Par 4-62 Page 4-151 Materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, chromium, and nickel (which have a passive surface) will require an activating operation to remove the passive surface. During the activating process, do not use solutions
Par 4-62 Page 4-152 that have been previously used with reverse current (because of solution contamination).
Equipment. The power source should operate on either 110 or 220-volt alternating current (AC), 60 Hertz, single-phase input. It s hould have a capability to produce direct current (DC) having smooth characteristics with controlled ripple and be able to output a current of at least 25 amperes at 0 to 25 volts.
Minimum instrumentation of the power source should include a voltmeter, ammeter, and ampere-hour meter.
The ammeter should provide a full-scale reading equal to the maximum capacity of the power source, and with an accuracy of ±5 percent of the current being measured.
The voltmeter should have sufficient capacity to provide a full-scale reading equal to the maximum capacity of the power source and an accuracy of ±1.0 volt.
An ampere-hour meter should be readable to
0.001 ampere-hour and have an accuracy of ±0.01 ampere-hour.
The stylus should be designed for rapid cooling and to hold anodes of various sizes and configurations. For safety, the anode holder should be insulated.
The containers for holding and catching runoff solutions should be designed to the proper configuration and be inert to the specific solution.
The mechanical cleaning equipment and materials should be designed and selected to prevent contamination of the parts to be cleaned.
Materials. The anodes should be of high-purity dense graphite or platinum-iridium alloys. Do not mix solutions from different suppliers. This could result in contamination.
Detail Requirements. On large parts, no area greater than approximately 10 percent of the total area of the part should be plated by this selective plating process.
Small parts may be partially or completely plated.
Special cases exceeding these limitations should be coordinated with the manufacturer of the plating equipment being used and their recommendations should be followed.
Anode Selection. As a general guide, the contact area of the anode should be approximately one-third the size of the area to be plated. When selecting the anode, the configuration of the part will dictate the shape of the anode.
Required Ampere-Hour Calculation. The selected plating solution has a factor which is equal to the ampere-hours required to deposit 0.0001 inch on 1 square inch of surface. Determine the thickness of plating desired on a certain area, and multiply the solution factor times the plating thickness times the area in square inches to determine the ampere-hours required. This factor may vary because of temperature, current density, etc.
Cleaning. Remove corrosion, scale, oxide, and unacceptable plating prior to processing. Use a suitable solvent or cleaner to remove grease or oil.
Plating on Aluminum and Aluminum Base Alloys.
Electroclean the area using direct current until water does not break on the surface. This electroclean process should be accomplished at 10 to 15 volts, using the appropriate electroclean solution.
Par 4-62 Page 4-153 Rinse the area in cold, clean tap water.
Activate the area with reverse current, 7 to 10 volts, in conjunction with the proper activating solution until a uniform, gray-to-black surface is obtained.
Rinse thoroughly in cold, clean tap water.
Immediately electroplate to color while the area is still wet, using the appropriate nickel solution.
Rinse thoroughly.
Immediately continue plating with any other solution to desired thickness.
Rinse and dry.
Plating on Copper and Copper Base Alloys.
Electroclean the area using direct current until water does not break on the surface. The electroclean process should be accomplished at 8 to 12 volts using the appropriate electroclean solution.
Rinse the area in cold, clean tap water.
Immediately electroplate the area with any of the plating solutions, except silver. Silver requires an undercoat.
Rinse and dry.
Plating on 300 and 400 Series Stainless Steels, Nickel Base Alloys, Chrome Base Alloys, High Nickel Ferrous Alloys, Cobalt Base Alloys, Nickel Plate, and Chrome Plate.
Electroclean the area using direct current until water does not break on the surface.
This electroclean process should be accomplished at 12 to 20 volts using the appropriate electrocleaning solution.
Rinse the area in cold, clean tap water.
Activate the surface using direct current for 1 to 2 minutes, using the activating solution, and accomplish at 6 to 20 volts.
Do not rinse.
Immediately nickel-flash the surface to a thickness of 0.00005 to 0.0001 inch, using the appropriate nickel solution.
Rinse thoroughly.
Immediately continue plating with any other solution to desired thickness.
Rinse and dry.
Plating on Low-Carbon Steels (Heat Treated to 180,000 psi).
Electroclean the area using direct current until water does not break on the surface. This electroclean process should be accomplished at 12 to 20 volts, using the appropriate electrocleaning solution.
Rinse the area in cold, clean tap water.
Reverse-current etch at 8 to 10 volts, using the appropriate activating solution, until a uniform gray surface is obtained.
