Showing papers on "Gas metal arc welding published in 2016"

Towards an automated robotic arc-welding-based additive manufacturing system from CAD to finished part

Abstract: Arc welding has been widely explored for additive manufacturing of large metal components over the last three decades due to its lower capital cost, an unlimited build envelope, and higher deposition rates. Although significant improvements have been made, an arc welding process has yet to be incorporated in a commercially available additive manufacturing system. The next step in exploiting "true" arc-welding-based additive manufacturing is to develop the automation software required to produce CAD-to-part capability. This study focuses on developing a fully automated system using robotic gas metal arc welding to additively manufacture metal components. The system contains several modules, including bead modelling, slicing, deposition path planning, weld setting, and post-process machining. Among these modules, bead modelling provides the essential database for process control, and an innovative path planning strategy fulfils the requirements of the automated system. A user friendly interface has been developed for non-experts to operate the developed system. Finally, a thin-walled aluminium structure has been fabricated automatically using only a CAD model as the informational input to the system. This exercise demonstrates that the developed system is a significant contribution towards the ultimate goal of producing a practical and highly automated arc-welding-based additive manufacturing system for industrial application. An automated arc-welding-based additive manufacturing system was reported.Integrated additive and subtractive manufacturing methodology was developed.Deposition paths and welding parameters were automatically generated.User interface using only CAD models as inputs was developed.The proposed automated system was verified experimentally.

Laser welding dissimilar materials of aluminum to steel: an overview

Abstract: Joining aluminum to steel can lighten the weight of components in the automobile and other industries, which can reduce fuel consumption and harmful gas emissions to protect the environment. However, the differences of thermal, physical, and chemical properties between aluminum and steel bring a series of problems in laser welding. The main problems are how to control the thickness of the intermetallic compound layer and reduce or avoid the generation of pores, cracks, and thermal stresses which severely limit the mechanical properties of welded joints. Laser fusion-brazing technology utilizes the precise control of heat input with or without filler to partially melt the low melting temperature aluminum base material and promote wetting on the high melting temperature steel base material in order to achieve sound metallurgical by combining the advantages of fusion welding and brazing. Different forms of laser beam welding including single beam laser welding, dual-beam laser welding, and laser arc hybrid fusion-brazing welding are reviewed.

Numerical simulation of GMAW process using Ar and an Ar–CO2 gas mixture

Abstract: The gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process involves arc plasma, metal transfer, and weld pool phenomena. In addition, metal vapor is formed by evaporation from the high-temperature metal and mixes with the arc plasma. These phenomena interact with each other and are very complicated. A numerical approach that includes their interaction is therefore important for clarifying the GMAW phenomena. We have developed a unified model and used the model to investigate the influence of the shielding gas on the metal transfer. When argon shielding gas was used, for an arc current of less than 230 A, globular transfer occurred. For higher currents, spray transfer occurred. On the other hand, when Ar + 18 %CO2 gas was used, the transition from globular to spray transfer occurred at around 280 A. This difference was caused by changes in the driving force exerted on the molten metal by the arc plasma. The arc pressure that lifts up the molten metal and interferes with its detachment from the wire tip becomes stronger when the gas mixture is used.

In-depth study of the mechanical properties for Fe3Al based iron aluminide fabricated using the wire-arc additive manufacturing process

Abstract: An innovative wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process is used to fabricate iron aluminide alloy in-situ, through separate feeding of pure Fe and Al wires into a molten pool that is generated by the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. This paper investigates the morphologies, chemical compositions and mechanical properties of the as-fabricated 30 at% Al iron aluminide wall components, and how these properties vary at different locations within the buildup wall. The tensile properties are also measured in different loading orientations; as epitaxial growth of large columnar grains is observed in the microstructures. Fe 3 Al is the only phase detected in the middle buildup section of the wall structure, which constitutes the majority of the deposited material. The bottom section of the structure contains a dilution affected region where some acicular Fe 3 AlC 0.5 precipitates can be observed, induced by carbon from the steel substrate that was used for fabrication. The microhardness and chemical composition indicate relatively homogeneous material properties throughout the buildup wall. However, the tensile properties are very different in the longitudinal direction and normal directions, due to epitaxial growth of large columnar grains. In general, the results have demonstrated that the WAAM process is capable of producing full density in-situ-alloyed iron aluminide components with tensile properties that are comparable to powder metallurgy methods.

