Showing papers on "Gas metal arc welding published in 2013"

A comparative study of pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding and TIG welding of thin Ti6Al4V titanium alloy plate

Abstract: This paper reports on a study aiming at comparing properties of the Ti6Al4V titanium alloy joints between pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding and traditional fusion welding. To achieve the research purpose, Ti6Al4V titanium alloy plates with a thickness of 0.8 mm were welded using pulsed Nd:YAG laser beam welding (LBW) and gas tungsten arc welding (TIG), respectively. Residual distortions, weld geometry, microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints produced with LBW and TIG welding were compared. During the tensile test, with the aid of a high speed infrared camera, evolution of the plastic strain within tensile specimens corresponding to LBW and TIG welding were recorded and analyzed. Compared with the TIG, the welded joint by LBW has the characters of small overall residual distortion, fine microstructure, narrow heat-affected zone (HAZ), high Vickers hardness. LBW welding method can produce joints with higher strength and ductility. It can be concluded that Pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding is much more suitable for welding the thin Ti6Al4V titanium alloy plate than TIG welding.

Modeling of bead section profile and overlapping beads with experimental validation for robotic GMAW-based rapid manufacturing

Abstract: Robotic gas metal arc welding enables the capacity of fabricating fully dense components with low cost in rapid manufacturing During the layer additive manufacturing, the cross-sectional profile of a single weld bead as well as overlapping parameters is critical for improving the surface quality, dimensional accuracy and mechanical performance This paper highlights an experimental study carried out to determine the optimal model of the bead cross-section profile fitted with circular arc, parabola, and cosine function, by comparing the actual area of the bead section with the predicted areas of the three models A necessary condition for the overlapping of adjacent beads is proposed The results show that different models for the single bead section profile result in different center distances and surface qualities of adjacent beads The optimal model for the bead section profile has an important bearing on the ratio of wire feed rate to welding speed

Advanced gas metal arc welding processes

Abstract: There is an increased requirement in the automotive, food and medical equipment industries to weld heat-sensitive materials, such as thin sheets, coated thin plates, stainless steel, aluminium and mixed joints. Nevertheless, relevant innovations in arc welding are not widely known and seldom used to their maximum potential. In the area of gas metal arc welding welding processes, digitalisation has allowed integration of software into the power source, wire feeder and gas regulation. This paper reviews developments in the arc welding process, particularly the effect of the set-up of the welding process parameters on waveform deposition. It is found that good weldability, good mechanical joint properties and acceptable process efficiency can be obtained for thin sheets through advanced power source regulation, especially over short circuiting, controlled polarity and electrode wire motion. The findings presented in this paper are valuable for waveform and deposition prediction. The need is furthermore noted for an algorithm that integrates gas flow parameters and wire motion control, as well as a variable sensor on the tip of the electrode, permitting flexibility of control of the current and the voltage waveform.

Microstructural Characteristics of a Stainless Steel/Copper Dissimilar Joint Made by Laser Welding

Abstract: The microstructures and its formation mechanism of a stainless steel/copper dissimilar joint by laser welding were investigated. It was found that the two modes of joining, i.e., welding-brazing and fusion welding, depend on different processing parameters. In the welding-brazing mode, the interface between copper and the fusion zone has scraggy morphology because the molten pool is frozen by solid copper with high thermal conductivity. The interdiffusion of elements occurs in the neighborhood of the interface, which leads to the metallurgy bond of the mode. In the fusion welding mode, the liquid phase in the fusion zone undergoes not only primary but also secondary liquid separation due to the high cooling rate and high supercooling level of laser welding. Some microcracks generated in the fusion zone by thermal stress mismatch are healed by liquid copper filling.

Effect of input current modes on intermetallic layer and mechanical property of aluminum–steel lap joint obtained by gas metal arc welding

Abstract: This paper studies Al–steel lap joints resulted from direct-current pulsed gas metal arc welding (DPG) and alternate-current double-pulse gas metal arc welding (ADG). Base metals being welded are 1 mm thick 5052 Al alloy sheet and 1 mm thick galvanized mild steel sheet with filler metal being 1.2 mm 4047. Effect of the different welding processes on joint properties is studied through characterization of the steel/Al interphases and mechanical strength. It is found that the thickness of intermetallic compound layer composed of Fe2Al5, FeAl3and Fe3Al, and the diffusion of Fe element from steel to weld seam are dependent on the amount of welding heat input. Lap shear samples of Al–Fe joints resulted from the ADG process fractured at Al base metal or weld seam with average ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 201 MPa. On the other hand, all lap shear samples of the joints resulted from DPG process fractured along the interphase between the Fe2Al5 sub-layer and the steel sheet with average UTS of 115 MPa. ADG process offers higher joint strength than that offered by DPG process due to thinner intermetallic compounds layer caused by the reduced heat input, illustrating that cyclic polarity switching and a secondary low frequency current pulse can effectively reduce the heat input in joining Fe–Al dissimilar materials, which means the ADG process is much more feasible for making robust Fe–Al lap joints.

