International Congress on Advances in Welding Science and Technology for

Construction, Energy and Transportation Systems (AWST - 2011)

24-25 October 2011, Antalya, Turkey
AWST-11/43

Software Based Welding Arcs Give Welders Tools to Achieve Quality

and Productivity Demands
J. Nyknen1,a, J. Uusitalo2,b
1
Sales and Marketing at Kemppi Oy, Hennalankatu 39, Lahti, 15801, Finland
2
Innovation and Business Development at Kemppi Oy, Hennalankatu 39, Lahti, 15801, Finland
a
juha.nykanen@kemppi.com, bjyri.uusitalo@kemppi.com

Abstract
Digital based welding power sources are nowadays more
and more software controlled. Software control gives
opportunities to tailor welding characteristics more
specific welding application areas. This is one of the
reasons for new, tailored welding processes being
brought to market. In the MIG/MAG process, tailored
welding process variants are being given much greater
emphasis. The welder can choose a welding arc
specifically suited to the welding application at hand.
Tailored welding arc control can give high energy
density arc that optimizes arc length in pulse and spray
arc welding. It also gives greater control of constant
welding penetration by active regulation of welding
power. Tailored process for root pass welding gives
productivity and quality.
Keywords: Welding, MIG/MAG, Tailored arcs, Optimize
arc length, Penetration, Root pass
1. Introduction
2. The WiseFusionTM Focused Arc Function
Offers Many Benefits
In position welding (other than flat or horizontal
vertical), the most common problem is how to control the
welding arc and the molten weld pool.
This issue is emphasised in MIG/MAG pulse arc and
spray arc welding. For example, it is very difficult to find
the correct pulse welding parameters when welding
aluminium in horizontal overhead position. To meet the
needs of all position welding, Kemppi has developed the
WiseFusion function, which keeps arc length more
constant and prevents the arc from becoming longer as
the stick-out length changes.
The principle of operation is based on controlled
regulation of pulse or spray arc current and voltage
waveform. This produces a welding arc that is more
focused and has higher energy density than in normal
pulse or spray arc welding.

The last few years have seen MIG/MAG welding power

source development create an opportunity to develop
more and more multifunctional equipment. In MIG/MAG
welding, the power source and software technologies
have made it possible to develop tailored welding arcs
and functions, to aid in welders work. The welder
simply needs to choose the tailored arc or function to
apply in the welding task.

Tailored MIG/MAG welding arcs and functions are used

for root pass work, penetration control, and focused arcs
where energy density is concentrated in a narrow space.
This article considers a few tailored arcs and functions
that make the welders task easier.

