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December 2013
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CONTENTS
Features
26
26
30
34
38
30
70
74
Departments
Editorial ............................4
Washington Watchword ..........6
Press Time News ..................8
News of the Industry ............10
Aluminum Q&A ..................16
Brazing Q&A ......................20
Product & Print Spotlight ......22
Coming Events....................42
Certification Schedule ..........46
Society News ....................49
Tech Topics ......................50
Amendment Notice: D14.3:2010
Amendment Notice: D15.1:2012
Errata A5.16:2013
Guide to AWS Services ........67
Personnel ........................68
American Welder
Learning Track ..................79
Fact Sheet ......................82
Welding Journal Index ..........84
Classifieds ........................98
Advertiser Index ................100
38
On the cover: It is important for job shops to improve productivity, ensure the
best quality, and reduce costs to remain competitive. (Photo courtesy of Miller
Electric Mfg. Co., Appleton, Wis.)
WELDING JOURNAL
EDITORIAL
Officers
President Nancy C. Cole
NCC Engineering
Vice President Dean R. Wilson
Well-Dean Enterprises
Vice President David J. Landon
Vermeer Mfg. Co.
Vice President David L. McQuaid
D. L. McQuaid and Associates, Inc.
Treasurer Robert G. Pali
J. P. Nissen Co.
Executive Director Ray W. Shook
American Welding Society
Directors
T. Anderson (At Large), ITW Global Welding Tech. Center
U. Aschemeier (Dist. 7), Miami Diver
J. R. Bray (Dist. 18), Affiliated Machinery, Inc.
R. E. Brenner (Dist. 10), CnD Industries, Inc.
G. Fairbanks (Dist. 9), Fairbanks Inspection & Testing Services
T. A. Ferri (Dist. 1), Victor Technologies
D. A. Flood (At Large), Tri Tool, Inc.
S. A. Harris (Dist. 4), Altec Industries
K. L. Johnson (Dist. 19), Vigor Shipyards
J. Jones (Dist. 17), The Harris Products Group
W. A. Komlos (Dist. 20), ArcTech, LLC
T. J. Lienert (At Large), Los Alamos National Laboratory
J. Livesay (Dist. 8), Tennessee Technology Center
M. J. Lucas Jr. (At Large), Belcan Engineering
D. E. Lynnes (Dist. 15), Lynnes Welding Training
C. Matricardi (Dist. 5), Welding Solutions, Inc.
J. L. Mendoza (Past President), Lone Star Welding
S. P. Moran (At Large), Weir American Hydro
K. A. Phy (Dist. 6), KA Phy Services, Inc.
W. A. Rice (Past President), OKI Bering
R. L. Richwine (Dist. 14), Ivy Tech State College
D. J. Roland (Dist. 12), Marinette Marine Corp.
N. Saminich (Dist. 21), NS Inspection and Consulting
K. E. Shatell (Dist. 22), Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
T. A. Siewert (At Large), NIST (ret.)
H. W. Thompson (Dist. 2), Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
R. P. Wilcox (Dist. 11), ACH Co.
J. A. Willard (Dist. 13), Kankakee Community College
M. R. Wiswesser (Dist. 3), Welder Training & Testing Institute
D. Wright (Dist. 16), Wright Welding Technologies
Nancy C. Cole
AWS President
DECEMBER 2013
WASHINGTON
WATCHWORD
BY HUGH K. WEBSTER
AWS WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICE
DECEMBER 2013
PRESS TIME
NEWS
United Yacht Transport to Build Worlds Largest
Yacht Carrier
United Yacht Transport LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has committed to building a
semisubmersible vessel for servicing the yacht transportation industry. It is scheduled
for delivery in the second tax quarter of 2015.
The company believes that the conversion of a Panamax size bulk vessel will produce
the worlds largest yacht transport vessel with a cargo capacity exceeding 40,000 deadweight tonnage. Completed dimensions of this vessel will be 755 151 ft, allowing for
passage through the newly widened Panama Canal. Certain market conditions in the
dry bulk shipping industry have led to a reduction in the value of bulk vessels, creating
an opportunity for developing a lower-cost, semisubmersible vessel.
Mary Vermeer
Andringa
Backed by a $14.9 million, three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labors
Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant awarded
to Wisconsins 16 technical colleges, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC)
is able to better assist students entering the welding field.
The grant is a result of a state-wide collaboration between educational systems working with industry groups, workforce development boards, and more than 50 businesses.
Wisconsin technical colleges have committed to train more than 2500 individuals in the
next two years, in hopes of reducing the skills gap to meet employer manufacturing
needs.
According to Mary Ann Pebler, WITCs director of resource development, the grant
has provided funding to purchase a robotic welding machine and allowed expanding the
welding program by two sections.
WITC will use its grant portion to assist welding students entering the five Short
Term Embedded Technical Diploma pathways. The U.S. Department of Labors Employment and Training Administration has funded 55% of this project, equaling $605,450.
The intent of the welding career pathway is to provide students with options for
multiple entry and exit points that result in employment opportunities at each stage.
Students then have the option of coming back into the program should they choose to
complete the one-year technical diploma, said Cindy King, WITCs director of
curriculum.
Editorial
Editorial Director Andrew Cullison
Editor Mary Ruth Johnsen
Associate Editor Howard M. Woodward
Associate Editor Kristin Campbell
Editorial Asst./Peer Review Coordinator Melissa Gomez
Publisher Emeritus Jeff Weber
Design and Production
Production Manager Zaida Chavez
Senior Production Coordinator Brenda Flores
Manager of International Periodicals and
Electronic Media Carlos Guzman
Advertising
National Sales Director Rob Saltzstein
Advertising Sales Representative Lea Paneca
Advertising Sales Representative Sandra Jorgensen
Senior Advertising Production Manager Frank Wilson
Subscriptions
Subscriptions Representative Tabetha Moore
tmoore@aws.org
MEMBER
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NEWS OF THE
INDUSTRY
Alcoa, U.S. Army to Develop Worlds Largest Single-Piece Aluminum Hull
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, Pa., and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., have launched a cooperative effort for developing an aluminum system to address a soldier safety threat
improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A single-piece aluminum
hull for ground combat vehicles would replace todays assembled
hulls.
For decades, the Army has recognized the survivability benefits of a single-piece hull due to its thickness, size, and shape for
ground combat vehicles, said Dr. Ernest Chin of the Army Research Laboratory. Our collaborative effort to develop continuous and seamless aluminum hull technology has the potential to
be a game changer for how combat vehicles are designed and made
to better protect our soldiers.
Alcoas single-piece aluminum hull would improve combat vehicle performance through improved blast protection, increased
damage resistance, efficient design, and cost savings.
Our experts are now developing the worlds largest, highstrength aluminum hull for combat vehicles to better defend Alcoa and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory have started a
against IEDs, the greatest threat our troops face in Afghanistan, cooperative effort to develop the worlds largest single-piece
while meeting the Armys affordability needs, said Ray Kilmer, aluminum hull for ground combat vehicles (as shown here in
a sketch).
Alcoa executive vice president and chief technology officer.
The Army Research Laboratory, in partnership with Alcoa
Defense, initiated the program after Alcoa modeled performance advantages of the single-piece hull.
In addition, Alcoa Defense, the Armys Research, Development and Engineering Command, and the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency will coordinate R&D efforts with scientists at the Alcoa Technical Center to refine the hull design
and develop alloy requirements. Alcoa Defense will then work with engineers at Alcoa Forgings and Extrusions in Cleveland
to produce 20- by 7-ft demonstrator hulls. These hulls will also be forged using Alcoa Clevelands 50,000-ton forging press.
DECEMBER 2013
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WELDING JOURNAL
11
GMAW. The means to purchase new materials came from selling the schools previous smoker along with metal roses and other
projects made by the welding students.
Compartments on its front and backside hold a refrigerator,
water heater, woodbox, holding tanks, two sinks, and storage
area. Bolts are in place for all metal parts to be removed.
As part of finishing, the trailer was disassembled for sandblasting followed by powder coating in the U.S. flag and high
school colors red, white, and blue. Now put back together, it can
be pulled by a truck. The smokers propane and water lines were
pressure tested, too. The finished trailer weighs 4200 lb and is
valued at around $30,000.
It has been a lot of work, but they have had a lot of fun doing
it, Kurpgeweit said.
Chris Crosslin (left) and Jose Farias pose in front of Patriot, the
trailer they finished featuring a BBQ smoker.
formerly part of the welding program at Eisenhower High School,
Yakima, Wash., received senior project guidance from their instructor, Gary Kurpgeweit, an American Welding Society member. They participated at the SkillsUSA national contest in Kansas
City, Mo., this past June and earned welding positions right after
high school.
The purpose of the smoker is a fundraiser for students,
Kurpgeweit said. Cookouts will take place to support field trips
and hotel/food costs during SkillsUSA competitions, plus help
with welding shop needs. We are able to take profits and put it
back into the program, he added.
The 7-ft-long smoker made out of 24-in.-diameter pipe, 14in. wall thickness, and a stainless steel tank was fabricated
using gas metal arc welding (GMAW). It can be fueled by propane
gas and heated wood. The trailer was also constructed using
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Industry Notes
Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, N.C.,
Victor TechnologiesTM CEO Martin Quinn uses a Victor Thermal Dynamics plasma system to cut a copper ribbon, officially
opening the companys new Design Center in West Lebanon, N.H.
cutting and arc welding technologies.
The center encompasses 50,000 sq ft and employs approximately 75 people. It is equipped with a plasma process research
and development laboratory, applications laboratory, classroom,
demonstration facility with cutting tables for hands-on training
of customers and employees, global technical support and service center, and pilot production lines for new products.
Our dedicated staff is focused on developing innovative solutions for our end-user customers and providing technical support and training for our distributor partners, said Victor Technologies CEO Martin Quinn, during the opening ceremony.
14
DECEMBER 2013
continued on page 96
ALUMINUM
Q&A
Following are the answers to the quiz
questions published in the October Aluminum Q&A column with a list of the ten
lucky winners.
1. What is the principal alloying element in the 8xxx series alloy group?
A Copper
B Lithium
C Zinc and Tin
D Other Element
D Other Element ANSI H35.1,
Alloy and Temper Designation System for
Aluminum, is clear in defining the 8xxx series alloys as being those with principal alloying elements other than the 1xxx through
7xxx series. The series consist of 1xxx Pure,
2xxx Copper, 3xxx Manganese, 4xxx Silicon,
5xxx Magnesium, 6xxx Magnesium and Silicon, and 7xxx Zinc. The 8xxx series alloys
are comprised of some aluminum/lithium
(Li) alloys that contain higher Li content
than copper (Cu), unlike the 2xxx series alloys that contain more Cu than Li. Also,
some aluminum/ferrite (Fe) alloys are included in the 8xxx series. The 8xxx series alloys are often described as the catch-all series since it contains any alloy that does not
fit the principal alloy category of the 1xxx
to 7xxx series.
2. What do the 2xxx, 6xxx, and 7xxx series alloys have in common?
A Heat Treatable
B Copper
C Nonheat Treatable
D Chemistry
A Heat Treatable 2xxx, 6xxx, and
7xxx are all heat-treatable alloys that are
strengthened through various types of
heat treatment. The initial strength of
these alloys is also produced by the addition of alloying elements to pure aluminum. These elements include copper
(2xxx series), magnesium and silicon,
which is able to form the compound magnesium silicide (6xxx series), and zinc
(7xxx series). When present in a given
alloy, singly or in various combinations,
these elements exhibit increasing solid solubility in aluminum as the temperature
increases. Because of this reaction, it is
possible to produce significant additional
strengthening to the heat-treatable alloys
by subjecting them to an elevated thermal
treatment, quenching, and, when applicable, precipitation heat treatment known
also as artificial aging.
Note: Because of additions of magnesium and/or copper, there are also a num16
DECEMBER 2013
BY TONY ANDERSON
ber of silicon (4xxx series) alloys that are
heat treatable.
In solution heat treatment, the material is typically heated to temperatures of
900 to 1050F, depending upon the alloy.
This causes the alloying elements within
the material to go into solution. Rapid
quenching, usually in water, which freezes
or traps the alloying elements in solution,
follows this process.
Precipitation heat treatment, or artificial aging, is used after solution heat-treatment. This involves heating the material for
a controlled time at a lower temperature
(around 250 to 400F). This process, used
after solution heat treatment, both increases strength and stabilizes the material.
3. Which of the following aluminum alloys has been solution heat treated and
naturally aged to a substantially stable
condition?
A 6061-T6
B 2014-T4
C 5052-H32
D 7075-T62
B 2014-T4 The -T4 indicates that
the alloy has been solution heat treated
and naturally aged to a substantially stable condition. The Temper Designation
System addresses the material conditions
called tempers. This is an extension of the
alloy numbering system and consists of a
series of letters and numbers that follow
the alloy designation number and are connected by a hyphen. Examples include
6061-T6, 6063-T4, 5052-H32, and 5083H112. The -T6 temper indicates solution
heat treated and artificially aged. The
-H32 and -H112 are strain-hardened tempers, that apply to nonheat-treatable alloys such as the 5xxx series, and the -T4
temper is heat treated and naturally aged.
4. When gas tungsten arc welding a
6xxx series aluminum base metal without
filler metal (autogenously), what type of
weld discontinuity would you most expect
to find in your weld?
A Porosity
B Incomplete Fusion
C Hot Cracking
D Undercut
C Hot Cracking The 6xxx series
base metals have chemical compositions
that are very susceptible to hot cracking.
If these alloys are not welded with a filler
metal of a different chemistry than that
of the base metal, they will invariably
crack during solidification. Either a 4xxx
A ER5356
B ER5183
C ER5556
D ER5554
D ER5554 Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in 5xxx series alloys, containing more than 3% magnesium, can be encountered when exposed to prolonged
time at temperatures between 150 and
350F. Base Alloy 5454 and filler Alloy
5554 both have magnesium content below
3%; therefore, both alloys are suitable for
elevated-temperature applications and
are not susceptible to SCC. Filler Alloys
5356, 5183, and 5556 all have more
than 3% magnesium and are not suitable
for prolonged elevated-temperature
applications.
A Oxygen
B Silicon
C Hydrogen
D Nitrogen
C Hydrogen Hydrogen is the
usual cause of porosity in aluminum welds.
The solubility of hydrogen in aluminum
increases dramatically after the aluminum
reaches its liquid stage. When aluminum
is taken to temperatures above its melting point, it becomes very susceptible to
hydrogen absorption. The hydrogen can
then form bubbles in the molten aluminum as the aluminum solidifies, and
these bubbles are then trapped in the
metal, causing porosity.
The sources of hydrogen that create
porosity are as follows: hydrocarbons in the
form of contaminants such as paint, oil,
grease, cutting fluids, and lubricant; hydrated aluminum oxide, as aluminum oxide
can absorb moisture and become hydrated,
the hydrated oxide will release hydrogen
when subjected to the heat during welding;
and moisture (H2O), as moisture in the atmosphere can be a serious cause of porosity under certain circumstances (changes in
A Davy Process
B Hall-Heroult Process
C Wohler Process
D Henri-Etienne Process
B Hall-Heroult Process In 1886,
by an amazing coincidence, two men (one
in France, and the other in the United
States of America) simultaneously discovered the electrolytic process for producing aluminum, and this process is still used
today. Charles Martin Hall was an Oberlin (Ohio) College student when he became interested in producing aluminum
inexpensively. He continued to use the
college laboratory after he graduated in
1885 and discovered his method eight
months later. He had developed a workable electrolytic process that formed
molten aluminum when purified alumina
was dissolved in a molten salt called cryolite and electrolyzed with direct current.
When Hall went to patent his process, he
discovered a French patent for essentially
the same process, discovered by Paul L.
T. Heroult. This process is now known as
the Hall-Heroult process. After several
unsuccessful attempts by Charles Martin
Hall to interest financial backers in promoting the discovery, he obtained the support of Alfred E. Hunt and a few of his
friends. Together, they formed the Pittsburgh Reduction Co. (later to become the
Aluminum Co. of America, Alcoa).
9. In accordance with the requirements
of AWS D1.2/D1.2M:2008, Structural Welding Code Aluminum, what is the maximum preheat temperature when welding
base metal 5052?
A 150F
B 250F
C 350F
D It does not give a max preheat for
this base metal.
D It does not give a max preheat
for this base metal. Section 4.8 of AWS
D1.2/D1.2M:2008, Structural Welding
Code Aluminum, Preheat and Interpass
WELDING JOURNAL
17
A 112 in.
B 212 in.
C 3 in.
D 312 in.
A 112 in. Section 2.4.2.4 clearly
states that the minimum length of an intermittent fillet weld shall be 112 in.
11. In accordance with the requirements of AWS D1.2/D1.2M:2008, Structural
Welding Code Aluminum, when testing
for a procedure qualification using a 5083H112 (1-in.-thick forging) base plate complete-joint-penetration groove weld, what
would be the minimum tensile strength required to pass the reduced section transverse tension tests?
A 36 ksi
B 38 ksi
C 39 ksi
D 40 ksi
B 38 ksi Table 3.2 of AWS D1.2
provides minimum tensile strengths for
5083-H112 in sheet, plate, extrusions, and
forgings. The 1-in.-thick forging has the
lowest tensile strength requirement at 38
ksi, with extrusions at 39 ksi, and sheet
and plate at 40 ksi.
12. In accordance with the requirements of AWS A5.10/A5.10M:2012, Welding Consumables Wire Electrodes,
Wires and Rods for Welding of Aluminum
and Aluminum-Alloys Classification,
the standard testing method for all ER
Classifications is chemical analysis plus
what other test?
A Tensile Tests
B Bead-on-Plate Test
C Radiographic Test
D Guided Bend Test
C Radiographic Test Table 2
of AWS A5.10 shows all classifications to
require chemical analysis, all R Classifications shall require a bead-on-plate test,
and all ER Classifications shall require radiographic testing.
Winners
I would like to thank all who participated in this aluminum quiz. I was very
impressed with the response and quality
Vinoy
inoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club, St. Petersburg, Fla.
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DECEMBER 2013
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BRAZING
Q&A
BY TIM P. HIRTHE
training. On some joints, rather than battle the training issue it seems easier to
look at another process. Hand-held induction is a logical place to look. Figure
1 shows a typical setup and Fig. 2 shows a
close-up view of the tubular joint being
brazed.
If you are going to pursue this option,
you will be addressing the variable of
heating but, to make it work successfully,
you must make sure you address the others. The fact that you are brazing dissimilar metals (steel and copper) adds some
additional considerations. The variables
that need attention are:
7. Heating process
brazing as long as the joints you are making are of a consistent nature. It is a very
uniform and consistent heating method,
but it requires the parts being brazed to
be similarly uniform and consistent.
Manual torch brazing gets a bad rap
because of the difficulty in having it applied the same way by a group of operators, but it does have some benefits. Tubular joints like those found in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems feature
a great deal of variation. These are not
thought of as precision braze joints. In
addition to the wide variation in heating
you mention, joint clearances vary, joint
insertion depths vary, tube thickness
varies, and cleanliness is usually an issue
of some sort. Sometimes nitrogen is used
as a purge to keep interior surfaces oxide
free; sometimes a vapor flux is aspirated
into the fuel gas stream to help keep exterior surfaces clean along with myriad
methods to apply alloy and flux. A skilled
operator with a torch, properly set for gas
pressures and flame condition, can adjust
to the conditions presented and make a
good braze joint.
The word skilled is the issue. In previous columns weve addressed the issue of
20
DECEMBER 2013
1. Joint clearance
2. Joint depth
3. Cleanliness
4. Braze alloy and flux
5. Thermal conductivity
6. Thermal expansion
WELDING JOURNAL
21
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Textbook Supplements
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Two Bridgeport five-face vertical machining centers are for job shop, OEM,
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DECEMBER 2013
silicon carbide abrasives in seven different grain sizes and three different bonds.
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The companys full-line object detection sensor catalog includes more than
1000 pages of new products, including
photoelectric, inductive, capacitive, and
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full-color photos and application images,
technical specs, accessories and recommended mating cables, technical drawings
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WELDING JOURNAL
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The Ultimate Split 1 is an orbital cutting machine designed for tube cutting in
a workshop or at a job site. The portable
machine can be fixed on a bench or
opened to handle tubular bundles. For
mounting, it fits onto the Ultimaster
bench unit system along with a 110- or 220V battery adaptor. The machines features
include self-centering, burr-free cuts, no
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WELDING JOURNAL
25
Aluminum Weld-Quality
Solutions Come in Threes
The right combination of consumable
chemistry, process, and equipment produces
high-quality, 53-ft-long welds at a
refrigerated-trailer manufacturing plant
BY FRANK ARMAO
FRANK ARMAO (www.lincolnelectric.com)
is director of aluminum technology, The
Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland, Ohio.
