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COLD METAL TRANSFER, THE NEW REVOLUTION IN DIGITAL GAS METAL ARC WELDING, A REVIEW

Lakhveer Singha& Balraj Singhb


a b

Asstt Prof., Department of Mech. Engineering, Baba Farid College of Engg & Tech., Bathinda- ! "" Asstt Prof., Department of Mechanical Engineering, #$% PT& Camp's, Bathinda ! "" ,P'n(ab, )ndia * Corresponding a'thor e-mail+- la,h-eerbathinda.gmail.com

Abstract
Cold metal transfer (CMT) is an automated elding !rocess based on di! transfer elding" characteri#ed b$ controlled material de!osition during the short circuit of the ire electrode to the ork !iece% &reliminar$ results ere !resented e'amining the suitabilit$ of this !rocess for elding aluminium allo$% Trials sho ed that in com!arison ith !ulsed metal inert gas ((MA) elding" CMT e'hibits a higher electrode melting coefficient% B$ adjusting the short circuit duration !enetration can be controlled ith onl$ a small change in electrode de!osition% )urthermore" b$ mi'ing !ulsed M*( elding ith CMT elding the orking envelo!e of the !rocess is greatl$ e'tended allo ing thicker material sections to be elded ith im!roved eld bead aesthetics%

process control both interr'pts the po0er s'ppl5 and controls the retraction of the 0ire. This for0ard and bac, motion ta,es place at a fre7'enc5 of 'p to 8" times per second. The 0ire retraction motion assists droplet detachment d'ring the short circ'it. The con-ersion of electrical energ5 into heat is both a defining feat're and a sometimes critical side effect of arc 0elding. B5 ens'ring minimal c'rrent metal transfer, the CMT process greatl5 red'ces the amo'nt of heat generated. The controlled discontin'ation of the short circ'it leads to a lo0 short-circ'its c'rrent. 90ing to the interr'ption in the po0er s'ppl5, the arc onl5 inp'ts heat into the materials to be (oined for a -er5 short time d'ring the arcing period. The red'ced thermal inp't offers ad-antages s'ch as lo0 distortion and higher precision. Benefits incl'de higher-7'alit5 0elded (oints, freedom from spatter, abilit5 to 0eld light-ga'ge sheet as thin as ".: mm, and the abilit5 to (oin both gal-ani6ed sheets and steel to al'min'm UP COMING DEVELOPMENTS OF CMT )t has been also de-eloped some ne0 s5stem components for this inno-ati-e process, all based on the compan5;s e1isting digital famil5 of machines. The 0ire feed, for e1ample, is characteri6ed b5 no-el sol'tions. To begin 0ith, there are t0o separate digitall5 controlled 0ire dri-es, the front one of 0hich mo-es the 0ire for0ard and bac, 'p to se-ent5 times per second, 0hile the rear one p'shes the 0ire from behind. )n order to deco'ple the t0o dri-es from one another, there is a 0ire b'ffer positioned bet0een them. This process manages to mo-e the 0ire 0hile appl5ing practicall5 no force to it.

Keywords: cold metal transfer/ CMT, p'lsed #MA 0elding/ al'mini'm 0elding INTRODUCTION TO CMT )n the conte1t of 0elding, 2cold2 is a relati-e term. )n the cold metal transfer process 3CMT4, the 0or, pieces to be (oined and, especiall5, their 0eld 6ones remain considerabl5 2colder2 than the5 0o'ld 0ith con-entional gas metal arc 0elding. The CMT process is based on short circ'iting transfer, or rather, on a deliberate, s5stematic discontin'ing of the arc. The res'lt is a sort of alternating 2hot-cold-hot-cold2 se7'ence. This 2hot-cold2 process greatl5 red'ces the arc press're. )n a normal short circ'iting transfer arc, the electrode is deformed 0hile being dipped into the 0eld pool, and melts abr'ptl5 at high transfer arc c'rrent. The process is designed for a'tomated and robot-assisted applications. PRINCIPLE BEHIND THE CMT The principal inno-ation is that the motions of the 0ire ha-e been integrated into the 0elding process and into the o-erall control of the process. E-er5 time the short circ'it occ'rs, the digital

