What is Cladding Welding? – The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Cladding welding is one of the activities required by many industries. Its effects have been paramount to the longevity and the durability of certain parts, materials, and components. How much do you know about cladding in welding? Are you aware of how the process is done? More so, what can it help you with concretely? After reading this guide, you will have clearer vision of what clad welding is. Also, you’ll learn where you can get the best services and machines for it.

How is Cladding in Welding Defined?

Cladding is a process that is widely known in construction and design; but what is cladding in welding? Cladding in welding simply is the procedure of adding or depositing materials to a workpiece. It’s not the usual welding where it’ll just be joined or fused to another metal; it’s going to be deposited and added to the exterior of the part or component.

Is Cladding the Same as Weld Overlay?

A lot of people have the misconception that clad welding and welding overlay are similar processes. While they’re closely related, they actually have major differences; especially in how they’re done. Weld Overlay is a process of developing the properties of the base or the parent metal. It aims to integrate the material into the workpiece, not just adding it on as protective coating. You can only perform a weld overlay using welding fusion methods – not anything else. Cladding, on the other hand is a procedure of “cladding over” a material or a workpiece. It’s not a process that just integrates into the parent or base metal; instead, it becomes a protective covering over a certain part or component. With cladding, you can perform either mechanical or welding procedures to apply the clad. They have the same goal, but they’re done differently – and they yield different results.

What are Clad Materials?

A clad material is formed from two (2) or more metals that are joined and fused together. There are a wide variety of clad materials you can choose from for the cladding welding process you need.

What’s the Purpose of Clad Welding?

The purpose of clad welding is to protect or secure the surface of a part or a component. Its goal is to add another layer of protection that contains certain properties; properties that you wouldn’t be able to achieve by doing other processes.

What are the Applications of Cladding Welding?

You can consider cladding welding as the first option of application for many industries. In fact, you’ll be able to use it in

• Power Plants and Nuclear Components
• Marine and Military Equipment
• Power and Generation Tools and Equipment
• Mining Machines and Equipment
• Construction or Structural Machineries
• And Many More

Clad welding is applied in areas and situations where surfaces might get damaged or worn out. These aren’t the only applications of it – there are a lot more you can choose from; especially in high impact and abrasion situations.

What is the Clad Welding Procedure?

The procedure of clad welding is depositing clad materials to a workpiece. It can be through mechanical procedures or welding fusion processes. Some of the most common bonding procedures include hot rolling, powder metallurgy, explosion bonding, and so on. All processes would require temperature, pressure, or impact; depending on the procedure and the result that you are looking for.

What Materials Can Be Cladded?

There are a wide variety of materials, specifically metals that can be cladded. You can choose from the usual pipes, tanks, steel plates, metal sheets, and so on. Your choice will depend on what you want your part or component to be; and of course, which industry you’re in. If you’re in the construction industry, you can clad out buckets, truck beds, and even poles. If you’re in the mining industry, you can clad rails, carts, and other mining equipment. You can clad many items and equipment, given that their composite is eligible for cladding (metal and steel).

Clad Welding vs. Surfacing

You might be confused how clad welding is different from surfacing. To end your confusion, you can understand it better and easier, especially if you know the two. We know that cladding welding is the process of adding an extra protective layer to the workpiece. Therefore, you’ll see extra thickness on that specific or particular part. Surfacing is similar to weld overlay, in which it changes and alters the properties of the surface. But, unlike weld overlay, surfacing only induces a thin extra layer of support. The most common procedure of surfacing is done via metal filler spraying. More so, surfacing is usually done to prevent corrosion and to add viable properties to the part or component.

How are Clad Steels Welded?

You can weld clad material using a filler metal with high alloy content. Stack of clad steels that are newly manufactured and produced The most common procedure is roll welding. This process involves both roll pressure, as well as heat to be able to weld and fuse the clad to the steel or the base metal. Apart from that, there are people who also use explosion welding or explosive cladding.

What is Explosion Cladding or Welding?

This particular method is the process known to clad versatile types of metals to any base. You usually use explosion welding or explosive cladding in billets, joining pipes, or blank preparations.

Why is Explosive Cladding Welding Done?

You usually perform explosive clad welding to materials that are difficult to fuse and join. A visual representation of explosive bonding/cladding The driving force of the clad against the material, it creates a high energy rate impact; assisting materials to be welded onto each other easier and better.

Cladding vs. Coating: What’s the Difference?

