Sensing of metal-transfer mode for process control of GMAW (gas metal arc welding)

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:7140450

Carlson, N M; Johnson, J A; Smartt, H B

One of the requirements of a sensing system for feedback control of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) is the capability to determine the metal-transfer mode. Because the operating boundary for the desired transfer mode, expressed as a function of mass input and heat input, may vary due to conditions beyond the control of the system, a means of detecting the transfer mode during welding is necessary. A series of sensing experiments was performed during which the ultrasonic emissions, audio emissions, welding current fluctuations and welding voltage fluctuations were recorded as a function of the transfer mode. In addition, high speed movies (5000 frames/s) of the droplet formation and detachment were taken synchronously with the sensing data. An LED mounted in the camera was used to mark the film at the beginning and end of the data acquisition period. A second LED was pulsed at a 1 kHz rate and the pulses recorded on film and with the sensor data. Thus events recorded on the film can be correlated with the sensor data. Data acquired during globular transfer, spray transfer, and stiff spray or streaming transfer were observed to correlate with droplet detachment and arc shorting. The audio, current, and voltage data can be used to discriminate among these different transfer modes. However, the current and voltage data are also dependent on the characteristic of the welding power supply. 5 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 7140450
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-89148; CONF-890770-9; ON: DE90010946
• Resource Relation: Conference: 16. annual review of progress in quantitative nondestructive evaluation, Brunswick, ME (USA), 23-28 Jul 1989
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
GAS METAL-ARC WELDING
PROCESS CONTROL
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
DROPLETS
FEEDBACK
POWER SUPPLIES
ARC WELDING
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
JOINING
PARTICLES
WELDING
420200* - Engineering- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
990200 - Mathematics & Computers