Optimizing the Pulsed Current Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Parameters

The selection of process parameter in the gas tungsten arc （GTA） welding of titanium alloy was presented for obtaining optimum grain size and hardness. Titanium alloy （Ti-6Al-4V） is one of the most important non-ferrous metals which offers great potential application in aerospace, biomedical and chemical industries, because of its low density （4.5 g/cm^3）, excellent corrosion resistance, high strength, attractive fracture behaviour and high melting point （1678℃）. The preferred welding process for titanium alloy is frequent GTA welding due to its comparatively easier applicability and better economy. In the case of single pass （GTA） welding of thinner section of this alloy, the pulsed current has been found beneficial due to its advantages over the conventional continuous current process. Many considerations come into the picture and one needs to carefully balance various pulse current parameters to reach an optimum combination. Four factors, five level, central composite, rotatable design matrix were used to optimize the required number of experimental conditions. Mathematical models were developed to predict the fusion zone grain size using analysis of variance （ANOVA） and regression analysis. The developed models were optimized using the traditional Hooke and Jeeve＇s algorithm. Experimental results were provided to illustrate the proposed approach.

Realizing precision pulse TIG welding with arc length control and visual image sensing based weld detection

Methods of arc length control and visual image based weld detection for precision pulse TIG welding were investigated. With a particular all hardware circuit, arc voltage during peak current stage is sampled and integrated to indicate arc length, deviation of arc length and adjusting parameters are calculated and output to drive a step motor directly. According to the features of welding image grabbed with CCD camera, a special algorithm was developed to detect the central line of weld fast and accurately. Then an application system were established, whose static arc length error is ±0.1 mm with 20 A average current and 1 mm given arc length, static detection precision of weld is 0.01 mm , processing time of each image is less than 120 ms . Precision pulse TIG welding of some given thin stainless steel components with complicated curved surface was successfully realized.

Numerical analysis for weld pool of pulsed TIG welding

A two-dimensional axisymmetric mathematical model of weld pool of pulsed TIG welding was established. Numerical simulation for weld pool of pulsed TIG welding was done using FLUENT software by selecting the appropriate boundary conditions and strongly coupled control equations. The distributions of temperature field and flow field of weld pool under the periodic change of welding current were obtained. According to the maximum temperature of upper and lower surface of workpiece and depth and width of weld pool, the distributions of temperature field and flow field under different pulsed frequencies and current duty cycles were obtained and periodic variation was analyzed under pulsed current. The analysis results show that with the increase of pulsed frequency, weld pool width increases slightly while depth decreases slightly, and with the increase of current duty cycle, the width and depth of weld pool both increase significantly, and the depth increases greatly.

Research of precise pulse plasma arc powder welding technology of thin-walled inner hole parts

The inner hole parts played an oriented or supporting role in engineering machinery and equipment,which are prone to appear surface damages such as wear,strain and corrosion. The precise pulse plasma arc powder welding method is used for surface damage repairing of inner hole parts in this paper. The working principle and process of the technology are illustrated,and the microstructure and property of repairing layer by precise pulse plasma powder welding and CO2 gas shielded welding are tested and observed by microscope,micro hardness tester and X-ray residual stress tester etc. Results showed that the substrate deformation of thin-walled inner hole parts samples by precise pulse plasma powder welding is relatively small. The repair layer and substrate is metallurgical bonding,the transition zones( including fusion zone and heat affected zone) are relatively narrow and the welding quality is good. It showed that the thin-walled inner hole parts can be repaired by this technology and equipment.

