Experimental defect analysis and force prediction simulation of high weld pitch friction stir welding

Abstract

Experimental data for AA 6061-T6 friction stir welded at rotational and travel speeds ranging from 1000 to 5000 rev min^?1 and from 290 to 1600 mm min^?1 (11–63 ipm) are presented. The present paper examines the forces and torques during friction stir welding (FSW) with respect to mechanistic defect development owing to process parameter variation. Two types of defects are observed: wormholes and weld deformation in the form of significant excess flash material. A 3D numerical model, implemented using the computational fluids dynamics package Fluent, is used to simulate and investigate the parametric relationship of the forces and torques during FSW. In order to establish a mechanistic quantification of the FSW process, two mechanical models, the Couette and the viscoplastic fluid flow models, were simulated and compared with experimental data for AA 6061-T6.     

Effects of torch configuration and welding current on weld bead formation in high speed tandem pulsed gas metal arc welding of steel sheets

Abstract

Undercut and humping bead are the common defects that limit the maximum welding speed of tandem pulsed gas metal arc (GMA) welding. In order to increase the maximum welding speed, effects of the inclination angle, interwire distance and welding current ratio between the leading wire and trailing wire on bead formation in high speed welding are investigated. The undercut and humping bead is attributed to the irregular flow of molten metal towards the rear part of the weld pool. This irregular flow can be prevented by the trailing wire with a push angle from 5° to 13° , which provides an appropriate component of arc force in the welding direction. The irregular flow is also related to the distance between the leading wire and the trailing wire, and the flow becomes regular when the distance is in the range 9–12 mm. Moreover, the stabilisation of the bulge of the weld pool between the two wires, the presence of enough molten metal below the trailing arc, and the reduced velocity of molten metal flow towards the rear part of the weld pool, are essential to increase the maximum welding speed. These conditions can be obtained by adjusting the ratio of the leading arc current to the trailing arc current. A maximum welding speed as high as 4–4·5 m min^?1 is achieved by setting the current ratio to a value ranging from 0·31 to 0·5.     

Humping mechanisms present in high speed welding

Abstract

As welding speeds continually increase owing to automation and newer processes, a common defect that occurs is humping. Humping is the periodic occurrence of beadlike protuberances. The objective of the present investigation is to review current and previous researches that were made on humping, including both experimental and theoretical studies. It is found that humping can be classified into two distinct categories of formation: gouging region morphology and beaded cylinder morphology. Various theories that explain the two types of humping formation are examined. Experimental data compiled from many sources are presented to verify the models and explain the fundamental mechanisms of humping morphology. Humping prevention measures that can be applied directly to industrial fabrication are also included. The direct benefit is increased travel speeds that reduce production costs.     

Influence of GMAW-P current waveforms on heat input and weld bead shape

Abstract

Manufacturers use different, proprietary pulse current programming algorithms in their synergic 'one knob control' pulsed gas metal arc welding (GMAW-P) power supplies. Since the different pulse waveforms produced by these supplies can produce somewhat different welding characteristics, inconsistent results can be obtained when transferring welding procedures between different GMAW-P power supplies. A primary objective of this work was to characterise the differences in welding heat input and weld bead shape that could be produced by the pulsed current waveforms from four different commercial supplies. To eliminate the affects of subtle differences in electrical characteristics and to ensure that the exact shape of all waveforms was fully known, the comparison was also done by simulating the waveforms generated by three of the four power supplies on the fourth supply, which was equipped with waveform programming capability. Then, the four waveforms were used to create 'bead on plate' welds over a range of wire feed speed settings, and corresponding heat inputs were calculated from current and voltage samples recorded by a computer data acquisition system during welding. Welds were also done at the same wire feed speed setting using a constant voltage supply. All welds were then cross-sectioned for penetration and dilution measurements. In general, all of the waveforms produced good metal transfer and weld quality. However, the heat input and beads shapes varied noticeably. The heat inputs for the four pulse waveforms and constant voltage welds differed by as much as 150 J mm^?1 (17% of the maximum heat input) at the highest wire feed speed of 212 mm s^?1. The weld penetration differed by 1 mm (22% of the maximum penetration) at a wire feed speed of 169 mm s^?1 and the dilution differed a maximum value of 6.5% dilution (22% of the maximum dilution) at a wire feed speed of 169 mm s^?1 .     

