Gas Shielded Welding Processes

Gas Metal Arc Welding

(GMAW)

Lecture 4 p1
Gas Metal Arc Welding
Process Fundamentals
• In GMAW the welding heat source is an arc
maintained” between a consumable wire electrode and
the workpiece
• The weld is formed by melting and solidification of
the joint edges together with filler material transferred
from the electrode
• An flow of inert gas shields the high-temperature arc
and weld pool from reactions with the surrounding
atmosphere

p2
 GMAW Process Fundamentals
Electrode
Shielding Gas In
ComdUtOf

Wire Guide and

Direction of Travel
ontact Tube

Gas Nozzle
CONSUMABLE GAS
ELECTRODE SHIELD

Metal
Base Metal

Lecture 4
GMAW Metal Transfer Modes

• Short Circuiting or "Dip" Transfer

• Globular Transfer
• Spray Transfer
• Pulsed or Synergic Transfer

p4
 GMAW Short Circuiting Transfer

ZERO
Time
ARCING PERIOD

Lecture 4
 GMAW Globular Transfer Mode
CIASNOULE

ELECTRODE

R-Anode reaction
P-Electromagnetic "pinch" force

fB)

i4 p6
 GMAW Spray Transfer
Variation in volume and rate of drop transfer with welding current
10 x 10-I

RATE OF TRANSFER, DROPLE TS/s 20

1/16 io (1.6 m MILD STEEL ELECTRODE, DCRP

DROP VOLUME
’8

ARGON 1% OXY SHIELDING GAS 16.

1/4 in. (8.4 mml ARC LENGTH

i0 >

0 0
200
CUfiRENT, A

Lecture 4
GMAW Spray Transfer

p8
 GMAW Pulsed Transfer
PULSE PEAk CURRENT

SPRAY TRANSFER CURRENT RANGE

GLOBULAR TRANSFER CURRENT RANGE
PULSE2* TRANSITION CURRENT

l f l {U 12345
BACKGROUND CURRENT

TIME

Pulse frequency and amplitude determine wire melting rate

"Synergic" control automatically gives the optimum pulse conditions for a given wire feed rate

Lecture 4
GMAW Welding Procedures

• Process Variables
— Welding current (electrode melting rate)
— Polarity
- Arc voltage (length)
- Travel speed
- Electrode extension
- Electrode size
- Shielding gas composition

p 10
 GMAW Electrode Melting Rate

10

WELDING CURRENT (A)

Lecture 4 p1
GMAW Torch Geometry

Contact t be

Contact Tube to Electrode Extension

Work Distance
I \
/’\ Arc Length
/ 'k

p 12
 GMAW Consumables
• Electrode composition is usually similar to
desired weld metal composition with
additional deoxidizers e.g. Si, Al, Ti
• Electrodes are covered by AWS and
other specifications
- Carbon steel electrodes AWS A 5.18.
• Shielding Gases
- Various shielding gases are used depending on
metal being welded and desired transfer mode
- Principally Ar, CO2 and mixtures of Ar-CO2, O2 or He
- Several commemial "brand-name" compositions

Lecture 4 p1
GMAW Tical Weldin Procedures
Carbon Steel

A B
 GMAW Welding Equipment

Wire Feed Unit

Lecture 4
GMAW Welding Gun

WIRE ELECTROOE OfdD 3T csHiecoiuo exe

INPUT WTER LINE

CONTACT TT CONTROL SWITCH

”‘*POWER BLOGK eowV
NETURN WT[R

p 16
 GMAW Applications

• Aluminum alloys, copper/bronze, magnesium.

titanium, austenitic stainless steels, nickel
alloys
• Sheet metal fabrication (short circuit mode)
- eg automotive, appliance, light structures
• General structural fabrication
(spray/pulsed mode)
• High production, mechanised and
robotic welding

Lecture 4 p 17
GMAW Mechanized Application
Field welds in oil/gas transmission pipelines

2 external GMAW heads -

6 internal GMAW heads

pneumatic alignment damps Weld preparation and bead sequence

p 18
 GMAW: Mechanized Applications
Transfer Flask Shielded Workstation
TV camera
Nuclear Fuel Welding guns 6 seam tracker

