AH32 Marine High-Strength Steel Welding Process Guide

1. Welding Process Compatibility

Due to its low carbon equivalent design, ABS AH32 steel offers excellent weldability and is suitable for the following mainstream shipbuilding welding processes, meeting the requirements of various construction scenarios:

Manual Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)

Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)

Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

2. Selection of Welding Materials

Welding materials should be matched to the properties of the base metal. The recommended selections are as follows:

The above selections ensure that the strength and toughness of the weld meet the requirements of the specifications.

3. Preheating and Interpass Temperature Control

Steel plate thickness < 30 mm: No preheating is required in ambient temperatures (≥0°C).

Steel plate thickness ≥ 30 mm or ambient temperature < 0°C: Preheating temperature should be controlled between 60–100°C, and interpass temperature should be maintained at ≤150°C.

Note: Avoid excessively high preheating temperatures, which may cause grain coarsening in the heat-affected zone.

4. Measures for Preventing Common Defects

5. Key Considerations

The welding procedure must be approved by a classification society (e.g. ABS, CCS, DNV, etc.).

Welders must hold valid qualification certificates to work on site.

For large-scale welds on thick plates, post-weld stress-relief heat treatment is recommended to ensure the long-term stability of the ship structure’s weld quality.