10 Introduction to Welding Processes
Heat input to the fusion zone depends on the voltage, arc current and travel speed
Heat input is mainly influenced by travel speed
With most welding processes, welding in the PA (flat or 1G) position results in highest productivity.
The rate of molten metal transfer to the weld pool is deposition rate which is directly related to the welding current
density ratio of the current to the diameter of the electrode Approx 35A per mm dia of electrode
For TIG welding, the higher the current, the more energy there is for fusion so the higher the rate at which filler wire
can be added to the weld pool.
Heat input
Arc energy is the amount of heat generated in the welding arc per unit length of the weld
Unit kilojoules per millimetre (kJ/mm)
Heat input calculation formula
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
Heat input is the energy supplied by the welding arc to the workpiece
Heat input = arc energy x thermal efficiency factor.
thermal efficiency factors:
SAW (wire electrode) (121) 1.0 high heat input & high productivity & gives deep and narrow weld profile
MMA (covered electrode) 111 0.8 average heat input
MIG (131)/MAG (135) 0.8 average heat input mag spray transfer high heat input
FCAW (136) 0.8 average heat input
TIG (141) 0.6 low high heat input & low productivity &low hydrogen process
Plasma 0.6 low high heat input
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
A weld is made using the MAG welding process and the following welding
conditions were recorded:
Volts: 24
Amps: 240
Travel speed or ROL : 300mm per minute
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
Welding position and the process have a major influence on the travel speed
that can be used.
For manual and semi-automatic welding the following are general principles;
Vertical-up PF progression tends to give the highest heat input because excessive weave get a suitable profile and the forward travel speed
is relatively low
Vertical-down PG welding tends to give the lowest heat input because of the
fast travel speed that can be used
Horizontal-vertical PB welding is a relatively low heat input welding position
because the welder cannot weave in this position
Overhead PE welding tends to give low heat input because of the need to use low current and relatively fast travel speed.
Welding in the flat position (downhand) PA can be a low or high heat input position because the welder has more flexibility about the travel
speed
Of the arc welding processes, SAW has the potential to give the highest heat
input and deposition rates
TIG and MIG/MAG can produce very low heat input
Typical heat input values for controlled heat input welding will tend to be
~1.0-~3.5kJ/mm
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
Arc voltage
Arc voltage is related to the arc length
Arc voltage is purpose of maintain the arc
voltage setting will affect the profile of the weld
As welding current is raised, the voltage also needs to be raised to spread the weld metal and produce a
wider and flatter deposit.
For MIG/MAG, arc voltage has a major influence on droplet transfer across the
arc.
Welding current
Welding current has a major influence on the depth of fusion/penetration
As a rule, the higher the current the greater the penetration depth
Penetration depth affects dilution of the weld deposit by the parent metal and it is particularly important to
control this when dissimilar metals are joined.
Polarity
Polarity determines whether most of the arc energy (heat) is concentrated at
the electrode surface or at the surface of the parent material
location of the heat with respect to polarity is not the same for all
processes and the effects/options/benefits
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
OCV:
To strike/initiate an arc, a relatively high voltage is required typically ~50-~90V
shoud not exceed above 100v for safety reasons
ocv measures out put terminal of the power source when no current flow through the welding circuit
Constant current power source: (drooping characteristic)
manual welding process (MMA 111>AM TIG 141)
welder sets the current on the power source arc voltage is controlled by arc length the welder uses
welder has to work fairly narrow range if arc length too long the arc will extinguish
if too short and the electrode may stub into the weld pool and the arc extinguish.
The welder tries to hold a fairly constant arc length B the current Y that has been set.
welder cannot keep the arc length constant and it will vary over a small working range (A-C) due to normal hand
movement during welding
During normal welding will give only small changes in current (X to Z).
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
Constant voltage power source; (flat characteristic)
MIG 131 /MAG 135, FCAW 136 and SAW 121
Wire feed speed directly related to current (current increases wire feed speed increase burn-off rate to
maintain the arc length/voltage )
A welder sets voltage B and current Y on the power source (due to a variation in weld profile or as the
welder’s hand moves up and down during semi-automatic welding)
if the arc length is decreased to C increase in welding current to Z. higher current Z gives a higher
burn-off rate which brings the arc length (and arc voltage) back to the pre-set value
Similarly, if the arc length increases the current quickly falls to X and the burnoff rate is reduced so
that the arc length is brought back to the pre-set level B
arc voltage does vary a little during welding the changes in Current so that the voltage can be considered
constant
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
• Pressure welding PLASTIC STAGE /SEMI SOLID fusion welding LIQUID STATE WELDING
• Forge welding. MMA /SMAW
• Friction welding. For dissimilar metal MIG/MAG (GMAW)
• Resistance Welding. TIG(GTAW)
SUB ARC SAW
ELECTRO SLAG (ESW)
LASER BEAM (LBW)
ELECTRON BEAM (EBW)
OXY - ACETYLENE
Mma above 3 mm all position all metals
Tig upto10mm particularly in high integrity application usually best for toughness & corrosion resistance
MIG/MAG/FCAW Typically ~ 3 to 30mm
SAW Typically ~15 to 150mm or above
10 Introduction to Welding Processes
Steels. All processes
Reactive metals TIG and MIG.(aluminium titanium).
Nickel-based alloys All processes for most alloys
Copper-based alloys Mainly TIG and MIG
MMA, TIG, MIG/MAG. All position mag spray transfer PA & PB only
SAW. Mainly flat PA but is used for girth seams on large diameter storage tanks.
MMA Drooping/constant current DC+ve, DC-ve, AC
TIG Drooping/constant current DC-ve, AC
MIG/MAG Flat/constant voltage DC+ve
MAG FCAW Flat/constant voltage DC+ve, DC-ve
Sub-arc SAW Drooping/constant current >1000amp Flat/constant voltage<1000amp DC+ve, DC-ve, AC
ER.SUBRAMANIAN B.E
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