Back purging is done to ensure that oxidation does not occur on the backside of a weld. This is typically done by flushing oxygen out of the weld area using argon or another inert gas.

Argon can be prohibitively expensive for certain jobs, especially when a large area must be purged or a purge dam is not easily installed. Aquasol Corporation’s Fiback® can greatly reduce or completely eliminate the need for back purging in these situations.

Fiback® is a weld backing tape made from flexible fiberglass and aluminum. The continuous nature of the tape and its flexibility is ideal for root pass welding of long seams and curved surfaces. Unlike ceramic tapes which develop stress points between pieces, Fiback® is consistent in thickness controlling root penetration and giving enhanced root fusion. The high quality and safe materials used are halogen and chlorofluorocarbon free, and the fiberglass strip can withstand temperatures up to 1022oF (550oC). In addition, Fiback® will not contaminate the weld, even when the fiberglass strip appears to be burnt.

Fiback® can help welders control penetration of the weld, which will give the weld a good profile. A good profile is indicated by a flat and uniform weld structure, while a bad profile has irregular peaks and troughs.

Fiback®’s reduction of back purging and control of weld penetration minimizes the need of post weld dressing and grinding. Weld clean up can add a significant amount of time and labor expenses to a job. Fiback® allows operators to be more efficient and effective, in addition to the gas savings!

Fiback® can be used on both carbon and stainless steels, and is compatible with TIG and MIG welding. It can be used in a vertical or horizontal orientation. It is ideal for plate, sheet, and pipe welding, and some of Fiback®’s most popular applications include pressure vessels, large bore pipes, tanks and shipbuilding. Fiback®’s flexible nature is what makes it so appealing for these applications and provides an advantage over other types of backing tape, such as ceramic.

Ceramic backing tape is too rigid to be used in applications such as piping and tank fabrication, unlike Fiback® which can conform to a number of surfaces and shapes. Ceramic tape also fails to accommodate the HiLo alignment, the step when plates are misaligned, whereas Fiback® takes up the shape. Furthermore, the proper shape and size of ceramic backing must be determined to obtain the desired results as well as be properly placed on the joint.

Fiback® is available in two different amperages of fiberglass, 200 and 600, as well as two different sizes, 2.5” and 4”, to fit the needs of any job. Contact Aquasol Corporation to get a free sample, and see how Fiback® can help you increase efficiency and save money.