26
DECEMBER 2013
Fig. 1 A reel of welding wire engineered for use with aluminum alloys.
Waveform Technology
Pulse waveforms typically deliver weld
penetration with low heat at fast travel
speeds, providing a stable and consistent
arc with few defects. Through the instantaneous feedback from the power source,
the automated system responds more
quickly to stickout changes and contamination in the weld.
Over the years, improvements in
waveform control technology have
Consumables, Chemistry
Control, and Quality
The success of the latest welding
power source and waveform technology,
however, also depends on the type of consumable specified for the job, particularly in aluminum trailer fabrication
and on trailer floors because they are a
highly visible feature.
You want your floor to be sealed
tightly and not have any issues with moisture infiltration, which could compromise the integrity of the floor and the insulation underneath it, Black said. You
want to be sure you have good coverage
on your floor. You can achieve this with
WELDING JOURNAL
27
Fig. 3 Previously unobtainable technology makes possible high-quality, automated continuous welds, 53-ft-long, in aluminum
flooring for refrigerated trailers that are smooth and attractive.
28
DECEMBER 2013
can help eliminate troublesome variations and ensure consistent, performance, even on the most temperamental
substrates, including aluminum.
Chemistry control also ensures quality; quality more often than not equals
certifications. When choosing the right
consumable for any application, its also
a good idea to review each products specific certifications. Look for products certified to meet AWS minimums; however,
note that some manufacturers provide
mechanical properties beyond AWS minimums without sacrificing the operability advantages.
Visible Results
At Great Dane, using an appropriate,
automated power source with the proper
waveform control, and specifying a consumable designed specifically for aluminum welding and trailer fabrication
has delivered improved results both in
product quality and integrity, as well as
aesthetics on trailer floors.
Welding has been one of the toughest quality items for us to manage, and it
is an important one to manage, said
Alan Whiten, Great Danes director of
manufacturing engineering. Weve reduced pickups, which is huge. If a customer sees a pickup or a break in the
weld, they arent going to like it.
Black said the nature of the particular welding application requires starts
and stops, and, in the past, the appearance of welded trailer floors at any manufacturing facility, Great Dane and others, just looked bad. He added, This
is something the industry has just accepted, but were trying to take that out
of the equation and get rid of the blemishes in the trailer floors appearance. We
now have equipment that allows us to
control the welds more than we previously could. We can set the parameters
so we dont get oversized welds. We dont
even want our customers to know there
are welds there. We want material to run
into material, and we are achieving that.
Our first priority always is the quality of
the products we produce.
30
DECEMBER 2013
1. Offer Ongoing
Employee Training
Investing time and money into training can yield significant long-term benefits for a job shop. Welding operators
benefit individually from process and
equipment training, and in many cases,
it can also help them optimize the welding operation for greater efficiency.
Proper training can also give job shops a
competitive edge over those that have
less-skilled labor, and it promotes teamwork among employees.
Training opportunities are typically
available through equipment and filler
metal manufacturers or welding distributors. In some cases, working with a local
3. Establish Proper
Filler Metal Storage
and Handling Practices
Taking simple precautions to store
and handle filler metals correctly can
help job shops get the best performance
out of products and minimize costs.
Damaged filler metals, including covered
electrodes and solid or tubular wire, can
WELDING JOURNAL
31
DECEMBER 2013
4. Implement Welding
Information
Management
Welding information management is
not new to the industry, but it is a technology that can positively contribute to
the efficiency of a job shop. In the past,
this technology delivered raw data, and
it was up to the user to take that data, interpret it, and convert it into actions for
meaningful, continuous improvement.
Often, the effort needed to convert the
data into actionable information was too
much especially for a smaller shop that
5. Purchase Based on
Quality, Not Price
It is important to select the best filler
metal and equipment for the job, and
sometimes this means making a bigger
Es
investment. While the up-front cost savings are tempting, cheaper is not always
better because it can lead to problems
down the road such as poor weld quality
and more maintenance.
With regard to filler metals, it is not
uncommon to experience downtime associated with poor wire feeding, excessive spatter, or weld defects when using
lower-quality products. Workers may
also find themselves spending an excessive amount of time on activities that hinder productivity, such as applying antispatter and postweld grinding or rework.
It is important to look at the total cost of
using particular filler metals vs. the perunit cost. Higher-quality filler metals
can often minimize labor costs and provide better weld quality and greater
productivity.
The same considerations are true
when selecting power sources. Less expensive machines may not have the
longevity of more expensive, quality
equipment, which can result in higher
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These tips may involve an investment
of time, effort, and resources, but they
can pay off in productivity and quality
gains along with reduced costs in the long
run for job shops that use a variety of
welding processes and equipment.
The goal for any shop to remain competitive is to look for practical efficiencies that make it easier to manage its
filler metals and equipment, and get the
most out of these technologies. Having
well-trained, safe employees adds to that
goal, instilling a sense of ownership and
pride in having a well-run shop.
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34
DECEMBER 2013
Moving Forward
This year, eight different countries,
including the United States, had pavilions to exhibit products unique to their
countries. The U.S. pavilion, organized
by the American Welding Society, had 25
companies demonstrate their specific
technologies. The AWS was also active
in the pavilion, with an exhibition that
promoted publications, certifications,
and membership.
The last time the fair was held in 2009,
it operated under the pall of a world economic downturn. Not so this time. In
Fig. 1 Five wires are fed into a multiwire submerged arc system for narrow groove
welding.
Products
A brief look at some of the technology that was on display is given below.
Wind tower technology is much in evidence in Europe as the land and
seascape are dotted with rotating turbines. Uhrhan-Schwill, Essen, Germany,
featured its multiple-wire narrow groove
submerged arc welding system (Fig. 1)
designed for joining the critical joints in
wind tower main columns. The company
is affiliated with Lincoln Electric and the
Power Wave AC/DC 1000 is used to
power the system. The weld head for this
particular system was set up with two twin
2.4-mm wires and one 4.0-mm wire. Deposition rates of 50 kg/h can be reached
and wall thicknesses up to 100 mm can
be joined. Wire locations are automatically adjusted as the joint is welded out.
The weld heads are designed to withstand
applications requiring up to 2000 A.
www.uhrhan-schwill.de
Ophardt Maritim, Duisberg, Germany, introduced a novel concept of
module construction for the hull of a
boat. The idea is similar to the auto industry where various different models
may share the same chassis. The OPSHIPP boat chassis (Fig. 2) can accommodate vessels 812 m long. The
boat manufacturer chooses whatever
prefabricated module is needed and then
uses it as a platform to fit out the superstructure to whatever design requirements the customer desires. The modules are all aluminum and are primarily
welded robotically. The concept has the
advantages of reducing costs, since standard and mass-produced parts can be
used; speeding production, with a typical module hull taking a week to produce,
while a conventional hull might take five
weeks; reducing distortion; and consistency of fabrication. www.ophardtmaritim.de
Messer Group, Bad Soden, Germany,
took this opportunity to introduce its
MegaPack cylinder holder (Fig. 3), which
takes the standard cylinder capacity from
WELDING JOURNAL
35
Fig. 4 Motofil is involved in all phases of welding and cutting, including its Motomig
solid welding wire.
36
DECEMBER 2013
WELDING JOURNAL
37
BY ROB KRAUSE
ROB KRAUSE (RKrause@alcotec.com)
is technical services manager,
AlcoTec Wire Corp., Traverse City, Mich.
38
DECEMBER 2013
Fig. 1 The effects of welding wire diameter tolerance variations on deposited weld
metal, and the effect of electrode diameter on several welding parameters.
Fig. 2 Weld beads made with Alloy 5356 wires of different diameters deposited at
feed speeds adjusted to equalize the amount of weld metal deposited.
39
Limitations
There are always limitations or possible disadvantages when making changes.
Machine capacity will be the first point
of discussion. For this example, Alloy
5356 in 0.047-in.- (1.2-mm-) diameter
wire was used. For the lab tests being referenced, the average amperage with this
product was 220 A. For a weld of similar
size made using 0.062-in.- (1.6-mm-) diameter wire, the average amperage increased to 274 A. This would not pose a
problem for a 400-A machine, but a machine rated for 300 A at 100% duty cycle
may struggle to keep up. As a result of
the travel speed increase, the total heat
input did not significantly increase, but
greater machine capacity was required
for the increased amps.
Due to the higher amperages needed
for the larger wires, an air-cooled gun
may be unsatisfactory as the nozzle will
heat up much faster. This may not be a
problem if the average weld length is relatively short, but for most production applications, you may want to consider a
water-cooled welding gun if you are going
to use 0.062-in. wire or larger. Be aware
that most welding guns have their amperage ratings based on CO 2 or a mix containing CO 2. Since aluminum GMAW
applications will utilize either 100%
argon, or a mixture of argon and helium,
these amperage ratings must be reduced.
One manufacturer rates its welding gun
at 400 A with CO2 and only 260 A when
using argon.
Another potential limitation, albeit
less profound, is travel speed. If the goal
is to increase productivity by increasing
wire diameter, the travel speed must be
increased if the bead size is to remain
constant. This may not be difficult to do
in robotic or hard automation applications, but for manual operations, your
welders may require training to move
faster, possibly as much as 30% faster.
From a safety standpoint, the heat
generation at the welding gun should also
be considered. For robotic and automated systems, this will most likely not
pose a problem. For manual applications,
however, heat shields for your welders
gloves will be very important.
The last concern to consider is the actual weldment. The thickness of the material, the part geometry, and the assem40
DECEMBER 2013
Fig. 3 Shown is the proper position of the wire and the arc relative to the weld pool.
Table 1 Wire Diameter-Travel Speed Combinations to Obtain Same Weld Bead Size
Diameter (in.)
Amps (A)
Volts (V)
Wire Feed Speed (in./min)
Bead Width Target (in.)
Travel Speed (in./min)
% Increase in Travel Speed
0.047
223
22.5
523
0.45
26
0.062
274
23
366
0.45
35.8
37.7%
0.071
319
24
295
0.45
42
17.3%
61.5%
0.094
375
25
180
0.45
49
16.7%
36.9%
88.5%
Table 2 Wire Diameter vs. Weld Bead Width with Constant Travel Speed
Diameter (in.)
Amps (A)
Volts (V)
Wire Feed Speed (in./min)
Travel Speed (in./min)
Bead Width (in.)
% Increase in Bead Width
0.047
225
23
531
27
0.422
0.062
258
23
366
27
0.480
13.7%
0.071
264
23
271
27
0.582
21.3%
37.9%
0.094
375
26
180
27
0.688
18.1%
43.2%
62.9%
Table 3 Depths of Penetration for Four Wire Diameters Welded at the Same Travel Speed
Diameter (in.)
Amps (A)
Depth of Penetration
% Change in Penetration
0.047
225
0.111
Summary
The use of aluminum is continually increasing, resulting in more companies
0.062
258
0.128
15.3%
0.071
264
0.179
39.8%
61.3%
0.094
375
0.191
6.7%
49.2%
72.1%
COMING
EVENTS
42
DECEMBER 2013
Educational Opportunities
Metal & Steel Middle East 2014. May 1517. Cairo, Egypt. Visit
www.metalsteeleg.com.
INTEG Courses. Courses in NDE disciplines to meet certifications to Canadian General Standards Board or Canadian
Nuclear Safety Commission. The Canadian Welding Bureau;
(800) 844-6790; www.cwbgroup.org.
7th Offshore Energy Expo and Conf. Oct. 28, 29. Amsterdam RAI,
The Netherlands. Visit www.offshore-energy.biz.
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WELDING JOURNAL
43
44
DECEMBER 2013
WJS1235
An Important Event
on Its Way?
Send information on upcoming events to the Welding
Journal Dept., 8669 NW 36th St., Miami, FL 33166.
Items can also be sent via FAX to (305) 443-7404 or
by e-mail to woodward@aws.org.
WELDING JOURNAL
45
CERTIFICATION
SCHEDULE
Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)
LOCATION
SEMINAR DATES
Charlotte, NC
Jan. 510
Miami, FL
Exam only
Beaumont, TX
Jan. 1217
Long Beach, CA
Jan. 1924
Denver, CO
Jan. 2631
Miami, FL
Jan. 2631
Pittsburgh, PA
Jan. 2631
Corpus Christi, TX
Exam only
New Orleans, LA
Feb. 914
Waco, TX
Feb. 914
Seattle, WA
Feb. 914
San Diego, CA
Feb. 2328
Atlanta, GA
Feb. 2328
Mobile, AL
Mar. 27
Kansas City, MO
Mar. 27
Houston, TX
Mar. 27
Norfolk, VA
Mar. 27
Milwaukee, WI
Mar. 27
Birmingham, AL
Mar. 914
Indianapolis, IN
Mar. 914
Boston, MA
Mar. 914
Portland, OR
Mar. 914
Rochester, NY
Exam only
York, PA
Exam only
Miami, FL
Mar. 2328
Chicago, IL
Mar. 2328
Springfield, MO
Mar. 2328
Dallas, TX
Mar. 2328
Minneapolis, MN
Mar. 30Apr. 4
Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 30Apr. 4
Syracuse, NY
Mar. 30Apr. 4
San Francisco, CA
Apr. 611
New Orleans, LA
Apr. 611
Nashville, TN
Apr. 611
Corpus Christi, TX
Exam only
Miami, FL
Exam only
St. Louis, MO
Exam only
Annapolis, MD
Apr. 27May 2
Detroit, MI
Apr. 27May 2
Corpus Christi, TX
Apr. 27May 2
Fresno, CA
May 49
Miami, FL
May 49
Albuquerque, NM
May 49
Oklahoma City, OK
May 49
Corpus Christi, TX
Exam only
Birmingham, AL
June 16
Hutchinson, KS
June 16
Spokane, WA
June 16
Bakersfield, CA
June 813
Pittsburgh, PA
June 813
Beaumont, TX
June 813
Miami, FL
Exam only
EXAM DATE
Jan. 11
Apr. 5
July 19
Sept. 20
Oct. 18
IMPORTANT: This schedule is subject to change without notice. Applications are to be received at least six weeks prior to the seminar/exam or
exam. Applications received after that time will be assessed a $250 Fast Track fee. Please verify application deadline dates by visiting our website
www.aws.org/certification/docs/schedules.html. Verify your event dates with the Certification Dept. to confirm your course status before making
travel plans. For information on AWS seminars and certification programs, or to register online, visit www.aws.org/certification or call (800/305)
443-9353, ext. 273, for Certification; or ext. 455 for Seminars. Apply early to avoid paying the $250 Fast Track fee.
46
DECEMBER 2013
SOCIETYNEWS
BY HOWARD WOODWARD
woodward@aws.org
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
Tumblr
LinkedIn
Official Blog
Google+
In addition, the AWS Facebook page offers news about membership promotions,
conferences, contests, and giveaways. Currently, the page offers a free American
Welding Society membership to the person
submitting the winning entry in the photo
contest.
The AWS Google+ Community offers
a page to chat with fellow welders about
your projects and to offer and receive practical advice. Its a place where visitors can
even show off their favorite welds. Think
of this page as a club for welders.
The Instagram page offers behind-thescenes views of many welding-related pages
including the American Welding Societys
World Headquarters in Miami, Fla., and
the Careers in Welding Trailer.
The Societys YouTube channel currently offers 12 videos covering topics from
robotic welding to career opportunities for
women. One of these videos features a
guest appearance by late-night talk show
host Jay Leno.
In the near future, the Society plans to
host Google+ Hangouts that will give visitors the opportunity to join a live chat with
Society staff members. For example, it will
be possible to speak directly to a Certification Department representative to get detailed answers to questions about the certification process, or join a Hangout with
AWS President Nancy Cole to ask her questions about her experiences during her year
as president.
These descriptions are just the tip of the
iceberg of what is currently available and
coming soon across the American Welding
Societys social media presence.
The Societys online exposure is everevolving in an effort to provide interesting
social media pages where its members and
customers can meet in a global conversation about their industry.
ROQUE CORONA (rcorona@aws.org) is digital content manager, Marketing Dept., American Welding Society, Miami, Fla.
WELDING JOURNAL
49
Tech Topics
C4 Committee Meets at AWS World Headquarters
Shown (from left) are C4 Committee Vice Chair Duane Overvaag, Chair Mike Hogan, Jim
Papritan, Ben Johnson, A. Ted Sheppard, John Henderson, and Secretary Chelsea Lewis. The
C4 Committee on Oxyfuel Gas Welding and Cutting met Oct. 24 and 25, at AWS World Headquarters in Miami, Fla.
Errata
A5.16/A5.16M:2013
(ISO 24034-2010 MOD)
Specification for Titanium and TitaniumAlloy Welding Electrodes and Rods
The following errata have been identified and will be incorporated into the next
reprinting of this document.
Page 10, Table B.1:
Correct: Ti 6114 to Ti 6414
Amendment Notices
All Amendments may be viewed and
downloaded from the AWS Web site. Visit
www.aws.org/w/a/technical/amendments.
D14.3/D14.3M:2010-AMD1, Railroad
Welding Specification for Cars and Locomotives. The Amendment reflects numerical changes made to a group of prequalified weld joints within Annex A as well as
minor AWS document title updates, and
clause and table references within the
body of the document.
D15.1/D15.1M:2012, Railroad Welding
Specification for Cars and Locomotives.
The Amendment details revisions to Tables 10.1, 10.5, 11.3, and an errata list.
New Standards Projects
Development work has begun to revise
the following four standards. Affected individuals are invited to contribute to their
development. For information, e-mail the
Staff Secretary listed with the document.
D3.6M:201X, Underwater Welding
Code, covers the requirements for welding structures or components underwater
in both wet and dry environments. Stakeholders: Underwater welding industry associates. B. McGrath, bmcgrath@aws.org.
D16.1M/D16.1:201X, Specification for
50
DECEMBER 2013
Robotic Arc Welding Safety, sets safety requirements for the design, manufacture,
setup, maintenance, and operation of arc
welding robotic systems and ancillary
equipment. Stakeholders: Manufacturers. C. Lewis, clewis@aws.org.
D16.2M/D16.2:201X, Guide for Components of Robotic and Automatic Arc
Welding Installations, provides recommendations for evaluating components of a
typical robotic or automatic welding installation, with emphasis on the role of the
welding interface. A pin arrangement and
specific pin function for each location in
a standardized 37-pin connector are proposed. Stakeholders: Users of arc welding
robots. C. Lewis, clewis@aws.org.
D16.3M/D16.3:201X, Risk Assessment
Guide for Robotic Arc Welding, provides
guidelines for the safe application of robotic arc welding. Stakeholders: Any industry using robots for arc welding operations. C. Lewis, clewis@aws.org.
Standard Approved by ANSI
D15.1/D15.1M:2012-AMD1, Railroad
Welding Specification for Cars and Locomotives. Approved 8/30/13.
AWS was approved as an accredited
standards-preparing organization by the
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) in 1979. AWS rules, as approved
by ANSI, require that all standards be
open to public review for comment during the approval process. The amendment
standard listed above was approved by
ANSI effective on the date shown.
ISO Standards for Public Review
ISO/DIS 15614-7, Specification and
qualification of welding procedures for
metallic materials Welding procedure test
Part 7: Overlay welding
ISO/DIS 18278-1, Resistance welding
Weldability Part 1: Assessment of weld-
ability for resistance spot, seam and projection welding of metallic materials
Copies of these standards are available
for review and comment through your national standards body, which in the United
States is ANSI, 25 W. 43rd St., 4th Fl., New
York, NY, 10036; (212) 642-4900.
In the United States, if you wish to participate in the development of International
Standards for welding, contact A. Davis at
adavis@aws.org.
Standards for Public Review
A5.24/A5.24M:20XX, Specification for
Zirconium and Zirconium-Alloy Welding
Electrodes and Rods. $30.
G2.4/G2.4M 20XX, Guide for the Fusion
Welding of Titanium and Titanium Alloys.
$32.00.
AWS was approved as an accredited
standards-preparing organization by the
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) in 1979. AWS rules, as approved by
ANSI, require that all standards be open to
public review for comment during the approval process. The reviews for the above
two revised standards will expire Dec. 9.
