CONSTRUCTION OF ARC WELDING MACHINE

BY

ABDULSALAM TAIWO DHIKRULLAH 2120210009

BAMIRERIN FAVOR ELISHA 2120210030

SUBMITTED TO

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

ADESEUN OGUNDOYIN POLYTECHNIC, ERUWA

OYO STATE

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF

IN ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING.

JANUARY, 2024.

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 CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that this project was carried out under my supervision by

ABDULSALAM TAIWO DHIKRULLAH 2120210009

BAMIRERIN FAVOR ELISHA 2120210030

of the Department of Electrical Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,

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Engr. Ogundeji A. O. Date
Supervisor

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Engr. Ogundeji A. O. Date
H.O.D

DEDICATION

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This project is dedicated to Almighty God and our parents for their support in my life and
also to all my lecturers who have impacted our lives.

AKNOWLEDGEMENT

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All difficulties are made easy by Almighty God; He is duly eulogizing for making experience
a reality.

We will like to commend the effort of all our lecturers, starting from our able HOD in person
of Engr. Ogundeji Olatunde Abiodun and also to my able mum Engr. Adeyeye popularly
known as (Aunty), also to my able Alfa in the like of Engr. Oyedokun, and to our able dad in
the like of Engr. Adeleke and to all other lecturers, we really appreciate all your efforts and
impacts in our my lives, we say a big thanks to you all. May Almighty God makes you live to
achieve your purpose on earth.

Finally, our thanks go to everyone who contributed to the success of this project, may God
see you though all your endeavours.

ABSTRACT

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Apart from woodwork, brickwork, all other formworks are of metalwork. Thus engineering
devices, equipment, machineries and infrastructures are made possible with the use of
welding machines, be it carbide or arc – welding type. In Nigeria, where the cost of imported
goods rises astronomically in accordance with the foreign exchange rates, the need to
fabricate this very important equipment became of important necessity. In this paper, a
single-phase 8KVA, 240VAC/50-100 VDC electric arc welding machine was designed and
constructed using locally available materials. The different operating current required, arcing
time, the heat generated by the arc, the minimum arc gap, the fluxite coated electrode,
oxidation of the molten materials by the surrounding air where some of the designed
parameters that determined the auto-transformer specific magnetic loading and specific
electric loading. Cooling medium, integral switch, the rectifier circuits and the tanking of the
transformer designed determined the equipment production. The locally fabricated AC/DC
oil cooled electric arc welding machine capable of withstanding 180A, when subjected to
insulation resistance test, no-load test, short circuit test and on-load test to ascertain its
performance characteristics were very satisfactory.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

TITLE PAGE i

CERTIFICATION ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT iv

ABSTRACT v

TABLE OF CONTENT vi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background 1

1.2 Problem Statement 3

1.3 Aims of the Project 3

1.4 Objectives of the Project 3

1.5 Significant of the Project 3

1.6 Scope of the Project 4

1.7 Arrangements of the Project 4

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 History of Arc Welding Machine 5

2.2 Process of Arc Welding 6

2.3 Consumable Electrode and Non-Consumable Electrode Methods 7

2.4 Arc Welding Power Supplies 8

2.5 Some of the basic features of AC Arc Welding are 9

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Welding Transformer (Using Transformer Method) 11

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3.2 Construction of A Transformer 14

3.3 Arc Welding Circuit 15

3.4. Welding Arc 16

3.5 Arc Radiation 17

3.6 Design Parameters 17

3.7 Welding Transformer Design Calculations 18

3.7 Construction of Parts 20

3.8 Insulation 20

3.9 Welding Electrodes 23

3.10 Classification of Electrodes According to Their Coatings 24

3.11 Electrode Holder 25

3.12 Ground Clamp 25

3.13 Welding Cable 27

3.16 Defects of Electrode 27

3.17 Transformer Encapsulation/Housing 27

3.18 Necessity for Cooling 28

CHAPTER FOUR: IMPLEMENTATION

4.1 Transformer Tests 29

4.2 Short Circuit (Impedance) Test 29

4.3 Open Circuit (No Load) Test 29

4.4 Calculation 30

4.5 Welding Hazards, Precautions, Safety and Maintenance 31

4.5 Welding Protection 31

4.6 Welding Terms 33

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4.7 Applications and Advantages of Welding 35

4.8 Precautions in Arc Welding 35

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion 37

5.2 Recommendation 37

REFERENCES 38

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Standard Wire Gauge (SWG) 21

Table 3.2 Recommended Diameters of Electrodes for Different Welding Currents. 24

Table 4.1: Short circuit test 29

Table 4.2: Open circuit test 29

Table 4.3: Common fault and possible causes in arc welding 34

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig. 3.1 Principal Electrical Element of a Welding Transformer Power Supply 11

Fig. 3.2 Welding Transformer with Tapped Secondary Winding 12

Fig. 3.3 Typical Series Impedance Control of Output Current 12

Fig. 3.4 Ideal Vector Relationship of the Alternating Voltage Output Using Reactor Control

Fig. 3.5 Shell Type Transformer 14

Fig. 3.6 Core Type Transformer 15

Fig. 3.7 V – I Characteristic 16

Fig. 3.8 The Variable output of the Transformer: 50V, 80V and 100V 20

Fig. 3.9 Transformer Laminations 22

Fig. 3.10: Casing /Encapsulation 28

Fig. 4.1 Short Circuit Test 30

Fig. 4.2 Open Circuit Test 30