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1 Development
1
2 2 EQUIPMENT
2 Equipment power source through the power cable and transmits the
electrical energy to the electrode while directing it to the
weld area. It must be firmly secured and properly sized,
To perform gas metal arc welding, the basic necessary since it must allow the electrode to pass while maintain-
equipment is a welding gun, a wire feed unit, a welding ing electrical contact. On the way to the contact tip, the
power supply, a welding electrode wire, and a shielding wire is protected and guided by the electrode conduit and
gas supply.[10] liner, which help prevent buckling and maintain an unin-
terrupted wire feed. The gas nozzle directs the shielding
gas evenly into the welding zone. Inconsistent flow may
2.1 Welding gun and wire feed unit
not adequately protect the weld area. Larger nozzles pro-
vide greater shielding gas flow, which is useful for high
current welding operations that develop a larger molten
1 weld pool. A gas hose from the tanks of shielding gas
supplies the gas to the nozzle. Sometimes, a water hose
is also built into the welding gun, cooling the gun in high
heat operations.[11]
The wire feed unit supplies the electrode to the work,
driving it through the conduit and on to the contact tip.
Most models provide the wire at a constant feed rate, but
more advanced machines can vary the feed rate in re-
sponse to the arc length and voltage. Some wire feed-
2 5 ers can reach feed rates as high as 30.5 m/min (1200
in/min),[12] but feed rates for semiautomatic GMAW typ-
ically range from 2 to 10 m/min (75 – 400 in/min).[13]
3
4
GMAW torch nozzle cutaway image. (1) Torch handle, (2) 2.2 Tool style
Molded phenolic dielectric (shown in white) and threaded metal
nut insert (yellow), (3) Shielding gas diffuser, (4) Contact tip, (5)
Nozzle output face The most common electrode holder is a semiautomatic
air-cooled holder. Compressed air circulates through it
The typical GMAW welding gun has a number of key to maintain moderate temperatures. It is used with lower
parts—a control switch, a contact tip, a power cable, a gas current levels for welding lap or butt joints. The sec-
nozzle, an electrode conduit and liner, and a gas hose. The ond most common type of electrode holder is semiau-
control switch, or trigger, when pressed by the operator, tomatic water-cooled, where the only difference is that
initiates the wire feed, electric power, and the shielding water takes the place of air. It uses higher current levels
gas flow, causing an electric arc to be struck. The con- for welding T or corner joints. The third typical holder
tact tip, normally made of copper and sometimes chemi- type is a water cooled automatic electrode holder—which
cally treated to reduce spatter, is connected to the welding is typically used with automated equipment.[14]
2.5 Shielding gas 3
Most applications of gas metal arc welding use a con- Main article: Shielding gas
stant voltage power supply. As a result, any change in Shielding gases are necessary for gas metal arc welding
arc length (which is directly related to voltage) results
in a large change in heat input and current. A shorter
arc length causes a much greater heat input, which makes
the wire electrode melt more quickly and thereby restore
the original arc length. This helps operators keep the arc
length consistent even when manually welding with hand-
held welding guns. To achieve a similar effect, sometimes
a constant current power source is used in combination
with an arc voltage-controlled wire feed unit. In this case,
a change in arc length makes the wire feed rate adjust to
maintain a relatively constant arc length. In rare circum-
stances, a constant current power source and a constant
wire feed rate unit might be coupled, especially for the
GMAW Circuit diagram. (1) Welding torch, (2) Workpiece,
welding of metals with high thermal conductivities, such (3) Power source, (4) Wire feed unit, (5) Electrode source, (6)
as aluminum. This grants the operator additional control Shielding gas supply.
over the heat input into the weld, but requires significant
skill to perform successfully.[15]
to protect the welding area from atmospheric gases such
Alternating current is rarely used with GMAW; instead, as nitrogen and oxygen, which can cause fusion defects,
direct current is employed and the electrode is gener- porosity, and weld metal embrittlement if they come in
ally positively charged. Since the anode tends to have a contact with the electrode, the arc, or the welding metal.