You can use both processes to manipulate the surface; whether on the inside or the outside of a base or parent metal. But how are they different? Coating is a process of applying or depositing a thin layer of material to a surface. Its goal is to enhance the properties for the resistance against the many types of wear. More often than not, coating is used for expensive and durable materials, adding extra resistance. Cladding, on the other hand, is a procedure of applying corrosion resistant alloys (CRA) to a regular type of metal. You’d want to perform cladding if you want your parts or parent metals to be thicker; and to add durability against corrosion and abrasion.

What is the Metal Cladding Process?

By definition, metal cladding is a protective coating process where protective material is deposited. A sample of a circular plate with metal cladding The process involves the application of pressure and/or heat to add another metallic layer. Some of the techniques used in metal clad welding include, but are not limited to:

• Lasers
• Deformation
• Diffusion

When Do You Use Clad Welding?

We know the advantages of cladding welding, but when do you actually use it? You would want to use and perform clad welding in certain instances, including:

• To make a temperature resistant layer
• To resist stress that could be existent
• To enhance the impact resistance of the part or component
• To prevent abrasion and wear

When You Do NOT Use Cladding Welding

Here are some of the situations where clad welding is not the best solution for your needs:

• If you want to strengthen the specific part or component
• When your goal is to increase the load capacity of your part or component
• If you are to use that part or component for high-pressure situations

You might think that cladding welding is a procedure you can effectively and efficiently maximize with almost anything. However, that’s not what the case is. You also need to consider physical limitations that clad plates have.

What are Weld Overlay Cladding Machines?

They’re machines or equipment that can help you with the clad welding process you need. Weld overlay cladding equipment manufactured by Waldun These machines can function based on how you plan on using it. In fact, there are different types and kinds of weld overlay cladding machines you can use. There are plasma hardfacing machines, laser cladding machines, FCAW and GMAW machines, and so on.

Which Type of Clad Welding Machine Should You Get?

Among the various types and kinds of cladding welding, the best and the most appropriate machine would depend on the material you’re working on. There are certain materials that aren’t compatible with a particular welding procedure. That is when choosing the correct type of machine is crucial.

What is Buttering Welding?

Buttering, in its simplest terms, is a variation of hard surfacing. Understanding the procedure is simple – you use it to deposit surfacing material to one or more surfaces. The goal is to be able to deposit a compatible weld metal to complete the weld. The main importance of buttering in welding is to enhance excellent weld joint ductility.

Definition of Strip Cladding

It is a welding technique of fusion that utilizes a strip of weld metal. This material is then deposited to an inner place or part of your component. The goal of strip cladding is to produce a corrosion resistant inner layer for the machine’s part.

Benefits of Strip Cladding Welding

Strip cladding basically is just the welding of a weld metal strip to the insides of equipment. The main benefits and advantages to strip clad welding include:

• Metal deposition welding rate increases
• You’ll be able to save up on costs because clad steel is used instead of CRA material
• It can lengthen the lifespan or the life expectancy of the inner diameter of tube-like structures
• Low rates of metal dilution

What’s the Common Thickness of Weld Cladding?

More often than not, clad materials usually sit between 2 to 4 mm. That’s the typical and the usual thickness of cladding layers. However, the thickness of clad materials isn’t just limited to that range. You have to consider certain instances where thicker – even thinner – clad material is needed.

What Different Welding Processes Can Allow Weld Cladding?

You can actually utilize various welding methods for cladding welding. The most common methodologies and processes are:

• Manual Metal Arc (MMA)
• Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
• Laser Deposition
• Plasma Transferred Arc Welding (PTAW)
• Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
• Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GCAW)

Various companies and businesses are currently experimenting on some more; these are just the current known welding methods and processes used in cladding welding.

Common Defects of Clad Welding

The category in which clad welding defects fall under can also be under welding defects. Therefore, the most common clad welding defects include:

• Porosity
• Slag Inclusion
• Incomplete Fusion and Penetration
• Weld Cracks
• Undercuts

What Machines Can Help You With Clad Welding?

You can utilize a wide range of machineries and equipment to assist you with your cladding welding project.

However, the most common would be the column & boom machiney. It’s a machine that is composed of a boom that runs horizontally, and a column that runs vertically – all automated. Apart from that, there are other machines you can use as well such as cladding machines and systems, SAW equipment, rollers, and so on.

What is Weld Overlay?

It is the process of joining one or more metals together via welding. You would deposit abrasion and corrosive resistant materials onto the parent workpiece.

What is the Purpose of a Weld Overlay?

The purpose of a weld overlay is to improve properties of the surface or the base metal.

Since you’re to apply wear resistant materials to the workpiece, it strengthens the base. However, you can also consider it as a process to restore equipment or a component.

How Do You Define Hardfacing?

