GMAW

WELDING
What is
GMAW?
■ Uses solid welding wire that is fed
automatically at a constant speed
as an electrode
■ Known also as MIG
■ Arc is generated between wire
and base metal, resulting heat
from the arc melts the welding
wire and base metal to join the
parts
■ User ONLY provides gun
movement – wire fed
automatically at constant rate
GMAW

■ During welding, a shielding gas protects the weld from the

atmosphere and prevents oxidation of base metal
■ Shield gas used depends on base material being welded
■ MIG = Metal Inert Gas (old name)
– Old systems used only inert gases for shielding
– Today, many gases are used – some inert, nonreactive
under all conditions, other reactive and can combine
under some conditions
■ May see term MAG = Metal Active Gas
■ Standard term is GMAW = Gas Metal Arc Welding
GMAW Advantages
■ Easy to learn (mastering adjustment of the equipment may
take time, though)
■ Speed and quality – higher quality welds faster and more
consistently
■ Flexibility – same size filler metal and type of shielding gas can
be used to make welds on thin or thick simply by adjusting
welding current
■ Low distortion – faster welding speeds and low currents =
reduced heat damage
■ Weld pool control – small molten weld pool easily controlled;
gaps and misfits easier to fill
■ Out of position – easily used in all positions; small weld pool
and metal molten for very short time
■ Tack welding – welds easily started in correct spot because
wire not energize until gun trigger depressed
■ Efficient – some procedures have 98% efficiency
■ Can join ferrous and nonferrous metals – high-strength steel
(HSS), high-strength low-allow (HSLA), aluminum, stainless
steel, etc
Equipment

■ All set-ups are similar

GMAW Welders
■ Most are direct current machines; use
constant voltage
– Constant voltage – output voltage will
change very little with large changes in
current
– If arc voltage changes, arc current
automatically adjusts/self-corrects
■ Welding voltage effects the bead width,
spatter, undercutting potential, and
penetration
■ WFS = Wire Feed Speed
■ Most machines have three adjustments –
must be in balance to achieve a good weld
– Voltage
– Wire Feed Speed
– Shielding gas flow rate
GMAW Current

■ Most commonly DC+ (reverse) polarity

– Called DCEP
– Yields stable arc, smooth metal transfer,
relatively low spatter, good weld bead
characteristics, and deep penetration for a
wide range of welding currents
– DCEN: molten droplet size tends to INCREASE
and droplet transfer is irregular, resulting in
large grain spatter
■ Work Piece Lead
– Electrical conductor located between power
source and work piece
– Usually DC-
Wire Feeder and Drive
Rolls
■ Continually draws electrode wire from spool and
through the cable assembly and gun at a constant
rate of speed
– Rate of wire feed necessary to assure a smooth,
even arc; adjusted for different welding currents
■ Wire speed varies with: metal thickness, type of
metal, type of joint, and position of weld
■ Drive rolls are what run the wire through the cable and
out the gun from the spool
– Location dictates if they are push or pull type
– Push type is most common
– Pull type are usually located close to the gun;
common in spool guns
 FEED
ROLLERS
V-knurled (used with gas- and
self-shielded flux-cored and
metal-cored wires); V-groove
(normally, solid wires); U-groove
(aluminum wires or other very
soft materials); U-cogged (used
for very large diameter, very soft
cored wires)
Wire Tension

■ Correct tension on wire feed drive rollers is very

important
– Too little = slippage, which causes wire to
be fed into the puddle at uneven rate
■ Results in poor-quality weld
■ “Bird’s nest”
– Too much tension = deformation of wire
■ Altered shape can make it difficult to thread
electrode through the conduit and contact
tip of the gun
Wire Feed Problems

■ Blockage or burnback – shut off gun IMMEDIATELY

to prevent entanglement
– Burnback – occurs when electrode wire fuses
to contact tip
■ Wire feeders have different sized drive rolls
– Specific sizes directly correlate to different
sizes and types of water; PAY ATTENTION
GMAW Gun

■ Electrode holder referred to as the

“gun”
– Has trigger for activating
welding
– Gas nozzle for directing flow
of shielding gas
– Contact tip
GMAW GUN
COMPONENTS
Nozzle

■ Direct shielding gas over puddle during

welding
– Too large or too small – may result in
air from atmosphere reaching puddle
and contaminating weld
■ Made of copper alloy to help remove heat
from welding zone
– When welding outside – weld zone
subjected to drafts and wind currents
■ Flow of shielding gas needs to be
strong so drafts do not blow
shielding gas away from weld zone
■ Removal of shielding gas will
result in contaminated, weakened
welds
Contact Tip
■ Helps guide the wire electrode into puddle and transmit weld current to
electrode wire
– Electrode wire actually touches contact tip as it is fed through the
gun
– During contact, weld current transmitted to electrode
■ Tip MUST match the wire diameter being used
Shielding Gas