greater heat concentration, this results in faster melting of This problem is common to all arc welding processes; for
the feed wire, which increases weld penetration and weld- example, in the older Shielded-Metal Arc Welding pro-
ing speed. The polarity can be reversed only when special cess (SMAW), the electrode is coated with a solid flux
emissive-coated electrode wires are used, but since these which evolves a protective cloud of carbon dioxide when
are not popular, a negatively charged electrode is rarely melted by the arc. In GMAW, however, the electrode
employed.[16] wire does not have a flux coating, and a separate shield-
ing gas is employed to protect the weld. This eliminates
slag, the hard residue from the flux that builds up after
welding and must be chipped off to reveal the completed
2.4 Electrode weld.[21]
The choice of a shielding gas depends on several factors,
Electrode selection is based primarily on the composi-
tion of the metal being welded, the process variation be- most importantly the type of material being welded and
ing used, joint design and the material surface condi- the process variation being used. Pure inert gases such as
tions. Electrode selection greatly influences the mechan- argon and helium are only used for nonferrous welding;
ical properties of the weld and is a key factor of weld with steel they do not provide adequate weld penetration
quality. In general the finished weld metal should have (argon) or cause an erratic arc and encourage spatter (with
mechanical properties similar to those of the base ma- helium). Pure carbon dioxide, on the other hand, allows
terial with no defects such as discontinuities, entrained for deep penetration welds but encourages oxide forma-
contaminants or porosity within the weld. To achieve tion, which adversely affect the mechanical properties of
these goals a wide variety of electrodes exist. All com- the weld. lts low cost makes it an attractive choice, but
mercially available electrodes contain deoxidizing met- because of the reactivity of the arc plasma, spatter is un-
als such as silicon, manganese, titanium and aluminum in avoidable and welding thin materials is difficult. As a
small percentages to help prevent oxygen porosity. Some result, argon and carbon dioxide are frequently mixed in
contain denitriding metals such as titanium and zirconium a 75%/25% to 90%/10% mixture. Generally, in short
to avoid nitrogen porosity.[17] Depending on the process circuit GMAW, higher carbon dioxide content increases
variation and base material being welded the diameters the weld heat and energy when all other weld parameters
of the electrodes used in GMAW typically range from (volts, current, electrode type and diameter) are held the
0.7 to 2.4 mm (0.028 – 0.095 in) but can be as large as same. As the carbon dioxide content increases over 20%,
4 mm (0.16 in). The smallest electrodes, generally up spray transfer GMAW becomes increasingly problematic,
to 1.14 mm (0.045 in)[18] are associated with the short- especially with smaller electrode diameters.[22]
circuiting metal transfer process, while the most common Argon is also commonly mixed with other gases, oxy-
spray-transfer process mode electrodes are usually at least gen, helium, hydrogen and nitrogen. The addition of up
0.9 mm (0.035 in).[19][20] to 5% oxygen (like the higher concentrations of carbon
4 3 OPERATION
dioxide mentioned above) can be helpful in welding stain- Flux-cored, self-shielding or gasless wire-fed welding
less steel, however, in most applications carbon dioxide is had been developed for simplicity and portability.[24] This
preferred.[23] Increased oxygen makes the shielding gas avoids the gas system of conventional GMAW and uses
oxidize the electrode, which can lead to porosity in the a cored wire containing a solid flux. This flux vapor-
deposit if the electrode does not contain sufficient deoxi- ises during welding and produces a plume of shielding
dizers. Excessive oxygen, especially when used in appli- gas. Although described as a 'flux', this compound has
cation for which it is not prescribed, can lead to brittleness little activity and acts mostly as an inert shield. The wire
in the heat affected zone. Argon-helium mixtures are ex- is of slightly larger diameter than for a comparable gas-
tremely inert, and can be used on nonferrous materials. shielded weld, to allow room for the flux. The smallest
A helium concentration of 50–75% raises the required available is 0.8 mm diameter, compared to 0.6 mm for
voltage and increases the heat in the arc, due to helium’s solid wire. The shield vapor is slightly active, rather than
higher ionization temperature. Hydrogen is sometimes inert, so the process is always MAGS but not MIG (in-
added to argon in small concentrations (up to about 5%) ert gas shield). This limits the process to steel and not
for welding nickel and thick stainless steel workpieces. aluminium.
