GMAW Component Diagram

GMAW Components
DC or Direct Current power supply
Electrode or wire feed controller
Wire drive roller assembly
Shielding gas source (cylinder) & regulator
Manually held Gun & ground clamps
Wire reel
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Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Direct Current Electrode Positive
(DCEP)
Generally used for gas metal arc welding
Provides maximum heat input into work allowing relatively
deep penetration to take place
Assists in removal of oxides from plate
Low current values produce globular transfer of metal from
electrode
On carbon steel shielding gas must contain minimum
of 80% argon
Ferrous metals need addition of 2 to 5% oxygen to
gas mixture
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Direct Current Electrode Negative
(DCEN)
Limited use in welding of thin gauge materials
Greatest amount of heat occurs at electrode tip
Wire melt-off rate faster than DCEP
Penetration also less than with DCEP
Arc not stable at end of filler wire
Corrected by use of shielding gas mixture of 5% oxygen
added to argon
Melt-off rate reduced so benefit cancelled
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Wire-Feed Speed
Fixed relationship between rate of filler wire burn off and
welding current
Electrode wire-feed speed determines welding current
Current set by wire-feed speed control on wire feeder
Excessive speed: welding machine cannot put out enough
current to melt wire fast enough
Stubbing or roping of wire occurs
Causes convex weld beads and poor appearance
Decrease in speed results in less electrode being melted
Generally – high setting of filler wire speed rate results in short
arc, slow speed in long arc
Shielding Gas
Argon and helium first used for gas metal arc
Continue to be basic gases
Argon is used more than helium on ferrous metals to
keep spatter at minimum
Also heavier than air - so good weld coverage
Oxygen or carbon dioxide is added to pure gases to
improve arc stability, minimize undercut, reduce
porosity, and improve appearance of weld
Shielding Gas
Helium added to argon to increase penetration

Carbon dioxide has following advantages:

Low cost
High density, resulting in low flow rates
Less burn-back problems because of its shorter arc
characteristics
 Specific Metal Recommendations
Aluminum alloys: argon
Magnesium and aluminum alloys: 75 percent helium, 25
percent argon
Stainless steels: argon plus oxygen
Magnesium: argon
Deoxidized copper: 75 percent helium, 25 percent argon
preferred
Low alloy steel: argon, plus 2 percent oxygen
 Specific Metal Recommendations
Mild steel: 15 percent argon, 25 percent carbon dioxide
(dip transfer); 100 percent CO2 may also be used with
deoxidized wire
Nickel, Monel®, and Inconel®: argon
Titanium: argon
Silicon bronze: argon
Aluminum bronze: argon
 Weld Defects
Defects found in welds made by gas metal arc
process are similar to those in other welding
Causes and corrective action entirely different
Incomplete penetration
Result of too little heat input in weld area
Corrected by increasing wire-feed speed and
reducing electrode extension to obtain maximum
current for particular wire-feed setting
Also caused by improper welding techniques
Excessive Penetration
Usually causes excessive melt-through
Result of too much heat in weld area
Reducing wire-feed speed to obtain lower amperage or
increasing speed of travel
Another cause is improper joint design
Root opening too wide or root face too small
Correct by checking position of welding and root face and
opening
Remedied during welding by increasing electrode
extension distance and weaving gun
Possible Causes Corrective Actions
* Insufficient Amperage *Increase Amperage

* Improper Travel Angle * Use Less of a Drag angle

* Excessive Electrical Stickout * Decrease Contact Tip to Work

Piece Distance
* Weld Joint Too Narrow * Increase the Opening of the Weld Joint
Whiskers
Short lengths of electrode wire sticking through weld on
root side of joint
Caused by pushing electrode wire past leading edge of
weld pool
Can be prevented by
Reducing wire-feed speed
Increasing electrode extension distance
Weaving gun
 Voids
May be continuous along both sides of weld
Found in multipass welding
Underneath pass has bead with large contour or bead with
too much convexity or undercut
Next bead does not completely fill void between previous
pass and plate
Prevent by making sure edges of all passes filled in so
undercut cannot take place and arc melts previous
bead and fuses into sides of joint
Incomplete Fusion
Also referred to as overlap
Result of improper gun handling, low heat and
improper speed of travel
To prevent:
Direct arc so it covers all areas of joint
Keep electrode at leading edge of pool
Reduce size of pool as necessary by adjusting travel speed
Check current values carefully; keep short electrode
extension
Porosity
Most common defect in welds
Exists on face of weld readily detected
Below surface must be determined by radiograph
ultrasonic or other testing methods
Causes of most porosity are contamination by
atmosphere, change in physical qualities of filler wire,
and improper welding technique
Also caused by entrapment of gas evolved during weld
metal solidification
Possible Causes Corrective Actions
* Drive Rolls in Poor Condition *Tighten, Clean
* Excessive Welding Voltage * Reduce Voltage

