GMAW (MIG Welding)

GMAW Unit Topics

During this overview, we will discuss the following topics:
Safety GMAW Basics Equipment Set-Up Welding Variables Process Advantages and Limitations AWS Connection National Academic Standards Connection

Unit Objectives
Upon successful completion of the GMAW Unit of Study, you will have learned about:
Properly protecting yourself and others while welding Setting up and operating GMAW equipment Striking and maintaining an arc Welding in four positions using various electrodes Weld Inspection
The AWS electrode classification system Taking the next step to becoming a certified welder

GMAW Safety

GMAW Safety
GMAW Safety is supplemental and does not replace the information found in Arc Welding Basics Understand and follow all safety precautions listed in Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes (ANSI Z49.1), and Arc Welding Safety (E205) Understand and follow all warning labels found:
On welding equipment With all consumable packaging Within instruction manuals

Read Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

If you ever have a question about your safety or those around you, PLEASE ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR!

GMAW Safety
Fumes and Gases can be dangerous Keep your head out of the fumes Use enough ventilation, exhaust at the arc, or both, to keep fumes and gases from your breathing zone and the general area Local exhaust and mechanical ventilation can be used without reducing weld quality Electric Shock can kill to receive a shock your body must touch the electrode and work or ground at the same time
Do not touch the electrode or metal parts of the electrode holder with skin or wet clothing Keep dry insulation between your body and the metal being welded or ground The coil of wire is electrically hot when the trigger is pulled

Arc Rays can injure eyes and skin -Choose correct filter shade (See chart below)

** Information taken from ANSI Z49.1:2005**

GMAW Safety
REMEMBER Gas Cylinders require SPECIAL safety precautions
Cylinders must be secured in an upright position Cylinders should be located in an area away from arc welding, cutting, heat, sparks, and flame Refer to Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes (ANSI Z49.1) or Arc Welding Safety (E205) for more information on the handling of gas cylinders

GMAW Principles

GMAW Definition
GMAW stands for Gas Metal Arc Welding GMAW is commonly referred to as MIG or Metal Inert Gas welding During the GMAW process, a solid metal wire is fed through a welding gun and becomes the filler material Instead of a flux, a shielding gas is used to protect the molten puddle from the atmosphere which results in a weld without slag
GMAW is the most widely used arc welding process in the United States
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GMAW Circuit

Three things happen when the GMAW gun trigger is pulled:

The wire electrode begins to feed The circuit becomes electrically hot

Current flows from the power source through the gun cable, gun, contact tip to the wire and across the arc. On the other side of the arc, current flows through the base metal to the work cable and back to the power source

Shielding gas flows through the gun and out the nozzle

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GMAW Components
Lets look a little closer at the GMAW process
Travel direction
Generally, drag on thin sheet metal and push on thicker materials

Shielding Gas

Solidified Weld Metal

Arc

Electrode

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Weld Puddle
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1 - Electrode

A GMAW electrode is:

A metal wire Fed through the gun by the wire feeder Measured by its diameter
GMAW electrodes are commonly packaged on spools, reels and coils ranging from 1lb to 1000lbs

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2 - Arc

An electric arc occurs in the gas filled space between the electrode wire and the work piece
Electric arcs can generate temperatures up to 10,000F

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3 - Weld Puddle As the wire electrode and work piece heat up and melt, they form a pool of molten material called a weld puddle This is what the welder watches and manipulates while welding

.045 ER70S-6 at 400 ipm wire feed speed and 28.5 Volts with a 90% Argon/ 10% CO2 shielding gas
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4 - Shielding Gas

GMAW welding requires a shielding gas to protect the weld puddle Shielding gas is usually CO2, argon, or a mixture of both
The gauges on the regulator show gas flow rate and bottle pressure
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5 - Solidified Weld Metal The welder lays a bead of molten metal that quickly solidifies into a weld The resulting weld is slag free
An aluminum weld done with the GMAW process

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Application Activity

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GMAW Components
Application Activity Lets review the GMAW process
Travel direction
Generally, drag on thin sheet metal and push on thicker materials

1 __________

2 __________
3 __________

4 __________
5 __________

1 3

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Equipment Set Up

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GMAW Equipment Set Up

1. Connect work clamp 2. Select electrode a. Type b. Diameter 3. Select shielding gas 4. Turn power supply on 5. Adjust machine output a. Wire feed speed b. Voltage 6. Adjust gas flow rate
Why would GMAW be a better choice than SMAW for this job?

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GMAW Process Variables

Welding variables
Wire Feed Speed (WFS) Voltage

Operator controlled variables

Travel speed Gun angles Contact tip to work distance (CTWD) Gas flow rate

What is the relationship between WFS and amperage?

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Striking an Arc and Making a Weld

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Striking an Arc Position the gun over joint Position the face shield to protect eyes and face Pull the gun trigger and begin welding
What are some things to consider before striking an arc?

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Laying a Bead
Maintain a Contact Tip to Work Distance (CTWD) of 3/8 to 1/2 Use a uniform travel speed Most Importantly Watch the Puddle!
The appearance of the puddle and ridge where molten metal solidifies indicates correct travel speed. The ridge should be approximately 3/8 (10 mm) behind the wire electrode. Most beginners tend to weld too fast resulting in a ropey bead which means SLOW down!

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Fill the Crater

Fill the crater by pausing or using a slight back step Release gun trigger and pull gun away from the work after the arc goes out Large craters can cause weld cracking
Crater cracks cannot be tolerated on NASCAR radiators.

