Plasma and TIG processes

Automatic welding applications

Performance and high productivity
in vessel and pipe work.

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Plasma and TIG processes used in automatic applications
The term plasma applies to gases at temperatures
exceeding 3,000 °C (5,000 °F) at atmospheric pressure.
On the temperature scale, it can be regarded as the fourth
state of matter after the solid, liquid and gaseous states.

The plasma arc is now widely used in the steel, The isotherm diagram shows clearly
that the energy distribution is strongly
chemical and mechanical engineering industries.
modified within the plasma arc :
It’s a powerful cutting and welding tool.
It is generally accepted that the plasma welding • the 16,000 to 24,000 °C
(29,000 to 43,000 °F) temperature
process is the major technological advance in
zone is outside the nozzle,
inert gas welding (the TIG process).
• the 10,000 to 16,000 °C
(18,000 to 29,000 °F) temperature
zone is entirely transferred to
Plasma arc: high temperatures, the workpiece and causes the
a concentrated arc, better productivity. keyhole effect (penetration of
the workpiece).
PLASMA
Temperature °C (°F) 1
With a free arc (TIG process), the
4,000 to 10,000
(7,000 to 18,000) highest temperature zone is too
10,000 to 16,000
(18,000 to 29,000) close to the cathode or tungsten
16,000 to 24,000 2 3
(29,000 to 43,000) to be usable.
24,000 (43,000)
4
The 4,000 and 10,000 °C
1 - plasma gas 3 - shielding gas
2 - plasma arc 4 - keyhole effet (7,000 and 18,000 °F) temperature
PLASMA ARC - 150 A - 28 V
• The arc spreads very little on leaving the strongly zone is narrow in plasma welding
cooled nozzle.
• The 10,000 to 16,000 °C (18,000 to 29,000 °F) compared to TIG welding where
temperature zone is transferred to the workpiece in
concentrated beam. the zone is much wider with a
characteristic “bell” shape. This zone
TIG
is not without its uses: it causes
Temperature °C (°F) A
surface melting of decreasing depth
4,000 to 10,000
(7,000 to 18,000)
relative to the plane of the joint,
10,000 to 16,000
(18,000 to 29,000) B providing a gentle transition from the
welded area to the base metal.
A - shielding gas B - the free arc

THE FREE ARC (TIG) - 150 A - 14 V This zone is excessively wide in

• The arc is conical in shape and a significant proportion
of its energy is dissipated at its periphery. TIG welding and the excess limits
• Also, the highest temperature zone is too close to the
cathode or tungsten and cannot be used. performance.

2
The plasma is made up of excited ions, electrons, atoms or molecules; it occurs in
nature, generated by lightning, for example. Since about 1960, the word plasma
has gained a new meaning, referring to the high-energy state caused by constricting
an electrical arc by means of a diaphragm or nozzle.

Advantages of plasma
Thickness limitation
• Speed of operation and low Maximum thickness which can be welded, flat with butt-jointed surfaces, in
distortion. one pass with 100 % penetration. Maximum thickness that can be welded
is reduced for:
• Reduces post-weld straightening • vertical up and horizontal welding positions,
operations. • small diameter and very thick tubes.
Depending on the thickness of the material, using keyhole plasma welding,
• Low buildup reduces polishing deconfined plasma welding, TIG or microplasma welding.
and grinding procedures. 0.06 0.5 1.0 2.5 3.0 6.0 8.0 10 mm
(0.04) (0.1) (0.12) (0.24) (5/16) (0.4) (in)
• Weld metal integrity- keyhole
Microplasma
fuses parent metal. Deconfined plasma or TIG
Microplasma Keyhole plasma
• High-quality weld integrity and
Deconfined plasma or TIG
appearance. Keyhole plasma
Deconfined plasma
• Reduction in the preparation
Keyhole plasma
times for assemblies by
Stainless steel type 304: Ar, Carbon steel: Ar, Ar + He
eliminating bevelling for Ar + H2 (5 %) Back of joint shielding
gas: identical
to shielding gas
thicknesses up to 8 mm (5/16”). Titanium: Ar, Ar + He

• Reduction in welding time in

Electrode Manual TIG Plasma
comparison to manual welding. Thickness
(SMAW) (GTAW) (PAW)
• Assurance of complete and
regular penetration by virtue of the 3 mm (0.12”)
keyhole technique on butt joints. 1 mm (0.04”) 1 mm (0.04”)

70° 80°
• Excellent reproducibility typically
used with automatic equipment. 8 mm (5/16”)
• Produces a perfect weld bead 1.5 mm
(0.06”)
1 mm
(0.04”)
2 mm (5/64”) 1.5 mm (0.06”)
overlap due to perfect control of
70° 70° 75°
the relevant parameters.
> 8 mm
(> 5/16”)
1.5 mm 1.5 mm 5 mm
(0.06”) (0.06”) (0.2”)
2 mm (5/64”) 1.5 mm (0.06”)

Welding in one pass without preparation:

carbon steel and stainless steel, austenitic up to 8 mm (5/16”), titanium up to 10 mm (0.4”).

