In marine fabrication, there is no "close enough." The ocean finds every weak point. A bracket or tank that looks fine in the shop can fail catastrophically 50 miles offshore if the welder missed the details.

At Welding World Inc, we don't just weld; we inspect. The header image above shows the reality of our process: verifying internal alignment before the torch ever lights up. Here are the most common industry mistakes we see, and how we prevent them.

1. The "Bad Fit-Up" Trap

The Mistake: Trying to bridge a gap because the metal wasn't cut or bent precisely.

The Consequence: If parts don't fit perfectly flush, the welder has to add excess filler rod to fill the gap. This creates heat distortion and a weaker joint. As seen in the photo, we verify the squareness of every baffle and sidewall to ensure a tight, metal-to-metal fit before welding begins.

2. The "Dirty Metal" Disaster

The Mistake: Welding over aluminum oxide, oil, or faint traces of paint.

The Consequence: Contamination in the weld puddle leads to weak, brittle joints. Aluminum must be cleaned with acetone and a stainless-steel wire brush immediately before the arc is struck. If you skip this, you aren't welding; you're just sticking metal together with dirt.

3. Poor Gas Coverage (Porosity)

The Mistake: Welding in a drafty area or using incorrect Argon flow rates.

The Consequence: Porosity. These are tiny air bubbles trapped inside the weld bead. They act like a perforated line on a piece of paper—a ready-made path for a crack to travel. We use high-flow gas lenses to ensure 100% argon coverage on every TIG weld.

4. The Cost of Mistakes

What happens when a part doesn't meet our standards? It doesn't get fixed; it gets scrapped.

The bin above is where mistakes go. We would rather throw away expensive aluminum (which is recycled 100%) than send a flawed product to a customer. Quality control isn't cheap, but it's the only way to guarantee safety.