Cold Metal Transfer M)# <elding )s %patter-Free Cold metal transfer M)# 0elding process pro-ides spatter-free 0elding, o'tstanding gap bridging properties, lo0 heat inp't and a high degree of process fle1ibilit5. The light0eight pipe specialist is an internationall5 reno0ned partner to the a'tomoti-e ind'str5. )ts core s,ills re-ol-e aro'nd reshaping pipes 'sing -er5 high internal press're and the 0elding of comple1 components. %patter-free 0elding, o'tstanding gap bridging properties. =o0 heat inp't and a high degree of process fle1ibilit5 0ere reason eno'gh for the <or,s Manager to con-ert all his 0elding robots to the ne0 process. The res'lts obtained can be e1tended to all companies that ha-e to satisf5 similar criteria 0hen 0elding and soldering Cr>i steels, gal-ani6ed steel sheet and al'mini'm.

s'perior to those obtained 0ith con-entional M)#@MA# 0elding - 7'ite apart from all the cost-c'tting potential. The melting electrode ends 'p in the seam being 0elded. <elding th's acco'nts for a correspondingl5 high proportion of the -al'e added. These factors 0o'ld ma,e it possible to achie-e res'lts that 0ere 7'alitati-el5 s'perior to those obtained 0ith con-entional M)#@MA# 0elding - 7'ite apart from all the cost-c'tting potential. Beca'se the 0ire electrode is retracted b5 digital control at a fre7'enc5 of 'p to 8"A6, 0hat happens is that 8" times@s, e1actl5 one droplet, and one droplet onl5, of the melting electrode ends 'p in the seam being 0elded.

Cold Metal Transfer <elds )mpro-e A'to Bod5 ?oining 9n bod5-in-0hite fabrication, red'ced heat inp't and absol'te freedom from spatter from cold metal transfer arc 0elding deli-er e1cellent res'lts, as 0ell as red'cing clamping and post-0eld machining. CMT;s red'ced heat inp't and absol'te freedom from spatter deli-er e1cellent res'lts. As 0ell as c'tting do0n on the amo'nt of 0or, needed for clamping de-ices and post-0eld machining. <hate-er 0elding s5stem is 'sed here simpl5 has to be one that can f'lfill these t0o sets of re7'irements. The deformation and sin, age parallel to the seam 0hich often res'lted from the high thermal inp't ta,ing place in M)#@MA# 0elding had to be gi-en s'itable post-0eld machining. These factors 0o'ld ma,e it possible to achie-e res'lts that 0ere 7'alitati-el5

ADVANTAGES AND APPLICATIONS >e-ertheless, the fact is that in this ne0 process, the 0or, pieces to be (oined - and abo-e all their 0eld 6ones - remain considerabl5 2colder2 than the5 0o'ld do in con-entional #MA 3gas metal arc4 0elding. The red'ced thermal inp't leads to ad-antages s'ch as lo0 distortion and higher precision. This, ho0e-er, is ('st one of the disting'ishing feat'res of this ne0 #MA technolog5 for a'tomated and robot-assisted applications. The other significant benefits for 'sers incl'de the higher 7'alit5 of the 0elded (oints, freedom from spatter, the abilit5 to 0eld light-ga'ge sheet from ".:mm, and the facilit5 for (oining both gal-ani6ed sheets and steel to al'mini'm. The term 2higher 7'alit52, meant here for higher 'niformit5 and reprod'cibilit5, and th's fe0er re(ects. As 0ell as for 0elding, the ne0 technolog5 is also s'itable for 'se 0ith bra6ing processes. This for0ard and bac, motion ta,es place at a fre7'enc5 of 'p to se-ent5 times per second 38"A64. The 0ire retraction motion assists droplet detachment d'ring the short circ'it. The con-ersion of electrical energ5 into heat is both a defining feat're and a sometimes critical side

