Preface

The welding of cast iron is a subject of concem to many people both in and out of the welding community. The level of confidence in obtaining dependable welds is low, particularly among those who do not have ready access to reliable information on this subject. In reality, the picture is not as dark as it may seem.

In 1965, the American Welding Society, through its D11 Committee on Welding Iron Castings, published a comprehensive study entitled "A Test Program on Welding Iron Castings". Additionally, hundreds of articles and reports have appeared in technical publications in most of the industrialized nations of the world. To this body of knowledge must be added the data contributed by many foundries and filler metal manufacturers whose research programs have developed many new applications and materials.

The AWS D11 Committee, which includes members from AWS, ASM, ASME, the Ductile Iron Society, the Iron Casting Society, and the Centre Technique des Industries de la Fonderie (France), addressed the task of reviewing nearly four hundred articles from ali sources, Forty-three articles were chosen for reproduction in this reference book. The aim was to cover all types of iron castings and ali commonly used welding processes. The criteria for selection were (1) completeness of information, (2) accuracy and agreement with currently accepted practice, and (3) sound background of historical fact.

The book includes a Subject Index which is cross-referenced so that pertinent information may be found under several headings.

Additional articles and reports have been listed in a Bibliography to assist the reader who wishes to delve further into a subject.

Because cast iron is nonhomogeneous and has high carbon content, welds on iron castings will not yield good results so consistently as welds on mild steel. A shop may occasionally encounter an unweldable casting. Also, a weld in an iron casting will seldom, if ever, have properties equal to those of the base metal. Nevertheless, there are many applications where useful welds can be made in iron casting when information presented here is used in conjunction with sound engineering judgement.