coolant system manufacturer for a

recommendation on proper cool

ant solution. All coolants must
be clean. Otherwise, blocked pas
sages may cause overheating and
damage the equipment. It is advis
able to use a water strainer or filter
on the coolant supply source. This
prevents scale, rust, and dirt from
entering the hose assembly. If the
fuse becomes clogged, it should
be disassembled and cleaned.
The rate of coolant flow
through the torch is important.
Rates that are too low may de
crease cooling efficiency. Rates
that are too high damage the torch
and service line. The direction the
coolant flows through the torch is
Fig. 18-49 Arc shape and weld bead geometry as a function of electrode tip angle in pure critical. It should flow from the
argon shielding. American Welding Society. Key, J.F., 1980, Anode/Cathode Geometry and Shielding coolant source directly through
Gas Interrelationships in GAW. Welding Journal 59(12):364s370s the water hose to the torch head.
The torch head is the hottest spot
The recirculating coolant must be of the proper type. in the cooling system and should be cooled first with the
Since high frequency is being used, it should be deion coolant at its most efficient thermal transfer temperature.
ized to prevent the coolant from bleeding off the high fre This coolant, upon leaving the torch head, should cool the
quency prior to the coolant making it to the arc. If the electrode power cable on its return to the recirculating
ambient temperature can drop below freezing, the coolant system or drain.
must also be protected. Do not use antifreeze that con
Cables and Hoses
tains leak preventers or other additives. Some method of
reducing algae growth is advisable as well as including Tungsten electrode torches must be supplied with electric
a lubricant for the circulating pump. Consult with the current and shielding gas, and, if water cooled, they must
be provided with a supply of coolant. Electricity, gas, and
coolant are conducted to the torch by means of a copper
3/32 -Diameter Tungsten

Balled Semipointed Pointed

Water Outlet
Hose Assembly
Fuse
Assembly

A.C. Enhanced Square Wave DCEN Cable

(Pure) (Thorium, Cerium, (Thorium, Cerium, Fuse Link
Lanthanum) Lanthanum) Lug

Fig. 18-50 Balled tungsten used for an a.c. sine wave power
source. Fig. 18-51 Fuse and hose assembly.

Gas Tungsten Arc and Plasma Arc Welding Principles Chapter 18579
cable and flexible hose. When the torch is a manual one, it
is usually desirable to cool the current-conductor cable by Table 18-8 Weld Comparison
enclosing it in one of the water supply hoses, which per
5
8-in. Thick18% Maraging Steel
mits a very good flexible conductor, Fig.1844, page 574.
Plastic hoses are used for inert gases, since helium will Cold Wire Hot Wire
diffuse through o rdinary rubber and fabric welding hose. Deposition rate (lb/h) 3 11.5
In this case air could enter from the outside, causing Travel speed (in./min) 8 12
contamination. Number of passes 9 5
Welding time (min/ft) 4.4 5.3

TIG Hot Wire Welding

TIG hot wire welding is a mechanized gas tungsten arc Tig Cold Wire
welding process. The filler wire is preheated so that it
is in a molten state as it enters the weld pool. The mol
ten filler metal is added behind the arc to form the weld,
Fig.1852. The heat of the arc, therefore, is concentrated
on the weldnot the wire.
TIG hot wire welding produces TIG quality welds
at the higher speed of MIG welding. The hot wire pro
cess is up to four times faster than TIG cold wire weld
Tig Hot Wire
ing. Welding progresses faster since the heat of the arc
is concentrated entirely on the workpiece. Arc power
is not used for melting the filler wire. Production time
is further reduced by the fewer number of passes re
quired to complete the weld. For a weld comparison, see
Table188 and Fig.1853.
Refer to Table 189 for a comparison of the TIG hot
wire, TIG cold wire, and MIG processes.

Fig. 18-53 A cross-sectional etched view of hot wire and cold

wire TIG welds. Note that the hot wire process required fewer
passes and appears to have a finer grain structure than the cold
wire process. Praxair, Inc.

