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE

#Weld of the Month & 3
2020 Industry Events
HFT® News 4-6
Product News 7-8
Technical Paper:
Welding Knowledge Part 1 9 - 11

A WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Reader,

Welcome to February’s Weld Purging World.

It’s a jam-packed issue this month! Read about our recent Distributor Training at our UK HQ,
where our Distributors got to see our newly built conference room. We’ve also been announced
as Finalists in the Export Business of the Year Category at the Welsh Business Awards.

As mentioned last month, Part 1 of our Welding Knowledge
Series is available to read on pages 9 - 11. The series is
aimed at explaining in engineering terms the principles of
arc welding, the properties of materials, the need for pre-
and post- weld heating and other related issues.

I’m always on the look out for more exciting content for Weld
Purging World, so if you have any news or would like to be
featured in our magazine, then please get in touch.

Thank you for reading!

Best wishes,
Michaela

Marketing and Social Media Manager
[email protected]

HFT® NEWS 3

# WELD OF THE MONTH

Eliminate the Thoria and Maintain the High Performance with Blue-Tipped MultiStrike® Tungsten
Electrodes. Weld by @millerforged.
Thoria, found in thoriated Tungsten Electrodes is
a radio-toxic compound and emits mainly alpha
particles, which are harmful if released inside the
digestive tract or inside the lungs where they act as a
carcinogen. Thoriated Tungsten Electrodes therefore
pose a risk to welders during grinding.
Why are thoriated Tungsten Electrodes still in use
today? Welders today continue to use thoriated
Tungsten Electrodes as a cheaper alternative to other
safer Tungsten Electrodes, often unaware of the risks.
Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT®’s blue-tipped MultiStrike® Tungsten Electrodes contain a mix
of non-radioactive rare earth elements, eliminating the risk to health posed by radioactive thoriated
Tungsten Electrodes, whilst maintaining a high performing Tungsten Electrode.
1.

CALENDAR: EVENTS IN THE INDUSTRY

Distributor Exhibiting! Distributor Exhibiting!
Nuclear Power Plants Expo WIN Eurasia
Stand No. D12 HALL 12 A160
4 - 5 March 2020 12 - 15 March 2020
Istanbul, Turkey İstanbul, Turkey

TechniShow Distributor Exhibiting!
17 - 20 March 2020 Tube
Utrecht, Netherlands 30 March - 3 April 2020
Düsseldorf, Germany

Fabtech Mexico Fabtech Canada
12 - 14 May 2020 16 - 18 June 2020
Mexico City, Mexico Toronto, Canada

Adipec Fabtech
9 - 12 November 2020 18 - 20 November 2020
Abu Dhabi, UAE Las Vegas, USA

4 HFT® NEWS

DISTRIBUTOR TRAINING COURSE

We held our first Distributor training of 2020 here at our UK HQ in Burry Port last week of January.
Distributors from Italy, Norway, Scotland and various parts of the UK took part, the first training
course we had held in our new conference room.
During the first morning, Technical Sales Manager Luke gave presentations for our all products with
live demonstrations of our PurgElite and QuickPurge Inflatable Pipe Purging Systems.
All HFT Distributors were able to use the full range of Weld Purge Monitors and learned the features
and technical advantages of each of them thus enabling them to offer good advice to the end users.
In the afternoon, the group learned all about our wide range of Pipestoppers® and were able to get
hands-on with the complete product range of inflatable, mechanical, pancake, low profile style and
solid rubber.
In the demonstration room we have on permanent display
all our products including a dome style Flexible Welding
Enclosure and our TEG-1000 Tungsten Electrode Grinder
with dust extraction. HFT Distributors were able to grind
our thoria free Multi-Strike Tungstens.
The evening event was a Cheese and Wine Tasting hosted
by Managing Director, Georgia Gascoyne. Six local,
Welsh cheeses had been paired with white, red and rose
wines and each were tasted whilst listening to the story
behind both products with a few quiz questions thrown in!
On the second day, Luke gave a demonstration of our Qwik-
Freezer and Accu-Freeze kits, making a successful freeze
on a 2” pipe. The HFT Distributors were very impressed
with the speed of the freeze and also the pressure that an
ice plug can hold.
The afternoon was spent at our local racecourse, Ffos Las. We were delighted to be given the
chance to enter the parade ring and present a prize to the groom of the best turned out horse
and then the trophy to the winning jockey! A few of the Distributors had winners too so all in all, a
fantastic day.
HFT are celebrating their 45th anniversary this year so the social side of our Training Course was
a great way to raise a glass and thank our Distributors for being alongside us during our journey.