Modelling weld bead geometry using neural networks for GTAW of austenitic stainless steel

Abstract

The authors analyse the importance of different weld control parameters on the weld pool geometry of gas tungsten arc welding using an online feature selection technique that suggests weld voltage and vertex–angle pair as more important than the weld voltage and torch speed pair. Using the selected features multi layer perception and radial basis function networks are developed for prediction of bead width, penetration depth, and bead area. With cross-validation the authors have extensively studied the performance of composite models (one model for all outputs) and individual models (one model for each output). The individual models are found to work better than composite models. Usually, radial basis function networks are found to work better than the multi layer perception networks. To assess the influence of weld control parameters the authors have studied the performance of both networks using different combination of inputs. Overall, the performance of the proposed models is found to be quite satisfactory.     

Artificial neural network approach for estimating weld bead width and depth of penetration from infrared thermal image of weld pool

Abstract

In this article an artificial neural network based system to predict weld bead geometry using features derived from the infrared thermal video of a welding process is proposed. The multilayer perceptron and radial basis function networks are used in the prediction model and an online feature selection technique prioritises the features used in the prediction model. The efficacy of the system is demonstrated with a number of welding experiments and using the leave one out cross-validation experiments.     

Effect of semisolid casting process with cooling plate technique on microstructure and properties of high speed steel with high vanadium and carbon contents

Abstract

Semisolid metal processing with the cooling plate technique is one of the key technologies for producing advanced materials. The multitude of cast iron families with their wide range of mechanical properties and relatively low costs combined with the advantage of semisolid processing, give the merit of producing high quality cast components from cast iron. This research is based on high speed steel with high vanadium and carbon contents, which has not been studied enough. The authors researched the effect of semisolid casting with the cooling plate technique on microstructures and properties, wear resistance and mechanical properties, for example, hardness and tensile stress, of this alloy.     

Influence of microstructure and weld size on the mechanical behaviour of dissimilar AHSS resistance spot welds

Abstract

Resistance spot welds were produced in dissimilar combinations of advanced high strength steels. A 600 MPa dual phase (DP) steel was welded to a high strength low alloy, a 780 MPa DP, and a 780 MPa transformation induced plasticity steel. The microstructure and mechanical properties were characterised using metallurgical techniques and lap shear and cross-tension testing. The results show that a pullout failure mode with improved mechanical properties is obtained when DP600 is paired with other advanced high strength steels, compared to the DP600 welded to itself, which is prone to interfacial failure and poor mechanical properties, given the same weld size. An in depth comparison of the interfacial to pullout failure transition in similar DP600 and DP780 and dissimilar DP600–DP780 welds was performed. The results show that the interfacial to pullout transition for the DP600–DP780 welds is significantly lower than with DP600 welded to itself. Increased fusion zone strength through dilution with the DP780 promotes button pullout at smaller weld sizes. Furthermore, it was observed that softening in the heat affected zone of DP780 promoted a pullout failure mode in that material.     

Hydrogen effusion from high strength weld metal

Abstract

Constant heating rate hydrogen thermal analyses were carried out for weld metals with tensile strengths in the range 490–1000 MPa. It was found that the hydrogen diffusion rate in the highest strength weld metal is lower by a factor of five than that in a lower strength variant. The hydrogen diffusion behaviour varied greatly between weld metal and wrought steel. Finite difference analyses indicated that this difference can be attributed to the changes in the interaction energy between a trap site and hydrogen. Using the analysis it was possible to determine apparent diffusion rates at temperatures from 20 to 300°C and explain satisfactorily the effect of plastic deformation on hydrogen diffusion in a steel.     

Influence of cooling rate on microstructure and properties of high strength steel weld metal

Abstract

Microstructures, and hence mechanical properties, of high strength steel weld metals are affected by cooling rate. Weld metal microstructures for a nominal composition of Fe–0·05C–0·3Si–2Mn–3Ni–0·5Cr–0·6Mo (wt-%) were therefore characterised for a range of cooling rates using high resolution scanning electron microscopy, and transformation behaviour, assessed from cooling curves, is presented as a continuous cooling transformation diagram. As deposited last bead microstructure changes gradually from lower bainite and martensite interspersed with coalesced bainite, via a mixture of relatively fine upper and lower bainite, to coarse upper bainite as cooling rate decreases. The microstructure of reheated beads follows the as deposited structure closely and becomes coarse with slower cooling. Mechanical properties correlate with observed microstructure and transformation behaviour. Results suggest high strength and good toughness for cooling rates between 800 and 500°C of about 3–13 s. A fine microstructure will then form with varying proportions of martensite, lower bainite, coalesced bainite and fine upper bainite.     

