MAY 2019

Understanding the
Internet of Things

PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND APPLICATION OF WELDING
AND ALLIED JOINING AND CUTTING PROCESSES WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING BRAZING, SOLDERING, AND THERMAL SPRAYING
May 2019 • Volume 98 • Number 5 CONTENTS
FEATURES
30 Industry 4.0: What It Is, and What It Isn’t
Digitization, automation, and improvements 30
to processes are all part of Industry 4.0
J. Dubrovskaya

34 The Need for Artificial Intelligence in the Age of

Industry 4.0
Artificial intelligence-driven cobots can help
manufacturers deal with the skilled labor shortage
S. Karimzadeh

36 40
36 The Benefits IoT Brings to Equipment Maintenance
Affordable sensors and IoT technology can
transmit data outside the factory walls for
conversion into actionable intelligence
B. Nelson

40 Budgets, Training, and Beyond: Gaining Success

with Robotic Welding
Careful planning can lead to quick returns on
your investment in robotic arc welding
J. Craft

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT

123-s Root Pass Microstructure in Super Duplex
Stainless Steel Multipass Welds
Multiple thermal cycles experienced in the root
resulted in an increased root fusion zone
austenite-ferrite ratio and presence of secondary
austenite — T. Pickle et al.
135-s Cold Wire Gas Metal Arc Welding: Droplet
Transfer and Geometry
High-speed imaging was used to study the arc
dynamics induced by cold wire addition during the
three natural transfer modes in welding
R. A. Ribeiro et al.
150-s Bubble Evolution in Ultrasonic Wave-Assisted
Underwater Wet FCAW
The dynamic features of the bubble under an
acoustic field were demonstrated and analyzed
by visual sensing and welding electrical signals
J. Wang et al.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 3

DEPARTMENTS
6 Editorial 44 Coming Events
8 AWS at 100 47 Society News
10 Press Time News 48 Member Profiles
12 International Update 50 Tech Topics
14 News of the Industry 56 Section News
18 Business Briefs 71 Guide to AWS Services
20 Point of View 72 Certification Schedule
22 Stainless Q&A 73 Personnel
24 Product & Print Spotlight 82 Classifieds
28 Centennial Stories 82 Advertiser Index
43 Welding Workbook

OFFICERS WELDING JOURNAL

President Thomas J. Lienert
Consultant
Vice President Robert W. Roth
RoMan Manufacturing Inc.
Vice President W. Richard Polanin
WRP Associates
Vice President Dennis K. Eck
Praxair Distribution Inc.
Treasurer Carey Chen
Cincinnati Incorporated
Executive Director and CEO Matt Miller
American Welding Society
DIRECTORS
T. Anderson (At Large), ITW Welding North America
R. Ashelford (Dist. 13), Rock Valley College
J. R. Bray (Past President), Affiliated Machinery Inc.
T. Brosio (Dist. 14), Major Tool & Machine
J. Burgess (Dist. 8), General Electric
D. A. Desrochers (Dist. 1), Old Colony RVTHS
D. L. Doench (At Large), Hobart Bros. Co.
D. A. Flood (Past President), Tri Tool Inc.
K. Fogleman (Dist. 16), Consultant
P. H. Gorman (Dist. 20), Retired
M. Hanson (Dist. 15), Consolidated Precision Products
L. Heckendorn (Dist. 7)
R. L. Holdren (At Large), ARC Specialties
T. Holt (Dist. 18), Tech Corr USA Management
J Jones (Dist. 17), Harris Products Group
M. Krupnicki (Dist. 6), Mahany Welding Supply Co. Inc.
D. Lange (Dist. 12), Northeast Wisconsin Tech. College
S. Lindsey (Dist. 21), City of San Diego
S. M. McDaniel (Dist. 19), Big Bend Community College
D. K. Miller (At Large), Lincoln Electric
S. Moran (Dist. 3), American Hydro Corp.
R. Purvis (Dist. 22), Purvis Welding Inspection
S. Raghunathan (At Large), Saudi Aramco
H. Record (Dist. 5), Townley Foundry & Machine
M. Sherman (Dist. 10), SW&E LLC
L. E. Showalter (Dist. 4), Newport News Shipbuilding
M. Skiles (Dist. 9), Airgas Inc.
W. J. Sperko (At Large), Sperko Engineering Services
K. Temme (Dist. 2), Matrix NAC
P. I. Temple (Dist. 11), Welding Consultant
Publisher/Editor Mary Ruth Johnsen
Editorial
Sr. Editor Cindy Weihl
Features Editor Kristin Campbell
Associate Editor Katie Pacheco
Assistant Editor Roline Pascal
Peer Review Coord. Lea Owen
Publisher Emeritus Jeff Weber
Design and Production
Production Manager Zaida Chavez
Assistant Production Manager Brenda Flores
Manager of International Periodicals and
Electronic Media Carlos Guzman
Advertising
Media Sales Executives Jeff Rhodes
and Kim Daniele
Production Specialists Megan Lebo
and Amy Gosen
Subscriptions
Subscriptions Representative Thomas Lira
tlira@aws.org
MARKETING ADVISORY COUNCIL
(MAC)
D. Doench, Chair, Hobart Brothers Co.
A. Sepulveda, Vice Chair, Hypertherm Inc.
S. Samuels, Secretary, American Welding Society
D. Brown, Astaras Inc.
C. Coffey, The Lincoln Electric Co.
D. DeCorte, RoMan Mfg. Inc.
D. Marquard, IBEDA Superflash Compressed
S. Molenda, ESAB Welding & Cutting
M. Muenzer, ORS Nasco
W. Newell Jr., Euroweld Ltd.
N. Schmid, Weiler Abrasives Group
S. Smith, Weld-Aid Products
D. Wilson, Wilson and Associates
C. Chen, Ex Officio, Cincinnati Incorporated
S. Fyffe, Ex Officio, Astaras Inc.
L. Kvidahl, Ex Officio, Ingalls Shipbuilding
T. Lienert, Ex Officio, Consultant
M. Miller, Ex Officio, American Welding Society
S. Moran, Ex Officio, American Hydro Corp.
R. Polanin, Ex Officio, WRP Associates
R. Roth, Ex Officio, RoMan Mfg. Inc.
Y. M. Zhang, Ex Officio, University of Kentucky
AWS Promotes Diversity
AWS values diversity, advocates equitable and
inclusive practices, and engages its members and
stakeholders in establishing a culture in the
welding community that welcomes, learns from,
and celebrates differences among people. AWS
recognizes that a commitment to diversity, equity,
and inclusion is essential to achieving excellence
for the Association, its members, and employees.
Welding Journal (ISSN 0043-2296) is published monthly
by the American Welding Society for $120.00 per year in the
United States and possessions, $160 per year in foreign
countries: $7.50 per single issue for domestic AWS members
and $10.00 per single issue for nonmembers and $14.00 sin-
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Copyright © 2019 by American Welding Society in both
printed and electronic formats. The Society is not responsible
for any statement made or opinion expressed herein. Data
and information developed by the authors of specific articles
are for informational purposes only and are not intended for
use without independent, substantiating investigation on the
part of potential users.

4 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

EDITORIAL
Developing the Next Generation of
Welding Professionals
During my more than 40 years in educa-
tion, many things have changed. However,
students have not. The world has changed
around them, but their curiosity, imagina-
tion, cognitive ability, enthusiasm for a well-
presented topic or lesson, and motivations
are the same. As students, and surely as
welding professionals, we all have our days
when we lack motivation; however, motiva-
tion is often the responsibility of the teacher
and sometimes in the content delivery
method. Gone are the days when we spent
hours in a library researching. Now, a few
clicks on a mouse or taps on our mobile de-
Rick Polanin vices connects us to the most recent infor-
AWS Vice President mation on almost any subject.
Unfortunately, the immediacy of informa-
tion and entertainment has altered our per-
ceptions of how work is accomplished and
information is delivered. As an educator, this
instant access has enabled my students to
learn, investigate, and experience so much
more than when I began my career. However,
it remains my responsibility to guide them
through the labyrinth of the Internet to as-
sure they discover credible information. It is
more difficult to extinguish incorrect knowl-
edge than teach correct knowledge.
There is no doubt that social and econom-
ic pressures on students are greater than
ever. As the current workforce continues to
retire, and millennials and digital natives as-
“Our responsibility cend through the rank and file, perceptions
is to instill in the new about the nature of work are likely to
generation of welding change. Yet, manufacturing professionals re-
main charged with making products and pro-
professionals not viding services to ensure safe functionality
only knowledge and and competitive cost.
skill but also the Our responsibility is to instill in the new
ethics and work generation of welding professionals not only
behaviors required to knowledge and skill but also the ethics and
work behaviors required to maintain the U.S.
maintain the U.S. lead lead in manufacturing. Therefore, how do we
in manufacturing.” ensure that the welding professionals of the
future receive quality education that will guar-
antee success? The question does not have a
simple answer, but there are American Weld-
ing Society (AWS) programs that provide some
assurance welding professionals will be pre-
pared for the workforce with the appropriate
knowledge, skills, and behaviors.
The AWS Schools Excelling through Na-
tional Skills Education (SENSE) program be-
gan in 1993 with a grant award by the U.S.
Department of Education to develop a series
of standards and a program for the recogni-
tion of welders based on welding perform-
6 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
ance and practical knowledge testing. The
development of this National Skill Standard
involved the participation of the welding in-
dustry through a survey designed to arrive at
a consensus of welder skills and competen-
cies required to fill the need for qualified
welders in a variety of industries. The result
of this survey was an occupational task
analysis that formed the basis of the SENSE
standards for the training of welders. SENSE
is now in operation and offers welding in-
structors a national curriculum based on key
indicators vetted by industry.
To ensure schools are using the SENSE
program appropriately, the SENSE accredita-
tion program is currently under develop-
ment. The accreditation program is designed
to review the curriculum, facilities, docu-
mentation, and continuous improvement
through a self-study and site visit.
Similar in development, the National Cen-
ter for Welding Education and Training
(Weld-Ed), in partnership with AWS, has
gathered a set of student learning outcomes
for welding technicians. The outcomes were
vetted by industry and education experts
and act as the foundation for the formation
of the Weld-Ed professional development
courses. These offerings are designed to pro-
vide welding instructors with additional
knowledge and skill that may be incorporat-
ed into welding courses.
To further assist welding instructors,
Weld-Ed has developed an accreditation pro-
gram for welding engineering technology
programs. It seeks to hold welding engineer-
ing technology associate degree programs ac-
countable to the community of stakeholders,
the welding industry, higher education, and
students. The accreditation process strives
to ensure the programs have clearly defined
and attainable mission statements, goals,
and student outcomes appropriate to pre-
pare individuals for employment.
Recently, AWS became the lead organiza-
tion for welding with the Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology
(ABET). As such, AWS will be responsible for
curriculum review and program assessment
of those colleges and universities pursuing
ABET accreditation for engineering and engi-
neering technology programs.
Our obligation to industry includes devel-
oping the next generation of welding profes-
sionals through programs like SENSE and
Weld-Ed, among many other offerings. AWS
remains dedicated to our mission. WJ
AWS AT 100

In celebration of the American

Welding Society’s 100th anniversary,
here are some historical highlights of
the Society and industry. In this issue,
we feature the 1970s.

1970s 1976
An unusual facility
was set up outside of
Charleston, S.C., to
weld the 5083 alu-
minum liquefied natu-
ral gas tanks for a fleet
of ships being con-
structed by General
Dynamics Corp. in
Quincy, Mass. The
storage tanks were
fabricated according
to the Kvaerner-Moss
design out of Norway.
The plate for this proj-
ect was rolled at Al-
coa’s Davenport Works in Iowa. At the time, it was consid-
This decade saw welded production of numerous heavy- ered the largest aluminum plate order in Alcoa’s history. The
wall nuclear pressure vessels, fossil fuel and nuclear power main process of construction was gas metal arc welding. Af-
plant construction, and many steel bridges. Large-diameter ter each tank was completed, it was moved out of its individ-
gas and oil transmission pipelines were constructed to deliv- ual fabrication bay and hoisted onto an awaiting barge for
er products from the Gulf Coast to population centers in the shipment up the coast to Quincy.
East and Midwest. Numerous steel buildings were weld-
fabricated in the United States, such as the World Trade Establishment of
Center towers in New York City, and the John Hancock the AWS Certification
Building and Sears Tower in Chicago, Ill. Many offshore Program. The AWS
drilling rigs were produced, requiring a tremendous amount Welding Inspection
of welding. Certification programs
are, in 2019, a major
component of AWS
1971 revenues, with more
than 43,000 certified
AWS moves its personnel worldwide.
headquarters to
Miami, Fla. It first
occupied a former
church before 1977
moving to this
building at 550 Arc welding plays a crucial role in construction of the
N.W. LeJeune Rd., Trans-Alaska Pipeline, an $8-billion project requiring more
just south of Mia- than 100,000 field welds. The pipeline stretches 800 miles
mi International from Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope of Alaska to Valdez in
Airport. the south.

8 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

 1979
Austenitic stainless
steel was the metal of
choice as the membrane
material for the lique-
fied natural gas tanks
Newport News Ship-
building welded. These
“waffle” membranes
were called for in the
Technigaz design from
France. Some 30 miles
of gas tungsten arc weld-
ing were used for the
membranes of each of
the three tankers built
by Newport News. The
filler metal was Type 308L stainless steel. Some 150 Cyber-
Tig power sources from Hobart Brothers Co. were used on
Underwater this project. WJ
pipeline installation
and welded repair see
widespread use. Learn about the 1980s in the June Welding Journal.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 9