Effect of Pulsed Current TIG Welding Parameters on Pitting Corrosion Behaviour of AA6061 Aluminium Alloy

Medium strength aluminium alloy （Al-Mg-Si alloy） has gathered wide acceptance in the fabrication of light weight structures requiring a high strength-to weight ratio, such as transportable bridge girders, military vehicles, road tankers and railway transport systems. The preferred welding process for aluminium alloy is frequently TIG （tungsten inert gas） welding due to its comparatively easier applicability and better economy.In the case of single pass TIG welding of thinner section of this alloy, the pulsed current has been found beneficial due to its advantages over the conventional continuous current process. The use of pulsed current parameters has been found to improve the mechanical properties of the welds compared to those of continuous current welds of this alloy due to grain refinement occurring in the fusion zone. A mathematical model has been developed to predict pitting corrosion potential of pulsed current TIG welded AA6061 aluminium alloy.Factorial experimental design has been used to optimize the experimental conditions. Analysis of variance technique has been used to find out the significant pulsed current parameters. Regression analysis has been used to develop the model. Using the developed model pitting corrosion potential values have been estimated for different combinations of pulsed current parameters and the results are analyzed in detail.

Research and engineering application of the arc welding pulsed controller technology

The tenacity of heat-affected zone （HAZ） will decline and the size of grains will increase, because of the overheating on HAZ when submerged are welding （SAW） is ased to thick plate with high heat input. The shaping will worsen when SAW is used to thin plate with high current at high speed. A new SAW technology, the pulsed direct current （DC） automatic SAW, will be put forward in this paper in order to overcome the above shortcomings. And a pulsed controller with micro-controller unit （MCU） as the core, nixie tube （NT） and keyboard as the man-machine conversation interface is developed. The main functions of the pulsed controller include the output of pulsed welding current and the working with twinwire. The research has widely prospects in application with significant meanings in theory and practical engineering.

Research on sinusoid modulated pulse MIG welding methodology

This article proposed a new methodology and the principle of sinusoid modulated pulse MIG welding, and systematically established the universal mathematical model of computation of the parameters of the sinusoid modulation pulse, achieving that the welding energy input can be effectively controlled and precisely regulated, the transition of pulse change is smooth and the welding process is stable and reliable. With the characteristics of sinusoidal waveform, such as infinite derivative continuity, eternal periodicity and limited control parameters, this article established the theoretical foundation for choiceness, unification and optimization of the parameters during the new sinusoid modulated pulse MIG welding. Bead-on-plate overlay welding is carried out on the pure aluminum sheet test sample for the test. The result indicated that during the welding process, the real-time current waveform is stable and clear; both the corresponding voltage and the instant welding energy waveform are very stable; the repeatability of the U-I graph plotted is high; its family of lines is clear, neat, and its distribution is concentrated showing that the welding process is stable and the neat and high quality ripple weld seam may be produced.

A novel variable polarity welding power based on high-frequency pulse modulation

A new type of variable polarity welding power modulated with high-frequency pulse current is developed. Series of high-frequency pulse current is superimposed on direct-current-electrode-negative （DCEN）, which can improve the crystallization process in the weld bead as a result of the electromagnetic force generated by pulse current. Digital signal processor （DSP） is used to realize the closed-loop control of the first inverter, variable polarity output of the second inverter and high-frequency pulse current superposition.

Weld pool image sensor for pulsed MIG welding

Visual image sensor is developed to detect the weld pool images in pulsed MIG welding. An exposure controller, which is composed of the modules of the voltage transforming, the exposure parameters presetting, the complex programmable logic device （CPLD） based logic controlling, exposure signal processing, the arc state detecting, the mechanical iris driving and so on, is designed at first. Then, a visual image sensor consists of an ordinary CCD camera, optical system and exposure controller is established. The exposure synchronic control logic is described with very-high-speed integrated circuit hardware description language （VHDL） and programmed with CPLD , to detect weld pool images at the stage of base current in pulsed MIG welding. Finally, both bead on plate welding and V groove filled welding are carried out, clear and consistent weld pool images are acquired.

