MIG / MAG WELDING PROCESS

Page no. 1
1a. Basic Information of Welding Process
What is Welding ?
Welding is a metal joining process by :

Heating to temperature high enough to cause softening or melting

With or without application of pressure

With or without use of filler metal

Melting point same as metals being joined or melting point below metals but
about 800
0
F
BASE METAL
WELD
SOLIDIFIED SLAG
ARC POOL
WELDING ATMOSPHERE
CORE WIRE
ELECTRODE COATING
ARC STREAM
PENETRATION DEPTH
Elements in Welding Process
MIG / MAG WELDING PROCESS
Page no. 2
Electrical Model of Welding Process
(+)
(-)
(+)
(-)
How Welding Takes Place ?
(+)
(-)
Electrode
Torch
Work Piece
Stage - I
Stage - II Stage - III
(+)
(-)
(+)
(-)
Stage I :- Electric Circuit remains open & no current flows though the circuit.
Stage II :- When the electrode strikes with work piece whether by operator or
some mechanical means (i.e. SPM / Robot) , electric circuit gets closed and
electrons flow from cathode to anode & Current flows from anode to cathode.
Electrical energy converts into power / heat energy using simple equation :-

Power / Heat = Current (I) x Voltage (V)
(+)
(-)
Stage - IV
Weld Pool Weldment
MIG / MAG WELDING PROCESS
Page no. 3
Stage IV :- When the welding is completed , Electrode is taken backwards
smoothly to terminate electric circuit.
Types of Polarity in DC
Reverse Polarity
i.e. Direct Current Electrode Positive
(DCEP)
Straight Polarity
i.e. Direct Current Electrode
Negative (DCEN)
Electrical Polarity : - Depending upon how the electrical circuit is completed
in welding & Types of output current , Welding Process is classified into following
Output Current
Alternating Current (AC)
- Polarity changes after half cycle
Direct Current (DC)
-Polarity remains constant through
out the welding
-Widely used across the industry
Stage III :- Once the electric circuit is established between cathode & anode,
electrode is taken slightly backwards to establish the arc which allows the formation
of weld puddle / pool of homogenous material of molten electrode/filler & molten
work piece. Weld puddle is transferred on work piece by short circuiting effect of
Current & surface tension effect of molten metal. Thus Welding continues.
Application :
1. GMAW
2. MIG / MAG Welding
Application :
1. TIG Welding
MIG / MAG WELDING PROCESS
Page no. 4
a) Current :- Electric current is the flow of electric charge i.e. electrons. It is
measured in Amperes (Amp). Electric current is displayed on welding Power Source
b) Voltage :- It is the potential difference between cathode & Anode which
Provides the electromotive force between cathode & anode for electrons to flow.
It is measured in Volt (V). Welding power source has display for Welding Voltage
Typical Welding Set up of Arc Welding
Typical Set up :-
1. Constant Voltage (CV)
Welding Power Source
2. Power Cord
3. Weld Cable to Wire Feeder
4. Ground Cable to Work Piece
5. Work Piece
6. Welding Gun
7. Constant Speed Wire Feeder
8. Electrode Wire
9. Gas hose
10. Shielding Gas Cylinder
1. Welding Power Source :- Function of Welding Power Source is to
establish welding circuit and provide electrical energy (i.e. Current
& Voltage)
2. Power Cord :- Cable used to connect anode & cathode.
3. Weld Cable to Wire Feeder :- Cable used to provide drive to feeder.
4. Ground Cable to Work piece :- -Ve / +Ve Cable used to provide
earthing to work piece.
MIG / MAG WELDING PROCESS
Page no. 5
6. Welding Gun :- Function of welding gun is to direct the welding electrode into
weld pool. It works as anode or cathode of welding circuit.
5. Work piece :- Welding is done on work piece.
Different weld joints used of work piece are described below:-
Diffuser
MIG / MAG WELDING PROCESS
Page no. 6
7. Constant speed wire feeder :- It provides drive to the welding electrode to
feed into weld pool at constant set speed.
8. Electrode Wire :- A metal or alloy in rod or wire forms used in electric arc
welding to maintain the arc and at the same time supply molten metal or alloy at
the point where the weld is to be accomplished.
As per American Welding Society (AWS), the welding electrodes are designated as
follows:-
E R X X X X
Solid / Cored
Strength
Chemical
Composition
E 70 S 6
Electrode Rod
Electrode
Tensile Strength
70,000 psi
Solid
wire
Chemical
Properties
as per No.6
Example :-
MIG / MAG WELDING PROCESS
Page no. 7
Type of Welding Electrodes
Flux Cored
Electrode
Solid
Electrode
Metal Cored
Electrode
9. Gas hose :-Tube through which the shielding gas flows at welding pool
10. Shielding Gas :-Shielding gas works as molten metal protection media
so that molten metal does not react with atmosphere.
During fusion welding, the molten metal in the weld puddle is susceptible to
oxidation. So it should be protected from atmosphere by use of :
Weld Fluxes (e.g. SiO2, TiO2, FeO, MgO, Al2O3)
Inert Gases (e.g. Ar, He, N & CO2)
Vacuum
Gas Supply System :
Pre-heater
Flow
meter