PRESS TIME NEWS

Industrial Automation Technology joining and precision processing solutions. The company pur-
chased a 13-acre parcel in Brookfield’s Berkshire Industrial
Shown at Hannover Messe Park and has received local approvals to build on the site.
Groundbreaking for the construction is set for June.
The 140,000-sq-ft building will house the 220 professional
staff, engineers, and production team in the current headquar-
ters. Emerson expects to open its assembly technologies head-
quarters in late 2020. Features will include an expanded, high-
tech lab to support new product development, customer appli-
cations, and technical services; modern manufacturing space
to house the production and assembly of tooling, cleaning sys-
tems, and metal welding systems; and four customer experi-
ence demonstration spaces.
The Digital Twin increases operation enabling to simulate
and plan solutions for a digital environment. Uintah Basin Technical College Opens
Welding Technology Building
Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden, and Comau, Turin, Italy, re-
cently demonstrated the Digital Twin, enabled by 5G connec- As part of festivities for Uin-
tivity, at the Hannover Messe trade show in Germany. tah Basin Technical College’s
The digitized version of an assembly line in an automotive (UBTech) new welding technolo-
plant was highlighted. Using glasses for virtual-reality applica- gy building in Roosevelt, Utah, a
tions, visitors were immersed in the line and could “move” sheet-metal ribbon was cut on
within it, monitoring key parameters of the processes and ma- March 21.
chines. A digital dashboard identified situations that could cre- Inside the 13,570-sq-ft, $4.5-
ate slowdowns or interruptions in the process. million facility, hands-on train-
“Comau’s new digitally interconnected equipment delivers ing will contribute to helping
real-time production data where and when it is needed...5G is Christopher Nolden and the shortage of welders.
an enabling driver for the digital transformation within the In- Lyciera Williams cut a Miller Electric, Appleton,
dustry 4.0 environment, specifically for low latency, band- sheet-metal ribbon to Wis., partnered with Norco,
celebrate Uintah Basin Boise, Idaho, which claims to be
width, and plug and play connectivity of factory equipment.
Technical College’s weld- the nation’s largest privately
The demo showcased with Ericsson shows how a digital twin ing technology building.
can work in a production line,” said Maurizio Cremonini, Co- owned medical, welding, safety,
(Credit: Spenser Heaps,
mau’s head of marketing and digital initiatives platform. Deseret News.) and gas supplier, in providing
scholarship funding, modern
AWS Changes to Industry Certifications equipment, and supplies to the
students of UBTech.
Available for Certified Welder UBTech’s welding program has a history of producing stu-
dents who earn top honors nationally and internationally.
American Welding Society (AWS) industry certifications,
2018–19 reporting for postsecondary programs, were re-
cently outlined in a Florida Department of Education memo
Lincoln Electric Acquires Baker
from Chancellor of Career and Adult Education Rod Duck- Industries
worth. The March 29 correspondence mentions the Soci-
ety’s changes to the industry certifications available for Cer- Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.,
tified Welder that will enable welding students to be certi- Cleveland, Ohio, has acquired Bak-
fied in a range of AWS standard welding procedures er Industries Inc., Detroit, Mich., a
(aws.org/certification/page/certified-welder-program). privately held provider of custom
The 2018–19 CAPE Postsecondary Industry Certification tooling, parts, and fixtures prima-
Funding List has been updated to reflect this change, with ten rily serving automotive and aero-
new AWS certifications. These include AWS Certified Welder – space markets, as well as related as-
flux cored arc and gas metal arc welding (GMAW) plate; gas sets. It will enhance Lincoln Elec-
tungsten arc welding (GTAW) pipe, carbon steel, stainless steel tric’s metal additive manufacturing
to carbon steel, and stainless steel; GTAW plate; GTAW/shield- service business that will launch in
ed metal arc welding (SMAW) pipe, carbon steel and chrome mid-2019 to manufacture large-
postweld heat treatment; along with SMAW pipe and plate. scale printed metal parts, proto-
Lincoln Electric’s types, and tooling for industrial
metal additive manu-
and aerospace users. The Baker
Emerson Investing $49 Million in facturing service will
operation, accompanied by a new
launch in mid-2019
New Global Headquarters and provide large- Cleveland, Ohio-based additive
scale metal printing. manufacturing development cen-
Emerson has made a $49-million investment to build a new ter, will also provide an additive
global headquarters in Brookfield, Conn., for its Branson as- manufacturing platform to help
sembly technologies product line of plastic/ultrasonic metal users improve lead times, designs, and quality. WJ
10 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE
Heriot-Watt University Scientists Develop
Laser System that Welds Dissimilar Materials
Scientists from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scot-
land, have welded glass and metal together using an ultra-
fast laser system. Various optical materials such as quartz,
borosilicate glass, and sapphire were all welded to metals
like aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel using the Heri-
ot-Watt laser system, which provides very short, picosecond
pulses of infrared light in tracks along the materials to fuse
them together. The new process could transform the manu-
facturing sector and have direct applications in the aero-
space, defense, optical technology, and healthcare fields.
“Traditionally, it has been very difficult to weld together
dissimilar materials like glass and metal due to their differ-
ent thermal properties — the high temperatures and highly
different thermal expansions involved cause the glass to
shatter,” said Professor Duncan Hand, director of the five-
university EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in
Laser-Based Production Processes at Heriot-Watt. “Being
able to weld glass and metals together will be a huge step
forward in manufacturing and design flexibility.”
MADE Competence Center for Industry 4.0 is
Unveiled in Italy
Spearheaded by Polytechnic of Milan, and with the support of
Comau, the MADE Competence Center aims to provide innova-
tive products, such as the MATE exoskeleton pictured above.
Polytechnic of Milan, a technical university in Italy, and
Comau, an industrial automation provider in Turin, Italy,
have presented MADE, the new Milan Competence Center
for Industry 4.0.
MADE is a partnership formed by 39 partners from the
business and academic world, which aims to provide busi-
nesses with orientation, training, and support services for
the implementation of projects for Industry 4.0.
“The participation in the Milan Competence Center —
MADE — demonstrates Comau’s commitment to innova-
tion and in the implementation of projects capable of con-
tributing to the development of our country’s industrial sys-
tem,” said Mauro Fenzi, CEO of Comau. “By making its ex-
pertise, technologies, and advanced processes for Industry
4.0 available, Comau aims to support companies in the ac-
quisition of production processes and tools enabling the
Smart Factory in an increasingly incisive manner.”
12 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
European LASIMM Project Goes Live, Now
Suitable for Construction
One of the world’s largest hybrid machines, LASIMM, will
pave the way for 3D printing parts and structures for
construction.
The European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cut-
ting (EWF) has launched the large additive subtractive inte-
grated modular machine (LASIMM) project, which features
unique metal additive and subtractive capabilities and will
be capable of 3D printing large pieces of metal and large
parts and structures for construction.
The hybrid machine features capabilities for additive
manufacturing, machining, cold working, metrology, and in-
spection. The machine also includes a modular configura-
tion of industrial robot arms for additive manufacturing of
aluminum and steel, and a specialized milling robot for ma-
chining away surplus material.
“While 3D printing for consumers and makers has re-
ceived a great deal of publicity, it is within the industrial
manufacturing and construction industries that this tech-
nology could have its most significant and lasting impact...
this technological achievement will pave the way to enable
entire construction infrastructures to be 3D printed in the
future,” said Eurico Assunção, deputy director at EWF and
LASIMM project coordinator.
Swiss Company Stäubli Group Acquires
Germany-Based WFT GmbH & Co. KG
Stäubli Group, Pfäffikon, Zürich, Switzerland, a global
mechatronics solution provider, has acquired a 70% stake in
WFT GmbH & Co. KG, a specialist in the construction of
special-purpose machines and mobile platforms based in
Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Germany. The acquisition will allow
Stäubli to increase its product range as well as its global po-
sition in the field of robotics within the area of autonomous
guided vehicles and automation add-ons.
“Stäubli and WFT share a common belief to provide high-
tech automation solutions of top quality to our customers
by fully focusing on them and their specific needs,” said Rolf
Strebel, CEO of Stäubli. “We warmly welcome WFT and its
employees in the Stäubli Group and look forward to further
expanding our business together.”
All employees of the acquired business will join the
Stäubli Robotics Division, while the factory in Sulzbach-
Rosenberg will become part of Stäubli’s global production
network. The new company will operate under the name
Stäubli WFT GmbH. WFT Founder Franz Wittich will take
on the position of general manager at the new company. WJ
NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY

New Device Welds Bridge Parts in With IACET accreditation, AWS can do the following: Is-
sue continuing education units (CEUs), allowing the Society
Seconds to create training for professional engineers who require
CEUs to maintain their licenses; market AWS as an accredit-
ed learning provider; and enter the higher education space
by offering training that can then be converted into academ-
ic credit. It also ensures AWS is following recognized best
practices in the development of effective, continued training
and education.

NAM Renews Call for $1 Trillion in

Infrastructure Investment
Fluor Corp. Chairman/CEO and National Association of
Manufacturers (NAM) Board Chair David Seaton, along with
NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons, have recently re-
leased “Building to Win.” Originally issued ahead of the
This U-shaped weld sample was made in 4 s using a new
2016 elections, the updated proposal serves as a blueprint
device by engineers at UT Austin. The steel used, ASTM A572 to repair roads, bridges, rails, airports, ports and waterways,
Grade 50, is the same alloy utilized in bridge construction. and revolutionize infrastructure.
In part, Timmons said, “...with an injection of $1 trillion
in American infrastructure over time, we will create 11 mil-
Engineers at the Cockrell School’s Center for Electro- lion jobs. There’s clearly bipartisan support to modernize
mechanics, through The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, and revitalize our infrastructure, so now we’re calling on
have been working to develop a high-speed welding technol- Congress to act.” Visit nam.org/buildingtowin/.
ogy for steel bridge infrastructure improvements that cuts
conventional welding times by more than half.
The researchers are using homopolar welding, which uti- Lehigh Career & Technical Institute
lizes a homopolar generator (HPG) to enable joining various
metals at a larger scale and quicker. The most recent design Breaks Ground on Welding Facility
is focused on reducing the cost of the generator so the tech-
nology could be commercialized; this means bridges can be
built, or repaired, faster and at a lower cost, without sacrific-
ing the structural integrity.
“In just a few seconds, we can now weld bridge parts that
would otherwise have taken hours to complete,” said Scott
Pish, research engineer at the Center for Electromechanics.
“Because no filler material is used and the energy (heat) is
delivered to the weld zone as an impulse, less total electrical
energy is required to complete the weld.”
In addition, the team conducted metallurgical tests on
the design that showed equivalent or superior mechanical
properties to welds performed using conventional methods.
The Center for Electromechanics is working with Austin-
based Koo and Associates International Inc. to commercial-
ize the technology, which was funded by the U.S. Depart-
ment of Transportation. Welding Technology Students Jordan Everett (left) and
For more details about HPG, visit cem.utexas.edu/content/ Bradley Gardner (second from left) participate in the ceremo-
dot-hpg-bridge-weldments. nial groundbreaking for Lehigh Career & Technical Institute’s
(LCTI’s) Welding Technology Center with Teachers Brad
Brandmeir (second from right) and Thomas Uff. (Credit: LCTI.)
AWS Achieves IACET Accreditation
Lehigh Career & Technical Institute (LCTI), Schnecksville,
The American Welding Society (AWS), Miami, Fla., has Pa., recently hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the
recently completed an application and audit for accredita- school’s Welding Technology Center. Many state and local
tion by the International Association for Continuing Educa- officials joined staff and students for the event.
tion and Training (IACET), Herndon, Va., and passed. This
makes the Society an accredited training provider for a peri-
od of five years. — continued on page 16

14 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY
— continued from page 14
The 12,000-sq-ft facility will double the size of its current
lab, offering 10,000 sq ft of instructional space with the re-
mainder devoted to storage. Included are 40 welding booths
(up from 29) and ten workstations.
“Pennsylvania’s economic future depends on a well-
educated and highly trained workforce,” said Pennsylvania
Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Eileen Cipri-
ani. “The expansion of LCTI’s welding program will give stu-
dents hands-on training for a career or to continue their ed-
ucation. The program also gives local employers a pipeline of
talented workers.”
LCTI Executive Director Thomas J. Rushton noted the
center has been in the works for two years and described it
The new facility (shown in a rendering) will be double the
size of the school’s current welding program lab. (Credit:
LCTI.)
16 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
as a “major evolutionary step” in the institute’s mission of
workforce development.
Spurred by an unmet demand for welders and other
skilled trades workers in the Lehigh Valley, the $4.25-
million project will allow the institute to grow and evolve
one of its most popular programs in a facility with the latest
equipment. LCTI secured a $50,000 state matching grant to
offset the cost of equipping the addition.
“Welding continues to track high in both job openings
and great pay here in the commonwealth,” added state Rep-
resentative Ryan Mackenzie.
Slated to open in fall 2020, the center will serve Lehigh
County high-school students and adult learners.
U.S. Marketplace that Matches Industry
4.0 Skills and Jobs Raises $1.9 Million
Cluster, Los Angeles, Calif., which claims to be the first
U.S. marketplace matching Industry 4.0 skills and jobs, has
recently closed a $1.9-million seed round of financing.
“Hiring experienced talent is the industrial sector’s most
urgent priority amidst a tight labor market and a growing
wave of retirements,” said CEO and Founder Kim Taylor.
“We need to expand beyond the friction of résumés and job
descriptions to a common language of skills.”
Engineering talent is vetted to join the platform, and
employers pay on a subscription model to access mid-to-
senior level talent looking for full-time jobs.
“Our partners need people with specialized skills like
Siemens NX or CATIA,” added Taylor.
Cluster’s vision for the future is to expand beyond re-
cruitment and help talent acquire new skills, higher wages,
and industry-recognized certifications. It plans to use the
funds to grow the team and expand their relationships with
employers, starting with southern California.
The investment was led by billionaire Mark Cuban and
ECMC Group.

Steel Gets Rocked and Rolled Into a

Decorative Gift for Metallica’s Guitarist
Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) President Bill
Pink recently caught up with Metallica Guitarist James Het-
field to offer his thanks and present gifts. The band gave the
Michigan-based school a $100,000 grant; its purpose is to
provide more opportunities for nontraditional students to Grand Rapids Community College Welding Instructors (from
gain in-demand welding skills that will lead to rewarding right) Nathan Haney, Nick Pinckney, and John Doneth pose
jobs (see pages 15 and 16 of the February 2019 Welding with the guitar they welded for Metallica.
Journal).
Pink and Julie Parks, GRCC’s executive director of work-
force training, met with Hetfield prior to the band’s concert Metallica Scholars grant. Welding Professors John Doneth,
in March and presented gifts, including a decorative steel Nick Pinckney, and Nathan Haney appreciated the band’s sup-
guitar crafted by welding professors. port. They also used their skills to turn 14-gauge sheet steel
“He expressed a desire to see the funding from the band into an ornate guitar with the band’s All Within My Hands
going toward programs that help people get skills they need Foundation logo and “GRCC WELDING” cut into the front.
to get good jobs,” Pink said.
GRCC is one of ten colleges selected nationwide for the — continued on page 80

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 17

BUSINESS BRIEFS
OMAX Joins Hypertherm to Strengthen Its
Position in the Waterjet Industry
OMAX and Hypertherm have joined forces to strengthen its
waterjet business, as well as grow Hypertherm’s overall in-
dustrial cutting solutions business. Pictured are (fom left)
OMAX CEO John Cheung and Hypertherm CEO Evan Smith.
OMAX Corp., Kent, Wash., a manufacturer of abrasive
waterjet systems, has joined forces with Hypertherm,
Hanover, N.H., a manufacturer of industrial cutting systems
and software, following a merger agreement that establishes
OMAX as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hypertherm.
OMAX’s direct-drive pumps, software, and applications
technologies will combine with Hypertherm’s intensifier-
based pumps and abrasive recycling systems to form the in-
dustry’s waterjet technology offering.
“When the late Dr. Olsen and I founded OMAX 25 years
ago, our goal was to combine new motion control technolo-
gy with software to create an abrasive waterjet system un-
like anything else on the market...” said John Cheung, co-
founder and CEO of OMAX. “In planning for this future, we
wanted to partner with a company that shared our values
and vision...protect our culture, provide stability for our em-
ployees, and give our customers products and services con-
sistent with our mission statement.”
Hypertherm does not plan to make significant changes to
OMAX’s operations, management structure, or distribution
channels. The company’s current offices and manufacturing
operations will remain intact with no consolidations or re-
ductions planned. Hypertherm also anticipates continuing
both the Hypertherm and OMAX waterjet product offerings
and brands.
“Hypertherm is excited to welcome OMAX to our fami-
ly...” said Hypertherm President and CEO Evan Smith. “We
are confident the combination of OMAX’s cutting-edge tech-
nology and solutions, innovation focus, strong brand name,
commitment to customers, and excellent culture is a perfect
complement to Hypertherm’s waterjet offerings and plasma
cutting industry leadership position.”
Lincoln Electric Named One of the
2019 World’s Most Ethical Companies®
Lincoln Electric, Cleveland, Ohio, a developer of arc welding
products, robotic arc welding systems, and plasma and oxyfuel
18 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
cutting equipment, has been recognized for the second consec-
utive year as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by
the Ethisphere Institute, a global organization in defining and
advancing the standards of ethical business practices. The or-
ganization recognizes companies that illustrate how to be a
driving force for improving communities, build capable and
empowered workforces, and foster corporate cultures focused
on ethics and a strong sense of purpose.
This year, 128 honorees were recognized, spanning 21
countries and 50 industries. Lincoln Electric is the only hon-
oree in the Machine Tools & Accessories industry category.
“We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Lincoln
Electric Chairman, President, and CEO Christopher L. Mapes.
“Our organization’s guiding principle is the ‘Golden Rule’ and
we are proud of our strong culture of integrity, ethics, and our
commitment to excellence in everything we do.”
Automaker Expands Production Capacity in
Michigan to Grow Core Brands, Electrify Jeep®
Vehicles
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) N.V. has plans to invest $4.5
billion to build a new assembly plant in Detroit (pictured here)
and add production at five existing Michigan facilities, creat-
ing nearly 6500 jobs.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) N.V., London, UK, has
invested $4.5 billion in five of its existing Michigan plants
and a new assembly plant in Detroit. The move will increase
capacity to meet the growing demand for its Jeep® and
Ram® brands, including production of two new Jeep-brand-
ed white space products as well as electrified models. The
proposed projects will create nearly 6500 jobs.
FCA will invest $1.6 billion to convert the Mack Avenue
Engine Complex into a manufacturing site for the next-gen-
eration Jeep Grand Cherokee as well as a three-row, full-size
Jeep SUV and plug-in hybrid models, creating 3850 new
jobs. The company intends to start construction of the new
Detroit facility by the end of the 2019 second quarter, with
the first three-row vehicles expected to roll off the line by
the end of 2020, followed by the all-new Grand Cherokee in
the first half of 2021.
Additional investments include $900 million in the Jef-
ferson North Assembly Plant, adding 1100 jobs; $1.5 billion
in the Warren Truck Assembly Plant, with 1400 new jobs;
more than $400 million in the Sterling and Warren Stamp-
ing plants, potentially creating about 80 jobs; and $119 mil-
lion to relocate Pentastar engine production to the Dundee
Engine Plant by the 2019 third quarter. WJ
POINT OF VIEW
How Robots Can Help Consume the
Cost of Tariffs
A series of steel and aluminum tar-
iffs have recently emerged — and they
may take quite a toll on the welding
industry.
Earlier last year, the United States
announced Canada, Mexico, and the
European Union (EU) will face tariffs
of up to 25% on steel imports, as well
as 10% on aluminum imports. While
the taxes are designed to penalize for-
eign countries, their ill-effects, includ-
ing countermeasures and a heightened
threat of a global trade war, may be
felt throughout the United States.
Given how many materials Canada,
Mexico, and the EU ship to the United
States, it may become increasingly diffi-
Fig. 1 — Two KUKA robots for gas metal arc welding use torch cleaners, allowing for better gas flow and longer gas nozzle life.
20 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
cult for domestic suppliers to satisfy de-
mand for steel and aluminum entirely
on their own. This shortage may cause
U.S. companies to purchase steel and
aluminum from countries facing tariffs,
even if it’s more expensive than usual.
Wondering how to offset such
costs? Consider turning toward robot-
ics — Figs. 1, 2. By ushering in cost
savings via automation and increased
efficiency, robots have the potential to
boost your bottom line.
While you may not be able to avoid
the rising aluminum and steel prices,
an investment in robotic technology
can pay off in a number of ways, as
follows.
BY CHARLIE ADAMS
1. Increased Productivity
There’s no shortage of speculation
surrounding the impact of robots on
both companies and their employees.
Often the subject of Hollywood fan-
tasies, robots aren’t always seen as
helpful. However, while such portray-
als may be largely exaggerated for the
entertainment value, robots are be-
coming more user friendly and aug-
ment the staff in the workplace. As a
result, the industrial robot market is
expected to jump from $11 billion in
2015 to $33 billion just 10 years later
(Ref. 1).

