|

^

m United States Department of Commerce

I Technology Administration

B National Institute of Standards and Technology

NISTIR 3996

SENSING OF CONTACT TUBE WEAR

IN GAS METAL ARC WELDING

M.A. Mornis

T.P. Quinn

T.A. Siewert

J.P.H. Steele

Set

N/STIR 3996

SENSING OF CONTACT TUBE WEAR

IN GAS METAL ARC WELDING

M.A. Mornis

T.P. Quinn

T.A. Siewert

J.P.H. Steele*

Materials Reliability Division

Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Boulder, Colorado 80303

^Department of Mechanical Engineering

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, Colorado 80401

September 1992

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Barbara Hackman Franklin, Secretary

TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION, Robert M. White, Under Secretary for Technology

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, John W. Lyons, Director
'
CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES iii LIST OF TABLES iv

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Gas Metal Arc Welding 1

1.2 Nomenclature 2

1.3 Contact Tube Wear 3

1.4 Contact Tube Failure 3

1.5 Tube Wear With Constant Voltage Power Source 4

1.6 Tube Wear With Pulsed-Current Power Source 5

1.7 Wear Mechanisms 5

2. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 6

2.1 Simulated Wear Tests 7

2.2 Actual Wear Tests 8

2.3 Weave Test 9

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 9

3.1 Simulated Wear Tests (Drilled Contact Tubes) 9

3.2 Actual Wear Tests 16

3.3 Weave Test 27

IV. CONCLUSIONS 29

V. REFERENCES 30

m
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1. Contact tube and electrode 1

2. Electrode positioning: work angle and travel angle 7

3. Weave test 10

4. Mean current versus bore size 10

5. SD of current versus bore size 11

6. PSD current - 0 to 100 Hz for varying bore diameter 12

7. PSD voltage - 0 to 50 Hz for varying bore diameter 12

8. Droplet frequency versus bore size 13

9. SD of droplet frequency versus bore size 13

10. Droplet profile with enlarging bore size 14

11. Range of visible electrode length versus bore size 15

12. SD of droplet frequency versus ratio of bore/electrode diameters 15

13 Voltage signal with increasing weld time 17

14. W of tubes LW10, LW11 and SW1 18

15. W of tubes SW2, SW3 and SW4 19

16. Wear pattern for GMAW process with steel electrode 20

17. W and R versus length of electrode fed for tube A2 21

18. W and R versus length of electrode fed for tube B1 21

19. W and R versus length of electrode fed for tube Cl 22

20. W and R versus length of electrode fed for tube S4 . 22

21. Sectioned contact tubes 24

22. Electrode and tube wear configuration 25

23. Arc length of contact versus R 26

24. Contact area versus R 26

25. Wear volume versus R 26

26. PSD voltage for sequential stringer and 1 Hz weave beads with a new contact

tube 28

27. Weave geometry 28

28. IF Versus length of electrode for stringer and weave tests 29

IV
LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. Actual wear tests - Group I 16

2. Actual wear tests - Group II 18

3. Actual wear tests - Group III 19

4. Contact tube measurements 23

/

v

ABSTRACT

Welding tests confirm that the circuit voltage can serve as a through-the-arc

sensing parameter for monitoring wear of the contact tube in gas metal arc welding. The integrated power spectral density curve (W) of the voltage,

within the 0 to 4 Hz range, correlated with wear. W in this frequency range

measured the arc stability, which degrades as the contact tube is eroded by the

electrode. W reached a peak value when the wear reached the maximum line

contact between the electrode and the contact tube, then W became erratic as the electrode started to oscillate within the slot that had worn in the tube.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Gas Metal Arc Welding

In gas metal arc welding (GMAW), a continuously fed electrode melts as it enters an

electric arc and molten droplets are transferred to the weld joint. The current passes from the

contact tube to the electrode, through the arc, and then to the weld joint (Figure 1). Because

of the series connection between these circuit elements, the static and dynamic characteristics

of the arc are a combination of the response of these circuit elements. The following

paragraphs list some of the important characteristics of these elements and how they affect the

wear of the contact tube and the ability to sense the wear.

Figure 1. Contact tube and electrode.

1
An externally supplied gas, generally a mixture based on Ar or C02 , is used to shield

the molten weld metal from the atmosphere. Although a small amount of atmospheric

contamination can be tolerated, most molten metals react with high levels of oxygen and

nitrogen causing inclusions, porosity, or embrittlement. In addition to shielding the electrode

and the base metal from contamination, the inert gases and any reactive gases form the

plasma that stabilizes the arc. The two most common types of power sources used in GMAW are constant voltage and

pulsed current. A constant-voltage power source delivers a relatively fixed voltage during

welding, with a slight decrease in voltage as more current is required (about 2 V drop for

each 100 A). An initial arc length, La, is determined by the combination of the arc voltage

(set at the power source) and the electrode feed rate. A constant-voltage power source is

inherently stable; any perturbation in the contact-tube-to-work distance, CTWD, changes the

circuit impedance and is balanced by an instantaneous change in the current [1]. The

magnitude of the current change is determined by the slope (drop in voltage as the current

increases) of the characteristic curve of the power source. The power-source designer chooses

a slope that increases the arc power when the arc is short and decreases the arc power when

the arc is long, stabilizing the arc length.