In higher concentrations (up to 25% hydrogen), it may
Vaporising the additional flux requires greater heat in the
be used for welding conductive materials such as copper. wire, so these gasless machines operate as DCEP, rather
However, it should not be used on steel, aluminum or than the DCEN usually used for GMAW to give deeper
magnesium because it can cause porosity and hydrogen penetration.[24] DCEP, or DC Electrode Positive, makes
embrittlement.[21] the welding wire into the positively-charged anode, which
Shielding gas mixtures of three or more gases are also is the hotter side of the arc.[25] Provided that it is switch-
available. Mixtures of argon, carbon dioxide and oxygen able from DCEN to DCEP, a gas-shielded wire-feed ma-
are marketed for welding steels. Other mixtures add a chine may also be used for flux-cored wire.
small amount of helium to argon-oxygen combinations, Flux-cored wire is considered to have some advantages
these mixtures are claimed to allow higher arc voltages for outdoor welding on-site, as the shielding gas plume
and welding speed. Helium also sometimes serves as the is less likely to be blown away in a wind than shield gas
base gas, with small amounts of argon and carbon dioxide from a conventional nozzle.[26][27] A slight drawback is
added. However, because it is less dense than air, helium that, like SMAW (stick) welding, there may be some flux
is less effective at shielding the weld than argon—which deposited over the weld bead, requiring more of a clean-
is denser than air. It also can lead to arc stability and ing process between passes.[26]
penetration issues, and increased spatter, due to its much
more energetic arc plasma. Helium is also substantially Flux-cored welding machines are most popular at the
more expensive than other shielding gases. Other spe- hobbyist level, as the machines are slightly simpler but
cialized and often proprietary gas mixtures claim even mainly because they avoid the cost of providing shield
greater benefits for specific applications.[21] gas, either through a rented cylinder or with the high cost
of disposable cylinders.[26]
The desirable rate of shielding-gas flow depends primar-
ily on weld geometry, speed, current, the type of gas, and
the metal transfer mode. Welding flat surfaces requires
higher flow than welding grooved materials, since gas dis- 2.6 GMAW-based 3-D printing
perses more quickly. Faster welding speeds, in general,
mean that more gas must be supplied to provide adequate GMAW has also been used a low-cost method to 3-D
[28][29][30]
coverage. Additionally, higher current requires greater print metal objects. Various open source 3-D
flow, and generally, more helium is required to provide printers have been developed to use GMAW. [31] Such
adequate coverage than if argon is used. Perhaps most components fabricated from aluminum compete with
importantly, the four primary variations of GMAW have more traditionally [32]
manufactured components on mechan-
differing shielding gas flow requirements—for the small ical strength. By forming a bad weld on the first layer,
weld pools of the short circuiting and pulsed spray modes, GMAW 3-D printed parts can be removed from the sub-
[33][34]
about 10 L/min (20 ft³/h) is generally suitable, whereas strate with a hammer.
for globular transfer, around 15 L/min (30 ft³/h) is pre-
ferred. The spray transfer variation normally requires
more shielding-gas flow because of its higher heat input 3 Operation
and thus larger weld pool. Typical gas-flow amounts are
approximately 20–25 L/min (40–50 ft³/h).[13]
For most of its applications gas metal arc welding is a
fairly simple welding process to learn requiring no more
2.5.1 Flux-cored wire-fed than a week or two to master basic welding technique.
Even when welding is performed by well-trained opera-
Main article: Flux-cored arc welding tors weld quality can fluctuate since it depends on a num-
ber of external factors. All GMAW is dangerous, though
3.3 Safety 5
4 Metal transfer modes freezing weld pool.[50] Like the globular variation, it can
only be used on ferrous metals.[20][51][52]
The three transfer modes in GMAW are globular, short-
circuiting, and spray. There are a few recognized vari-
ations of these three transfer modes including modified
short-circuiting and pulsed-spray.[45]
4.3 Spray
[3] Cary & Helzer 2005, pp. 8–9 [32] Amberlee S. Haselhuhn, Michael W. Buhr, Bas Wijnen,
Paul G. Sanders, Joshua M. Pearce, Structure-Property
[4] Jeffus 1997, p. 6 Relationships of Common Aluminum Weld Alloys Uti-
lized as Feedstock for GMAW-based 3-D Metal Printing.
[5] Kalpakjian & Schmid 2001, p. 783
Materials Science and Engineering: A, 673, pp. 511–523
[6] Davies 2003, p. 174 (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2016.07.099
[7] Jeffus 1997, p. 264 [33] Amberlee S. Haselhuhn, Bas Wijnen, Gerald C. Anza-
lone, Paul G. Sanders, Joshua M. Pearce, In Situ Forma-
[8] Davies 2003, p. 118 tion of Substrate Release Mechanisms for Gas Metal Arc
Weld Metal 3-D Printing. Journal of Materials Processing
[9] Davies 2003, p. 253 Technology. 226, pp. 50–59 (2015).
