Welding Journal - April 2012 - (Page 28)
Unlocking Your Gas Metal Arc Welding Potential
Improving performance may be as easy as utilizing the full capabilities of inverter power supplies you may already own
BY PAUL A. BLOMQUIST AND KEN JOHNSON
Based on a paper presented at the What’s New in Power Sources Conference held during FABTECH, November 16, 2011, Chicago, Ill.
(pblomquist@appliedthermalsci ences.com) is principal technologist, laser applications, Applied Thermal Sciences, Inc., Sanford, Maine. KEN JOHNSON is QA-weld engineer, Vigor Shipyards, Seattle, Wash.
P
resently, there are several methods either available or under development that promise a range of increased speed and penetration for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) operations. The most productive of these, hybrid laser arc welding (HLAW), provides a 10× increase in weld speed; however, it comes with a vastly high equipment cost, often greater than 100×, and requires specialized equipment. When HLAW is justified, it’s a clear winner, but there needs to be something out there for the rest of us. Is there an opportunity to achieve higher weld speeds and lower heat inputs, thus reducing cost and distortion? To answer that question, a project funded by the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) was performed aimed at increasing the productivity and throughput of mechanized GMA welding by providing low-cost modifications to existing equipment/parameters. The project team examined easily implemented parameter sets for inverter power supplies that demonstrated excellent penetration at double the speed of typical gas metal arc welding. The equipment and parameters investigated were capable of operating on panel lines, in other mechanized or robotic welding areas, and in pipe shops.
Review of Technologies
In this project, mainstream technologies and/or a combination of technologies were reviewed. Many of these are already installed at fabricators, and can achieve the goal of doubling weld speed while giving excellent penetration. Recent tests at Vigor Shipyards, Applied Thermal Sciences (ATS), Miller, Fronius, and Thermadyne have shown this is possible. The work, along with information from other major equipment manufacturers, has established that an installed base of equipment can be operated at parameters that will increase productivity. Four technologies were initially reviewed: hybrid laser welding (Ref. 1), hybrid plasma GMAW (Ref. 2), GMAW modified with a unique double-electrode configuration (Ref. 3), and a twin-electrode system from Fronius (Ref. 4). All of these had potential for increasing welding speed and/or penetration. However, during this review, some international literature was found that disclosed potential for the kind of improvements sought but using simpler single-unit, single electrode GMAW procedures and inverter power sources (Ref. 5).
Project Team
The project team consisted of Applied Thermal Sciences, Sanford, Maine, as lead; Vigor Shipyards, Seattle, Wash.; Huntington-Ingalls Industries, Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII-IS), Pascagoula, Miss.; and Huntington-Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS), Newport News, Va. Several major welding equipment manufacturers provided on-site testing and/or information and guidance for the project.
Volts
Fig. 1 — Diagram of proposed short-spray region (Ref. 5). 28 APRIL 2012
Current (A)
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Welding Journal - April 2012
April 2012 - TOC Listing
Unlocking Your Gas Metal Arc Welding Potential - A study sponsored by the National Shipbuilding Research
Program investigated low-cost modifications to equipment or parameters that improved welding performance - P. A. Blomquist
Community College Welding Program Update - Many community colleges around the country are equipping
future workers with the skills manufacturers need
D. Postlethwaite
Modern Power Source Technology Drives Process Improvement - New technology in weld monitoring is making it easier to access the data by all the appropriate personnel and understand how it should be applied to benefit weld quality - T. McEllis
Building a Welding Career from the Ground Up - A thirty-two-year career welder shares her passion for the
profession with others in hopes of inspiring them to expand their skills and knowledge
How Today’s Power Sources Aid Pulsed GMAW - The advanced welding machines of today can deliver power
to the arc in almost any form and can react with split-second timing to avoid adverse arc phenomena - L. Barley
Fiber Lasers Perform Precision Cutting for Medical Devices - There are many methods to cut thin tubular structures often used in medical devices, but fiber lasers are emerging as the
precision machines of choice
Arc Characteristics in Pulsed-GMA Welding with Acute - Groove Angles The characteristics of a joint tracking sensor were monitored under conditions of different groove angles and root openings - R-H. Kim et al.
Design of Experiment and Goal Programming Application for the GMAW Process - This study was conducted to determine critical gas metal arc welding variables and ways to optimize them - Y. T. Iç et al.
Predictive and Measurement Methods for Delta Ferrite Determination in Stainless Steels - The advantages and limitations of predictive measurement methods for δ ferrite are outlined - M. A. Valiente Bermejo
Susceptibility of IN740 to HAZ Liquation Cracking and Ductility-Dip Cracking - Conditions that lead to cracking susceptibility of nickel-based IN740 were simulated to determine an action for its prevention - J. E. Ramirez
Editorial
Washington Watchword
Press Time News
News of the Industry
Aluminum Q&A
Brazing Q&A
Product & Print Spotlight
Coming Events
Certification Schedule
Welding Workbook
Society News
Interpretations D1.1
Guide to AWS Services
Personnel
Welding School Profiles
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
Welding Journal - April 2012
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