Metal-Arc Gas Shielded Welding - (Vertical) - Aluminium — SEG Awards Vocationally-Related Qualification Design and Technology Revision

    This topic covers the MAGS welding process for aluminium in the vertical position. Learners will understand safety legislation, equipment function, welding

    Topic Synopsis

    This topic covers the MAGS welding process for aluminium in the vertical position. Learners will understand safety legislation, equipment function, welding parameters, joint preparation, distortion control, and defect identification.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Metal-Arc Gas Shielded Welding - (Vertical) - Aluminium

    SEG AWARDS
    vocational

    This topic covers the MAGS welding process for aluminium in the vertical position. Learners will understand safety legislation, equipment function, welding parameters, joint preparation, distortion control, and defect identification.

    1
    Learning Outcomes
    3
    Assessment Guidance
    3
    Key Skills
    1
    Key Terms
    5
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    SEG Awards Level 3 Diploma in Welding Techniques and Skills

    Topic Overview

    The SEG Awards Level 3 Diploma in Welding Techniques and Skills is a vocationally-related qualification designed for students pursuing a career in welding and fabrication. This diploma covers advanced welding processes, including Manual Metal Arc (MMA), Metal Inert Gas (MIG), Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), and Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW). Students develop practical skills in preparing joints, selecting appropriate welding parameters, and inspecting welds to industry standards such as BS EN ISO 9606-1. The qualification also emphasizes health and safety regulations, including COSHH and PPE requirements, ensuring students can work safely in industrial environments.

    This diploma is part of the Design and Technology curriculum, bridging theoretical knowledge with hands-on application. It prepares students for roles such as coded welder, welding inspector, or fabrication technician. By mastering techniques like fillet and butt welds in various positions (flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead), students gain the competence needed for NVQ Level 3 or apprenticeship pathways. The qualification also develops problem-solving skills, as students must adjust welding parameters to avoid defects like porosity, slag inclusion, or distortion.

    Understanding welding metallurgy is crucial, as students learn how heat input affects material properties, including grain structure and hardness. The diploma covers destructive and non-destructive testing methods, such as bend tests, tensile tests, and dye penetrant inspection. This comprehensive approach ensures students can produce high-quality welds that meet engineering specifications, making them valuable assets in sectors like construction, automotive, and oil and gas.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Welding parameters: Current (amperage), voltage, travel speed, and wire feed speed must be balanced to achieve proper penetration and bead profile. For example, too high current in MIG welding can cause burn-through on thin materials.
    • →Joint preparation: Cleaning surfaces, beveling edges, and ensuring correct fit-up are essential to prevent defects. For TIG welding, even minor contamination can cause porosity.
    • →Welding positions: Students must master flat (PA), horizontal (PB), vertical (PF), and overhead (PE) positions, each requiring different technique and parameter adjustments.
    • →Defect identification: Common defects include lack of fusion, undercut, slag inclusion, and cracking. Understanding causes (e.g., incorrect angle, insufficient preheat) is key to prevention.
    • →Health and safety: Use of PPE (welding helmet with correct shade, flame-resistant gloves, apron), ventilation for fume extraction, and fire safety protocols are mandatory.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • 1.1. Identify the responsibilities of both the employer and the employee when complying with the Health and Safety at Work Act 19741.2. Identify the use of current legislation, to include:• COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)• PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment)• RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations)1.3. Identify the use of a risk assessment procedure1.4. Identify safe working practices when using the MAGS welding process, to include working:• in a confined space• at an height above 2 metres • with containers that have held chemicals or flammable liquids • in damp or wet conditions1.5. Describe the function of the equipment used in the MAGS welding process, to include:• rectifier• welding lead cable and clamp• welding return cable and clamp• secondary earth and connector• torch• contact tip• shroud/nozzle• wire feed mechanism • gas supply, regulator and flow meter1.6. Identify suitable maintenance checks that would be required on the items listed in 2.11.7. State the procedures to be followed for the safe storage of welding equipment when the welding activity has been completed1.8. Identify a range of electrode wires that are used for the MAGS welding process, to include:• non-coated• copper coated1.9. Describe the effects of incorrect storage of electrode wires1.10. Recognise the effect of using damaged electrode wires when carrying out welding activities1.11. Identify the shielding gas/es used in MAGS welding1.12. Identify the function of the shielding gas used in MAGS welding1.13. Recognise the different modes of metal transfer used in MAGS welding1.14. Identify and select the welding parameters to be used when welding materials greater than 6 mm in thickness in the vertical welding position (PF/PG).• mode of metal transfer• welding current• arc voltage• torch slope and tilt angles• shielding gas flow rate• wire speed• speed of travel1.15. Identify suitable welding preparations for the type of joint and material thickness being welded1.16. Identify terms associated with welding preparations, to include:• included angle• angle of bevel• root face dimension• root gap dimension 1.17. Describe the application of distortion control techniques, to include: • pre-setting • restraint• joint geometry 1.18. Be able to follow instructions given on a WPS (Welding Procedure Sheet)1.19. Identify appropriate safety checks on the welding equipment prior to use1.20. Select suitable welding parameters to enable the listed joints to be welded by the MAGS welding process on low carbon steel or stainless steel or aluminium• tee fillet (PF)• butt (PF)• open outside corner (PF or PG)• lap joint (PF or PG)1.21. Carry out visual inspection of completed welds1.22. Prepare and carry out nick break tests on completed fillet welds1.23. Prepare and carry out destructive tests on completed butt welds, to include:• face bend • root bend• fracture test 1.24. Record the results of the weld examination as detailed in 7.1, 7.2 and 7.31.25. Identify and describe typical defects found in the MAGS welding process joints, to include:• cracks• inclusions• undercut• lack of fusion• arc craters• porosity• lack of penetration1.26. Identify possible causes of the defects listed in 8.1

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Correctly identifies employer and employee responsibilities under HASAWA.
    • Describes function of MAGS equipment and appropriate maintenance checks.
    • Selects correct welding parameters for vertical aluminium welding.
    • Applies distortion control techniques such as pre-setting and restraint.
    • Identifies and explains causes of common welding defects.

