GAS METAL ARC WELDING
METAL INERT GAS
METAL ACTIVE GAS
INTRODUCTION
• GMAW uses the heat of an electric arc between a
continuous bare wire filler metal electrode and the
work.
• Shielding is obtained entirely from externally supplied inert
gas such as argon or helium, an active gas such as CO2 or
O2, or some combination thereof.
• GMAW can be a semiautomatic, machine, automatic, or
automated process.
• In the semiautomatic mode, the welder controls both the
inclination and distance of the welding gun from the work,
and also the travel speed and manipulation of the arc.
• Arc length and electrode feed are controlled automatically
by the power source and wire feeder controller.
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PROCESS
EQUIPMENT
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EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
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EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
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EQUIPMENT
GMA SPOT WELDING
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DEFINITION
METAL TRANSFER MODES
The gas metal arc process deposits the weld metal in
the joint by one of the following modes:
1. Spray transfer
2. Globular transfer
3. Short circuiting transfer
4. Pulsed arc transfer
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METAL TRANSFER MODES
Spray Arc Metal Transfer
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Spray Arc Metal Transfer
• This process is identified by the pointing of the wire tip from
which very small drops are projected axially across the arc
gap to the molten weld pool.
• There are hundreds of drops per second crossing from the
wire to the base metal.
• These drops are propelled by arc forces at high velocity in the
direction the wire is pointing.
• Since the drops are separated and directed at the molten weld
pool, the process is spatter free.
• Spray transfer process requires three conditions: argon shielding
(or argon-rich shielding gas mixtures), DCEP polarity, and a
current level above a critical amount called the transition
current.
Spray Arc Metal Transfer
• Spray transfer occurs when the transition current and
voltage exceed a level that depends upon the type and
size of the wire.
• For each electrode size and type, there is a transition
current above which the metal "pinches off" in fine
droplets many times per second.
• Spray transfer mode best defines the arc and the pool for
the welder.
• Spray transfer mode requires high current relative to the
diameter of the electrode.
• Due to its high heat capacity, this mode of transfer is best
suited for flat and horizontal position welding.
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Spray Arc Metal Transfer
The transition current
depends on the alloy
being welded.
It also is proportional
to the wire diameter,
meaning that higher
currents are needed
with larger diameter
wires.
Spray Arc Metal Transfer
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Globular Arc Metal Transfer
• Globular transfer occurs at low currents compared to
spray transfer-low, that is, in relation to the size of the
electrode.
• Low-current density at the electrode tip produces large,
irregular drops of metal that transfer to the pool without
much direction.
• The result is increased amounts of spatter, as
compared to spray transfer.
• The large drops are partially supported by arc forces.
• As they become heavy enough to overcome those forces
and drop into the pool, they bridge the gap between the
wire and the weld pool, producing explosive short
circuits and spatter (Figure 10-7).
Globular Arc Metal Transfer
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Globular Arc Metal Transfer
Globular Arc Metal Transfer
• Carbon dioxide was one of the first gases studied during the
development of the GMAW process.
• It was abandoned temporarily because of excessive spatter and
porosity in the weld.
• After argon was accepted for shielding, further work with carbon
dioxide demonstrated that the spatter was associated with globular
metal transfer.
• Additional work showed that the arc in carbon dioxide was very
forceful.
• Because of this, the wire tip could be driven below the surface of the
molten weld pool.
• With the shorter arcs, the drop size is reduced, and any spatter
produced as the result of short circuits was trapped in the cavity
produced by the arc.
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Globular Arc Metal Transfer
• Hence, the name buried-are transfer, Figure 10-8
(the tip of the electrode is actually below the
surface of the work, in order to minimize spatter)
• The resultant welds tend to be more highly crowned
than those produced with open arcs, but they are
relatively free of spatter and offer a decided
advantage of welding speed.
• These characteristics make the buried-arc process useful
for high-speed mechanized welding of thin sections,
such as that found in compressor domes for
hermetic air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment or
for automotive components.
Globular Arc Metal Transfer
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Globular Arc Metal Transfer
• Because carbon dioxide is an oxidizing gas, its applications
to welding carbon steels are restricted.
• It cannot be used to fabricate most nonferrous materials.
• Neither should it be used to weld stainless steels because
carbon corrodes the weld metal.
• Carbon dioxide and helium are similar in that metal
transfer in both gases is globular.
• Helium has the advantage of inertness, potentially making
it useful for the same types of applications as carbon
dioxide but in nonferrous alloys.
Short-circuiting Arc Metal Transfer
• Low currents allow the liquid metal at the electrode tip to be
transferred by direct contact with the molten weld pool. A close
interaction between the wire feeder and the power supply is
required. This technique is called the short- circuiting
transfer.
• Current continues to flow and the resistance causes the wire
to separate and the arc to reignite, which causes the weld
to be deposited drop by drop up to 200 drops per second.
• The short circuiting mode is a relatively cold process, and its
misapplication can result in incomplete fusion.
• It readily bridges gaps.
• Sheet metal can be welded without excessive melt-through
and welds may be made in all positions.
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Short-circuiting Arc Metal Transfer
The transfer mechanisms in this process are quite simple
and straight forward, as shown schematically below:
Short-circuiting Arc Metal Transfer
• To start, the wire is in direct contact with the molten weld pool (Figure
10- 9a). The power supply senses a low-voltage short circuit and
responds by increasing the current.
• As the current increases, the interface between the wire and molten
weld pool is heated until it vaporizes (Figure 10-9b), establishing an
arc. The relatively high current of that arc produces sufficient force to
depress the molten weld pool.
• A gap between the electrode tip and the molten weld pool (Figure 10-
9c) immediately opens. Sensing the higher voltage, the current output
from the power supply begins to decay.
• When the arc force at a lower current is insufficient to keep the
molten weld pool depressed (Figure 10-9d), contact is reestablished
(Figure 10-9a).
• The liquid formed at the wire tip during the arc-on interval is
transferred by surface tension to the molten weld pool, and the
cycle begins again with another short circuit.
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Short-circuiting Arc Metal Transfer
• If the system is properly tuned, the rate of short circuiting can
reach hundreds per second, causing a characteristic buzzing
sound.
• The spatter is low and the process easy to use.
• Carbon dioxide works well with this short-circuiting process
because it produces the forceful arc needed during the arcing
interval to displace the weld pool.
• Helium can be used as well.
• Pure argon is not as effective because its arc tends to be
sluggish.
• However, a mixture of 25% carbon dioxide and 75% argon
produces a less harsh arc and a flatter, more desirable weld
profile. Although more costly, this gas mixture is preferred.
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Short-circuiting Arc Metal Transfer
• Small wire diameters are preferred even though more
expensive.
• This process works better with a short electrode stickout.
• Although very useful for welding sheet steel, the short-
circuiting process does not produce enough heat to make
quality welds in sections much thicker than 1/4 in. (6 mm).
• Lack-of fusion defects can occur unless the process is
perfectly tuned and the welder is highly skilled.
DCRP
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Pulsed-arc Metal Transfer
• Pulsed arc welding maintains a low voltage and current arc as the
background condition.
• This condition causes an arc to maintained, but does not cause metal
transfer.
• The power supply can be adjusted to provide a pulse of high current
and voltage, which takes the welding conditions above the transition
level and detaches a drop from the electrode and propels it across the
arc.
• The number of pulses per second can usually be adjusted; transfer
occurs during each pulse.
• Pulsing the power lowers the average heat input from the current, and
out-of- position welding then becomes possible using larger wire sizes.
• The power supply must have pulsing capabilities.
Pulsed-arc Metal Transfer
• The average current can be reduced sufficiently to reduce penetration
enough to weld sheet metal or reduce deposition rates enough to
control the molten weld pool in all positions.
• This level controlling the weld heat input and rate of weld metal
deposit is achieved by changing the following variables:
Frequency - The number of times the current is raised and
lowered to form a single pulse. Frequency is
measured in pulses per second.
Amplitude - The amperage or current level of the power at the
peak or maximum, expressed in amperage.
Width of the pulses - The amount of time the peak amperage is
allowed to stay on, Figure 10-5.
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Pulsed-arc Metal Transfer
Pulsed-arc Metal Transfer
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Pulsed-arc Metal Transfer
• This technology did not receive much attention until solid-state
electronics (inverter) were developed to handle the high power
required of welding power supplies.
