Background Advantages and Disadvantages Safety Preparation for TIG Welding Techniques for Basic Weld Joints TIG

Shielding Gases Welding Parameters Tungsten Electrode Selection Conclusion

ENBE 499

What is TIG?
Tungsten Inert Gas

Also referred to as GTAW

Gas Shielded Tungsten Welding

In TIG welding, a tungsten electrode heats the metal you are welding and gas (most typically Argon) protects the weld from airborne contaminants
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TIG welding uses a non-consumable tungsten Filler metal, when required, is added by hand Shielding gas protects the weld and tungsten

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Welds more metals and metal alloys than any other process High quality and precision Pin point control Aesthetic weld beads No sparks or spatter No flux or slag No smoke or fumes

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Lower filler metal deposition rates Good hand-eye coordination a required skill Brighter UV rays than other processes Slower travel speeds than other processes Equipment costs tend to be higher than other processes

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Electric shock can kill.

Always wear dry insulating gloves
Insulate yourself from work and ground Do not touch live electrical parts

Keep all panels and covers securely in place

Fumes and gases can be hazardous to your health.

Keep your head out of the fumes Ventilate area, or use breathing device

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Welding can cause fire or explosion.

Do not weld near flammable material
Watch for fire; keep extinguisher nearby Do not locate unit over combustible surfaces

Do not weld on closed containers

Arc rays can burn eyes and skin; Noise can damage hearing.
Wear welding helmet with correct shade of filter Wear correct eye, ear, and body protection

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Hot parts can cause injury.

Allow cooling period before touching welded metal
Wear protective gloves and clothing

Magnetic fields from high currents can affect pacemaker operation. Flying metal can injure eyes.

Welding, chipping, wire brushing, and grinding cause

sparks and flying metal; wear approved safety glasses with side shields

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Welding current can damage electronic parts in vehicles.

Disconnect both battery cables before welding on a vehicle Place work clamp as close to the weld as possible

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Basic preparations should be made before establishing an arc, including base metal prep, set up of the machine and its controls Picture on right shows front panel of a typical AC/DC machine designed for TIG welding (L-TEC HELIARC 306) Control functions of the L-TEC HELIARC 306 are named in the following slides, but the manual should be consulted for more detail Not all power sources will have all the features or controls of this machine

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Control Functions

A: Power On-Off Switch B: Tig-Stick Mode Switch C: Remote Contactor Receptacle D: Current Selector Switch E: Current Range Selector Switch F: Current Control Potentiometer G: Current Panel-Remote Switch and Remote Current Control Receptacle H: Post Flow Control I: High Frequency Selector Switch J: High Frequency Intensity Control

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Control Functions

K: Gas and Water Torch Connections L: Soft Start Switch M: Arc Force Potentiometer N: Slope/Spotweld Control Module O: AC/DC Analog Meter Module P: Panel Mounted Pulse Control R: Balance Control Feature S: Front Panel 3-Amps Fuse T: Rear Panel Auxiliary 115V Receptacle

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Preparing the Weld Joint

Many problems are a direct result of using improper methods to prepare the weld joint One of the most common is the improper use of grinding wheels Soft materials like aluminum may get embedded with abrasive particles resulting in excessive porosity Grinding wheels should be cleaned and dedicated only to the material being welded

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Cleaning

Oil, grease, shop dirt, paint, marking crayon, and rust or corrosion deposits must be removed from the joint and metal surfaces to a distance beyond the heat affected zone Their presence may lead to arc instability and contaminated welds

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Preparing Aluminum for Welding

Very susceptible to contaminants Surface oxide must be removed Special abrasive wheels are available for aluminum Stainless steel wire brushes recommended Both sides of the joint should be cleaned if it contains foreign material

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Preparing Stainless Steel for Welding

Should be thoroughly cleaned Foreign material may cause porosity in welds and carburetion of the surface which decreases the corrosion resistance Stainless steel wire brushes recommended

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Preparing Titanium for Welding

Essential that weld area and filler metal be cleaned Mill scale, oil, grease, dirt, grinding dust, and any other contamination must be removed If titanium is scale free, only degreasing required Joint should be brushed with stainless steel wire brush and degreased with acetone Be cautious of fine titanium dust particles as they are flammable

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Preparing Mild Steel for Welding

Should be mechanically cleaned Scale, rust, paint, oil, grease, or any surface contaminants should be removed

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Arc Length
Arc length normally one electrode diameter, when AC welding with a balled end electrode When DC welding with a pointed electrode, arc length may be much less than electrode diameter

*Figure copied from TIG Handbook

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Gas Cup Size

Inside diameter of gas cup should be at least three times the tungsten diameter to provide adequate shielding gas coverage Picture on right shows example of gas cup size and torch position

1-Workpiece, 2-Work clamp, 3-Torch, 4-Filler rod, 5-Gas cup, 6-Tungsten electrode
*Figure copied from TIG Handbook

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Electrode Extension
Refers to distance the tungsten extends out beyond the gas cup May vary from flush with the gas cup to no more than the inside diameter of the gas cup Longer the extension, the more likely it may contact something by accident General rule would be to start with an extension of one electrode diameter

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Arc Starting with High Frequency

Torch position on left shows recommended method of starting the arc with high frequency when the torch is held manually By resting gas cup on base metal there is little danger of touching the electrode to the work After arc is initiated, torch can be raised to proper welding angle
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*Figure copied from TIG Handbook

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Manual Torch Movement

*Figure copied from TIG Handbook

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Manual Torch Movement

Torch and filler rod must be moved progressively and smoothly so the weld pool, the hot filler rod end, and the solidifying weld are not exposed to air that will contaminate the weld metal area or heat affected zone When arc is turned off, postflow of shielding gas should shield the weld pool, electrode, and hot end of the filler rod

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Butt Weld and Stringer Bead

Be sure to center weld pool on adjoining edges When finishing a butt weld, torch angle may be decreased to aid in filling the crater

Torch and rod position for welding the butt weld and stringer bead
*Figure copied from TIG Handbook

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Lap Joint

Pool is formed so that the edge of the overlapping piece and the flat surface of the second piece flow together Torch angle is important because the edge will become molten before the flat surface Enough filler metal must be added to fill the joint as illustrated on the right
Torch and rod position for welding the lap joint ENBE 499 27

*Figure copied from TIG Handbook

T-Joint

Edge will heat up and melt sooner Torch angle illustrated will direct more heat onto the flat surface Electrode may need to be extended further beyond the cup in order to hold a short arc
Torch and rod position for welding the T-joint

*Figure copied from TIG Handbook

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Corner Joint
Both edges of the adjoining pieces should be melted and the pool kept on the joint centerline Sufficient filler metal is necessary to create a convex bead as shown

Torch and rod position for welding the corner joint

*Figure copied from TIG Handbook

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Argon Helium Argon/Helium Mixtures

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