Modeling, Simulation and Control of Pulsed DE-GMA Welding Process for Joining of Aluminum to Steel

Joining of aluminum to steel has attracted significant attention from the welding research community,automotive and rail transportation industries.Many current welding methods have been developed and applied,however,they can not precisely control the heat input to work-piece,they are high costs,low efficiency and consist lots of complex welding devices,and the generated intermetallic compound layer in weld bead interface is thicker.A novel pulsed double electrode gas metal arc welding（Pulsed DE-GMAW）method is developed.To achieve a stable welding process for joining of aluminum to steel,a mathematical model of coupled arc is established,and a new control scheme that uses the average feedback arc voltage of main loop to adjust the wire feed speed to control coupled arc length is proposed and developed.Then,the impulse control simulation of coupled arc length,wire feed speed and wire extension is conducted to demonstrate the mathematical model and predict the stability of welding process by changing the distance of contact tip to work-piece（CTWD）.To prove the proposed PSO based PID control scheme’s feasibility,the rapid prototyping experimental system is setup and the bead-on-plate control experiments are conducted to join aluminum to steel.The impulse control simulation shows that the established model can accurately represent the variation of coupled arc length,wire feed speed and the average main arc voltage when the welding process is disturbed,and the developed controller has a faster response and adjustment,only runs about 0.1 s.The captured electric signals show the main arc voltage gradually closes to the supposed arc voltage by adjusting the wire feed speed in 0.8 s.The obtained typical current waveform demonstrates that the main current can be reduced by controlling the bypass current under maintaining a relative large total current.The control experiment proves the accuracy of proposed model and feasibility of new control scheme further.The beautiful and smooth weld beads are also obtained by this method.Pulsed DE-GMAW can thus be considered as an alternative method for low cost,high efficiency joining of aluminum to steel.

MATHEMATICAL SIMULATION OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN PULSED ARC WELDING BY MELTING ELECTRODE

In this paper the processes of melting and transfer of an electrode metal to the molten pool, hydrody- namics of molten pool in controlled pulsed arc welding in carbon dioxide have been investigated.The process of pulsed arc welding with systematic short - circuits of the arc gap is realized by adaptive algo- rithms of pulsed control over main energetic parameters of welding - arc current and voltage,arc heated efficiency,peak,short - circuiting current, which provide the dosage of energy for energy for melting and transfer of every for of an electrode metal, the control over fluidity of the weld pool. Physica and mathematical models describing such processes in CO2, origind software hare been developed.The re- sults of physical simulation and mathemaical modelling permit to determine the influence of energetic parameters of the process on the condition of the 'power source-electrode-arc-molten pool' electrodynamic system at each moment of time.

Intelligent process expert database of double pulse MIG welding of AI-Si alloy

Based on double pulse welding process characteristics, expert database structure and work flow are designed. Further, multiple outstanding specifications of 1.0 ram-diameter wire are obtained through a large number of experiments. By making non-linear regression analysis on these groups of standards, the relationship between average welding current and other pulse parameters can be found out. Polynomial regression equation is set up for further realization of＂ parameter estimation function of the expert database. Finally, the preliminary developed expert database is tested. The result indicates that the unified adjusting and parameters estimation of the expert database leads to stable welding process and good weld appearance.

Optimization of pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding process parameters to attain maximum tensile strength in AZ31B magnesium alloy

An empirical relationship to predict tensile strength of pulsed current gas tungsten arc welded AZ31B magnesium alloy was developed. Incorporating process parameters such as peak current, base current, pulse frequency and pulse on time were studied. The experiments were conducted based on a four-factor, five-level, central composite design matrix. The developed empirical relationship can be effectively used to predict the tensile strength of pulsed current gas tungsten arc welded AZ31B magnesium alloy joints at 95% confidence level. The results indicate that pulse frequency has the greatest influence on tensile strength, followed by peak current, pulse on time and base current.

Study on Evaluation Method of Aluminum alloy Pulse MIG Welding Stability Based on Arc Voltage Probability Density

Bring forward a new analytical method in order to evaluate the stability of the process of aluminum alloy pulsed MIG welding. The ratio of the first and the second peak in arc voltage signal probability density was selected to evaluate aluminum alloy pulse MIG welding stability. By calculating the arc voltage signal probability density from 80 sets of welding experiments, the ratio of the two peaks in arc voltage probability in every set was captured. And the evaluation system of aluminum alloy pulse MIG welding stability was established. The smaller the ratio of peaks in arc voltage signal probability density is, the better the stability of the welding will be;the bigger the ratio of peaks in arc voltage signal probability density is, the poorer the stability of the welding will be.