effect of arc-0elding. B5 ens'ring -irt'all5 c'rrent-free metal transfer, the CMT process greatl5 red'ces the amo'nt of heat generated. All the more note0orth5, then, that after its e1tensi-e test e1perience 0ith the CMT process, it has been chosen to be referred to CMT;s 2spatter-free metal transfer2. This is the res'lt of the t0o co-ordinate effects+ the for0ard and bac, motion of the 0ire, and the controlled short circ'iting. Applications 0hich 0ere hitherto impossible, or onl5 possible 0ith a great deal of diffic'lt5, can no0 become common practice.The CMT technolog5 sets some brand-ne0 standards in the 0elding engineering field. )ndeed, the combination of integrated 0ire motions, red'ced thermal inp't and freedom from spatter means that 0elding and bra6ing can no0 be 'sed for certain applications 0hich 'sed to be 2off limits2 to them, as 0ell as deli-ering benefits s'ch as higher prod'cti-it5 and lo0er costs for re(ects and post-0eld machining. These ad-antages are complemented b5 the high gap bridge abilit5, leading to better manageabilit5 of a'tomated processes, and are 'nderscored b5 the fla0less appearance of the (oining 0eld. %e-eral fields of application are especiall5 0orth5 of mention. =ight-ga'ge sheets can e-en be 2b'tt-0elded2 or 2b'tt-bra6ed2 from a thic,ness of as little as ".:mm. This means, for e1ample, that al'mini'm sheets can no0 be 0elded 0ith no need for an5 tools for clamping and holding, or for pre-enting dropthro'gh or b'rn-thro'gh. )n the past, al'mini'm-to-steel (oints ha-e onl5 been possible 'sing laser 0elding - and 0ith ma(or limitations, at that. CMT technolog5 has achie-ed another of its de-elopment goals here+ both the metall'rgical (oin and the appearance of the seam are ""B con-incing. The properties and potential o'tlined here gi-e CMT technolog5 e-er5 prospect of being s'ccessf'll5 'sed in sectors and applications s'ch as+ a'tomobile and allied -endor ind'stries/ aerospace/ and str'ct'ral and portal 0or,.

)n principle, CMT technolog5 offers an alternati-e to all a'tomated or robot-assisted #MA processes for (oining thin sheets. This is also tr'e 0ith regard to the base and filler metals 'sed. F'rther scope for 'tili6ation 0ill res'lt from the additional inno-ati-e prod'cts c'rrentl5 being de-eloped in this sector, s'ch as for 0elding magnesi'm.

Fig. The Chot-coldD se7'ence of the CMT arc

REFERENCES

%cience and Technolog5 of <elding & ?oining, Eol'me , >'mber !, %eptember F""G, pp. !H:-!H!3:4 F. M'rti, I. #. I., and %'ndarsen, %. JJK. The formation of intermetallic phases in al'min'm@a'stenitic stainless steel friction 0elds. Materials For'm+ :" -:"8. :. I'basche0s,i, 9. JJF. )ron Binar5 Allo5 Phase Diagrams. Berlin@Aeidelberg, #erman5+ %pringer-Eerlag, p. G. K. Ladscheit, L. L. JJG. =aser 0elding of al'min'm and steel. Ph.D. dissertation, &ni-ersit5 of Bremen, #erman5. !. %choer, A. JJH. <elding and bra6ing of al'min'm and al'min'm allo5;s. <elding and related processes, DE%-Eerlag. G. Achar, A. L., L'ge, #., and %'ndarsen, %. JH". ?oining of al'min'm and steel b5 0elding.

Teil )+ Al'mini'm !G, pp. K8- KJ/ Teil )) Al'm !G, pp. FF"-FF:/ Al'mini'm !G, pp. FJ -FJ:. 8 Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH, Glauchauer Strasse 40, 08058 Zwickau, Germany,49- !555"!40, www#$olkswagen#com 8 %ronius &S' ((), *050 )itation +ri$e, ,righton, -. 48**/, 8*0-""0-44*4, 0a1 8*0-""044"4, www#0ronius#com J Froni's )nternational #mbA, <ells, A'stria

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