Example of productivity gain with carbon steel (5 mm / 0.2”):

- Electrode: preparation + 2 passes at 15 to 20 cm/min (6 to 8 in/min) grinding.
- Manual TIG: preparation + 2 passes at 10 cm/min (4 in/min).
- Keyhole plasma: 1 pass at 40 cm/min (15 in/min).
3
Plasma + TIG welding process
When the length of the panels to be assembled reaches
3 to 4 meters (10 to 13’), welding speed can be increased
by using a tandem process such as plasma + TIG.

Integrating the two processes into a single installation can improve productivity by
as much as 30 to 50 %.

Speed: m/min (in/min)

Welding speed
1.0
(39.37) Thickness Plasma Plasma + TIG
TIG mm (in) cm/min (in/min) cm/min (in/min)

0.5 3 (0.12) 50 (20) 65 (26)

(19.69) Plasma + TIG
4 (5/32) 35-40 (14-16) 50-60 (20-24)

0.1
6 (0.24) 25-30 (10-12) 40 (16)
(3.94) Plasma
8 (5/16) 15-20 (6-8) 25 (10)
1 5 8
(0.04) (0.2) (5/16) Thickness: mm (in)

Advantages of the In the plasma + TIG process, the
plasma + TIG process plasma arc first melts the entire
thickness of the joint by using a
• High quality of plasma weld.
strongly confined plasma, which only
• 30 to 50 % increase in
affects the appearance of the back of
productivity.
the joint. The trailing TIG arc 250 mm -
• Can be adapted to varied boiler
300 mm (10 - 12”) behind is equipped
and tank-making processes
with a magnetic oscillation system and
due to its great flexibility.
wire feed. This magnetic oscillation,
coupled with a trailing gas shield,
TIG weld
ensures a perfect weld finish.
The plasma + TIG process
works on thicknesses between
3 and 8 mm (0.12 and 5/16”).
Plasma weld
Thicknesses less than 3 mm (0.12”)
can also be welded perfectly but only
a single-torch TIG process is used.
Thicknesses greater than 8 mm (5/16”)
require an additional single-torch
TIG filling pass.
The plasma + TIG process is
specially designed for large
capacity stainless steel boiler
work:
• length > 3 meters (10’),
• diameter > 2.2 meters (7’),
the manufacture of large
stainless steel tubes or pipes
welded in one piece.

4
Aluminium welding using the automatic TIG process
Variable polarity TIG or squarewave AC ensures continuous
deoxidation, a high-quality weld bead with total control of
the weld pool for terminating the weld bead.

Thickness limitation for the TIG process used for aluminium welding.
Maximum thickness which can be welded, flat* with butt-jointed surfaces, in one pass with 100 % penetration:
1.0 2.5 3.0 6.0 8.0 mm
Aluminium TIG AC: Ar or Ar + He
(0.04) (0.1) (0.12) (0.24) (5/16) (in)
Aluminium TIG DC He: 100 % He
TIG DC He
TIG AC * (in horizontal position, the maximum thickness is reduced)

Alternating variable polarity TIG (Squarewave AC TIG)

The flexibility of variable polarity lies in the total independence of the welding penetration or cleaning parameters. This permits
optimization of the welding penetration and cleaning phases independently. This results in better control of the weld pool and
better weld bead appearance as well as soundness.

Electronic cleaning or Weld bead comparison

deoxidising
Variable polarity (Squarewave AC)
weld bead smooth weld

Direct current electrode negative

for penetration/welding
Weld bead with variable polarity
welding pulsed at low frequency
Weld bead