Fig. 2 — A robot takes molten steel from the furnace and pours the metal into
molds, where an operator takes a sample of the metal.
Robots will soon become more com-
mon across factories and workplaces,
but that isn’t necessarily bad news for
workers. Although one in four Ameri-
cans worry about losing their jobs to
machines, the truth is robots will help
more than they hurt (Ref. 2).
Aside from regular maintenance,
robots don’t have to take time off.
Better yet, they can work at breakneck
speeds. Those two benefits translate
to greater productivity within your
factory. And with a bump in produc-
tion comes increased sales. Sidestep
the high costs of tariffs with the
extra money you make from bringing
robots aboard. Not only will you be
able to mitigate the rise in steel and
aluminum prices, but you can also
use any extra cash to supplement
employee salaries or create a profes-
sional development program.
Whether it covers new welding
techniques or offers up tips for man-
aging, employee training is one way to
boost retention. According to a report
from Gallup, 87% of millennials say
development opportunities are an im-
portant part of a job (Ref. 3).
Empower employees to take control
of their careers. If you’re not sure
which training is in demand, reach
out to your workers through a survey.
A few questions may be enough to
gauge the popularity of specific
growth opportunities.
Much has been made of the poten-
tially negative impact of robots. By
opening the door for a boost in pro-
ductivity, however, robots stand to
offset costly tariffs while also welcom-
ing additional investment in current
employees.
2. Greater Product
Quality
Peace and quiet are often tough to
come by in today’s workplace. Three
out of four Gen X and Gen Z employ-
ees report feeling distracted on the job
(Ref. 4). From chatty coworkers to a
steady stream of distractions in the
form of personal technology, such in-
terruptions can prove devastating to
product quality. A distraction lasting
just 3 s can cause workers to make
twice as many errors, according to re-
searchers (Ref. 5).
Hoping to ensure greater accuracy
and consistency? Robots promise to do
that. Unlike human workers, robots
aren’t deterred by workplace distrac-
tions and can focus exclusively on the
task at hand. If, for example, noise lev-
els begin to rise, you won’t have to
worry about whether work is still get-
ting done or if it’s being done correctly.
Perhaps even more importantly,
repetition isn’t a concern. Weeks or
months spent doing the same thing
can quickly cause employees to burn
out or impact their attention to detail.
That, however, is far from the case
with robots. Designed to accurately ex-
ecute a monotonous task, robots can
easily take on tedious work. In addition
to improving worker morale, these ma-
chines can increase the accuracy with
each task completed.
As robots take charge of tasks, you
can switch up work opportunities for
your staff and raise the bar on product
quality. The result? Improved accuracy
as well as greater worker engagement.
3. Benefits to Labor
Engagement is essential to curbing
labor costs. The more interested em-
ployees are in their work, the better
chance they’ll stick around. Nearly
three-fourths of actively disengaged
workers are watching for new job op-
portunities compared to 37% of en-
gaged employees (Ref. 6). According to
the Work Institute’s 2017 Retention
Report, it can cost about $15,000 to re-
place an employee earning a median
annual salary of $45,000 (Ref. 7). Con-
sidering the expenses tied to turnover,
it’s important to continue piquing the
interest of your employees.
Save some of that time and cash by
bringing robots into the fold. While
they require an initial investment, ro-
bots can more than make up for any
upfront costs. Retain the attention of
uninterested workers with a steady
stream of fresh responsibilities. As ro-
bots take over some of the more repet-
itive work, you can increase employee
engagement, foster creativity, and de-
velop higher-skilled positions.
4. Improved Workplace
Safety
Businesses in the United States
spend more than $1 billion a week on
serious, nonfatal injuries (Ref. 8).
While it may be tough to eliminate
workplace accidents altogether, there’s
plenty that can be done to limit the
damage. As robots become more com-
monplace within the welding industry,
workers no longer have to handle
every task to get the job done. Not
only will this improve worker well-
being, but it will also lessen your liabil-
ity. Costs associated with workplace
injuries could begin to dwindle, giving
you the chance to use that extra budg-
et elsewhere.
Implement such technology to help
cut down on exposing workers to pre-
carious situations, while also creating
a work environment that will encour-
age employees to stick around for the
long haul.
— continued on page 81
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 21
STAINLESS Q&A
Q: The AWS specifications for
welding filler metals seem to
contain no requirements for the
yield strength of stainless steel
weld metal. In contrast, the
specifications for carbon steel
and low-alloy steel filler metals
contain yield strength require-
ments. For a 316L stainless steel
design based upon yield strength,
what values then do we use for
design purposes?
A: You are correct that the AWS speci-
fications (AWS A5.4/A5.4M:2012,
Specification for Stainless Steel Elec-
trodes for Shielded Metal Arc Welding;
A5.9/A5.9M:2017 (ISO 14343: 2009
MOD), Welding Consumables — Wire
Electrodes, Strip Electrodes, Wires and
Rods for Arc Welding of Stainless and
Heat Resisting Steels — Classification;
and A5.22/A5.22M:2012, Specification
for Stainless Steel Electrodes for Flux
Cored Arc Welding and Stainless Steel
Flux Cored Rods for Gas Tungsten Arc
Welding) contain no yield strength re-
quirements. But all AWS specifica-
tions for carbon steel and low-alloy
steel welding filler metals set require-
ments for minimum yield strength. In
a tensile test, as the load is initially
applied, the relationship between load
and deflection, or between stress and
strain, is linear, with a slope known as
the elastic modulus or Young’s Modu-
lus, about 30,000,000 lb/in.2 for car-
bon steel. This is called elastic behav-
ior — removing the load restores the
original dimensions of the test speci-
men. Under further loading, many
carbon steels, some of their weld met-
als, as well as a few low-alloy steels
and weld metals of lower strength,
exhibit a definite yield point on a load
deflection or stress-strain plot during
a tensile test. This is an abrupt and
obvious departure from elastic behav-
ior under load, and relaxing the load
does not return the specimen to its
original dimensions. This is called
plastic behavior. Figure 1 shows a
sketch of such a plot exhibiting an
obvious yield point.
On the other hand, most low-alloy
steels and their matching weld metals,
and stainless steels and their weld
metals, do not exhibit such yield point
behavior. Instead, as the load increas-
es, the load deflection or stress-strain
22 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
Fig. 1 — Typical load deflection plot for
carbon steel weld metal that exhibits
a definite yield point.
plot, almost imperceptibly at first, be-
gins to deviate from a straight line re-
lationship. It is not possible to state
exactly where the deviation begins.
The engineering solution then is to
draw a line parallel to the straight por-
tion of the plot but offset 0.2% from
the plot. The point where this 0.2%
offset line intersects the plotted line
is taken as the yield strength. This
0.2% offset is a very small portion of
the total deflection or strain to frac-
ture, less than 1% in most cases. Such
a plot is sketched in Fig. 2.
It can be noticed that further load-
ing, beyond the yield point in Fig. 1 or
beyond the 0.2% offset line in Fig. 2,
is required to further strain the mate-
rial. This is due to work hardening. If
the load is removed in this range
where work hardening takes place,
and then a new load deflection or
stress strain plot is prepared for the
specimen, the onset of yielding will
require higher load or stress than was
required in the initial test. Work hard-
ening has made the steel stronger.
The specifications for stainless
steel base metals, such as ASTM
A240, generally set requirements for
mechanical properties, including yield
strength, in the hot-rolled or annealed
condition. In the annealed or hot-
rolled condition, work hardening is
virtually absent in those materials.
The yield strength is rather modest.
For 316L base metal in ASTM A240,
the specified minimum yield strength
is only 25,000 lb/in.2 (170 MPa). Fur-
ther examination of ASTM A240 re-
veals that the specified minimum
yield strength for most of the com-
mon austenitic stainless steels (304,
304L, 304, 309, 310, 316, 317, 317L,
and 347) is no more than 30,000
BY DAMIAN J. KOTECKI
Fig. 2 — Typical load deflection plot
for austenitic stainless steel weld
metal that does not exhibit a definite
yield point.
lb/in.2 (205 MPa).
Weld metal, however, in the as-
welded condition is not free of cold
work. When the weld metal cools after
solidification, it tries to shrink but is
restrained by the surrounding cold
base metal. The weld metal has to
yield as it cools, resulting in work
hardening. Consequently, the weld
metal yield strength after cooling to
room temperature is considerably
higher than the base metal yield
strength. Multiple passes promote
more work hardening and higher yield
strength. For example, Gowrisankar
et al. examined ER316L weld metal
properties in 1-in. (25 mm) double-V
joint preparation in 316L base metal
as a function of the number of passes
used to complete the joint (Ref. 1).
They reported a yield strength of
48,000 lb/in.2 (332 MPa) for five pass-
es to complete the joint, 51,000 lb/in.2
(354 MPa) to complete the joint in
nine passes, and 58,000 lb/in.2 (406
MPa) to complete the joint in 13 pass-
es. They alternated welding from one
side to the other for each weld pass to
limit overall distortion.
This experience of Gowrisankar et
al. (Ref. 1) mirrors my own observa-
tions of yield strength of austenitic
stainless steel weld metals. This test-
ing was done using the single-V joint
preparation of the AWS A5.4/A5.4M
specification for shielded metal arc
welding covered electrodes and pro-
duced yield strengths of 56,000 to
68,000 lb/in.2 (386 to 469 MPa) for
E316L-16 electrodes. I observed simi-
lar results (yield strength much higher
than the corresponding base metal
yield strength) for E308L-, E308-,
E309-, E316L-, and E347-16 covered
— continued on page 75
PRODUCT & PRINT SPOTLIGHT Emphasizing Industry 4.0

AWS Releases Standard and use of robotic arc welding systems

for Robotic Welding Training to train and certify operators and tech-
nicians under the AWS Certified Ro-
and Testing botic Arc Welding program. This stan-
dard sets guidelines for specification
and selection of the minimum number
and type of arc welding peripheral and
ancillary devices necessary to create a
training and testing cell.

American Welding Society

The American Welding Society
(AWS) D16.6M/D16.6:2018, Specifica-
tion for Robot Arc Welding Training and
Testing Cell, presents the recommend-
ed design, integration, installation,
aws.org
(888) 935-3464
Mobile App Improves Quality
and Production Management
The WeldEye app offers a mobile
user interface for this welding man-
agement software, along with Industry
4.0 tools, for welding professionals to
manage welding quality, production
processes, and productivity in an effi-
cient way. It can also be used for
browsing welding procedure specifica-
tions, with the following benefits:
Real-time quality control helps identi-
fy and fix deviations without delay,
leading to cost savings; and companies
with global manufacturing and sup-
plies can meet the requirements of dif-
ferent welding standards and global
sales. The app is connected to the
welding equipment by a digital con-
nectivity module that collects welding
data and enables a wireless data trans-
fer via Bluetooth. The app then up-
loads the data into the WeldEye cloud
service via Wi-Fi, or mobile network
when welding in areas where Wi-Fi is

24 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

not available. The app can be down-
loaded from Google Play for free on
mobile devices with Android 6.0 or
greater.
Kemppi
kemppi.com
+358 3 89911
Line of Material Handling
Robots Unveils 16 Models
The line of GP-series robots show-
cases 16 models for a variety of mate-
rial handling applications, including
assembly, packaging, machine and
press tending, dispensing, and materi-
al cutting and removal. These six-axis
robots provide fast axis speeds and ac-
celeration capabilities to reduce cycle
time and increase production output.
Due to its various payload capacities,
these robots can support a wide array
of tooling and sensors to fulfill unique
project requirements. Each model is
engineered with a wide-wrist motion
range to improve application flexibili-
ty, as well as a hollow arm to eliminate
cable interference. A single cable is all
that is needed to connect the manipu-
lator to the controller, resulting in easy
setup and reduced expenses for main-
tenance and spare parts inventory.
Yaskawa American Inc.
yaskawa.com
(800) 927-5292
Report Credits IoT for Growing
the Nondestructive
Examination Market
Global Non-Destructive Testing Inspec-
tion Services Market, Forecast to 2022
identifies key growth opportunities in
this market while detailing the chal-
lenges. It includes the technology seg-
ments of ultrasonic, radiographic, elec-
tromagnetic, visual inspection, and
penetrant examination for the forecast
period of 2018 to 2022, with 2017 be-
ing the base year. The report also posits
that the nondestructive examination
market is rebounding from a two-year
slump with the rise of the industrial in-
ternet of things (IoT). It states the con-
vergence of various technologies such
as big data, predictive analytics, digital
twin, cloud computing, and smart fac-
tories is enhancing growth opportuni-
ties in the market and giving rise to
several new business models. Addition-
ally, the report finds that vendors are
making concerted efforts to convert big
data to smart data, and shift the mar-
ket from the traditional time-people
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 25
business model to a more proactive per-
formance-based business model.
Growth and revenue opportunities are
said to be emerging from the advent of
these new business models, mergers,
and acquisition activities.
Frost & Sullivan
frost.com
(877) 463-7678
Smart Padlock Secures
Valuables on Job Sites
The Tapplock enterprise™ utilizes a
smart fingerprint padlock, Tapplock
one+, coupled with a centralized access
control management platform to safe-
guard valuables and equipment on
worksites. It is designed for teams of
all sizes, allowing employers to set cus-
tom permissions and manage users via
groups. Employers can also view all of
the locks across a map, deploy and re-
voke fingerprints remotely, and set ac-
cess privileges with three ways to un-
lock: fingerprint, morse code, and
Bluetooth. The system’s audit reports
allow businesses to track every ac-
26 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
maining power using the app. The
lock also blinks red when the power
is below 10%.
Tapplock Corp.
tapplock.com
Module Unifies Bulk Gas
Operations
count activity and view timestamps
for when a lock was unlocked and
locked. The platform also sends mobile
notifications for account-related
events and exports audit reports. The
padlock features a 7-mm, reinforced,
stainless steel shackle that is strength-
ened by a double-layered lock design
with antishim and antipry technolo-
gies. It has a IP67 waterproof rating, is The TIMS Bulk Gas Manager mod-
dust- and rust-proof, and is fully func- ule streamlines the processes of bulk
tional between –4˚ and 140˚F. The gas tank installations, forecasting, or-
lock’s battery lasts up to a year off a 2- dering, scheduling, delivery, billing,
h charge, and users can check the re- and payment processing. The module
integrates real-time telemetry read-
ings to help optimize deliveries using
forecasting refill requirements, sched-
uling efficiencies, and effective deliv-
ery routing. It manages argon, CO2,
helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen,
and propane.
Computers Unlimited
cu.net
(406) 255-9500
Hardness Testing Software
Enhances Work Efficiency
rent trends and market drivers for
2019 to 2025, with 2018 as the base
year. It provides a basic overview of
the robotic welding industry, including
definitions, classifications, applica-
tions and industry chain structure, as
well as import/export consumption,
supply and demand figures, cost, price,
revenue, and gross margins. The re-
port estimates that Asia Pacific is pro-
jected to dominate the global robotic
welding market because of the increas-
ing automation in China and other
emerging economies. The report also
states Asia Pacific is expected to be the
fastest growing market. It identifies
the increased use of automation in
China under the Made in China 2025
plan as a driver for market growths
in Asia Pacific, with China accounting
for more than half of the Asia Pacific
market.
Research Reports World
researchreportsworld.com
(424) 253-0807

The upgraded DiaMet™ software for

hardness testing improves work effi-
ciency by reducing or eliminating man-
ual data entry for Buehler and legacy
Wilson testers. Helping organizations
move toward Industry 4.0, the soft-
ware integrates and transforms these
testers to automatically save measure-
ment results and easily generate test
reports. The test program or test job
may be categorized in folders and re-
called using the filtering feature, facili-
tating any internal or external auditing
process. Its measurement process also
provides more consistent test results
between multiple operators. Further-
more, the software simplifies testing
with digital imaging, eliminating the
need for a filar eyepiece measurement.
The upgraded package includes a USB
3.0 digital camera, camera cable, and
workstation.

