Study on weld formation in a novel rotating arc horizontal GMAW

A novel rotating arc horizontal welding process was developed for solving the sagging of the molten pool which bottlenecks the application and the development of the horizontal welding. The principle of the effect of the rotating arc on the molten pool is that the rotating arc process not only can reduce the welding heat input by prolonging the welding path in the same welding distance cawed by the arc rotation, but also disperse the arc force to affect the sidewall periodically to support the molten metal near the upper sidewall. The effects of the rotating speed and arc voltage on the weld formation were studied. The results indicate that there is an appropriate range of the rotating speed and the arc voltage to obtain the defect free horizontal welding.

Rotating arc horizontal narrow gap welding of high strength quenched and tempered steel

Rotating arc borizontal narrow gap welding of quenched ＆ tempered （Q＆T） steel was innovatively performed for solving the bottleneck that the molten pool sagged due to the gravity. The shapely multilayer single pass horizontal joint could be obtairzed by using the rotating are welding process. The cold crack was not observed in the joint without controlling the heat input and selecting the consumables intentionally. Microstructure of the joint could be divided into three zones： base metal zone （BMZ） , heat-affected zone （ HAZ） and weld zone （WZ）. Because of the characteristic of the rotating arc horizontal welding process, the defects in the joints were slag inclztsion formed at the interlayer of lower side wall. Tbe tensile strength and hardness of HAZ and WZ were larger than those of BMZ. The impact toughness in WZ, HAZ and BM at 0 % is equal to 11.5, 212 and 236 J, respectively.

The characteristics of welding currents in a rotating arc leadtandem GMAW process and the weld-seam tracking

Tandem gas metal arc welding （ T-GMAW） process shows a high deposition rate that up to three times o f the single electrode GMAW, so the welding speed could be significantly increased in this process. However, the majority o f this process applications are based on the pre-programmed robotic welding, which does not allow them to track the seam real-time during welding. Rotating arc sensor, sensing the seam position by detecting the changing of welding currents, has been widely adopted in the automatic robot welding process. It is proposed in this paper to integrate the rotating arc sensor with a trailing torch to develop a new approach of rotating arc lead tandem gas metal arc welding （RLT-GMAW） process. The characteristics of the welding currents in the proposed new welding process were firstly studied, and then a self-turning fuzzy control seam tracking strategy was developed for the mobile robot automatic welding. The experimental results showed that the proposed RLT-GMAW process had an excellent seam tracking performance and high welding deposition rate. Even if there were some electromagnetic interactions between the two arcs, the deviation of the welding seam could also be reflected by the fluctuation of the welding currents on the leading arc once the correct welding parameters were selected. Based on the detected deviation, the welding tracking experiments showed that the proposed self-turning fuzzy controller had a good performance for the RLT-GMAW process seam tracking.

Application of RVM for prediction of bead shape in underwater rotating arc welding

Bead sttape in underwater rotating arc welding was affected by several welding parameters. RVM （ relevance vector machine） was used to build a model to predict weld bead shape. The training data set of RVM eortsists of the welding parameters which are rotational frequency, rotational radius, height of torch and welding current and the features of the bead shape. The maximum error and mean error for prediction of width are 0. 10 mm and 0. 09 mm, respectively, and the maximum error and mean error for prediction of penetration are 0. 31 mm and 0. 12mm, respectively, which are showed that the prediction model can achieve higher prediction precision at reasonably small size of training data set.

Short-circuit process model in underwater welding using rotating arc sensor

In order to detecting and tracking along the weld seam with rotating arc sensor in underwater welding,the highpressure water environment rotating arc welding hardware platform is established and welding experiments using rotating arc sensor is done. Different radius of rotating arc sensor is used. And the corresponding welding current and voltage is obtained,which is compared with the results of rotating arc sensor short-circuit process simulation model under high-pressure water environment established in this article. The results show that under high-pressure water environment,rotating arc radius should be optimized,otherwise the short-circuit-arcing cycle will transit to a short-circuit-arcing-abruption cycle,making the welding quality poor. At last the critical radius between the short-circuit-arcing cycle and short-circuit-arcing-abruption cycle under high-pressure water environment is obtained.