Fig. 18-52 The weld pool and the addition of hot wire at the trail-
ing edge. Note the highly fluid weld pool. Praxair, Inc.
When too much cold filler wire is fed under the arc,
taking up most of the arc heat, incomplete fusion may re
sult. In hot wire welding, the molten filler wire is intro
duced at the trailing edge of the weld. Incomplete fusion
does not occur for two reasons: (1) the filler metal never
passes under the arc; and (2) the arc heat concentrates di
rectly on fusing the base metal.
The view of the weld pool is not blocked by the cold
wire feed assembly. Fusion of the workpiece under the
arc is clearly visible since the hot wire torch follows the
TIG torch. Welding operators can see the weld of the
base metals without filler metal from one side and with
filler metal from the other side. They also have a clear
front view.
The welds are smooth, strong, and ductile. Postweld
cleaning is not necessary because oxidation and contam
ination are eliminated. This type of welding offers two

580Chapter 18Gas Tungsten Arc and Plasma Arc Welding Principles

 Table 18-9 Typical Welding Conditions for Low and High Alloy Steels and Heat- and Corrosion-
Resistant Materials

MIG TIG Hot Wire TIG Cold Wire

Arc current (A) 350 450 350
Voltage (V) 2628 1214 1113
Welding speed (in./min) 1215 1215 58
Deposition rate (lb/h) 1012 1116 24
No. of passes, 1-in. plate 15 12 35
Weld soundness Usually good; wire quality is a Excellent; wire preheat Very good
factor. eliminates major
cause of porosity.
Filler metals Pass-through arc; it may Commercial alloys High transfer efficiency;
be harmful to transfer satisfactory commercial alloys are
efficiency. usually satisfactory.
Heat input High (spray) or low (short arc) Controllable High
Shielding gas Argon-oxygen, helium, Inert: argon helium Inert: argon helium
carbon dioxide singly or in
combination
Equipment Manual or mechanized Mechanized Manual or mechanized
Process application Limited by transfer efficiency Same as TIG cold wire Very broad; transfer
and reactive gases plus exceptional weld efficiency and inert gas
soundness retain desired properties.

important benefits: (1) porosity is eliminated since pre
heating tends to drive off contaminants; and (2) transfer
efficiency approaches 100 percent because alloys are not
burned up by passing under the arc.
The following equipment is needed for the process:
Torch that transfers the welding current to the wire,
guides the filler metal into the pool, and provides inert
gas shielding as the wire heats, Figs. 1854 and 1855
(p. 582)
Wire feeding unit that provides instant change of
wire feed speed from 50 to 825 inches per minute,
Fig.1854
Constant voltage a.c. power source, Fig.1854
TIG hot wire welding can be used to weld a variety of
steels, titanium, and nickel alloys. It is not recommended
for aluminum or copper due to the low resistance of filler
wires. It is ideal for the fabrication of heavy-wall missiles,
rocket motor casings, pressure vessels, hydrospace equip
ment, and corrosion-resistant piping.
Plasma arc welding (PAW), Fig.1856 (p. 582), was
developed from the TIG process and is sometimes
referred to as super TIG. Plasma arc cutting was in
troduced first, making it possible to cut aluminum and
nonferrous metals with speed and precision. Plasma arc
surfacing then became available. It permits the deposi
tion of a wide range of wear-resistant alloys faster and
with better control than practically any other surfacing
method. Finally, plasma arc welding on a commercial
basis was developed. Today the plasma arc process is
being used for cutting, plating or coating, weld surfac
ing, and welding. Plasma arc welding is a suitable pro
cess for tough-to-weld m etals such as stainless steels,
titanium, and zirconium.
Plasma arc and gas tungsten arc are much alike elec
trically. Both protect the electrode and weld pool with
inert gas. Both use tungsten electrodes. There is a big
difference, however, in the constriction (tightness) of
the arc and in the use of the tungsten electrode. The
TIG electrode sticks out of the gas cup on the torch.
Its arc is conical, and its heat pattern on the work is
wide with shallow penetration. In TIG welding a small
change in torch standoff changes the heat pattern at the
work a great deal, Fig.1857A (p. 583). By comparison,
the concentrated heat and the forceful jet of plasma arc
produce a deep, but narrow, weld, Fig.1857B. Varia
tions in torch standoff change little in the area of the
arc spot on the work.