HFT® NEWS 5

WELSH BUSINESS AWARDS FINALISTS

We are delighted to
announce that we are
Finalists in the Export
Business of the Year
Category at the Welsh
Business Awards,
which will take place
in March at The City
Hall in Cardiff.

Watch this space for
more information.

HAPPY 45TH ANNIVERSARY

2020 is a huge year here at Huntindgon Fusion Techniques HFT®, as we celebrate 45 years in
business.

“45 years in business is an incredible achievement and a huge landmark for us. Our dedication
to product development, long-standing industry experience and loyal Distributor network are key
elements of our success,” comments Georgia Gascoyne, HFT®’s CEO. “We are a family owned

business and are proud of our heritage. We have
developed into a truly global business and are
looking forward to the next few years of continued
business expansion, enabling us to strengthen
our position as the number one manufacturer of
Weld Purging Systems.”

“A key element of our success and one that
we are very proud of is our long and enduring
relationships with our Distributors and Suppliers.
Their loyalty, along with the commitment of our
staff means we are now embarking on what we
anticipate will be some of the most exciting years
in business. Our success in identifying the high-
potential niche markets around the world where
our technical capability and experience will prove
indispensible has been central to our longevity
and will be critical to our future.”

2020 is looking like an exciting one for HFT®
with the recent expansion to our premises in
Carmarthenshire, which includes a state-of-the-
art conference centre and customer training area.

6 HFT® NEWS

1. Weld Purge Monitor for On-Site Conditions

COMING TO AN EXHIBITION NEAR YOU

We have a very busy few months ahead and we will supporting our Exclusive Distributors at some
very exciting exhibitions.
Georgia Gascoyne, CEO Managing Director for HFT® said: “2019 was an incredible year for HFT®
with winning the ‘Made in Wales’ Manufacturer of the Year Award and 2020 is shaping up to be even
better. Along with Exhibiting at some very exciting Shows, this year is also our 45th Anniversary
in the Business and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our loyal, long-term Exclusive
Distributors.”
“In March, we will be joining our Turkish Distributor, BMC Marine for Win Eurasia and at the end of
March we will be joining Pipeq Pipework Equipment for Tube 2020.”
“Our Weld Purging Technology is designed to achieve oxide free, zero colour welds. On display will
be our Tube and Pipe Weld Purging Systems, available in sizes 1” to 88”. These ingenious devices
are designed to localise a small volume of pipe section to purge, thus making savings in time, inert
gas costs and eliminating post weld cleaning and oxide removal costs.”
“We will also be showing a selection of their Weld Purge Monitors® that accurately measure the
amount of oxygen within the purge gas. Their PurgEye® 100 has become the monitor of choice
amongst the international welding fraternity, assisting welders to achieve zero colour welds.”

Tube 2020

in the FocusRostfrei Pavilion
‘Competence in Stainless’

Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT®
Official Exhibitor in Partnership with
Pipeq Pipework Equipment

Hall 1 Booth B75 - 20 (1B75-20)
30 March - 03 April

Düsseldorf, Germany

QuickPurge® l PurgElite®
Mechanical Plugs l Weld Purge Monitors®

www.pipeq.com www.huntingdonfusion.com

PRODUCT NEWS 7

WELDING ENCLOSURES FOR TITANIUM PARTS

Welding titanium alloys often has to be carried
out in an environment where oxygen can
be eliminated throughout the welding cycle.
If the parts were to come into contact with
oxygen at any point, the reactive metal can
become contaminated, oxidising which can
lead to reductions in corrosion resistance and
mechanical strength.
Metal glove boxes, which are still in use
today, can be used to provide an inert gas
coverage. However these glove boxes are
often large, heavy and expensive. Welders
are challenged by their lack of flexibility when
welding small parts.
Ultra low cost Flexible Welding Enclosures® designed by Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT® are
easy to use. They are manufactured from an optically clear ultra-violet resistant engineering grade
pvc, providing excellent vision and ease of access.
Luke Keane, Technical Support at HFT® said: “For many years the enormous cost of a metal enclosure
prevented all but the major companies taking on work involving the fabrication of zirconium and
titanium alloys. To the rescue came HFT® a decade or so ago with the introduction of purpose made
Flexible Welding Enclosures®. We now manufacture Standard and Specially Made Enclosures to
meet all requirements. There is no job too large.”
The use of Flexible Welding Enclosures® has also increased during development of the Wire Arc
Additive Manufacturing process, providing an inert gas shield around the titanium and other reactive
alloy components.