Draft copies may be ordered from A. Diaz,
adiaz@aws.org.
Technical Committee Meetings
All AWS technical committee meetings
are open to the public. Persons wishing to
attend a meeting should e-mail the program
manager listed.
Dec. 4, 5, Safety and Health Committee. Miami, Fla. Contact S. Hedrick,
steveh@aws.org.
Jan. 29, 30, Technical Activities Committee. Miami, Fla. Contact A. Alonso,
aalonso@aws.org.
Jan. 29, 30, International Standards Activities Committee. Miami, Fla. Contact A.
Davis, adavis@aws.org.
Volunteers are sought to contribute to the following technical committees. Visit www.aws.org/technical/jointechcomm.html.
Methods of Weld Inspection, The B1
Committee seeks educators, general interest, and end users. E. Abrams,
eabrams@aws.org.
Safety and Health Committee seeks educators, users, general interest, and consultants. S. Hedrick, steveh@aws.org.
Oxyfuel gas welding and cutting, C4
Committee seeks educators, general interest, and end users. C. Lewis,
clewis@aws.org.
Friction welding, C6 Committee seeks
professionals. C. Lewis, clewis@aws.org.
High energy beam welding and cutting,
C7 Committee seeks professionals. C.
Lewis, clewis@aws.org.
Magnesium alloy filler metals, A5L
Subcommittee seeks professionals. R.
Gupta, gupta@aws.org.
Friction stir welding of aluminum alloys for aerospace applications, D17J Subcommittee seeks members. A. Diaz,
adiaz@aws.org.
Resistance welding equipment, J1 Committee seeks educators, general interest,
and users. E. Abrams, eabrams@aws.org.
Thermal spraying and automotive welding, The D8 and C2 Committees seek educators, general interest, and end users. E.
Abrams, eabrams@aws.org.
Machinery and equipment and Surfacing and reconditioning of industrial mill
rolls, D14 Committee and D14H Subcommittee seek professionals. E. Abrams,
eabrams@aws.org.
WELDING JOURNAL
51
Delta Stress
PO Box 874, Kenosha, WI 53141
EFS WEST
28472 Constellation Rd.
Valencia, CA 91355
Representative: John Neilan
www.efswest.com
DLT Manufacturing
4081 Shilling Way, Dallas, TX 75237
Industrial Training
Calle de Leibnitz #11, Despacho 204
Colonia Anzures, Delegacin
Miguel Hidalgo, DF 11590, Mexico
Arkana
9737 NW 41 St., Ste. #242
Doral, FL 33178
Dobson H. S.
1501 W. Guadalupe Rd.
Mesa, AZ 85202
Louisiana Delta C. C.
West Monroe Campus
609 Vocational Pkwy.
West Monroe, LA 71292
Marine Infra School of NDT & Welding
Marine Mansion, #23-23-12,
Sivalayam Temple, Opp: Ore Berth
Main Gate, Beach, Visakapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh 530001, India
Mesa H. S.
1630 E. Southern Ave., Mesa, AZ 85204
Mountain View H. S.
2700 E. Brown Rd., Mesa, AZ 85213
NCK Tech
PO Box 507, 3033 US Hwy. 24
Beloit, KS 67420
New Boston ISD
1 W. Lion Dr., New Boston, TX 75570
Pewitt H.S.
1216 Hwy. 67 W., Omaha, TX 75571
Seneca Valley School District
126 Seneca School Rd.
Harmony, PA 16037
Summit College
965 S. Mt. Vernon, Colton, CA 92324
UDSS University
18501 Pines Blvd., Ste. 300
Pembroke Pines, FL 33029
Member-Get-A-Member Campaign
Listed are the members participating
in the June 1Dec. 31, 2013 campaign.
Members receive 5 points for each Indi-
vidual and 1 point for each Student Member recruited. Standings as of Oct. 21. See
page 65 of this Welding Journal for cam-
20+ Points
J. Compton, San Fernando Valley 85
J. Morris, Mobile 75
M. Box, Mobile 42
B. Scherer, Cincinnati 40
K. Rawlin, Columbia 31
M. Pelegrino, Chicago 30
S. Siviski, Maine 29
B. Trankler, West Tennessee 27
R. Richwine, Indiana 25
D. Wheeler, Oklahoma City 25
D. Saunders, Lakeshore 22
F. Babish, Lehigh Valley 20
52
DECEMBER 2013
1519 Points
Joseph Vincent, Kansas City 18
Paul Kreitman, Chicago 15
S. Schulte, Kansas City 15
J. Terry, Greater Huntsville 15
1014 Points
Rodney Riggs, Tulsa 14
SECTIONNEWS
Shown during the Long Island Section tour are (from left) Guide Ed Scottie, Jesse Provler, Ray OLeary, Chair Brian Cassidy, Alex Duchere,
Gene Sanquini, Tom Gartland, and Harland Thompson, Dist. 2 director.
District 1
District 2
NEW JERSEY
OCTOBER 15
Speaker: Louis Thomas, account manager
Affiliation: ITW Welding, North America
Topic: Weld fume extraction
Activity: The program was held at Pantagis
in Fanwood, N.J.
LONG ISLAND
OCTOBER 16
Activity: The Section members toured
Sulzer Metco in Westbury, N.Y. Ed Scottie, manufacturing manager, conducted
the tour and described its thermal spraying, thin film coatings, and various surfaceenhancement services.
NEW YORK/PHILADELPHIA
SEPTEMBER 21, 22
Activity: The Sections participated at the
World Maker Faire in New York City. Attending were Dist. 2 Director Harland
Shown at the Careers in Welding Trailer at the World Maker Faire are (from left) Julie Nuccio; Harland Thompson, Dist. 2 director; Ouidad Kadri; and Ken Temme.
Thompson, Julie Nuccio, Ouidad Kadri,
Ken Temme, Mike Chomin, John X. Retrepo, David Ennis, Kendrick Cumberbatch, Bo Chan, Liliana Melo, and Jonny
Olarte.
53
Shown at the World Maker Faire are from left (front) Mike Chomin and John X. Retrepo,
and (back) David Ennis, Kendrick Cumberbatch, Bo Chan, Liliana Melo, Jonny Olarte,
and Harland Thompson, Dist. 2 director.
PHILADELPHIA
SEPTEMBER 18
Speakers: Robert Bubb, executive director; Dave Poli, director of education
Affiliation: All-State Career Center
Topic: The need for welders to make critical infrastructure repairs
Activity: The event was held at the school
in Lester, Pa.
District 3
Long Island Section members are, from left, Jesse Provler, Tom Gartland, Alex Duschere,
Ray OLeary, Chair Brian Cassidy, Joe Kass, and Dist. 2 Director Harland Thompson.
READING
SEPTEMBER 11
Speaker: David Watson, sales engineer
Affiliation: The Lincoln Electric Co.
Topic: Mobile apps for manufacturing
Activity: Merilyn McLaughlin was cited
for her accomplishments as 2013 contest
chair. Watson was presented a certificate
of appreciation for contributing consumables for the Sections welding contests.
The event was held at Lebanon County Career & Technology Center in Lebanon, Pa.
Speaker Robert Bubb (left) is shown with
Bill Mowbray, Philadelphia Section chair.
OCTOBER 10
Activity: The Reading Section members
toured Reading Alloys, an AMETEK
Company, in Robesonia, Pa. Russ Relkin,
manufacturing manager, powder products,
made a presentation and guided the tour.
District 4
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Shown at the October Reading Section meeting are (from left) John Tobias, Jerry Cross,
Bob Wampler, Dave Hibshman, Merilyn McLaughlin, Tracy Davenport, tour guide Russ
Relkin, and Keeley Morris.
54
DECEMBER 2013
SEPTEMBER 25
Activity: The Section held a weld off at
Burton Technologies in Roanoke, Va.,
hosted by Chris Overfelt. The top contender was Taylor Reed from Burton Tech-
The participants in the Southwest Virginia Section weld off posed for a group shot.
District 6
District 5
Carl Matricardi, director
(770) 979-6344
cmatricardi@aol.com
ATLANTA
SEPTEMBER 19
Activity: The Section held a skeet shooting outing at Tom Lowe Shooting
Grounds.
OCTOBER 17
Speaker: Justin Stacey
Affiliation: Baja Racing Team
Topic: Failures in race car frames
Activity: Vickie Moody hosted this event
at Southern Polytechnic State University.
COLUMBIA
SEPTEMBER 18
Speaker: Bill Hodges, sales manager
Affiliation: Burny Kaliburn
Topic: Plasma cutting systems
Activity: The meeting was held at Lexington Career Center in Lexington, S.C.
NIAGARA FRONTIER
SEPTEMBER 26
Activity: The Section members visited
Race Visions Reborn shop to see demonstrations of welding used to make drag motorcycles. The presenters included Jesse
Steffan, Gordy Welfare, and Dave Zobel.
OCTOBER 1
Speaker: Dave Schaffer, welding process
specialist
Affiliation: Airgas
Topic: Gas tungsten arc welding aluminum
Activity: The program was held at Shaker
Ridge Country Club in Latham, N.Y.
District 7
55
Shown at the Nashville Section tour are (from left) Billy Davis, Scott Bradley, David Porter, Mark Hartmann, Clif Coleman, Bob Williams,
Steve Jefsen, Sean Koontz, and Marion Brown.
Northeast Tennessee members and guests are shown at the October program.
The Birmingham Section members and guests are shown in the two photos above.
DECEMBER 2013
Lawson State C. C. Student Chapter members are shown at the October event.
Shown at the Mobile Section program are (from left) Dale Box, Clint Brown, Dist. 9 Director George Fairbanks, Chair Michael Zoghby,
Philip Goudreault, and Mark Logan Murphy.
Shown at the Drake Well Section event are from left (front row) Mike Young, Travis Crate, and Robert Fugate, (middle row) Rolf Laemmer,
Dist. 10 director Bob Brenner, Carol Miller, Erik Speer, and Tom Kostreba, (back row) Ward Kiser, Mike Owens, and Jordan Thompson.
District 8
District 9
CHATTANOOGA
BIRMINGHAM/
Lawson State C. C.
Student Chapter
OCTOBER 17
Speaker: Michael Patch, project manager
Affiliation: Westinghouse BWR Service
Center, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Topic: Service-induced weld defects in nuclear power plants
Activity: The program was held at Alstom
Power in Chattanooga, Tenn.
NASHVILLE
SEPTEMBER 12
Activity: The Section toured Mid-South
Metallurgical in Murfreesboro, Tenn., to
study its heat treating operations. The presenters were Owner Clif Coleman and
Plant Superintendent Steve Jefsen.
NORTHEAST TENNESSEE
OCTOBER 3
Speaker: Stephen Liu, professor
Affiliation: Colorado School of Mines
Topic: Low transformation temperature
welding consumables
Activity: The event was held at Lakeside
Restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn.
OCTOBER 8
Activity: The Section and Student Chapter members visited Oxylance Corp. for
demonstrations of its bore repair and welding equipment. The presenters were Greg
Cain and Frank Neeley. George Fairbanks,
Dist. 9 director, 39 members, and 21 students attended the event.
MOBILE
SEPTEMBER 12
Speaker: David Hernandez, director, education development
Affiliation: AWS Headquarters, staff
Topic: Educational programs
Activity: The program was held at The
Original Oyster House in Spanish Fort,
Ala., for 74 attendees.
District 10
DRAKE WELL
OCTOBER 10
Activity: The Section held a social event
at The Commons at Franklin in Franklin,
Pa. Bob Brenner, Dist. 10 director, spoke
on OSHA safety regulations, and Erik
Speer made a presentation on the history
of the American Welding Society and the
benefits of membership.
District 11
Robert P. Wilcox, director
(734) 721-8272
rmwilcox@wowway.com
DETROIT
OCTOBER 10
Speaker: Keith Lloyd, training specialist
Affiliation: ABB Robotics and Section certification chair
Topic: The AWS Certified Robotic Arc
WELDING JOURNAL
57
Ferris State University Student Chapter members are shown during their Adopt-A-Highway community service.
Elizabeth Rolston, representing the Ferris State University S.C., presents a check and food
donations to Robert Beaverson representing Our Brothers Keeper Shelter.
The Blackhawk Technical College S.C. members take a break while hauling in scrap metal to raise funds for needy seniors.
Welding (CRAW) program
Activity: Following the talk, the Detroit
Section attendees toured the ABB Robotics Auburn Hills, Mich., facility to study its
operations.
SEPTEMBER 26
Activity: Continuing its eight-year AdoptA-Highway tradition, 17 students and
three faculty members removed debris
from a two-mile stretch of M-20 highway
in Stanwood, Mich., headed by Jeffrey
Carney, advisor.
SEPTEMBER 27
Activity: The Ferris State University hapter members collected and delivered more
than 240 food items plus a check for $250
to Robert Beaverson of Our Brothers
Keeper Shelter in Big Rapids, Mich. The
food and cash were donated by welding
students and faculty.
DECEMBER 2013
District 12
Blackhawk Technical
College
Student Chapter
SEPTEMBER 28
Activity: The Chapter members participated in a metals drive to raise funds to
help low-income seniors in Rock County
get an air-conditioner. The activity was
headed by Advisor Dan Crifase, chairman
of the Racine-Kenosha Section.
LAKESHORE
OCTOBER 10
Speaker: Tony Anderson, director of aluminum technology
Affiliation: ITW Welding North America
Topic: MAXAL aluminum wires
Activity: The event was held at Machuts
Supper Club in Two Rivers, Wis.
MADISON-BELOIT
SEPTEMBER 13
Activity: The Section toured Truax Field,
home of the 115th Air National Guard in
Madison, Wis. Lt. Stephen Montgomery
conducted the program with Steve
Dempsey and Thomas Donnan showing
the fire department. Sgt. Tim Walter led
the tour of the Metals Shop, and Sgt. Andrew Brickl discussed the F15 aircraft.
The Madison-Beloit Section members are shown during their visit to Truax Field.
Chicago Section and ASNT Chapter members are shown at the October 16 program.
Shown at the Chicago board meeting are from left (standing) Pete Host and Cliff Iftimie
and (seated) Jeff Stanczak, Chair Eric Krauss, Bob Zimny, and Eric Purke.
District 13
District 14
CHICAGO
INDIANA
OCTOBER 12
Activity: The Section held its board meeting at Hackneys in Palos Park, Ill. Attending were Chair Eric Krauss, Jeff Stanczak,
Bob Zimny, Eric Purke, Pete Host, and
Cliff Iftimie.
OCTOBER 16
Speaker: Stuart Kleven
Topic: New inspection methodology for industry
Activity: The Chicago Section met with
members of the local chapter of ASNT at
Bohemian Crystal Restaurant in Westmont, Ill.
SEPTEMBER 26
Activity: The Section held its annual planning meeting for the District, state, MidWest Team Welding Tournament, and professional welding competition in Chicago.
Attending were past AWS President Dick
Alley, Dist. 14 Director Bob Richwine,
Chair Bennie Flynn, Gary Dugger, Gary
Tucker, and Eric Cooper.
OCTOBER 11
Activity: Dist. 14 Director Bob Richwine
and Frank Blanchard, Ivy Tech C. C. program chair, presented Levi Crusmire the
Student Chapter Member Award for his
59
The Nebraska Section members are shown at Metropolitan Community College in September.
District 15
David Lynnes, director
(701) 365-0606
dave@learntoweld.com
The Oklahoma City Section first-place sporting clay shooters are (from left) Mike Cook,
Dave Cook, Tony Hackney, Joe Hackney, and Shane Downs.
District 16
Dennis Wright, director
(913) 782-0635
awscwi1@att.net
NEBRASKA
DECEMBER 2013
LOUISVILLE
SEPTEMBER 26
Activity: The Section members visited Jefferson Community and Technical College
in Louisville, Ky., for a presentation by Ben
Coons, sales manager, on use of the Lin-
SEPTEMBER 26
Activity: The Section members met at Metropolitan C. C. in Omaha, Neb., for a program on methods for extracting welding
fume presented by Mike Ellis.
District 17
J. Jones, director
(832) 506-5986
jjones6@lincolnelectric.com
OKLAHOMA CITY
OCTOBER 18
Activity: The Section hosted a clay-buster
event at Silverleaf Shotgun Sports in
Guthrie, Okla. Roger Hobrock scored
highest. The first-place team was Mike
Cook, Dave Cook, Tony Hackney, Joe
Hackney, and Shane Downs.
Tulsa Section CWI seminar attendees are shown Sept. 19 at Tulsa Technology Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Shown at the Tulsa Section Sept. 24 program are (from left) Vice Chair Rich Howard,
speaker Barney Burks, and Jerry Knapp.
Oklahoma Technical
College
Student Chapter
SEPTEMBER 23
Speaker: Paul Wittenbach, metallurgist
Affiliation: Phillips 66, Refining and Research Dept.
Topic: Introduction to steel metallurgy
Activity: The meeting was conducted by
Advisor Charles Griffin and Chair
Heather Nance for 22 participants. Welding Instructor Rodney Riggs attended the
program. The Chapter is affiliated with the
Tulsa Section.
The top scorers in the Olympic golf tournament are (from left) Steve Wright, Joe Lynch,
Todd Hildebrand, and Lyle Proctor.
TULSA
District 18
District 19
HOUSTON
OLYMPIC
SEPTEMBER 19
Activity: The Section members conducted
a CWI preparatory class for 20 candidates.
The seminar was held at Tulsa Technology
Center in Tulsa, Okla. The facilitators were
Ray Wilsdorf and Ralph Johnson.
SEPTEMBER 24
Speaker: Barney Burks, sales engineer
Affiliation: Sowesco, Pinnacle Alloys
Topic: Maintaining welding equipment
Activity: This Tulsa Section program was
attended by 32 members and guests. Incoming Dist. 17 Director Jerry Knapp attended the meeting.
SEPTEMBER 8
Activity: The Section hosted its fourth annual golf outing at Northshore Golf
Course in Tacoma, Wash. The event raised
$3000 for the Sections scholarship fund,
including donations from its Gold Sponsors Airgas, ALT Welding Supplies, Central Welding Supply, CK Worldwide, Harris Products Group, Jesse Engineering,
Lincoln Electric Co., N.W. Welding and
WELDING JOURNAL
61
Olympic Section attendees pose for a group shot at the October program.
Everett C. C. Student Chapter members are (from left) Tadish Watson, Jason Speicher, Josh Anderson, John Holgren, Julie Burger, Advisor
Robert White, Robert Gonzales, Ian Frasher, and Max Hinricksen.
Raffle winners are shown at the joint Puget Sound Section/Everett C. C. Student Chapter event.
DECEMBER 2013
Sacramento Valley Section and Iron Workers Local 118 members are shown at the September program.
Gases, Praxair, and Weldors Equipment
Repair.
OCTOBER 15
Speaker: Philip Dovinh
Affiliation: Bates Technical College
Topic: Welding in confined spaces
Activity: About 30 Olympic Section members and college students attended this
program, held at Bates Technical College
in Tacoma, Wash.
OCTOBER 3
Speaker: Don Sly, marine chemist
Affiliation: Sound Testing, Inc.
Topic: Making emergency welding repairs
on marine vessels containing fuel
Activity: The program was held at Bellevue Coast Hotel in Bellevue, Wash.
Shown at the Sacramento Valley Section program are (from left) Instructor Carlos Shelton,
Publicity Chair Ken Morris, Apprenticeship Coordinator and Section Chair Jason Rafter,
and Instructors Brad Gasaway and Pat Linggi.
District 20
District 21
District 21
ARIZONA
SEPTEMBER 10
Speaker: Buddy May, chair, SENSE and
Student Affairs Committee
Affiliation: Mohave C. C.
Shown at the L.A./Inland Empire Section program are (from left) Tim Chubbs, speaker
Ben Pletcher, and Chair George Rolla.
WELDING JOURNAL
63
L.A./INLAND EMPIRE
OCTOBER 8
Speaker: Ben Pletcher
Affiliation: Select-Arc
Topic: The Secrets of Welding High-Performance Alloys
Activity: The program was held in Corona,
Calif.
District 22
Kerry E. Shatell, director
(925) 866-5434
kesi@pge.com
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
SEPTEMBER 18
Activity: Iron Workers Local 118 hosted
this program at its Apprenticeship Training facility in Sacramento, Calif. Instructor Pat Linggi demonstrated welding following the seismic supplement to the AWS
D1.8 code. Others participating were Apprentice Coordinator and Section Chair
Jason Rafter and Instructors Carlos Shelton and Brad Gasaway, and Dist. 22 Director Kerry Shatell.