Reverse polarity electrode positive

for cleaning or deoxidising Deoxidized
area

DC TIG under helium Indicative parameters for DC TIG helium

Thickness Current Voltage Weld Wire Gas
mm (in) (A) (V) Speed Speed flow
This process can also be used to weld aluminium with the advantage that, for cm/min
(in/min)
cm/min
(in/min)
rate
(l/min)*

thicknesses up to 8 mm (5/16”), it needs only one pass with no preparation. 1.6 (0.06) 100 13 75 (30) 110 (43) 30
2.0 (5/64) 150 13 75 (30) 110 (43) 30
Operations to be carried out: 2.5 (0.1) 210 13 75 (30) 130 (51) 30
3.0 (0.12) 220 14 65 (25) 200 (79) 30
• mechanical oxide remover, 4.0 (5/32) 250 14 45 (18) 200 (79) 30
5.0 (0.2) 250 14 45 (18) 220 (87) 30
• mechanical support using a backing bar is required for the weld pool. 6.0 (0.24) 300 15 30 (12) 220 (87) 30
8.0 (5/16) 360 15 18 (7) 140 (55) 30
Current application: longitudinal welding on seamer bench. One pass with 100% penetration, butt-jointed, position flat.
* l/min = 2 cfh approximately

5
Plasma welding in the workshop
Use plasma or TIG processes for flat position, or circular
welding of stainless steel, noble metals, steels or aluminum.
Manufacture all types of products for the petrochemical,
agriculture/food processing, aeronautical industries, etc.

Longitudinal welding on seamer bench Standard example of welding

in boiler making

Welding with column and boom

• Maximum standard travel: 4.3 m (14’) horizontal,
6.2 m (20’) vertical.
For other requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Welding on seamer bench

• Allowable thickness up to 10 mm (0.4”),
• Maximum weldable length according to type of bench:
4 m (13’) (external), 6 m (20’) (external-internal) or
7 m (23’) (internal).
For other requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us.

6
 Circular welding with column and
boom on rotator or positioner.

Elliptical welding with column

and boom on rotator.

7
Vertical tank and boiler work
Use plasma or TIG processes for horizontal welding
of stainless steel, noble metals, steels or aluminium.
Manufacture storage equipment for agriculture/food
processing, petrochemical industries, etc...

Vertical welding
In order for a workpiece to be welded on a rotator, it has
to be rigid enough (relationship between diameter, thickness
and dimensions) to ensure satisfactory stability while welding
takes place. For cases where rigidity is not sufficient, or costly
(vessel sizing tools), difficult or even impossible to improve,
welding can be carried out “in the vertical axis”; the workpiece
is rotated using a horizontal turntable and the torch remains
static in the horizontal welding position. This allows very large
dimension workpieces to be produced without the use of
complex tools.

Turntable capacities:
5T (11,000 lb), 10T (22,000 lb) and
15T (33,000 lb).
For other requirements, please
do not hesitate to contact us.

8
Plasma welding for prefabricated pipe work

Prefabrication of pipe work is carried out upstream of installation. It enables

sub-assemblies to be prepared and welded from basic components
(pipes, flanges, elbows, etc) in the workshop. It is used in a variety of
industrial sectors:
• shipbuilding and off-shore platforms,
• refineries and power
Example of welding times, assemblies are pre-tacked using manual TIG.
stations,
Exterior Thickness Type Joint Time taken for Time taken for
• chemical and agriculture/ tube of wall in of steel preparation plasma welding same operation
food processing plants, Ø mm (in) not counting positioning carried out
of assemblies manually
• gas expansion and
distribution stations etc. 2 min
60 2.9 (0.11) carbon 15 min
(2 consecutive passes)
The materials used are:
• carbon steels, 4 min
133 3.8 (0.15) carbon 24 min
(2 consecutive passes)
• stainless steel,
• noble metals and titanium. 14 min
406 9.52 (0.37) carbon 24 min
Plasma welding is suitable for (2 consecutive passes)

prefabricating pipe work of

4.15 min
diameters greater than 38 mm 114 8 (5/16) AISI 304 38 min
(2 consecutive passes)
(1.5”). Parts with smaller
diameters can be TIG welded 2 min
170 3.2 (1/8) AISI 304 55 min
using the same equipment. (1 pass)

9
 MANAGER plasma installation
This installation meets the highest quality standards for welding
and productivity for industries as diverse as boiler-making using
stainless steels, aeronautics using noble metals, chemical
engineering, energy production, processing and transport
as well as prefabrication of pipelines, etc.

MANAGER uses automatic plasma welding,

which can assemble butt-jointed 8 mm (5/16”) Equipment
stainless steel, titanium or alloy steel in a single
pass without the need for bevelling. The plasma
process controlled by MANAGER can assemble
carbon steel or stainless steel tubes from
40 mm (1.58”) diameter for pipe prefabrication
work.

The MANAGER control unit is programmable and controls both the process
and all peripheral equipment whatever the complexity of the application.
It is a decentralised and modular control and management system. The
programming and control unit box display all messages in multi-lingual MEC4 SP7
cleartext on 4 lines of 20 characters.