■ Displaces atmospheric air with a cover of

protective gas
■ Inert and non-inert gases used for shielding
– Inert gas = one whose atoms are very
stable and will NOT react easily with atoms
of other elements
Shielding Gas
■ Gases used:
– Argon
■ Low ionization potential, creates very stable arc
■ Quite and smooth arc with very little splatter
■ Used with sheet metal and thin metal
■ Pure argon used on aluminum, copper, magnesium, and nickel (not recommended on
carbon steels)
– Helium
■ Conducts heat very well and preferred when welding thick metal
■ Good for welding metals that conduct heat (aluminum, copper, and magnesium)
■ Requires higher arc voltage
■ Welds are wider, have less penetration, and more spatter
■ Often used with flux-cored welding wire
Shielding Gas

■ Gases used:
– Carbon dioxide
■ Most common – give good bead penetration, wide beads, no undercutting, and
good bead contour; costs less than argon and helium
■ Welds well on low and medium carbon steels
■ Arc is unstable, causing more spatter
■ Tendency to disassociate – at high temperatures in the arc zone, will partially break
up into oxygen and carbon monoxide  good ventilation essential
Shielding Gas Mixtures

■ Argon/Oxygen
– Used on stainless steel
– Oxygen stabilizes arc, eliminates much of weld
splatter
■ Argon/Helium
– Used on thick non-ferrous metals
– Same arc stability as pure argon with little
spatter
– Produces deep penetrating bead
Shielding Gas Mixtures

■ Argon/Carbon dioxide
– Used mainly for carbon steels, low alloy steels, and some stainless steel
– Stabilizes arc, reduces spatter, eliminates undercutting, and improves metal
transfer straight through arc
– Common blend is 75-95% Argon to 5-25% Carbon dioxide
– Most common is 75% Argon to 25% Carbon dioxide
Gas Cylinder and
Gauges
■ Tank supplying the shielding gas will have a
gauge and a gas flowmeter
■ Volume of gas directed over weld zone is
regulated by flowmeter
■ Read in cubic feet per hour (CFH)
Electrode Wire

■ Selection of correct wire is important; success depends on

correct selection
■ Consider:
– Type of metal to be welded and choose filler wire to
match base metal
– Consider the joint design
■ Thicker metals and complicated joint designs
usually require filler wires that provide high
ductility
■ Ductility - ability to be fashioned into a new form
without breaking
– Examine surface condition – rusty or scaly, will effect
type of wire selected
– NOT effective on rusty or painted surfaces
Electrode Wire Classification

■ Classified by American Welding Society (AWS)

■ Example: ER70S-6
■ Carbon steel wire – “E” = electrode; “R” = rod
■ First two digits relate to tensile strength in
1,000 lbs. psi
■ “S” = solid bare wire
■ Any remaining number and symbols =
chemical composition variation of electrodes
Metal Transfer Patterns

■ Metal from wire electrode is transferred across

the arc plasma to the puddle by globular, short
arc, or spray transfer patterns
■ Type of transfer used for any given weld
depends upon the arc voltage, current, kind of
shielding gas used, and diameter of the wire
electrode
Transfer Patterns

■ Globular Transfer Patterns: large droplets; occurs

at low wire feed rates, low current, and low arc
voltage settings
– Molten globules are 2-3 times larger than
the diameter of the electrode; surface
tension holds the globules on the end of the
wire electrode; drop off once they become
too heavy; do NOT move across the arc in an
even pattern
– Have poor penetration and excessive
spatter
– Used little in GMAW
Transfer Patterns
■ Short Arc Transfer: series of periodic short circuits that
occur as molten tip of advancing wire electrode contacts
workpiece and momentarily extinguishes the arc
– Droplet forms on the end of the electrode and
begins to sag while arc ignited; droplet sags
further and touches molten puddle; when the
droplet touches the puddle, the arc is short-
circuited and extinguished
– Droplet continues to melt and break off end of
wire electrode; at that instant, the arc reignites
and a new droplet begins forming
– New droplet formation and arc shorting may occur
20-200 times per second
– Also called short circuiting transfer and dip
transfer
– Good for welding in horizontal, vertical, and
overhead positions where puddle control is
usually hard to maintain
– Short arc is most feasible at current levels BELOW
200 amps and white small-diameter electrode
wire
Transfer Patterns

■ Spray Arc Transfer: spray of very fine

droplets
– High-heat method of welding with
rapid deposition of metal
– Used for welding all common metals
from 3/32” to over 1” thickness
– Occurs only with argon or argon-
oxygen mixture of shielding gas
Travel and Work Angle
■ Travel speeds vary with size of electrode wire,
current density, metal thickness, weld position,
and kind of metal
■ Tip-to-work distance can affect weld penetration
and weld shape (stickout)
– Short stickout (3/8” or less) – desirable on
small wire, low-amperage applications
■ Holding gun at correct angle is very important –
controls shielding gas distribution, puddle
control, and bead formation
■ Travel angle – 10-20 degrees
■ Work angle – perpendicular to line of travel and
varies considerable depending on type of weld
being made and welding position
– In flat position surfacing weld – 15-25
degrees
Holding the Gun

■ 3 different ways:
– Perpendicular to base metal
– Leaning in direction of travel (called
backhand or pull position)
– Leaning opposite direction of travel (called
forehand or push position)
 LET’S GO
CHECK OUT
A MACHINE!