SAN FRANCISCO
OCTOBER 2
Speaker: Joe Langemeier, national marketing manager
Affiliation: AZZ, Inc., Ft. Worth, Tex.
Topic: Welding galvanized steel
Activity: Thirty-nine members and guests
attended the program, held at Spengers
Restaurant in Berkeley, Calif.
Download the brochure detailing topics, expenses, and registration form at:
www.aws.org/wj/JOM-18-CallForPapers.pdf
Review the brochure for conference topics. E-mail a title and short abstract of your paper before Nov. 2, 2014. You will receive
author guidelines for preparation of the full paper by Nov. 30. The full paper for publication in the Conference Proceedings must
be received by Jan. 15, 2015. E-mail to jom_aws@post10.tele.dk.
64
DECEMBER 2013
Nancy C. Cole
nccengr@yahoo.com
NCC Engineering
2735 Robert Oliver Ave.
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
ADMINISTRATION
Executive Director
Ray W. Shook.. rshook@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(210)
Sr. Associate Executive Director
Cassie R. Burrell.. cburrell@aws.org . . . . . .(253)
INTERNATIONAL SALES
PUBLICATION SERVICES
Director, Operations
Annette Alonso.. aalonso@aws.org . . . . . . .(299)
Technical Activities Committee
Welding Journal
Publisher
Andrew Cullison.. cullison@aws.org . . . . . .(249)
Editor
Mary Ruth Johnsen.. mjohnsen@aws.org . .(238)
Administrative Services
Managing Director
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Hidail Nuez..hidail@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(287)
Welding Handbook
Editor
Annette OBrien.. aobrien@aws.org . . . . . . .(303)
Director of IT Operations
Natalia Swain..nswain@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(245)
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Human Resources
Director
Ross Hancock.. rhancock@aws.org . . . . . . .(226)
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Cindy Weihl..cweihl@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(416)
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Jose Salgado..jsalgado@aws.org . . . . . . . . .(456)
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societies and standards organizations.
Management Specialist
Keila DeMoraes....kdemoraes@aws.org . . . .(444)
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Management Specialist
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John Ospina.. jospina@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(462)
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Natasha Alexis.. nalexis@aws.org . . . . . . . . .(401)
TECHNICAL SERVICES
MEMBER SERVICES
Director
Rhenda A. Kenny... rhenda@aws.org . . . . . .(260)
Serves as a liaison between members and AWS headquarters.
CERTIFICATION SERVICES
EDUCATION SERVICES
www.aws.org/w/a/foundation
General Information
(800/305) 443-9353, ext. 212, vpinsky@aws.org
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Gerald D. Uttrachi
Director, Operations
Martica Ventura.. mventura@aws.org . . . . . .(224)
Senior Manager
Wendy S. Reeve.. wreeve@aws.org . . . . . . . .(293)
Coordinates AWS awards and Fellow and Counselor nominations.
WELDING JOURNAL
67
PERSONNEL
Cyl-Tec Names Two VPs
Chris Colaw
Sandi Radtke
Solar Atmospheres
Appoints Sales Manager
Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, Inc., Hermitage, Pa., a provider
of vacuum heat treating and brazing services, has named
Michael Paponetti
regional sales manager. With 18 years of
experience in the industry, Paponetti previously served as
president of Expert
Brazing and Heat
Treating, based in
Michael Paponetti Massillon, Ohio.
68
DECEMBER 2013
Brandon Beattie
Tim Rowntree
Publish Your
Research in the
Member Milestone
Gerald D. Uttrachi
Gerald Uttrachi
Gerald D. Uttrachi has received international acclaim for his book, Advanced Automotive Welding, published by CarTech, Inc. His work earned the Bronze
Medal in the 22nd International Automotive Media
Award Competition, held under the auspices of the
International Council for Press and Broadcasting,
based in London, UK. Uttrachi is president of WA
Technology, chairman of the AWS Foundation board
of trustees, and a past AWS president. He said he intended the book to stimulate interest in the science of
welding and the possibility of the many young folks involved in the car hobby to consider welding as a profession. Jeff Weber, publisher emeritus, Welding Journal, wrote, The illustrations showing the step-by-step
procedures are excellent and really give a feel for what
the job requires. This book should be in the library of
every automotive enthusiast. Walter J. Sperkos extensive review of Uttrachis book appeared in the April
2013 Welding Journal. The 176-page volume contains
more than 450 pictures and offers some basic welding
metallurgy and arc physics written on a level easily understood by all welders from beginners to advanced.
Uttrachis medal
Adept Technology
Names CFO
Adept Technology, Inc., Pleasanton,
Calif., a provider of intelligent robots and
autonomous mobile solutions, has named
Seth Halio CFO. Halio, with 30 years of
senior-level financial management experience, previously served as CFO at LED
Engin, Novariant, Diamond Foods, and
Spectra-Physics.
Steve Ties
Oliver Kraft
Sean Hearne
The Materials Research Society, Warrendale, Pa., has announced Oliver Kraft
will serve as vice president beginning Jan.
1 and will lead its board of directors as
continued on page 96
No page charges
By far
far,, the most people, at the
least cost, will be exposed to
your research when you
publish in the world-respected
Welding
W
elding Journal
WELDING JOURNAL
69
70
DECEMBER 2013
J. Jones
BY KRISTIN CAMPBELL
J. Jones, a district sales manager for the Harris Products Group, Mason, Ohio, performs oxy
fuel cutting. He also has experience in many other welding and cutting processes.
This led to being a training specialist for
Victor Equipment Co., Denton, Tex.;
applications specialist for Thermadyne
Industries, St. Louis, Mo.; and district
sales manager for Victor Technologies,
St. Louis, Mo.
Today, Jones is a district sales manager for the Harris Products Group, Mason,
Ohio. He acts as a liaison and conducts
product knowledge training for distributors and end users, plus builds company
brand recognition in the territory.
Through the years, his AWS involvement has evolved, too. Being a member
has exposed me to individuals in the
industry who have assisted me in my
career and have become life friends,
Jones said.
He currently is the AWS District 17
director, East Texas Section program
chair, and a Houston Section membership committee member. Also, he is on
the AWS Districts Council, Education
Committee, Communications Council,
Thomas J. Lienert
71
tor-at-large, and board of directors member. He also serves on the AWS Education Scholarship Committee, of which he
formerly was the vice chair; Welding Research & Development Committee; vice
chair of the Education Committee;
Higher Education Subcommittee chair;
Technical Activities Committee; and he
chairs the AWS C6 Committee on Friction Welding.
When asked how he has been able to
accomplish so much for AWS, Lienert
replied, I dont know. I guess I have a
passion for doing so, and maybe I am well
organized.
In addition, he is a lead principal re-
Sean P. Moran
72
DECEMBER 2013
Sean P. Moran (left), a welding engineer at Weir American Hydro, York, Pa., assists
welder Lonnie Dietz while on the job to fabricate a former that will be used for forging
the blades of a hydro turbine.
Weir American Hydro, York, Pa.,
responsible for all welding applications,
process development, equipment and
consumables, procedures, qualifications,
and planning.
Morans current AWS leadership
WELDING JOURNAL
73
74
DECEMBER 2013
Fig. 2 These female students are inspecting weld beads on pipe coupons under
the watchful eye of Edwin Fernandez, DMI service engineer.
Fig. 3 The EEI modular training facility at Bulacan, Philippines, boasts a nonfunctioning mini-refinery containing all of the full-sized pipe, fittings, and safety elements that the companys trainees and the schools students could experience on
the job.
Women in the program have demonstrated that they possess excellent skills
and proficiency with all of the required
aspects of modern welding procedures
Figs. 1, 2.
ASHTEC students both male and
female are required to sign a contract
and live on campus for the entire school
term. They participate in a full education-
While Pascual recognized the potential for finding employment for the students, he also understood the realities of
the organizations limited funding. To
overcome this obstacle, he sought help
from area businesses. He acquired the
support of Deutsche Machine, Inc.
(DMI), a leading regional distributor of
industrial and welding equipment that
had provided most of the welding
machines, grinders, and other items used
at the school. With DMIs involvement,
the project was moving in the right direction but Pascual knew he also needed
the support of the areas industrial
contractors.
He contacted Frank M. Ventanilla,
manager of the Welding, Technical and
Craft Services Group within the
Construction Division of EEI Corp. As a
leading industrial contractor in the
Philippines, EEI could directly benefit
from a cooperative project with a technical trade education program.
Ventanilla turned out to be instrumental in developing the cooperative program
between EEI and ASHTEC, and early on
was able to acquire steel plate and pipe
for training and weld testing at the school.
At the schools facility in Bulacan, EEI
has made a major commitment to welding
education by providing facilities and a
unique mini refinery that, while nonfunctional, contains all of the full-scale
valves, flanges, pipes, and fittings that
would be encountered in a full-size refinery Fig. 3. In addition to piping system
components, students get to learn welding in an environment with industry standard scaffolding, flooring, and many
other structural elements of an industrial
workplace in order to build familiarity
and maximize operator safety.
At this location, EEI trains many
women welders who come from EEIsponsored welding schools throughout
the Philippines. The welders are sent to
the EEI training facility located inside the
ASHTEC campus before being sent to
the companys local projects as well as
ones in Saudi Arabia, Caledonia,
Singapore, and Malaysia. Beside its own
trainees, through its close cooperation
with the school, EEI also accepts some
qualified ASHTEC students and graduates for employment. Thus far,
ASHTECs educational program has
WELDING JOURNAL
75
Building Support
To build additional funding and commercial support for the welder training
program, the organization recently held
an open house during which officials from
numerous industrial companies toured
the facility, watched demonstrations of
welding procedures, asked questions, and
were introduced to the important educational benefits the schools operation provides Fig. 4.
As part of the event, representatives
from Tri Tool, Inc., Rancho Cordova,
Calif., demonstrated precision portable
weld preparation equipment as well as a
complete AdaptARC orbital welding
system.
EEI had consulted with DMI on welding equipment that would optimally suit
its business requirements. Arnel Samonte
of DMI had traveled to California to see
a demonstration of the Tri Tool mechanized, multiprocess welding equipment
and evaluate it for use with EEIs piping
projects. Samonte was shown the systems
reconfigurability for producing gas tungsten arc welding, short circuit and pulsed
spray gas metal arc welding, and flux
Fig. 4 Shown during the open house are (front row) Primitivo Guevarra, EEI facility
welding supervisor, and Dale Flood, Tri Tool, Inc., along with a group of the schools
students.
cored arc welding. EEI had expressed a
need to decrease the time and costs associated with major welding projects and to
increase productivity for welding operations. Now that a ready source of qualified welders was at hand, the contractor
recognized that the welding equipment
utilized on its job sites would be an
important factor in attaining greater
speed. The orbital welding system was
suited for high productivity by a young
workforce that is fully trained but has limited field experience.
76
DECEMBER 2013
As well as demonstrating the equipment Dale, Flood, Tri Tool welding project manager and an AWS Director-atLarge, presented the benefits of AWS
membership to students, faculty, and
guests. Many of the people in attendance
were unaware of AWS educational products, certifications, and services provided
to those in the welding industry.
Summary
The coalition between the contractor,
the school, the welding distributor, and
the students has proved beneficial to all
concerned. EEIs leading role in training
women welders with ASHTEC as its partner through use of the ASHTEC campus
has allowed the mission and goals of
Pascual and the organizations founders
to be fulfilled. DMI is in position for the
ongoing supply of welding equipment not
only for the school, but to satisfy the
increased welding capacity of the regions
industry.
Most important of all, the newly
trained Filipino students achieve financial security and a higher standard of
living through careers in the welding
industry.
www.aws.org
32102/.-,+*,)(-,'&%-$-#"!- 202//--2(-/2
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/-1-21
/-2-www.aws.org/conferences
AWS Conference on
Energy
The demand for new and improved welding technology from expanding and established
energy marketsis
tsis starting to pay of
off
ff in the development of superior hybrid welding processes,
new filler metals, and cladding procedures. The technologies are showing up in nuclear power
plants, in coal-fired utilities, renewable sources, and especially in the new 1,700-mile-long
pipelines designed to bring oil and natural gas to world markets.
BY HOWARD M. WOODWARD
HOWARD M. WOODWARD
(woodward@aws.org) is associate editor
of the Welding Journal.
A recent Thielsch Engineering Welding School class includes (from left) Instructors Norm King and Mike Galdonik, Zakiry Lussier,
Jesus Salamaca, Sean Graham, Dave Gracia, Chase Henebury, Ronald Gizzareli, Richard Daigneault, and Instructor Bob Wright.
WELDING JOURNAL
79
DECEMBER 2013
Student Henry De La Cruz (right) and Instructor Norm King, discuss changing the roller size on a wire feeder.
Workshop Facilities
The hands-on training facility has ten
welding booths fitted with Lincoln Electric and Miller Electric welding machines
equipped for the various welding
processes. The facility is approved as a
welder training provider by the state of
Rhode Island Department of Labor and
Training.
Graduates Prospects
King noted, With state-of-the-art
equipment and our knowledgeable instructors, Thielsch Welding School provides the training necessary for our graduates to succeed in a welding career.
Following graduation, there are interesting prospects for employment nearby.
Rhode Island is home to numerous major
companies that employ welders, including
General Dynamics, Electric Boat Div.,
Raytheon, and Textron.
Student Services
The schools Human Resources Dept.
is available to assist prospective students
on available grants and other financial-assistance opportunities and tuition payment plans. The department also helps
students prepare their rsums.
And, as a special service, graduates of
the program are invited to return to the
school for a day of refresher training in a
weld process prior to going for a job interview or skill-level evaluation.
UTP Maintenance
Fontargen Brazing
Fo
Protective Clothing
Select clothing to minimize the potential for ignition, burning, trapping hot
sparks, or electric shock.
Heavier materials such as woolen
clothing or heavy cotton are preferable to
lighter materials because they are more
difficult to ignite. Cotton clothing, if used
Excerpted from ANSI Z49.1:2012, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes.
82
DECEMBER 2013
WELDING JOURNAL
INDEX
Part 1 WELDING JOURNAL
SUBJECT INDEX
VOLUME 92
DECEMBER 2013
WELDING JOURNAL
85
DECEMBER 2013
Part 2 RESEARCH
SUPPLEMENT SUBJECT INDEX
VOLUME 92
Active Droplet Oscillation Excited by Optimized Waveform J.
Xiao, G. J. Zhang, S. J. Chen, L. Wu, and Y. M. Zhang, (July)
205-s
Adhesive Characteristics on the Weld Quality in Weld-Bonding
Multiple Steel Sheets, Effect of Y. S. Zhang, J. Shen, Y. Y.
Zhao, P. C. Wang, and B. Carlson (Dec) 363-s
Application of Friction Stir Processing as a Pretreatment to Fusion Welding J. R. Rule, J. M. Rodelas, and J. C. Lippold,
(Oct) 283-s
Arc Characteristics of Ultrasonic Wave-Assisted GMAW C. L.
Fan, C. L. Yang, S. B. Lin, and Y. Y. Fan, (Dec) 375-s
Brazed Sapphire to Inconel 600 Using Porous Interlayer, Microstructure Analysis of T. Zaharinie, F. Yusof, M. Hamdi,
T. Ariga, and M. Fadzil, (Nov) 332-s
Brazing of Stainless Steel 304, Transient Liquid Phase Diffusion
M. Mazar Atabaki, J. Noor Wati, and J. Idris, (March)
57-s
Brazing of Titanium and Titanium/Stainless Steel Joints, Preliminary Investigation on Ultrasonic-Assisted A. Elrefaey, L.
87
DECEMBER 2013
89
DECEMBER 2013
C. Effect of Adhesive Characteristics on the Weld Quality in Weld-Bonding Multiple Steel Sheets, (Dec) 363-s
Carlson, B. E., Zhang, J., Yang, S., and Wang, J. VacuumAssisted Laser Welding of Zinc-Coated Steels in a Gap-Free
Lap Joint Configuration, (July) 197-s
Caron, J. L., Babu, S. S., and Lippold, J. C. The Weld HeatAffected Zone Liquation Cracking Susceptibility of Naval
Steels, (April) 110-s
Chamorro, E., Prez-Carrasco, J., Snchez-Ramos, C., LangaMoraga, A., and Bonnin-Arias, C. New Optical Filter
Plate for Use as Eye Protection by Welders, (Feb) 36-s
Chen, J., Liu, Z. M., and Wu, C. S. Sensing Dynamic Keyhole Behaviors in Controlled-Pulse Keyholing Plasma Arc
Welding, (Dec) 381-s
Chen, J. H., Wang, P. C., Cao, R., and Yu, J. Y. Feasibility
of Cold-Metal-Transfer Welding Magnesium AZ31 to
Galvinized Mild Steel, (Sept) 274-s
Chen, S. J., Wu, L., Zhang, Y. M., Xiao, J., and Zhang, G. J.
Active Droplet Oscillation Excited by Optimized Waveform,
(July) 205-s
Chun, E. J., Baba, H., Terashima, K., Nishimoto, K., and Saida,
K. Prediction of the -Phase Embrittlement in Type
316FR Weld Metal, (May) 133-s
Cruz-Crespo, A., Bezerra de Araujo, D., and Scotti, A. Effect of Tempering Pass on HSLA-80 Steel HAZ Microstructures, (Oct) 304-s
Deceuster, A., Griffiths, B., Silwal, B., and Li, L. Effect of
Postweld Heat Treatment on the Toughness of HeatAffected Zone for Grade 91 Steel, (March) 80-s
DuPont, J. N., and Brentrup, G. J. Fabrication and Characterization of Graded Transition Joints for Welding Dissimilar Alloys, (March) 72-s
DuPont, J. N., Stockdale, A. W., Caizza, A., and Esposito, A.
on Softening Behavior of Hybrid Laser Arc Welded Al-ZnMg-Cu Alloy with Synchrotron Radiation Analysis, (March)
64-s
Katayama, S., Gao, X. D., Mo, L., and Wen, Q. Neural Network Model for Recognizing Joint Offset during Fiber Laser
Welding, (Sept) 251-s
Kiaei, Z., Ghadimi, P., Ghassemi, M., and Ghassabzadeh, M.
Three-Dimensional Simulation of Underwater Welding
and Investigation of Effective Parameters, (Aug) 239-s
Kiuchi, K., Nakayama, J., Saida, K., Nishijima, Y., and Nishimoto, K. Contribution of Phosphorus and Sulfur on Hot
Cracking Susceptibility for Extra-High-Purity 25Cr-35Ni
Stainless Steels, (Nov) 322-s
Kotecki, D. J., and Zhang, Z. Sources of Variation in Ferrite Number Predictions vs. Measurements, (June) 175-s
Kou, S., Wagner, D. C., and Yang, Y. K. Spatter and Porosity in Gas-Metal Arc Welding of Magnesium Alloys: Mechanisms and Elimination, (Dec) 347-s
Kozeschnik, E., Seidman, D. N., Farren, J. D., Hunter, A. H.,
DuPont, J. N., and Robino, C. V. Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Simulated Heat-Affected
Zones in an Iron-Copper Based Multicomponent Steel,
(May) 140-s
Kvidahl, L., Lu, Y., and Zhang, Y. M. Heat Input Reduction in Fillet Welding Using Bypass and Root Opening,
(Dec) 390-s
Kvidahl, L., Li, X. R., Shao, Z., and Zhang, Y. M. Monitoring and Control of Penetration in GTAW and Pipe Welding,
(June) 190-s
Kvidahl, L., Li, X. R., and Zhang, Y. M. Penetration Depth
Monitoring and Control in Submerged Arc Welding, (Feb)
48-s
Langa-Moraga, A., Bonnin-Arias, C., Chamorro, E., PrezCarrasco, J., and Snchez-Ramos, C. New Optical Filter
Plate for Use as Eye Protection by Welders, (Feb) 36-s
Li, L., Deceuster, A., Griffiths, B., and Silwal, B. Effect of
Postweld Heat Treatment on the Toughness of HeatAffected Zone for Grade 91 Steel, (March) 80-s
Li, X. R., Shao, Z., Zhang, Y. M., and Kvidahl, L. Monitoring and Control of Penetration in GTAW and Pipe Welding,
(June) 190-s
Li, X. R., Zhang, Y. M., and Kvidahl, L. Penetration Depth
Monitoring and Control in Submerged Arc Welding, (Feb)
48-s
Li, Y. B., Li, Y. T., Shen, Q., and Lin, Z. Q. Magnetically Assisted Resistance Spot Welding of Dual-Phase Steel, (April)
124-s
Li, Y. B., Zhang, H., Wang, B., Lou, M., and Shen, Q. Shunting Effect in Resistance Spot Welding Steels Part 1: Experimental Study, (June) 182-s
Li, Y. B., Wang, B., Shen, Q., Lou, M., and Zhang, H. Shunting Effect in Resistance Spot Welding Steels Part 2: Theoretical Analysis, (Aug) 231-s
Li, Y. T., Shen, Q., Lin, Z. Q., and Li, Y. B. Magnetically Assisted Resistance Spot Welding of Dual-Phase Steel, (April)
124-s
Lin, S. B., Fan, Y. Y., Fan, C. L., and Yang, C. L. Arc Characteristics of Ultrasonic Wave-Assisted GMAW, (Dec)
375-s
Lin, Z. Q., Li, Y. B., Li, Y. T., and Shen, Q. Magnetically Assisted Resistance Spot Welding of Dual-Phase Steel, (April)
124-s
Lippold, J. C., Rule, J. R., and Rodelas, J. M. Application
of Friction Stir Processing as a Pretreatment to Fusion Welding, (Oct) 283-s
Lippold, J. C., and Yue, X. Evaluation of Heat-Affected
Zone Hydrogen-Induced Cracking in Navy Steels, (Jan)
20-s
Lippold, J. C., Caron, J. L., and Babu, S., S. The Weld HeatAffected Zone Liquation Cracking Susceptibility of Naval
WELDING JOURNAL
91
DECEMBER 2013
Shome, M., Maity, J., Basak, S., and Pal, T. K. GMA Brazing of Galvannealed Interstitial-Free Steel, (Feb) 29-s
Silwal, B., Li, L., Deceuster, A., and Griffiths, B. Effect of
Postweld Heat Treatment on the Toughness of HeatAffected Zone for Grade 91 Steel, (March) 80-s
Stockdale, A. W., Caizza, A., Esposito, A., and DuPont, J. N.
