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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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.’