Fused deposition process combining electrochemical discharge with high speed selective jet electrodeposition

Abstract

Experiments have shown that the presence of a localised laser heat source significantly increases the deposition rate and deposit quality obtained by high speed selective jet electrodeposition (HSSJE). In this study, a relatively new process, fused deposition through electrochemical discharge (FDED), which uses heat generated by an aqueous electrochemical discharge in HSSJE, has been reported. The objectives of this investigation have been to identify the deposition mechanism and to compare FDED and laser-enhanced HSSJE with respect to deposition rate. During FDED, the nature of the deposited layer evolves with time, starting from a rough/dendritic layer to a powdery deposit at the top. Electrochemical discharge, depending on the voltage and standoff distance (SOD), can either fuse or erode the deposit. Experiments suggest that the metal deposition rate of 11 μg s^?1 in FDED is of the same order as laser-enhanced HSSJE. The desired objectives of a smooth, fully compact deposit and high deposition rates can be obtained by an optimum combination of electrolyte flowrate, electrode SOD, applied voltage and table speed.     

Ultrasonic fast identification of automotive body spot weld defect based on echo characteristics qualitative analysis

Abstract

Spot welds are used extensively by automobile manufacturers as an efficient method for joining sheet steel. The quality of them can be tested non-destructively by using ultrasound. But when spot weld defect happens, the current ultrasonic inspection methods of weld quality are difficult to achieve an ideal result especially for the stick weld defect which is one of the most important types of spot weld defects in the automotive body. At first, this paper detailedly analyses the echo characteristics of ultrasonic curves which can reflect different spot welding joint defects. After echo characteristics qualitative analysis of different spot weld defects, a peak value marking algorithm is developed to identify the joint defects especially the stick weld defect rapidly and efficiently through selecting and confirming many optimal characteristic parameters. Finally, a lot of experiments are performed to verify the proposed methods. The results indicate that this fast identification method is credible and the identification rate can reach 95% in total test samples.     

Generation of compressive residual stresses by high speed water quenching

Abstract

According to the literature, rapid water quenching can create compressive residual stresses (RSs) near the surface and thereby produce a significant increase in the fatigue limit. This technique is called 'intensive quenching'. In the present paper, some results from a research project will be presented. The project was initiated by the technical committee 'quenching' of the German Heat Treatment Association to deal critically with this issue.

The focus of this paper is on the influence of the martensite transformation on RS generation. A process window was determined, within which one needs to quench fast enough, to get the surface temperature below the M_S temperature, before the maximum temperature gradient in a cylinder is reached, in order to get compressive RSs on the surface.     

Stationary GMAW-P weld metal deposit spreading

Abstract

Non-isothermal spreading of non-travelling pulsed gas metal arc weld (GMAW-P) deposits was studied by experiments and numerical simulation. After an initial transient period, metal from the melting welding wire was deposited as a regular stream of droplets into a molten weld pool whose spreading was enhanced by direct arc heating of the solid substrate and weld pool convection. Accurate predictions of the final weld cross-section and time histories of base metal temperature and weld pool radius were produced by this simulation, which included mass, energy and momentum of transferring filler metal droplets. Dimensional analysis showed that speed of weld pool spreading was initially dominated by the momentum of liquid droplets while thermal convection by surface tension-driven flow became important at intermediate times. Eventually, the rate of spreading was matched to the thermal diffusion rate in the liquid. Capillary forces were never important in weld pool spreading. The weld metal deposit shape was well-approximated as a spherical cap with increasing volume and constant contact angle.     

Seam tracking based on estimation of weld position using Kalman filtering

Abstract

A seam tracking method is presented based on the estimation of weld position during the gas tungsten arc welding process. Kalman filtering of the weld pool images from a visual sensor is applied to compute recursively the solution to the weld position equations which are established based on an estimation of the centroid position of the weld pool images. This centroid, the position of which corresponds with the weld position, is extracted as the measurement eigenvector. The evolution of the weld position data from the weld pool images can be described through an appropriate process model, so that the weld position can be detected by applying a Kalman filter. This allows adjustment of the welding torch position in real time, which may significantly reduce processing time and promote seam tracking accuracy. Simulations and actual welding experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in the presence of weld pool image noise and have demonstrated the robustness of weld position detection for seam tracking.     

Metallographic and OIM study of weld cracking in GTA weld build-up of polycrystalline,directionally solidified and single crystal Ni based superalloys