In a pulsed-current power source, the arc current is switched between high- and lowcurrent intervals. The high-current interval serves to melt the electrode tip, pinch the molten

column into droplets, and propel the droplets toward the base metal. The low-current interval

serves to maintain the arc between the high-current pulses and preheats the electrode. A

pulsed-current power source typically requires a feedback control system in the electrode

feeder to compensate for changes in CTWD.

1.2 Nomenclature

Figure 1 also identifies the following parameters:

Ls Electrode extension, the length of the electrode that projects beyond the contact tube to

the arc.

La Arc length, the distance from the tip of the electrode (where melting occurs) to the

weld pool.

CTWD Contact-tube-to-work distance, the distance from the contact tube to the base metal,

also equal to the sum of the electrode extension, Ls and the arc length, La

.

Vt Total voltage drop, from power source to base metal.

2
Va Arc voltage, the voltage drop from the tip of the electrode to the base metal.

Vs Voltage drop from the point of current transfer to the tip of the electrode; in this figure

the point of current transfer is assumed to be at the tip of the contact tube.

1.3 Contact Tube Wear

A contact tube is usually a copper alloy with a diameter (bore size) 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm

larger than the welding electrode, depending on the tube hardness [2]. The tube aligns the

electrode with respect to the welding gun and serves to transfer the welding current from the

tube to the electrode. The electrode probably touches the contact tube in several places, so

the current is shared between the contact tube and the electrode in a parallel circuit, yet most

of the current travels through the contact tube until the final contact at the tip [3], Less

current travels through the electrode because (1) the electrode has a resistivity greater than

that of the copper-alloy contact tube, (2) the electrode has been cold drawn raising its

resistance further, and (3) the electrode has a smaller cross section. The point where the

current transfers from the contact tube tip to the electrode is the location of any arc-related

interaction between the electrode and the contact tube, such as an accentuation of wear in the

presence of ohmic heating.

As the contact tube wears, the point of electrical contact probably moves between

different points within the contact tube. As the point of contact changes, the current travels

through different lengths of electrode to the arc (at least until the electrode can reestablish an

equilibrium length). This varying electrode length leads to instability of the arc and

determines the interval at which the contact tube must be replaced.

When a contact tube wears during manual GMAW, the welder compensates for changes

in arc length by moving the welding gun toward or away from the base metal. The welder

uses visual and audio feedback to identify a worn tube. As automation of GMAW progresses,

a method of automatically monitoring the wear of the contact tube must be developed. An

automatic system would either compensate for a worn tube or instruct the operator to replace

the tube.

1.4 Contact Tube Failure

Failure of the contact tube can be defined as (1) catastrophic obstruction of the electrode

or (2) generation of unacceptable instability in the welding process. Catastrophic obstruction

terminates the weld and replacement of the tube is necessary before welding can continue. If a substantial amount of the contact-tube alloy has been melted and transferred to the weld

pool, the weld may have to be rejected or grinding of the weld may be needed to remove this

crack-prone material. Instability in the weld process occurs gradually, and the contact tube

may be replaced between welds. If the instability is not noticed or corrected, the weld quality

3
can deteriorate until the welds will not pass visual or NDE acceptance criteria. Weld quality

may also be affected by increased wear of the contact tube because the electrode position may

exceed position tolerances.

There are three types of catastrophic failure of contact tubes: (1) fusion of the electrode to

the inside of the contact tube, (2) clogging of the tube due to weld spatter or other debris, and

(3) melting the entire tip of the contact tube. If current consistently transfers to the electrode

through a specific region of the tube, that region may overheat and the electrode may fuse to

the inside of the tube at the point of current transfer. This fusion occurs when either the tube,

the electrode, or both reach their melting temperature [2], A contact tube tip can also melt

if the arc length increases until it reaches the tip of the contact tube. Catastrophic failure also

occurs when debris accumulates inside the tube, causing the electrode feed to hesitate and

ultimately to stop. For titanium, DeNale and Lukens found that a copper-titanium

intermetallic layer grew inside the contact tube until the electrode could not feed any more

[2]. For most electrodes, the problem is the reverse; the contact tube wears. In these cases,

any intermetallic compounds that might form apparently bond to the electrode and are carried

out of the contact tube.

Failure of a contact tube can be defined as when the contact tube causes unacceptable

instabilities in steady-state welding. The welding engineer must decide in each application

when the instability starts to cause unacceptable weld quality, in characteristics such as weld

profile, weld-bead alignment with the joint, penetration, or the risk of catastrophic failure.

1.5 Tube Wear with a Constant-Voltage Power Source

In a constant-voltage GMAW process, the power source voltage, K„ is maintained

nearly constant (changing only slightly in response to changes in the current). Under steadystate conditions, the current transfer point can be assumed to be at the tip of the contact tube,

and the electrode extension, Ls

., can be assumed to remain constant during the weld.

