In-situ weld-alloying plasma arc welding of SiC_p/Al MMC

Plasma arc welding was used to join SiCp/Al composite with titanium as alloying filler material. Microstructure of the weld was characterized by an optical microscope. The results show that the harmful needle-like phase Al4C3 is completely eliminated in the weld of SiCp/Al metal matrix composite(MMC) by in-situ weld-alloying/plasma arc welding with titanium as the alloying element. The wetting property between reinforced phase and Al matrix is improved, a stable weld puddle is gotten and a novel composite-material welded joint reinforced by TiN, AlN and TiC is produced. And the tensile-strength and malleability of the welded joints are improved effectively because of the use of titanium.

Effect of Ti-Si-Mg-Al wire on microstructure and mechanical properties of plasma arc in-situ welded joint of SiC_p/Al composites

The influence of Ti-Si-Mg-AI wire on microstructure and mechanical properties of SiCp/A1 metal matrix composite joints produced by plasma arc in-situ weld-alloying was investigated. Argon-nitrogen mixture was used as plasma gas and Ti-Si-Mg-A1 flux-cored wires as filled composites. Weldments were submitted to tensile test. Meanwhile, the macro morphology and microstructure of the joints were examined. The result shows that the formation ofneedie-like harmful phase A14C3 is effectively inhibited and the wettability of molten pool is improved by adding Ti-Si-Mg-A1 flux-cored wires. With 15Ti-5Si-5Mg-A1 flux-cored wire as filled composite, the maximum tensile strength of the welded joint is 267 MPa, which is up to 83% that of the matrix composites under annealed condition.

Welding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using dynamically controlled plasma arc welding process

A novel dynamically controlled plasma arc welding process was introduced,which is able tominimize heat input into the workpiece materials while maintaining desired full penetration,and it was used to weld Ti-6Al-4V alloy sheets.The microstructures,facture surfaces and microhardness of the welded joints were characterized by using optical microscope,scanning electron microscope （SEM） and Vickers microhardness tester.Comparing with welds such as gas tungsten arc and conventional plasma arc processes,the experimental results revealed the improvements when using the present process including：1） reducing prior-beta （β） grain size and prohibiting formation of hard martensite phases in the fusion zone due to the decreased heat input;and 2） better toughness and higher hardness.

Relationship between sound signal and weld pool status in plasma arc welding

The sound features of the weld pool status in plasma arc welding were systematically investigated after the sound signal was collected with a microphone. The results show that it is difficult to extract information about the weld pool status directly in time domain although the sound signal varies with the weld pool behaviors to some extent. The frequency spectra of the sound signal contain plenty of information about the weld pool behaviors. It is shown from the analysis of the sound generation mechanism that the sound signal of plasma arc welding is mainly caused by the weld pool oscillation, the power source fluctuation and so on. R S algorithm is designed to determine the weld pool status, and it is able to offer the feedback information for the closed loop control of the penetration quality of plasma arc welding. [

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.

Finite element analysis of keyhole plasma arc welding based on an adaptive heat source mode

An adaptive heat source mode is proposed to account for the keyhole effect and the characteristics of volumetric distribution along the direction of the workpiece thickness. Finite element analysis of the temperature field in keyhole plasma arc welding is conducted and the weld geometry is obtained. The predicted results are in agreement with the measured ones.

Modeling the keyhole shape and dimension in plasma arc welding

It is of great significance to model the keyhole shape and dimensions to optimize the plasma arc welding process parameters. In this study, through employing a combined volumetric heat source mode, the weld pool in keyhole plasma arc welding is determined firstly, and then the dynamic force-balance condition on the interface between the plasma jet and the molten metal is dealt with in describing the keyhole formation inside the weld pool. The effects of welding current on the shape and size of keyhole are numerically analyzed. The sharp transformation from a partial keyhole to a full-penetration keyhole is quantitatively demonstrated.

Determination of arc pressure pool surface in and current density on the molten plasma arc welding

A unified numerical model is developed to couple the plasma arc, weld pool and keyhole in a self consistent way. The plasma arc/anode interface and the melt/solid interface are treated specially, the VOF method is used to trace the moving keyhole wall, and the fluid flow and heat transfer in both the plasma arc and weld pool are numerically simulated. The distributions of current density and arc pressure on the weld pool surface during the keyhole formation process are analyzed using the coupled model. The predicted arc pressure and current density are compared with the experimentally measured results, and both are in good agreement.

Experimental determination of the weld penetration evolution in keyhole plasma arc welding

Keyhole plasma arc welding experiments are conducted to measure the weld geometry and penetration at different moments during the initial phase from igniting arc to quasi-steady state. Indirect information on keyhole formation and evolution in plasma arc welding can be extracted based on the weld macrophotograph at cross section. It has laid foundation to verify the mathematical models of keyhole plasma arc welding.