Buehler Ltd.
buehler.com
(847) 295-6500

Report Analyzes the

2019–2025 Global Robotic
Welding Market
Global Robotic Welding Market In-
sights, Forecast to 2025 evaluates cur-

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 27

CENTENNIAL STORIES

The Father of Welding Metallurgy Also a

Caring Teacher
As part of our celebration of the American Welding Society’s centennial,
the Welding Journal plans to tell the stories of events and people from the
Society’s past, as well as those who may contribute to its future. In this
issue, we’re profiling Dr. Warren F. Savage of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The quintessential teacher. who insisted on excellence. Many of his students stayed in
That’s how Dr. Gene Goodwin touch with him after leaving RPI, and because of their regard
described his former professor, for their former professor, they and other friends established
Dr. Warren F. Savage. Goodwin, and endowed the AWS Warren F. Savage Award. It is given
a fellow of the American Weld- each year “to recognize his lifetime accomplishments and dedi-
ing Society and retired from cation in the field of welding metallurgy.” The award, present-
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ed annually, recognizes “original and innovative research re-
studied under “Doc” Savage at sulting in a better understanding of the metallurgical princi-
Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti- ples related to welding.” It is presented for the best paper on
tute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y., from this topic published during the previous calendar year in the
1964 to 1968. Welding Journal Research Supplement.
Dr. John C. Lippold, another Savage earned both his undergraduate and graduate de-
AWS Fellow and emeritus pro- grees at RPI. He spent nearly all his life in academia, returning
Even after his retirement fessor of welding engineering at to the university after working for two years as a metallurgical
from RPI in 1984, Warren
The Ohio State University, engineer at Adirondack Foundries and Steel Co. in Watervliet,
F. “Doc” Savage continued
to guide graduate stu- echoed those sentiments. He N.Y. He was part of the teaching staff at RPI from 1948 until
dents with their research studied under Savage from his retirement in 1984, and became professor of metallurgy
as active professor 1974 to 1978. “The people he and director of welding research in 1960.
Emeritus in the Materials produced would be what he He served as a member of a joint United States/Soviet com-
Division. would consider his greatest mission on welding and special electrometallurgy and made
legacy. He spent a great amount many visits to the U.S.S.R. He also was an advisor and consult-
of time with his students,” Lip- ant to several U.S. government agencies.
pold recalled. “He would sit for hours with a master’s student Along with his RPI colleague Dr. Ernest Nippes and Dr.
going over a thesis word for word.” Hugo Ferguson, Savage invented a high-speed thermomechan-
His legacy as a teacher is only the first in a long list of ical simulator known as the Gleeble®. They had been building
accomplishments. laboratory equipment for their own research and as they be-
Lippold calls him “the father of welding metallurgy,” not- gan to use it and publish papers, they got requests to build
ing, “In my view, he transformed the welding metallurgy part similar equipment for other labs. To do so, in 1957, they start-
of industry. He influenced people all over the world and was ed a company, Duffers Associates Inc., now known as Dynamic
one of the most influential people in welding in the 1960s, Systems Inc. The Gleeble enabled researchers, for the first
‘70s, and ‘80s.” time, to simulate welding processes in the laboratory under re-
A look at the Welding Journal index of research papers pub- alistic thermomechanical conditions. The breakthrough served
lished during those years shows paper after paper by Savage as a foundation for many key advances in materials science
and his students. As noted in his obituary in the April 1988 and engineering.
issue of Welding Journal, “With his students, he published over In addition, he invented the Varestraint test, used to study
120 technical papers, three of which received the Jennings hot cracking in welds.
Award, four the Sparagen Award, one the Davis Silver Medal, Whatever Savage was working on, Lippold recalled, he was
and one the Warren F. Savage Award. He presented the Com- passionate about it. “He was very opinionated. Once he
fort A. Adams Lecture in 1967 and the Plummer Memorial Ed- thought it out and made up his mind, he didn’t often change
ucational Lecture in 1986. Internationally, he presented the it. He could be an unmovable object once he made up his
Houdremont Lecture at the International Institute of Welding mind,” Lippold said. “It was one of his few faults.”
(IIW) meeting in Portugal in 1980. In 1975, 1978, and 1980, He added, “Doc was very proud of RPI. He really promoted
under the sponsorship of the Organization of American his university.”
States, he lectured in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Argenti- Both Lippold and Goodwin described Savage as a “charac-
na, and Chile.” ter,” and said that while he could be opinionated and some-
Goodwin described Savage as a caring, but tough teacher,
— continued on page 75

28 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

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Industry 4.0:
What It Is, and What It Isn’t
While digitization,
automation, and
improvements to
processes are part
of Industry 4.0, it is
not about replacing
the critical nature
of welding
30 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
W
hen initially approached to
contribute an article on the
topic of Industry 4.0, I felt a
bit intimidated. Intimidated to discuss
a topic that is currently either at the
forefront of discussions in meeting
rooms across the world or is just an-
other trendy buzzword stirring up
confusion within the welding industry.
However, the more I pondered about
this hard-to-ignore megatrend, the
more excited and honored I felt to
share my views and shed some light
around what Industry 4.0 is — and
what it isn’t.
If people were asked to list the first
things that come to mind when they
hear the words “welding industry,” I
bet, more often than not, the initial
responses would be “slow to change,”
“old school,” or even “archaic.” But
what if these perceptions are just that,
perceptions? What if these negative
perceptions are the only thing stand-
ing in the way of the welding industry
being thought of as innovative, pro-
gressive, and forward-looking?
BY JULIE DUBROVSKAYA
U.S. Economic Factors
As a global analyst covering this
industry for a number of years, I admit
the last few years have seen their fair
share of turbulence. In 2019, we are
once again faced with numerous eco-
nomic uncertainties and market
volatilities that are hard to ignore. In
the United States, we expect economic
growth to slow to 2.5% in 2019, down
from 3.2% in 2018, as the effects of
the fiscal stimulus wane and tighter
credit conditions begin to take hold1.
Despite the slowdown, however,
the latest gross domestic product
(GDP) data (Fig. 1) also suggest the
U.S. economy remains relatively re-
silient for now, bolstered by private
consumption and fixed investments,
primarily in the nonresidential, infra-
structure sectors, as the government
continues to relax spending con-
straints on both defense and infra-
structure programs in the years ahead.
1. BMI/Fitch Solutions
 With that in mind, the United
States currently has more than $339
billion in capital and maintenance
projects that are active and scheduled.
And although that number will cer-
tainly fluctuate as the year progresses,
there is plenty of work to be done and
a tremendous number of welders
needed to do it.
The American Welding Society
estimates that within the next decade
alone, we will need to fill nearly three
and a half million manufacturing jobs,
and a current gap in essential manu-
facturing skills will likely result in
about two million of those jobs going
unfilled.

Fig. 1 — The latest GDP data suggest the U.S. economy remains relatively resilient for
Industry 4.0 and Welding
now, bolstered by private consumption and fixed investments.
So, what is Industry 4.0, and does it
have a place in welding? Following the
invention of the first steam engine
(first major industrial revolution), in-
creased production through assembly
lines and electricity (second industrial
revolution), and the introduction of
electronics and IT (third industrial
revolution), Industry 4.0 — also re-
ferred to as “Smart Factory” — is
marking the fourth industrial revolu-
tion — Fig. 2. Built on the connected
Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0
is all about digitization, automation,
and/or improvements to existing man-
ufacturing processes through digital
interconnectivity between the opera-
Fig. 2 — The four industrial revolutions.
tor and equipment.

Fig. 3 — Technology such as Insight Welding Intelligence™ helps transform welding data into actionable information that drives
continuous improvement.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 31

 The welding industry as it stands
today is simply not able to support the
time necessary to recruit, train, and
develop the staggering number of
welders it requires. Nor can it afford to
lose out on productivity due to re-
work, welder turnovers, and the risks
associated with lower operator skill
levels. Therefore, as we continue pow-
ering ahead to get into the digital age,
we need to ensure that the welding in-
dustry is not excluded from keeping
32 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
up and is adapting to new technologies
that ultimately lead to increased pro-
ductivity and efficiency, fueled by data
intelligence and critical real-time weld
feedback.
Industry 4.0 will drive the ability to
predict when potential problems are
going to arise before they happen;
open the doors for greater insight,
control, and data visibility across an
operation’s entire welding process; and
increase interest from new genera-
tions, in turn attracting the much-
needed younger workforce to the
industry.
What Industry 4.0 Is Not
Industry 4.0, as revolutionary as it
is, is not out to replace the fundamen-
tal art and critical nature of welding.
For as long as we enjoy crossing
bridges, marveling at incredible sky-
lines, receiving water from our faucets,
powering our homes, and all other
comforts of the modern world, nothing
can replace the critical nature of weld-
ing and the craftsmanship that comes
from the humans behind the hood,
holding the torch. As opposed to per-
ceiving it as a threat, I believe Industry
4.0 is an opportunity to optimize our
industry, refresh our methodologies,
and deliver a revolutionary experience
for welders across all skill levels.
Embracing Industry 4.0
Regardless of how it makes us feel,
we are already living in the so-called
fourth industrial revolution. We can
choose to take the proactive path for-
ward by broadening and deepening our
practical knowledge of such digital
technologies and embracing them —
or get left behind facing the pains of
complacency.
Companies should strive to be at the
forefront of developing and providing
the welding industry with innovative
technologies. As an example, Insight
Welding Intelligence™ from Miller al-
lows for real-time feedback and seam-
less connectability between the welder
and the equipment — Fig. 3. These
types of innovative technologies start
with the classroom and continue down
to where the job will be done.
I am extremely excited to be wit-
nessing such a transformation occur-
ring in the welding industry across the
globe and believe the human element
will continue to remain as the most
critical pillar of the modern world. WJ
JULIE DUBROVSKAYA
(jdubrovskaya@itwwelds.com) is market
research manager, Miller Electric Mfg.
LLC - ITW Welding Global Industrial
Platform, Brooklyn, N.Y.


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 Novarc’s Spool Welding
Robot works collaboratively
with a welder.

The Need for Artificial

Intelligence in the Age
of Industry 4.0
How AI-driven
A
lmost all industries have seen massive changes over the past few years,
with many of those changes driven by advancements in artificial intelli-
cobots are gence (AI) and robotics. Those changes have also created solutions to a
number of issues in manufacturing, one of the largest being automation of
improving tasks conducted by unskilled labor. In the welding industry, however, where
skilled welders are in exceptionally high demand, the application of such tech-
productivity nologies to help skilled laborers could be considered ground zero.

and efficiency Growing Need for Artificial Intelligence

The American Welding Society has previously stated that the average age of a
welder in the United States is 54 years old, foreshadowing a shortage of
BY SOROUSH KARIMZADEH
400,000 welding industry personnel by 2024. It is now generally accepted on a
global level that we are facing a looming skilled labor shortage that will affect a
number of industries, including oil and gas, shipbuilding, general fabrication,
and construction.