However, if Ls changes as the point of current transfer varies, the steady state assumptions are no longer valid. If Ls increases, current decreases due to an instantaneous increase in

electrode resistance. This results in an increase in voltage drop across the electrode and a decreased voltage drop across the arc, Va

. The decrease in Va, arc length (La), and welding

current result in a decrease in power or heat input to the base metal. This reduction in heat

should not severely change the welding conditions because, before long, the point of current

transfer returns to the end of the contact tube and the electrode returns to its equilibrium

length. However, instantaneous changes in the circuit resistance can be detected by changes

in the circuit voltage and current.

4
1.6 Tube Wear with a Pulsed-Current Power Source

A pulsed-current power source with voltage feedback control of the electrode feed speed

reacts to wear of the contact tube in a different manner. The current is maintained at a set

value by the power source. When La changes due to wear, the voltage ( Vt) changes. In

response, the feedback control system increases or decreases the electrode feed speed. If the

electrode feed speed system is not critically damped, any overshoot in the feed speed creates

oscillation in the arc length until the system stabilizes. When welding is performed at a high

travel speed, the variations in arc length affect weld quality by changing the bead width.

1.7 Wear Mechanisms

Wear, in the case of sliding contact between two bodies, is the removal of surface

material and transformation of the surface. Although several different wear mechanisms may

be occurring simultaneously in a contact tube during GMAW, abrasion and adhesion seem to

be the major contributors to the deterioration of a contact tube when welding with a steel

electrode.

Abrasive wear is the removal of material by a hard asperity between the contact tube and

the electrode, or the addition of a foreign body. Foreign bodies may be oxides embedded in

the surface or wear particles formed during sliding. Resistance to abrasive wear is a function

of hardness, and experiments have shown that abrasive wear occurs when the Vickers

hardness (HV) of the asperity is 1.5 times greater than the abraded surface [4], Even if the

difference in hardness between the electrode and the contact tube were less, oxides and

intermetallic compounds (formed by diffusion when heat is present) may meet this hardness

criterion.

A steel electrode (ER 100S-1) with a tensile strength of 700 to 770 MPa has a hardness

of 205 HV to 222 HV, while a copper alloy has a hardness of approximately 70 HV [5,6].

Although both these values underestimate the hardness of materials that have been cold

worked, the hardness ratio for the two materials is still about 3, so they meet the differential

hardness criterion for abrasive wear.

Adhesion wear can be due to cold welding (formation of a metallurgical bond when

materials are below their melting temperature) or hot welding (melting of one of the

materials). Cold welding requires atomically clean surfaces for the bonding to occur. In the

GMAW environment, the electrode surface is often oxidized, contaminated by debris, or

coated with a lubricant to enhance feeding. In spite of these surface coatings, virgin surfaces

can be exposed. These atomically clean surfaces are generated by asperities plowing through

surface films of lubricants or oxides. Cold welding between these virgin surfaces of the

electrode and the contact tube creates a bond which must be sheared by the electrode feeder

or catastrophic feed failure occurs. If the cold weld between the electrode and the contact

tube is strong (often the case with an intermetallic compound), the joint might shear within

5
either the adjacent electrode or the contact tube metal. The failure of any cold welds for

GMAW using a steel electrode and a copper alloy contact tube must occur within the contact

tube because the diameter of the contact tube increases over time.

Gas metal arc welding with a titanium electrode and a copper-alloy contact tube provides

an example of adhesion wear due to a hot weld. If the contact tube is heated to 1493 K by

an arc within the tube, a localized pool of copper develops on the inside of the tube.

Titanium dissolves in the molten copper, forming a low-melting-point eutectic that later

solidifies as a hard intermetallic compound. This compound bonds strongly to the interior of

the contact tube, resulting in an accumulation of hard intermetallic compounds inside the

contact tube [2],

The removal of surface material can be quantified by wear volume, where wear volume

(V) is proportional to the distance (1) or time of sliding, according to the formula

V = K

l H ’ ( 1 )

where H is the hardness of the softer material and K is some parameter specific to the wear

conditions. This parameter may be a function of the normal load, the area of contact or the

shape of the asperity [4].

2. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

The welding arc is affected not only by the shielding gas and power source, as described

in the introduction, but also by electrode orientation and movement with respect to the base

plate.

The electrode orientation can be defined by two angles, the travel angle (leading or

trailing) and the work angle, as illustrated in Figure 2. In this study, the travel angle was

adjusted for the most stable arc and this value was kept constant within each test matrix. The

work angle was set as small as possible and was kept constant for each test matrix.

The travel speed was selected near the middle of the range used in production

environments and was kept constant for each test matrix. The travel speed was relatively

unimportant in this study because we were not concerned with the microstructure, the variable

affected most by the heat input.

To investigate the various aspects of wear, several tests were used. These included

simulated wear tests (which separated the effect of tube diameter from interior surface damage

due to actual wear), three groups of wear tests, and an evaluation of the effect of electrode

weave. The procedures were customized for each test group, as described in the following

sections.

6
Figure 2. Electrode positioning: work angle and travel angle.

2.1 Simulated Wear Tests

A simple test was designed to simulate wear of a contact tube. New tubes were drilled

to produce a range of internal diameters. The increasing diameters simulated the loss in

electrode alignment that occurs when a tube is worn; however, the clean internal surface

neglected the oxidation or other damage that occurs on the internal surface of the tube. The

voltage and current were monitored and analyzed as welds were made with a constant-voltage

power source and constant electrode feed rate. Droplet frequency, the rate of formation of

drops of molten electrode which are propelled to the weld pool, was calculated from highspeed images of the weld [7].