Numerical simulation of droplet detachment in pulsed gas–metal arc welding including the influence of metal vapour

Abstract: A numerical model of the droplet detachment of a gas–metal arc welding process is presented. The model is based on the volume of fluid method and focuses on the detailed description of the interaction between the arc and the anodic wire electrode. The influence of metal vapour on the arc plasma and the arc attachment at the wire is taken into account. The formation of metal vapour at the wire is described self-consistently as a function of the wire temperature by the help of the Hertz–Knudsen–Langmuir equation. Results are presented for a pulsed gas–metal arc welding process with a wire of mild steel and argon as the shielding gas.

Online measurement of bead geometry in GMAW-based additive manufacturing using passive vision

Abstract: Additive manufacturing based on gas metal arc welding is an advanced technique for depositing fully dense components with low cost. Despite this fact, techniques to achieve accurate control and automation of the process have not yet been perfectly developed. The online measurement of the deposited bead geometry is a key problem for reliable control. In this work a passive vision-sensing system, comprising two cameras and composite filtering techniques, was proposed for real-time detection of the bead height and width through deposition of thin walls. The nozzle to the top surface distance was monitored for eliminating accumulated height errors during the multi-layer deposition process. Various image processing algorithms were applied and discussed for extracting feature parameters. A calibration procedure was presented for the monitoring system. Validation experiments confirmed the effectiveness of the online measurement system for bead geometry in layered additive manufacturing.

Optimization of welding process parameters using MOORA method

Abstract: In the present work, application of multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA) method has been applied for solving multiple-criteria (objective) optimization problem in welding. Six decision-making problems which include selection of suitable welding parameters in different welding processes such as submerged arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, gas metal arc welding, CO2 laser welding, and friction stir welding are considered in this paper. In all these cases, the results obtained using the MOORA method almost corroborate with those derived by past researchers which prove the applicability, potentiality, and flexibility of this method while solving various complex decision-making problems in present-day manufacturing environment.

Advanced device for welding training, based on augmented reality simulation, which can be updated remotely

Abstract: The invention relates to an advanced device for welding training, based on augmented reality simulation, which can be updated remotely and which allows simulation of all types of industrial welding, i.e. coated electrode (SMAW), MIG/MAG (GMAW, FCAW) and TIG (GTAW), all types of materials and all types of existing joints in all welding positions (1F to 4F, 1G to 6G, 6GR), providing a very exact simulation of the behaviour of a real welding machine through the use of augmented reality technology which allows interaction between different elements in multiple layers, all of which is implemented on a system for checking, monitoring and evaluating students, which allows the teacher to test the student in real time without the teacher being present in the training room, including from a remote station.

Welding of titanium alloy by Disk laser

Abstract: The following article describes results of investigations on influence of laser welding parameters on the weld shape, quality and mechanical properties of 2.0 mm thick butt joints of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V (Grade 5 according to ASTM B265) welded with a new generation disk laser TRUMPF TRUDISK 3302, emitting at 1030 nm, with maximum output power 3300 W at circular laser beam spot, characterized by laser beam divergence 8.0 mm•mrad. The test butt joints of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy sheets were prepared as single square groove (I-type joint) and one-side laser welded without an additional material, at a flat position, using a specially designed system for shielding gas (purity 99.999%). The investigations at the initial stage were focused on detailed analysis of influence of the basic laser welding parameters such as laser power and welding speed on the shape and quality of single bead produced during bead-on-plate welding. Then the optimal parameters were chosen for laser welding of 2.0 mm thick butt joints of the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V. Edges of the titanium alloy sheets were melted in argon atmosphere by the laser beam focused on the top surface of butt joints. The test welded joints were investigated by visual inspection, metallographic examinations, hardness and micro-hardness measurements and mechanical tests such as tensile tests and bending tests. It was found that the welding mode is a keyhole welding and providing high quality of joints requires a special techniques and conditions of laser welding, as well as special gas shielding nozzles is required.

