Have you ever thought doing a field weld is good or a site weld is better? Well, choosing any one of them depends on the size and nature of the weld.
Sometimes a weld is better to be done in a closed environment. Because you can get a better quality weld if done in a controlled environment. You might find it more convenient to do a site weld because a lot of work is done at the place where that specific structure needs to be installed.
So, today we will focus on whether you should prefer a site weld or a field weld. Why don’t we start then?
Contents
Field weld
Although we have mentioned above that you might find site weld suitable for you, now consider these circumstances. What if you are working on some projects like staircases, handrails, or handling beams?
Now you must move to the area where this specific job needs to be done. Here you are shifting from site weld to field weld for greater ease.
Field weld symbol
The field weld symbol is used to show that at this point, you have to take the welding material and structure to the field. This symbol is usually a flag sign represented on the reference line of the weld. Hence, you can recognize it without any problem.
And now that you have seen the field weld symbol on the piece you are working on, then it is an indication of something. It says that your job has finished now as a site welder. You should not be performing any more welds on it, except the ones that are supposed to be performed.
At this point, the whole project is shifted to the place where it needs to be placed or fixed. Here, field welders will take over the work of site welders.
Types of field welds
On normal bases, welders encounter two basic types of fields where they need to perform the weld:
- Ornamental field welds
- Structural field welds
Ornamental field welds
Usually, field welds are very simple and do not require a lot of time. Only a few welds and everything is done. However, if you are handling a big project like welding a staircase or installing handrails, then you will be required a lot of time. Along with that, you will have to work patiently and carefully throughout the whole process.
Welding inside a house or closed building
Here we are going to discuss an example you can have a better understanding of field welds. If you are working in a house or a closed building, then it can be very complicated and bothering.
In addition to that, you have to take proper safety measures to ensure that there is no damage to anything while you are busy welding. Mostly it often includes protecting the woodwork and windows from damage.
Protective coverings
When you are doing a field weld, protective coverings are used to avoid damage. Also, once the work is completed, it should be protected, being careful not to destroy it. And this process is more time taking in comparison to the welding process.
You might end up spending so much money on protective covering if you don’t know how to handle the finished work properly.
Structural field welds
Structural field weld often involves such welds in which beams need to be fabricated or installed. Here we use a process known as ironworking to install beams.
Moreover, when you are working on projects having complicated structures, you need to follow the instructions written on the blueprint. Even a very small mistake can cause a lot of problems in the structure and can also destroy it completely.
Welding techniques to use for field welds
Usually, stick welding is used for field wedding purposes. All you need is a welding machine with extensions long enough that they can easily reach the welding area. You will also need ground clamps and a stinger as well. However, there will be no problem or hindrance during the weld because all the beams are interconnected beforehand.
In addition, field welding is not only restricted to it. You can also use the dual shield flux-cored MIG welding technique for field welds. But it is an actual headache to deal with MIG welding equipment.
First of all, the MIG welding machine is difficult to manage. In addition to that, you are required long MIG cables and extensions along with a heavy gas cylinder that should have enough size. Because of all these inconveniences with MIG for a field weld, most welders like to use stick welding.
Field weld or site weld?
Now that we have discussed what field weld is and how it is done, we will now compare it with sire weld. This way you will be able to decide easily which one you should prefer for your convenience.
For the fabrication process, site welding is preferred over field welding. Field welders require specific knowledge of equipment and should have the skills to complete such tasks.
The working area in the site weld
When you are working in the shop, you get a large working table on which you can perform the weld. Moreover, all the equipment and materials are within your reach and can be accessed by reaching out to them.
You can also weld in all positions without any difficulty. When you have all these circumstances in your favor, it is obvious that the resulting weld will be a success.
Installation of the final product
Even though site welding is an important part of completing the project, the final product needs to be installed at its assigned place. For the placement of this final project, we need field welds to be done as the final step of the procedure.
For instance, all the heavy pieces of projects like staircases or handrails need to be transported to the job site so we can assemble and join them by doing welding.
Conclusion
Now you know all the differences, similarities, advantages, and disadvantages of field weld and site weld as well. If you are working on a small project, then you might only need site welding in such a case. However, both of them are needed to complete a big-scale project.