Unique welding slag breaker system for improved occupational safety and sustainable efficiency in the fabrication of water wall panels for thermal boilers

D. Dinagaran, K.R. Balasubramanian, S.P. Sivapirakasam, N. Prasanna, Kuruva Gopanna and R. Yoganathan

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2026, vol. 53, issue 3, 331-349

Abstract: The current literature emphasises the use of submerged arc welding in water wall panel fabrication. However, the manual cleaning of welding slag presents challenges, prompting the development of an innovative slag breaker system within the submerged arc welding process. This manuscript describes the welding slag cleaning process, eliminate hazardous manual operations, and reduce environmental impact. The research further addresses the gaps in the literature by proposing an optimised cycle for water wall panel fabrication, integrating the slag breaker system. The manuscript highlights the benefits of reduced cycle time by 55.8%, enhanced occupational safety and minimised environmental concerns, contributing to sustainable manufacturing practices. The novel slag breaker system's design and integration into the submerged arc welding process are detailed, emphasising its practical application. Results demonstrate a streamlined cycle, significantly reducing manual labour, enhancing occupational safety, improving overall operational efficiency and reveals savings of INR 2,636,480/year emphasising the economic advantages.

Keywords: welding slag; water wall panel; submerged arc welding; SAW; occupational safety; slag cleaning; air pollution; noise pollution; operational efficiency; welding quality; thermal boilers. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=155000 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijisen:v:53:y:2026:i:3:p:331-349

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().