Rinse thoroughly.
Par 4-62 Page 4-154
Par 4-62 Page 4-155 (and 4-52) Immediately electroplate the part using any solutions, except copper or silver. Both of these require undercoats.
Rinse and dry.
Plating on Cast Iron and High-Carbon Steels (Steels Heat Treated to 180,000 psi).
Electroclean the area using direct current until water does not break on the surface. This electroclean process should be accomplished at 12 to 20 volts, using the appropriate electrocleaning solution.
Rinse the area thoroughly in cold, clean tap water.
Reverse-current etch at 8 to 10 volts, using the appropriate etching solution, until a uniform gray is obtained.
Rinse thoroughly.
Remove surface smut with 15 to 25 volts using the appropriate activating solution.
Rinse thoroughly.
Electroplate immediately, using any of the solutions, except copper or silver (both of these require undercoats).
Rinse and dry.
Plating on Ultrahigh Strength Steels (Heat Treated Above 180,000 psi).
Electroclean the area using reverse current until water does not break on the surface.
This electroclean process should be accomplished at 8 to 12 volts using the appropriate electroclean solution.
Rinse the area thoroughly in cold, clean tap water.
Immediately electroplate the part, using either nickel, chromium, gold, or cadmium. Other metals require an undercoat of one of the above. Plate initially at the highest voltage recommended for the solution so as to develop an initial barrier layer. Then reduce to standard voltage.
Rinse and dry.
Bake the part for 4 hours at 375 °F ± 25 °F.
NOTE: Where the solution vendor provides substantiating data that hydrogen embrittlement will not result from plating with a particular solution, then a postbake is not required. This substantiating data can be in the form of aircraft industry manufacturer’s process specifications, military specifications, or other suitable data.
NOTE: Acid etching should be avoided, if possible. Where etching is absolutely necessary, it should always be done with reverse current. Use alkaline solutions for initial deposits.
Dissimilar Metals and Changing Base. As a general rule, when plating two dissimilar metals, follow the plating procedure for the one with the most steps or activation. If activating steps have to be mixed, use reverse-current activation step s prior to direct-current activation steps.
Plating Solution Selection.
Alkaline and neutral solutions are to be used on porous base metals, white metals, highstrength steel, and for improved coating
Par 4-62 Page 4-156 (and 4-52) ability. Acid solutions are to be used for rapid buildup and as a laminating structure material in conjunction with alkaline-type solutions.
Chrome brush-plating solutions do not yield as hard a deposit as bath-plating solutions. The hardness is about 600 Brinell as compared to 1,000 Brinell for hard chrome deposited from a tank.
Silver-immersion deposits will form with no current flowing on most base metals from the silver brush-plating solutions. Such deposits have poor adhesion to the base metal.
Consequently, a flash of a more noble metal should be deposited prior to silver plating to develop a good bond.
In general, brush plating gives less hydrogen embrittlement and a lower fatigue strength loss than does equivalent tank deposits.
However, all brush-plated, ultrahigh strength steel parts (heat treated above 180,000 psi) should be baked, as mentioned, unless it is specifically known that embrittlement is not a factor.
Qualification Tests. All brush-plated surfaces should be tested for adhesion of the electrodeposit. Apply a 1-inch wide strip of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing tape code 250, or an approved equal, with the adhesive side to the freshly plated surface.
Apply the tape with heavy hand pressure and remove it with one quick motion perpendicular to the plated surface. Any plating adheri ng to the tape should be cause for rejection.
Personnel Training for Quality Control.
Manufacturers of selective-plating equipment provide training in application techniques at their facilities.
Personnel performing selective plating must have adequate knowledge of the methods, techniques, and practices involved. These personnel should be certified as qualified operators by the manufacturers of the products used.
4-63.4-73. [RESERVED.]
Par 4-74 Page 4-157
SECTION 5. WELDING AND BRAZING
GENERAL. This section covers weld repairs to aircraft and component parts only. Observe the following procedures when using such equipment as gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), plasma arc welding, and oxyacetylene gas welding. When repairs of any of these flight-critical parts are required, it is extremely important to make the weld repairs equal to the original weld.
Identifying the kind of metal to be welded, identifying the kind of welding process used in building the part originally, and determining the best way to make welded repairs are of utmost importance.
Welding is one of the three commonly used methods of joining metals without the use of fasteners. Welding is done by melting the edges of two pieces of metal to be joined and allowing the molten material to flow together so the two pieces will become one.