The power source output of 32 V was filtered with a transistorized current regulator to

reduce power-line ripple below 0.1 V. The polarity was direct-current electrode positive

(DCEP), in which the welding electrode is positive and the base metal is negative. The

electrode was fed at 10 m/min, which produced a current of 300 A. A stationary, watercooled, straight welding gun was positioned normal to the plate surface. The base metal was

fastened to a motorized carriage under the stationary gun and moved with a velocity of 20

cm/min. The contact-tube-to-work distance (CTWD) was set at 13.5 mm, and the shielding

gas was a mixture of 95 percent Ar and 5 percent C02

. Through-the-arc imaging and the

specific features of our imaging system have been described previously [7,8], The

magnification of the video system was 4.4, producing a resolution of 0.1 mm/pixel.

7
Standard contact tubes with a bore diameter of 1.4 mm were drilled to diameters of

1.5 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.85 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.1 mm, and 2.24 mm. One contact

tube with a bore diameter of 1.3 mm was used to represent an undersized bore. The electrode

was an E70S-3 (low carbon steel) with a 1.14 mm diameter.

Three welds of 8 s duration were made with each contact tube, for a total of 30 welds.

The welding voltage and current were acquired at a rate of 2000 samples/s.

The following data was calculated for each contact tube:

1. Mean and standard deviation of current,

2. Power spectral density (PSD) of current,

3. Droplet frequency, and

4. Length of electrode from the gas cup to the arc.

2.2 Actual Wear Tests

The actual wear tests were conducted in three groups. The combination of power source,

contact tube, and other details are described in the following sections.

2.2.1. Wear Test. Group I. Group I used a commercial pulsed-current power source with

voltage feedback control of the electrode feed speed. The polarity was DCEP. A curved

water-cooled welding gun was used with a 0° work angle, a 10° trailing travel angle, and a

long-life contact tube alloy (as described by the manufacturer). The base plate carriage was

set at a travel speed of 14.7 cm/min, and the CTWD was 19 mm. Shielding gas was a

mixture of 95 percent Ar and 5 percent C02 at a flow rate of 1.13 m

3/h. The average current

setting ranged from 225 A to 250 A.

The average dimensions of the carbon steel base metal plates were 25 cm x 50 cm x

2 cm. After approximately 3 min of welding, the CTWD was checked and the gun was

repositioned on a clean region of the base plate. Repositioning was necessary to maintain a

consistent direction of travel and corresponding travel angle.

The current and electrode feed speed were measured at internal test points in the pulse

power source. The internal electrode feed test point measures the input voltage to the

electrode feed motor, and is generated by the internal feedback control system of the power

supply. It is only approximately proportional to the actual electrode feed speed, but provided

a convenient way to measure the feed stability. The voltage was measured across the two

output terminals of the power source. The voltage, wire feed speed (WFS), and current were

acquired at rates of 200, 800, and 2000 samples/s. The signals were low-pass filtered (to

eliminate aliasing) at 90 Hz, 360 Hz and 900 Hz, respectively. The PSD of the voltage was

calculated for analysis.

8
2.2.2. Wear Test Group II . Group II is similar to Group I except that standard life contact

tubes were used. The mean current setting ranged from 150 to 220 A and the data

acquisition rates for voltage, WFS, and current were 200, 220, and 2000 samples/s. For the

lower sampling rates the signal was first sent through 90 Hz and 100 Hz low-pass filters

before computer acquisition. The PSD of the voltage and the area under the curve of the PSD

of the voltage from 0 to 4 Hz, a, were calculated from the acquired data.

2.2.3. Wear Test. Group III. Group III used the pulsed-current power source and a straight

water-cooled welding gun with 0° work and travel angles. Standard-life contact tubes (but

from a different manufacturer) were used. Every 9 to 18 min, the welding was stopped to

confirm that the CTWD (19 mm) was correct and to measure the change in contact tube

diameter with calipers. The shielding gas was 95 percent Ar and 5 percent C02 , the mean

operating current was 300 A, the data acquisition rates for the voltage and WFS were 200

samples/s, and the low pass filter was set at 90 Hz. Two tube compositions were used:

composition A was termed "standard life" by the manufacturer, and composition B was

termed "extended life." The following information was calculated from the acquired data:

1. PSD of the voltage.

2. Area under the curve of the PSD of the voltage, a.

3. Wear volume, contact surface, and arc length for the tube.

2.3 Weave Test

A weave of 1 Hz was used in a single wear test to determine its effect on the lowfrequency PSD data. Any changes in the CTWD due to the weave procedure are expected to

appear within the 0 to 4 Hz frequency range of the power spectral density data. The test

utilized the straight water-cooled weld gun at a 0° work angle and a 10° trailing travel angle,

with the standard 1 .4-mm-intemal-diameter tube. The shielding gas mixture was 95 percent

Ar and 5 percent C02, the travel speed was set at 14.7 cm/min and the acquisition rate was

220 samples/s. A 6-mm-thick steel bar was tack-welded to the base metal plate and tilted to

approximately a 45° angle to simulate a V-groove joint (Figure 3). The stroke on the

horizontal oscillator was set to 10 mm and the CTWD was 19 mm.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Simulated Wear Tests (Drilled Contact Tubes)

3,1.1. Current Analysis. The mean and standard deviation of the welding current were

calculated and plotted for the three weld tests conducted for each bore size. Figure 4 is the

graph of mean current versus bore size (1.4 mm is standard bore), and Figure 5 is the graph

of the standard deviation of current taken at each bore size. In previous experiments, Heald

reported a small increase in the standard deviation of the weld current with an increase in

9
Figure 3. Weave test.

bore diameter [7]. However, the results of these tests do not show a correlation between

standard deviation of current and bore size.

