If you don’t know anything about welding, it’s going to be important to learn about different types of welding joints and when they are used
If you don’t know the types of joints, it is going to make welding pretty difficult to follow.
Different techniques are used to perform different types of joints depending on both the material that is being used as well as the metal that is being welded.
Before we go further, we need to make sure that you are clear on what a joint is and its purpose:
A joint is a point where two or more pieces of metal are joined together to create one solid structure.
Simply as that
Now let’s see what are the different types of welding joints
1. Butt welds
This type of weld is the most common type that is used in automated welding.
A butt joint is a joint that is used when two pieces of metal are to be welded together side by side.
This type of weld is probably the easiest type to do as it consists of two flat pieces that are attached parallel to each other in a side-by-side fashion.
You will find this type of welding on things like pipes, fittings and even things like frames for pieces of machinery.
If you look hard for this type of weld, it will be hard not to find something that uses it.
In butt welding category can be used many types of weld:
- Double-bevel joint
- Double-U joint
- Double-V joint
- Double-J joint
- Flare groove
- Single-V joint
- Square joint
- Single-bevel joint
- Single-J joint
- Single-U joint
2. Corner joint
If you want to use this type of joint, you will need to use two pieces of metal and join them at a right angle to each other so that it forms a corner.
This type of joint is one that gets replaced fairly often due to the increased wear and tear that is put on the corners of different units.
One thing that is important to note about this type of weld is that you do it on the outside of the corner.
This type of weld is commonly used for sheet metal to attach pieces together to create various shapes.
In this category you can find the following types of weld:
- Bevel-groove weld
- Corner-flange weld
- Edge weld
- Fillet Weld
- Flare-V-groove weld
- J-groove weld
- Spot weld
- Square-groove weld or butt weld
- U-groove weld
- V-groove weld
Lap joint
This type of joint is formed when two pieces of metal are placed on top of one another and then are welded together in this manner.
This type of weld can be done on one or both sides of a sheet of metal, depending on how well you want the metal to be welded together.
The joint is often used to attach two pieces together that are of varying thicknesses.
You will find lap joints on things like weight and exercise machines, as well as some industrial equipment.
Weld types used in lap joint:
- Bevel-groove weld
- Fillet Weld
- Flare-bevel-groove weld
- J-groove weld
- Plug weld
- Slot weld
- Spot weld
Edge joint
This type of weld is the type that gets replaced more often than any other type of weld. It is done on the same edge which is why it tends to get brittle over time and needs to be replaced.
If you aren’t sure where this type of joint is often used, it is in the thing that you likely drive to work with; cars use this type of joint in places like the gas tank in order to hold things together.
Generally, a welder uses this type of weld only for light gauge metal as there is a lower chance of it burning all the way through the metal.
Weld types used in edge joint:
- Bevel-groove weld
- Corner-flange weld
- Edge-flange weld
- J-groove weld
- Square-groove weld or butt weld
- U-groove weld
- V-groove weld
T- joint
This type of weld is used to combine two pieces of intersecting metals together.
Generally, the metal intersects at a 90-degree angle which results in the edges of the top piece being exposed on top of the metal laying underneath; this is where the weld takes place.
You will find tee welds are used when a piece of metal is attached to some kind of a base.
Types of weld used in this category are:
- Bevel-groove weld
- Flare-bevel groove
- Fillet weld
- J-groove weld
- Melt-through weld
- Plug weld
- Slot weld
These are the five main types of welds that are used for welding purposes.
Sometimes, as you can see, it can be hard to determine the type of weld that was used to complete a project as there are also things like bevels (angled metal used to create a stronger weld), grooves, as well as fillets.
Conclusion
Hopefully, after reading this article, you now have a better grasp on the types of joints that are out there.
It can be a hard decision if you are a new welder, as to what type of a joint that you should use for a certain situation.
If you are stuck in a situation where you don’t know which type of weld you should use, it is a good idea to seek help and do some research.
A bad weld can result in something coming apart, and that may be really bad depending on what it is that you are welding.
It will definitely take you some practice to master all of these joints and be able to recognize which type of weld is used for what purpose.
Practice makes for perfection.