Sensitivity analysis of rotating flux-cored arc welding process parameters

Empirical models were developed using curvilinear regression analysis to predict bead geometries of rotating fluxcored are welding （FCAW）. Parameters, such as rotational frequerwy, rotational radius, torch height and welding current, are used as design variables. The objective function is formed using bead width and penetration. Experiments of rotating FCAW were conducted based on orthogonal experimental design of four process parameters. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted and the effects of four process parameters on bead geometries were compared. The results show that the sensitivity of rotational radius on bead width is much higher than those of rotational frequency, torch height and welding current on bead width. Welding current is insensitive to bead width. The sensivity of rotational frequerwy on weld penetration is higher than those of other three parameters.

Study on general inverse kinematics of rotating/tilting positioner for robotic arc welding off-line programming

Off line programming provides an essential link between CAD and CAM, whose development will result in greater use of robotic arc welding. An arc welding system with a robot and a rotating/tilting positioner is one of the most typical workcells. The inverse kinematics of robot and positioner is the foundation of the off line programming system. The previous researchers only focused on a special solution of the positioner inverse kinematics, which is the solution at down hand welding position. In this paper, we introduce a method for representing welding position. Then a general algorithm of rotating/tilting positioner inverse kinematics is presented, and an approach to find the unique solution of the inverse kinematics is discussed. The simulation experiment results show that the general algorithm can improve the ability of robotic arc welding off line programming system to program all types of welding positions.

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.

Characteristics of the electrode melting phenomena in narrow gap MAG high-rotating-speed arc welding

The influence of rotating speed on metal transfer and the wire metal speed was studied in the high rotating speed arc narrow gap welding.The results indicate that the high rotating speed arc has benefit on the metal transfer,and that with the rotating speed increasing,the droplet volume decreases.It is shown that the rotating speed has little influence on the wire metal speed with DC electrode positive polarity(DCEP),but the melting speed decreases with increasing of rotating speed in DC electrode negative polarity(DCEN).

Mechanism analysis of free formation of backing weld by the pulsed MAG-TIG double arc tandem welding

Because of the presence of lower-level automation and efficiency in the backing welding of medium–thick plates,pulse-metalactive-gas–metal-inert-gas(MAG–MIG)dual-arc welding was applied to backing welding of 24-mm-thick Q235-B plate and the process and mechanism of root welding with back formation were investigated.The heating position of the MAG-arc at the front of the molten pool could be adjusted by using the electromagnetic force between the MAG-arc and the MIG-arc,and part of the arc energy could work on the root face directly.By combining the arc-discharge behaviour and analysis of flow in the molten pool,the shear stress of a tungsten inert gas(TIG)arc to the molten pool could make the liquid metal flow backwards.Thus,the quality of the front and bottom liquid metal were reduced,which favored the balance and stability.Continuous and stable back formation with uniform penetration could be achieved by using the pulse MAG–TIG dual-arc welding technology.

Weld formation and heating mechanism in ultra-narrow gap withconstricted arc by ultra-fine granular flux

Ultra-narrow gap welding （UNGW） process with high stabilization, reliability and without spatter can be achieved with constricted arc by molten slag wall, which is made from melted flux. The experiments are carried out by changing voltage under different currents. The results indicate voltage range being fit for UNGW is about 22 -31 V under the current range of 200 -320 A. With the increasing of voltage, weld formation of UNGW has the law of lack of fusion on sidewall, good weld and undercut in turn under a certain current. In addition, the action relationships among arc, molten slag wall and sidewalls can be improved by properly adjusting voltage and current of arc, which makes cathode spot properly distribute in ultra-narrow gap. Therefore, the effective control of weld formation of UNGW has been achieved.