Another measure of arc stability is the magnitude of the PSD curve. We calculated a

using the fast Fourier transform [9]. Figure 6 shows the PSD current curves for frequencies

Figure 4. Mean current versus bore size.

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1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7

Bore Diameter (mm)

1.8 1.9

Figure 5. SD of current versus bore size.

from 0 to 100 Hz, for varying bore diameters. This frequency range was selected for analysis

because it contained the largest variations in the PSD magnitude as wear occurred. However,

no consistent trend in current PSD magnitudes could be related to the bore diameters.

3.1.2. Voltage Analysis. The PSD of the arc voltage data is plotted in Figure 7. The lower

frequency range of 0 to 50 Hz was selected for observation, and does not show a uniform

increase with bore diameter.

3.1.3, Droplet Frequency Analysis. The droplet frequency was calculated by counting the

number of frames which passed during the development of 10 drops of molten electrode. The

duration of each frame was one-thousandth of a second. Figures 8 and 9 graph the droplet

frequency and standard deviation versus bore diameter. The average droplet frequency

increases with bore size with a low SD until the bore diameter of 1.85 mm is reached, at

which point the average droplet frequency and SD peak. The high-speed images of the

welding revealed that all contact tube diameters produced smaller secondary droplets along

with a major droplet. The major droplets were counted to determine droplet frequency. The

droplet form changed from small discrete droplets with short necking of the electrode, to

elongated droplets generated from a long narrow neck. Between the bore diameters of 1.98

mm and 2.2 mm, the mode of transfer changed from discreet droplets to a stream of molten

11
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Figure 7. PSD voltage - 0 to 50 Hz for varying bore diameter.

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Figure 8. Droplet frequency versus bore size.

Bore Diameter (mm)

Figure 9. SD of droplet frequency versus bore size.

13
electrode. Figure 10. Current affects droplet transfer mode, and the increase in average

current with bore diameter may explain the change in droplet formation [7].

3.1.4. Arc Length Analysis. The extremes in arc length were calculated by measuring the

visible electrode length for each tube on the video records. One effect of wear in a contact

tube is an erratic arc length. Therefore, a greater spread in arc length was expected for an

increase in bore diameter, but Figure 1 1 indicates no such correspondence.

3.1.5. Discussion of Simulated Wear Tests. The standard deviation (SD) of droplet

frequency may be of use in selecting an optimum ratio of contact-tube diameter to electrode

diameter for a constant-potential GMAW process. The low standard deviations of droplet

frequency occur for a ratio of contact-tube-to-electrode ratio less than 1.62 mm/mm, as shown

in Figure 12. The preferred droplet transfer mode occurs at a bore diameter less than 1.98

mm or a ratio of tube diameter to electrode diameter of less than 1.73 mm/mm.

VISIBLE

ELECTRODE

LENGTH

VISIBLE

ELECTRODE

LENGTH

Figure 10. Change in droplet profile with enlarging bore size, with the larger bore on the

right.

14
Figure 1 1 . Range of visible electrode length versus bore size.

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Figure 12. SD of droplet frequency versus ratio of bore/ electrode diameters.

15
3.2 Actual Wear Tests

3.2.1 Wear Test Group I. Table 1 summarizes the results for the welds of Group I. Electrode feed speed data (acquired at 2000 samples/s) were analyzed by counting the number

of "outliers," defined as points where the WFS exceeded some multiple of the SD of electrode

feed speed. The multiple was varied to find an increasing trend in the number of outliers with

welding time.

Table 1 - Actual wear test - Group I.

Tube

number

Welding

time

(min)

Mean

amperage

(A)

WFS sample

rate

(samples/s) Comments

LWO 20 225 2000 E70S-3 electrode was

unstable, terminated test

LW1 19 250 2000 ER100S-1 electrode

LW2 42 250 2000 Switched from 250 A to

225 A after 28 minutes

LW4 135 250 2000 Electrode ran out at 135

minutes

LW10 48 220 200,2000 Electrode ran out

LW162 220 200,2000 Leaky gas o-ring, moved

contact tube, stopped

welding

Note: Shielding Gas was 95 percent Ar - 5 percent C02

This increasing trend in outliers appeared in the WFS data of contact tube LW4 with a

limit of 3 times the SD. The outliers technique was not successful in providing a consistent

rising trend relative to wear. Variations in electrode feed speed are a low-frequency

phenomenon, therefore the acquisition rate was changed to include both 200 and 2000

samples/s for later tests in Group I. The analysis of the PSD curve for the arc voltage showed an increased area under the

curve in the 0 to 4 Hz frequency range for LW10 and LW11. Figure 13 shows the actual

voltage recorded during welding with a single contact tube. The envelope of the voltage

appears more ragged as wear progresses; this variation was also observed visually in the arc during testing. As wear advanced, the arc became more erratic.