Overall control: process + movement

• 100 welding programs (voltage, amperage, wire feed speed, travel speed), TIG Plasma
• 100 non-welding movements,
• 100 chained or linked programs,
• 100 repeated programs,
• Cleartext screen display,
To order:
• Parameter modification while welding,
standard offer LD 04-011
• Cycle start/stop,
• Manual controls for gas, wire, arc voltage control and movement. Basic installation
• NERTAMATIC 300 TR power source
TIG/plasma direct current basis (300 A at 100 % with peak at 500 A
in pulsed mode),
• Pulser 300 A/100 %,
• MANAGER control system,
• Control arc circuit 25 A/100 %
• Connecting harness length
• Primary three-phase power supply 50/60 Hz - 230/400/415/440 V
10, 17 or 22 m (32, 56 or 72’).
(adapted to 575 V).
Compléments MANAGER
• coffrets gaz, fil, AVC, mouvements.

10
NERTAMATIC 450 plasma or TIG installation
Multi-purpose welding installation for the following processes
in automatic applications:
• DC TIG with smooth or pulsed current
• AC TIG with variable polarity (squarewave),
• DC plasma with smooth or pulsed current,
This equipment is offered in several versions.

Process control
• 50 welding programs (voltage, current, wire speed, movement)
Equipment
• Cleartext LCD screen display
• Parameter modification while welding
• Cycle start/stop, manual control of gas/wire, arc voltage control

TIG/plasma direct current basis

• PC 104 central unit and interface
• Pulser 450 A/100 %
• Control arc circuit 25 A/100 %
• Primary three-phase power supply 50/60 Hz - 230/400/415/440 V
(adapted to 575 V).

Optional alternating module

• Variable polarity TIG operation on aluminium
• Variable polarity current 450 A/100 %
• Variable polarity frequency from 50 to 200 Hz
MEC4 SP7
Basic installation:
• NERTAMATIC 450 power source
• HF module + torch connection
• Remote control unit box, welding control with 50 preset programs
(display/control of current, voltage, wire speed)
TIG Plasma
• Diskette drive for uploading or downloading programs
• Parameter print-out
• Power controller module
• Harness length 10, 17 or 22 meters (32, 56 or 72’) compatible with
cable hanger chain

NERTAMATIC 450 add-ons

• Wire, AVC, gas control box

Machine add-ons
• Movements, mecacycles, PLCs etc

To order:
standard offer LC 03-012
DC TIG and AC/DC TIG versions: this installation can
assemble butt-jointed stainless steel panels up to
3 mm (0.12”) thickness and light alloy steels up to
8 mm (5/16”) thickness (DC TIG under helium) and
6 mm (0.24”) (AC TIG under argon) in a single pass.
standard offer LD 04-032
The DC plasma version uses automatic plasma welding
and can assemble butt-jointed 8 mm (5/16”) carbon steel,
stainless steel, titanium or alloy steel in a single pass
without the need for bevelling.

Mixed AC/DC TIG and DC plasma version is available. 11

 NERTAMATIC 450 plasma + TIG bicathode installation
This installation was developed and built to weld large-
capacity stainless steel vessels makers with series 300
stainless steels, thickness from 3 to 8 mm (0.12 to 5/16”).

This tool is ideal for assembling

Equipment panels for the prefabrication of
vessels longer than 4 meters (13’)
and carrying out circular welds
for diameters greater than
2 meters (6.5’).

It uses plasma + TIG process whereby the first “plasma”

torch penetrates the butt-jointed panels. The second
“TIG” torch equipped with metal filler cold wire feed,
electromagnetic arc oscillation and a gas protection
carriage produces a perfect surface finish, which can
often be left without further treatment. This process of
MEC4 SP7 using 2 torches in tandem gives a productivity gain of
30-50 % over a single-torch plasma installation.

TIG Plasma

To order:
standard offer LE05- 020 Each installation memorizes and
manages its own welding
Basic installation: parameters. The unit is equipped
The TIG + plasma installation is
with a digital control in order
made up of two NERTAMATIC
to synchronise welding torch starts
450 installations:
and stops, and to control the
• a plasma installation with
speed and length of weld.
SP7 torch and arc voltage
This digital control memorizes
regulation,
and manages the movement
• a TIG installation with MEC4
parameters.
torch, arc voltage regulation,
wire feed, arc oscillation and
gas protection carriage.

12
Add-ons
Suitable for all machine types:
• video surveillance,
• oscillation or magnetic deviation of TIG arc,
• hot wire feed.

