ESAB offers a complete line of welding and cutting products and solutions. Explore our equipment offering with ease based on product line and industry.
ESAB is a world leader in welding and cutting equipment and consumables. Explore our complete line of welding and cutting products for virtually every application.
ESAB University Courses are incremental, structured learning modules designed to help you take your skills to the next level. New courses are being added regularly, so please check back often. Click the link to see current courses offered.
Specialty Alloys Webinars
Articles cover industry topics more in-depth and are created in partnership with ESAB engineers and master welders. Click the links to see the latest.
Tips from ESAB Experts to help take your welding, cutting and fabrication skills to the next level.
ESAB University videos are curated with tips and best practices from top fabricators around the world. Learn new techniques or improve your current skills with ESAB University videos.
Enhance your knowledge of welding, cutting, and fabrication with free and accessible webinars on a variety of topics, including welding best practices, tips for using ESAB products, new product launches, and more, presented by trusted ESAB experts.
ESAB is a world leader in welding and cutting equipment and consumables. We offer a complete line of fabrication solutions for virtually every application.
ESAB UK Pension Scheme Information
ESAB EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) initiatives are monitored with the highest degree of importance and commitment to safety is ingrained in our culture.
The history of ESAB is the History of Welding. Go here to view an interactive look at ESAB's history in shaping the future of innovation in welding, cutting and fabrication.
ESAB Newsroom - Stay up to date with the latest news from ESAB. View press releases, product announcements, corporate news, and more here.
View available job openings and more on the ESAB Careers page.
Purchasing from an ESAB Authorised Distributor guarantees you first-class customer service and support for all ESAB products.
ESAB offers a wealth of product support resources, including a range of technical and service publications, from Safety Data Sheets and downloadable product manuals to product certifications.
Visit ESAB's global manual search engine to access the items below and more.
Global User Manuals
Instruction Manuals
Spare Parts List
Product Storage Instructions
View Main Contact Page
View ESAB Location Information
No playlist found! Your playlist can be created here.
Filler metals
Many welders face the problem of passing guided bend test on 5083 base materials. The present article helps you understand why the bend tests are failing and what filler alloy should you be using.
Guided bend test is a quality control check. The test helps to evaluate the ductility of the weld metal at the face and root of a welded joint. During the process, the test specimen is bent 180°. Face bend tests are conducted with the weld face in tension. Root bend tests are conducted with the weld root in tension.
Base material 5083 can be welded successfully with 5356, 5183 and/or 5556. All three of these filler alloys may be suitable for welding this base material. However, choosing one of these filler alloys is dependent upon the application and service requirements of the component being welded.
The 5083 base material can be used in several applications including shipbuilding, cryogenic tanks, military vehicles and structural fabrications. From a design standpoint, considering fillet welds, the typical transverse shear strength values of these three filler alloys (5356, 5183 and 5556) are 26 ksi, 28 ksi and 30 ksi, respectively.
Considering groove weld transverse tensile strength, the 5356 filler alloy is normally only used on 5083 base material when there is no requirement for groove weld welding procedure qualifications. The 5356 filler alloy may not consistently achieve the minimum tensile strength requirements of the code (40 ksi–275 MPa) for groove weld transverse tensile testing of 5083 base material.
The 5183 filler, developed specifically for welding the 5083 base material, will meet the mechanical property requirements for groove weld procedure qualification. The 5556 base alloy has slightly higher mechanical properties over the 5183 and can be used to weld the slightly higher strength 5456 base material. It will also meet the minimum tensile requirements for the 5083 base material.
The 5083 base material should not be welded with a 4043 or a 4047 filler alloy. It not recommended that any 5xxx series base material with more than 2.5% magnesium be welded with a 4xxx series filler alloy.
Failing a guided bend test can be due to several reasons:
The most obvious reason is that there is some form of discontinuity in the weld that has caused the break, usually lack of fusion. To determine the presence of any significant discontinuities that may have caused the failure, the failed sample needs to be inspected.
Was the test conducted correctly? The samples may not have been prepared correctly prior to bending, or they were bent over the incorrect radius. Examination of the failed samples is necessary to verify that they were prepared in accordance with the relevant specification. The test procedure should be evaluated to determine its correctness.
Which testing method was used? The wraparound guided bend test method is the preferred method of testing aluminium weldments because of the significant variations in the welded mechanical properties of some aluminium alloys. The plunger test method is not recommended for higher-strength aluminium alloys like those that you are testing.
The use of an inappropriate filler alloy, such as a 4xxx series used on this base material, could result in a weld with low ductility and therefore susceptibility to failure.