Welding and manufacturing operations have a few choices when it comes to tackling mill scale on steel parts. They can purchase cold-rolled steel, which due to the nature of the manufacturing process, doesn’t have mill scale on its surface. This material, however, is more expensive and may not be available in as many thicknesses and/or dimensions.

Conversely, they can purchase hot-rolled steel in the shot-blasted condition (i.e., with the mill scaleremoved), shot blast the plate themselves or manually remove the mill scale in the weld areas by grinding during fabrication. These options all add cost. That leaves the alternative of welding through mill scale on this steel to save time and money for pre-cleaning and for the upfront cost of the material.

There are some key best practices to address the challenges of welding through mill scale. Learn how to choose the right welding process, filler metal and shielding gas for the job. The chosen parameters and technique also factor into success. 

This article was published in The Welder. To read the full article, click here.