What is "butt welding"

n. creating a butt joint by welding [syn: butt-welding]

Butt welding is a welding technique used to connect parts which are nearly parallel and don't overlap. It can be used to run a processing machine continuously, as opposed to having to restart such machine with a new supply of metals. Butt-welding is an economical and reliable way of joining without using additional components.

Usually, a butt-welding joint is made by gradually heating up the two weld ends with a weld plate and then joining them under a specific pressure. This process is very suitable for prefabrication and producing special fittings. Afterward, the material is usually ground down to a smooth finish and either sent on its way to the processing machine, or sold as a completed product.

This type of weld is usually accomplished with an arc or MIG welder. It can also be accomplished by brazing. With arc welding, after the butt weld is complete, the weld itself needs to be struck with a hammer forge to remove slag (a type of waste material) before any subsequent welds can be applied. This is not necessary for MIG welds however, as a protective gas removes any need for slag to appear. Another with a MIG welder is that a continuous copper coated wire is fed onto the stock, making the weld virtually inexhaustible.