Abstract

The repair of gas turbine components is of importance both commercially and scientifically to ensure cost effective repair schemes that will extend the lives of hot end components such as blades and stators. The present communication reports the results of a metallographic and orientation imaging microscopy study of weld cracking observed in the gas tungsten arc repair welds of a polycrystalline (IN738LC), a directionally solidified (Rene 80) and a proprietary single crystal (SX) alloy. The three alloys were welded with low, intermediate and high strength weld fillers, using a weld build-up approach rather than a conventional weld repair of a through thickness crack. This procedure would be applicable for example to worn area on the tips of turbine blades. Inhomogeneous initial microstructures and those from solidification processes led to extensive heat affected zone microfissuring in the IN738LC alloy, associated with MC carbide liquation, liquation of gamma prime (γ′), segregation of boron and strain effects from precipitation of γ′ in both single and double pass welds. As observed previously in a V shaped weld preparation, the extent of microfissuring in alloy IN738LC increased substantially from the use of the low and intermediate strength weld fillers, to extensive heat affected zone microfissuring by using the high strength IN738 filler. In the directionally solidified Rene 80 welds, due to the reduction in grain boundary area per unit volume, only minor heat affected zone cracking was observed, while the SX alloy did not crack at all. The absence of any cracks in the SX alloy welds despite the presence of stray grains in the fusion zone appears to be related to reduced stress levels in the welds due to the choice of welding technique and the welding parameters.     

基于多探头源数据融合的焊缝缺陷识别

当今的无损检测领域中,缺陷性质的识别是检测的难点,为此研究了一种基于多探头源数据融合的焊缝缺陷识别新方法.该方法通过对多探头信息的融合,提高了检测结果的可靠性及缺陷识别的准确性.选用两个不同入射角度的斜探头对含有气孔、夹渣、裂纹、未焊透和未熔合五类典型焊接缺陷的焊件分别进行了检测,提取缺陷的超声回波信号特征,构建基于特征层和决策层两级融合的多探头源缺陷智能识别分类器,实现五类焊缝缺陷的多源数据融合识别.在特征融合层采用了BP神经网络作为特征融合器,并利用其融合输出构建每个探头源的基本概率分布函数及其对每类缺陷的基本概率赋值.在决策融合层利用D-S证据理论,合并每个探头源的基本概率分布函数,实现缺陷的融合智能识别.结果表明,该方法融合了多探头源的互补信息,有效的提高了缺陷的识别率,有助于焊缝质量的评定.     

The humping phenomenon during high speed gas metal arc welding

Abstract

A commonly observed welding defect that characteristically occurs at high welding speeds is the periodic undulation of the weld bead profile, also known as humping. The occurrence of humping limits the range of usable welding speeds in most fusion welding processes and prevents further increases in productivity in a welding operation. At the present time, the physical mechanisms responsible for humping are not well understood. Thus, it is difficult to know how to suppress humping in order to achieve higher welding speeds. The objectives of this study were to identify and experimentally validate the physical mechanisms responsible for the humping phenomenon during high speed gas metal arc (GMA) welding of plain carbon steel. A LaserStrobe video imaging system was used to obtain video images of typical sequences of events during the formation of a hump. Based on these recorded video images, the strong momentum of the backward flow of molten metal in the weld pool that typically occurred during high speed welding was identified as the major factor responsible for the initiation of humping. Experiments with different process variables affecting the backward flow of molten weld metal were used to validate this hypothesis. These process variables included welding speed, welding position and shielding gas composition. The use of downhill welding positions and reactive shielding gases was found to suppress humping and to allow higher welding speeds by reducing the momentum of the backward flow of molten metal in the weld pool. This would suggest that any process variables or welding techniques that can dissipate or reduce the momentum of the backward flow of molten metal in the weld pool will facilitate higher welding speeds and productivity.     

Gas tungsten arc welding of titanium using flux cored wire with magnesium fluoride

Abstract

Grade 2 Ti–CP was gas tungsten arc welded using flux cored (FC) wires and flux pastes that contained various MgF₂ contents. The effects of MgF₂ on bead morphology, chemical composition and hardness of weld bead were investigated and interpreted. With an increase of MgF₂ content in the flux paste, depth/width ratio of weld bead increased gradually with little variation in interstitial element contents and hardness. Weld bead made with cold FC wire feed showed even deeper and narrower bead, indicating the greater effectiveness of wire feed than flux paste on weld penetration. While the 50% MgF₂ FC wire produced complete slag coverage and smooth weld bead surface, 85% MgF₂ wire resulted in incomplete slag coverage and rough weld surface. Arc spectroscopy revealed that the 50% MgF₂ FC wire produced plasma spectrum with atomic and ionised titanium peaks, which is an indication of a high temperature arc and a larger amount of flux vapours in the arc. Therefore, it is believed that deep weld penetration associated with high MgF₂ fluxes in this experiment is caused by arc constriction, resulting from the greater amount of flux vapours owing to high arc temperature.     

Influence of welding current shape on expulsion and weld strength of resistance spot welds

Abstract

The present paper presents the influence of welding current shape on weld strength of resistance spot welds of zinc coated mild steel sheets. The influence is analysed at different levels of the electrode wear. Welding currents with different peak values and different RMS (root mean square) values were used in the experiment. The results show that welding current with high peak values implies higher weld strength.