Dissimilar metal joining of stainless steel and titanium using copper as transition metal

Abstract: Joining of stainless steel and titanium dissimilar metal combination has a specific interest in the nuclear industry. Due to the metallurgical incompatibility, it has been very difficult to produce reliable joints between these metals due to the formation of FeTi and Fe2Ti types of intermetallic compounds. The metallurgical incompatibility between both materials is enhanced by the time–temperature profile of the welding process used. Brittle intermetallics (IMCs) are formed during Fe–Ti welding (FeTi and Fe2Ti). The present study uses the low thermal heat input process cold metal transfer (CMT), when compared with conventional GMAW, to deposit a copper (Cu) bead between Ti and stainless steel. Cu is compatible with Fe, and it has a lower melting point than the two base materials. The welds were produced between AMS 4911L (Ti-6Al-4V) and AISI 316L stainless steel using a CuSi-3 welding wire. The joints produced revealed two IM layers located near the parent metals/weld interfaces. The hardness of these layers is higher than the remainder of the weld bead. Tensile tests were carried out with a maximum strength of 200 MPa, but the interfacial failure could not be avoided. Ti atomic migration was observed during experimental trials; however, the IMC formed are less brittle than FeTi, inducing higher mechanical properties.

Influence of filler wire and wire feed speed on metallurgical and mechanical properties of MIG welding–brazing of automotive galvanized steel/5754 aluminum alloy in a lap joint configuration

Abstract: In this research, the galvanized steel with thickness of 2 mm was joined to the 5754 aluminum alloy with thickness of 3 mm by the cold metal transfer MIG welding–brazing process. The effect of the filler wires (AlSi3Mn, AlSi5, and AlSi12) and wire feed speeds (4.7, 5, and 5.3 m/min) on metallurgical and mechanical properties have been discussed. According to the experimental results, thickness of intermetallic compound (IMC) layer which was formed along the interface during the MIG welding–brazing was varied by changing of parameters. In addition, the results indicated that by increasing of the wire feed speed, the thickness of IMC layer at first decreased and then increased. Results indicated that the maximum thickness variation of IMC layer belonged to the AlSi12 filler wire and the best consistent tensile strength was produced with AlSi3Mn filler wire with an average value of 188 N/mm2. Observation of the failed specimens indicated two types of failure modes under the tensile load, including the fractures occurred in HAZ of aluminum and the fractures occurred near IMC layer.

Forming appearance control of arc striking and extinguishing area in multi-layer single-pass GMAW-based additive manufacturing

Abstract: Control strategies of arc striking and extinguishing area in multi-layer single-pass gas metal arc welding (GMAW)-based additive manufacturing are proposed to improve the forming appearance of fabricated parts. Appearance characteristics of arc striking as well as extinguishing area were analyzed. The effects of process parameters on inclined-plane length in the arc extinguishing area were researched. Corresponding control methods for forming appearance were also presented. For depositing closed-path parts, arc striking and extinguishing area in the same layer were superposed to make up for height difference. For open-path parts, a control strategy of alternating deposition direction in adjacent layers was used. As employing the same deposition direction, adjusting process parameters in the arc striking and extinguishing area were performed. It is demonstrated that the forming appearance of deposited parts can be improved efficiently by means of the control strategies.

Resistance Element Welding of 6061 Aluminum Alloy to Uncoated 22MnMoB Boron Steel

Abstract: A novel resistance element welding technology was applied to join 6061 Al alloy and uncoated 22MnMoB boron steel. To conduct the resistance element welding process, a technological hole was drilled in the Al sheet into which a Q235 steel rivet was inserted. Resistance spot welding was carried out at the rivet. The mechanical properties, fracture morphology, nugget formation process, dynamic resistance, microstructure, and hardness distribution of the resistance element welding were investigated. Traditional resistance spot weld joints were also prepared for comparison. Resistance spot welding could barely join Al 6061 and boron steel, and had a maximum tensile shear force of less than 1000 N. Novel resistance element welding could join the metals reliably with a maximum tensile shear force of over 7000 N and a relatively high toughness. Nugget formed at the interface of rivet and steel acted as loading position, and IMC interlayer connected rivet and aluminum.

Real-Time Measurement of Width and Height of Weld Beads in GMAW Processes.