Arc profile characteristics of Al alloy in double-pulsed GMAW

Abstract: In order to study arc profile variation process with double-pulsed gas metal arc welding of aluminum alloy, a synchronous acquisition system and an analysis system have been established to acquire and analyze electrical signals and instantaneous images of arc profile. The results show that in double-pulse mode, the arc profile is matched with high-frequency pulse and thermal pulse. The droplet transfer mode always accompanies with high-frequency pulse cycle “one drop per pulse.” The arc profile variation and droplet transfer in thermal base are lower than that in thermal peak. The serial-type arc is easier to occur in thermal base stage. High current density distribution at the top and bottom of traveling droplet leads to dazzling region. The variation of wire extension is influenced by thermal pulse frequency. The variance of arc size in thermal base is higher than in thermal peak, which leads arc force to vary with thermal pulse frequency. The variation of the droplet transfer and arc force in double pulse can improve the weld pool mobility.

Double-sided fiber laser beam welding process of T-joints for aluminum aircraft fuselage panels: Filler wire melting behavior, process stability, and their effects on porosity defects

Abstract: Aluminum alloy T-joints for aircraft fuselage panels were fabricated by double-sided fiber laser beam welding with filler wire, and the influence of the wire feeding posture on the welding process stability was investigated. A CMOS high speed video system was used to observe the wire melting behavior and the weld pool dynamics in real time during the welding process by using a bandpass red laser with an emission wavelength of 808 nm as backlight source to illuminate the welding zone. The weld porosity defects were analyzed by X-ray radiography. The effects of wire feeding posture on the wire melting behavior, process stability, and porosity defects were investigated. The experimental results indicated that three distinct filler material transfer modes were identified under different wire feeding positions: liquid bridge transfer mode, droplet transfer mode, and spreading transfer mode. The liquid bridge transfer mode could guarantee a stable welding process, and result in the lowest porosity. Compared with wire feeding in the leading direction, the process was not stable and porosity increased when wire feeding in the trailing direction. Increased in the wire feeding angle was disadvantage for pores to escape from the weld molten pool, meanwhile, it made the welding process window smaller due to increasing the centering precision requirement for adjusting the filler wire.

An image acquisition system for real-time seam tracking

Abstract: Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process is one of the most widespread welding processes used in industries for their excellent quality, reliability, productivity, and cost-effectiveness. To develop an automatic GMAW system, vision capability in the system is a necessary component supplying real-time information about weld pool and seam tracking. In this research work, an automatic seam tracking system is presented, where the automatic tracking of welding path and torch positioning are performed by a newly developed image acquisition system. The system aims to add a vision capability to the GMAW system. A CCD camera is configured with a welding torch to acquire real-time images. The acquired images are processed through newly developed software for real-time detection of welding seam location and characteristics. The software encapsulates the acquired image input facility, image filtering technique, strategy to measure the seam gap, strategy to position torch at the starting point of welding, user interface for automatic guide, and the strategy to correct the torch movements. The seam recognition accuracy was verified during several welding experiments on linear weld seam. Real-time measurements of the seam gap and the seam tracking have achieved a high accuracy.

The effect of arc behavior on weld geometry by high-frequency pulse GTAW process with 0Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel

Abstract: Based on 0Cr18Ni9Ti austenitic stainless steel plate (h = 6 mm), a study on arc behavior by ultrasonic frequency pulse gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process has been carried out. The results show that with the increasing pulse frequency, an obvious pinch effect of arc plasma has been detected and also the increment of arc voltage, stiffness, and force. Then, the method, combining weld appearance and numerical simulation, has been adapted for weld behavior on the basis of arc behavior by ultrasonic frequency pulse GTAW process. As a result of arc shrinkage, the root radius of arc decreased, which caused narrower weld bead. The larger arc force led to more depression of pool surface that made the downward heat source and external force point, which had been important to increasing weld penetration. Meanwhile, the mobility of molten pool was enhanced by weld behavior compared with conventional GTAW process.