34 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

 Collaborative robots (cobots) driv-
en by AI, initially designed to enhance
or replace the capabilities of unskilled
labor, are now seen as one of the most
significant developments within In-
dustry 4.0. In fact, new cobots that are
commercially available to the welding
industry not only allow less skilled op-
erators to fill the gap in the availability
of highly skilled welders, but they also
contribute to weld quality and high
productivity.
The development and promise of
new, sophisticated intelligent systems
equipped with continuously improving
AI are motivating the leading players
in the construction and fabrication in-
dustries to adopt robotic technologies
that can incorporate AI systems, such
as cobots. The welding industry is
looking to adopt these technologies to
help solve the shortage of qualified
welders, accommodate the millennial
workforce, and solve the cleantech
challenges of this century.
Cobot Industry Drivers
The well-worn phrase of “We all
make mistakes, we’re only human” ex-
plains the reasoning behind, and an
introduction to, Industry 4.0. Over-
coming the challenges inherent in a
physical process like welding demands
radically different thinking. And ap-
plying new technologies like artificial
intelligence and robotics to a long list
of requirements takes a wealth of ex-
perience and innovation.
In the case of pipe spool fabrication,
pipe welders need to make instant de-
cisions about oscillation, torch angle,
travel speed, and weave amplitude to
create high-quality welds. Unfortu-
nately, humans are prone to error, and
producing repeatable and consistent
high-quality welds can be difficult. Not
surprisingly, weld consistency typically
deteriorates near the end of a physical-
ly demanding 8-h shift.
Given the required repetitive and
precise movement of the torch during
welding, welder fatigue is an ongoing
issue in the industry. Over time, fatigue
and repetitive motion often develop
into chronic musculoskeletal disorders
(Ref. 1). But when utilizing a cobot, the
torch is manipulated by the cobot and
welder fatigue is reduced dramatically.
Welders primarily only monitor the
welding process and, if necessary, steer
the welding torch or adjust the parame-
ters of the weld process.
The system can also find the center of the
root opening, measure the root opening,
and detect tacks in real time. Additionally,
NovEye offers an AI process of deep neural
networks trained by a vast amount of data
gained during the weld.
The development of new cobots for
the pipe fabrication industry has been
in response to a number of unique re-
quirements broadly categorized as mo-
bility, manipulation, perception, user
interface, and autonomy:
Mobility — Ability to weld pipe
spools up to 30 ft long with the ability
to move (or be moved) between joints
very quickly while not interrupting the
forklift traffic or interfering with ex-
isting overhead cranes.
Manipulation — Manipulation of
torch both vertically and horizontally
in addition to the pendulum weave
motion required for welding.
Perception — Ability to accommo-
date variations in the pipe and fitup by
tracking the joint automatically.
User interface — A simple inter-
face for operators that can be used
while welding and without having to
know any robotic programming.
Autonomy — Ability to weld pipes
from root to cap without any supervi-
sion.
Cobot manufacturers have devel-
oped several solutions to meet the re-
quirements listed above. For example,
cobots offer sensors to ensure opera-
tor safety, line lasers for seam track-
ing, point lasers for height control, as
well as cameras for weld monitoring
and recording.
The Novarc Technologies’s Spool
Welding Robot (SWR) has advanced
features for pipe welding, including an
operator-friendly interface, adaptive
control systems for accurate torch con-
trol, and machine learning algorithms
to detect features. It also includes the
NovEye, a weld monitoring system
with a camera built into the SWR ro-
botic arm, which processes each weld
image and reduces the number of in-
puts required from operators, allowing
them to perform more welds in less
time. The system can also find the cen-
ter of the root opening, measure the
root opening, and detect tacks in real
time. Additionally, NovEye offers an
AI process of deep neural networks
trained by a vast amount of data
gained during the weld.
Conclusion
The next wave of Industry 4.0 will
take AI and cobots beyond human ca-
pabilities and make a huge difference
across the spectrum of manufacturing
industries. Advancements in machine
learning algorithms, real-time compu-
tational power, and Big Data are cur-
rently enabling technologies that are
literally transforming industries. In-
dustry is rapidly adopting these new
technologies to remain competitive
and to attract a new generation of
welders. These welders will be expect-
ing new technology in the workplace
to make their performance more pro-
ductive and safer than in previous
generations.
Technological developments will
drive AI, robots, and cobots to a new
level, answering the ever-increasing
demand for greater productivity and
efficiency. WJ
Reference
1. Infrastructure Health & Safety
Association, Ontario, Canada.
ihsa.ca/pdfs/msd/MSDs_Welding.pdf
SOROUSH KARIMZADEH (soroush@
novarctech.com) is CEO and cofounder,
Novarc Technologies, Vancouver, B.C.,
Canada.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 35
The Benefits IoT Brings to
Equipment Maintenance
Connecting your machines to the Internet
allows for earlier, cost-efficient service
BY BRENT NELSON
A
s the owner, maintenance man-
ager, or engineer in a welding
operation, you manage many
complex pieces of equipment. You may
choose to maintain some internally,
others you assign to a third-party
service, and some, because of tight re-
sources, you maybe ignore until there’s
an issue. All of that equipment gener-
ates lots of data that you could use to
operate more efficiently. However,
most facilities use only a small per-
centage of their valuable data.
Factory automation has been around
Fig. 1 — Merging operating data from multiple machines and applications enables analytics to turn data into actionable informa-
tion.
36 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
since the 1970s, but it is only a partial
solution. Since then, larger manufactur-
ers have been reaping huge efficiencies
from connecting their machines to a lo-
cal data network and central control
system. However, the costs and special-
ized personnel required to maintain
these systems put them out of reach for
typical welding operations.
This is why the Internet of Things
(IoT) is such a breakthrough. Sensors
and IoT technology are relatively af-
fordable and can transmit data outside
the factory walls for conversion into
actionable intelligence — Fig. 1. In
this way, IoT enables maintenance
arrangements that were previously im-
possible on both production machin-
ery and nonproduction equipment,
such as dust collectors.
Comparing IoT with
Industrial Networks
There is still some confusion about
what IoT delivers. IoT is not a solution
in itself, but rather a tool to transmit
 information from the factory floor to
personnel who can process and apply it.
In traditional industry networks,
such as supervisory control and data
acquisition (SCADA) networks or dis-
tributed control systems (DCS), data is
sent to the plant’s local control sys-
tems. In IoT, the data is sent to a se-
cure remote server on the Internet for
processing. Maintenance alerts are
then relayed to the person responsible
via email, text, and a web-based dash-
board — Fig. 2.
A solution built on IoT offers the
same functionality as many traditional
networks do:

• a way to monitor your assets and

processes from a single location,

• automated notifications (alerts),

and

• historical reporting.

However, IoT also offers additional

benefits beyond those of a standard
control network. Connected equip-
ment allows multiple parties to work
together on solutions in new ways.

What IoT Does Well

As the scenario in the side bar illus-
trates, IoT also provides two valuable
functions that many standard networks
do not: monitoring the status of equip-
ment, and providing data to external
Fig. 2 — Maintenance alerts can prompt timely actions, such as the pictured dust partners who can quickly help with di-
filter change, and address problems before they escalate, helping to reduce un- agnostics, repair, and prevention. The
planned downtime and support efficiency. following addresses these functions.

Fig. 3 — IoT is well suited for applications requiring an alert when operations, such as temperature, flow, and pressure, are outside
the set range.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 37

Monitoring Applications
IoT is well-suited for equipment
that doesn’t require constant monitor-
ing, but needs to trigger an alert the
moment it operates outside the set
range. These are sometimes the shop’s
secondary machines, such as air filtra-
tion. Sensors on these assets can track
specific process data including temper-
ature, flow, and pressure, or monitor
broader indicators to create reports on
overall machine condition — Fig. 3.
Sharing Data
IoT also outperforms traditional
networks in the way it enables mainte-
nance partnerships — Fig. 4. While
traditional control systems are de-
signed specifically to prevent data
from flowing to anyone outside the or-
ganization, the architecture of IoT so-
lutions allows secure data sharing with
key personnel outside of the organiza-
tion. When the maintenance team and
outside technical experts see common
data, they can quickly resolve issues
and make changes to help reduce cost-
ly downtime.
When Not to Use an IoT
Application
Despite the unique capabilities of
IoT shown in the sidebar, it was never
intended to replace factory automa-
tion (SCADA networks or DCS) entire-
ly. IoT is designed to monitor equip-
ment, not control it. The latency in
IoT technology — time that elapses
between detection and response — is
too high to control a factory process.
For this reason, industrial IoT should
be used to supplement existing net-
works, not replace them.
It is also important to note that IoT
is designed to handle small amounts of
data from many sources. Monitoring a
machine that generates a large amount
of data to analyze and store (approxi-
mately 5 megabytes per day) may be-
come cost prohibitive for IoT.
What about IoT Risks?
Despite the benefits of data sharing,
equipment owners typically have two
valid questions about adopting IoT: se-
curity, which drives convenience, and
cost, which determines scalability. Let’s
walk through those concerns.
38 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
Fig. 4 — For larger companies with multiple locations, an IoT dashboard map can
help maintenance personnel and external service partners keep an eye on the sta-
tus of connected machines (in this case dust collectors) across their entire system.
Security and convenience. Indus-
trial companies are worried about in-
formation security, and for good rea-
son. Networks are constantly under at-
tack, and every new device that touch-
es an internal network represents a
potential vulnerability. Data ex-
changed outside a company’s firewall
can be a risk.
This is where IoT actually brings
advantages, not greater risks. Cloud-
based IoT works independently from
your current industrial networks.
If the IoT device uses a cellular (or
similar) network and a third-party
cloud, the data will never contact
your plant network. Because of this,
it does not create any new vulnerabili-
ties for your network, which will
reassure the IT professionals in your
organization.
Cost and scalability. IoT solu-
tions can be more affordable than local
automation systems. Because tradi-
tional industrial networks are de-
signed for critical control applications,
they require speed (low latency) and
high functionality, as noted earlier.
This makes them more expensive to
install, and they can be overkill for ap-
plications that require only periodic
monitoring. IoT represents a relatively
low-cost way to monitor specific data
points in many machines.
Summary
The industrial Internet of Things
will enable a new level of service and
solutions that were never possible
with traditional industrial networks.
In these new models, equipment own-
ers, manufacturers, and dealer service
managers can all share data to deliver
the best customer experience.
When considering an industrial IoT
solution proposed by a solution
provider or an equipment manufactur-
er, ask yourself the following questions:
• What value can I get (uptime, effi-
ciency, reduced labor hours) from do-
ing periodic monitoring on this ma-
chine or process vs. manual observa-
tion? Does this create a positive return
on investment for my company?
• Does monitoring this machine or
process require low latencies or a high
amount of data ingestion, making it a
better candidate to monitor through a
traditional data network?
• Does this solution create any secu-
rity vulnerabilities in my plant’s con-
trol systems?
• How can I work with my external
partners (dealers, service companies,
and manufacturers) to share the data
effectively to save time and money?
The answers to these questions will
help you determine the potential of
IoT for your operation. With IoT, it is
easy to get caught up in industry
noise. However, it is important to un-
derstand the business problems you
are aiming to solve, and find solutions
designed to address them. As with any
investment in your operation, you
need the right tool for the right job. WJ
BRENT NELSON (brent.nelson@donaldson.
com) is business development manager of
IoT and connected solutions for Donaldson
Co. Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.
IoT Future: A
Connected Dust
Collector
To illustrate IoT, consider this situa-
tion on a factory floor involving dust
and mist collectors that filter the air.
Early Tuesday morning, there is a criti-
cal malfunction on Collector A, causing
the operator to shut down three weld-
ing stations and interrupt production.
The following details how the malfunc-
tion would be resolved with and with-
out an Internet-connected collector.
Without IoT Connectivity
The welding operator goes looking
for the maintenance manager to ad-
dress the situation. Once located, the
maintenance manager walks out to ob-
serve the machine and decides to call
the dealer who supplied the machine
and holds the service contract. The
manager attempts to explain the mal-
function, using whatever visual obser-
vations he can make. After significant
time on the phone, the maintenance
manager and dealer’s service manager
speculate on the cause of the malfunc-
tion. The service manager schedules a
service call, but the closest technician
is two hours away.
When the service technician gets
onsite, she diagnoses the problem as a
torn filter that needs to be replaced.
Unfortunately, she does not have the
replacement filter and will have to re-
turn to the parts warehouse. Due to
travel time, she will not be able to re-
turn until the following day. The tech-
nician comes back the next day in the
late morning to fix the problem and
has the machine operational by
Wednesday afternoon, but a day-and-
a-half of production has been lost.
A year later, a similar filter fails on
Collector B and the process is repeated,
with another 12 h of lost production.
With a Connected Machine
The maintenance manager and the
dealer get an immediate alert on their
phone that Collector A has a critical
malfunction. The maintenance manag-
er calls the dealer, who shares the
plant’s IoT dashboard and can help de-
termine the root cause of the trouble.
For additional help, he calls the sup-
port person at the manufacturer of
Collector A, who also logs into the web
dashboard. Using the real-time and
historical data in Collector A’s dash-
board, they quickly determine that the
torn filter needs to be replaced.
The manufacturer sends a techni-
cian who knows in advance which re-
placement filter to bring to make the
repair. The tech arrives onsite and re-
places the filter. By lunchtime on
Tuesday, just three hours after the
breakdown, the welding stations are
back up and running at full capacity.
In the future, the scenario could
improve even further. The dust collec-
tor’s manufacturer may be able to use
data from the machine, and other con-
nected dust collectors in its customer
base, to develop an algorithm that pre-
dicts filter failure. The welding shop’s
IoT system could be automatically up-
dated with this predictive algorithm.
Then, the maintenance manager
would get an alert before the filter
fails that it needs replacing. He would
schedule the part replacement during
downtime, and the procedure could oc-
cur without interrupting production.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 39
Budgets, Training, and Beyond:
Gaining Success with Robotic Welding
BY JUSTIN CRAFT

Fig. 1 — When implementing a robotic

welding system, every component should
be thoroughly researched to make sure it
is feasible to operate in the weld cell —
not just on paper, but in reality.

T
he potential advantages of robotic welding are well known — in-
Set realistic goals creased productivity, improved quality, and greater cost savings com-
for completing pared to semiautomatic welding. But how do companies best imple-
ment this technology to gain these benefits? And how can they ensure a
installation of quick return on the investment (ROI)? Simply stated, planning.
More preparation upfront helps minimize the cost and time for cor-
robotic weld cells recting errors in the robotic welding system once it has gone into produc-
tion. From the welding power source to the robot or weld process to the
and don’t rush or gun and consumables, each component should be thoroughly researched
to make sure it is feasible to operate in the weld cell — not just on paper,
overcomplicate the but in reality — Fig. 1.
Take advantage of turnkey integrators who run their own process and
process capability studies. They can provide useful double checks to a plan and of-
ten conduct reach studies that model the weld tooling and workpiece.
These mock up how the robot would weld in the finished system to test
the gun reach and the overall efficiency of the process.

40 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

 Also remember, success in robotic
welding is as much a matter of doing
the right thing as it is avoiding pitfalls
that could hinder the efficiency of the
operation.
Budgeting and ROI
With planning comes budgeting. A
robotic welding cell may be installed
on time, produce good weld quality,
and meet cycle time, but if the imple-
mentation and use of the system is
over budget it will be an uphill battle
to gain a good ROI.
Consider the associated goals to
help establish a feasible ROI. For ex-
ample, a company with the goal of pro-
ducing 1000 parts a day needs to de-
termine how much it can make from
those parts. From there, it would sub-
tract the cost of utilities and labor,
along with the cost to make the prod-
uct and the cost of raw materials, to
determine a budget on equipment
costs that would make the company
profitable. If this equipment will only
be used for five years, the company
may need a quicker ROI than if it’s
planning to use the robotic welding
system for ten years or more.
Companies can make the most of
their budget by considering equipment
that could be reused. This can cut
down on the investment in the long
run. Robots can have an extensive life
if maintained well, allowing them to be
repurposed from project to project.
The same holds true with welding pow-
er sources and nozzle cleaning stations.
Ultimately, ROI depends on the
company and what practices it follows
for making profit. Some may be able to
allow the equipment to take 18
months or more to pay for itself if the
company plans on reusing or repur-
posing the welding robots on multiple
platforms over the next ten years.
Others may stand by the goal of a one-
year ROI, which is common.
Effective Training
Proper training is important for
keeping a robotic welding system run-
ning successfully and profitably in the
long term. Robot integrators and oth-
er equipment manufacturers often of-
fer training as part of the implementa-
tion process — Fig. 2. This training
provides welding operators with a
knowledge of robotic welding in gener-
al, as well as providing the information
Fig. 2 — Proper training is important for keeping a robotic welding system running
successfully and profitably in the long term. Robot integrators and other equipment
manufacturers often offer training as part of the implementation process.
they need to operate the robot effec- Avoid Common Mistakes
tively for the application at hand. A
There are several common mistakes
well-trained operator will also be able
that can negatively affect productivity
to determine ways to maximize the ef-
and quality in a robotic welding sys-
ficiency of the robotic weld cell. They
tem. Knowing how to avoid these can
do this by troubleshooting and resolv-
help companies make the most out of
ing issues quickly, keeping the robot
the equipment and gain greater suc-
online, and supporting greater produc-
cess. Consider the following:
tivity and cost savings.
Training geared toward the preven-
1. Implementing the wrong
tive maintenance (PM) of a robotic
equipment in a robotic welding
welding system and the weld cell is also
cell can lead to spending more
key. For example, spatter buildup on the
money than is required. Be sure the
robotic welding gun can cause ground-
power source, robotic GMAW gun, and
ing issues, and buildup on tooling may
consumables are rated for the applica-
lead to dimensional movement of the
tion. Doing so helps minimize the risk
steel from cycle to cycle. The latter can
of premature equipment failures that
block the datum placements, causing
can lead to unplanned downtime and
gun reach issues. In a worse-case sce-
costly equipment replacement. For ex-
nario, spatter builds up on equipment
ample, if a company selects an air-
over time, creating solid formations
cooled system, but actually requires a
that are difficult to remove and prevent
the reuse of the equipment. To avoid water-cooled system for the applica-
these problems, train operators to fol- tion, it could incur unnecessary costs
low a regular cleaning schedule for the to repair or upgrade a failed robotic
weld cell and the equipment. GMAW gun system that cannot handle
Likewise, train welding operators to the heat.
implement PM for the robotic gas
metal arc welding (GMAW) gun to 2. Underutilizing the robotic
gain longer life, reduce downtime, and welding system can prevent com-
achieve more arc-on time. Regularly panies from realizing their full
check that the gun connections, con- productivity potential. Robotic
sumables, and power pin are secure. welding systems should be pro-
Look for any signs of power cable wear grammed to maximize the arc-on time
and replace if necessary. during the weld process cycle — Fig. 3.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 41
In some cases, it may be possible to
have fewer robots that weld for slight-
ly longer cycles. This helps drop the
initial implementation costs.
Take this example. A company has
four robots in a cell welding at 30
in./min with a cycle time of 60 s.
These robots are inefficient since they
are only welding half of the cycle time.
That could be due to the positioner ro-
tating for weld access, too slow of ro-
bot air cut movements, poor welding
angles, or other limiting factors. In
this scenario, the total length of com-
pleted welds for all four robots is 60
in. (30 in./min × 1 min/60 s × 30 s of
welding per robot = 15 in. of weld per
robot).
An alternative here is to keep the
cycle time at 60 s and drop down to
three robots by improving items like
the weld angles, creating quicker air
cuts between welds, utilizing gun
reaming during positioner move-
ments, and more. Now, with improve-
ments, the robots could weld at an av-
erage of 35 in./min for 35 s each cycle.
That provides an average of 20 in. of
weld per cycle per robot, allowing for
the same total of 60 in. of weld with
one less robot.
3. Underutilizing available la-
bor can also hinder productivity.
While companies should take care not
to overload operators, it’s important
to balance manpower in the robotic
From the welding power source to the
robot or weld process to the gun and
consumables, each component should
be thoroughly researched to make sure
it is feasible to operate in the weld cell
— not just on paper, but in reality
welding process so that employees are
efficient and busy at the same time. If
an operator is idle waiting for the weld
cycle to complete, there could be room
for process improvements by allocat-
ing labor to other activities near the
weld cell.
4. Poor tooling design can im-
pede quality. Thoroughly plan the
tooling design and understand how
42 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
Fig. 3 — Robotic welding systems should be programmed to maximize the arc-on
time during the weld process cycle. In some cases, it may be possible to have
fewer robots that weld for slightly longer cycles. This helps drop the initial imple-
mentation costs.
the parts being welded will impact it.
Different parts and materials react dif-
ferently to heat and may draw, flex, or
bend during the welding process. Fac-
tor in how much heat a given weld se-
quence generates. The tooling will
have to be designed with this in mind.
If possible, design tooling to permit
welding in the flat or horizontal posi-
tion with appropriate robotic GMAW
gun access. This allows for faster and
more consistent results. Finally, re-
member, less expensive tooling may be
attractive when looking at upfront
costs, but it can be a pitfall later if it
doesn’t meet the demands of the job.
5. Overlooking activities out-
side the robotic weld cell can be
detrimental. Plan for part inspection
and cosmetic rework, as well as the fi-
nal stages of palletizing the product if
that is part of the operation. Some of
these processes can be automated or
manual labor driven. These are key
stages in a robotic welding operation
that can quickly become bottlenecks
that cause the entire process to slow
down. These bottlenecks can also add
unplanned manpower or equipment
costs, which can become expensive.
Final Thoughts
Remember that no plan for welding
automation can be successful without
a good schedule for its implementa-
tion. Being thorough is more impor-
tant than being fast. Set realistic goals
for completing the installation of the
robotic weld cells and don’t rush or
overcomplicate the process. For first-
time investors in robotic welding,
starting small can also help ensure
greater success.
Once the robotic weld cell or cells
begin operating, keep in mind that the
startup may not be perfect. There may
be adjustments required to optimize
performance to gain the best produc-
tivity and quality. WJ
JUSTIN CRAFT (justin.Craft@
bernardwelds.com) is field tech support
specialist, Tregaskiss, Windsor, Ont.,
Canada.
 WELDING WORKBOOK
DATASHEET 389