High-Temperature Corrosion Behavior of Alloy 600 and
622 Weld Claddings and Coextruded Coatings, (July) 218-s
Stromberg, R., Schilling, P., Cao, B., Zhou,W., Morfa, J.,
Myers, O., and Schneider, J. Processing Effects on the
Friction Stir Weld Stir Zone, (Jan) 11-s
Stone, R. T., McLaurin, E., Zhong, P., and Watts, K. Full Virtual Reality vs. Integrated Virtual Reality Training in Welding, (June) 167-s
Surian, E. S., Zappa, S., and Svoboda, H. G. Supermartensitic Stainless Steel Deposits: Effects of Shielding Gas and
Postweld Heat Treatment, (Oct) 297-s
Svoboda, H. G., Surian, E. S., and Zappa, S. Supermartensitic Stainless Steel Deposits: Effects of Shielding Gas and
Postweld Heat Treatment, (Oct) 297-s
Terashima, K., Nishimoto, K., Saida, K., Chun, E. J., and Baba,
H. Prediction of the -Phase Embrittlement in Type
316FR Weld Metal, (May) 133-s
Venkateswarlu, D., Mandal, N. R., Mahapatra, M. M., and
Harsh, S. P. Tool Design Effects for FSW of AA7039,
(Feb) 41-s
Wagner, D. C., Yang, Y. K., and Kou, S. Spatter and Porosity in Gas-Metal Arc Welding of Magnesium Alloys: Mechanisms and Elimination, (Dec) 347-s
Wang, B., Lou, M., Shen, Q., Li, Y. B., and Zhang, H. Shunting Effect in Resistance Spot Welding Steels Part 1: Experimental Study, (June) 182-s
Wang, B., Shen, Q., Lou, M., Zhang, H., and Li, Y. B. Shunting Effect in Resistance Spot Welding Steels Part 2: Theoretical Analysis, (Aug) 231-s
Wang, J., Carlson, B. E., Zhang, J., and Yang, S. VacuumAssisted Laser Welding of Zinc-Coated Steels in a Gap-Free
Lap Joint Configuration, (July) 197-s
Wang, P. C., Carlson, B., Zhang, Y. S., Shen, J., and Zhao, Y.
Y. Effect of Adhesive Characteristics on the Weld Quality in Weld-Bonding Multiple Steel Sheets, (Dec) 363-s
Wang, P. C., Cao, R., Yu, J. Y., and Chen, J. H. Feasibility
of Cold-Metal-Transfer Welding Magnesium AZ31 to
Galvinized Mild Steel, (Sept) 274-s
Watts, K., Stone, R. T., McLaurin, E., and Zhong, P. Full Virtual Reality vs. Integrated Virtual Reality Training in Welding, (June) 167-s
Weckman, D. C., Zhou, Y., and Nasiri, A. M. Interfacial Microstructure of Diode Laser Brazed AZ31B Magnesium to
Steel Sheet Using a Nickel Interlayer, (Jan) 1-s
Wen, P., Zhang, J., Shan, J. G., and Ren, J. L. Reducing the
Porosity in Die-Cast Magnesium Alloys during Laser Welding, (April) 101-s
Wen, Q., Katayama, S., Gao, X. D., and Mo, L. Neural Network Model for Recognizing Joint Offset during Fiber Laser
Welding, (Sept) 251-s
Wu, C. S., Chen, J., and Liu, Z. M. Sensing Dynamic Keyhole Behaviors in Controlled-Pulse Keyholing Plasma Arc
Welding, (Dec) 381-s
Wu, L., Zhang, Y. M., Xiao, J., Zhang, G. J., and Chen, S. J.
Active Droplet Oscillation Excited by Optimized Waveform,
(July) 205-s
Wu, S. C., Yu, X., Zuo, R. Z., Zhang, W. H., Xie, H. L., and
Jiang, J. Z. Porosity, Element Loss, and Strength Model
on Softening Behavior of Hybrid Laser Arc Welded Al-ZnMg-Cu Alloy with Synchrotron Radiation Analysis, (March)
64-s
Xiao, J., Zhang, G. J., Chen, S. J., Wu, L., and Zhang, Y. M.
Active Droplet Oscillation Excited by Optimized Waveform,
(July) 205-s
Xie, H. L., Jiang, J. Z., Wu, S. C., Yu, X., Zuo, R. Z., and
Zhang, W. H. Porosity, Element Loss, and Strength
Model on Softening Behavior of Hybrid Laser Arc Welded
Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy with Synchrotron Radiation Analysis,
(March) 64-s
Yang, C. L., Lin, S. B., Fan, Y. Y., and Fan, C. L. Arc Characteristics of Ultrasonic Wave-Assisted GMAW, (Dec)
375-s
Yang, J., Yang, Y., Zhou, Y., Qi, X., Gao, Y., Ren, X., and
Yang, Q. Microstructure and Wear Properties of Fe-2 wt% Cr-X wt-% W-0.67 wt-% C Hardfacing Layer, (Aug)
225-s
Yang, M. J. and Zhan, J. Influences of Laser Spot on HighSpeed Welding for Cr-Plated Sheet, (Oct) 291-s
Yang, Q., Yang, J., Yang, Y., Zhou, Y., Qi, X., Gao, Y., and
Ren, X. Microstructure and Wear Properties of Fe-2 wt% Cr-X wt-% W-0.67 wt-% C Hardfacing Layer, (Aug)
225-s
Yang, S., Wang, J., Carlson, B. E., and Zhang, J. VacuumAssisted Laser Welding of Zinc-Coated Steels in a Gap-Free
Lap Joint Configuration, (July) 197-s
Yang, Y., Zhou, Y., Qi, X., Gao, Y., Ren, X., Yang, Q., and
Yang, J. Microstructure and Wear Properties of Fe-2 wt% Cr-X wt-% W-0.67 wt-% C Hardfacing Layer, (Aug)
225-s
Yang, Y. K., Kou, S., and Wagner, D. C. Spatter and Porosity in Gas-Metal Arc Welding of Magnesium Alloys: Mechanisms and Elimination, (Dec) 347-s
Yu, J. Y., Chen, J. H., Wang, P. C., and Cao, R. Feasibility
of Cold-Metal-Transfer Welding Magnesium AZ31 to
Galvinized Mild Steel, (Sept) 274-s
Yu, X., Zuo, R. Z., Zhang, W. H., Xie, H. L., Jiang, J. Z., and
Wu, S. C. Porosity, Element Loss, and Strength Model on
Softening Behavior of Hybrid Laser Arc Welded Al-Zn-MgCu Alloy with Synchrotron Radiation Analysis, (March)
64-s
Yue, X. and Lippold, J. C. Evaluation of Heat-Affected
Zone Hydrogen-Induced Cracking in Navy Steels, (Jan)
20-s
Yue, X., Feng, X. L., and Lippold, J. C. Quantifying HeatAffected Zone Hydrogen-Induced Cracking in HighStrength Naval Steels, (Sept) 265-s
Yusof, F., Hamdi, M., Ariga, T., Fadzil, M., and Zaharinie, T.
Microstructure Analysis of Brazed Sapphire to Inconel
600 Using Porous Interlayer, (Nov) 332-s
Zaharinie, T., Yusof, F., Hamdi, M., Ariga, T., and Fadzil, M.
Microstructure Analysis of Brazed Sapphire to Inconel
600 Using Porous Interlayer, (Nov) 332-s
Zappa, S., Svoboda, H. G., and Surian, E. S. Supermartensitic Stainless Steel Deposits: Effects of Shielding Gas and
Postweld Heat Treatment, (Oct) 297-s
Zhan, J., and Yang, M. J. Influences of Laser Spot on HighSpeed Welding for Cr-Plated Sheet, (Oct) 291-s
Zhang, G. J., Chen, S. J., Wu, L., Zhang, Y. M., and Xiao, J.
Active Droplet Oscillation Excited by Optimized Waveform,
(July) 205-s
Zhang, H., Wang, B., Lou, M., Shen, Q., and Zhang, H.
Shunting Effect in Resistance Spot Welding Steels Part 1:
Experimental Study, (June) 182-s
Zhang, H., Li, Y. B., Wang, B., Shen, Q., and Lou, M. Shunting Effect in Resistance Spot Welding Steels Part 2: Theoretical Analysis, (Aug) 231-s
Zhang, J., Shan, J. G., Ren, J. L., and Wen, P. Reducing the
Porosity in Die-Cast Magnesium Alloys during Laser Welding, (April) 101-s
Zhang, J., Yang, S., Wang, J., and Carlson, B. E. VacuumAssisted Laser Welding of Zinc-Coated Steels in a Gap-Free
Lap Joint Configuration, (July) 197-s
Zhang, W. H., Xie, H. L., Jiang, J. Z., Wu, S. C., Yu, X., and Zuo,
R. Z. Porosity, Element Loss, and Strength Model on SoftWELDING JOURNAL
93
Zhang, Y. S., Shen, J., Zhao, Y. Y., Wang, P. C., and Carlson,
B. Effect of Adhesive Characteristics on the Weld Quality in Weld-Bonding Multiple Steel Sheets, (Dec) 363-s
Zhang, Z., and Kotecki, D. J. Sources of Variation in Ferrite Number Predictions vs. Measurements, (June) 175-s
Zhao, Y. Y., Wang, P. C., Carlson, B., Zhang, Y. S., and Shen,
J. Effect of Adhesive Characteristics on the Weld Quality in Weld-Bonding Multiple Steel Sheets, (Dec) 363-s
Zhong, P., Watts, K., Stone, R. T., and McLaurin, E. Full Virtual Reality vs. Integrated Virtual Reality Training in Welding, (June) 167-s
Zhou,W., Morfa, J., Myers, O., Schneider, J., Stromberg, R.,
Schilling, P., and Cao, B. Processing Effects on the Friction Stir Weld Stir Zone, (Jan) 11-s
Zhou, Y., Nasiri, A. M., and Weckman, D. C. Interfacial Microstructure of Diode Laser Brazed AZ31B Magnesium to
Steel Sheet Using a Nickel Interlayer, (Jan) 1-s
Zhou, Y., Qi, X., Gao, Y., Ren, X., Yang, Q., Yang, J., and
Yang, Y. Microstructure and Wear Properties of Fe-2 wt% Cr-X wt-% W-0.67 wt-% C Hardfacing Layer, (Aug)
225-s
Zuo, R. Z., Zhang, W. H., Xie, H. L., Jiang, J. Z., Wu, S. C., and
Yu, X. Porosity, Element Loss, and Strength Model on
Softening Behavior of Hybrid Laser Arc Welded Al-Zn-MgCu Alloy with Synchrotron Radiation Analysis, (March) 64-s
94
DECEMBER 2013
Pipelines Conference
Mar
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back to the days when hand-held oxyacetylene torches wer
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Highlights
Learn about the progress of new and innovative developments
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PERSONNEL
continued from page 69
president in 2015. Sean Hearne was reelected secretary for a second three-year
term. Kraft is director at the Institute for
Applied Materials and is also Robert
Bosch Professor for Nanostructured
Functional Materials at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. Hearne
is manager of the Grid Electrical Energy
Storage department at Sandia National
Laboratories (SNL). Incoming board
members include Alexandra Boltasseva,
Perdue University; C. Jeffrey Brinker,
SNL and University of New Mexico;
Hideo Hosono, Tokyo Institute of Technology; Kornelius Nielsch, University of
Hamburg; and Loucas Tsakalakos, General Electric Global Research Center.
DECEMBER 2013
Titan Aerospace
Announces CEO
Founded in 2012, Titan Aerospace,
Moriarty, N.Mex., a producer of solarpowered atmospheric satellites, has
named Vern Raburn chairman and CEO.
Raburn previously served as CEO of
Eclipse Aviation, a company he founded.
Obituary
Michael Eugene Stoops
Michael Eugene Stoops, 55, died July
21 in Ames, Iowa, where he lived his entire life. He served as
the north-central regional manager for
Wolf Robotics, selling robots for more
than 14 years. He was
a member of the
American Welding
Society from 1999 to
2005, associated with
Michael Stoops the Iowa Section.
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ABSTRACT
Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the use of Mg alloys for weight reduction,
in an effort to improve fuel economy in the automotive industry. A versatile process for
welding Mg alloys is needed. Gas metal arc welding (GMAW), though widely used for
welding Al alloys, is still not used much for Mg alloys. The present study focuses on 1)
spatter, which can cause 50% or more loss of the filler metal and which has long hindered
the use of GMAW for Mg alloys, and 2) gas porosity, which has hardly been studied in
GMAW of Mg alloys. The widely used AZ31 Mg (~ Mg-3Al-1Zn) sheets were welded
with its recommended AZ61 Mg (~ Mg-6Al-1Zn) welding wire. Spatter was very severe
with conventional Mg GMAW as expected. The mechanism for spatter was established.
In order to suppress spatter, the use of CSC-GMAW for welding Mg alloys was explored,
which is an advanced GMAW process with controlled short circuiting (CSC). Spatter was
eliminated and the reason explained. However, with either process severe gas porosity was
encountered, much worse than that in Al GMAW. The porosity-formation mechanism
was established. Porosity was eliminated either by cleaning the welding wire with sandpaper before welding or baking the welding wire before welding. The much more severe
gas porosity in Mg GMAW than Al GMAW was explained. Recommendations for preventing gas porosity in Mg GMAW based on the present study were made to both the
manufacturers and users of Mg welding wires.
Introduction
In order to reduce fuel consumption and
emissions, the automotive industry has been
reducing vehicle weight by using lighter
structural materials including magnesium
alloys (Refs. 1, 2). Magnesium (Mg) is the
lightest metallic structural material and its
specific strength (that is, the strength/density ratio) is excellent (Ref. 3). Recently, the
use of Mg alloys has been increasing rapidly
worldwide (Refs. 13), and the cost of Mg
per kg has decreased below that of Al since
2004 (Ref. 3). The research interest in Mg
welding has grown rapidly recently, with
more than 100 publications in the past few
years. Reviews on recent Mg welding reD. C. WAGNER, former graduate student, is now
with Miller Electric Mfg. Co., Appleton, Wis. Y. K.
YANG was postdoctorate and S. KOU is Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the University of Wisconsin, Madison,
Wis.
KEYWORDS
Automotive
Gas Metal Arc
Porosity
Magnesium Alloys
Short Circuiting
Spatter
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 3 Conventional GMAW of Mg alloy showing a nearly horizontal globule growing very large before short circuiting, and its subsequent expulsion to cause severe spatter. Frame rate: 4000 f/s. Welding conditions: those of weld 54.
Experimental Procedure
Materials
A controlled short circuit (CSC) version of the GMAW process was used. It is
referred to as CSC-MIG in Ref. 24. There
are other controlled short circuit GMAW
processes, for instance, CMT (cold-metal
transfer) (Ref. 25) and STT (surface tension transfer) (Ref. 26). The reasons for
selecting CSC-GMAW were as follows:
First, it was available in the welding lab at
UW-Madison. Second, little, if any, research on it has been published. It has not
been used for welding Mg alloys.
In CSC-GMAW, the process controller
WELDING JOURNAL 349-s
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 4 Power surge in conventional GMAW causing arc expansion to expel globule and cause spatter. A Top view of weld; B waveforms of current and voltage.
As expected, severe spatter was encountered in welding AZ31 Mg by conventional GMAW. Figure 1A shows the
top view of a weld made by conventional
GMAW in the as-welded condition. As
shown, the weld and its surrounding area
between the steel clamping bars were covered with deposited vapor and spatter.
The wire feed rate was 93 mm/s (220
in./min), the travel speed 8.5 mm/s (20
in./min), and the voltage 19 V. Unlike conventional GMAW, welds made by CSCGMAW were essentially spatter free.
Figure 1B shows the top view of a weld
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 4 Power surge in conventional GMAW causing arc expansion to expel globule and cause spatter. C current surge enlarged; D short-circuit voltage enlarged; E corresponding power surge.
Photos from Fig. 3 are positioned in D using the shorting-circuiting period as reference for time.
touches the weld pool to cause short circuiting, as shown in Fig. 2. The reason the
globule is easy to push is because it is light
due to the low Mg density. The evidence
of droplet motion can be seen clearly in a
series of video frames (one frame in each
0.25 ms). Each photo in Fig. 2 is representative and illustrates one frame, in a series
of frames, during each stage of droplet
motion.
The first phenomenon is the arc pushing the globule forward in the welding direction (from right to left in Fig. 2A, B). A
nearly horizontal globule can grow much
larger before touching the workpiece to
cause short circuiting than a vertical one.
The globule shape is pear-like instead of
either ball-like or irregular (distorted by
the cathode jet) as in conventional
WELDING RESEARCH
the welding direction was reversed without reversing the location of the ground
cable with respect to the workpiece, the
arc was still more or less normal to the inclined pool surface and the globule was
still pushed forward in the welding direction (now from left to right).
The second phenomenon prolonging
globule growth before short circuiting is
the arcing at the bottom of the globule
(Fig. 2C, D) to push it upward (Fig.
2EH). The videos show that this can
occur multiple times in a row. The globule
is light and thus thrown upward easily by
the arc, and the arc immediately switches
back to between the wire tip and the inclined pool surface (Fig. 2E, F). The light
globule keeps on rising (Fig. 2G, H) before it can descend to make another attempt for short circuiting. During this
period of bouncing up and down, the globule continues to grow larger.
Possible candidates for the force pushing the globule forward and upward (Fig.
2) are considered as follows: As mentioned previously, the Lorentz force can
push the globule upward if the anode spot
is small. However, it is not clear if the
anode spot can switch back and forth between the wire tip and the globule bottom
to make the arc switch back and forth. As
mentioned previously, the globule can be
pushed upward (but not forward) by a
strong cathode jet in conventional GMAW
352-s DECEMBER 2013, VOL. 92
Fig. 6 CSC-GMAW of Mg alloy showing absence of excessive globule growth, sudden arc
expansion, globule expulsion, and hence spattering. Frame rate: 4000 f/s. Welding conditions:
those of weld 50.
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WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 7 CSC-GMAW showing no power surge to cause arc expansion and hence spatter. A Top
view of weld; B waveforms of current and voltage.
