This article discusses the operating principles, types, and applications of shearing and slitting of different forms of steel, including plates, flat sheets, bars, coiled sheet and strips. In addition, it provides a detailed account of the cutting methods such as oxyfuel gas cutting, plasma arc cutting, oxygen arc cutting, laser beam cutting, and air carbon arc cutting and gouging, describing their process capabilities, equipment used, operating principles and parameters, and factors affecting their efficiency.

Oxyfuel gas cutting (OFC) includes a group of cutting processes that use controlled chemical reactions to remove preheated metal by rapid oxidation in a stream of pure oxygen. This article provides a detailed discussion on the principles of operation and the process capabilities of OFC. In addition to providing information on the equipment used, the article describes the properties of fuel gases (acetylene, natural gas). It also presents an overview of the effect of OFC on base metal and explains the application of OFC in cutting thin, medium, and thick sections, bars, and structural and close-tolerance shapes.

Oxyfuel gas cutting (OFC) includes a group of cutting processes that use controlled chemical reactions to remove preheated metal by rapid oxidation in a stream of pure oxygen. This article discusses the operation principles and process capabilities of the OFC. It reviews the properties and compositions of fuel types such as acetylene, natural gas, propane, propylene, and methyl-acetylene-propadiene-stabilized gas. The article describes the effects of OFC on base metal, including carbon and low-alloy steels, cast irons, and stainless steels. It provides information on light cutting, medium cutting, heavy cutting, and stack cutting. The article informs that the basic oxyfuel method can be modified to allow gas cutting of metals, such as stainless steel and most nonferrous alloys, that resist continuous oxidation.

Flame hardening is a heat treating process in which a thin surface shell of a steel part is heated rapidly to a temperature above the critical temperatures of the steel. The versatility of flame-hardening equipment and the wide range of heating conditions obtainable with gas burners, often permit flame hardening to be done by a variety of methods. These include the spot or stationary method, progressive method, spinning method, and the combination progressive-spinning method. This article provides information on fuel gases used in flame hardening and their selection criteria for specific applications. It also discusses operating procedures and control requirements for flame hardening of steel.

Fracture surfaces are fragile and subject to mechanical and environmental damage that can destroy microstructural features. This article discusses the importance of care and handling of fractures and the factors that need to be considered during the preliminary visual examination. It describes the procedures for sectioning a fracture and opening secondary cracks as well as the effect of nondestructive inspection on subsequent evaluation. The article provides information on the most common techniques for cleaning fracture surfaces. These techniques are dry air blast cleaning, replica stripping, organic-solvent cleaning, water-base detergent cleaning, cathodic cleaning, and chemical-etch cleaning.

After solidification and cooling, further processing and finishing of the castings are required. This article describes the general operations of shakeout, grinding, cleaning, and inspection of castings, with particular emphasis on automation technology. It illustrates the vertical core knockout machine and the A-frame core knockout machine and lists the advantages and disadvantages of these machines. The article describes the general factors in automated or manual gate removal process. It concludes with discussion on the various types of inspection, such as the liquid penetrant inspection, pressure testing, radiographic inspection, magnetic particle inspection, and ultrasonic inspection.

Oxyfuel gas welding (OFW) is a manual process in which the metal surfaces to be joined are melted progressively by heat from a gas flame, with or without a filler metal. This article discusses the capabilities, advantages, and limitations of OFW. It describes the role of gases, such as oxygen, acetylene, hydrogen, natural gas, propane, and proprietary gases, in OFW. The article discusses the important elements of an OFW system, such as gas storage facilities, pressure regulators, hoses, torches, related safety devices, and accessories. It describes the sequence for setting up a positive-pressure welding outfit. The article provides information on forehand welding and backhand welding, as well as various joints used. It concludes with a discussion on repairs and alterations, as well as the safety aspects.

Trepanning is used in at least four distinct production applications: round disks, large shallow through holes, circular grooves, and deep holes. This article provides an overview of the first three applications. It describes the machines, tools, techniques, and cutting fluids used for deep-hole trepanning. The article contains a table that lists speeds and feeds for the deep-hole trepanning of various steels with high-speed tool steels and carbide tools.

This article focuses on the mechanical and nonmechanical cutting methods used in metal fabrication industries. The most prevalent equipment used for mechanical cutting includes shears, iron workers, nibblers, and band saws. Nonmechanical methods of cutting include gas cutting, electric arc cutting, and laser cutting. The article concludes with information on the advantages of abrasive waterjet cutting, which is an alternative to laser cutting, gas cutting, and plasma cutting.

This article introduces thermal spray coatings and describes the various types of coating processes and coating devices, including the flame spray, electric-arc spray, plasma spray, transferred plasma arc, high-velocity oxyfuel, and detonation gun. It provides information on the surface preparation methods and finishing treatments of coated parts. The article also explains the tests to evaluate the coating quality and the effects of coating structures and mechanical properties on coated parts. It concludes with a discussion on the uses of thermal spray coatings.

Safety is an important consideration in all welding, cutting, and related work. This article discusses the basic elements of safety general to all welding, cutting, and related processes. It includes safety procedures common to a variety of applications. The most important component of an effective safety and health program is management support and direction. The article reviews the role of management, training, housekeeping, and public demonstrations in welding safety to minimize personal injury and property damage. It provides information on the safety measures for eye and face protection in various welding and cutting operations. Injuries and fatalities from electric shock in welding and cutting operations can occur if proper precautionary measures are not followed. The article discusses the electrical safety aspects to be considered for various welding and cutting operations.

This article provides information on the various types of welds and joints. It reviews the weld joint design considerations: the ability to transfer load and the cost. The article explains the throat size and weld size requirements of fillet welds, and presents a comparison of fillet and groove welds. It details the various design considerations for groove-weld selection, including the groove angle, root opening, and depth of the groove. The article also describes the methods of edge preparation and concludes with an illustration of the recommended proportions of grooves for arc welding.

Metals and alloy powders are used in welding, hardfacing, brazing, and soldering applications, which include hardface coatings, the manufacturing of welding stick electrodes and flux-cored wires, and additives in brazing pastes or creams. This article reviews these applications and the specific powder properties and characteristics they require.

This article focuses on the mechanisms and common causes of failure of metal components in lifting equipment in the following three categories: cranes and bridges, particularly those for outdoor and other low-temperature service; attachments used for direct lifting, such as hooks, chains, wire rope, slings, beams, bales, and trunnions; and built-in members such as shafts, gears, and drums.