Fundamentals of Robotic Welding

The term robot is defined by the Robotic Industries Asso-

ciation as “an automatically controlled, reprogrammable
multipurpose manipulator programmable in three axes or
more which may be either fixed in place or mobile for use in
industrial automation applications.” Industrial welding ro-
bots incorporate many forms of multiaxis, servo-controlled
manipulators equipped with software to allow them to per-
form complex, continuous welding processes. The welding
program can be changed to handle new workpieces, a varia-
tion in existing workpieces, or a change to the weld joints
only.
Robots are ideally suited to both arc and resistance weld-
ing for various reasons. Robots are capable of working in
hostile environments because they are immune to the diffi-
culties presented by radiation, fumes, heat, and other haz-
ards. They offer repeatability and reliability, and adapt to
the physics of the welding process based on sensory input.
In addition, robotic welding systems have the flexibility to
change from one welding routine to another in an almost
uninterrupted fashion.
Fig. 1 — Schematic of a typical robotic arc welding system.

Robotic Arc Welding Systems
Most robotic arc welding systems utilize the gas metal arc
or flux cored arc welding processes. Arc welding robots are
prevalent in the automotive and construction industries,
but general industry, predominated by smaller manufactur-
ers, is the fastest growing segment.
System Components
A typical robotic arc welding system is composed of ten
primary components — Fig. 1. They are as follows:
1) Manipulator,
2) Arc welding power source,
3) Arc welding torches and accessories,
4) Dereeling system,
5) Welding interface,
6) Shielding gas delivery system,
7) Welding electrode feeding equipment,
8) Welding circuit,
9) Communication control wiring, and
10) System grounding.
Peripheral Equipment
Robotic arc welding systems include a variety of peripheral
equipment, referred to as auxiliary equipment when integrated
and controlled by the robot controller or other supervisory con-
trol, and ancillary equipment when not integrated. The type
and amount of peripheral equipment depends on the appli-
cation and the budget available. Recommended optional
equipment includes a water cooler/chiller, torch cleaner, and
tool center point locator. Additional axes of motion are
sometimes required and would involve a positioner, robot
track, or movable gantry. Computer intelligence in the form
of joint finders and trackers is sometimes required to handle
workpiece movement and inconsistent fitup. Joint finders
can be tactile or nontactile. Tactile finders touch the part to
determine position using trimmed welding wire, a clean
nozzle, or a probe, for example. Nontactile finders, such as
lasers, are more expensive but don’t need to touch the joint
that will be welded. Joint trackers can be “through arc”
types that monitor fluctuations in voltage and/or current
and require weaving. For joint trackers that don’t monitor
these parameters, cameras can be used to track the joint just
ahead of the welding arc.
Robotic welding systems typically have controls and asso-
ciated fixturing and safety systems. The robot system usual-
ly possesses a programmable logic controller (PLC), which
ensures that all operations occur safely in the correct se-
quence. The PLC is typically controlled by an attached com-
puter system, or a robotic teach pendant. The fixturing can
consist of manual, pneumatic, or electromechanical clamp-
ing. The safety system employed depends entirely on the
type of application. Torch collision detection, occupancy de-
tection mats or scanners, light curtains, safety mats, and en-
closures are some of the features commonly employed to
support a safe system. Safe practices require that the final
installation of equipment conforms to current published
safety regulations. WJ

Excerpted from the Welding Handbook, Tenth edition, Volume 1, Welding and Cutting Science and Technology.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 43

COMING EVENTS
U.S., CANADA, MEXICO EVENTS
Great Designs in Steel. May 15. Laurel Manor Conference
Center, Livonia, Mich. The event will feature more than 30
technical presentations and 25 displays from original equip-
ment manufacturers, automotive suppliers, steel companies,
and industry affiliates highlighting advanced high-strength
steels, automotive safety, and manufacturing technologies.
Visit autosteel.org.
National Robotic Arc Welding Conference. June 3–5. Mil-
waukee Area Technical College, Oak Creek, Wis. This three-
day event offers a platform for learning what it takes to im-
plement robotic arc welding in industries ranging from auto-
motive to shipbuilding. The conference will include tours of
manufacturers utilizing innovative robotic arc welding as
well as a tour of Miller Electric; topics ranging from ad-
vanced robotic plasma arc welding, 3D printing, collabora-
tive robotic arc welding, and more; and a vendor display of
robots and peripheral arc welding equipment. Contact Sue
Silverstein at (414) 840-9935 or silverss@matc.edu.
Robotics Summit & Expo. June 5, 6. Seaport World Trade
Center, Boston, Mass. This event will focus on the design,
development, manufacture, and delivery of commercial-
44 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
class robotics systems. The conference program of keynotes
and general sessions will educate more than 1000 engineers
on how artificial intelligence, the cloud, 5G, and other tech-
nologies and services are making robots smarter and more
connected than ever. Visit roboticssummit.com.
AMPM2019 Additive Manufacturing with Powder
Metallurgy/POWDERMET2019 International Conference
on Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials. June
23–26. Sheraton Grand, Phoenix, Ariz. The events bring to-
gether industry professionals and decision makers from
around the world to network and learn about the latest de-
velopments and innovations in metal powder technology.
The conferences will address powder metallurgy parts and
products, particulate materials, metal injection molding,
and metal additive manufacturing. Visit ampm2019.org and
powdermet2019.org.
Made in America 2019. Oct. 3–6. Indiana Convention Cen-
ter, Indianapolis, Ind. The first-ever event will focus on U.S.
manufacturing and products. With more than 800 ex-
hibitors and 10,000 attendees expected, this four-day event
will bring together a network of industrial professionals,
keynote speakers, and conscious consumers to raise aware-
ness for the economic, environmental, and community im-
pact of American manufacturing. Visit madeinamerica.com.
15th Northeast Lean Conference. Oct. 23, 24. The Con-
necticut Convention Center, Hartford, Conn. This year’s
conference will focus on recognizing the re-emergence of
total employee involvement. The practical learning format
features keynote and breakout presentations, interdepart-
mental panels, peer-to-peer discussions, hands-on simula-
tions, interactive learning and sharing, and networking
opportunities. Visit northeastleanconference.org.

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
5th International Conference on Mechanical Structures
and Smart Materials (ICMSSM2019). May 27, 28. Xi’an,
China. The aim of this conference is to provide a platform
for researchers, engineers, academicians, and industrial pro-
fessionals to present their research results and development
activities in mechanical structures and smart materials re-
lated issues. Visit icmssm.org.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Advanced Fundamentals & Brazing by Design. Philadel-

phia, Pa. Two-day course covering the essential theoretical
aspects of brazing technology combined with real-life appli-
cations and case studies. Visit lucasmilhaupt.com.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 45

Amada Miyachi Educational Resources/Training. Person-
alized training services on resistance and laser welding fun-
damentals, laser marking, custom programs, material selec-
tion and joint design, and more. Visit amadamiyachi.com, or
call (626) 303-5676.
ASME Section IX Seminar. Learn how to use ASME Section
IX quickly and cost effectively. This three-day ASME-
sponsored course is scheduled for June 10–12, Houston,
Tex. Contact Marion Hess, hessm@asme.org, (212) 591-7161,
or register at asme.org/products/courses/bpv-code-section-ix-
welding-brazing-fusing.
Brazing — How to Effectively Improve Production and
Reduce Costs. Learn how to properly understand and ap-
ply brazing principles to reduce problems in your production
shop and improve your brazing productivity in this three-
day brazing training program on May 14–16 in Los Angeles,
Calif. Contact Dan Kay at dan.kay@kaybrazing.com, or go to
kaybrazing.com/seminars.html.
Business Electronics Soldering Technology. Certification
and training classes held in Rolling Meadows, Ill.; Auburn
Hills, Mich.; Rosemount, Minn.; and Cleveland, Ohio, or can
be coordinated onsite at your facility. Training schedule is
available at solder.net. Contact BEST at (847) 797-9250.
CWB Online/Classroom Courses. Courses in NDE disci-
46 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
plines to meet certifications to the Canadian General Stan-
dards Board or Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The
Canadian Welding Bureau; (800) 844-6790; cwbgroup.org;
info@cwbgroup.org.
CWI Exam Prep Course. American Institute of Nondestruc-
tive Testing offers a 40-h online CWI exam prep course. Part
A covers the fundamentals of welding technology; part B
consists of extensive practical hands-on techniques and will
be held at the Houston Marriott North in Houston, Tex.;
and part C provides in-depth training to the welding code
portion of the exam. Contact Jeff LeTourneau, instructor@
trainingndt.com, (855) 313-0325, or visit trainingndt.com.
CWI/CWS Inspector Training. Welder Training & Testing
Institute is hosting the following endorsement and CWI/
CWS prep course seminars: Bolting Endorsement: July 31;
ASME Section IX/B31.1/B31.3: May 9, 10, Aug. 1, 2, and
Nov. 21, 22; D1.1/D1.5/API Endorsement: May 16, Aug. 8,
and Dec. 5; CWI: May 13–18, Aug. 5–10, and Dec. 2–7; and
CWS: Sept. 16–20. To register, go to wtti.com.
E-Courses in Destructive and Nondestructive Testing of
Welds and Other Welding-Related Topics. Online video
courses taken at one’s own pace offer certificates of comple-
— continued on page 84
BY KATIE PACHECO — kpacheco@aws.org
SOCIETY NEWS
International Agents Assemble at AWS World Headquarters
Forty agents representing more entation by Barry Edmonds, United as vital to their success.
than 30 countries gathered at the Technology, Malaysia. “This meeting provided us first-
American Welding Society (AWS) The third and final day consisted of hand information about new proce-
World Headquarters in Miami, Fla., for a roundtable discussion that opened dures and changes. It informed us that
the International Agents meeting held up the floor for agents to share their we need to anticipate change and pre-
February 4–6. thoughts, experiences, and challenges, pare,” said Alejandra Justiniano,
According to Denny Smith, AWS thus providing AWS with valuable CBHE, Bolivia.
managing director of certification, feedback on what is working and what Claudio Martinez with Indura,
AWS International Agents are author- can be improved upon. Chile, concurred, stating that the most
ized to administer AWS Certification “The agent meeting provides an important thing he learned dealt with
Examinations in their countries, mar- annual opportunity for AWS staff to the changes resulting from AWS’s shift
keting these programs in advance. As a communicate with our international to Prometric, an educational testing
result, the agents actively promote agencies in person, en masse, and dis- service that provides technology-
AWS Certification Programs world- cuss our initiatives — and to listen to enabled exams.
wide, with some agents also offering their feedback. It is a synergistic op- Agents also cited having face-to-
training curriculum. portunity for communication,” ex- face interaction with AWS staff as a
“AWS International Agents serve a plained Pidal. “AWS leadership has the major boon.
larger role than simply administering benefit of listening and considering “From the meeting, I appreciated
the AWS exams overseas. While that is the agents’ feedback, which is other- the open dialogue I had with AWS
the core function of the agreement wise usually limited to email corre- leadership,” said Edmonds. “It has giv-
between AWS and each agency, the spondence. Some agent representa- en me a better understanding of the
agency serves as a representative to tives also have limited English- products and services that are not
their respective markets on the value language skills. The opportunity to standard to AWS that can be promoted
of AWS Certification and Standards,” meet in person can help bridge the in my region.”
affirmed Mark Pidal, assistant manag- lack of understanding.” “We had many questions before we
er of international certification activi- came here, and now we have answers,”
ties. “AWS wishes to expand our reach Invaluable Takeaways said Tsai. “We benefitted from the
globally and to have our certifications access to AWS staff, and we have
and standards recognized worldwide.” As AWS continues to evolve to bet- scheduled additional meetings with
ter serve the global welding industry, departments to learn more. I am excit-
Topics Covered many agents listed being aware of up- ed, and the other agents are, too. I
coming changes, and being able to hope this meeting continues for years
On the first day, the agents were plan their own approaches accordingly, to come.” WJ
greeted by Corporate Director of Glob-
al Sales Jeff Kamentz, AWS President
Thomas Lienert (via videocall), and
Vice President Robert Roth. The day’s
agenda centered on a range of topics
such as AWS’s organizational struc-
ture; exam development, mainte-
nance, and administration; computer-
based testing; agent price structures;
contract agreement revisions; and in-
troductions to AWS Certification and
Accounting staff. The day also includ-
ed a presentation by Chon-Lian Tsai,
International Welding Technology Re-
search Laboratory, Taiwan; a toast to
celebrate the Chinese New Year; and a
golf outing in the evening.
The second day was dedicated to
learning about international certifica-
tion, global industry economics, new
product development, AWS depart-
ment initiatives, certification opera-
tions, test supervision and instruc-
tions, and the agent resources web AWS International Agents and staff members posed for a group photo during the
page. The day concluded with a pres- 2019 meeting held February 4–6 at AWS World Headquarters, Miami, Fla.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 47