It should be mentioned that, for the purpose of comparison, the weld in Fig. 7 made
by CSC-GMAW and that in Fig. 4 made by
conventional GMAW had similar heat inputs per unit length of the weld. They are
126.3 J/mm (3209 J/in.) for the CSC-GMA
weld and 125.4 J/mm (3184 J/in.) for the
conventional GMA weld. The heat input
per unit length of the weld Q was calculated
using the following equation:
t
Q = ( I E )" dt / ( t U )
0
(1)
thors have used various commercial welding wires for GMAW, including Al alloys,
steels, and stainless steels, and have not
experienced any problems caused by not
cleaning the welding wire before welding.
Thus, Mg welding wires are an exception.
Surprisingly, the dark surfaces of the
AZ61 Mg sheets did not cause severe gas
porosity, at least the sheets used in the
present study. A CSC-GMA weld was
made under welding conditions identical
to those for the porosity-free weld in Fig.
12, except the workpiece surface was degreased by acetone alone, without removing the oxide film with a stainless steel
brush before welding. The resultant weld
has hardly any porosity as shown in Fig. 13.
Baking welding wire A at a sufficiently
high temperature also eliminated gas porosity. Since a spool of welding wire is very
long, it is much easier to bake the whole
spool of wire in a furnace than to polish it
manually. Welding wire A was baked in air
at 300C for 24 h before welding, and porosity was reduced but not eliminated. Baking
at 324C for 2 h was also tried, but again
porosity was reduced, but not eliminated.
However, baking at 380C for 11 min eliminated porosity as shown in Fig. 14.
Porosity Caused by Welding Wire B and Its
Elimination
Fig. 7 CSC-GMAW showing no power surge to cause arc expansion and hence spatter. C enlarged
waveforms; D corresponding power waveform. Photos refer to those in Fig. 6. Current levels during
start, mid, and end periods of short-circuiting phase and arc phase are indicated.
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
The mechanism of gas porosity formation in GMAW of Al alloys can be expected to be similar to that in GMAW of
Mg alloys, though the presence of
Al(OH)3 on the surface of the Al welding
wire has not been verified yet. The similarity is based on the following facts. First,
Al reacts with moisture in the air to form
Al(OH)3 on the surface, and Al(OH)3 decomposes upon heating by 2Al(OH)3
Al2O3 + 3H2O (Ref. 45). These reactions
are similar to those of Mg mentioned previously. Second, as in Mg welding, H2 (or
H2O) has been added to the shielding gas
and porosity was observed (Refs. 4749).
The Mg welds made by GMAW in the
present study show that gas porosity can
be much more severe in Mg GMAW than
in Al GMAW. The difference between the
two cases can be explained as follows
based on three factors: 1) the tendency for
metal hydroxide to form, 2) the hydrogen
solubility as a function of temperature,
and 3) the density of the liquid metal.
First, Mg(OH)2 forms much more easily
on the Mg welding wire than Al(OH)3 can
on the Al welding wire. This means much
more hydrogen can be supplied to the Mg
weld pool to cause porosity. Figure 21 shows
two wire spools. The 5356 Al (~ Al-5Mg)
spool (Fig. 21A) has been exposed to air for
14 years, and the AZ61B Mg spool (Fig.
21B) 3 years. As shown, the Mg welding
wire turns dark, but the Al welding wire remains as shiny as brand new.
Second, the hydrogen solubility is much
higher in Mg(L) than in Al(L) as shown in
Fig. 22 (Ref. 50). For instance, the hydrogen
solubility at the melting point is about 60
times higher in Mg(L) than in Al(L) (1.0
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
This can help prevent atmospheric corrosion before the bag is opened for use.
Coating the wire with a thin layer of a
metal that resists atmospheric corrosion
better than Mg while causing no additional
welding problems may be worth considering though the cost may be a concern.
2) The manufacturers can also consider
allowing the users to bake the wire-reel assembly. A plastic reel such as that shown
in Fig. 21B cannot be baked at temperatures near 350C. A reel made of welded
steel or stainless steel wires may be one
possibility if galvanic corrosion does not
become too much of a problem.
3) For users that consume a large volume of welding wires routinely, such as the
automotive industry, the welding wires will
be used up before any atmospheric corrosion can occur. For small-volume users,
however, the protection against atmospheric corrosion may be needed if the leftover wire is not to be used again soon. One
possibility is to store the welding wire
spool in a commercially available storage
or in a rebaking oven, for either flux cored
wires or covered electrodes, at a temperature that is high enough to keep atmospheric corrosion from occurring. This
temperature needs to be determined. Another possibility is to vacuum seal the
welding wire spool in a plastic bag until it
is to be used again. There might be other
ways as well. Any extra efforts taken to
avoid atmospheric corrosion may be
358-s DECEMBER 2013, VOL. 92
Conclusions
The present study on GMAW of Mgalloy sheets aims to both establish the fundamental mechanisms of spatter and
porosity formation and offer practical solutions to eliminate them. This will help
make GMAW a versatile process for welding Mg alloys, which is still not available in
spite of the rapidly increasing use of Mg
alloys for weight reduction. The conclusions are as follows:
1) Exploration of the use of CSCGMAW for welding of Mg sheets has shown
that spatter, which is often severe with conventional GMAW, can be eliminated.
2) Based on both the high-speed videos
(at 4000 f/s) of molten-metal transfer from
the welding wire tip to the weld pool and
the detailed waveforms of current and
voltage recorded during welding, the
mechanism of spatter has been established
and the elimination of spatter by CSC-
Fig. 17 Welding wire B (AZ61A Mg 1.2 mm in diameter) after being exposed to air for months, shown at different angles to reveal dark areas (arrows) on the surface and right after cleaning with sandpaper (bottom).
power (= current voltage) is also presented, and it reveals a power surge immediately after arc reinitiation, when the
voltage has already recovered but the current, though falling, is still very high.
8) The power surge heats up the arc
plasma instantaneously and causes a sudden arc expansion to expel the globule.
The short-circuiting time (~ 2 ms) is too
short for the large light globule to enter
the weld pool before arc expansion.
9) Unlike the constant voltage mode,
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WELDING RESEARCH
the CSC mode of GMAW is set up to control the current instead of voltage. The
globule is smaller, and the much longer
short-circuiting time (~ 18 ms) allows the
globule to enter the pool. More importantly, the large current surge upon short
circuiting can be limited, thus eliminating
the power surge and hence spattering. In
CSC-GMAW, the waveform of the welding current can be tailored in great detail
to optimize the welding process.
10) Unlike in Al GMAW, severe gas
porosity can occur in Mg GMAW, either
conventional GMAW or CSC-GMAW, if
the welding wire has been exposed to open
air for an extended period of time.
11) Based on X-ray diffraction of the
surface layer removed from the welding
wire and the solubility of hydrogen in Mg
as a function of temperature, the mechanism of porosity formation has been established.
12) The mechanism of porosity formation in GMAW of Mg alloys is as follows:
With its large surface area per unit volume,
a welding wire covered with Mg(OH)2 can
carry a significant amount of Mg(OH)2 into
the arc, where it decomposes by Mg(OH)2
MgO + H2O. The H2O further decomposes to hydrogen to dissolve in Mg(L) as
atomic hydrogen H. Since Mg(S) can dissolve much less H than Mg(L), it rejects H
to form a H-rich liquid layer at the solidification front, where the high H concentration can push the reaction 2H H2(g) to
the right and form hydrogen porosity.
13) Mg(OH)2 has been identified on
360-s DECEMBER 2013, VOL. 92
1. Watarai, H.
2006. Trend of research and development for magnesium
alloys Reducing
the weight of structural materials in
motor vehicles. Quar-
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
Study on ac-PMIG welding of AZ31B magnesium alloy. Science and Technology of Welding and
Joining 15(3): 219225.
13. Zhang, Z. D., and Cao, Q. J. 2012. Study on
metal transfer behaviour in metal inert gas arc
welding with activating flux for magnesium alloy.
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17(7): 550555.
14. Zhao, H., and DebRoy, T. 2001. Pore formation during laser beam welding of die-cast
magnesium alloy AM60B mechanism and remedy. Welding Journal 80(8): 204-s to 210-s.
15. Yu, L., Nakata, K., and Liao, J. 2009. Weld
porosity in fibre laser weld of thixomolded heat
resistant Mg alloys. Science and Technology of
Welding and Joining 14(6): 554558.
16. Chi, C.-T., Chao, C.-G., Liu, T.-F., and
Wang, C.-C. 2008. Optimal parameters for low
and high voltage electron beam welding of AZ
series magnesium alloys and mechanism of weld
shape and pore formation. Science and Technology of Welding and Joining 13(2): 199211.
17. Chi, C.-T., Chao, C.-G., Liu, T.-F., and
Wang, C.-C. 2008. Relational analysis between
parameters and defects for electron beam welding of AZ-series magnesium alloys. Vacuum 82:
11771182.
18. Marya, M., Edwards, G. R., and Liu, S.
2004. An investigation on the effects of gases in
GTA welding of a wrought AZ80 magnesium
alloy. Welding Journal 83(7): 203-s to 214-s.
19. Park, S. H. C., Sato, Y. S., and Kokawa,
H. 2003. Microstructural evolution and its effect of Hall-Petch relationship in friction stir
welding of thixomolded Mg alloy AZ91D. Journal of Materials Science 38: 43794383.
20. Xie, G. M., Ma, Z. Y., and Geng, L.
2008. Effect of microstructural evolution on
mechanical properties of friction stir welded
ZK60 alloy. Materials Science and Engineering
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21. Park, S. H. C., Sato, Y. S., and Kokawa,
H. 2003. Effect of micro-texture on fracture location in friction stir weld of Mg alloy AZ61 during
tensile test. Scripta Materialia 49: 161166.
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proc.html.
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ABSTRACT
The use of weld bonding (i.e., a combination of resistance spot welding and adhesive bonding) as a structural fastener is increasing in the automotive industry.
However, a series of issues needs to be addressed such as the influence of adhesive characteristics (e.g., adhesive properties and bondline thickness) in the weldbonding application to enhance the knowledge of this technology and reinforce
its use. As part of the development and implementation of weld bonding, the present study was undertaken to experimentally evaluate the effects of the adhesive
characteristics on the weld quality of weld-bonded multiple steel sheets.
The weld quality in terms of the weld size, weld expulsion, and weld strength in
weld bonding multiple stacks of steel sheets composed of 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004,
1.4-mm-thick DP600, and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 with different epoxy adhesives (i.e.,
A2 and A1) and bondline thicknesses (0.2~1.4 mm) are investigated in this study. It
was found that while the viscosity of the adhesive significantly affects the static contact and dynamic resistances between the steel sheets, the uncured adhesive bondline thickness has little impact upon the contact and dynamic resistances. Consequently, the weld size and weld expulsion in weld-bonding multiple steel sheets
increased with an increase in viscosity of the adhesive and exhibited little effect by
the bondline thickness. The lap-shear strength of weld-bonded multiple steel sheets
was increased significantly by the presence of the cured adhesive but was not affected
by the applied, uncured adhesive bondline thickness. Finally, the placement of an adhesive between the thin external and thicker middle sheet to improve the weld size
and penetration into the thin external sheet could be a feasible solution to resolve
undersized welds in the resistance welding of multiple steel sheets. This study provides guidelines to the application of adhesive in weld bonding multiple stacks of steel
sheets for vehicle manufacturing.
Introduction
In mass producing automotive lightweight body frames, the application of hybrid joining techniques is increasing in importance. The weld bonding process,
Y. S. ZHANG (zhangyansong@sjtu.edu.cn),
J. SHEN, and Y. Y. ZHAO are with the Shanghai
Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture for Thinwalled Structures, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,
Shanghai, China. PEI-CHUNG WANG and B.
CARLSON are with the Manufacturing Systems
Research Lab, General Motors Research & Development Center, Warren, Mich.
Paper presented at the AWS Detroit Sections
Sheet Metal Welding Conference XV, Livonia,
Mich., October 25, 2012.
KEYWORDS
Weld Bonding
Multiple Steel Sheets
Weld Quality
Bondline Thickness
ness, fatigue behavior, and corrosion resistance (Refs. 4, 5), but also potentially
enables a reduction in the number of
welds in vehicle structures. Therefore, the
technology is state of the art in many
branches of joining metal sheets, especially for newly developed advanced highstrength steels (AHSS).
However, a series of issues needs to be
addressed such as the influence of adhesive property and location in weld bonding
multiple metal sheets to enhance the
knowledge of this technology and reinforce its use. The variety of adhesive
strengths and moduli leads to potentially
different bonding conditions, changes the
contact state of the steel sheets after being
squeezed out by the electrode force, and
consequently influences the weld quality
in weld bonding steel sheets. Many studies
concerning weld bonding two steel sheets
have shown that the adhesive increased
the weld size and strength in the weldbonded joints compared to resistance spot
welds under the same welding parameters
(Refs. 68). Furthermore, the effect of the
adhesive on the weld size is closely related
to the increase of the contact resistance
between the steel sheets, which influences
the current density pattern and temperature field via the joule heating effect (Refs.
912). The temperature field then influences the mechanical pressure distribution through thermal deformation of the
workpieces. Therefore, the formation of
the weld is indeed dependent upon the
contact phenomena at the faying interfaces. In weld bonding multiple stacks of
steel sheets, the contact states between the
steel sheets are more complex than for the
traditional two-sheet stackup. Therefore,
it is essential that an understanding of the
effect of adhesive characteristics on weld
bonding multiple-sheet stackups of steel
sheets be obtained.
The present study was undertaken to
WELDING JOURNAL 363-s
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 1 Procedure of the weld-bonding process. A Apply adhesive and assemble; B spot welding; and C adhesive cure in the paint shop oven.
WELDING RESEARCH
Sample Fabrication
Experimental Procedure
Materials
Mechanical Properties
Steel
SAE1004
DP600
DP780
Mn
0.037
0.08
0.15
0.21
1.74
1.80
P
0.01
0.012
0.004
Si
0.02
0.003
0.016
0.018
0.016
0.010
Al
0.04
0.041
0.048
Yield
Strength
(MPa)
Tensile
Strength
(MPa)
Elongation
(%)
152
316
508
278
607
834
66
29
26
Fig. 3 Experimental schematic for measurement between the steel sheets and adhesive in weld bonding multiple steel sheets. A Static contact; B
dynamic resistances.
Spatter
Paper
Magnet
Tansparent box
1 cm
25 cm
Fig. 4 A Setup for collecting the weld expulsion; B weld spatter collected
by a magnet.
One attribute of weld quality in resistance spot welding is the amount of weld
expulsion. Although weld expulsion is an
important indicator of weld quality, there
are few references regarding quantification or measurement of weld expulsion. To
generate weld expulsion, the process parameters listed in Table 3 were kept unchanged except that the welding current
was increased to 10.0 kA and the bondline
thickness was fixed at 0.4 mm. Five replicates were performed, and the weld spatter was collected and weighed.
To capture the weld expulsion in this
study, the welding process was conducted
in a 1-m3 box made of transparent resin;
refer to Fig. 4A. The weld spatter material
was collected using a magnet shown in Fig.
4B. To separate the collected spatter from
the magnet more easily, the magnet was
Specific Gravity
Viscosity
@50oC (Pas)
Tensile Strength
(MPa)
Elongation at Break
(%)
A1
A2
1.03
1.05~1.20
2040
3050
37
30
6.2
10
Electrode
Force
(kN)
Welding
Current
(kA)
Squeezing
5.0
5.5
8.5
200
Time (ms)
Welding
420
Hold
100
WELDING RESEARCH
Servo gun
Workpiece
Fig. 6 Effect of the adhesive on the static contact resistance between the following: A 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004 and 1.4-mm-thick DP600; B 1.4-mmthick DP600 and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steel.
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 7 Effect of the bondline thickness of A2 on the static contact resistance between the following: A 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004 steel and 1.4-mm-thick
DP600 steel; B 1.4-mm-thick DP600 steel and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steel.
wrapped in a clean paper. Using this magnet to scan everywhere within the box, the
spatter would jump onto the paper due to
the magnetic force. To generate the weld
expulsion, the welding current was increased to 10.0 kA while other parameters
were kept constant as shown in Table 3.
Results
Static Resistance during Squeeze Cycle
Weld Characterization
Mechanical Test
Fig. 8 Effect of the adhesive on the dynamic resistance between the following: A 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004 and 1.4-mm-thick DP600; B 1.4-mm-thick
DP600 and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steels.
Fig. 9 Effect of the bondline thickness of A2 on the dynamic resistance between the following: A 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004 and 1.4-mm-thick DP600;
B 1.4-mm-thick DP600 and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steels.
No adhesive
No adhesive + A1
No adhesive + A2
A1 + No adhesive
A1 + A1
A1 + A2
A2 + No adhesive
A2 + A1
A2 + A2
No adhesive
No adhesive
No adhesive
A1
A1
A1
A2
A2
A2
No adhesive
A1
A2
No adhesive
A1
A2
No adhesive
A1
A2
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 10 Effects of the adhesive properties on weld formation in the following: A Weld bonding
with A1; B A2 adhesive; and C resistance spot welding of 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004, 1.4-mmthick DP600, and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steel.
Table 5 Factors and Levels
Variable
X1
X2
Adhesive Location
No Adhesive
Value
A1
A2
0
0
-1
-1
1
1
(i.e., 1.4-mm-thick DP600 and 1.8-mmthick DP780) are higher than that without
adhesive during the first and second stages
of the weld-bonding process. Adhesive A2
exhibited the greatest dynamic resistance
followed by adhesive A1 and finally steel
without adhesive for any welding time in
the period between 50 and 150 msec. The
dynamic resistance for all conditions eventually leveled out to approximately the
same value at a welding time of 300 msec.
No significant effect of the applied bondline thickness on the dynamic resistance
between the multiple steel sheets can be
made (refer to the results presented in
Fig. 9).
also included in Fig. 10C. Two general observations can be made longer welding
times resulted in increased weld nugget diameters, and the presence of adhesive, either A1 or A2, resulted in greater weld
nugget diameters, d and D in reference to
Fig. 2A, compared to the same stackup
without adhesive for a given weld schedule.
Furthermore, the results show that the weld
bonding nugget diameter with A2 adhesive
was consistently larger than that with the A1
adhesive.
To thoroughly assess the effect of the adhesive on the weld size in weld bonding,
tests with various adhesive combinations
shown in Table 4 were also conducted. Five
replicates were tested for each adhesive
combination using the welding parameters
listed in Table 3, and the results are presented in Fig. 11. The presence of the adhesive between the workpieces regardless of
the bondline thickness in the range that was
studied increased both weld sizes d and D.
However, the extent of that increase in weld
size varies widely for different adhesive
types and combinations.
Tests were also conducted to study the
effect of the bondline thickness of A2 adhesive on the weld size in weld bonding
multiple stacks of steel sheets. Figure 12
presents the test results that show the adhesive bondline thickness had no statistical effect upon the weld sizes d and D in
weld bonding multiple steel sheets in this
study. These results are consistent with the
measurements of the static and dynamic
resistances shown in Figs. 7 and 9.
Weld Expulsion
To assess the effect of adhesive combination on the weld strength of weldbonded multiple steel sheets, lap-shear
tests were performed prior to the adhesive
curing. Figure 16 has the test results. As
shown, the presence of the uncured adhesive significantly improved the force displacement of weld-bonded multiple steel
sheets. Tests were also performed to measure the effect of the adhesive bondline
thickness on the strength of weld-bonded
multiple steel sheets, and the results are
shown in Fig. 17. The uncured adhesive
bondline thickness had no significant effect upon the strength of weld-bonded
multiple steel sheets.
Discussion
Static Contact Resistance
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 11 Effect of different adhesive combinations on the following: A Weld size d; B weld size D in weld bonding 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004, 1.4-mm-thick
DP600, and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steel.
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 13 Effect of the adhesive combination on the weld spatter of five specimens in weld bonding 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004, 1.4-mm-thick DP600, and
1.8-mm-thick DP780 steel.
Fig. 15 Retained weld spatter at the faying interface for a bondline thickness. A 0.2; B 0.4; C 0.8; D 1.2 mm.
The initial increase in dynamic resistance during the first stage in weld bonding
compared to that without adhesive is attributed mainly to the influence of the adhesive on the static contact resistance between the substrates. However, as the
temperature of the substrates increased,
i.e., 50 to 200 or 300 ms in reference to Fig.
8A and B, respectively, this effect was diminished by the thermal degradation and
decomposition of the adhesive.
