Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Suppression of arc wandering during cold wire-assisted pulsed gas metal arc welding

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Welding in the World Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The use of pulsed gas metal arc welding (P-GMAW) is fundamental to applications were versatility and control of heat input are required during deposition. However, when welding using pure argon shielding gas, a drawback is the instability derived from wandering of the cathode spots on the weld pool. This work investigates an alternative to weld steels using pure argon shielding gas with cold wire pulsed gas metal arc welding (CW-P-GMAW). A mechanism for enhanced stability is revealed in CW-P-GMAW, related to the migration of cathode spots to the cold wire which prevents the cathode spots from wandering around the weld pool. The migration of cathode spots is likely related to charging of oxides on the cold wire surface by ions formed in the arc plasma. The enhanced arc stability smooths the shape of bead profile, since wandering of the arc due to cathode motion is suppressed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Figure 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Suban M, Tušek J (2003) Methods for the determination of arc stability. J Mater Process Technol 143–144:430–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-0136(03)00416-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Jonsson PG, Murphy AB, Szekely J (1995) Influence of oxygen additions on argon-shielded gas metal arc welding processes. Weld J 74:48-s–458s

    Google Scholar 

  3. Modenesi PJ, Nixon JH (1994) Arc instability phenomena in GMA welding. Weld J 73:s219–s224

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hertel M, Rose S, Füssel U (2016) Numerical simulation of arc and droplet transfer in pulsed GMAW of mild steel in argon. Weld World 60:1055–1061. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-016-0362-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ribeiro RA, Assunção PDC, Santos EBFD, Braga EM, Gerlich AP (2020) An overview on the cold wire pulsed gas metal arc welding. Weld World 64:123–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-019-00826-w

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ribeiro RA, Assunção PDC, Dos Santos EBF, Filho AAC, Braga EM, Gerlich AP (2019) Application of cold wire gas metal arc welding for narrow gap welding (NGW) of high strength low alloy steel. Materials (Basel) 12:335. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12030335

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Soderstrom EJ, Mendez PF (2008) Metal transfer during GMAW with thin electrodes and Ar-CO 2. Weld J 87:124s–133s

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ribeiro RA, Assunção PDC, Braga EM, Gerlich AP, (2019) A study on iron vapour production in cold wire gas metal arc welding (unpublished report), Waterloo.

  9. Dos Santos EBF, (2017) Influence of current pulse profile on metal transfer in pulsed gas metal arc welding, University of Waterloo https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/handle/10012/11723/FerreiraDosSantos_EmanuelBruno.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y.

  10. Ribeiro RA, Dos Santos EBF, Assunção PDC, Braga EM, Gerlich AP (2019) Cold wire gas metal arc welding: droplet transfer and geometry. Weld J 98:135S–149S. https://doi.org/10.29391/2019.98.011

  11. Beck JV, Arnold KJ (1977) Parameter estimation in engineering and science. John Wiley & Sons, New York

  12. Lancaster JF (1986) The physics of welding, 2nd edn. Pergamon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  13. Derrien R, Sullivan EM, Liu S, Moine E, Briand F (2021) Silicate island formation in gas metal arc welding. Weld J 100:13s–26s. https://doi.org/10.29391/2021.100.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. van Lan F (1979) The dynamics of the arc cathode spot during welding of an alluminum alloy. Autom Weld 32:17–18

    Google Scholar 

  15. McIntosh C, Mendez PF (2017) Experimental measurements of fall voltages in gas metal arc welding. Weld J 96:121s–132s

    Google Scholar 

  16. Lowke JJ (1997) A unified theory of arcs and their electrodes. J Phys IV JP 7:283–294. https://doi.org/10.1051/jp4:1997423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Coulombe S, (1997) A model of the electric arc attachment on non-refractory (cold) cathodes, McGill University, https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/r207tr05x.

  18. Zhu Y, Mimura K, Isshiki M (2002) Oxidation mechanism of copper at 623-1073 K. Mater Trans 43:2173–2176. https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.43.2173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Giesen A, Herzler J, Roth P (2002) High temperature oxidation of iron atoms by CO2. Phys Chem Chem Phys 4:3665–3668. https://doi.org/10.1039/b201822e

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. (1990) Properties of pure metals, in: ASM handbook, Vol 2 Prop. Sel. Nonferrous alloy. Spec. Mater., 10th ed., ASM International, Materials Park, OH, pp. 1099–1201. https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v02.a0001117.

  21. Schnick M, Fuessel U, Hertel M, Haessler M, Spille-Kohoff A, Murphy AB (2010) Modelling of gas-metal arc welding taking into account metal vapour. J Phys D Appl Phys 43:434008. https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/43/43/434008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Zhang G, Goett G, Uhrlandt D (2020) Study of the anode energy in gas metal arc welding. J Phys D Appl Phys 53:0–9. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ab93f7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Nemchinsky VA (1996) The effect of the type of plasma gas on current constriction at the molten tip of an arc electrode. J Phys D Appl Phys 29:1202–1208. https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/29/5/014

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Centre for Advanced Materials Joining (CAMJ) of the University of Waterloo where all the experiments were performed.

Funding

The TC Energy, Inc. and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) provided funding for this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Advanced Materials Joining (CAMJ), University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    R. A. Ribeiro, P. D. C. Assunção & A. P. Gerlich

Authors
  1. R. A. Ribeiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. D. C. Assunção
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. P. Gerlich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. A. Ribeiro.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Recommended for publication by Study Group 212 - The Physics of Welding

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ribeiro, R.A., Assunção, P.D.C. & Gerlich, A.P. Suppression of arc wandering during cold wire-assisted pulsed gas metal arc welding. Weld World 65, 1749–1758 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-021-01155-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-021-01155-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation