4.

TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

49

TIG welding and plasma welding belong to the group of the gas-shielded tungsten arc welding processes, Figure 4.1. In the gas-shielded tungsten arc welding processes mentioned in Figure 4.1, the arc burns between a non- consumable piece or, in plasma arc welding, between the tungsten electrode and a live copper electrode inside the torch. Exclusively inert gases (Ar, He) are used as shielding gases. The potential curve of the ideal arc, as shown in Figure
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tungsten electrode and the work-

Gas-shielded arc welding

Gas-shielded metal arc welding GMAW

Metal inert-gas welding MIG Metal active gas welding MAG CO2 welding plasma metal arc welding Mixed gas welding

Gas-shielded tungsten arc welding

narrow-gap gas-shielded arc welding electrogas welding

Tungsten inert- Tungsten plasma gas welding welding with TIG electrode

Tungsten hydrogen welding

Plasma arc Plasma arc Plasma welding with welding with arc welding non-transferred with transferred semi-transferred arc arc arc

4.2, can be divided into three characteristic sectors: 1.cathode- drop region 2.arc 3. anode-drop region In the cathode-drop region almost 50%
-4

Classification of Gas-Shielded Arc Welding acc. to DIN ISO 857

Figure 4.1
l

K L U 20 V

+
A

of the total

voltage drop occurs over a length of 10 mm.

US

A similarly high voltage drop occurs in the anode-drop region, here, however, over a length of 0.5 mm. The

10 0

A: anode spot (up to 4000 C) K: cathode spot (approx. 3600 C) L: arc column (4500-20000 C) l: arc length arc potential curve (example)

10
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-4

4 mm 5

0,5
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voltage drop on the remaining arc length is comparatively low. Main energy conversion occurs accordingly in the anode-drop and cathode-drop region. Figure 4.2

Arc Potential Curve

Figure 4.3 shows the potential distribution by the example of a real TIG arc under the influence of different shielding gases. UA and UK have different values, the potential curve in the

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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

50

arc is not exactly linear. There is no discernible expansion of the cathode-drop and anodedrop region.
20 Argon 60 A V UK = 6,5 V
25 4 mm 2

UARC

10
V

anode UA = 3,5 V 0 1 2 X ARC 3 4

cathode
20 arc voltage
he lium

40 Helium 60 A UK = 6,5 V

15

4 2
n argo

UARC

20 anode UA = 6,1 V 0 1 2 3 4 mm 6
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10

10

cathode

50

100

150

200

250

350

weld current

XARC
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Figure 4.3 The electrical characteris-

Figure 4.4

TIG cathode 10 000 K 9 000 K 8 000 K

tics of the arc differ, depending on the selected

mm

helium in comparison with argon is higher, arc voltage must necessarily be higher. The temperature distribubr-er4-05e.cdr

anode spot weld pool

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tion of a TIG arc is shown in Figure 4.5. Figure 4.5

Temperature Distribution in a TIG Arc (at I=100 A)

the ionisation potential of

shielding gas, Figure 4.4. As

2 mm 4

mm

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arc length

mm

4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding In TIG welding just approximately 30% of the input electrical energy may be used for melting the base metal, Figure 4.6. Losses result from the arc radiation and heat dissipation in the workpiece and also from the heat conversion in the tungsten electrode.
R.I2 melting of wire radiation P = U.I welding direction

51

Figure 4.7 describes the process principle of TIG welding. Figure 4.8 explains by an example the code for a TIG welding wire, as stipulated in the drafts of the European Standardisations. A table with the chemical compositions of the filler materials is shown in Figure 4.9. According to Figure 4.10, a conventional
tungsten electrode electric contact shielding gas shielding gas nozzle welding power source

thermal conductivity [W/m K]

fusion heat [kJ/kg] specific heat [kJ/kg K]

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Figure 4.6 TIG welding installation consists of a transformer, a set of rectifiers and a torch. For most applications an electrode with a negative polarity is used. However, for welding of aluminium, alternating current must be
workpiece

filler metal weld

used. For arc ignition a high-frequency high voltage is superimposed and causes ionisation between electrode and workpiece.

arc
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Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG)

Figure 4.7

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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

52 The central part of the

W 46 3 W2
chemical composition table rods and wires for tig-welding minimum impact energy value 47 J at -30 C minimum weld metal yield point: 460 N/mm2 identification letter for TIG-welding identification of filler rod as an individual product: W2
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torch for TIG welding is the tungsten electrode which is held in a collet inside the torch body, Figure 4.11. The hose package contains the supply lines for shielding gas and welding shielding
Designation of a Tungsten Innert Gas Welding Wire to EN 1668

current. gas nozzle

The is

mostly made of ceramic. Manually operated torches for TIG welding which are used for high amperages