Gas Tungsten Arc and Plasma Arc Welding Principles Chapter 18581
 Plasma Arc Characteristics
B
Wire Feeder What occurs in a plasma torch, Fig. 1858, is that a
plasma-forming gas is passed through a d.c. arc main
tained between the cathode (negative pole), which is
the tungsten electrode, and an anode (positive pole).
The nozzle of the torch is small enough so that the

Shielding Gas

A
Torch
Hot Wire
Torch
Work

Wire Feed/Power Control

Hot Wire Power Supply Fig. 18-55 The TIG hot wire welding system employs a special
wire feed torch mounted behind the TIG welding torch to supply
Fig. 18-54 A typical TIG hot wire installation: (A) torch, (B)wire molten filler metal to the weld pool. Praxair, Inc.
feeder, and (C) power supply.

A B

Fig. 18-56 (A) A PAW torch mounted on a robot arm. (B) A close-up view of the torch shows that the pilot arc is on.
Note that the arc has not yet transferred to the weldment. Thermadyne Industries, Inc.

582Chapter 18Gas Tungsten Arc and Plasma Arc Welding Principles

 TIG Welding

Argon
25 CFH
Plasma Arc Welding
Plasma Argon
3 CFH

30 Volts Shielding Argon

12 Volts 250 Amps 30 CFH
250 Amps

Work

+
Work
+

A B

Fig. 18-57 Except for the pilot arc, gas tungsten arc and plasma arc welding torches are nearly Fig. 18-58 Plasma arc
alike, electrically. The difference between them is the constricted arc of plasma which forces the arc welding torch. Praxair,
into a column, increases arc temperature, and concentrates the heat at the work. Inc.

gas is forced into intimate contact with the arc. As ex within the torch housing. The arc is struck between
plained in Chapter 6, the intense heat changes the gas a tungsten electrode negative cathode and usually a
into plasma. Its molecules are broken down into ion water-cooled copper anode. The transferred arc puts
ized atoms with a high energy content. Present work more heat on the work and is used mostly in plasma
ing temperatures for the process fall in the 10,000 welding.
to 50,000F range, depending upon the application. Fusion welding is performed with a transferred
Laboratory processes have created temperatures up to arc. The workpiece is connected into the electric cir
100,000F. Compare these flame temperatures with the cuit by means of a work clamp. If the workpiece is not
5,600 to 6,300F of the oxyacetylene flame and other
welding arcs.
In the plasma torch, the arc never touches the Plasma Arc Welding System
nozzle wall, and a layer of cool nonionized gas Electrode
insulates the arc. Total power consumption is as
important as power concentration. (If 50 kilo Orifice Gas
watts are delivered through a nozzle of 18-inch
diameter, a power concentration of 3 megawatts
In
p.s.i. results.) Cooling Water
Out
Welding High
Power Frequency Shielding Gas
Transferred and Nontransferred ArcsThere Supply Generator
are two types of arcs employed by the plasma Gas Lens
equipment: transferred and nontransferred R

arcs. The transferred arc, Fig. 1859, travels Outer Gas Cup
between the electrode and the work, which acts
as an anode. Thus the arc heats the work with Work
electric energy and hot gas. This arc is used for
plasma welding, weld surfacing, and cutting.
The nontransferred arc is struck over Fig. 18-59 A cutaway view of the plasma torch and plasma arc welding system.
a short distance and is entirely contained Note that the work is part of the electric circuit so that the arc is transferred.