Video system Hot wire TIG and plasma

The TIG/plasma video system can be easily integrated into
typical installations.
It uses a greatly enlarged image,
which enables the precise position
of the welding torch to be viewed,
thus making the operator’s work
easier and improving the quality
of the welding operation.
OSCILLARC 2
Deviation or electromagnetic oscillation of the TIG arc
Productivity improvement by increasing
the deposition rate
For filling bevels 40 mm (1.6”) deep, the use of hot filler wire
provides a good solution and is particularly suited to
applications where a high-quality weld joint is required.
This special technique uses an auxiliary current to bring the
end of the wire to nearly melting point. Viable for plates of
thickness 10 mm (0.4”) and above, the use of hot filler wire
enables 2.5 to 3 kg (5.5 to 6.6 lb) of metal per hour to be
deposited for filling bevels
using multiple passes or
for quality hard-surfacing.

Arc deviation
This technique is used to
AVC (Arc Voltage Control) and wire
electrically deflect the TIG arc,
feed autonomous units
which considerably increases the
These devices can be used to update older automatic
heat-affected zone along the TIG and plasma welding installations, and to create
weld axis, and increases speed simplified installations for manual welding stations.
by 30 to 50 % for thicknesses of
less than 2 mm (5/64”). This facility is particularly suited to 5
3
the continuous welding of thin tubes formed from strip, 1
cable conduit, electrical resistance shielding etc. i.e: all
mass-produced parts welded without filler metal. 2
4 AVC
1 - power control box
Arc oscillation 2 - harness
3 - remote control unit box
An extension of the arc deviation technique described above, 4 - torch location
5 - motorised sliders for voltage control
arc oscillation is used to deposit metal over areas up to 6 - filler wire feeder

20 mm (0.8”) wide to fill bevels or cap the weld bead.

6
1 3

2 4 FIL

13
 Microplasma
The microplasma process is used for welding fine
thicknesses of noble metals, such as stainless steel, inconel,
titanium, zirconium, alloys of silver and gold etc. It is suitable
for electric and electronics components, small containers,
metal filters and tool repairs as well as watchmaking,
jewellery and medical industries.

Special installation for manual or

Equipment automatic microplasma or TIG welding
SP45 • 100 programs
• Cleartext LCD screen display
• Parameter modification while welding
• Program print-out
• Integrated process control
Manual
• Smooth or pulsed continuous welding
- plasma from 80 mA to 50 A at 100 %
SP45
- TIG from 0.8 A to 50 A at 60 %
• Pulse frequency from 1 Hz to 10 kHz
• Three-phase primary power supply
50/60 Hz - 230/400/440 V (adapted to 575 V)

Auto

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

1 - Mould repairs 4 - Measuring instruments 7 - Jewellery

2 - Motors and transformers 5 - Expansion bellows 8 - Filters
3 - Probes 6 - Fine sheet metalwork

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Deconfined plasma
The INVERTER 180 plasma unit is specially built for
automatic welding using the deconfined or soft plasma
process. It is used for intensive production and is suitable
for all machine types. The most recent applications are
the production of melt-runs, small weld beads or very
repetitive welding.

The installation can also use the control arc double-flux TIG process using smooth
or pulsed current. Plasma is an evolution of the TIG process which brings many
opportunities for increasing your productivity.

Using a permanent pilot arc By using an electrode

• No more HF (high frequency) protected by the nozzle,
starting for each weld bead, only Pilot arc The life of the electrode is increased
ready to weld
the transfer of a pilot arc which with a consistency of weld maintained
guarantees repeated starting with over 8 hours (sometimes more,
less waste. depending on the material and weld
Transfer
• Reduction of down time between of control arc types) resulting in a reduction of
and welding machine stoppages for tungsten
two welds.
grinding.

Applications of deconfined or soft plasma Basic installation:

In boiler making and sheet metalwork • INVERTER 180 plasma power source,
Fine thicknesses from 0.4 to 2 mm (0.015 to 5/64”). • SP150 welding torch equipped for plasma or
doubleflux TIG,
In mass production
• torch connection block,
Household appliances, radiators, automobile engine safety
• harness of length 10 m (32’) specific to INVERTER plasma.
points, electrical construction (welding electrical sheets for
alternators or transformers).

Equipment
2 3

4
35 mm

1 1

1 - Alternator or motor cores,

2 - Automobile pipe work,
3 - Welding gates onto radiator segments,
4 - Deburring beer barrel handles by plasma refusion.

15
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www.airliquide.ca
1140-397E (06-06) REL.

1-800-817-7697
Note: This brochure is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as a representation or warranty of any kind, or as a statement of any terms or
conditions of sale. The information herein is believed to be correct, but is not warranted for correctness or completeness, or for applicability to any particular customer or
situation. The terms and conditions of any sales transactions that may occur between Air Liquide and any customer shall be set forth in the agreement signed by the parties.