Brazing is similar to welding in that heat is used to join the material; but rather than melting, the metal is heated only enough to melt a brazing rod having a much lower melting point. When this brazing rod melts, it wets the surfaces to be joined, and wh en it cools and solidifies, it bonds the pieces together.
Soldering is similar to brazing except that brazing materials normally melt at temperatures above 425 °C (800 °F), while solders melt at temperatures considerably lower.
The next step in making airworthy weld repairs is to decide the best process to us e, considering the available state-of-the-art welding equipment, and then deciding the correct weld-filler material to use. Before any weld repairs can be made, the metal parts to be welded must be cleaned properly, fitted and jigged properly, and all defective welds must be removed to prepare for an aircraft quality weld repair.
Finally, after the weld is completed, the weld must be inspected for defects. All th ese things are necessary in order to make an airworthy weld repair.
Use the welding equipment manufacturer’s information to determine if the equipment will satisfy the requirements for the type of welding operation being undertaken.
Disregarding such detailed operating instructions may cause substandard welds.
For example, when using GTAW equipment, a weld can be contaminated with tungsten if the proper size electrode is not used when welding with direct current reverse polarity.
Another example, the depletion of the inert gas supply below the critical level causes a reduction in the gas flow and will increase the danger of atmospheric contamination.
Electric welding equipment versatility requires careful selection of the type current and polarity to be used. Since the composition and thickness of metals are deciding factors, the selection may vary with each specific application. Metals having refractory surface oxide films (i.e., magnesium alloys and aluminum and its alloys), are generally welded with alternating current (AC), while direct current (DC) is used for carbon, low alloy, noncorrodible, and heat-resisting steels.
General recommendations covering current and polarity are shown in table 4-12.
Oxyacetylene gas equipment is suitable for welding most metals. It is not, however, the best method to use on such materials as stainless steel, magnesium, and aluminum alloys; because of base metal oxidization, distortion, and loss of ductility.
Par 4-74 Page 4-158 TABLE 4-12. Current and polarity selection for inert gas welding.
ALTERNATING
CURRENT DIRECT
CURRENT
MATERIAL With High- Frequency Stabilization
STRAIGHT Polarity
Magnesium up to ¹/8 in. thick ..................................................
N.R.
Magnesium above ³/16 in. thick ............................................... 1 N.R.
Magnesium Castings ................................................................ 1 N.R.
Aluminum up to ³/32 in. thick................................................... 1 N.R.
Aluminum over ³/32 in. thick.................................................... 1 N.R.
Aluminum Castings.................................................................. 1 N.R.
Stainless Steel1
Low Carbon Steel, 0.015 to 0.030 in1
Low Carbon Steel, 0.030 to 0.125 in....................................... N.R. 1 1 Recommended N.R. Not Recommended
NOTE: If oxyacetylene is used for welding stainless steel or aluminum, all flux must be removed, as it may cause corrosion.
Accurately identify the type of material to be repaired. If positive identification of the material is not possible, contact the aircraft manufacturer or subject the item to a metallurgical laboratory analysis. Before any welding is attempted, carefully consider the weldability of the alloy, since all alloys are not readily weldable. The following steels are readily weldable; plain carbon (of the 1000 series), nickel steel (of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2300 series), chrome-nickel alloys (of the SAE 3100 series), chrome-molybdenum steels (of the SAE 4100 series), and low nickel-chromemolybdenum steel (of the SAE 8600 series).
Hold elements to be welded in a welding jig or fixture which is sufficiently rigid to prevent misalignment due to expansion and contraction of the heated material and which positively and accurately positions the pieces to be welded.
Clean parts to be welded with a wire brush or other suitable method prior to welding. Do not use a brush of dissimilar metal, such as brass or bronze on steel. The small deposit left by a brass or bronze brush will materially weaken the weld, and may cause cracking or subsequent failure of the weld. If the members are metallized, the surface metal may be removed by careful sandblasting followed by a light buffing with emery cloth.
Visually inspect the completed weld for the following:
The weld has a smooth seam and uniform thickness.
The weld is tapered smoothly into the base metal.
No oxide has formed on the base metal more than 1/2 inch from the weld.
There are no signs of blowholes, porosity, or projecting globules.
The base metal shows no signs of pitting, burning, cracking, or distortion.
The depth of penetration insures fusion of base metal and filler rod.
Par 4-74 Page 4-159 The welding scale is removed. The welding scale can be removed using a wire brush or by sandblasting.
Visual inspection shall be made of the completed weld to check for undercut and/or smooth blending of the weld contour into the base metal. Also, check for porosity and blowholes in the weld surface. Many military specifications, as well as American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) codes and American Welding Society (AWS) codes, specify acceptable limits of porosity and other types of defects that are acceptable. Remove any roll over, cold lap, or unfused weld metal.