[10] Miller Electric 2012, p. 5 [34] Amberlee S. Haselhuhn, Eli J. Gooding, Alexandra
G. Glover, Gerald C. Anzalone, Bas Wijnen, Paul G.
[11] Nadzam 1997, pp. 5–6
Sanders, Joshua M. Pearce. Substrate Release Mecha-
[12] Nadzam 1997, p. 6 nisms for Gas Metal Arc 3-D Aluminum Metal Printing.
3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing. 1(4): 204-209
[13] Cary & Helzer 2005, pp. 123–5 (2014). DOI: 10.1089/3dp.2014.0015
[14] Todd, Allen & Alting 1994, pp. 351–355. [35] Cary & Helzer 2005, p. 126
[16] Cary & Helzer 2005, pp. 118–9 [37] Craig 1991, p. 52
[26] “How to weld with flux cored wire”. MIG Welding - The [49] Nadzam 1997, p. 8
DIY Guide.
[50] Craig 1991, p. 11
[27] “Gas Vs Gasless Mig Welding, what’s the difference”. [51] Cary & Helzer 2005, p. 98
Welder’s Warehouse. 4 October 2014.
[52] Weman 2003, pp. 49–50
[28] Loose screw? 3-D printer may soon forge you
a new one http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/ [53] Craig 1991, p. 82
loose-screw-3-d-printer-may-soon-forge-you-new-2D11678840
[54] Craig 1991, p. 90
[29] You Can Now 3D Print with Metal at [55] Craig 1991, p. 98
Home http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/
you-can-now-3d-print-with-metal-at-home [56] Cary & Helzer 2005, p. 96
[30] Gerald C. Anzalone, Chenlong Zhang, Bas Wijnen, Paul [57] Cary & Helzer 2005, p. 99
G. Sanders and Joshua M. Pearce, “Low-Cost Open- [58] Cary & Helzer 2005, p. 118
Source 3-D Metal Printing” IEEE Access, 1, pp.803-810,
(2013). doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2013.2293018 [59] American Welding Society 2004, p. 154
8 8 EXTERNAL LINKS
• Anders, A. (2003). “Tracking down the origin of • OSHA Safety and Health Topics- Welding, Cutting,
arc plasma science-II. early continuous discharges”. and Brazing
IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 31 (5):
• Fume formation rates in gas metal arc welding – re-
1060–9. doi:10.1109/TPS.2003.815477.
search article from the 1999 Welding Journal
• Cary, Howard B.; Helzer, Scott C. (2005). Modern
Welding Technology. Upper Saddle River, New Jer-
sey: Pearson Education. ISBN 0-13-113029-3.
• Craig, Ed (1991). Gas Metal Arc & Flux Cored
Welding Parameters. Chicago: Weldtrain. ISBN
978-0-9753621-0-5.
• Davies, Arthur Cyril (2003). The Science and Prac-
tice of Welding. Cambridge University Press. ISBN
0-521-43566-8.
• Jeffus, Larry F. (1997). Welding: Principles and Ap-
plications. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-08-2738-
240-4.
• Kalpakjian, Serope; Schmid, Steven R. (2001).
Manufacturing Engineering and Technology. Pren-
tice Hall. ISBN 0-201-36131-0.
• Lincoln Electric (1994). The Procedure Handbook
of Arc Welding. Cleveland: Lincoln Electric. ISBN
978-99949-25-82-7.
• Miller Electric Mfg Co (2012). Guidelines For Gas
Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) (PDF). Appleton, WI:
Miller Electric Mfg Co.
• Nadzam, Jeff, ed. (1997). Gas Metal Arc Welding
Guidelines (PDF). Lincoln Electric.
• Todd, Robert H.; Allen, Dell K.; Alting, Leo (1994).
Manufacturing processes reference guide. New York:
Industrial Press. ISBN 978-0-8311-3049-7.
• Weman, Klas (2003). Welding processes handbook.
New York: CRC Press LLC. ISBN 0-8493-1773-8.
7 Further reading
• Blunt, Jane; Balchin, Nigel C. (2002). Health and
Safety in Welding and Allied Processes. Cambridge,
UK: Woodhead. ISBN 1-85573-538-5.
• Hicks, John (1999). Welded Joint Design. Industrial
Press. ISBN 0-8311-3130-6.
• Minnick, William H. (2007). Gas Metal Arc Weld-
ing Handbook Textbook. Tinley Park: Goodheart–
Willcox. ISBN 978-1-59070-866-8.
• Trends in Welding Research. Materials Park, Ohio:
ASM International. 2003. ISBN 0-87170-780-2.
9
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