Edge PreparationFor many of the components that are manufactured it isn't a simple principle of putting two parts together and welding them. A welding engineer knows that with a butt weld if full penetration isn't achieved there is likely to be an intrinsic weakness to the joint and failure may occur at a load lower than which it was designed. As the thickness of the component to be welded increases, less likely achieving full penetration on a square edge butt weld becomes. To rectify this problem the designer must change the shape of the component edges to allow the weld to fully penetrate. These edge preparations are normally simple geometric shapes, they widen the weld area to allow easier access for the welding consumable into the joint, and also to provide some degree of support for the weld metal. Some configurations can also be effective in controlling distortion in and around the weld area.
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