Check underside of welded joint for defects.
Cracks in parts and materials can vary from tiny microfissures, that are visible only with magnification, to those easily identified by unaided eyes. Microfissures are the worst type of defect for two reasons; they are often hard to detect, and they produce the worst form of notch effect/stress concentration. Once they form, they propagate with repeated applications of stress and lead to early failures. Every possible means should be used to detect the presence of cracks, and ensure their complete removal before welding operations proceed. (See figure 4-26.)
Nondestructive testing or evaluation is advisable in critical applications.
Nondestructive testing methods such as;
magnetic particle, liquid penetrant, radiography, ultrasonic, eddy current, and acoustic emission can be used; however, they require trained and qualified people to apply them.
Do not file or grind welds in an effort to create a smooth appearance, as such treatment causes a loss of strength. Do not fill welds with solder, brazing metal, or any other filler.
When it is necessary to weld a joint which was previously welded, remove all of
FIGURE 4-26. Common defects to avoid when fitting and welding aircraft certification cluster.
the old weld material before rewelding. Avoid welding over a weld, because reheating may cause the material to lose its strength and become brittle. Never weld a joint which has been previously brazed.
When using oxyacetylene welding, the torch tip size depends upon the thickness of the material to be welded. Commonly used sizes, proven satisfactory by experience, are shown in table 4-13.
TABLE 4-13. Torch tip sizes.
Thickness of steel (in inches)
Diameter of hole in tip
Drill size
0.015 to 0.031
0.031 to 0.065
0.065 to 0.125
0.125 to 0.188
0.188 to 0.250
0.250 to 0.375
0.026 .031 .037 .042 .055 .067 71 68 63 58 54 51
Use welding rods and electrodes that are compatible with the materials to be welded.
Welding rods and electrodes for various applications have special properties suitable for the application intended.
Lap welds are used in shear applications. The weld throat of the fillet weld is considered the plane 45 degrees to the surface plane of the
Par 4-74 Page 4-160 sheet being welded and is equal to 0.707 times the thickness of the sheet stock. (See figure 4-27.)
PWS = 0.707xtx1xFwsu
where: P WS = the allowable tensile strength of the joint.
t = the thickness of the sheet stock (the throat of the weld joint.
l = the length of the weld joint.
Fwsu = the shear strength of the filled rod material.
FIGURE 4-27. Lap Weld Strength Calculation
Rosette welds are generally employed to fuse an inner reinforcing tube (liner) with the outer member. Where a rosette weld is used, drill a hole, (in the outside tube only) of sufficient size to insure fusion of the inner tube. A hole diameter of approximately one-fourth the tube diameter of the outer tube serves adequately for this purpose. In cases of tight-fitting sleeves or inner liners, the rosettes may be omitted. Rosette weld edge distance is 1/2 the diameter of the tube, as measured from the edge of the rosette hole to the end of the inside and outside tube. Rosettes shall not be considered when determining the strength of a welded form. Dr ill an 1/8-inch hole in the lower tube in the center of the intended rosette weld so the heat does not burn away the outer tube. This small hole tends to bleed off the heat from the torch and keeps the size of the rosette small.
Certain structural parts may be heat treated and, therefore, could require special handling.
In general, the more responsive an alloy steel is to heat treatment, the less suitable it is for welding because of its tendency to become brittle and lose its ductility in the welded area.
Weld the members which depend on heat treatment for their original physical properties by using a welding rod suitable for producing heat-treated values comparable to those of the original members. (See paragraph 4-74.)
After welding, heat treat the affected members to the manufacturer’s specifications.
TYPES OF WELDING.
Gas Welding. A fuel gas such as acetylene or hydrogen is mixed inside a welding torch with oxygen to produce a flame with a temperature of around 6,300 °F (3,482 ºC). This flame is used to melt the materials to be welded. A filler rod is melted into the puddle of molten metal to reinforce the weld. When highly-reactive metals such as aluminum are gas welded, they must be covered with flux to exclude oxygen from the molten metal and keep oxides from forming which would decrease the strength of the weld.
(An illustration of a carburizing flame, a neutral flame, and an oxidizing flame is shown in figure 4-28.)
