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Home (/) / Article (/?filter=article) / Arc Welding (/?filter=article&category=arcwelding) / Weld process advancements
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
BY: DAVE ALMY (/AUTHOR/DAVE-ALMY), ED CRUM (/AUTHOR/ED-CRUM)
Welding process technology continually evolves. Here’s a look at some advanced processes that might make a significant difference
in your operation.
(http://image.thefabricator.com/a/weld-process-advancements-0.jpg?size=1000x1000)
Many companies today are turning to advanced welding processes to help increase plant capacity — often with less labor — and expand their capabilities.
As the manufacturing and fabrication industries evolve, so must welding equipment. Power source manufacturers have responded with advanced welding processes.
Besides addressing the needs of welding newer materials, such as thin-gauge, advanced and high-strength alloys, and coated materials, these processes can help
companies stay competitive as they work to improve productivity and quality.
In fact, many companies today are turning to advanced welding processes to help increase plant capacity, often with less labor, and to expand their capabilities. This
means they now can weld multiple part designs and use materials they may not be as familiar with. The benefits of an advanced welding arc can help smooth the
transition, ultimately allowing companies to enter into new markets and grow their business.
Companies may feel advanced welding processes aren’t needed yet, or they don’t align with the number or kind of parts being welded. In other cases, welding operators
or supervisors might be concerned about learning new techniques, as some advanced processes require training.
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While these concerns must be carefully considered and addressed, the truth is that embracing advanced processes at the right time, for the right applications, can result
in measurable benefits that justify the necessary training, potential changes to filler metals, or other adjustments.
Because advanced welding processes introduce less heat into the workpiece, they help operators minimize distortion issues and spatter and reduce porosity. This leads
to less rework and improved cycle times.
The result? A company can get more parts out the door without expanding its plants or investing in new facilities.
Advanced pulse arcs compensate for a lack of experience or consistency because they bridge the gap between varying travel speeds and contact-to-work distances,
which makes it easier to consistently produce a high-quality weld without additional hand manipulation.
(http://image.thefabricator.com/a/weld-process-advancements-1.JPG?size=1000x1000)
Companies with advanced-class material and/or high-end manufacturing applications are most likely to embrace advancements in weld processes, as these can have a considerable
impact on quality, consistency, and productivity in both cases.
With the average age of today’s welder at 55, these benefits may prove invaluable as companies struggle to find skilled welders to rebuild the exiting workforce.
GMAW-P uses a modified spray transfer process in which the power source switches between a high peak current and a low background current between 30 and 400
times per second. During this switch, the peak current pinches off a droplet of wire and propels it to the weld joint, while the background current maintains the arc using
a low heat input that prevents metal transfer from occurring.
This process is different from a standard spray transfer method, which continuously transfers tiny droplets of molten metal into the weld joint. GMAW-P also allows the
weld puddle to freeze slightly to help prevent burn-through.
Faster wire feed and travel speeds. Both increase productivity while simultaneously reducing heat input and decreasing residual stress on the base material,
thereby lowering the opportunity for distortion.
Good directional control over the weld puddle, which makes it easier for new welding operators to create quality welds. It also gives operators more control over
the bead profile, along with improved arc starting and stopping.
Good gap bridging in the weld joint and good cleaning action to remove the oxide layer on the surface of aluminum.
Most standard GMAW-P processes adapt to welding operator changes by varying the pulses per second, which is actually audible. But advanced GMAW-P is smoother
and more forgiving in general. As a result, one of the most noticeable differences between standard GMAW-P and advanced GMAW-P is that the welding operator no
longer hears the change in the arc with the latter.
Besides providing the same benefits as a GMAW-P process — lower heat input and better arc control — advanced GMAW-P also offers a wider operating window. This
allows welding operators to weld at varying welding parameters without sacrificing the weld profile, quality, and mechanical properties of a completed weld. Operators
can vary both stickout and travel speeds without negatively affecting the weld quality.
Advanced GMAW-P also provides shorter arc lengths for faster travel speeds.
Some welding equipment manufacturers are continuing to push advancements in arc performance and stability to even higher levels, and they are starting to provide
niche markets with equipment that improves their welding operations. As a result, the next generation of advanced GMAW-P processes delivers exceptionally fast travel
speeds and can be integrated into machines with multiconfigurations that are used in welding automation.
They offer low heat input and low spatter, and they can be beneficial when welding specialty joints; structural tube; and very thin materials, such as 12-gauge, a thickness
commonly used in the automotive and transportation industries.
When being used in semiautomatic mode, these processes are so fast that they often require additional training.
Researching the right choice and consulting a trusted welding distributor or equipment manufacturer can help ensure an educated decision — one that will deliver short-
and long-range results and drive efficiencies and profitability.
Dave Almy
www.millerwelds.com (http://www.millerwelds.com)
Ed Crum
Segment Market Manager, Advanced Manufacturing,
Miller Electric Mfg. Co.
1635 W. Spencer St.
Appleton, WI 54912
Phone: 800-426-4553
www.millerwelds.com (http://www.millerwelds.com)
Related Companies
Miller Electric Mfg. Co. (http://directory.thefabricator.com/directory/showroom/miller-electric-mfg-co)
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