Microelectronics Clean Room

Electrical and Computer

Engineering
Orbital Tube Welder

by Clayton Gatewood

Overview
General Information
Safety
Set-up
Tube Preparation: facing, cleaning
Operation
Weld Schedules
Weld Evaluation

by Clayton Gatewood

Orbital Tube Welding

Gas Tungsten Arc

Welding (GTAW)
process
Fusion Welding
Model 8 Weld
Head
Model 207A Power
Supply
Argon Gas
Cylinder
Facing Tool
ARC Machines,

by Clayton Gatewood

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)

Process
Used to weld tubing that remains inplace while the tungsten electrode
rotates around the target joint.
Material edges are heated by an arc
and are fused together without a filler.

by Clayton Gatewood

Safety

Electricity Hazard: Shock, RF

Starting, Pacemaker, Electric
Storage Devices
Fire Hazard: Clothing, Sealed
Containers, Welded Material Hot to
Touch
Harmful UV Radiation (eyes and
skin)
Toxic Fumes from Welding
Stainless Steel, Hexavalent
Chromium (lung cancer)
Air Displacement by Argon Gas
Factory Training Essential
Keep Hands and Fingers Clear
Compressed Gas Cylinders
Cleaning Chemicals
by Clayton Gatewood

Set-Up
Ensure Power is Off
Connections: Weld
Head, Argon Gas,
main power cord
Apply Argon ( turn)
@ 20 psi

by Clayton Gatewood

Tube Preparation

Facing

by Clayton Gatewood

Welding Cleanliness
Materials to be welded must be free of
grease, oil, rust, dirt, paint and other
contaminants.
Dirty materials can result in porosity,
discoloration, slag deposits, and
generally poor quality welds.

by Clayton Gatewood

Operation

Align target joint with

tungsten electrode
Connect Argon Purge Line
and set for 5 psi (for OD
tubing)
Select Weld Schedule
Ensure Power Supply is
Ready to Weld
Press Seq Start
Prepurge, Weld,
Downslope,
Postpurge

by Clayton Gatewood

Weld Schedule Development

An orbital tube
weld may be done
in 4 or more levels.
It must include
enough time for tiein before the
downslope.

by Clayton Gatewood

Weld Schedules

Pre / Post Purge

Time
Up / Downslope
Rotation Direction
Rotation Delay
Pulse Mode
Rotation Mode
RPM (Rotor Travel
Speed)
Level Times
Level Amps
Background Amps
Pulse Times
by Clayton Gatewood

Power Supply Sequence

by Clayton Gatewood

Sample Weld Schedules

by Clayton Gatewood

Weld Evaluation

60 to 80% overlap
on outer diameter
Poor rotation delay
Borescope to
inspect inner
diameter
Full penetration
No cracks,
undercut,
crevices, pits, or
embedded or
protruding material
by Clayton Gatewood

Weld Profiles

by Clayton Gatewood

Weld Defects
Weld Problem

Probable cause(s)

Lack of
penetration to I.D.

1) Insufficient amperage
2) Tungsten offset
3) Change of heat number
4) Sulfur mismatch
5) Variable wall thickness
1) Too much amperage
2) Gravity (heavy wall)
3) Very low sulfur
1) Excessive ID purge pressure

OD Concavity

ID Concavity
Discoloration of ID
(oxidation)

Misalignment

Porosity
Excessive slagging

1) Excessive oxygen and/or moisture in ID

purge gas
2) Moisture and/or oxygen in or on tubing
3) Chemical residue from EP
4) Leak in purging set up
5) Pinched gas hose
1) Dimensional tolerances - out of round
2) Wall thickness mismatch
3) Worn out TCIs
4) Poor workmanship
1) Moisture in purge gas
2) Moisture or dirt on weld components
1) impurities in base material especially
oxides of aluminum, calcium, silicon
by Clayton Gatewood

Argon Purge and Oxygen

Left to Right = effect of increasing

levels of oxygen in the argon purge

by Clayton Gatewood

Possibilities

by Clayton Gatewood

Works Cited
"MODEL 207 Operator Training Guidelines." Arc
Machines, Inc.CD-ROM.Pacoima, CA: Arc
Machines, Inc., 2007.
Model 207 Microprocessor-Controlled Power
Supply.1 Nov. 1996. Arc Machines, Inc.. 16
Oct.
2007.<http://www.arcmachines.com/prodMed/
m207ps/m207ps.html>.

by Clayton Gatewood