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Restarting a Bead
Restart the weld bead by back stepping into the last welds crater and then continue moving forward This technique should result in a seamless transition from one weld to the next

2 Back step

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Modes of Metal Transfer

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Modes of Metal Transfer

GMAW is a process that features several distinctive, individual methods and types of metal transfer The mode of metal transfer is determined by a number of welding variables
Voltage Amperage Shielding Gas

By changing one or more variables, you can go from one metal transfer mode to another

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Modes of Metal Transfer

Two common conventional modes of metal transfer are: Short arc Axial spray arc The application, joint design, base material thickness, and properties determine the appropriate mode to use

Typical short arc application

Typical axial spray arc application

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Short Arc Transfer In short arc transfer

The arc is initiated and a droplet is formed on the end of the wire The wire touches the work piece and produces a short circuit The droplet is then transferred to the weld puddle
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Axial Spray Arc Transfer In axial spray arc transfer

Very high currents are used A point forms at the end of the electrode and the fine droplets The puddle is very fluid making out of position welding difficult

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Troubleshooting Welds

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Troubleshooting Welds
GOAL - Make Good Welds Eliminate Ropey Convex bead

Eliminate Porosity

Eliminate Excessive Spatter

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Advantages and Limitations

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Advantages of GMAW
High operating factor Easy to learn Limited cleanup Use on many different metals: stainless steel, mild (carbon) steel, aluminum and more All position Great for home use with 115V and 230V units

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Limitations of GMAW
Less portable with shorter gun lengths (15 foot guns) GMAW equipment is more expensive than SMAW equipment External shielding gas can be blown away by winds High radiated heat Difficult to use in out of position joints
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AWS Classification of GMAW Electrodes

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AWS Classification of GMAW Electrodes

ER70S-X
Electrode Rod 70,000 psi Min. Tensile Strength Solid Chemistry, Amount of Deoxidizers (Silicon, Manganese and/or Aluminum, Zirconium and Titanium) X=2,3,4,6,7 or G
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Lesson Plans

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GMAW Lesson #1
Objective: To run a stringer (straight) bead using short arc transfer and to fill the crater Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 215 or Power MIG 255C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material: Mild Steel Plate 3/16 or thicker
.035 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 100% CO2 or 25% CO2/ 75% Argon blend shielding gas

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GMAW Lesson #2

Objective: To make a fillet weld on a lap joint in the horizontal position (AWS position 2F) Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 215 or Power MIG 255C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material Mild Steel Plate 10 gauge .035 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 100% CO2 or 25% CO2/ 75% Argon blend shielding gas

2F

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GMAW Lesson #3
Objective: To make a fillet weld on a tee joint in the horizontal position (AWS position 2F) Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 215 or Power MIG 255C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material: Mild Steel Plate 10 gauge .035 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 100% CO2 or 25% CO2/ 75% Argon blend shielding gas 2F

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GMAW Lesson #4
Objective: To make a fillet weld on a lap joint in the vertical position welding down (AWS position 3FD) Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 215 or Power MIG 255C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material: Mild Steel Plate 10 gauge .035 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 100% CO2 or 25% CO2/ 75% Argon blend shielding gas

3FD

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GMAW Lesson #5
Objective: To make a fillet weld on a tee joint in the vertical position welding down (AWS position 3FD) Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 215 or Power MIG 255C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material: Mild Steel Plate 10 gauge .035 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 100% CO2 or 25% CO2/ 75% Argon blend shielding gas

3FD

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GMAW Lesson #6
Objective: To make a butt weld with a gap in the vertical position welding down Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 215 or Power MIG 255C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material: Mild Steel Plate 10 gauge .035 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 100% CO2 or 25% CO2/ 75% Argon blend shielding gas

3G

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GMAW Lesson #7
Objective: To make a fillet weld on a tee joint in the overhead position (AWS position 4F) Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 215 or Power MIG 255C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material: Mild Steel Plate 10 gauge .035 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 100% CO2 or 25% CO2/ 75% Argon blend shielding gas

4F

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GMAW Lesson #8
Objective: To make a three pass fillet weld on a tee joint in the horizontal position (AWS position 2F) Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 215 or Power MIG 255C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material: Mild Steel Plate .035 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 100% CO2 or 25% CO2/ 75% Argon blend shielding gas

2F

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GMAW Lesson #9
Objective: To run a horizontal fillet weld on a tee joint using axial spray transfer (AWS position 2F) Equipment: Single Process - Constant Voltage Power Source & Wire Feeder Power MIG 225C Multi-Process Composite: Power MIG 350 MP Combination: V-350/ LF-72 package Material: Mild Steel Plate .045 SuperArc L-56 (ER70S-6) 90% Argon/ 10% CO2 blend shielding gas

2F

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AWS Connection

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American Welding Society (AWS) Connection

The GMAW unit of study covered information related to the following AWS requirements for certification:
Setting up for GMAW operations on carbon steel Operating GMAW equipment on carbon steel Making GMAW fillet welds on carbon steel

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English, Math, and Science Connection

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National Academic Standards Crosswalk

This unit covered academic content listed in the National Academic Standards as follows:
NM-MEA.9-12.1: Understands measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement NM-PROB.CONN.PK-12.3: Recognizes and applies mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics. NS-PHYSICAL SCIENCE: (Understands) structure and property of matter NS-PHYSICAL SCIENCE: (Understands) chemical reactions NLA-STANDARD 3: Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions NLA-STANDARD 10: Understands the characteristics and components of the media

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