16
Canuci Tip Wear

5

a.occ

100

94

82

no 39 2u*

27

12

1

Time(s)

Mean vohage = 24 -k 0.2 (v) for all samples

Figure 13. Voltage signal with increasing weld time.

The voltage (V) was sampled at time zero with a new contact tube at 200 cycles per s for a total of 90 s, and every 1 0 to 15 min thereafter. The voltage data were normalized

according to

( 2)

where V is the mean voltage and V' is the normalized voltage. Since the majority of voltage

variance occurred in the 0 to 4 Hz range, the PSD in this frequency range was integrated to

give

4Hz

a = f

P(V)df , (J)

0

where F is frequency. To better indicate wear, a was normalized with a at L=0 calculated

when the contact tube is first placed in the welding gun:

W(L) = -5®- , (4)

a(L=0)

where L is the total length of the electrode consumed using the contact tube and W is our

wear parameter.

17
3.2,2 Wear Test Group II . Table 2 summarizes the results for the Group II welds.

Table 2. Actual wear test - Group II.

Tube

number

Welding

time

(min)

Mean

current

(A)

Sample

rate

(samples/s) Comments

SW1 105 150 200, 2000 95% Ar - 5% 02 shielding

gas

SW2 99 150 200 Tube moved, stopped at 99

min

SW3 102 150 200

SW4 140 220 200 SW4 used in weave test

and bore was measured

Note: Shielding gas for SW2, SW3, and SW4 was 95 percent Ar and 5 percent C02

.

Figures 14 and 15 show W of arc voltage versus length of electrode consumed for contact

tubes with different compositions and designs, different weld gases, and different average

currents. W steadily increased, reaching a peak (Wp) in all cases. After Wp was attained, the

wear parameter became erratic, leveling off or decreasing in value. Wp can be identified in

each case.

Figure 14.

1

18
8

-

7-

6

-

Wp (SW4)

CD

100 200 300 400 500

Length of Electrode (m)

600 700 800

Figure 15. fV of tubes SW2, SW3, and SW4.

3.2.3 Wear Test Group III . Group III used the same pulsed-current power supply as Group I and II, but a straight gun (instead of a curved neck) and contact tubes of different alloys were

used, see Table 3. The current was increased to 300 A, in order to operate at the

recommended upper limit for the welding conditions.

Table 3. Actual wear test - Group III.

Tube

number

Welding

time

(min)

Mean

amperage

(amperes)

Sample

rate

(samples/sec) Comments

A1 252 300 200 Standard life tube alloy,

1.4 mm (0.054 in)

A2 90 300 200 same tube as A1

Bl 418 300 200 Extended life tube alloy,

1.4 mm (0.054 in)

Cl 90 300 200 Standard life tube alloy,

1.4 mm-1.6 mm (0.054 in

- 0.062 in)

Note: Shielding gas 95 percent Ar and 5 percent C02

. Diameters of worn bores were

measured for A2, Bl, and Cl tubes.

19
In Group III, the W and companion bore were measured. The initial bore diameter at

time zero (D0 ) and the length of the elongated bore developed in the direction of the cast (Dm ) were measured.

Cast is the curvature inherent in the electrode from electrode drawing and winding onto

the spool. All wound electrode has a cast and whether a straight or curved gun is used, wear

develops in the direction of the cast. Figure 16 is a typical wear pattern for the GMAW

process.

The dimensionless wear ratio (R) is created by dividing the enlarging diameter (Dm ) by

the original bore diameter (D0

). Figures 17, 18, 19, and 20 show changes in W and R with

the increasing length of electrode fed through the tube during welding, for Group III and S4.

is identified in each graph. The wear ratio which occurs at the same time Wp is reached

is labeled Rp

. The wear ratio Rp is not the peak wear ratio; it is the wear ratio which

corresponds to the point at which the largest area under the power spectral density curve is

reached (Wp

). For the straight welding gun, Rp falls within a range from 1.44 to 1.55.

Figure 16. Wear pattern for GMAW process with steel electrode.

20
Figure 17. W and R versus length of electrode fed for Tube A2.

Figure 18. W and R versus length of electrode fed for Tube Bl.

21

R

(mm/mm)
Figure 19. W and R versus length of electrode fed for Tube Cl..

Figure 20. W and R versus length of electrode fed for Tube S4.

22

R

(mm/mm)
3,2.4 Sectioned Contact Tubes. Tubes A2, Bl, Cl, and S4 were cut longitudinally, on a

plane perpendicular to the direction of wear. The areas of erosion and adhesion were detected

and measurements taken with an image analyzer, see Table 4.

Table 4. Contact tube measurements.

Tube

number

Wear length

(mm)

Adhesion length

(mm)

Calculated

approach angle,

a (degrees)

A2 15.32 1.754 .0533

Bl 16.07 1.564 .0531

Cl 12.89 1.910 0787

S4 14.10 8.540 .0880

Figure 21 shows the contact tube section which is perpendicular to the direction of wear,

along with the wear and adhesion area, for tubes A2, Bl, Cl, and S4.

