Switch back technique enhances the productivity of the TIG welding process

The switch back technique consists of an oscillatory movement of the torch applied in the longitudinal direction of the welding. This method has already been studied with the MIG/MAG process in different works which indicated the advantages of its use. The most relevant impacts concern the increased welding speed and the robustness of the procedure, which could potentially be transferred to other welding processes. This paper innovatively presents the study of the switch back technique for the TIG process at high currents. The activities involved the development of robotic infrastructure for the application and development of the respective procedures, as well as special techniques to monitor the welding. The results showed that switch back applied to the TIG process could greatly contribute to a decrease in the incidence of defects, which opens the possibility for developing high-productivity procedures.