Figure 1. On the left you can see a weld made with pulsed MIG
and WiseFusion function. The weld on the right is made with
pulsed MIG without fine tuning the arc. The wire feed rate is 4.6
m/min.
Another benefit of WiseFusion is that a focused arc
allows greater welding speeds. The greater welding
speed and higher energy density mean less heat input
compared to standard pulse or pray arc, and low heat
input is a critical factor with certain materials.
Figure 2. 960 MPa grade steel weld. Plate thickness is 6 mm. I-
groove welded with a single pass from one side. Welding energy is
only 0.58 kJ/mm [1].
Using the adaptive arc length control brings all kinds of
benefits, such as excellent weld pool control in all
positions, narrow and energy-dense arc, and no need to
fine tune the arc length.
WiseFusion is very easy to use. Welding parameters are
always right, so you don't need to adjust them. You can
use faster welding speeds and get deeper penetration and
stiffer, more focused arc. Low heat input and narrow
grooves make it also a very productive and cost-efficient
welding function.
3. The WisePenetrationTM Function for
Guaranteed Penetration
In MIG/MAG welding, constant voltage (CV)
characteristics are most commonly used. The self-
adjusting welding arc is the most important argument for
the use of constant voltage characteristics. An increase in
stick-out length will cause welding power to drop,
because welding current decreases (P = U x I).
Changes in stick-out length have no effect on wire feed
speed or arc voltage. Instead, welding current fluctuates
according to the changes in stick-out length.
As an example, figure 3 shows you how welding current
changes with stick-out length when welding S235 steel
with 1.2 mm wire and using Ar + 18% CO2 shielding gas
and the following welding parameters: wire feed speed
8.8 m/min, voltage 29 V, travel speed 58.0 cm/min.
Because of using constant voltage characteristics, the
welding current depends on the stick-out length: the
greater stick-out length, the lower welding current. This
can cause serious welding defects, such as lack of fusion,
incomplete penetration, unstable weld quality and
spatter.
Figure 3. Welding current changes with the stick-out length.
In manual MIG/MAG welding, the stick-out length
always varies more or less, depending on the welders
skills, and this has an effect on the weld penetration.
Sometimes the welder must increase the stick-out length
because of limited visibility or accessibility, position
welding, difficult joints or weld design problems.
In mechanised and automated welding, dimensional and
geometrical deviations of the joints can cause variation
of stick-out length. Those deviations can originate from
various phases of the joint preparation or fit-up work.
Also the welding heat causes distortion, which increases
deviations during welding.
Various joint tracking systems can be used to help this,
but they are expensive and do not operate reliably in all
welding conditions.
Kemppi offers the unique WisePenetration function for
cases where it is difficult to keep a constant stick-out
length. This function makes it easy to keep the welding
parameters (I, U) within the WPS limits. This guarantees
the desired penetration and improves the weld quality.
WisePenetration offers constant welding current with
stick-out length within the limits defined in welding
procedure specification (WPS). When welding with
stick-out lengths within the permitted limits,
WisePenetration operates like conventional MIG/MAG
process and lets welding current fluctuate with the stick-
out length. However, if stick-out length increases above
the permitted level, WisePenetration takes the control
and ensures that the current remains constant.
Figure 4 shows how WisePenetration keeps the
penetration constant while the standard process loses its
penetration when stick-out length rises above normal
limits.
International Congress on Advances in Welding Science and Technology for
Construction, Energy and Transportation Systems (AWST - 2011)
24-25 October 2011, Antalya, Turkey
Figure 4: The upper row of pictures shows normal MAG process
without WisePenetration, and lower row shows how
WisePenetration affects the weld. Stick-out lengths from left:
25mm, 30 mm, and 35 mm [2].
4. The WiseRoot Process for Root Pass
Welding
Tailored root pass MIG/MAG welding process we
consider here is WiseRoot. Patented WiseRoot process
controls the power sources current and voltage
parameters digitally. The process monitors the short
circuit and ensures correct timing of the filler droplets
transmission from the filler wire into the weld pool.
This is a modified short-arc welding process and as a
MIG/MAG welding process it is in category 131, 135,
136, or 137 as defined in the EN ISO 4063 standard.
The principle by which the WiseRoot process operates is
that of two different shapes being formed from the
welding current. These shapes can be referred to as the
short circuit and arc period upslope stages (see figure 5).
The WiseRoot process is a modified short-arc process
and should not be confused with pulse welding.
In the first upslope stage, the filler material is transmitted
in the short circuit phase to the weld pool, while the
power of the arc is suddenly increased during the second
upslope stage and sustained at the desired level. Before
the first upslope stage, there is a short peak in the
welding current, during which the filler material wire
contacts the weld pool.
In the first upslope stage, the rapid increase of the current
to the desired level generates a so-called pinch force,
which allows the droplet to detach from the tip of the
filler wire. The detachment is ensured by slowly
decreasing the current. Once the droplet has been
transmitted to the weld pool, a second stage of increasing
current begins and initiates the arc stage. The control
system of the device monitors the droplet detachment
moment throughout the arc. Correctly timed rise and fall
of current guarantees a spatter-free pass-over from the
short circuit to the open arc.
AWST-11/43
The second upslope stage shapes the weld pool and
ensures sufficient penetration in the root pass. After the
two upslope stages, one following upon the other, the
current is reduced to the desired base level. Use of a
specified base current level ensures that the next filler
droplet will be transmitted during the next short circuit.
Rapid response and correct timing in power source
control combine with the correct shape of the current
waveform in the process to allow uninterrupted, spatter-
free droplet detachment and transmission into the weld
pool. This keeps the arc stable and the welding process
easy to control.
The WiseRoot process differs from normal short-arc
welding. Figure 5 shows normal short-arc and WiseRoot
waveforms. In the normal short-arc process, droplet
detachment occurs at a high current value, which
depends on voltage control. After that, the current slowly
decreases before the arc period ends and the next short
circuit begins. In the WiseRoot process, droplet
detachment happens at a low current value, which results
in soft transmission to the weld pool. After that, in the
arc period, the process gives a precisely measured strong
boost to the arc and then rapidly cuts the current to the
predetermined level before the next short circuit. The
WiseRoot processs highly controlled arc reduces spatter
in the droplet detachment phase and decreases the heat
input in the arc phase to be comparable with that in a
normal short-arc process.
Figure 5. The current waveform of the WiseRoot process when the
filler droplet is transmitted to the weld pool. The cycle is
composed of the arc and short circuit periods. The dashed line
indicates a normal short arc [3].
The WiseRoot process allows welding with wider root
gaps than usual, with the same welding power settings
(see figure 6). Root gaps can range from 1 mm to 10 mm,
but the welding power has to be adjusted to match the
case. When the welding position changes, the welding
power must still be appropriate for the circumstances.
Figure 6. Variation in the root gap with the same welding power.
Root gaps from the left 2, 4 and 6 mm.
Here is a list of the key benefits of the modified root pass
welding process:
Easy to learn and use.
Less spatter than in normal short arc.
Wider root gap makes it possible to use a
smaller groove angle and decrease groove
volume.
No need to use a backing ring.
It is a highly efficient process: 10 % faster than
normal MAG welding, and three times faster
than TIG welding.
It is suitable for position welding

On the workshop level, the above WiseRoot features can

be seen as increased welding quality and decreased need
for post-weld rework

5. Conclusion

The use of highly developed and sophisticated tailored

MIG/MAG welding arcs and functions enhances welding
for a broad range of applications. This is one result of a
new category of welding equipment with software-based
programming. The tailored arcs and functions provide a
focus on specific applications that offers great benefits
over normal welding processes. Since the new functions
are developed and optimised for certain welding
applications, the welder can choose the tailored arc or
function that is suitable for the welding case at hand. The
new functions speed up the welding and result in more
quality welds.

References
[1] J. Kumpulainen, J.Uusitalo, P. Jernstrm, S. Tihinen, R.
Laitinen, M. Lehtinen, J. Kmi, Application tailored MAG
processes meet ultra-high strength steel welding quality needs.
Proceedings of the IIW International Conference: India: Chennai
2011

[2] T. Peltola, Penetration control in MIG/MAG welding, MSc

thesis. Lappeenranta, Finland: Lappeenranta University of
Science, 2008, p. 128.

[3] J. Uusitalo, Modified short arc process new way of welding

root passes. Proceedings of the IIW International Conference:
Welding & Materials Technical, Economic and Ecological
Aspects. Croatia: Dubrovnik & Cavtat, 2007, pp. 283290.