Georgia Gascoyne, CEO for HFT® said: “We have built a
large number of different shapes and sizes, mostly to customer
specification. Each one has its own identity with a variety of glove
ports and dimensions. Some can accommodate a complete robot
system internally. They are in use worldwide for applications
including the aerospace, medical and motorsport sectors.”
“Inert gas such as argon is used to fill the enclosure and expel the
air until the oxygen content is below 50 parts per million (ppm). It
is essential when producing metallic components from alloys of
titanium, zirconium and other reactive materials that the welding
zone is purged of oxygen to a level lower than 50 ppm.”
Each Enclosure is manufactured with a connection for a Weld
Purge Monitor®, so the oxygen level can be measured continuously. Transfer sleeves also makes it
possible to pass small parts in or out of the enclosure without affecting the purge quality.

8 PRODUCT NEWS

12 - 15 March Weld Purge Monitors®

Tüyap Fair Convention Pipe Purging Systems
and Congress Center,
Flexible Welding
Istanbul, Turkey Enclosures®

Hall 12 Pipe Freezing
Booth No. A160
Pipestoppers®:
www.bmcmarine.com Inflatable, PetroChem®,

Mechanical,
Solid Rubber

[email protected]

WELD PURGING AT A LOW COST

“There are many occasions where Tandem Inflatable Tube and Pipe Purging Systems are not
suitable and welders are often left to construct their own Weld Purging Equipment.

Often, homemade purging devices are unsuitable and can often
lead to loss of welds due to oxidation.

Weld Purging Experts Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT®
manufacture a range of low cost, lightweight Weld Purge Plugs
for a variety of applications for pipe sizes 0.5 to 6” (12 to 152
mm) diameter.

Luke Keane, Technical Sales Manager for HFT® said: “Typical purging applications for our Weld
Purge Plugs include small or odd diameter pipes, short, complicated or variable size assembles
where a purging system or inflatable dam would be too long or other purging equipment may not be
available or practical.”

“We manufacture the Plugs in a number of ready-made kits containing plugs ideally suited for the
most popular size of pipes, all of which are available for immediate delivery.”

TECHNICAL ARTICLE - WELDING KNOWLEDGE - PART 1 9

WELDING KNOWLEDGE - PART 1

The Principal Arc Welding Processes
There are four basic welding processes that generate the
heat necessary to melt metals by striking an electric arc
between an electrode and a metal. Other arc processes are
in use but have limited application or lack control and quality
characteristics. Initially developed towards the end of the
19th century, arc welding quickly became a commercially
important processes especially in the shipbuilding sector in
the second world war.
An arc is a discharge of energy between two conductors at different voltages. In welding It can be
initiated by bringing the conductors, an electrode and the metals to be joined, together momentarily
to create a short circuit and then drawing them apart to produce a continuous arc. Experience is
necessary so that the two components do not stick together. The arc can only be maintained over a
very limited separation and with manual welding this relies on operator skill. Development over the
past few decades has resulted in the production of sophisticated power supplies to help stabilise
the arc.
The temperature created in an electric arc is typically between 5,000ºC and 20,000ºC depending
on conditions but this is clearly more than adequate to fuse all common alloys which have melting
points up to 1,500ºC.
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), often described as Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG)
A non-consumable tungsten rod is used as the electrode and an inert gas, usually argon, protects
the electrode and the joint area from contamination, primarily from oxidation at the high temperatures
prevailing during the welding operation.
Filler metal, selected to ensure optimum joint properties, may be added manually or mechanically.
Advantages
The process is normally limited to joining thin sections
because heat input is limited but welds can be made
without the use of additional filler metals (autogenous
welding). Thicker sections can be accommodated by
using multi-pass deposits. GTAW is mostly a manual
process but automation can be used when making
multiple joints. The process is particularly suitable for
making initial high quality deposits – called a ‘root pass’
– prior to undertaking multi-pass operations on thick
sections with a higher deposition welding process.
GTAW is a controllable, clean technique and is widely
used for welding stainless steels and reactive alloys such as titanium, zirconium, aluminium &
magnesium.