3.2,5 Discussion of Actual Wear Tests. To determine a relationship between Wp and Rp

, the

following were calculated; the change in tube exit contact length, contact surface area

between the electrode and the contact tube during welding, and the volume of copper worn

from the tube in relation to the angle of approach (a) and Dm. Figure 22 displays the

geometric relationship between the electrode and the contact tube during welding. As the

weld progresses, the electrode wears away the outlet of the contact tube in the direction of

cast. The wear continues until the electrode has worn a notch, with the contour of the

electrode, into the tube (P = 180°).

Then, the contact that was originally a line at the exit between the electrode and the tube

has reached a maximum, and the volume rate of wear decreases. The wear volume rate

changes because the line contact reaches it maximum value. Figures 23, 24, and 25. This

occurrence closely corresponds to a value for W (for A2, B 1 , and C 1 with a straight weld

gun) at R equal to 1 .47 mm/mm.

As wear progresses, the point of current transfer can move within the electrode-tube

contact surface, which is greater for a smaller approach angle (a). The voltage variance is

produced by the changes in the voltage drop across the electrode extension and would

continuously increase as the surface area of contact increases. Yamada and Tanaka

determined that the point of current transfer is confined to the bottom one-fourth of the

contact tube and that current passes to the electrode without sparking [3], The voltage

23
% 1.7 5mm1 imxj* jjpgBgj

\'Z**4ozv:, 1 1

r—j^w ?wri ixiT'itw

1 ii-rii rrrt 1 1-

1 ir n^jao^ . ^ 15.23mm

B I

S4

Figure 21. Sectioned contact tubes.

24
CONTACT ARC

INNER

TUBE

SURFA

CONTACT SURFACE

APPROACH ANGLE CO

ELECTRODE

CONTACT TUBE

ELECTRDDE

Figure 22. Electrode and tube wear configuration.

25
Configuration parameters versus R

Figure 23. Arc length of contact versus R .

180-

—— Tub* A2 —Tuba B1 —— Tub* Cl Tub* S4

Figure 24. Contact area versus R .

Tub* A2 —Tub* 81 —Tub* Cl Tub* S4

Figure 25. Wear volume versus R .

26
variance would be a function of surface contact area and is not necessarily a low-frequency

process. If surface contact area were the only factor, tubes tested with the straight gun would

have W magnitudes greater than those for tubes with the curved gun, because the approach

angle is less and the surface area of contact is greater for the depth of wear. The results of

wear tests in this report do not indicate this.

The contact tube, S4, used in the curved gun has a larger ratio of adhesion area to surface

contact area than the tubes used in a straight gun. Therefore, other factors, such as contact

pressure, may affect the actual adhesion area. The low-frequency voltage variance in a GMAW process with a pulsed-current power

source and feedback control of the WFS, develops from a combination of variations in

electrode extension and fluctuation in WFS due to adhesion. As mentioned earlier, adhesion

(cold welding and hot welding) between the surfaces of the electrode and tube creates a

junction which can be destroyed by the sliding motion of the electrode. Because the tube

material is eroded with weld time for the steel electrode, separation occurs at the tube side of

the junction.

When WFS is interrupted due to an adhesive bond, arc voltage increases, and in the weld

power source used the electrode feed motor increases speed to compensate. As soon as the

adhesive bond fails, the WFS is no longer restricted, but the controller has already

recommended an increase in speed. The combined rise in speed lengthens the electrode

extension and shortens the arc length. Then the controller signals the electrode feed motor to

decrease speed. This cycle is affected by the control system, dynamics of the feeder motor,

and frequency of adhesive bonds.

The maximum variance of the arc voltage (JF

p) at these low frequencies coincides with

the point of maximum line contact at the exit of the tube and at the decrease in the rate of

wear volume. If current transfer is limited to the extreme tip of the tube, the probability of

adhesive bonds forming depends upon the line of physical contact between the electrode and

the tube. The low-frequency changes in WFS are the consequence of increased frequency of

adhesive contact between the electrode and the tube due to the enlarging line contact.

3.3 Weave Test

The welding test for tube S4 included testing with a 1 Hz weave imposed on the weld

data. Test welds alternated between a linear weld progression (stringer bead) and an

oscillating weld progression (weave bead). Figure 26 displays the PSD of voltage for a

stringer bead collected immediately after replacing the contact tube (time 0) and the weave

bead data collected thereafter (3 min.).

Spikes at 1 Hz and at multiples of the weave frequency result from the voltage variation

caused by the weaving (Figure 27).

27
0.09

Figure 26. PSD voltage for sequential stringer and 1 Hz weave beads with a new contact

tube.

OSCILLATION

<=> c=C>

Figure 27. Weave geometry.

28
Figure 28 shows W for the stringer test weld and the 1 Hz weave test weld. The value of

W for a weave bead can presently be used as a wear monitor only if welding conditions are kept constant. Welding a weave bead along a skewed path or filling a groove with multiple

passes, creates variations in the frequency and magnitude of the weave voltage data [10].

