Metal droplet deposition: review of innovative joining technique

Abstract

With pulsed gas metal arc (GMA) welding, many metal droplets per second are pinched off from the welding wire. The resultant continuous flow of metal droplets forms the weldment together with the parts to be joined. Each droplet has a certain heat content that it passes on to its surroundings. The droplet deposition welding process, instead of forming many droplets per second, is able to form only one droplet at any desired moment. This single metal droplet can then be used to make a welded joint. The relatively new welding process of droplet deposition welding can be applied, for example, as a replacement joining technique for brazing and lead-tin soldering. The present paper reviews the history of this welding process and its industrial application.