TIG Welding Process

E.T.Masih

Development of TIG Welding

After the discovery of the electric arc in 1800 by
Humphry Davy, arc welding developed slowly.
C. L. Coffin had the idea of welding in an inert gas
atmosphere in 1890, but even in the early 1900s,
welding non-ferrous materials like aluminum and
magnesium remained difficult, because these metals
reacted rapidly with the air, resulting in porous and
dross-filled welds.
To solve the problem, bottled inert gases were used
in the beginning of the 1930s.

GTAW - Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

This process was perfected in 1941, and became
known as heliarc or tungsten inert gas welding.
In 1953, a new process based on GTAW was
developed, called Plasma Arc Welding.
It affords greater control and improves weld quality by
using a nozzle to focus the electric arc, but is largely
limited to automated systems.
Whereas GTAW remains primarily a manual, handheld method.

GTAW Welding Operation

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) is frequently
referred to as TIG welding.
TIG welding is a commonly used high quality welding
process.
TIG welding has become a popular choice of welding
processes when high quality, precision welding is
required.

In TIG Tungsten is used as electrode

In TIG welding an arc is
formed between a nonconsumable tungsten
electrode and the metal being
welded.
Gas is fed through the torch
to shield the electrode and
molten weld pool. If filler wire
is used, it is added to the
weld pool separately.

TIG Welding Benefits

Superior quality welds

Welds can be made with or without filler metal

Precise control of welding variables (heat)
Free of spatter
Low distortion

Shielding Gases
Argon
Argon + Hydrogen
Argon/Helium
Helium is generally added to increase heat input
(increase welding speed or weld penetration).
Hydrogen will result in cleaner looking welds and
also increase heat input, however, Hydrogen may
promote porosity or hydrogen cracking.

GTAW Welding Limitations

Requires greater welder

dexterity than MIG or stick
welding
Lower deposition rates
More costly for welding
thick sections

Weld Discontinuities
Undercutting
Tungsten inclusions
Porosity
Weld metal cracks
Heat affected zone cracks

TIG Welding Problems

Erratic arc
Excessive electrode
consumption
Oxidized weld deposit
Arc wandering
Porosity
Difficult arc starting

Welding Discontinuities
Some examples of welding discontinuities
are shown below.
Evaluation of the discontinuity will
determine if the discontinuity is a defect or
an acceptable condition:

Incomplete Fusion

Incomplete Fusion - A
weld discontinuity in
which fusion did not
occur between weld
metal and fusion faces
or adjoining weld
beads.

Undercut & Overlap

Undercut - A groove melted
into the base metal adjacent
to the weld toe or weld root
and left unfilled by weld
metal.
Overlap - The protrusion of
weld metal beyond the weld
toe or weld root.

Overlap & Incomplete Joint

Penetration
Under-fill - A condition in
which the weld face or root
surface extends below the
adjacent surface of the base
metal.
Incomplete Joint Penetration
- A joint root condition in a
groove weld in which weld
metal does not extend
through the joint thickness

Guide
Partial joint penetration groove welds are commonly
specified in lowly loaded structures.
However, incomplete joint penetration when a full
penetration joint is required, as depicted above,
would be cause for rejection.
A fix for an incomplete penetration joint would be to
back gouge and weld from the other side.
Another acceptable partial penetration joint is shown
below.

Partial Penetration Joint

Partial penetration joint
on the right without
discontinuities is an
acceptable condition
where appropriate.
Appropriate engineering
decisions need to be
applied to determine what
type of joint should be
specified for a given
application.

Weld Cracking

Above are several different representations of weld

Cracking

Convex Fillet

Above is a representation of a convex fillet weld

without discontinuities.

GTAW

TIG Welding Equipment

GTAW torch with various electrodes, cups, collets

and gas diffusers

GTAW Torch, Disassembled

GTAW Torch
GTAW Torch parts
1. Welding Torch
2. Tungsten Electrod
3. Welding Power Supply
4. Shielding Gas Source
GTAW welding torches are designed for either
automatic or manual operation and are equipped with
cooling systems using air or water.

Description of Torch
The automatic and manual torches are similar in construction, but
the manual torch has a handle while the automatic torch normally
comes with a mounting rack.
The angle between the centerline of the handle and the centerline
of the tungsten electrode, known as the head angle, can be varied
on some manual torches according to the preference of the
operator.
Air cooling systems are most often used for low-current
operations (up to about 200 A), while water cooling is required for
high-current welding (up to about 600 A).
The torches are connected with cables to the power supply and
with hoses to the shielding gas source and where used, the water
supply.
The internal metal parts of a torch are made of hard alloys of
copper or brass in order to transmit current and heat effectively.

Power supply
Gas tungsten arc welding
uses a constant current
power source, meaning
that the current (and thus
the heat) remains
relatively constant even if
the arc distance and
voltage change
This is important because most applications of GTAW
are manual or semiautomatic, requiring that an operator
hold the torch.

Examples of TIG Weld

Electrodes
The electrode used in GTAW is made of tungsten or a
tungsten alloy, because tungsten has the highest
melting temperature among pure metals, at 3,422 C
(6,192 F).
As a result, the electrode is not consumed during
welding, though some erosion (called burn-off) can
occur.
The diameter of the electrode can vary between
0.5 millimeter and 6.4 millimeters (0.020.25 in), and
their length can range from 75 to 610 millimeters (3
24 in).

Electrodes
A number of tungsten alloys have
been standardized by the
International Organization for Stand
ardization
and the American Welding Society
in ISO 6848 and AWS A5.12,
respectively, for use in GTAW
electrodes, and are summarized in
the adjacent table. Pure tungsten
electrodes (classified as WP or
EWP) are general purpose and low
cost electrodes.

ISO
Class

ISO
Color

WP

Green

WC20

Gray

WL10

Black

WL15

Gold

WL20

Sky-blue

WT10

Yellow

Safety
Like other arc welding processes, GTAW can be
dangerous if proper precautions are not taken.
The process produces intense ultraviolet radiation,
which can cause a form of sunburn and, in a few cases,
trigger the development of skin cancer.
Flying sparks and droplets of molten metal can cause
severe burns and start a fire if flammable material is
nearby, though GTAW generally produces very few
sparks or metal droplets when performed properly.

Safety
It is essential that the welder wear suitable protective
clothing, including leather gloves, a closed shirt collar
to protect the neck.
Suitable welding helmet to prevent retinal damage or
ultraviolet burns to the cornea, often called arc eye.
Due to the absence of smoke in GTAW, the arc appears
brighter than shielded metal arc welding and more
ultraviolet radiation is produced.
Transparent welding curtains, made of a polyvinyl
chloride plastic film, dyed in order to block UV
radiation, are often used to shield nearby personnel
from exposure.