Figure 28. W versus length of electrode for stringer and weave tests.

IV. CONCLUSIONS

1 . Through-the-arc sensing can detect contact tube wear for the conditions of these tests. These experiments show that the variance of the welding voltage correlates to contact

tube wear.

2. The area, W, under the power spectral density curve from 0 to 4 Hz identifies a point

in welding when the voltage variance has reached a maximum, and the electrode has

worn a slot with the maximum length of contact in the contact tube. This point can be

used to indicate the time to replace the tube.

3. The simulated-wear tests suggest that a contact-tube-to-electrode-bore ratio of less than

1.6 would provide a droplet-transfer mode with low standard deviation of droplet

frequency, thus providing consistent weld characteristics.

29
Acknowledgments

Financial and technical support from the U.S. Navy Programmable Automated Welding

System (PAWS) program, Charles Null, NAVSEA 5142, Program Manager, and R.A. Morris,

Naval Surface Weapons Center, Technical Manager, is acknowledged. R.B. Madigan, of

NIST, provided expertise in welding and instrumentation. S. Liu, of the Colorado School of

Mines, provided insight into the effects of electrode weave and arranged the use of some

equipment.

V. REFERENCES

1. American Welding Society (AWS). 1991. Welding Handbook; Welding Processes.

Ed. R. L. O'Brien. 8th ed. Vol 2. Miami, Florida.

2. DeNale, R. and Lukens, W.E. 1986. Increasing Contact Tube Life During Titanium

Gas Metal Arc Welding. Welding Journal . 65(1 ):28-33

3. Yamada, T. and Tanaka, O. 1987. Fluctuation of the Wire Feed Rate in Gas Metal

Arc Welding. Welding Journal . 66(9):35-42.

4. Schey, J.A. 1983. Tribology in Metal Working; Friction, Lubrication and Wear. ASM

International. Metals Park, Ohio.

5. Brandis, E.A. 1983. Smithells Metals Reference Book. Butterworths, London.

6. Copper and Copper Alloys. 1989. Volume 02.01 of Annual Book of ASTM Standards.

American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia.

7. Heald, P.R., Madigan, R.B., Siewert, T.A., and Liu, S., 1991. Droplet Transfer

Modes for a MIL 100S-1 GMAW Electrode. NISTIR 3976. National Institute for

Standards and Technology. Gaithersburg, Maryland.

8. Eagar, T.W., Allemand, C.D., Schoeder, R., and Ries, D.E. 1985. A Method for

Filming Metal Transfer in Welding Arcs. Welding Journal . 64(1 ):45 to 47

9. Bendat & Piersol, 1971. Random Data: Analysis and Measurement Procedures. Wiley-Interscience. New York, N.Y.

10. Cook, G., Randall, M., Shepard, M., Yizhang, L. 1986. Adaptive Submerged Arc

Welding Control. International Conference on Trends in Welding Research. S.A.

David, ed. ASM International. Metals Park, Ohio.

30
BL-114A

(5-90)

ADMAN 15.01

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA SHEET

PUBLICATION OR REPORT NUMBER

NISTIR 3996

2! PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER

B92-0261

3. PUBLICATION DATE

September 1992

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Sensing of Contact Tube Wear in Gas Metal Arc Welding

5. AUTHOR (S) M.A. Momis, T.P. Quinn, T.A. Siewert and J.P.H. Steele

6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION (IF JOINT OR OTHER THAN NIST, SEE INSTRUCTIONS)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

BOULDER, COLORADO 80303-3328

7. CONTRACT/GRANT NUMBER

8. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED

9. SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS (STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP) U.S. Navy - David Taylor Research Center

Code 2815

Annapolis, Maryland 21402-5067

10. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

11. ABSTRACT (A 200-WORD OR LESS FACTUAL SUMMARY OF MOST SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION. IF DOCUMENT INCLUDES A SIGNIFICANT BIBLIOGRAPHY OR

UTERATURE SURVEY, MENTION IT HERE.)

Welding tests confirmed that the circuit voltage can serve as a thro ugh-the-arc

sensing parameter for monitoring contact tube wear in gas metal arc welding. The integral power

spectral density curve (IV) of the voltage, within the 0 to 4 Hz range, correlated with wear. W

in this frequency range was found to measure the arc stability, which degraded as the contact tube

was eroded by the electrode. Wreached a peak value when the wear reached the maximum line

contact between the electrode and the contact tube, then the W became erratic as the electrode

started to oscillate within the slot that had worn in the tube.

12. KEY WORDS (6 TO 12 ENTRIES; ALPHABETICAL ORDER; CAPITAUZE ONLY PROPER NAMES; AND SEPARATE KEY WORDS BY SEMICOLONS)

contact tube wear; current; gas metal arc welding; sensing; through-the-arc sensing;

voltage; weld sensing

13. AVAILABILITY UNUMITED

FOR OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTION. DO NOT RELEASE TO NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE (NTIS).

X

X

ORDER FROM SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,

WASHINGTON, DC 20402. ORDER FROM NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE (NTIS), SPRINGFIELD, VA 22161.

14. NUMBER OF PRINTED PAGES

39

15. PRICE

A03

ELECTRONIC FORM
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