• Solid-state electronics provided a better, simpler, and a more
economical way to control the pulsing process.
• The newest generation of pulsed-arc systems interlocks the power
supply and wire feeder so that the proper settings of the wire feed
end power supply are obtained for any given job by adjusting a single
knob.
• Such systems have been termed synergic. In some respects, these
systems are more complex because the correct interrelationships
between the wire feed speeds and power supply settings must be
programmed into the equipment, and each wire composition, wire
size, and shielding gas requires a special program.
• The manufacturer generally programs the most common
combinations, allowing space in-the computer for additional user
input.
Shielding Gases
• The primary function of the shielding gas is to exclude the
atmosphere from contact with the molten weld metal.
• This is necessary because most metals, when heated to
their melting point in air, exhibit a strong tendency to form
oxides and, to a lesser extent, nitrides.
• Oxygen will also react with carbon in molten steel to form
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
• These varied reaction products may result in weld
deficiencies, such as trapped slag, porosity and weld
metal embrittlement.
• Reaction products are easily formed in the atmosphere
unless precautions are taken to exclude nitrogen and
oxygen.
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Shielding Gases
In addition to providing a protective environment, the
shielding gas and flow rate also have a pronounced effect on
the following:
• Arc characteristics
• Mode of metal transfer
• Penetration and weld bead profile
• Speed of welding
• Undercutting tendency
• Cleaning action
• Weld metal mechanical properties
Shielding Gases
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Shielding Gases
Shielding Gases
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Shielding Gases
Cleaning Action
• The cathodic cleaning action associated with argon at DCRP is very
important for fabricating metals such as aluminum, which quickly develops
undesirable surface oxides when exposed to air.
• This same cleaning action causes problems with steels.
• Iron oxide in and on the steel surface is a good emitter of electrons that
attracts the arc cathode.
• But these oxides are not uniformly distributed, resulting in very irregular
cathode movement and in turn irregular weld deposits.
• This problem was solved by adding small amounts of oxygen to the argon.
• The reaction produced a uniform film of iron oxide on the weld pool and
provided a stable site for the cathode.
• This discovery enabled uniform welds in ferrous alloys and expanded the
use of GMAW to welding those materials.
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Cleaning Action
• The amount of oxygen needed to stabilize arcs in steel
varies with the alloy.
• Generally, 2% is sufficient for carbon and low-alloy
steels.
• In the case of stainless steels, about 0.5% should
prevent a refractory scale of chromium oxide.
• Carbon dioxide can substitute for oxygen.
• More than 2% is needed, however, and 8% appears to
be optimum for low-alloy steels.
• In many applications, carbon dioxide is the preferred
addition because the weld bead has a better contour
and the arc appears to be more stable.
Solid Electrode Wire
"E" denotes an electrode;
"R" denotes a rod (round) electrode.
The next two digits (three in a 5-digit number) stand for the tensile strength of
the weld deposit, times 1000.
"S" denotes a solid electrode.
The last digit is the chemical classification.
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Advantages
• Can be effectively used to join or overlay many types of ferrous and
nonferrous metals.
• Gas shielding can reduce the possibility of hydrogen being introduced
into the weld zone.
• High deposition rate compared to SMAW.
• High efficiency and utilization of filler material because the continuous
spool of wire does not require changing as often as the individual
electrodes used in SMAW.
• Due to the lack of a slag coating that must be removed after welding,
GMAW is well suited for automatic and robotic welding or high
production.
• GMAW is a clean process, because there is no flux present. When no
slag is present, the welder can more easily observe the action of the
arc and the weld puddle to improve control.
• Extremely versatile, wide and broad application ability.
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Disadvantages
• Since GMAW uses shielding gas alone to protect the puddle from
the atmosphere excessive contamination of the base metal may
cause porosity.
• Drafts or wind may disperse shielding gases, which makes GMAW
unsuitable for field welding.
• The equipment used is more complex than that used for SMAW,
increasing the possibility of mechanical problems that can lead to
quality problems.
• Higher-price equipment.
• The use of short-circuiting transfer can lead to lack of fusion
discontinuities.
• Inability to reach inaccessible welding areas.
• Limited distance.
• Inability to push small diameter, soft electrode through long cable.
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