Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

“No one knows better what a weldor would need than a weldor” (Maguire).

Welding is a technical process our present society can't live without. It is a

process critical to the present state of civilization and technical advancement.

Trade skills especially in the field of Welding Technology often require skills from

a specific job to perform in order to succeed.

Aristotle once said "For the things we have to learn before we can do

them, we learn by doing them. The use of experiential activities adds value to

technology education, but the quality of that value could be increased if effective

instructional methods for delivering content that falls within the psychomotor

domain are utilized.

Filler wire feeding in many welding processes is difficult to master; hence

weldors must have steady hands to evenly feed the molten pool of the right

amount of filler wire to have a satisfactory uniform bead. Without any device that

guides the filler wire, the beginners will have the difficulty in feeding the weld pool

due to unstable hands and this may result to frustration leading to lack of interest

to the trade. It is also a major cause of burns on the operator hands that

compromises the work because of injury suffered.

The study aims to solve the mentioned problems in filler wire feeding in

Oxy-acetylene, Gas tungsten arc welding and Brazing. The device as developed

in the study will assist in the hand-feeding of welding filler wire to the weld puddle
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while the hand stays at a safe distance from the work. The thumb on the wheel

determines the feed speed. Ambidextrously designed, it can be used with either

left or right hand to manipulate.

This study is a Nobel implement in filler wire application in the trade of

welding technology since, filler wire feeding is very frustrating skill to master. The

instructional device could also assist the teachers in demonstrating skills and

knowledge to students thus, increasing their interest in welding.

Also, the device promotes safety to weldors because the hand stays at a

safe distance from the work. However, since training cannot do away with the

traditional hand feeding, the skill of manual filler wire feeding will be developed

slowly and safely by the students in time as long as their interest is in effect

through the help of the device.

Objectives of the Study

General Objective:

The general objective of the study is to develop a Wire Feeder Device for

Oxy-acetylene welding and Brazing and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, skill

reinforcement and demonstration implement for welding training.

Specific Objectives:

Specifically, the aimed to:

1. Design a Wire feeder device for Oxy-acetylene, Gas Tungsten Arc

Welding and Brazing processes with the following features:

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a. The device is provided with an aluminum handle for lightweight,

which also serves as the frame of the device.

b. It has a wire guide that directs the movement of the wire thereby

aiding the proper feeding of the wire to the weld pool.

c. It is equipped with a pair of thumbwheels with rubber rings to

provide traction for the feeding of filler wire;

2. Create the instructional device for an accurate and satisfactory weld bead

profile for filler metal application out of locally available materials;

3. Test the effectiveness of the device in accordance to its operational

parameters; and

4. Evaluate the acceptability of the device through a validated evaluation

instrument for prototype development as used by the College of Industrial

Education.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study deals with the design, construction and testing of a Wire Feeder

for Oxy-acetylene, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding and Brazing processes for welding

subject. It used an aluminum bar body, for lightweight and easy handling, wire

guide, rubber rings, thumbwheel, wheel guide, Allen cap screws and square nut

slide. The project is limited to feed round wire filler only with a minimum diameter

of 1 mm up to a maximum of 3.2 mm diameter. It is designed to feed wire for

Oxy-Acetylene Welding (OAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)

processes only.
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