Digital pulsed MIG welding machine based on adaptive fuzzy controller

Digital pulsed metal inert gas welding machine with double closed-loop control mode is designed and implemented. It realizes precision control for real time energy and demonstrates the flexibility of digital control. Test results of design prototype show that the designed control strategy can effectively adapt to the change of arc length and achieve ideal droplet transfer via one drop per pulse mode. Thus the welding process is stable and the weld bead is good.

Study on arc characteristics and behavior of metal transfer in pulse current flux-cored arc welding of mild steel

The variation in arc characteristics and behavior of metal transfer with the change in pulse parameters has been studied by high speed video camera during pulse current flux-cored arc weld deposition.A comparative study of similar nature has also been carried out during flux-cored arc weld deposition in globular and spray transfer modes.The effect of pulse parameters has been studied by considering their mean current and arc voltage.The arc characteristics studied by its root diameter,projected diameter and length,and the behavior of metal transfer noted by the metal transfer model and the droplet diameter have been found to vary significantly with the pulse parameters.The observation may help in understanding the arc characteristics with respect to the variation in pulse parameters which may be beneficial in using pulse current FCAW to produce desired weld quality.

Novel hybrid method: pulse CO_2 laser-TIG hybrid welding by coordinated control

In continuous wave CO2 laser-TlG hybrid welding process, the laser energy is not fully utilized because of the absorption and defocusing by plasma in the arc space. Therefore, the optimal welding result can only be achieved in a limited energy range. In order to improve the welding performance further, a novel hybrid welding method--pulse CO2 laser-TIG arc hybrid welding by coordinated control is proposed and investigated. The experimental results indicate that, compared with continuous wave CO2 laser-TIG hybrid welding, the absorption and defocusing of laser energy by plasma are decreased further, and at the same time, the availability ratio of laser and arc energy can be increased when a coordinated frequency is controlled. As a result, the weld appearance is also improved as well as the weld depth is deepened. Furthermore, the effect of frequency and phase of pulse laser and TIG arc on the arc images and welding characteristics is also studied. However, the novel hybrid method has great potentials in the application of industrials from views of techniques and economy.

Effect of pulsed laser process parameters on welding quality of automobile fuel injector

In this research, pulverization plate and base of a fuel injector in an automobile electronic-controlled engine was joined by pulsed laser welding. The different welding parameters were evaluated and effect of process parameters on joint characteristics was analyzed. The optimal process parameters were obtained as follows： welding current 120 A, welding speed 600 ram/rain, pulse duration 1.80 ms and pulse frequency 60 Hz. The microstructure of weld metal was investigated. Results show that the fusion zone is austenitic dendrite, the weld center is equiaxed grain, while the transition zone between fusion zone and weld center is mixed crystal with austenitic dendrite and equiaxed grain. The weld layered phenomenon was observed, and eddy caused by keyhole effect is the main reason for the formation of layered structure in molten pool.

Development of high frequency pulse power source using two powersfor TIG welding

A high frequency pulse power source for TIG welding is developed. The structure of two powers is adopted. The by pass circuit effectively eliminates the effect of the cable equivalent inductance. The maximum frequency of the output pulse current reaches to 16 kHz . The base current and the peak current can be regulated separately.

Analysis of droplet transfer of pulsed MIG welding based on electrical signal and high-speed photography

In order to study how welding parameters affect welding quality and droplet transfer, a synchronous acquisition and analysis system is established to acquire and analyze electrical signal and instantaneous images of droplet transfer simultaneously, which is based on a self-developed soft-switching inverter. On the one hand, welding current and voltage signals are acquired and analyzed by a self-developed dynamic wavelet analyzer. On the other hand, images are filtered and optimized after they are captured by high-speed camera. The results show that instantaneous waveforms and statistical data of electrical signal contribute to make an overall assessment of welding quality, and that optimized high-speed images allow a visual and clear observation of droplet transfer process. The analysis of both waveforms and images leads to a further research on droplet transfer mechanism and provides a basis for precise control of droplet transfer.