Abstract: Associated to the weld quality, the weld bead geometry is one of the most important parameters in welding processes. It is a significant requirement in a welding project, especially in automatic welding systems where a specific width, height, or penetration of weld bead is needed. This paper presents a novel technique for real-time measuring of the width and height of weld beads in gas metal arc welding (GMAW) using a single high-speed camera and a long-pass optical filter in a passive vision system. The measuring method is based on digital image processing techniques and the image calibration process is based on projective transformations. The measurement process takes less than 3 milliseconds per image, which allows a transfer rate of more than 300 frames per second. The proposed methodology can be used in any metal transfer mode of a gas metal arc welding process and does not have occlusion problems. The responses of the measurement system, presented here, are in a good agreement with off-line data collected by a common laser-based 3D scanner. Each measurement is compare using a statistical Welch’s t-test of the null hypothesis, which, in any case, does not exceed the threshold of significance level α = 0.01, validating the results and the performance of the proposed vision system.

Structure-property relationships of common aluminum weld alloys utilized as feedstock for GMAW-based 3-D metal printing

Abstract: The relationship between microstructure and properties is not widely assessed in parts produced by additive manufacturing, particularly for aluminum. These relationships can be used by engineers to develop new materials, additive processes, and additively manufactured parts for a variety of applications. Thus, the tensile, compressive, and microstructural properties of common aluminum weld filler alloys (ER1100, ER4043, ER4943, ER4047, and ER5356) were evaluated following gas metal arc weld (GMAW)-based metal 3-D printing to identify optimal alloy systems for this type of additive manufacturing. The porosities in all test specimens were found to be less than 2%, with interdendritic shrinkage in 4000 series alloys vs. intergranular shrinkage in 5356. The 4000 series alloys performed better than 1100 and 5356 with respect to printed bead width, porosity, strength, and defect sensitivity. In comparison to standard wrought and weld alloys, the 3-D printed specimens exhibited similar or superior mechanical properties with only minor exceptions. Long print times allow for stress relieving and annealing that improved the print properties of the 4000 series and 5356 alloys. Overall the GMAW-based 3-D parts printed from aluminum alloys exhibited similar mechanical properties to those fabricated using more conventional processing techniques.

Porosity formation mechanisms in cold metal transfer (CMT) gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of zinc coated steels

Abstract: The porosity formation in cold metal transfer (CMT) gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of zinc coated steel is studied over a wide range of the heat inputs (160–250 J mm− 1), which shows low porosity in weld bead ( 350 J mm− 1) heat inputs and maximum at medium (250–350 J mm− 1) heat inputs. The high speed imaging of weld pool shows that the highest frequency of zinc vapour escapes at high heat inputs compared to other conditions. Numerous experiments show that size and location of pores along with escaping of zinc vapour are the results of competition of viscosity of weld pool against buoyancy and vapour pressure within the time required to reach solidification temperature. Based on this concept, mechanisms involved in porosity formation, growth and escape phenomena are disclosed, which can help select the optimised welding conditions to obtain porosity free welds in CMT-GMAW of zinc coated steels.

High power disk laser-metal active gas arc hybrid welding of thick high tensile strength steel plates

Abstract: In this study, welding with hybrid heat sources combined with a high power disk laser and a metal active gas (MAG) arc was carried out on 780 MPa high strength steel plates of 12 mm in thickness. The effects of respective welding conditions, such as laser power, root gap and welding speed on the penetration, geometry, and defects of weld beads, were investigated. The results showed that the process window of welding conditions for the production of good welded joints was narrow. Also, the laser keyhole behavior, the molten pool geometry, and the melt flows inside the molten pool were observed by the high-speed x-ray transmission real-time imaging system. It was confirmed that the melt flows inside the molten pool during hybrid welding were different between humping and good weld beads. The melt flowed from the bottom tip of a keyhole to the humping portion and did not flow forward to the keyhole bottom tip, resulting in the formation of the humping defect. On the other hand, in the case of good weld beads, the tungsten particle flowed to the back part of the molten pool but then flowed to the forward keyhole. It was clarified that a good weld bead without humping nor underfilling could be produced due to the forward melt flow.

Activated-TIG Welding of Different Steels: Influence of Various Flux and Shielding Gas

Abstract: In tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, a low depth of penetration (DOP) is achieved during single pass. To achieve the required DOP, the speed of welding should be reduced; thus productivity reduces significantly. In this work, influence of 14 different oxide-, chloride-, and fluoride-based fluxes are evaluated on DOP and width-to-penetration ratio during flux-activated TIG (ATIG) welding of low alloy steel (AISI 4340), austenitic (AISI 304 and AISI 316) and duplex (Duplex 2205) stainless steels. The effect of welding current and three different shielding gas compositions is also studied during ATIG for these workpieces. Arc and weld metal pool behaviors are captured in order to study the physical behavior of the process. Results revealed that oxide-based fluxes like SiO2, MoO3, MoS2, CrO3, and TiO2 increases DOP significantly and in many cases through penetration (penetration reaches beyond plate thickness) is achieved. There is a noteworthy enhancement in penetration because of the addition of H2 in shiel...