* Insufficient Electrical Stickout * Increase Contact Tip to Work

Piece Distance
* Contact Tip in Poor Condition * Clean or Replace Contact tip

* Spatter on Contact Tip * Remove Spatter

Undercutting
Cutting away of base material along toes of weld

Condition usually is a result of high current, high

voltage, excessive travel speed, low wire-feed speed,
poor gun technique, improper gas shielding, or wrong
filler wire

To correct, move welding gun from side to side in

joint, and hesitate at each side before returning to
opposite side
Insufficient Shielding Gas coverage
• Gas not turned on
• Flow rate not properly adjusted
• Leaks in the hose supplying the shielding gas to the
machine
• GMAW / MIG Gun loose at wire drive connection
• Spatter buildup on gas cup
• Windy environment
Excessive Gas coverage
• Will cause porosity.
• The turbulence caused by the rapid flow of shielding
gas exiting from the gas cup will draw the
surrounding atmosphere into the stream of gas.
• It will reduce weld pool temperatures causing
decreased penetration .
 Safety Practices and Procedures
A. Make sure that all welding cables and their connections are
in good repair.
Do not use cables that are cracked or cut or have damaged
insulation.
Electrical connections on each cable should be tight and not
have frayed ends or bare wires exposed.
B. Wear welding gloves, helmet, leather apron, welding chaps,
leather shoes, and other personal protective equipment to
help prevent weld burns
C. When operating a MIG welder, never touch an electrical
connection, a bare wire, or a machine part which may cause
electrical shock.
Never weld in damp locations because of the shock hazard
D. Use pliers or tongs to handle hot metal from the
MIG welding process.
E. Never leave hot metal where others may touch it and
be burned.
 Summary of Operating Variables
Height and width of bead depend on adjustment of
these variables
Joint preparation • Gun angle
Gas flow rate • Size and type of filler wire
Voltage • Electrode extension
Speed of travel • Characteristics of the shielding gas
Arc length • Wire-feed speed (current)
Polarity
Variables adjusted on basis of type of material being
welded, thickness of material, position of welding,
deposition rate required, and final weld specifications
 Summary of Operating Variables
Welding current and travel speed have similar effect
on both bead height and width
Each variable increases or decreases both bead height
and width at same time
Arc voltage
As arc voltage increases, bead height decreases and
bead width increases, thereby flattening the bead
Affects shape and size of bead
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 Advantages Disadvantages

Variety of Metals Cost

All Position Welding Portability
Quality Welds Outdoor Welding
Little to No Slag Clean Base Material
Low Spatter
GMAW Advantages Contd;
• Welding can be done in all positions
• No slag removal required
• High efficiency
• Less work piece distortion
• High Weld Quality
MIG Welding of Aluminum
Easy to fabricate
Can be given wide variety of
mechanical, electrochemical,
chemical and also paint finishes
Aluminum and its alloys rapidly
develop oxide film when exposed
to air (melting point 3600ºF)
Must be removed during welding
 Removed by fluxes, action of arc in
inert gas atmosphere or mechanical
and chemical means
 Factors that Make Gas Metal Arc Welding
Desirable Joining Process for Aluminum
Cleaning time reduced because there no flux on weld
Absence of slag in weld pool eliminates possibility of
entrapment
Weld pool highly visible due to absence of smoke and
fumes
Welding can be done in all positions
• Stainless Steel
• Copper and Its Alloys
• Nickel and Nickel-Copper Alloys
• Magnesium
• Titanium
• Zirconium
• Powerpoint to accompany ‘Welding Principles and
practices, 3rd edition’ – Sacks & Bohnart, McGraw
Hill Company.

• Manufacturing Engineering & Technoogy – Serope

Kalpakjian, Steven r. Schmid.

• Presentation on ‘GMAW/MIG Welding – Basic

Equipment setup & Welding Procedures.’