Is Seam Welding Right for Your Project?An Informative Guide

To ensure your welding project is a success, you must choose the most appropriate welding process. One of these techniques is seam welding, which can form continuous welds and join similar or dissimilar materials. In this guide, we’ll explain more about what seam welding is, the different types of seam welding, and how to determine if this process is the right technique for your production needs.

Understanding the Fundamentals of Seam Welding

Seam welding is a specific type of welding process that entails fusing two workpieces of similar or dissimilar materials, usually sheet metals. To achieve this bond, seam welding uses a combination of an electric current and applied pressure.

The following are the basic steps involved in seam welding:

1. Two motor-driven wheels secure the two workpieces in place.
2. The seam welding machinery transmits an electric current through the wheels and workpieces.
3. Electrical resistance develops in the space between the workpieces to produce heat.
4. The generated heat bonds the workpieces in a strong weld.

Types of Seam Welding Techniques

There are also different types of seam welding methods you can use, depending on the desired results:

• Traditional seam welding. This is the most commonly used form of seam welding, using the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process to create overlapping weld nuggets. Traditional seam welding equipment is like a sewing machine for metal, forming leakproof precision joints.
• Resistance seam welding. Motor-driven wheels serve as the welding electrodes in this welding technique.
• Friction seam welding. This process forms a continuous weld using friction rather than electrodes to produce heat between the workpieces.
• Other welding types. Depending on the application, you can also choose from other types of welding processes: submerged arc welding, flux core arc welding (FCAW), dual wire submerged arc welding, metal inert gas (MIG) welding, and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW).

Materials Commonly Welded

Many types of materials can undergo seam welding, whether similar or dissimilar:

Advantages of Seam Welding

Seam welding comes with many benefits, such as:

Is Seam Welding Right for You?

If you’re wondering whether seam welding is the ideal process for your application, consider the following critical factors to help you decide:

Generally, seam welding is good for forming liquid- or gas-tight vessels, but other welding methods are better for materials with a thickness of more than 3 mm.

Depending on your project, potential drawbacks may include distortion, limited thickness and material options, and high equipment costs.

For help determining if this service is right for your application, consult with experienced experts in the welding industry, such as the team at G.E. Mathis Company.

Common Industries Utilizing Seam Welding

Various industries use seam welding techniques, such as:

• Aerospace: pressure vessels, fuel tanks, and rocket components
• Agricultural: storage tanks and agricultural machinery
• Construction: structural steel beams, metal tubing and piping, ducts, and metal siding and roofing
• Energy: pressure vessels, wind turbine parts, heat exchangers, and pipelines for oil and gas

Case Study: Custom Welded Boom-Tube Section for the Construction Industry

Partner With G.E. Mathis Company for Your Welding Needs

To experience the benefits of seam welding or other welding techniques, turn to G.E. Mathis Company. G.E. Mathis Company offers numerous welding services to satisfy the needs of nearly any welding project. We can help determine whether seam welding is right for you or if another technique is more compatible. Our skilled welders are AWS-certified to D1.1, D1.6, D9.1, and D10.9 standards, and we have in-house certified welding inspectors (CWI).

Contact us today to speak with our experts about your next project.