ELECTRIC ARC WELDING.

Western Star, 23 April 1920, Page 4

ELECTRIC ARC WELDING.

AN INTERESTING DEMONSTRATION. Au interesting demonstration, of an electric arc welding (says the Dunedin Evening Star) was given the other day at Messrs J. and W. Faulkner’s works before a large number df business representatives of the City, including many of those engaged in the iron, steel, and electric industry. This is a plant used for the rapid repairing of all classes of breaks to machinery. The process is entirely new to New Zealand, and this is the only olf its kind in the Dominion. The broken parts are’ set up together exAt the demonstration breaks of various kinds were welded together. The process is simple. The piece of work is placed on a table, one terminal of the electric current being fastened to it, the other .terminal being held by (bo operator, who u>cs a metal electrod. 'When this electrod comes near the work an arc is (formed, the metal of the electrod being deposited and welded in the aperture of the break at a tremendous heat. The voltage in the process is so. low that there is no danger of anyone working (be process receiving a shock. One example of the repairs shown was the welding in of a ‘ broken tooth in a large steel cog-wheel. This was closely inspected, and pronounced to bo as good; as new.

.No doubt Meters Faulkner’s plant

will be largely in demand, and the firm) have found it necessary to extend their premises, purchasing to this end a large property adjoining the foundry in Castle and Cumberland streets to cope with their requirements, actly where required, the electric current is applied, and with the aid of the metal elect rod the parts are fused together, after which, it is cleaned off to the original section. On© special advantage with this method is that the heat is so localised that any risk fropin the work cracking in the cooling is eliminated. Ail sorts of breakdowns to machinery can be repaired with tliis process, and repairs by welding of parts of ship, industrial, uidi railroad equipment, can be made at a fraction of the cost of new parts, while also being remediable in much less time than is generally necessary for the procurement of new parts. A notable example of the ability of the process to make permanent repairs quickly was the job on the 70 odd cast iron cylinders and other damaged parts of the interned German steamers at New York. This was the largest welding repair work in the history of the world. One valuable feature of the process is that any quantity of metal can he deposited on the particular work under repair.