Stora

Spent Fuel Bay

Cover eeal efter loading

Lecture 4 p 19
GMAW: Mechanized applications
Shielded station wall

Welding guns mounted on automatic seam trackers

Camera
WireWelding
feederpoWe£
supplyShielding

Turntable
Control I°"” I Panel

Video monit

p 20
 Process Control
ComponentStatus
Weld Cycle Time
Cycle startCycle end

Weld overlap
SEAM Tracking -
TRACKER Drive IrVout
Idle

TURNTA8LE IVlotion
idle

WELDING Welding Cient

EQUIPMENT Shield gas flow
Idle

Lecture 4 p 21
 GMAW Capabilities & Limitations
able to range of metals and thicknesses
Complex equipment and set up
er production rates than SMAW OF-GTAW
Wire feeding can be temperamental
ux or slag residues Less portable than
SMAW
able to manual or mechanized/robotic applications
Gas shield sensitive to air currents

p 22
 WELDING PROCESSES

GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING (GTAW)

Lecture 4 p 23
GTAW: Process Fundamentals (
• In GTAW the welding heat source is an
arc maintained between a non-
consumable. tungsten electrode and the
workpiece
• Inert gas shields the arc and weld zone
from atmospheric contamination
• Filler need not always be added
(autogenous welding)
• Filler if required is added to the weld pool in
the form of wire or rod.

p 24
 GTAW: Process Fundamentals

CURRENT CONDUCTOR
DlfiECTION OF WELDING

SHIELDIN
GAS IN

'NON-CONSUMABLE TUNGSTEN ELECTRODE

INERI GAS SHIELD
FILLER METAL

ARC SOMDIFIED
WELD META

Lecture 4 p 25,
GTAW: Process Variables I

• Welding current
— DC, pulsed DC, high frequency pulsation, AC, variable
polarity AC
• Arc length (Voltage)
• Weld travel speed
• Oscillation
• Filler addition
• Shielding gas composition & flow rate
- generally Ar or He or mixtures.

p 26
 GTAW: Current Polarity

• DCEP is mostly used

- approx 70o/o of heat produced at anode (workpiece)
• DCEN used to disperse tenacious
surface oxides when welding Al, Mg
• AC also used in Al welding
- variable polarity pulsed AC

Lecture 4 p2:
 GTAW: EKect of Polarity

e4 p 28
 GTAW: Arc Voltage
ARC LENGTH
TUNGSTEN ARC. ALUMINUM
ao - --0.08 in. (2 mm)
0.16 in. (4 mm)-
25 -
ARC VOLTAGE,V

2O HELIUM

10
0 ^ix
‹
0501001602£X}250300350
ARC CURRENT. A

Lecture 4 p 2'
(PGTAW)
CURRENT

TIME
es:
given average current Minimizes heat affected zone & distortion Improved capability to weld in all pos

'4 p 30
GTAW: Gas backing

PEN TOP

p 3’
 GTAW: Pipe internal purge

GAS INLET PURGE GAS OUTLET

FILL WITH BAFFLE
INERT GAS

PIPE WELD JOINT

:4 p 32
 GTAW Equipment Schematic

TORCH
ELECTRCAL CONDUCTOR
TUNGSTEN
ELECTRODE
GAS
PASSAGES POWER SOURCE
ARC

WORKPIECE INSULA WNGINERT

SHIELDING GA SHEATH GAS
SUPPLY

Lecture 4 p3
GTAW Torch
POWER CONDUCTOR
COOLING WATERIN/OUT SHIELDING GAS INLET

HANDLE

SHIELDIffG GAS OUTLET

TUNGSTEN ELECTRODE

4
 Mechanized GTAW Applications
• Mechanization of
- weld head travel motions
- wire feed (if required)
- process controls: start/stop sequence, weld current
profile, shielding gas flow, etc
• Typical applications: Pipe, tube, tube-
tubesheet welding, longitudinal welds in
formed tubes.
• Advantages of mechanization
- Increased productivity
- reduced weld defect rates
- shorter joint completion times
- reduced need for skilled labour

Lecture 4 p 35
 Hot Wire GTAW
HIGH SPEED FILLER WIRE FEEDER
AUX SHIELDING GAS
CONTACT TUBE
AC HOT WIRE POWER
GTAVV TORCH

r’TRAVEL QC GTAW POWER

HEATED WIRE
WELD WORKPIECE

4 p 36
 GTAW Deposition Rates
20
18
16
HOT WIRE WITH
- OSCILLATION

DEPOSITION RATE (lb/ hr)

- 12
IO

- 6
-
HOT WIRE
2
0 COLD WIRE
-

ARC ENERGY (kW}

-

Lecture 4 p 37
Narrow-Gap GTAW
Special Narrow-Gap Torch

Narrow-Gap Joint
Preparation

p 38
 GTAW Capabilities & Limitations
+ Superior quality - Low deposition
rates welds free from fIuX - Higher welder skill
residues or spatter required in manual
Excellent control of processes
penetration - Gas shielding
+ Applicable to almost sensitive to
air all metals currents
Adaptable to manual
or precision
mechanized
applications

Lecture 4 p 39