Influence of metal vapour on arc temperatures in gas-metal arc welding: convection versus radiation

Abstract: The presence of metal vapour in gas–metal arc welding has been shown to have two strong effects on the arc plasma: a decrease in temperature throughout the arc, and the formation of a local temperature minimum near the arc axis. These effects have been attributed, on the basis of different computational models, to either the increased radiative emission associated with the presence of metal vapour in the arc plasma, or the influence of the metal vapour influx on convective flow in the arc. This question is investigated using a three-dimensional computational model in which the production and the transport of metal vapour are taken into account self-consistently. Parameters relevant to welding of thin sheets of aluminum are examined. For these conditions, it is found that the first effect (the decrease in temperature throughout the arc) is due to both the increased radiative emission and the influence of the metal vapour influx on flow. The second effect (the local temperature minimum, which in this case occurs just below the wire electrode) is a consequence of the influence of aluminum vapour produced from the wire electrode on flow in the arc. By examining published results and the energy balance in the plasma, it is shown that for welding of steel with higher arc currents, the increased radiative emission can lead to a local temperature minimum at a greater distance from the wire electrode.

Passive vision based seam tracking system for pulse-MAG welding

Abstract: Welding robots have been widely used in manufacturing process to substitute for human welders. However, most of them are rigid and cannot adjust to variations in the weld seam positions caused by natural welding environmental factors. To address this problem, this paper presents a passive vision-based robotic welding system, which can realize the seam tracking function for pulse-MAG welding. In this paper, the light spectrum of the welding process is analyzed to determine the optical filters used during the image capture. Then, a robust image processing method is proposed to extract the offset from the image which contains much noise. The transformation formula is calibrated to obtain the relationship between the image coordinate system and the robot coordinate system. The tracking strategy is designed to improve the tracking precision and the stability of the welding process. Finally, experiments are conducted on straight line and curved line seam to verify the feasibility of the developed system.

Welding systems having non-contact temperature measurement systems

Abstract: Welding systems including welding torch assemblies are provided. The welding torch assembly may include a welding torch adapted to be utilized in a welding operation to establish a welding arc between the welding torch and a workpiece. Shielding gas may be supplied to the welding torch for establishment of a gas shielding area around a weld pool. The welding torch assembly may also include a temperature sensing system having a non-contact temperature sensor coupled to the welding torch and adapted to sense a temperature of the workpiece at a location outside of the molten weld pool.

Investigation on weldability of magnesium alloy thin sheet T-joints: arc welding, laser welding, and laser-arc hybrid welding

Abstract: Four welding methods, including laser welding, gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding, laser–GTA hybrid welding, and laser–GTA hybrid welding with cold welding wire, are used to investigate the weldability of T-joints of magnesium alloy thin sheet. Stake welding process is presented in this paper in order to overcome the defects, such as stress concentration and deformation, and improve the accessibility of T-joints in fillet welding process. The effect of heat source type on weldability of T-joints is analyzed. The microstructures and mechanical properties are investigated. Experimental results indicate that comparing with the other three welding methods, laser–GTA hybrid welding with cold welding wire is the most effective process for T-joints of magnesium alloy thin sheet. In this process, T-joints are full penetration and the toes are smooth and round, and besides, reinforcement forms on the upside of weld bead by the filled wire. The mechanical properties of T-joints made with laser–GTA hybrid welding with cold welding wire achieve 90 % of that of base metal and are superior to that without welding wire.

Workplace exposure to nanoparticles from gas metal arc welding process

Abstract: Workplace exposure to nanoparticles from gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process in an automobile manufacturing factory was investigated using a combination of multiple metrics and a comparison with background particles. The number concentration (NC), lung-deposited surface area concentration (SAC), estimated SAC and mass concentration (MC) of nanoparticles produced from the GMAW process were significantly higher than those of background particles before welding (P < 0.01). A bimodal size distribution by mass for welding particles with two peak values (i.e., 10,000–18,000 and 560–320 nm) and a unimodal size distribution by number with 190.7-nm mode size or 154.9-nm geometric size were observed. Nanoparticles by number comprised 60.7 % of particles, whereas nanoparticles by mass only accounted for 18.2 % of the total particles. The morphology of welding particles was dominated by the formation of chain-like agglomerates of primary particles. The metal composition of these welding particles consisted primarily of Fe, Mn, and Zn. The size distribution, morphology, and elemental compositions of welding particles were significantly different from background particles. Working activities, sampling distances from the source, air velocity, engineering control measures, and background particles in working places had significant influences on concentrations of airborne nanoparticle. In addition, SAC showed a high correlation with NC and a relatively low correlation with MC. These findings indicate that the GMAW process is able to generate significant levels of nanoparticles. It is recommended that a combination of multiple metrics is measured as part of a well-designed sampling strategy for airborne nanoparticles. Key exposure factors, such as particle agglomeration/aggregation, background particles, working activities, temporal and spatial distributions of the particles, air velocity, engineering control measures, should be investigated when measuring workplace exposure to nanoparticles.