SOCIETY NEWS
District 9 Member Profile
Karl Prados
Karl Prados entered the welding in-
dustry straight out of high school
when his dad, nicknamed “Pap,” got
him a job at Twin Brothers Marine in
Louisiana. Earning just $4.75 an hour
in 2000, his interest in welding was
fueled by his competitive nature.
“I guess it was in my blood. I was
always a competitor since I was a kid; I
hated to lose. I found it fun competing
daily to always be better than the per-
son next to me,” he explained.
For five years, Prados moved up the
ranks, starting as a welder helper, then
a short-arc welder, and eventually be-
coming a pipe mill foreman.
“I guess since my dad worked at the
same place, I felt like I was obligated to
prove through hard work that I wasn’t
just ‘Pap’s son,’” he said. “I was a dedi-
cated individual who worked his butt
off with the goal of being the best.”
In 2005, he took a job at Chart
48 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
AWS Celebrates Its Past by Focusing on the
Industry’s Bright Future
The Welding Journal is celebrating its centennial by looking to the future and
showcasing the welding industry’s young professionals. From January to Decem-
ber, 2019, Society News will profile AWS members under the age of 40 from each
AWS District.
The following section profiles Karl Prados, Dist. 9, and Erick Speer, Dist. 10.
To nominate an AWS member, contact Katie Pacheco at kpacheco@aws.org.
Energy and Chemicals to explore new
opportunities in welding and cryogen-
ics. There, he learned how to use an
Automig aluminum welding machine,
and perform AC/DC gas tungsten arc
welding. Before leaving the company in
2009, Prados became an AWS Certified
Welding Inspector (CWI).
Prados decided to embark on a new
career path after receiving a call from
Jimmy Gravois, owner of Metal Shark
Boats, who offered him a position as
an aluminum welder and fitter. Nine
years later, Prados is still with the com-
pany. He credits Gravois and his two
sons, Brenden and Jon; David “Tboy”
Chataignier; Buddy Stovall; and John
Albert for making him into the boat
builder and professional he is today.
Presently, Prados works as the gen-
eral manager, CWI, of Metal Shark
Boats’s Jeanerette, La., facility.
“Basically, I manage everything that
has to do with production, from cut-
ting, pressing, welding, painting, and
outfitting, while still serving as the
company’s single CWI,” he said.
When asked what he likes most
about his job, Prados highlighted the
ability to support his family — wife,
Tara, and 8-year-old daughter, Bella.
He also enjoys being able to play a
large role in the planning that goes
into a finished project, as well as hav-
ing a close friendship with his boss,
Jon.
When he’s not working, Prados
dedicates time to the AWS Acadiana
Section. A 15-year AWS member, he
has served the Section as membership/
awards chairman since 2014. He
thanks AWS District 9 Director Mike
Skiles for encouraging him to take on
an officer position within the Section.
“He was someone I’ve looked up to
through my career and wanted to fol-
low in his footsteps as a volunteer,” he
said.
Prados’s Section work is also moti-
vated by his desire to help with the
welder shortage. He lists talking to
high school and college students as his
greatest contribution.
“Anything I can do for the welding
industry, I strive to help. Numbers do
not lie, so I know if people like myself
don’t intervene with the next genera-
tion, the industry will be in even more
trouble,” he said. “I consider myself to
still be young, so I feel that the kids ac-
tually listen to what I am saying.”
However, Prados has not been with-
out adversities, which he says have
made him a more resilient, dedicated
person. In 2009, when his wife was six
months pregnant and bedridden, Pra-
dos was involved in a grinder accident
that threatened his livelihood.
“This was a life changer and would
have made the average person look for
another trade to work in, but I was
back on my feet in two months, at it
again,” he explained.
Last year, Prados lost his 58-year-
old father to a massive heart attack.
He looks to his family and job for com-
fort, and lives every day according to
his dad’s maxim to give to others.
“He was the person I always relied
on for a laugh after a long, stressful
day, and I didn’t have that anymore. I
have turned to my family at home and
work to push through each day that
passes,” he affirmed. “If I’ve taken
away anything from him, it is this: ‘If
someone ever needs the shirt from
your back, give it up. You never know
when you will need a pair of pants.’”

District 10 Member Profile
Erick Speer
Growing up on the family farm in
Pennsylvania, Erick Speer has been
surrounded by welding ever since he
could remember. He tried the craft for
the first time at the age of 12 when his
father taught him how to perform
shielded metal arc welding using
E6013 electrodes. At the time, Speer
couldn’t imagine a career in welding.
“We were fixing some farrowing
crates that were used in the pig barn,
and I remember vividly thinking,
‘These sparks burn, and who would
ever want to weld for a living?’” he
said. “I joke now because it was my dad
who taught me how to weld; now he
usually asks me to weld things for him.”
Speer’s views changed when he
transferred to a vocational high school
and narrowed his areas of focus to two
possibilities — welding or drafting. In
the end, Speer said he chose welding
because he “didn’t want to sit behind a
computer screen all day drawing
parts.” However, he also realized he
didn’t want to weld all day either.
“As I approached the end of my high
school career, I knew I had a love for
welding, but I also knew that I didn’t
Candidates Sought to Receive the MIT Masubuchi Award
The Prof. Koichi Masubuchi award,
with a $5000 honorarium, is present-
ed to one person, 40 or younger, who
has made significant contributions to
the advancement of materials joining
SOCIETY NEWS
want to physically weld for the rest of
my life,” he explained. “I really enjoyed
learning and I knew that I wanted to
learn more about welding.”
Speer then pursued a degree in en-
gineering, earning a bachelor’s in
welding and fabrication engineering
from Pennsylvania College of Technol-
ogy in 2013. He credits the program
for giving him the skills set needed to
be successful in the field.
“Spending the first two years of the
degree in the weld shop, learning all
the different welding processes, is es-
sential when it comes to relating to
the welders on the shop floor,” he said.
“In the type of industry that I work in,
large scale fabricating and machining,
it is important to have that hands-on
experience.”
In 2013, Speer also competed in
SkillsUSA, placing first at the state lev-
el for postsecondary welding and mov-
ing on to compete at the national level.
“The SkillsUSA competition was a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he
said. “Although I did not place in the
top three at nationals, it was awesome
to compete against the top welders in
the nation.”
After college, Speer went on to se-
cure a job with Custom Engineering
Co. as a welding engineer. After a year,
he was promoted to project manager,
which allowed him to be “responsible
for all aspects of a job, not just weld-
ing,” he explained. Seeing a need to
further expand his experience and
knowledge base, he decided to pursue a
master’s in engineering management,
and is slated to graduate this year.
Today, Speer is the company’s assis-
tant operations manager and welding
engineer. He is also the company’s
AWS Certified Welding Inspector,
which he lists as one of his proudest
accomplishments. His job includes
overseeing fabrication and production
of ASME Section VIII Division I pres-
sure vessels; working with customers
through research and development.
Send a list of your candidate’s expe-
rience, publications, honors, awards,
and at least three letters of recom-
mendation from fellow researchers to
to develop welding procedure specifi-
cations and procedure qualifications to
various codes and specifications; man-
aging and qualifying more than 50
welders; and assisting with the day-to-
day operations of the company.
“...I enjoy the variety of work that
we get. One day we might be building
a large pressure vessel and the next
day we could be building parts for
amusement park rides,” he explained.
“Sometimes this job is very challeng-
ing due to the constraints that our
customers give us, but that is what I
love about this industry — my welding
engineering skills are put to the test.”
Speer is treasurer of the AWS
Northwestern Pennsylvania Section,
having previously served as secretary
and membership chair. One of his
tasks includes organizing the Section’s
annual AWS golf outing, which at-
tracts more than 100 people. His vol-
unteer work is spurred by his gratitude
to the Section for the scholarships it
awarded him when he was a student.
“Volunteering within AWS at the
local Section level is my way of giving
back. My love for welding also pushes
me to promote the welding industry
through our local Section to ensure
that this region of the country is get-
ting young people involved with weld-
ing,” he said.
At 28 years young, Speer isn’t sure
where his career will take him, but he
feels confident that a career in the
welding industry will lead to a com-
fortable life for him and his family. On
his bucket list is the hope to one day
serve as AWS president.
“Whenever I tell people this they
usually laugh at me and roll their eyes,
but one thing I have learned in my
short career is that you cannot obtain
a goal if you never set it,” he affirmed.
“I know the road to become the [AWS]
president is long, but I am willing to
put in the time and effort to make it
happen.”
Prof. Todd Palmer, tap103@psu.edu.
This award is sponsored annually by
the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 49
SOCIETY NEWS
TECH TOPICS
Technical Committee
Meetings
All AWS technical committee meet-
ings are open to the public. Contact
the staff members listed or call
(800/305) 443-9353 for information.
April 30–May 2. C1 Committee on
Resistance Welding. Whitmore Lake,
Mich. Contact: M. Diaz, ext. 310,
mdiaz@aws.org.
April 30–May 2. D8 Committee and
Subcommittees on Automotive Weld-
ing. Whitmore Lake, Mich. Contact:
M. Diaz, mdiaz@aws.org, ext. 310.
April 30–May 2. D14 Committee
and Subcommittees on Machinery and
Equipment. Miami, Fla. Contact: K.
Bulger, kbulger@aws.org, ext. 306.
April 30–May 2. J1 Committee and
Task Groups on Resistance Welding
Equipment. Whitmore Lake, Mich.
Contact: M. Diaz, mdiaz@aws.org, ext.
310.
May 1, 2. A2 Committee on Defini-
tions and Symbols. Columbus, Ohio.
Contact: S. Borrero, sborrero@aws.org,
ext. 334.
May 14–16. D17 Committee and
Subcommittees on Welding in the Air-
craft and Aerospace Industries. Tewks-
bury, Mass. Contact: M. Diaz, ext. 310,
mdiaz@aws.org.
May 21. D15C Subcommittee on
Track Welding. Kansas City, Mo. Con-
tact: J. Rosario, jrosario@aws.org, ext.
308.
News Standards Projects
Development work has begun on
the following new or revised stand-
ards. Affected individuals are invited
to contribute to their development.
Participation in AWS technical
committees is open to all persons.
D10.21M/D10.21:20XX, Guideline
for Welding Creep Strength Enhanced
Ferritic (CSEF) Steel Pipe and Tubing.
This document presents recommenda-
tions for welding advanced chromium-
molybdenum steel pipe and tubing to
itself and to various other materials.
Advanced chromium-molybdenum
50 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
pipe and tubing such as 9 CrMoV,
tungsten, and/or boron-enhanced
materials (i.e., Grades 92, 122, E911,
23, 24, etc.) are included in this docu-
ment. Subjects covered in detail in-
clude filler metal selection, joint de-
sign, preheating, and postheating. Em-
phasis is placed on the importance of
maintaining preheat, interpass tem-
perature, and dangers inherent in
interrupted heating cycles or improper
postweld heat treatment. Detailed at-
tention is also given to filler metal
procurement to avoid metallurgical
complications. Stakeholders: Fabrica-
tors and engineers. New Standard.
Contact: S. Borrero, sborrero@aws.org,
ext. 334.
Standards for Public Review
AWS was approved as an accredited
standards-preparing organization by
the American National Standards In-
stitute (ANSI) in 1979. AWS rules, as
approved by ANSI, require that all
standards be open to public review for
comment during the approval process.
This column also advises of ANSI ap-
proval of documents. A draft copy may
be obtained by contacting the commit-
tee staff secretary.
The following standards are sub-
mitted for public review. A draft copy
may be obtained by contacting the list-
ed staff secretary of the committee.
A5.01M/A5.01:20XX (ISO 14344:
2010 MOD), Welding Consumables —
Procurement of Filler Metals and Fluxes.
Revised Standard. $36.00. ANSI public
review expires 5/6/19. Contact: R.
Gupta, gupta@aws.org, ext. 301.
A5.8M/A5.8:20XX, Specification for
Filler Metals for Brazing and Braze Weld-
ing. Revised Standard. $38.00. ANSI
public review expired 4/22/19. Con-
tact: K. Bulger, kbulger@aws.org, ext.
306.
B2.1-1-001:20XX, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification (SWPS) for
Shielded Metal Arc Welding of Carbon
Steel, (M-1/P-1, Group 1 or 2), 3⁄16 inch [5
mm] through 3⁄4 inch [19 mm], E7016 and
E7018, in the As-Welded Condition, Pri-
marily Plate and Structural Applications.
Revised Standard. $136.00. ANSI pub-
lic review expired 4/29/19. Contact: J.
Rosario, jrosario@aws.org, ext. 308.
B2.1-1-002:20XX, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification (SWPS) for Gas
Tungsten Arc Welding of Carbon Steel,
(M-1/P-1, Group 1 or 2), 3⁄16 inch [5 mm]
through 7⁄8 inch [22 mm], ER70S-2,
ER70S-3, in the As-Welded Condition,
Primarily Plate and Structural Applica-
tions. Revised Standard. $136.00.
ANSI public review expired 4/29/19.
Contact: J. Rosario, jrosario@aws.org,
ext. 308.
B2.1-1-234:20XX, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification (SWPS) for 75%
Argon Plus 25% Carbon Dioxide Shielded
Flux Cored Arc Welding of Carbon Steel
(M-1/P-1, Group 1 or 2), 1⁄8 inch [3 mm]
through 1-1⁄2 inch [38 mm] Thick, E7XT-
X, in the As-Welded or PWHT Condition,
Primarily Pipe Applications. Revised
Standard. $136.00. ANSI public review
expired 4/29/19. Contact: J. Rosario,
jrosario@aws.org, ext. 308.
B2.1-1-235:20XX, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification (SWPS) for 98%
Argon Plus 2% Oxygen Shielded Gas
Metal Arc Welding (Spray Transfer
Mode) of Carbon Steel (M-1/P-1, Group
1 or 2), 1⁄8 inch [3 mm] through 1-1⁄2 inch
[38 mm] Thick, ER70S-3, in the As-
Welded or PWHT Condition, Primarily
Pipe Applications. Revised Standard.
$136.00. ANSI public review expired
4/29/19. Contact: J. Rosario, ext. 308,
jrosario@aws.org.
B2.1-1-303:20XX, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification for Naval Appli-
cations (SWPS-N) for Gas Tungsten Arc
Welding Followed by Shielded Metal Arc
Welding of Carbon Steel (S-1), 1⁄8 inch [3
mm] through 1-1⁄2 inch [38 mm] Thick,
MIL-70S-2 and MIL-7018-M, in the As-
Welded or PWHT Condition, Primarily
Plate and Structural Naval Applications.
New Standard. $136.00. ANSI public
review expired 4/29/19. Contact: J.
Rosario, jrosario@aws.org, ext. 308.
B2.1-1-313:20XX, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification for Naval Appli-
cations (SWPS-N) for Gas Tungsten Arc
Welding Followed by Shielded Metal Arc
Welding of Carbon Steel (S-1), 1⁄8 inch [3
mm] through 1-1⁄2 inch [38 mm] Thick,
MIL-70S-2 and MIL-7018-M, in the As-
Welded or PWHT Condition, Primarily