Characterization of microstructure and strain response in Ti-6Al-4V plasma welding deposited material by combined EBSD and in-situ tensile test

Additive layer manufacturing （ALM） of aerospace grade titanium components shows great promise in supplying a cost-effective alternative to the conventional production routes. Complex microstructures comprised of columnar remnants of directionally solidifiedβ-grains, with interior inhabited by colonies of finerα-plate structures, were found in samples produced by layered plasma welding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The application of in-situ tensile tests combined with rapid offline electron backscatter diffraction （EBSD） analysis provides a powerful tool for understanding and drawing qualitative correlations between microstructural features and deformation characteristics. Non-uniform deformation occurs due to a strong variation in strain response between colonies and across columnar grain boundaries. Prismatic and basal slip systems are active, with the prismatic systems contributing to the most severe deformation through coarse and widely spaced slip lines. Certain colonies behave as microstructural units, with easy slip transmission across the entire colony. Other regions exhibit significant deformation mismatch, with local build-up of strain gradients and stress concentration. The segmentation occurs due to the growth morphology and variant constraints imposed by the columnar solidification structures through orientation relationships, interface alignment and preferred growth directions. Tensile tests perpendicular to columnar structures reveal deformation localization at columnar grain boundaries. In this work connections are made between the theoretical macro- and microstructural growth mechanisms and the observed microstructure of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, which in turn is linked to observations during in-situ tensile tests.

A computer-based control system for keyhole plasma arc welding

A new kind of control system for keyhole plasma arc welding （K-PAW） was developed based on the computer and the Graphics Language--LabVIEW. It can set and output the required current waveforms with desired decreasing slopes so that the corresponding ＂opening and closing＂ of keyhole can occur periodically. With this control strategy of welding current waveforms, the workpiece is fully penetrated while no burn-through Occurs. Keyhole plasma arc welding experiments were conducted to verify the stability and reliability of the developed system.

Analysis of keyhole geometry in plasma arc welding

The key problem for numerical simulation of plasma arc welding （PAW） process is to develop a suitable and adaptive volumetric heat source mode which reflects the physical characteristics of keyhole PAW. To this end, the keyhole geometry under different PAW process conditions must be predicted. In this paper, a mathematical model for determining the keyhole shape is developed with considering the mass and momentum conservation of the in-keyhole plasma jet as well as the pressure equilibrium at the plasma jet/liquid metal boundary. A suitable heat source model related to the keyhole shape is applied to the calculation of PAW weld dimensions. The predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental ones.

Sensing controlled pulse key-holing condition in plasma arc welding

According to the strategy of controlled pulse key-holing,a new sensing and control system was developed for monitoring and controlling the keyhole condition during plasma arc welding(PAW). Through sensing and processing the efflux plasma voltage signals,the quantitative relationship among the welding current,efflux plasma voltage and backside weld width of the weld was established. PAW experiments show that the efflux plasma voltage can reflect the state of keyhole and backside weld width accurately. The closed-loop control tests validate the stability and reliability of the developed keyhole PAW system.

Formative mechanism of the undercut defect in horizontal variable polarity plasma arc welding

Abstract Horizontal welding is important for heavy or huge welding structures. Keyhole mode variable polarity plasma arc welding of aluminum alloy plates with medium thickness was carried out in horizontal position. The characteristic of welding defects was introduced. Preliminary experiments indicated that the undercut defect could not be eliminated easily. The relationship between welding parameters and the undercut defect showed that this deject could be lessened by using higher heat input. The fluid flow of weld pool was observed by a high speed camera. The fluid flow in weld pool was not symmetric and much of molten metal gathered in the lower part. The fluid flow velocity in the lower part was bigger than that in the upper part. To this end, the formative mechanism of the undercut defect was proposed. The flowability of the molten metal was an influential factor for the undercut defect. A preheating method was designed to verify the formative mechanism.

Analysis of the 3-D fluid velocity and temperature profile in keyhole plasma arc welding

Modeling and simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in keyhole plasma arc welding is of great significance for optimizing the process parameters. In this study, a three-dimensional transient model is established to analyze numerically the heat transfer and fluid flow phenomena in keyhole plasma arc welding. VOF （volume of fluid） method is used to track the boundary of the keyhole. The dynamic developments of keyhole geometry, the fluid velocity field and temperature profiles are numerically simulated. And the changing Of the fluid velocity and pressure distribution on the keyhole wall in the forming process of the keyhole are analyzed.