The joule heat generation during the
first stage enhanced the increase of the
bulk resistivity of the steel sheets as the
temperature increased (Ref. 15). Therefore, the total dynamic resistance of the
weld bonded steel sheets during the second stage was greater than that without
370-s DECEMBER 2013, VOL. 92
from the results that the effect of the bondline thickness on the dynamic resistance is
insignificant. This is likely attributed to the
adhesive being squeezed out of the faying
interfaces under the applied electrode
force, and the variation in the amount of adhesive remaining as a function of applied
bondline thickness is insignificant to generate any sizable differences in joule heating
or other effect. Therefore, it can be concluded that the bondline thickness has little
effect upon the weld formation and size in
weld bonding multiple steel sheets.
Weld Size
Fig. 16 Effects of adhesive properties on the interface between the middle and bottom sheets for weld-bonded 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004, 1.4-mm-thick DP600,
and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steel. A Load displacement; B joint strength.
Fig. 17 Effects of uncured adhesive bondline thickness A2 on the interface between the middle and bottom sheets. A Load displacement; B joint strength.
Fig. 18 Retained spatter particles within the adhesive in weld bonding 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004, 1.4mm-thick DP600, and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steel. A A1; B A2 adhesive.
agree well with the results on the static contact resistance and dynamic resistance
shown in Figs. 6 and 8. Because the placement of the adhesive between the top and
middle sheets generated a significantly
greater weld size d, this could be a potential
solution to resolve the issue of undersized
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 19 SEM observation and EDS analysis of retained spatter with the
following adhesives: A A1; B A2; C erupted weld spatter with adhesive A1; D erupted weld spatter with adhesive A2; E erupted spatter
particles of resistance spot welding.
Weld expulsion occurs when the pressure from the liquid molten pool against
the solid containment equals or exceeds
the applied electrode pressure. Since adhesive A2 generates a greater amount of
joule heating followed by earlier weld
nugget melt initiation and growth, com372-s DECEMBER 2013, VOL. 92
pared to adhesive
A1, it might be expected that there
would be a corresponding
greater
molten pool pressure
buildup as well.
Therefore, the argument can be extended that a greater
amount of weld spatter is to be anticipated with the presence of adhesive A2
compared to adhesive A1 or no adhesive
at all. This line of reasoning is supported
by the data presented in Fig. 13.
Experimental observations showed
that most of the weld spatter erupted from
the interfaces between the sheets instead
of the sheet surface and that the adhesive
surrounding the molten weld pool decomposed because of the elevated temperatures. Because of the relatively high current levels, weld spatter erupting at the
faying interface was forced to pass through
the remains of the adhesive layer. However, a small portion of the erupted liquid
Weld Strength
Fig. 20 Correlation between the peak load and weld size for weld bonding 0.8-mm-thick SAE1004,
1.4-mm-thick DP600, and 1.8-mm-thick DP780 steel joints made based on Table 4.
Conclusions
The measurements of the static and dynamic contact resistances, welding experiments, metallography analyses, and mechanical tests conducted on weld bonding
multiple steel sheets (i.e., 0.8-mm-thick
SAE1004, 1.4-mm-thick DP600, and 1.8mm-thick DP780) with epoxy adhesives
(i.e., A1 and A2) concluded the following:
1. The presence of adhesive between
steel sheets during resistance spot welding
results in a comparatively greater static
and dynamic contact resistance leading to
greater joule heating, earlier weld nugget
melt initiation, and greater growth leading
to a larger weld nugget diameter as compared to a joint without adhesive.
2. The viscosity of the adhesive significantly affects the static contact and dynamic resistances between the steel
sheets. A more viscous adhesive requires
a greater applied electrode force to
squeeze out the adhesive from bondline
and results in a relatively higher contact
resistance.
3. The uncured adhesive bondline
thickness in the range of 0.21.2 mm exhibits no statistical correlation to the contact and dynamic resistances.
4. The presence of adhesive is correlated to a relatively greater amount of
weld spatter generation compared to a
joint without adhesive. This is attributed
to the elevated contact resistance resulting
from the presence of the adhesive leading
to relatively greater joule heating and a
WELDING RESEARCH
352362.
6. Goncalves, V. M., and Martins, P. A. F. 2006.
Static and fatigue performance of weld-bonded
stainless steel joints. Materials and Manufacturing
Processes 21: 774778.
7. Long, X., and Khanna, S. K. 2008. Fatigue
performance of spot welded and weld bonded advanced high-strength steel sheets. Science and
Technology of Welding and Joining 13(3): 241247.
8. Sam, S., and Shome, M. 2010. Static and fatigue performance of weld bonded dual phase
steel sheets. Science and Technology of Welding
and Joining 15(3): 242247.
9. Vogler, M., and Sheppard, S. 1993. Electrical contact resistance under high loads and
elevated temperatures. Welding Journal 72:
231-s to 298-s.
10. Thornton, P. H., Krause, A. R., and
Davies, R. G. 1996. Contact resistances in spot
welding. Welding Journal 75(12): 402-s to 412-s.
11. Song, Q., Zhang, W., and Bay, N. 2005. An
experimental study determines the electrical contact resistance in resistance welding. Welding
Journal 84(5): 73-s to 76-s.
12. Rogeona, P., Carrea, P., Costaa, J., Sibilia,
G., and Saindrenanb, G. 2008. Characterization
of electrical contact conditions in spot welding assemblies. Journal of Materials Processing Technology 195: 117124.
13. American Welding Society. 1997. Recommended Practices for Test Methods for Evaluating
the Resistance Spot Welding Behavior of Automotive Sheet Steel Materials, ANSI/AWS/SAE/D8.9
97.
14. Shen, J., Zhang, Y. S., Lai, X. M., and
Wang, Pei-Chung. 2012. Adhesive placement in
weld-bonding multiple stacks of steel sheets.
Welding Journal 91(2): 59-s to 66-s.
15. Garza, F., and Das, M. 2001. On real- time
monitoring and control of resistance spot welds
using dynamic resistance signatures. Midwest
Symposium on Circuits and Systems 1: 4144.
16. Cho, Y., and Rhee, S. 2002. Primary circuit dynamic resistance monitoring and its application to quality estimation during resistance
spot welding. Welding Journal 81(6): 104-s to 111s.
17. Ma, C., Bhole, S. D., Chen, D. L., Lee, A.,
Biro, E., and Boudreau, G. 2006. Expulsion monitoring in spot welded advanced high- strength
automotive steels. Science and Technology of
Welding and Joining 11(4): 480487.
WELDING RESEARCH
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ABSTRACT
Ultrasonic wave-assisted gas metal arc welding (U-GMAW) is a newly developed welding method. Under the action of the ultrasonic wave, the characteristics of the welding arc make an obvious change. Compared with the conventional
GMAW arc, the U-GMAW arc is more contracted and becomes brighter, and its
length is decreased. The arc length varies wavelike with the height of the ultrasonic radiator. The reason is that the amplitude of the stationary ultrasonic wave
pressure varies with the phase difference between the incident wave and the reflected wave. Under the same conditions, the ultrasonic energy and the contraction degree of the arc are enhanced with the increase in the diameter of the ultrasonic radiator and the ultrasonic vibration amplitude. In addition, the arc
length in both GMAW and U-GMAW increases with increasing voltage. But at
the same voltage, the arc length in U-GMAW is shorter than with GMAW, and
the difference increases with the increasing voltage. For U-GMAW, the unit increase in arc length with increased voltage is only about one-third that of conventional GMAW.
Introduction
Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) has
been widely employed in manufacturing,
and has attracted extensive attention due
to its advantages, which include high efficiency, high flexibility, and adaptability for
welding most metals (Ref. 1). The stability
and quality of GMAW is highly related to
metal transfer, which is affected by many
factors (Refs. 2, 3). Therefore, controlling
and getting the ideal metal transfer is still
a challenge. Many researchers have done
some distinctive work in this field. In Ref.
4, a new method to employ the melting
rate, heat input, and detaching droplet diameter as controlled variables to control
heat and mass transfer was proposed. The
Trifarc method used an extra wire with reversed electric current, which was inserted
between the electrodes of the standard to
control the molten droplet and pool (Ref.
5). In Ref. 6, the researchers struck an additional arc on the droplet, which served as
the cathode to regulate the current distribution and metal transfer. Y. M. Zhang
C. L. FAN (fclwh@hit.edu.cn), C. L. YANG,
and S. B. LIN (sblin@hit.edu.cn) are with the
Stake Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and
Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin,
China. Y. Y. FAN is with Dongfang Electric Machinery Co., Ltd., Deyang, China.
and others (Refs. 710) decoupled the undesired dependence of the metal transfer
on the welding current and used a laser to
facilitate droplet detachment from the
wire tip. In addition plasma diagnostics
(Ref. 11), arc light and spectrum (Refs. 12,
13), magnetic field (Ref. 14), mechanical
vibration (Refs. 15, 16), and arc sound
(Refs. 17, 18) also have been used to control the metal transfer process.
In Refs. 19 and 20, the authors proposed a new hybrid welding method, ultrasonic wave-assisted gas metal arc welding (U-GMAW). During the U-GMAW
process, ultrasonic radiation force was
used to control the metal transfer. The experimental results showed the dimension
of the droplet decreased and the transfer
frequency increased, which led to deeper
welding penetration and finer grain crystallization. The welding arc has important
influences on the metal transfer process;
however, the characteristics of the welding
arc in the novel U-GMAW process have
KEYWORDS
Gas Metal Arc Welding
Arc Characteristics
Ultrasonic Wave
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
an ideal infinite reflector. With the reflection, a stable interference acoustic field is
formed between the radiator and the
workpiece, and the arc is burning inside
this acoustic field.
The ultrasonic power source was a
CSHJ-1000 with the output power of 1000
W. A digital control, constant voltage
power supply (Kemppi, Promig 500) was
employed, and the welding process was
performed under the direct current electrode positive (DCEP) condition. During
the experiments, the welding torch was
fixed and the workpiece was moved at a
constant speed. The base metal was mild
steel, and 1.2-mm-diameter ER70S-6 wire
was chosen as the electrode. Pure argon
There are four main ultrasonic parameters related to the experiments, i.e., f (ultrasonic frequency), H (distance between the
ultrasonic radiator and the workpiece),
Welding
Voltage
(V)
Welding
Speed
(mm/min)
3.5
27
300
25
24
11
(1)
(2)
= arctan
sin1 + sin 2
cos1 + cos 2
(3)
(4)
trasonic wave with the same vibration frequency as the incident ultrasonic wave.
The amplitude of the stationary ultrasonic
wave depends on the phase difference ()
between the incident wave and the reflected wave, instead of the algebraic sum
of their absolute values.
The most important influence factor of
is the distance between the radiator and
the workpiece, i.e., H. Under some specific H values, is even multiple times of
. The incident ultrasonic wave and the reflected wave reach the peak value simultaneously, and the stationary ultrasonic
wave has double amplitude of the incident
ultrasonic wave where the stationary
acoustic field is a syntonic field with the
maximum energy density. While under
some other specific H values, is odd multiple times of , the incident ultrasonic
wave and the reflected wave canceled out,
which means the amplitude of the stationary wave is zero and the ultrasonic field
energy density is minimum.
The particles inside the normal arc,
such as the electrons and ions, are moved
by the drive of the electric field between
the anode and cathode. But the situation
changed inside the U-GMAW arc; the additional ultrasonic wave will influence the
motion state of the particles. Beside the
motion caused by the electric field, the
particles are forced to oscillate around
their equilibrium position 20,000 times
per second. This vibration increases the
instantaneous velocity and the collision
WELDING JOURNAL 377-s
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Fig. 5 Comparison of conventional GMAW and U-GMAW arcs. A Conventional GMAW arc; B U-GMAW arc.
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Fig. 11 Arc shape at different welding voltages (wire feed speed (wfs) = 4.5 m/min; C stands for conventional GMAW; U stands for U-GMAW). A 21 V; B 22 V; C 23 V; D 24 V; E 25 V;
F 26 V; G 27 V; H 28 V; I 29 V; J 30 V; K 31 V; L 32 V; M 33 V.
K
brighter and more stable.
2. Arc length for both conventional
GMAW and U-GMAW increased with the
increasing welding voltage, but the growth
rate of the conventional GMAW arc
length is much higher than that of the UGMAW arc. When the welding voltage
reached 28 V, the conventional GMAW
arc approached the nozzle (Fig. 11H). If
the voltage increased continuously, the arc
would retreat into the nozzle and damage
the welding torch. In contrast, the UGMAW arc remained a reasonable length
within a large voltage range, even when
the voltage reached 33 V. This is why only
U-GMAW arc pictures were given when
the voltage went beyond 28 V.
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Conclusions
1. Under the action of the ultrasonic
wave, the U-GMAW arc is contracted and
ABSTRACT
A controlled-pulse keyholing plasma arc welding (PAW) system is developed to
implement the active control of keyhole dynamics and to ensure complete joint penetration and defect-free welds. To deeply understand the dynamic keyhole behaviors,
a cost-effective vision system is employed to monitor and detect the transient keyhole status from the backside of the workpiece in the controlled-pulse keyholing PAW
process. From sequential images of the keyhole exit, both the keyhole dimensions
and its positions relative to the torch axis are determined at different moments in
each pulse cycle. The keyholing process, including keyhole establishment, expansion,
contraction, and closure in each pulse cycle, is observed, and the dynamic variation
of the keyhole size and its position inside the weld pool is analyzed. The inclination
of the front keyhole wall and its relation to the keyhole evolution are investigated.
The effects of the slopes of the current falling edges on the keyhole dynamic behaviors are examined, and the underlying mechanisms of keyhole evolution are discussed. The research results lay a solid foundation for implementing process optimization in controlled-pulse keyholing PAW.
Introduction
Plasma arc welding (PAW), laser beam
welding (LBW), and electron beam welding (EBW) can operate in keyhole mode,
which is the primary attribute of such highpower-density welding processes (Ref. 1).
During such processes, a keyhole is
formed inside the weld pool, and the heat
is deposited along the thickness direction,
so that deep penetration is achieved and
thicker plates are welded with a single pass
(Ref. 2). Compared to LBW and EBW,
keyhole PAW, as a variant of gas tungsten
arc welding, is more cost effective and
more tolerant of joint preparation (Refs.
3, 4). Thus, keyhole PAW has found wide
application in industry (Refs. 3, 5, 6).
However, the keyhole stability, which depends on the physical characteristics of the
material to be welded and the welding parameters to be used, is a critical issue in applying PAW (Refs. 7, 8). In conventional
keyhole PAW, slight variations in the heat
Z. M. LIU, C. S. WU (wucs@sdu.edu.cn), and
J. CHEN are with MOE Key Lab for Liquid-Solid
Structure Evolution and Materials Processing, Institute of Materials Joining, Shandong University,
Jinan, China.
KEYWORDS
Dynamic Keyhole Behaviors
Vision-Based Observation
Keyhole Exit Image
Controlled-Pulse Keyholing
Plasma Arc Welding
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 3 The efflux plasma and the electrical signals in controlled-pulse keyholing PAW. A The image of the plasma arc and efflux plasma; B the
detected welding current and efflux plasma voltage.
and closure in each pulse cycle, was observed. The dynamic variation of the keyhole size and its position inside the weld
pool were analyzed. The inclination of the
front keyhole wall and its relation with the
keyhole evolution was investigated. The
observation results lay a solid foundation
for implementing process optimization in
controlled-pulse keyholing PAW.
Experimental Setup
Figure 2 shows the developed controlled-pulse keyholing PAW system. The
PAW machine consists of a digital power
source, a plasma generator, and a plasma
torch. A piece of mild-steel bar (the measuring bar) is mounted underneath the
workpiece to be welded and kept insulated
electrically. If an open keyhole is established, the plasma jet must exit through
the keyhole channel to form the efflux
plasma at the backside of the workpiece,
as shown in Fig. 3A. The efflux plasma will
establish an electrical potential between
Fig. 4 The captured image of the keyhole exit. A Raw image; B the extracted boundary.
Fig. 5 The sampled electrical signals and the sequential images of the keyhole in two consecutive pulses. A The detected welding current and efflux plasma
voltage; B the sequential images of the keyhole.
By using the developed controlledpulse keyholing PAW system, bead-onplate welding tests were conducted on 8mm-thick, Type 304 stainless steel
workpieces. The torch orifice diameter
was 2.8 mm, the throat length was 3 mm,
and the tungsten electrode setback was 2.0
mm. The torch orifice standoff from the
workpiece was 5.0 mm. Both the plasma
gas and shielding gas were pure argon, and
their flow rates were 3.0 L min1 and 20 L
min1, respectively. The welding speed was
120 mm/min.
For the study case, the waveform parameters of the welding current, as defined in Fig. 1, are as follows:
Ip = 185 A, IB = 82 A, TP = 300 ms, TB =
100 ms, TK1 = 225 ms, and TK2 = 100 ms.
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Fig. 6 The measured width and length of keyhole exit vs. the current pulse.
WELDING RESEARCH
welding direction).
However, it immediately changes its
shape from oval to Fig. 7 Schematic of the deviation distance of the keyhole exit.
oblate roundness,
i.e., its length is a little bit less than its
From the sequential images in Fig. 5B,
width. The keyhole exit takes such a shape
the deviation distance of the keyhole exit
of oblate round for almost the whole pulse
is obtained. Figure 8 shows that at the becycle, as the sequential images of the keyginning of open keyhole establishment,
hole demonstrate in Fig. 5B. This phenomthe deviation distance of the keyhole exit
enon, i.e., the keyhole exit shape is oblate
is largest. As time goes on, its value dealong the welding direction, was also obcreases in a pulse cycle. This means that
served in conventional PAW process (Ref.
when an open keyhole is just formed, it lo23). However, during the controlled-pulse
cates farthest away from the torch axis, but
keyholing PAW process, the keyhole exit in
it continuously moves forward as time
each pulse cycle has the similar oblate
goes on. At the end of each pulse cycle,
geometry, i.e., its length along the welding
there is the least deviation distance just
line is a little bit less than its width perpenbefore the open keyhole closes.
dicular to the welding direction, except for
the very beginning stage of open keyhole
The Mechanism of the Deviation Distance
formation. For welding workpieces with
of the Keyhole Exit
medium thickness, the moving plasma arc
exerts more energy and pressure along the
As shown in Fig. 7, the open keyhole
welding direction to produce an open keyhas an entrance aperture at topside and an
hole, so that the keyhole exit looks oblate.
exit aperture at backside, respectively.
Of course, this is just a preliminary explaSince the keyhole is unsymmetrical and
nation, and further investigation is
noncoaxial with the PAW torch, the keyrequired.
hole channel is curved, and bending of the
Figure 5B illustrates that the position
keyhole axis occurs. The keyhole exit is
of the keyhole exit is not stationary in a
displaced in the direction opposite to the
pulse cycle. The up and down displacewelding direction, as illustrated in Fig. 7.
ment of the keyhole images corresponds
The deviation of the keyhole exit from the
to the forward and backward movement of
torch axis is due to the motion of the
the keyhole exit inside the weld pool at the
plasma arc along the welding direction.
underside along the welding direction, beBecause of the relative motion between
cause the torch and the camera are fixed
the plasma torch and the workpiece, the
while the workpiece is traveling. This
thermal field on the workpiece is dismeans that there is a deviation of the keytorted, and the weld pool becomes unsymhole exit from the torch axis. Figure 7
metrical with respect to the torch axis.
shows the schematic of the deviation disTaking the torch axis as a reference, the
tance and its definition. In this study, the
shape of the weld pool looks like a double
difference between the centerpoint of the
half-ellipsoid, and its front part is less
keyhole exit and the PAW torch axis along
while its rear part is much larger, which is
the welding direction (x-coordinate) is decaused by the distortion of the thermal
fined as the deviation distance of the keyfield due to the motion of the heat source
hole exit.
represented by the plasma arc. Therefore,
Fig. 8 The measured deviation distance of keyhole exit vs. the current pulse.
TK1 / TK2
TK1(ms)
TK2 (ms)
K1 (A s 1)
K2 (A s1)
Averaged
Current (A)
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Test 5
20:80
40:60
50:50
60:40
70:30
70
140
175
210
245
280
210
175
140
105
428
214
171
143
122
143
190
229
286
381
133.8
134.8
136.1
137.3
138.6
associated deviation distance of the keyhole exit) is mainly affected by the welding
process parameters. To demonstrate the
effect of the current waveform on the inclination of the front keyhole wall, special
experiments were conducted. The controlled-pulse waveform of the welding current in Fig. 10A was used. The peak current Ip = 180 A, the base current Ib = 60
A, the plasma gas flow rate 2.8 L min1,
and the other parameters and conditions
are as aforementioned. The controlledpulse keyholing PAW test was repeated a
few times, and the welding processes were
suddenly stopped at different instants
(T1T5) in a pulse cycle. Sudden stopping
of the welding process remain the most
part of the keyhole at that moment, although the bottom part of the keyhole may
be refilled by some molten metal. After
welding, the weld samples were cut along
the welding direction, and longitudinal
sections of the weld end were obtained.
