Continuous welding

Continuous welding runs an unbroken weld bead along the full length of a joint, as opposed to intermittent or stitch welding that deposits short runs at a set pitch. Hull shell, strength deck, and tank-boundary connections require continuous fillet or butt welds for watertight and oiltight integrity and for fatigue strength. Intermittent welding is permitted only on lightly loaded secondary structure in dry spaces, and class rules set the leg length and pitch. Continuous welding adds heat input and weld metal volume, so it raises angular distortion, which the panel-line sequence and jigging must control.