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW). This method is the most familiar and common type and is known in the trade as stick welding. A metal wire rod coated with a welding flux is clamped in an electrode holder connected to the power supply with a heavy electrical cable. The metal to be welded is also attached to the power supply. The electrical power is supplied to the work at a low voltage
Par 4-75 Page 4-161
FIGURE 4-28. Basic gas-welding flames: Each has distinctive shape, color and sound. Neutral flame is the most used.
and high current and may be either AC or DC, depending upon the type of welding being done. An arc is struck between the rod and the work and produces heat in excess of 10,000 °F, which melts both the material and the rod. As the flux melts, it releases an inert gas which shields the molten puddle from oxygen in the air and prevents oxidation. The molten flux covers the weld and hardens to an airtight slag cover that protects the weld bead as it cools. This slag must be chipped off to examine the weld.
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW). This method of welding was formerly called Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding and is an improvement over stick welding, because an uncoated wire electrode is fed into the torch and an inert gas such as argon, helium, or carbon dioxide flows out around the wire to protect the puddle from oxygen. The power supply connects between the torch and the work, and the arc produces the intense heat needed to melt the wo rk and the electrode. Lowvoltage high-current DC is used almost exclusively with GMAW welding. GMAW is used more for largevolume production work than for aircraft repair.
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). This is the form of electric arc welding that fills most of the needs in aircraft maintenance. It is more commonly known as Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding and by the trade names of Heliarc or Heliweld. These trade names were derived from the fact that the inert gas originally used was helium.
Rather than using a consumable electrode such as is used in both of the other two methods we have discussed, the electrode in TIG welding is a tungsten rod. (In earlier procedures using this form of welding, a carbon electrode was used, but it has been replaced almost exclusively with tungsten.)
The 250+ amp arc between the electrode and the work melts the metal at 5,432 ºF, and a filler rod is manually fed into the molten puddle. A stream of inert gas such as argon or helium flows out of the torch and envelopes the arc, thereby preventing the formation of oxides in the puddle.
The versatility of TIG welding is increased by the power supply that is used. Direct current of either polarity or alternating current may be used. (See figures 4-29 and 4-30.)
FIGURE 4-29. Set TIG welder to DC current, straight polarity for welding mild steel, stainless steel and titanium.
Par 4-77 Page 4-162
FIGURE 4-30. Set TIG to AC current for welding aluminum and magnesium.
ELECTRIC-RESISTANCE WELDING. Many thin sheet metal parts for aircraft, especially stainless steel parts, are joined by one of the forms of electric resistance welding, either spot welding or seam welding.
Spot Welding. Two copper electrodes are held in the jaws of the spot welding machine, and the material to be welded is clamped between them. Pressure is applied to hold the electrodes tightly together, and electrical current flows through the electrodes and the material.
The resistance of the material being welded is so much higher than that of the copper electrodes that enough heat is generated to melt the metal. The pressure on the electrodes forces the molten spots in the two pieces of metal to unite, and this pressure is held after the current stops flowing long enough for the metal to solidify.
Refer to MIL HDBK-5 for joint construction and strength data. The amount of current, pressure, and dwell time are all carefully controlled and matched to the type of material and the thickness to produce the correct spot welds. (See figure 4-31.)
Seam Welding. Rather than having to release the electrodes and move the materi al to form a series of overlapping spot welds, a seam-welding machine is used to manufacture
FIGURE 4-31. In spot welding, heat is produced by electrical resistance between copper electrodes.
Pressure is simultaneously applied to electrode tips to force metal together to complete fusing process. Spotweld-nugget size is directly related to tip size.
fuel tanks and other components where a continuous weld is needed. Two copper wheels replace the barshaped electrodes. The meta l to be welded is moved between them, and electric pulses create spots of molten metal that overlap to form the continuous seam.
BRAZING. Brazing refers to a group of metaljoining processes in which the bonding material is a nonferrous metal or alloy with a melting point higher than 425 °C (800 °F), but lower than that of the metals being joined.
Brazing includes silver brazing (erroneously called silver soldering or hard soldering), copper brazing, and aluminum brazing.
NOTE: Never weld over a previously brazed joint.
Brazing requires less heat than welding and can be used to join metals that are damaged by high heat.
However, because the strength of brazed joints is not as great as welded joints, brazing is not used for structural repairs on aircraft. In deciding whether brazing of a joint is justified, it should be remembered that a metal, which will be subjected to a sustained high temperature in use, should not be brazed.
A brazing flux is necessary to obtain a good union between the clean base metal and the filler metal. There are a number of readily available manufactured fluxes conforming to AWS and AMT specifications.
The base metal should be preheated slowly with a mild flame. When it reaches a dull-red heat (in the case of steel), the rod should be heated to a dark (or purple) color, and dipped into the flux. Since enough flux