Hardfacing is the metalworking process where the harder material is placed onto the base metal.

It’s called “hardfacing” because you put the tougher material onto the base.

You enhance the component completely to strengthen it against abrasion, erosion, corrosion, etc.

What is Cladding?

Cladding is a welding procedure where you put welded metal onto the surface.

You would apply a dissimilar material over a surface to serve as a protective layer.

It’s referred to as “cladding” because you’ll use a different material than the base metal.

Where Can You Use Cladding?

Cladding is used to cover a surface of equipment, parts, or a machine. You can use cladding if you are:

• Trying to improve a part or a component of a machinery
• Looking to make a part wear resistant or abrasion resistant; and
• When you’re looking to make a part resistant to corrosion

Weld Overlay vs. Cladding

Weld overlay is a welding process. It’s a process where you apply wear-resistant materials onto the parent component.

Frequently, the material would have the same properties applied to the parent surface.

The goal of weld overlay is ultimately to improve the properties of the base metal.

Cladding is a process where you would apply a different, tougher material than the base metal or surface.

Cladding’s main purpose is to act as a protective cover to the base metal.

What is Weld Overlay Cladding?

Weld overlay cladding is the procedure of depositing thin layer of materials on components.

What is Pipe Cladding?

Pipe cladding is the process of bonding cladding material and a pipe.

You can do this type of cladding using welding or an eruptive bonding procedure.

Are There Different Methods of Weld Overlay?

There are many different methods of weld overlay.

However, the main and the most important methods include:

• C02 Welding
• Shielded Metal Arc Welding
• Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding
• Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA) Welding
• Submerged Arc Welding
• Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding

Where Can You Apply Weld Overlay?

You can use weld overlay to a wide range of industries such as:

• Oil Industry
• Gas Industry
• Manufacturing Industry
• And Many More

However, it’s mostly applied to parts and components usually exposed to wear, abrasion, and corrosion.

Some of the most common types of equipment include:

• Excavation Equipment
• Pipelines and Fittings
• Valves and Vessels
• Mining Equipment

What is Bolting?

Bolting, simply is the process of joining parts and components using bolts and screws alone.

As opposed to welding, you don’t need to melt the steel to put two pieces of surfaces together.

Is Welding Stronger Than Bolting?

Welding is better and stronger than bolting. Welding uses intense heat, chemical reactions, and compounds to put steel together.

Bolting needs fasteners and its structural elements to hold pieces together.

Even if you find bolting easier, you would want to consider welding because of its reliability.

Is Buttering the Same as Hardfacing?

Hardfacing and buttering are two different processes.

Buttering is a surfacing variation of depositing a weld layer on the metal or the surface.

The purpose of buttering is to gain compatible weld metal you need to complete the weld.

Hardfacing is the deposition of tougher, harder, and stronger material to a base or the parent surface.

Hardfacing’s goal is to improve a component, making it resistant to many different types of wear such as:

• Abrasion
• Erosion
• Impact
• Heat
• Corrosion

What is Overlap in Welding?

Overlap is something that happens when the welded part flows out to the surface of the base material.

What are Crater Cracks in Welding?

Crater cracks in welding are inconsistencies and irregularities in the welding process.

You will notice a crater crack easily because it will look cracked, broken, and inconsistent.

What Causes Crater Cracks in Welding?

The main causes of a crater crack are inconsistency and sudden changes.

If you’re welding and you stop before finishing a weld joint, it will leave a wide crater at the end.

What are the Four (4) Main Welding Positions?

The four (4) main welding positions include:

• Horizontal Position Weld
• Vertical Position Weld
• Flat Position Weld
• Overhead Position Weld

What is the Weld Overlay Procedure?

The weld overlay process is pretty simple:

1. Select the weld metal to be put on the surface
2. Mount the workpiece on a flat surface
3. Set the welding torch stationary and uniform
4. Check for irregularities and inconsistencies

Who Can You Trust With Cladding Welding Machines and the Process?

Out of all the many suppliers and manufacturers of cladding welding equipment, you wouldn’t fail if you choose to work with us here at Waldun. We’ve been named and deemed as the best in the entire region of Shanghai. Supplying to various parts of the globe, we’re trusted by our clients on a high note.

High Quality Cladding Welding Procedures

The cladding welding process we exercise have been the most effective for many companies and businesses. But, we still continue to improve and develop the products and results we offer. Get the help for the clad welding process you need with Waldun! You can also count on us to supply you with the best clad welding machineries and equipment you need for your projects! You can expect everything to be delivered to you within 20 days! Work with us now and get premium clad welding services!