Figure 4.8

as well as machine torches for long duty cycles are water-cooled. In order to keep the influence of torch distance variations on the current intensity and thus on the penetration depth as low as possible, power sources used for TIG welding always have a steeply dropping characteristic, Figure 4.12. The non-contact reignition of the A.C. TIG arc after a voltage zero crossover requires ionisation of the gap
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electrode-workpiece by high-frequent

high voltage pulses, FigChemical composition of filler rods and wires for TIG-welding

ure 4.13.

Figure 4.9

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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

53 When argon is used as a shielding gas, metals as, for example, aluminium and magnesium, also which

L1 L2 L3 N PE

mains

filter capacitor

high-frequency choke coil

_ O

have low melting points and simultaneously forming tight and high melting oxide skins, cannot be welded with a negative polarity
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~
St

high voltage impulse generator

rectifier transformer SC: scattering core for adjusting the characteristic curve
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+ O

= ~

selector switch

electrode.

With

Principle Structure of a TIG Welding Installation

positive polarity, however, a cleaning effect takes place which is caused by the impact of the positive

Figure 4.10

charged ions from the shielding gas atmosphere on the negative charged work surface, thus destroying the oxide skin due to their large cross-section. However, as a positive polarity
longer arc shorter arc R and U drop

R and U rise
torch cap with seal handle of the torch control switch control cable

I drops

I rises

arc length short long

electrode collet collet case tungsten electrode gas nozzle

voltage

torch body with cooling device

shielding gas supply cooling water supply cooling water return with welding current cable

increasing

U
decreasing

current intensity
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decreasing

increasing

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Construction of a Water-Cooled Torch for TIG Welding

Figure 4.11

Figure 4.12

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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

54

would cause thermal overload of the electrode, these materials are welded with alternating current. However, this has a disturbing side-effect. The electron emission and, consequently, the current flow are dependent on the temperature of the cathode. During the negative phase on the work surface the emission is, due to the lower melting temperature substantially lower than during the negative phase on the tungsten electrode. As a consequence, a positively connected electrode leads to lower welding current flows than this would be the case with a negatively connected electrode, Figure 4.14. A filter capacitor in the welding current circuit filters out the D.C. compovoltage reignition of the arc by voltage impulses

nent which results in equal

A.C.

half-wave

components.

With modern transistorised

+ -

power sources which use

+ time

alternating current (square wave) for a faster zero cross-over, is duration and height of the phase com-

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Reignition of the Tungsten A.C. Arc Through Voltage Impulses

ponents electrode and the

adjustable. thermal

The stress

Figure 4.13
current a current a

cleaning effect

may be freely influenced.

without filter capacitor 0

+ +

electrode polarity

time

balanced half-wave components

with filter capacitor

time

Figure 4.15 shows that the thermal electrode load can be recognized from the shape of the electrode tip. While the normal-load negative connected electrode end has the shape of a pointed cone (point angle

electronic controled power source

+ + +
lower

time

- time

+ -

time

- time

cleaning effect heat load of the electrode

weld seam width

stronger increasing

smaller

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Influence of the Half-Wave Components during A.C. TIG Welding

approx. 10 ), a flattened electrode tip is the result

Figure 4.14
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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

55

from a.c. welding (higher thermal load by positive half-waves).The tip of a thermally overloaded electrode is hemispherical and leads to a stronger spread of the arc and thus to wider welds with lower penetration.

electrode for D.C. welding (direct current)

electrode for A.C. welding (alternating current)

materials: - steels, especially high-alloy steel - aluminium and aluminium alloys - copper and copper alloys - nickel and nickel alloys - titanium - circonium - tantalum workpiece thickness: - 0,5 - 5,0 mm weld types: - plain butt weld, V-type welds, flanged weld, fillet weld - all positions - surfacing application examples: - tube to tube sheet welding - orbital welding - root welding
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overloaded electrode

influence of the electrode shape on penetration profile

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Electrode Shapes for TIG Welding

Applications of TIG Welding

Figure 4.15

Figure 4.16

preflow of the shielding gas

postflow of the shielding gas

movement in switch-on position

All fusion weldable materials can be joined using the TIG process; from the economical point of view this applies especially to plate

shielding gas

orbital movement

360

thickness of less than 5 mm. The method is, moreover, predestined for

welding current

rise of current
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preheating

pulsing

current decay

overlap
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welding

root

passes

without backing support, Figure 4.16.

