UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIA FRANCE INSTITUTE

Solid wire MIG welding

Metal inert gas (MIG welding was !irst "atented in t#e USA in $%&% !or welding al'(ini'() T#e ar* and weld "ool !or(ed 'sing a +are wire ele*trode was "rote*ted +, #eli'( gas- readil, a.aila+le at t#at ti(e) Fro( a+o't $%/0 t#e "ro*ess +e*a(e "o"'lar in t#e UK !or welding al'(ini'( 'sing argon as t#e s#ielding gas- and !or *ar+on steels 'sing C1 ) C1 and argon2C1 (i3t'res are 4nown as (etal a*ti.e gas (MAG "ro*esses) MIG is an attra*ti.e alternati.e to MMA- o!!ering #ig# de"osition rates and #ig# "rod'*ti.it,) Pro*ess *#ara*teristi*s MIG is si(ilar to MMA in t#at #eat !or welding is "rod'*ed +, !or(ing an ar* +etween a (etal ele*trode and t#e wor4"ie*e5 t#e ele*trode (elts to !or( t#e weld +ead) T#e (ain di!!eren*es are t#at t#e (etal ele*trode is a s(all dia(eter wire !ed !ro( a s"ool and an e3ternall, s'""lied s#ielding gas is ne*essar,) As t#e wire is *ontin'o'sl, !ed- t#e "ro*ess is o!ten re!erred to as se(i2a'to(ati* welding)
0 0 0

Metal trans!er (ode

T#e (anner- or (ode- in w#i*# t#e (etal trans!ers !ro( t#e ele*trode to t#e weld "ool largel, deter(ines t#e o"erating !eat'res o! t#e "ro*ess) T#ere are t#ree "rin*i"al (etal trans!er (odes6

S#ort *ir*'iting 7ro"let 8 s"ra, P'lsed

FABRICATION AND JOINING

UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIA FRANCE INSTITUTE

S#ort2*ir*'iting and "'lsed (etal trans!er are 'sed !or low *'rrent o"eration w#ile s"ra, (etal trans!er is onl, 'sed wit# #ig# welding *'rrents) In s#ort2 *ir*'iting or9di"9 trans!er- t#e (olten (etal !or(ing on t#e ti" o! t#e wire is trans!erred +, t#e wire di""ing into t#e weld "ool) T#is is a*#ie.ed +, setting a low .oltage5 !or a $)0(( dia(eter wire- ar* .oltage .aries !ro( a+o't $:V ($;;A to 00V (0;;A ) Care in setting t#e .oltage and t#e ind'*tan*e in relation to t#e wire !eed s"eed is essential to (ini(ise s"atter) Ind'*tan*e is 'sed to *ontrol t#e s'rge in *'rrent w#i*# o**'rs w#en t#e wire di"s into t#e weld "ool) For droplet or spray transfer, a much hi her !olta e is necessary to ensure that the "ire does not ma#e contact i$e$short%circuit, "ith the "eld pool& for a '$(mm diameter "ire, the arc !olta e !aries from appro)imately (*+ ,(-.A/ to 0-+ ,1..A/$ The molten metal at the tip of the "ire transfers to the "eld pool in the form of a spray of small droplets ,a2out the diameter of the "ire and smaller/$ 3o"e!er, there is a minimum current le!el, threshold, 2elo" "hich droplets are not forci2ly pro4ected across the arc$ If an open arc techni5ue is attempted much 2elo" the threshold current le!el, the lo" arc forces "ould 2e insufficient to pre!ent lar e droplets formin at the tip of the "ire$ These droplets "ould transfer erratically across the arc under normal ra!itational forces$ The pulsed mode "as de!eloped as a means of sta2ilisin the open arc at lo" current le!els i$e$ 2elo" the threshold le!el, to a!oid short%circuitin and spatter$ 6etal transfer is achie!ed 2y applyin pulses of current, each pulse ha!in sufficient force to detach a droplet$ 7yner ic pulsed 6IG refers to a special type of controller "hich ena2les the po"er source to 2e tuned ,pulse parameters/ for the "ire composition and diameter, and the pulse fre5uency to 2e set accordin to the "ire feed speed$ S#ielding gas In addition to general s#ielding o! t#e ar* and t#e weld "ool- t#e s#ielding gas "er!or(s a n'(+er o! i("ortant !'n*tions6

!or(s t#e ar* "las(a sta+ilises t#e ar* roots on t#e (aterial s'r!a*e ens'res s(oot# trans!er o! (olten dro"lets !ro( t#e wire to t#e weld "ool

FABRICATION AND JOINING

UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIA FRANCE INSTITUTE

Thus, the shieldin as "ill ha!e a su2stantial effect on the sta2ility of the arc and metal transfer and the 2eha!iour of the "eld pool, in particular, its penetration$ General purpose shieldin ases for 6IG "eldin are mi)tures of ar on, o)y en and CO , and special as mi)tures may contain helium$ The ases "hich are normally used for the !arious materials are8
(

steels
o o o

C1

argon <0 to /= o3,gen argon </ to 0/= C1

0

non2!erro's
o o

argon argon 8 #eli'(

0

Argon +ased gases- *o("ared wit# C1 - are generall, (ore tolerant to "ara(eter settings and generate lower s"atter le.els wit# t#e di" trans!er (ode) >owe.er- t#ere is a greater ris4 o! la*4 o! !'sion de!e*ts +e*a'se t#ese gases are *older) As C1 *annot +e 'sed in t#e o"en ar* ("'lsed or s"ra, trans!er (odes d'e to #ig# +a*42"las(a !or*es- argon +ased gases *ontaining o3,gen or C1 are nor(all, e("lo,ed) A""li*ations MIG is widel, 'sed in (ost ind'str, se*tors and a**o'nts !or (ore t#an /;= o! all weld (etal de"osited) Co("ared to MMA- MIG #as t#e ad.antage in ter(s o! !le3i+ilit,- de"osition rates and s'ita+ilit, !or (e*#anisation) >owe.er- it s#o'ld +e noted t#at w#ile MIG is ideal !or 9s?'irting9 (etal- a #ig# degree o! (ani"'lati.e s4ill is de(anded o! t#e welder)
0 0

FABRICATION AND JOINING