Nautical Term: Crater
Definition of Crater
A crater in the context of welding refers to a cup-shaped depression that forms in the weld puddle. This occurs when the pressure of the molten metal being forced outwards by the welding torch is greater than the force holding the molten metal together at the center of the weld puddle.
For instance, suppose a welder is working on a steel pipe using the shielded metal arc welding process. The welder maneuvers the torch to melt the base metal, while the shielding gas protects the molten metal from atmospheric contamination.
As the molten metal is forced outwards by the welding torch, the pressure at the center of the weld puddle begins to decrease. Consequently, the molten metal at the center of the weld puddle begins to solidify.
The solidifying molten metal at the center of the weld puddle contracts, resulting in the formation of a cup-shaped depression, also known as a crater.
Therefore, a crater in welding refers to the cup-shaped depression that forms at the center of a weld puddle due to the solidification and contr
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