Interfacial reaction control during pulsed argon arc welding of SiC_p/Al composites

The interfacial reaction control of SiC_p/2124Al composites was investigated during pulsed argon arc welding. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties, the metallographic structure and interfacial microstructure of the induced welding joint were tested and detected, respectively. The results reveal that the joint with excellent properties could be achieved by the proper selection of the special filling material and the addition of the pulse during welding. Moreover, the formation mechanism of the welding joint was discussed and the corresponding measures on further improving the quality of the welding joint of SiC_p/2124Al composites were put forward in the condition of pulsed argon arc welding.

Effect of arc physics on developing CO_2 arc welding

The mechanisms of weld formation, spatter and projected transfer in CO2 arc welding are revealed based on the experiment and study of the arc physics. The views are beneficial to develop CO2 arc welding technology.

Effect of pulse M-Arc frequency on Tri-Arc DE droplet transfer and weld forming

In view of the unstable welding process of Tri-Arc DE,surfacing test with Q235 steel plate was completed with the help of the self-built high-speed camera and waveform synchronous acquisition system using the Tri-Arc DE technology. The effects of pulsed M-Arc frequency on Tri-Arc DE droplet transfer and weld formation were analyzed. The results show that while the gradual increase of pulse frequency,the droplet transfer frequency gradually decreases,which is followed by several drops per pulse,one drop per pulse,and one drop within several pulses. The most ideal transfer form is one drop per pulse,of which the welding process is the most stable,and the quality of weld formation is the most satisfied.

Arc and Droplet Behaviors in Horizontal Short-Arc Pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding of 9%Ni Steel with ERNiCrMo-3 Welding Wire

Short-arc pulsed gas metal arc welding(P-GMAW)was used to solve the dificulties of molten pool spreading and droplet transfer of Ni-based welding wire.Suppression of short-circuit current was used to reduce spatter.Arc length stabilizer was used to acquire a proper and stable arc length maintained at the critical position where short circuit starts to occur.Short-arc P-GMAW with or without arc length stabilizer was compared.The droplet transfer,arc behaviors and weld bead profiles were investigated and compared based on the high-speed photography and observation of weld cross-section.When the arc length stabilizer was deactivated,the arc length was unstable and too short.The droplet transfer mode was mainly short circuit partial transfer,with only a small part of the droplet transferred into the molten pool,with the characteristics of no obvious necking,a few spatters,small droplet impact,long short circuit duration and high short-circuit current.There was also a small proportion of short circuit complete transfer with obvious necking,larger droplet impact,shorter short-circuit duration and lower short-circuit current.With arc length stabilizer,droplet transfer modes were short circuit complete transfer and spray transfer.The spray transfer had the largest droplet impact,no short circuit and no spatter.With the arc length stabilizer activated,a deep penetration,a high penetration ratio,a small reinforcement and a large reinforcement factor were acquired.This provides an innovative method to solve the difficulties of droplet transfer and molten pool spreading and eliminate the incomplete fusion in the GMAW of 9%Ni steel with nickel-based alloy welding wire.

Grain refinement and improved properties through electromagnetic stirring in Al alloy MIG welds

This paper described the effects of external excitatory parameters of current and frequency on the microstructure and mechanical properties of weld metal in MIG welding with longitudinal electromagnetic field. With a high speed video camera capturing the images of arc shape, the mechanism of arc rotation and how the periodic contraction and expansion of arc affected the movement of molten pool were investigated. The technique resulted in fine equiaxed grains in weld metal and optimum parameters of electromagnetic stirring were suggested based on the extent of refinement. Fine-grained weld metal exhibited better yield strength and significant improvement in elongation.

