Super heavy duty weld backing tape

Louise Davis

Many weld joints require a controlled underbead profile of the first root pass. Uneven root profiles can cause product entrapment that may contaminate a process as well as interrupting flow characteristics.

Where manual welding cannot control the weld root profile sufficiently well, or when an automatic weld process is unable to reach satisfactory speeds while still obtaining satisfactory underbeads, it is common to use a method of backing below the weld.

A cost effective way to provide support for molten metal below a weld joint, is to use Argweld Weld Backing Tape.

Weld Purging Experts Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT have recently developed a super heavy duty Weld Backing Tape, which provides the support to produce perfect weld underbeads when welding with currents of up to 600 Amps.

Georgia Gascoyne, CEO for HFT, said: “Weld Backing Tape is a glass fibre weld backing system that supports and protects the weld root from oxidation. It will trap the inert gas from the weld torch to hold the gas surrounding the weld pool, effectively providing a back purge facility. We manufacture four grades of Weld Backing Tape for use up to 80, 160, 240 or 600 Amps.

“Each tape comprises a 3-in (75mm) wide aluminium adhesive tape backing strip, in the centre of which is a 1-in (25mm) wide band of woven glass fibre matting running down the centre. The glass fibre matting has differing thicknesses to match the welding current in use.

“Once the tape is positioned with the glass fibre matting under the centre of the weld joint, the welders can start their arc. The welding torch argon flow has plenty of space to move between the pores of the matting, which allows the welding arc to stabilise and start forming the weld root.”

“Using Backing Tape is it possible to weld with MIG, TIG (GTAW) or Plasma (PAW) for the joining of all weldable metals without change to the chemistry or metallurgy of the weld.”

video: 

Argweld® Weld Backing Tape™

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