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡Memorise key legislation acronyms (COSHH, PUWER, RIDDOR).
    • 💡Practice parameter selection for different joint types.
    • 💡Use diagrams to explain distortion control.
    • 💡Always refer to the relevant British or European standard (e.g., BS EN ISO 9606-1 for welder approval) when describing weld quality criteria. Examiners look for evidence that you can apply industry standards, not just general knowledge.
    • 💡In practical assessments, demonstrate your understanding of parameter selection by explaining why you chose a specific current or wire feed speed. For example, 'I used a lower current for the root pass to prevent burn-through, then increased it for fill passes to ensure fusion.'
    • 💡When discussing defects, always link them to their root cause and a corrective action. For instance, 'Undercut is caused by excessive current or travel speed; to correct, reduce current and slow down to allow filler metal to fill the edge.'

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Confusing MAGS with other welding processes.
    • Incorrectly setting welding parameters for aluminium.
    • Overlooking safety checks and risk assessment procedures.
    • Misconception: 'MIG welding is easier than TIG, so it doesn't require as much skill.' Correction: MIG welding still demands precise control of travel speed and gun angle to avoid spatter and lack of fusion. Both processes require practice to achieve consistent quality.
    • Misconception: 'If the weld looks good on the surface, it's strong underneath.' Correction: Surface appearance can be deceptive. Internal defects like lack of fusion or porosity may only be detected through destructive testing or NDT methods like radiography.
    • Misconception: 'You can weld any metal with the same settings.' Correction: Different metals (mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium) have different thermal conductivity and melting points. For example, aluminium requires higher amperage and faster travel speed due to its high thermal conductivity.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •Basic understanding of engineering materials (e.g., carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium) and their properties.
    • •Familiarity with workshop safety practices, including fire safety, fume extraction, and PPE use.
    • •Completion of a Level 2 welding qualification or equivalent experience in basic welding techniques (e.g., tack welding, simple butt joints).

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • 1.1. Identify the responsibilities of both the employer and the employee when complying with the Health and Safety at Work Act 19741.2. Identify the use of current legislation, to include:• COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)• PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment)• RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations)1.3. Identify the use of a risk assessment procedure1.4. Identify safe working practices when using the MAGS welding process, to include working:• in a confined space• at an height above 2 metres • with containers that have held chemicals or flammable liquids • in damp or wet conditions1.5. Describe the function of the equipment used in the MAGS welding process, to include:• rectifier• welding lead cable and clamp• welding return cable and clamp• secondary earth and connector• torch• contact tip• shroud/nozzle• wire feed mechanism • gas supply, regulator and flow meter1.6. Identify suitable maintenance checks that would be required on the items listed in 2.11.7. State the procedures to be followed for the safe storage of welding equipment when the welding activity has been completed1.8. Identify a range of electrode wires that are used for the MAGS welding process, to include:• non-coated• copper coated1.9. Describe the effects of incorrect storage of electrode wires1.10. Recognise the effect of using damaged electrode wires when carrying out welding activities1.11. Identify the shielding gas/es used in MAGS welding1.12. Identify the function of the shielding gas used in MAGS welding1.13. Recognise the different modes of metal transfer used in MAGS welding1.14. Identify and select the welding parameters to be used when welding materials greater than 6 mm in thickness in the vertical welding position (PF/PG).• mode of metal transfer• welding current• arc voltage• torch slope and tilt angles• shielding gas flow rate• wire speed• speed of travel1.15. Identify suitable welding preparations for the type of joint and material thickness being welded1.16. Identify terms associated with welding preparations, to include:• included angle• angle of bevel• root face dimension• root gap dimension 1.17. Describe the application of distortion control techniques, to include: • pre-setting • restraint• joint geometry 1.18. Be able to follow instructions given on a WPS (Welding Procedure Sheet)1.19. Identify appropriate safety checks on the welding equipment prior to use1.20. Select suitable welding parameters to enable the listed joints to be welded by the MAGS welding process on low carbon steel or stainless steel or aluminium• tee fillet (PF)• butt (PF)• open outside corner (PF or PG)• lap joint (PF or PG)1.21. Carry out visual inspection of completed welds1.22. Prepare and carry out nick break tests on completed fillet welds1.23. Prepare and carry out destructive tests on completed butt welds, to include:• face bend • root bend• fracture test 1.24. Record the results of the weld examination as detailed in 7.1, 7.2 and 7.31.25. Identify and describe typical defects found in the MAGS welding process joints, to include:• cracks• inclusions• undercut• lack of fusion• arc craters• porosity• lack of penetration1.26. Identify possible causes of the defects listed in 8.1

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