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

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 degrees to 13 degrees, 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.