Welding is one of the most common ways of joining two or more sections of metal together used by Australian manufacturing and fabrication businesses. As it is such a versatile form of material forming, you may be surprised to know that only a limited number of welding joints tend to be used by welding service providers. What are the main ones and why are they preferred?

Square Joints

Sometimes called butt joints, this is a method of joining two sections of metal or plastic together when they are placed side by side with one another. Typically, a company supplying welding services will carry out square joints for its clients to connect two sections of steel plate with one another to make a larger piece. This jointing process is often preferred because it is relatively quick — and, therefore, cheap — to produce repeatedly. It provides adequate strength but is only of use when the materials being welded are not as thick.

J-Joints

This process is provided by welding services companies all over Australia because it tends to be suited to materials that are thicker, making it highly versatile in manufacturing settings. J-joints are not dissimilar from square ones but one side of the material will be shaped with a curve, hence its name. This type of welding joint does not use lots of filler so it is economical but there is more set-up time that will be required.

V-Joints

When two bevelled edges of material come together, a V-joint weld is likely to be the best option. Welding services firms recommended this approach when thicker materials are being joined so you tend to see it being used in shipbuilding and other heavy industry settings. One of the big plus points for a V-joint is that it can put up with a great deal of stress running through it compared to other types of joint.

U-Joints

U-joint welds are ideal when a J-joint would not offer sufficient strength but when a V-joint is impractical due to the acute angle that would need to be formed in the material being welded. Essentially, a U-joint means forming two J-joint edges on each side of the welding point before proceeding. It is more expensive than other options but U-joints form incredibly strong welds that are designed for tough life cycles.

To learn more about welding joints, reach out to a welding service in your area today.