10 TECHNICAL ARTICLE - WELDING KNOWLEDGE - PART 1

Disadvantages
The rate of metal deposition is low and welding speed thus limited. Excessive welding current or
poor welding technique can cause melting of the tungsten electrode and may results in tungsten
inclusions being transferred into the weld zone.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) often described as Metal Inert Gas (MIG) or Metal Active Gas
(MAG)
An arc is established between a continuously fed filler wire electrode and protection provided using
an inert gas such as argon to protect the wire electrode and the molten weld pool. Helium or inert gas
mixtures based on argon and helium are beneficial for some applications. The active gas process, in
which carbon dioxide or mixtures of argon, carbon dioxide and oxygen is principally used for welding
carbon and low alloy steels.
Advantages
A gas shield protects the weld, filler wire and heat
affected areas from contamination. Both the inert gas
and active gas techniques offer relatively high weld
deposition rates compared to the GTAW process.
Disadvantages
The inert gas process is difficult to use in the vertical
position but generally requires less operator skill than
the active gas alternative.

Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
The technique is similar in some aspects to GTAW and GMAW welding but heat is generated by
a constricted arc between a tungsten electrode and a
water-cooled nozzle (non-transferred arc) or between a
tungsten electrode and the joint (transferred arc). Filler
metal is added separately into the molten weld pool.
Advantages
The tungsten electrode is recessed in the nozzle, so
minimising the chance of weld metal contamination.
It is not so sensitive to arc length variation as GTAW
or GMAW and therefore requires less operator skill for
welding. High welding speeds are possible.
Disadvantages
PAW is considerably more complicated than other arc welding processes and requires careful control
over the electrode tip configuration and positioning and orifice selection. Equipment is generally
more expensive.
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
Shielding of the filler wire and workpiece is effected here not by inert gas but with an inert granular
flux. The arc is totally hidden by the flux which melts as the arc generates heat. The flux solidifies
as the arc traverses along the joint, continuing to protect the weld during cooling, and is replaced by
new flux from a hopper.

TECHNICAL ARTICLE - WELDING KNOWLEDGE - PART 1 11

Advantages
Heat losses are low because the arc is submerged in an inert and insulating flux. It is possible to
add alloying materials to the flux to control weld metal composition. Welding speeds and deposition
rates can be much higher than other arc processes. SAW is mostly used for joining thick sections.
Disadvantages
It is difficult to weld unless the joint is horizontal in order to prevent the flux from falling off due to
gravity. The high heat input can lead to distortion of the workpiece.
Arc Welding Hazards
Welding Fume
There are hazardous substances in fumes created
during welding. These arise from inert gases, coatings
on consumables and metal vapours. Refs 1-3. Two
methods can be used to reduce and often eliminate
the effects; the integration of local exhaust ventilation
systems and respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
Tungsten Toxicity
Pure tungsten has a high melting point but other
characteristics render it unsuitable. The addition of
thoria offers improvements although various bodies
have published health warnings because of the
potential toxicity. Alternatives to thoriated tungsten are
readily available and should be used. [Refs 4-6]
Inert gas hazards
Although argon is non-toxic, it is 38% denser than air and therefore considered a dangerous
asphyxiant in closed areas. Removal of excess inert gas by extraction during welding is useful but
when used more widely as a weld purging technique the risk of inhalation is increased significantly
[Ref 7].
‘Arc Eye’
This is a painful condition caused by exposure of the eye to the ultraviolet radiation from an electric
arc. Special glass filters are a necessary accessory to protect eyes against damage. [Ref 8]
Intense Heat
Large amounts of heat are generated during arc welding and care needs to be taken to protect
exposed areas of skin. The use of insulating gloves and face/ head shields is seen as essential.
REFERENCES
Health and Safety Executive, Buxton SK17 9JN UK . www.hse.gov.uk
Environmental Health, 1986 – Springer. RM Stern, A Berlin, A Fletcher et al. International conference on
health hazards and biological effects of welding fumes and gases.
The Health and Safety Executive: Guidance note EH53 Respiratory protective equipment for use against
airborne radioactivity
The Health and Safety Executive HSE 564/6 (Rev) Storage and use of thoriated tungsten electrodes
European Council Directive 90/394/EEC
White paper WP-291 Clarification over Tungsten Electrodes for arc Welding. Huntingdon Fusion Techniques
Ltd., SA16 0BU
Asphyxiation hazards in welding and allied processes. Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Ltd., SA16 0BU
Photokeratitis (Arc eye). The College of Optometrists, London, WC2N 5NG

PurgEye® 1000 Remote

Weld Purge Monitor® with PurgeNet™

Monitor Your Weld Purge at a Distance

Scientific Developers of
Weld Purging Technology and

Manufacturers of
Weld Purging Products since 1975
Celebrating our 45th Anniversary

www.huntingdonfusion.com


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