Effect of Ti-Al on microstructures and mechanical properties of plasma arc in-situ welded joint of SiC_p/Al MMCs

The effect of Ti-Al on microstructures and mechanical properties of SiCp/Al MMC joints produced by plasma arc in-situ weld-alloying was investigated, in which argon-nitrogen mixture was used as plasma gases and Ti-Al alloy as filling composite. The results show that the formation of needle-like harmful phase Al4C3 is effectively prevented in the weld by in-situ weld-alloying/plasma arc welding with Ti-Al alloy sheet filler whose titanium content is more than 20%. The fluidity of molten pool is improved, and stable molten pool is gained for the addition of the Ti-Al alloy. The mechanical properties of welded joint are effectively enhanced by the compact-grain structure and the new reinforced composites such as Al3Ti, TiN, AlN and TiC welded joint. The test results of mechanical property show that the maximum tensile strength of welded joint gained by adding Ti-60Al alloy is up to 235 MPa. The factors influencing the tensile strength were also investigated.

Study on Weld Quality Characteristics of Pulsed Current Micro Plasma Arc Welding of Inconel625 Sheets

Nickel alloys had gathered wide acceptance in the fabrication of components which require high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, such as metallic bellows used in expansion joints used in aircraft, aerospace and petroleum industry. In the present paper an attempt is made to study various weld quality characteristics like weld bead geometry dimensions, micro hardness, microstructure, grain size and tensile properties of Pulsed Current Micro Plasma Welding of Inconel625sheets. Weld joint was prepared by fusing the two parent metals of Inconel625 sheets. Square butt joint is used and welding was carried out using Pulsed DCEN, without filler wire. Peak current, back current, pulse and pulse width are considered as the main influential input variables during the welding.

Study on Effect of Welding Speed on Micro Structure and Mechanical Properties of Pulsed Current Micro Plasma Arc Welded Inconel 625 Sheets

Nickel alloys had gathered wide acceptance in the fabrication of components which require high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, such as metallic bellows used in expansion joints used in aircraft, aerospace and petroleum industry. Micro Plasma Arc Welding (MPAW) is one of the important arc welding processes commonly using in fabric- cation of Nickel alloys. In the present paper welding of Inconel 625 sheets using pulsed current micro plasma arc weld- ing was discussed. The paper mainly focuses on studying the weld quality characteristics like weld pool geometry pa- rameters, microstructure, grain size, hardness and tensile properties of Pulsed Current Micro Plasma Arc Welded In- conel 625 sheets at different welding speeds. Results reveals that at a welding speed of 260 mm/minute better weld quality characteristics can be obtained.

Closed-loop control of weld penetration in keyhole plasma arc welding

To improve the penetrating ability and the welding quality of keyhole plasma arc welding, a novel penetration closed loop control system was established. In the system, welding current and plasma gas flow rate were selected as adjusting variables. The wavelet method was used to detect penetration status from welding arc voltage in real time. The control strategy of one keyhole per pulse was adapted to fulfill stable and high quality welding process. Experimental results show that the developed system can apparently increase the penetrating force of plasma arc and keyhole plasma arc welding is realized successfully in stainless steel with 10 mm in thickness. Moreover, the disturbances of gradual change and break change from 3 mm to 6 mm in thickness are come over due to the good response property of the developed system.

System Identification of Controlled Pulse Keyhole Plasma Arc Welding Process

The development of closed-loop control systems is one of the most effective ways to improve the stability of the keyhole status during keyhole plasma arc welding （K-PAW）. Due to the disadvantages of the ＂one-pulse-one-keyhole＂ technology based on the conventional square current waveform, the controlled pulse welding current waveform is newly applied to control the keyhole open and close periodically. In order to realize the real-time control on the keyhole behavior with this advanced current waveform, welding experiments and system identification are conducted based on the classical control theory. One complete welding cycle can be divided into 3 periods. The keyhole establishing time is the most important time variable, which determines the keyhole behavior and welding process stability. At the same time, the averaged effiux plasma arc voltage during one pulse cycle can reflect the real keyhole dimension and status in a real-time manner. Therefore, two single-input-single-output （SISO） systems are proposed, in which keyhole establishing time and keyhole average dimension are taken as the system controlled variables respectively. Welding experiments are designed with the peak current varying randomly. Experiments show that the keyhole establishing time changes in an opposite direction to the varied peak current, and the averaged efflux plasma arc voltage varies with the same trend as the peak current. Based on the least squares technique and F test of classical system identification, second order difference equation for keyhole establishing time/peak current system and first order difference equation for keyhole average dimension/peak current system are obtained. It is proved that the calculated data by the two mathematical expressions are well matched with the measured data. The proposed research provides mathematical expressions and theoretical analysis to develop closed-loop systems for the controlled pulse K-PAW.