Three‑Dimensional Numerical Study on the Metal Rotating Spray Transfer Process of High‑Current GMAW

A three-dimensional numerical model based on the volume-of-fluid(VOF)method is typically preferred for studying high-current gas metal arc welding(GMAW)metal transfer mechanism and then controlling it.It is informed that the rotating spray transfer is extremely complicated,and some researchers have focused on simplified models without considering the energy conservation to make analysis manageable for the unstable metal transfer process.Using our created numerical model,the metal transfer of high-current GMAW with shielding gas of different conductivities has been studied by analyzing acting forces and fluid flows in the metal liquid column,especially for the contributions of the self-induced electromagnetic force,equivalent volume force of the capillary pressure of the surface tension(Named surface tension force in this work),static arc pressure.It is found that the unbalanced electromagnetic force greatly promotes the metal rotating motion in 500 A metal inert gas(MIG)welding with pure argon shielding gas and it pushes the metal liquid column to rotate.Considering the arc constricting effect in active shielding gas by simply changing the arc conductivity,it is found that the metal liquid column no longer rotates,it turns to swing since the unbalanced electromagnetic force is large enough to break the rotating motion.The calculated results of the metal liquid column deflected angle and rotating/swing frequency agree well with the experiment of high-speed camera observations.

基于摆动激光扫描的GMAW焊缝成形调控

将摆动激光与GMAW工艺复合,利用“8”字形摆动激光扫描液态熔池,对其温度场和流场进行调控,以改变熔池温度梯度,主动调控熔池流动以改善焊缝成形.在6061铝合金板材表面进行堆焊试验,重点探究了光丝间距、摆动幅度、激光功率对于焊缝成形的影响,采用高速摄像机拍摄激光扫描熔池过程.结果表明,摆动激光扫描可以有效抑制成形缺陷的发生,当摆动激光扫描熔池中部时可以获得最佳的焊缝成形效果.摆动激光扫描降低了熔池温度梯度分布,同时激光扫描产生的激光蒸发反力可以驱动熔池流动,促进了液态熔池的流动铺展,从而有效抑制了不规则焊缝成形缺陷,减少焊缝内部气孔和裂纹缺陷.调节摆动激光摆幅可以在一定范围内对焊缝宽度进行调控.

旋转电弧焊接技术研究进展

熔焊焊接时会不可避免地出现侧壁不熔、咬边、晶粒粗大等问题,导致接头性能较低。为更好地解决焊接中存在的问题,提出旋转电弧焊接技术。相对于普通焊接,旋转电弧中的旋转电弧耦合力在焊接时对熔池的搅拌破碎效应能加速焊缝中的传质传热,并细化晶粒减小焊缝残余应力,能解决焊接中常见问题,获得优质焊缝并提高焊接接头的使用寿命。主要综述了基于外加磁场、非对称钨极旋转电弧、缆式焊丝熔化极旋转电弧的研究现状,指出目前旋转电弧焊接技术还存在的问题,并对相关技术的应用前景进行展望。

自适应分流交替电弧WAAM电弧行为与熔滴过渡

传统电弧由于热输入高、熔覆率低,无法直接应用于电弧熔丝增材制造(wire and arc additive manufacturing,WAAM)技术.该文提出极性变换自适应分流交替电弧WAAM工艺方法,在钨电极,工件和丝材间形成交替电弧.根据EN/EP电流转换时自适应分流并主动诱导交替电弧形成.该新型热源能满足以丝材阳极-钨电极阴极的EN电弧熔化丝材;以钨电极阳极-工件阴极的EP电弧清理工件,并通过适当的调节实现电弧热质力传输的受控解耦.验证了该新型热源的适用性,并对比分析了焊接速度和丝材高度下对电弧行为及熔滴过渡的影响.结果表明,当焊接速度为5.7 mm/s和丝材高度为8 mm时,沉积层形貌较好且熔滴过渡规律;与传统变极性等离子电弧(variable polarity plasma arc,VPPA)熔丝增材制造技术相比,其自适应分流交替电弧显著提高了丝材的沉积效率且降低了母材热输入,较好的兼顾了增材质量与增材效率.