Preventing Weld Smut: Proven Strategies for Cleaner, Higher-Quality Welds

When you think of the word “smut,” welding may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, the literal definition of smut is “a small flake of soot or other dirt.” This definition falls in line perfectly with weld smut, which has been dirtying up welding since the beginning.

According to an article in The Fabricator, smut is caused by the boiling points of aluminum and magnesium being lower than the temperatures that are reached during arc welding. This causes the filler metal to actually evaporate during the welding process. This causes imperfections along the weld, the smut – a black substance that lowers the quality of the weld.

There are a few good ways to keep your welds free of smut. First, if you are using a shielding gas welding for your industrial robot, you need to make sure that the amount of shielding gas available is efficient at all times. The article states that if the gas becomes marginal, aluminum and magnesium are oxidized to become welding smut.

Another way to keep your robot welding smut free is to make sure that the torch angle on your robot is programmed correctly. The push angle must be right during these welding processes, or smut will occur.

Smut is more common in welding like MIG welding, rather than TIG welding, because metal filler is getting transferred across an arc. MIG welding gets hotter than TIG welding, which cases more evaporation and the possibility for more smutted welding.

RobotWorx will get any company the best new or used robotics system for their company – one that will keep their company free of welding smut. If you are looking to automate your processes, contact us online or at 740-251-4327.