Laser beam welding under vacuum of high grade materials

Abstract: Currently, three welding processes are used in the manufacturing of large scale work pieces with high weld seam depths. The gas metal arc welding and the submerged arc welding processes are characterized by a comparatively low penetration depth and welding speed, the use of welding consumables and a high energy input per length. Electron beam welding is suitable for single pass welding of high wall thicknesses, but a fine vacuum is needed, x-ray radiation is generated, the process is prone to magnetic fields, and the technology has to face a low market penetration. Laser beam welding under vacuum (“LaVa”) is on its way to become a new and superb option for these welding tasks. The paper at hand presents the latest results of a research project which targets the qualification of LaVa for the welding of heavy-walled steel structures made of unalloyed steel or duplex stainless steel. The achieved results demonstrate that, in comparison to laser beam welding at atmospheric pressure, an increase of the penetration depth and a high process stability can be achieved, whereby economic advantages and a high weld seam quality are realized. On the other hand, the latest results of the application of LaVa for the welding of nickel-base alloys, copper, and titanium are presented. It is shown that LaVa is suitable for the welding of these materials. A high process stability is achieved; spattering is minimized; and high penetration depths are achieved.

The Effect of Constant and Pulsed Current Gas Tungsten Arc Welding on Joint Properties of 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel to 316L Austenitic Stainless Steel

Abstract: In this study, dissimilar 316L austenitic stainless steel/2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) joints were fabricated by constant and pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding process using ER2209 DSS as a filler metal. Microstructures and joint properties were characterized using optical and electron scanning microscopy, tensile, Charpy V-notch impact and micro-hardness tests, and cyclic polarization measurements. Microstructural observations confirmed the presence of chromium nitride and delta ferrite in the heat-affected zone of DSS and 316L, respectively. In addition, there was some deviation in the austenite/ferrite ratio of the surface welding pass in comparison to the root welding pass. Besides having lower pitting potential, welded joints produced by constant current gas tungsten arc welding process, consisted of some brittle sigma phase precipitates, which resulted in some impact energy reduction. The tensile tests showed high tensile strength for the weld joints in which all the specimens were broken in 316L base metal.

A comparative study of the microstructure and properties of 800 MPa microalloyed C-Mn steel welded joints by laser and gas metal arc welding

Abstract: The differences in microstructure and mechanical properties of laser beam welded (LBW) and gas metal arc welded (GMAW) joints of 800 MPa grade Nb-Ti-Mo microalloyed C-Mn steel of 5 mm thickness were studied. The study suggested that the microstructure in welded seam (WS) of GMAW was acicular ferrite and fine grained ferrite, whereas lath martensite (LM) was obtained in WS of LBW, where inclusions were finer and did not act as nucleation sites for acicular ferrite. The microstructure of coarse-grained HAZ (CGHAZ) obtained using the two welding methods was LM and granular bainite (GB), respectively. The original austenite grain size in CGHAZ of LBW was 1/3 of GMAW. The microstructure of fine-grained HAZ and mixed-grained HAZ using the two welding methods was ferrite and M-A constituents, while that of LBW was significantly fine. The hardness of LBW welded joints was higher than the base metal (BM), which was the initiation site for tensile fracture. The tensile fracture location of GMAW welded joints was in WS. The impact toughness of LBW welded joints was excellent and the impact absorption energy was similar to BM.

Comparison between hybrid laser-MIG welding and MIG welding for the invar36 alloy

Abstract: The invar36 alloy is suitable to produce mold of composite materials structure because it has similar thermal expansion coefficient with composite materials. In the present paper, the MIG welding and laser-MIG hybrid welding methods are compared to get the more appropriate method to overcome the poor weldability of invar36 alloy. According to the analysis of the experimental and simulated results, it has been proved that the Gauss and cone combined heat source model can characterize the laser-MIG hybrid welding heat source well. The total welding time of MIG welding is 8 times that of hybrid laser-MIG welding. The welding material consumption of MIG welding is about 4 times that of hybrid laser-MIG welding. The stress and deformation simulation indicate that the peak value of deformation during MIG welding is 3 times larger than that of hybrid laser-MIG welding.