Gas Tungsten Arc and Plasma Arc Welding Principles Chapter 18583
grounded, however, the arc is Power and Water
not transferred to the work,
but remains within the torch Wire Feeder
Control Cord
Plasma Gas
nozzle. Only the superheated
jet of gas emerges from the
torch nozzle and provides an Control Shielding
Console Gas
effective heating tool for both D.C. Power
metals and nonconductive ma Source
terials. The nontransferred arc Water Wire
Supply Supply
may be used in special weld
ing applications when a lower Wire Feeder
heat concentration is desir Gas Supply Water Pump or
able. Its main use is in join Heat Exchanger
Torch Wire Liner
ing or cutting nonconductive
materials and for plating or Fig. 18-61 A typical plasma arc welding installation, showing the relationship of each unit.
coating.
Unique to plasma welding is
the keyhole effect in which the plasma jet penetrates the
workpiece completely. Plasma keyholes the front of the Equipment
puddle because the jet blows aside the molten metal and In addition to the torch, the plasma arc system includes
lets the arc pass through the seam. As the torch moves, the power supply, control console (Fig. 1860), and
molten metal, supported by surface tension, flows in be the welders remote-control station. The controls pro
hind and fills the hole. The keyhole assures the operator vide simplicity of operation. Push-button starting and
there will be full-depth welds of uniform quality. stopping of the torch is remotely controlled. A water-
cooling pump is usually needed to ensure a controlled
flow of water to the torch at a steady pressure. This is
necessary to cool the torch nozzle and electrode. Study
Fig. 1861 which shows the relationship of the var
ious equipment units needed to complete the plasma
system.
The power supply shown in Fig. 1862 is a heavy-
duty d.c. rectifier welder that can be used for high cur
rent plasma welding, TIG welding, and stick electrode
welding. (Most plasma welding is performed using
direct current.) It can be used as a plasma welder for
welding steel or stainless steel in thicknesses from
0.001 inch to 0.125 inch in one pass. Variable polar
ity and enhanced a.c. square wave power sources are
available to weld aluminum and magnesium alloy
metals. The welder includes water and gas solenoids,
a postweld shielding gas timer, and a high frequency
generator. Remote and foot controls are available. The
controls contain circuitry for plasma needle arc weld
ing (low current) and are mounted on top of the power
supply. The water-cooled torch operates at 75 amperes
on a 100 percent duty cycle or 100 amperes on a 60
percent duty cycle.
The plasma arc must be mechanized to utilize its
advantages of speed and penetration. The torch is
Fig. 18-60 A 0.5- to 150-amp PAW power source that will op-
erate on 208- to 460-volt a.c. single- or three-phase power. It is mounted on a carriage and is operated with voltage
equipped with interfaces for manual or automatic controls. control units or wire feeders. The size of the main
Thermadyne Industries, Inc. port in the nozzle depends on the amount of welding

584Chapter 18Gas Tungsten Arc and Plasma Arc Welding Principles


Fig. 18-62 A plasma welding unit. Note control on top of
power source and automatic torch with wire delivery system.
Thermadyne Industries, Inc.
current it must carry: the higher the current, the bigger
the orifice.
A multi-orifice nozzle, Fig.1863, changes the shape
of the arc jet and improves certain applications. The
multi-orifice nozzle converts the cylindrical plasma
arc jet into an oval or elongated shape. The resulting
change in heat pattern allows an additional increase in
welding speed of 50 to 100 percent with a narrower
heat-affected zone for many applications.
Welding Gases
In plasma welding, the shielding gas is usually the same
as the plasma gas. Argon can be used with all metals,
but it is not always the best gas for all jobs. Hydrogen
mixed with argon gives a hotter arc and better transfer
of heat, and it is faster. Too much hydrogen, however,
causes porosity. Argon-hydrogen is used for plasma and
shielding gases for keyhole welding stainless steel, In
conel, nickel, and copper-nickel alloys. The amount of
hydrogen in the mixture varies from 5 to 15 percent. In
Gas Tungsten Arc and Plasma Arc Welding Principles Chapter 18585
Auxiliary Gas
Passages
Center
Gas
Passage
Single-Orifice Multi-Orifice
Nozzle Nozzle
Fig. 18-63 Multi-orifice and single orifice nozzles for plasma arc
welding.
general, the thinner the work, the more hydrogen can
be used.
Argon should be used when welding the reactive alloys
such as titanium and zirconium and for carbon and high
strength steels.
Helium has limited use as a plasma gas. It overheats
the nozzle, shortens its life, and cuts its current-carrying
capacity. Helium is used only for melt-in welds. In a
50 percent mixture with argon, it gives a hotter flame for a
given current. Argon-helium mixtures are generally used
for filler and cover passes.
Plasma Needle Arc Welding
The plasma needle arc welding process is a manual
operation. It uses a small diameter, constricted arc in a
water-cooled nozzle. The arc is exceptionally stable, and
in the low current range it can be maintained from 15 am
peres down to less than 110 amperes. Since the needle arc is
cylindrical in shape, variations in torch-to-work distance
do not substantially change the area of arc action on the
work. This makes it excellent for welding contoured work.
Plasma needle arc welding in the higher current range
(15 to 100 amperes) is a manual version of plasma arc
welding. The system functions in both the melt-in (con
ventional fusion welding) and keyhole modes.
Keyholing provides 100 percent penetration on 116- to
1
8-inch metal. Arc focusing, brought about by arc con
striction, makes more efficient use of arc heat. This re
sults in narrower welds, and distortion is reduced because
less total heat passes into the work.