Figure 10B is the macrograph of the
longitudinal section weld stopped suddenly at instant T1. In pulse (n), an open
keyhole was established at instant T1 after
the peak current was acted for the period
300 ms. The front keyhole wall (almost the
same as the melting line) is from point A
to point B in Fig. 10B. The projection
length L of the curve AB along the longitudinal direction (welding direction) is
4.96 mm. At instant T2, the welding current had been lowered by 30% from the
peak value, but an open keyhole still ex-
isted at this moment, and the thermal accumulation from higher heat input causes
melting at the front keyhole wall. When
the welding process was suddenly stopped
at instant T2, the macrograph of the longitudinal section of the weld was obtained,
as shown in Fig. 10C. The front keyhole
wall is almost an inclined plane with the
projection length L of 3.22 mm. At instant
T3, the welding current had been lowered
by 70% from the peak value, and the open
keyhole was closed at the bottom before
this moment. When the welding process
was suddenly stopped at instant T3, the remaining macrograph of the longitudinal
section of the weld is given in Fig. 10D.
Due to a blind keyhole existing at instant
T3, the plasma arc deposits more heat at
the upper part of the keyhole cavity, and
the upper front keyhole wall becomes a little bit curved, so that the projection length
L of the melting line is about 4.24 mm. The
instant T4 is the end of the base duration,
the bottom of the blind keyhole gets much
less heat from the plasma arc, and the
melting line is curved backward at the bottom Fig. 10E. The projection length L
of the melting line is about 4.73 mm at instant T4. The instant T5 is within the initial
stage of the next pulse period, more heat
reaches the bottom of the blind keyhole,
but no open keyhole forms. The projection line length L of the melting line is
about 5.13 mm at instant T5, as shown in
Fig. 10F. It can be seen that so long as the
open keyhole is closed and a blind keyhole
WELDING JOURNAL 385-s
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 9 The schematic of interaction between the plasma arc and front keyhole wall.
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 10 The evolution of the front keyhole wall in a pulse cycle. A The waveform of the welding current used in the sudden stop test; B the macrograph
of the longitudinal section of the weld at instant T1; C the macrograph of the longitudinal section of the weld at instant T2; D the macrograph of the longitudinal section of the weld at instant T3; E the macrograph of the longitudinal section of the weld at instant T4; F the macrograph of longitudinal section weld at instant T5.
is formed, the bottom part of the workpiece stops melting forward, the melting
line near the bottom surface is curved toward the rear part of the weld pool, and
the projection length of the front melting
line increases. As the plasma arc heats the
workpiece during the pulse period, melting occurs forward, the curved extent of
the melting line at the bottom is lowered,
and the projection length of the melting
line decreases. It can be concluded that at
the moment just before the open keyhole
386-s DECEMBER 2013, VOL. 92
Conclusion
A controlled-pulse keyholing system
was developed to implement active control
of the keyhole PAW process and achieve
the ideal mode of one open keyhole per
pulse. By using the specially designed waveform with two substages of current decreasing at the falling edge in a pulse, the
keyholing dynamic behaviors are intentionally adjusted to ensure complete joint penetration and defect-free welds. A costeffective vision system was developed to
observe the images of keyhole exit at the
backside of the workpiece in controlledpulse keyholing PAW. Sequential images of
WELDING JOURNAL 387-s
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
A1
A2
B1
B2
C1
C2
Fig. 13 The measured keyhole sizes and positions. A Test 1; B Test 2; C Test 3.
the keyhole exit were captured to characterize the dynamic variation in each pulse
cycle. It was found that the keyholing
process may be divided into the following
stages per pulse: prekey-holing, keyhole expansion, keyhole contraction, and blind
keyhole. The keyhole exit shape during
each pulse has an oblate geometry, i.e., its
length along the welding line is a little bit
less than its width perpendicular to the
welding direction, except for the very beginning stage of open keyhole formation.
The position of the keyhole exit is not stationary in a pulse cycle, and there is a deviation of the keyhole exit away from the
torch axis. Under the welding conditions
used in this study, the variation scope of the
keyhole length and width is around 0.30.6
388-s DECEMBER 2013, VOL. 92
The authors are grateful for the financial support for this research from the National Natural Science Foundation of
China (Key Program Grant No.
50936003).
References
1. Kou, S. 2003. Welding Metallurgy, 2nd edition. pp. 16, 17. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.
2. Wu, C. S. 2011. Welding Thermal Processes
and Weld Pool Behaviors. pp. 323, 324. Boca
D2
D1
WELDING RESEARCH
E2
E1
ABSTRACT
WELDING RESEARCH
Submerged arc welding (SAW) of fillet welds is one of the major applications in
the shipbuilding industry. Due to the requirement for the weld size, a sufficient
amount of metal must be deposited. In a conventional SAW process, the heat input
is proportional to the amount of metal melted and is thus determined by the required weld size. To meet this requirement, an excessive amount of heat is applied
causing large distortions in the welded structures whose follow-up straightening is
very costly. In order to reduce the needed heat input, double-electrode technology
has been previously practiced creating the double-electrode SAW (DE-SAW)
method for fillet welds. However, the reduction in the heat input also reduces the
penetration capability. The ability to produce required weld beads is compromised.
In this study, the authors propose to introduce a root opening in a T-joint between
the flat and perpendicular panels forming a modified fillet weld design. Experimental results verified that the use of a root opening improves the ability of DESAW to produce the required weld beads at reduced heat input and penetration
capability. Major parameters including the root opening, travel speed, and heat
input have been selected/optimized/minimized to produce required fillet weld beads
with a minimized heat input based on qualitative and quantitative analyses.
Introduction
Submerged arc welding (SAW) is a
widely used process. Similar to conventional gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
(Refs. 1, 2) and flux cored arc welding
(FCAW) (Refs. 3, 4), it melts a continuously fed consumable solid or flux cored
electrode wire (Refs. 57) to deposit metal
into the workpiece. In the SAW process,
however, the consumable wire and the arc
are shielded from atmospheric contamination by being submerged under a blanket of granular, fusible flux (Ref. 8).
Submerged arc welding has significant advantages (Refs. 69) over GMAW and
FCAW including higher productivity,
more stable arc, spatter-free, and harmful
ultraviolet radiation-free. Moreover, the
molten metal is effectively protected by a
layer of flux. SAW is thus the most commonly used process for flat and horizontal
welding in the shipbuilding industry, espeY. LU and Y. M. ZHANG (ymzhang@
uky.edu) are with Adaptive Intelligent Systems
LLC, and University of Kentucky, Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering and Institute
for Sustainable Manufacturing, College of Engineering, Lexington, Ky. L. KVIDAHL is with
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Pascagoula, Miss.
KEYWORDS
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
Fillet Weld
Double-Electrode (DE)
Root Opening
Heat Input
established based on a
conventional
SAW
process by adding a
GMAW weld head
next to the SAW head
of the Lincoln LT-7
tractor (Ref. 20) to
provide a second/bypass loop for the welding current. The main
wire feeder is combined with the tractor,
but the bypass wire
needs an external wire
feeder.
The relationship of
Fig. 3 Current relationships in the DE-SAW process.
the welding currents
in
the
DE-SAW
process can be explained by Fig. 3. The
ing is considered a variant of DE-GMAW
main loop represents the path through
that was previously developed at the Uniwhich the base metal current (I1) flows,
versity of Kentucky (Ref. 12). Except for
and the bypass loop is the path through
changing from gas shielding to flux shieldwhich the bypass current (I2) flows. The
ing so as to take advantage of the desirable
positive terminals of the two power supcharacteristics associated with the SAW
plies (both of them are working in conprocess mentioned previously, the princistant-voltage mode (CV)) are connected
ple of the electrical circuit remains
together as a common positive terminal.
unchanged.
The main SAW head is connected to the
common positive terminal, and the workExperimental Systems
piece (or base metal) is connected with the
negative terminal of the main power supFigure 2 shows the experimental platply. This kind of connection is based on
form of the DE-SAW process. It has been
(1)
Flat Plate
Main Wire
Bypass Wire
Flux Powder
Size
Thickness: 316 in. (4.763 mm)
Width: 1 in. (25.4 mm)
Thickness: 316 in. (4.763 mm)
Width: 4 in. (101.6 mm)
Diameter: 332 in. (2.381 mm)
Diameter: 0.045 in. (1.14 mm)
N/A
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
With the purpose of illustrating the effect of the root opening, the different root
sizes tested were no root opening, small
root opening, and large root opening. In
order to decouple from the effect of the
mass, all the experiments were conducted
using open-loop controls, i.e., using constant wire feed speeds without feedback
control, which would adjust the wire feed
speeds such that the mass would change
also. Because the major concern was
whether the root opening would reduce
the convexity and increase the reentrant
angle, analysis was first done in this section qualitatively without exact readings/measurements of the reentrant angles
or leg sizes. The reentrant angle was a concern because shipyard visual acceptance
criteria typically require the reentrant
angle to be no less than 90 deg to reduce
possible stress concentration, which would
reduce the fatigue life.
Fig. 4 Currents and wire speeds plot in the no root opening experiment.
Fig. 5 Weld bead in the no root opening experiment (direction: right to left).
Value
Unit
90 (288.6)
300 (762)
50 (127)
28
28
0, 0.06, 0.12 (0, 1.5, 3)
in./min (cm/min)
in./min (cm/min)
in./min (cm/min)
V
V
in. (mm)
Fig. 7 Currents and wire speeds plot in the small root opening experiment.
Fig. 8 Weld bead in the small root opening experiment (direction: right to left).
Exp 5.1
Exp 5.2
Exp 5.3
Exp 5.4
Exp 5.5
Exp 5.6
Exp 5.7
Travel Speed
in./min
(cm/min)
Incremental
Ratio
Main Wire
Speed
in./min (cm/min)
Bypass Wire
Speed
in./min (cm/min)
30 (76.2)
35 (88.9)
40 (101.6)
45 (114.3)
50 (127)
55 (139.7)
60 (152.4)
1.0
1.17
1.33
1.5
1.67
1.83
2.0
60 (152.4)
70 (177.8)
80 (203.2)
90 (228.6)
100 (254)
110 (279.4)
120 (304.8)
150 (381)
175 (444.5)
200 (508)
225 (571.5)
250 (635)
275 (698.5)
300 (762)
large root opening experiment is approximately 6 mm. However, the largest root
opening allowed in production is 4.76 mm
(316 in.) and for every 1.59 mm (116 in.) root
opening (over 116 in.), the weld size must
be increased by 116 in. accordingly. For example, if in. (6.35 mm) weld is needed
and there is a 3.18 mm (18-in.) (root opening between perpendicular and flat plates,
then the required leg size will become 7.92
mm (516 in.) (root opening 18 in. less the
permitted initial 116 in., this 116 in. is added
to the in. size required, resulting in 516
in.). As a result, the required leg size will
become 6.35 mm (14 in.) for the 4.76 mm
(316-in.) workpiece thickness if a 3-mm
(0.12-in.) root opening is used. Consequently, the heat input will be increased
due to the increase in the required mass.
On the other hand, for the 1.5-mm small
root opening (0.59 in., which is smaller
than the permitted 116 in.), the leg size can
still be equal to the thickness of the plate
(316 in.). Hence, the small root opening is a
more appropriate root opening size.
Analysis Methods
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 10 Currents and wire speeds plot in the large root opening experiment.
Fig. 9 A cross section of the weld bead in the small root opening experiment.
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 11 Weld bead in the large root opening experiment (direction: right to left).
Exp
6.1
Exp
6.2
Exp
6.3
Exp
6.4
Exp
6.5
Root Opening
Size
mm
Travel
Speed
in./min
(cm/min)
Main
Voltage
V
1.5
45
(114.3)
45
(114.3)
45
(114.3)
45
(114.3)
45
(114.3)
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
in./min
(cm/min)
in./min
(cm/min)
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
70
(177.8)
80
(203.2)
90
(228.6)
100
(254)
110
(279.4)
382
(970.28)
338
(858.52)
294
(746.8)
250
(635)
206
(523.2)
x =
1
N
i =1
maxi + mini
(2)
1
2
=
( x x ) E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E (3)
N i=1 i
where,E x i =
In the same way, these four quantitative performance indices were obtained on
the horizontal and vertical directions individually for all weld beads. By plotting
these four indices, the resultant plots show
the changing tendency of the statistical
data, and thereby quantitatively illustrate
the influence of the parameters being
studied.
The quantitative analysis was conducted together with the qualitative analysis. In particular, by comparing and
contrasting the cross sections of the weld
beads, the changes in the convexity with
the parameter being examined was clearly
demonstrated. This qualitative analysis
can provide a useful complementary to the
Single Wire
Exp 5.1
Exp 5.2
Exp 5.3
Exp 5.4
Exp 5.5
Main Wire
Speed
in./min
Total
Current
(A)
Travel
speed
(in./min)
Heat Input
(J/in.)
Heat Input
Ratio
75
70
80
90
100
110
400
320
380
420
465
510
30
45
45
45
45
45
22400
11947
14187
15680
17360
19040
100%
53%
63%
70%
78%
85%
Standard deviation and extreme difference are two important performance indices in statistics that are used to describe
the spread of the distribution of a group of
experimental data (Refs. 2224). Using
the statistical data of the seven experiments with different travel speeds, Fig. 17
shows the changing tendency of the standard deviation and extreme difference of
the leg sizes.
It is not difficult to see that when the
travel speed is at 30 in./min (lowest travel
speed), the standard deviation and the extreme difference in the leg sizes are both
at their largest. The high standard deviation and extreme difference are actually
coherent to the fluctuating base metal current (see the first plot in Fig. 14) and the
rough surface and uneven edges of the
weld bead with 30 in./min travel speed (see
the first photo in Fig. 15) because fluctuations in base metal current increase the
fluctuations in the penetration capability,
and thus evenness of the welds produced.
Then, as the travel speed increases (from
35 to 45 in./min), the standard deviation
WELDING JOURNAL 395-s
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
evaluate
the
welding performance for fillet
joints. In practice, the average
and minimum leg
sizes of the weld
beads are more
of a concern.
Figure 18 shows
the changing tendency of the average and minimum
Fig. 14 Currents and wire speeds in the travel speed study experiments.
leg sizes. It can be
seen that, with the
increase in the
travel speed, the
average and miniand extreme difference both become
mum leg sizes increase gradually at the besmaller, reaching their lowest points at 45
ginning, reach their largest sizes between 35
in./min, and then rise a little bit as the
and 45 in./min, and then decrease gradutravel speed continues to increase (from
ally. Because making weld beads absolutely
45 to 60 in./min).
symmetrical on both the vertical and horiFrom 35 to 60 in./min, however, the dezontal directions is relatively difficult in labviations and the extreme differences are all
oratory but it may not be in shipyards, the
relatively small. Hence, 35 to 60 in./min can
average leg size, i.e., the average between
be considered as an acceptable range for the
the weld sizes in the two directions as given
travel speed. Although in the vertical direcby the black line in Fig. 18, may be a better
tion the deviation and extreme difference
measurement for the weld size. Considerare very low at 35 in./min, the speed of 45
ing the average leg sizes together with the
in./min is still a better choice because both
vertical and horizontal minimum sizes, 45
directions should be equally important.
in./min is optimal.
Fig. 16 Cross sections of weld beads in the travel speed study experiments.
Fig. 17 Standard deviation (left) and extreme difference (right) in leg sizes in the travel speed study experiments.
Experiment Design
be adjusted.
Hence, a series of experiments was conducted with the parameters shown in Table
4 to optimize the heat input, i.e., to determine the minimal heat input (with corresponding welding parameters) needed to
produce acceptable welds. In particular, the
main wire feed speed has been increased
progressively at the 10 in./min increment
within the attainable range of 70 to 110
in./min. Simultaneously, the bypass wire
speed (from 382 to 206 in./min) has been
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
performance indices were calculated. According to the statistical data from the five
experiments with different heat inputs,
Fig. 22 shows the changing tendency of the
standard deviation and extreme difference
on the leg sizes.
After taking the data on both horizontal and vertical directions into consideration, it can be seen that when the main
wire feed speed was at 70 in./min (lowest
heat input in the series of experiments),
the standard deviation and extreme difference of the leg sizes were both at their
largest. Then, from 80 to 100 in./min, the
standard deviation and extreme difference
of the leg sizes are both on a declining
trend. Actually, the deviation and the extreme difference are all relatively small
within this range. Hence, 80 to 100 in./min
can be considered as an acceptable range
for the heat input. Comparatively, the heat
input when W1 = 100 in./min gave the best
performance. At last, when the main wire
feed is close to 110 in./min (the highest
wire feed speed in the series of experiments), both the standard deviation and
extreme difference rise up rapidly.
The changing tendencies on deviation
and extreme difference are coherent to the
welds shown in Figs. 20 and 21. From W1 =
80 in./min to W1 = 100 in./min, the surfaces
of the weld beads are relatively smooth, and
the edges of the welds are quite uniform.
However, when the heat input is either too
high or too low, the surfaces of the welds appear to be convex and the edges of the welds
are relatively rough and uneven. Hence,
simply from the standard deviation and extreme difference of the leg sizes, the appropriate range of the main wire feed speed
(represents the range of heat input) should
be between 80 and 100 in./min.
Fig. 18 Changing tendency of average leg sizes (left) and minimum leg sizes (right) in the travel speed
study experiments.
In addition to the deviation and the extreme difference, Fig. 23 shows the changing tendencies of average and minimum
leg sizes. By referring to the statistical data
on both horizontal and vertical directions,
it can be seen that the average and minimum leg sizes are all on the rising trend at
the beginning. After reaching their largest
sizes when the main wire speed equals 90
in./min, the leg sizes become shorter instead of increasing with the continuing rising of the heat input. This decreasing
phenomenon was different from our previous expectation. The excessive penetration that appeared following the high heat
input should be the major reason for the
narrow and uneven welds.
In typical applications, the vertical and
horizontal leg sizes must be greater than
the thickness of the workpieces (4.7 mm
approximately). From this point of view,
only the leg sizes that resulted from the
heat inputs W1 = 90 in./min and W1 = 100
398-s DECEMBER 2013, VOL. 92
Fig. 19 Current and wire speed plots in the heat input experiments.
acceptable, the minimum leg sizes are excessively undersized. And after observing
Fig. 22 Standard deviation and extreme difference of leg sizes in the heat input experiments.
Fig. 23 Changing tendency of average and minimum leg sizes in the heat input experiments.
WELDING RESEARCH
WELDING RESEARCH
Acknowledgment
This work was funded by the Navy
under contracts N65538-08-M-0049 and
N00024-09-C-4140 and Kentucky Cabinet
for Economic Development (CED) Office
of Commercialization and Innovation
through Kentucky Science and Engineering Corp. under agreements KSTC-184512-08-038 and KSTC-184-512-09-067.
The authors also appreciate the approval
for public release from the Navy
(5720/00DT 2013-0033).
References
1. Holliday, D. B. 1993. Gas-metal arc welding. ASM Handbook. 10th ed., vol. 6: ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio.
2. Wang, G., Huang, P. G., and Zhang, Y.
M. 2003. Numerical analysis of metal transfer
in gas metal arc welding. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B: Process Metallurgy and
Materials Processing Science 34: 345354.
3. Meyer, D. W. 1993. Flux-cored arc welding. ASM Handbook. 10th ed., vol. 6: ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio.
4. The Welding Handbook for Maritime
Welders. 10th ed., Barwil Unitor Ships Service.
5. Welding Handbook. 1991. 8th ed., vol. 2.
ed. R. L. OBrien. Welding processes: American Welding Society, Miami, Fla.
6. Su, H., Hu, J., and Guo, H. 2010. Submerged arc welding procedure improvement
based on human-machine operation analysis.
3rd International Conference on Information
Management, Innovation Management and Industrial Engineering, ICIII 2010, Kunming,
China: IEEE Computer Society.
7. Submerged Arc Welding. 1982. Miller Electric Mfg. Co.
8. Ogborn, J. S. 1993. Submerged arc welding. ASM Handbook. 10th ed., vol. 6: ASM In-
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