Flow Chart of TIG Orbital Welding

Figure 4.17
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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

56

For circumferential welding of fixed pipes, the TIG orbital welding method is applied. The welding torch moves orbitrally around the pipe, i.e., the pipe is welded in the positions flat, vertical down, overhead,
contact tube shielding gas plasma gas nozzle plasma gas filler material surface weld non-transferred arc workpiece welding power source tungsten electrode shielding gas nozzle

vertical-up and also interpass welding is applied. Moreover, a defect-free weld bead overlap must be achieved. Orbital welding installations are equipped with process operational controls which determine the appropriate process parameters, Figure 4.17. In plasma arc welding burns the arc between the

Ignition device

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Plasma Arc Welding with Non-Transferred Arc

Figure 4.18

tungsten electrode (- pole) and the plasma gas nozzle (+ pole) and is called the nontransferred arc, Figure 4.18. The non-transferred arc is mainly used for metal-spraying and for the welding of metal-foil strips. In plasma arc welding with transferred arc burns the arc between the tungsten electrode (pole) and the workpiece (+ pole) and is called the
contact tube shielding gas nozzle shielding gas plasma gas nozzle plasma gas welding power source Ignition device tungsten electrode

transferred

arc,

Figure

4.19. The plasma gas constricts the arc and leads to a more concentrated heat input than in TIG welding and allows thus the exploitation of the keyhole effect. Plasma arc welding with transferred arc is mainly used for welding of joints.

filler material seam

work piece transferred arc

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Plasma Arc Welding with Transferred Arc

Figure 4.19
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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

57 Plasma arc welding with

contact tube shielding gas nozzle shielding gas conveying gas and welding filler (powder) plasma gas plasma gas nozzle surface weld

tungsten electrode

semi-transferred arc is a combination

ignition device

of

the variant

two is

methods mentioned above.

welding power source

This used

process for

microplasma

welding, plasma-arc pownon-transferred arc

der surfacing and weldjoining of aluminium, Figure 4.20

transferred arc
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workpiece
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Plasma Arc Welding with Semi-Transferred Arc

The

plasma

welding

Figure 4.20

equipment includes, be-

sides the water-cooled welding torch, a gas supply for plasma gas (Ar) and shielding gas (ArH2-mixture, Ar/He mixture or Ar); the gas supply is, in most cases, separated, Figure 4.21. The copper anode and the additional focusing gas flow constrict the plasma arc which leads,

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Figure 4.21

Figure 4.22
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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding in comparison with TIG welding, to a more concentrated heat input and thus to deeper penetration. An arc that has been generated in this way burns more stable and is not easy to deflect, as, for example, at workpiece edges, Figure 4.21.
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58

Arc shapes of shielding gases: argon with 6,5% hydrogen helium 50% argon, 50% helium argon plasma gas: argon

The TIG arc is cone shaped or bell shaped, respecFigure 4.23 tively, and has an aperture angle of 45 . The plasma

arc length

Arc Shapes in Microplasma Welding with Different Shielding Gases

arc, in comparison, burns highly concentrated with almost parallel flanks, Figure 4.22. The shielding gas used in plasma arc welding
plasma torch

exerts, due to its thermal conductivity, a decisive influence onto the arc configuration. The use of a mixture of argon with hydrogen
welding direction

results in the often desired cylindrical arc shape, Figure 4.23.

weld (seam)

In plasma arc welding of plates thicker than 2.5mm the so-called keyhole effect is utilweld surface

ised, Figure 4.24. The plasma jet penetrates the material, forming a weld keyhole. During welding the plasma jet with the keyhole moves along the joint edges. Behind the

keyhole

root

plasma jet as result of the surface tension and

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the vapour pressure in the keyhole, the liquid metal flows back together and the weld bead is created.

Figure 4.24

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4. TIG Welding and Plasma Arc Welding

59

Very thin sheets and metal-foils can be welded using microplasma welding with amperages between 0.05 and 50 A. Figures 4.25 and 4.26 show these ples: application The examcircumferential

weld in a diaphragm disk with a wall thickness of 0.15mm and the joining of fine metal grids made of CrNi steel.

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Microplasma Welding of a Diaphragm Disk Made of CrNi

Figure 4.25

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Figure 4.26
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