Pipe for Naval Applications. New Stan-
dard. $136.00. ANSI public review ex-
pired 4/29/19. Contact: J. Rosario,
ext. 308, jrosario@aws.org.
B2.1-8-310:20XX, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification for Naval Appli-
cations (SWPS-N) for Gas Tungsten Arc
Welding Followed by Shielded Metal Arc
Welding of Austenitic Stainless Steel (S-
8), 1⁄8 inch [3 mm] through 1-1⁄2 inch [38
mm] Thick, MIL-3XX and MIL-3XX-XX,
in the As-Welded Condition, Primarily
Plate and Structural Naval Applications.
New Standard. $136.00. ANSI public
review expired 4/29/19. Contact: J.
Rosario, jrosario@aws.org, ext. 308.
B2.1-8-320:20XX, Standard Welding
Procedure Specification for Naval Appli-
cations (SWPS-N) for Gas Tungsten Arc
Welding Followed by Shielded Metal Arc
Welding of Austenitic Stainless Steel (S-
8), 1⁄8 inch [3 mm] through 1-1⁄2 inch [38
mm] Thick, MIL-3XX and MIL-3XX-XX,
in the As-Welded Condition, Primarily
Pipe for Naval Applications. New Stan-
dard. $136.00. ANSI public review ex-
pired 4/29/19. Contact: J. Rosario,
jrosario@aws.org, ext. 308.
B2.1-1/8-323:20XX, Standard Weld-
ing Procedure Specification for Naval Ap-
plications (SWPS-N) for Gas Tungsten
Arc Welding of Carbon Steel (S-1) to
Austenitic Stainless Steel (S-8), 1⁄8 inch [3
mm] through 1-1⁄2 inch [38 mm] Thick,
MIL-309, ER309L, in the As-Welded
Condition, Primarily Pipe for Naval Ap-
plications. New Standard. $136.00.
ANSI public review expired 4/29/19.
Contact: J. Rosario, jrosario@aws.org,
ext. 308.
B2.1-1/8-324:20XX, Standard Weld-
ing Procedure Specification for Naval Ap-
plications (SWPS-N) for Shielded Metal
Arc Welding of Carbon Steel (S-1) to
Austenitic Stainless Steel (S-8), 1⁄8 inch [3
mm] through 1-1⁄2 inch [38 mm] Thick,
MIL-309-XX, MIL-309L-XX, in the As-
Welded Condition, Primarily Pipe for
Naval Applications. New Standard.
$136.00. ANSI public review expired
4/29/19. Contact: J. Rosario, ext. 308,
jrosario@aws.org.
B2.1-1/8-325:20XX, Standard Weld-
ing Procedure Specification for Naval Ap-
plications (SWPS-N) for Gas Tungsten
Arc Welding Followed by Shielded Metal
Arc Welding of Carbon Steel (S-1) to
Austenitic Stainless Steel (S-8), 1⁄8 inch [3
mm] through 1-1⁄2 inch [38 mm] Thick,
MIL-09/ER309L and MIL-309-XX/MIL-
309L-XX, in the As-Welded Condition,
SOCIETY NEWS
Primarily Pipe for Naval Applications.
New Standard. $136.00. ANSI public
review expired 4/29/19. Contact: J.
Rosario, jrosario@aws.org, ext. 308.
D1.1/D1.1M:20XX, Structural Weld-
ing Code — Steel. Revised Standard.
$288.00. ANSI public review expired
4/22/19. Contact: J. Molin, ext. 304,
jmolin@aws.org.
F2.2:20XX, Lens Shade Selector.
Reaffirmed Standard. $25.00. ANSI
public review expires 5/13/19. Con-
tact: S. Hedrick, steveh@aws.org, ext.
305.
F4.2:20XX, Safety Guidelines for
Proper Selection of Welding Cables. New
Standard. $32.00. ANSI public review
expires 5/13/19. Contact: S. Hedrick,
steveh@aws.org, ext. 305.
ISO Draft Standards for
Public Review
Copies of the following Draft Inter-
national Standards are available for re-
view and comment through your na-
tional standards body, which in the
United States is ANSI, 25 West 43 St.,
4th Floor, New York, NY, 10036; tele-
phone (212) 642-4900. Any comments
regarding ISO documents should be
sent to your national standards body.
In the United States, if you wish to
participate in the development of In-
ternational Standards for welding,
contact Andrew Davis at AWS, 8669
NW 36 St., #130, Miami, FL 33166-
6672; telephone: (305) 443-9353, ext.
466; email: adavis@aws.org. Otherwise,
contact your national standards body.
ISO/DIS 21904-1 — Health and
safety in welding and allied processes —
Equipment for capture and separation of
welding fume — Part 1: General require-
ments.
ISO/DIS 21904-2 — Health and
safety in welding and allied processes —
Equipment for capture and separation of
welding fume — Part 2: Requirements
for testing and marking of separation
efficiency.
ISO/DIS 21904-4 — Health and
safety in welding and allied processes —
Equipment for capture and separation of
welding fume — Part 4: Determination
of the minimum air volume flow rate of
capture devices.
ISO/DIS 3821 — Gas welding equip-
ment — Rubber hoses for welding, cut-
ting and allied processes.
ISO/DIS 9455-3 — Soft soldering
fluxes — Test methods — Part 3: Deter-
mination of acid value, potentiometric
and visual titration methods.
AWS D1.6/D1.6:2007
Interpretation
Subject: Welding Procedure
Specification
Code Edition: 2007
AWS Log: D1.6-07-I08
Inquiry: Is macroetch testing for size
required for both partial joint penetra-
tion (PJP) and fillet weld procedures
that are qualified by complete joint
penetration (CJP) weld tests in accor-
dance with Table 4.2?
Interpretation: Yes, see subclause
4.1.7 (Complete Joint Penetration
Weld Qualification Limitations):
Macroetch tests are still required to
verify the design weld size and pene-
tration for PJP and fillet welds (see
4.3.2 and 4.4).
Opportunities to Contribute to
AWS Technical Committees
The following committees welcome
new members. Some committees are
recruiting members with specific in-
terests in regard to the committee’s
scope, as marked below: Producers (P),
General Interest (G), Educators (E),
Consultants (C), and Users (U). For
more information, contact the staff
member listed or visit aws.org/
library/doclib/Technical-Committee-
Application.pdf.
S. Borrero, sborrero@aws.org, ext.
334. Definitions and symbols, A2
Committee (E). Titanium and zirco-
nium filler metals, A5K Subcommit-
tee. Piping and tubing, D10 Com-
mittee (C, E, U). Welding practices
and procedures for austenitic
steels, D10C Subcommittee. Alu-
minum piping, D10H Subcommittee.
Chromium molybdenum steel pip-
ing, D10I Subcommittee. Welding of
titanium piping, D10K Subcommit-
tee. Purging and root pass welding,
D10S Subcommittee. Low-carbon
steel pipe, D10T Subcommittee. Or-
bital pipe welding, D10U Subcom-
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 51
SOCIETY NEWS
mittee. Duplex pipe welding, D10Y
Subcommittee. Joining metals and
alloys, G2 Committee (E, G, U). Reac-
tive alloys, G2D Subcommittee (G).
The A2 Committee is recruiting
educators.
R. Gupta, gupta@aws.org, ext. 301.
Filler metals and allied materials,
A5 Committee (E). Magnesium alloy
filler metals, A5L Subcommittee.
P. Portela, pportela@aws.org, ext.
311. High energy beam welding
and cutting, C7 Committee (C, E, G).
Hybrid welding, C7D Subcommittee
(G). Robotic and automatic weld-
ing, D16 Committee (C, E). Welding
in sanitary applications, D18 Com-
mittee (C, E, G). Additive manufac-
turing, D20 Committee (C, E, G). The
D1N Subcommittee on Titanium
Welding is recruiting all interest
groups.
J. Molin, jmolin@aws.org, ext. 304.
Structural welding, D1 Committee
(E). Sheet metal welding, D9 Com-
mittee (C, G). The D1 Committee is re-
MEMBERSHIP ACTIVITIES
2019 Membership Challenge
Listed here are the members partic-
ipating in the 2019 Membership Chal-
lenge — point standings as of March
19. The campaign runs from Jan. 1 to
Dec. 31, 2019. Members receive 5
points for each Individual Member
and 1 point for every Student Member
they recruit.
For more information, please see
page 65 of this Welding Journal or call
the AWS Membership Dept. at (800)
443-9353, ext. 480.
M. Krupnicki, Rochester — 44
J. J. Russell, Fox Valley — 44
G. T. Rolla, Los Angeles/Inland
Empire — 31
J. W. Morris, Mobile — 30
H. A. Browne, New Jersey — 29
M. A. Centeno, Nevada — 28
B. A. Cheatham, Columbia — 28
H. H. Hughes, Mahoning Valley — 25
V. Craven, Pascagoula — 25
B. P. Bandmeir, Lehigh Valley — 22
T. W. Zablocki, Pittsburgh — 21
O. N. Boylan, Cleveland — 21
E. R. Cooper, Indiana — 19
52 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
cruiting educators and general interest
members.
K. Bulger, kbulger@aws.org, ext.
306. Methods of weld inspection,
B1 Committee (C, E). Brazing and
soldering, C3 Committee (C, E, G).
Welding in marine construction,
D3 Committee (C, E, G, U). Welding
of machinery and equipment, D14
Committee (C, E, G, U).
M. Diaz, mdiaz@aws.org, ext. 310.
Resistance welding, C1 Committee
(C, E, G, U). Friction welding, C6
Committee (C, E). Automotive weld-
ing, D8 Committee (C, E, G, U). Re-
sistance welding equipment, J1
Committee (C, E, G, U). Welding in
the aircraft and aerospace indus-
try, D17 Subcommittee (C, E, G).
S. Hedrick, steveh@aws.org, ext.
305. Metric practice, A1 Committee
(C, E). Mechanical testing of welds,
B4 Committee (E, G, P). Joining of
plastics and composites, G1 Com-
mittee (C, E, G). Personal and facili-
ties qualification, PFQC Committee
D. S. Beecher, San Diego — 19
D. A. Saunders, Lakeshore — 19
J. Napier, Cleveland — 18
J. P. Theberge, Boston — 17
D. P. Thompson, SW Virginia — 17
W. S. Winchester, Mid-Plains — 16
J. C. Durbin, Tri-River — 15
C. A. Donnell, Northwest Ohio — 14
C. A. Galbavy, Idaho/Montana — 13
G. J. Smith, Lehigh Valley — 12
R. Fugate, Drake Well — 12
M. D. Stein, Detroit — 11
D. L. McCart, Indiana — 11
New AWS Supporters
Affiliate Corporate Members
Adena Corp.
1310 W. Fourth St.
Mansfield, OH 44906
Azizi Union Mfg. Co.
Plot #147, B-Blocks, St. #5
Pul-e-Charkhi Industrial Area
Kabul 10013 Afghanistan
(C, E, G). Safety and health com-
mittee, SHC Committee (E, G).
J. Rosario, jrosario@aws.org, ext. 308.
Procedure and performance qualifi-
cation, B2 Committee (E, G). Thermal
spraying, C2 Committee (C, E, G, U).
Oxyfuel gas welding and cutting, C4
Committee (C, E, G). Welding iron
castings, D11 (C, E, G, P, U). Railroad
welding, D15 (C, E, G, U).
Follow AWS on
Social Media
Facebook: Find us at facebook.com/
americanweldingsociety.
Instagram: Look at our photos
@americanweldingsociety.
Twitter: Tweet us @AWSHQ.
YouTube: Watch our videos at
youtube.com/awsorg.
Canyon Metalworks LLC
7131 Irving St.
Westminster, CO 80030
Gunnebo Industries Inc.
1240 N. Harvard Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74115
Performance Solutions LLC
6019 Seminary Rd.
Smyrna, TN 37167
Southern Integrated Services Inc.
P.O. Box 197
Atoka, TN 38004
Supporting Corporate
Members
AmeriChem Systems Inc.
1740 Molitor Rd.
Aurora, IL 60505
Birdon America/NAMjet LLC
4965 Kingston St.
Denver, CO 80239
 SOCIETY NEWS
Karbak Ventures Ltd. Grapeland High School Worthington Industries, a global
173B, Bisi Obadina St. 318 N. Olive St. diversified metals manufacturing com-
Omole Phase 1, Ojodu P.O. Box 249 pany, provides its customers with a
Lagos State 100213 Nigeria Grapeland, TX 75844 range of capabilities, products, and
services for a variety of markets, in-
Rapid-Line Inc. Plainview ISD cluding custom-engineered, open and
1475 Gezon Pky. SW 1501 Quincy St. enclosed cabs, and operator stations
Wyoming, MI 49509 Plainview, TX 79072 for the smallest utility equipment to
the largest earth-moving machinery in
Schumacher School of Welding the world.
Educational Institution 1467 5 Ave.
Members Troy, NY 12180

Aqaba Beach Academy for South Garland High School

Commercial Diving 600 Colonel Dr.
Aqaba, Jordan Garland, TX 75043

Dynamic Education Universal Technical Institute —

21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Ste. 500 Dallas Campus
Torrance, CA 90503 5151 Regent Blvd. AWS Member Counts
Irving, TX 75063 April 1, 2019
Enjaz Al Basra for Training and
Engineering Services Sustaining Members
Sustaining.................................591
Jobayla District Beginning of Saylo St. Supporting ...............................354
Bara, Jobayla, Iraq 964 Metal Supply Inc.
11810 Center St. Educational...............................834
South Gate, CA 90280 Affiliate.....................................627
Five Keys Schools and Programs Welding Distributor ...................67
5849 Crocket St. metalsupply.com
Total Corporate .........................2473
Los Angeles, CA 90003
Worthington Industries —
Georgetown Independent School Engineered Cabs Individual ...........................57,225
District 101 Oakmont Ln. Student + Transitional ...........11,166
507 E. University Ave. Greenville, TN 37748 Total Members......................68,391
Georgetown, TX 78626 worthingtonindustries.com

WEMCO Gifts Plaque to AWS during Annual Meeting

Members of WEMCO gathered for a photo during its annual
meeting held February 27–March 1 at Trump National in Miami,
Fla. Pictured are WEMCO Chair Steve Fyffe (front, second from
left) with Past Chairmen (from left) Jeff Deckrow, Eric Laubach,
Dennis Brown, David Sullivan, Hector Villarreal, Bob Ranc, and
Jim Horvath.
During WEMCO’s annual meeting, (from left) Past Chair Eric
Laubach and Chair Steve Fyffe honored AWS’s centennial
with a plaque on behalf of WEMCO. The gift was received by
2019 AWS President Thomas Lienert (far right) and AWS Exec-
utive Director and CEO Matt Miller. The plaque is currently dis-
played at AWS World Headquarters, Miami, Fla.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 53

SOCIETY NEWS
AWS Hosts IIW Intermediate Meetings

Members of the International Institute of Welding (IIW) Commission II, Arc Welding and Filler Metals, and Commission IX, Behaviour
of Metals Subjected to Welding, came together at AWS World Headquarters in Miami, Fla., for IIW’s intermediate meetings on
March 12–14.

iGroup Representatives Visit AWS World Headquarters

Representatives of iGroup, an international book publishing and distribution company, visited AWS World Headquarters in Miami,
Fla., on March 7 and 8. Pictured (from left) are Walter Chow, country manager, Hong Kong; Susan Pey, country manager, Singapore;
Susan Ooi, general manager, Malaysia; David Shawah, corporate business development manager; and David Zhao, country man-
ager, China.

54 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

 SOCIETY NEWS
AWS Conducts Its First CWI Exam in Myanmar

The first AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) exam in Myanmar (formerly Burma) was held in the city of Yangon on February 24.
Recruited by the Myanmar Inspection & Technology Institute (MIT), the seven candidates consisted of six men and one woman
who are currently working in Myanmar as inspectors and trainers for various companies. One of the candidates, Moe Zaw Aung, is
also an AWS Certified Welding Educator. Than Tun Zaw, MIT managing director, and Win Hlaing, MIT CWI, served as lead instructors
of the preparation seminar. Pictured (from left) are Thet Naing Tun, Saw Zaw Myo Htet, Saw Thiha, Moe Zaw Aung, Tin Wai Yan Oo,
Than Tun Zaw, Khin Myat Kay Thwe Khaing, AWS Test Supervisor Mark Pidal, Zar Ni Linn, Kyaw Soe, Kyaw Swe, Win Hlaing, and
Aung Kyaw Naing. The CWI candidates plan to remain and work in Myanmar if they pass the exam.

AWS Walks in Support of the Special Needs Community

AWS staff posed with students and teachers from Miami Learning Experience (MLE), a school for children and adults with devel-
opmental disabilities, during MLE’s 8th Annual Walk with Me! event on March 10 at Tropical Park, Miami, Fla. AWS and MLE have
cherished a partnership for more than two decades. As part of their work experience, the school’s students come to AWS Head-
quarters several times a week to bolster their employability and communication skills.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 55

SECTION NEWS
District 1
Douglas A. Desrochers, director
(508) 763-8011
dadaws@comcast.net
BOSTON
February 27
Location: Tri-County Regional Techni-
cal School, Franklin, Mass.
Summary: Section Chair Tom Ferri
presented a 25-Year Silver Member
Award to member John Morash.
BOSTON — John Morash (left) re-
ceived his 25-Year Silver Member
Award from Section Chair Tom Ferri.
LEHIGH VALLEY — Participants in the Lehigh Valley 49th Annual Welding Competition gathered for a photo.
READING — Seen at the March Section meeting are (from left) Merilyn McLaughlin, Allen Quigg, Jack Jenko, unidentified visitor from
District 2, Pete Vaccaro, Craig Davis, Dave Hibshman, Hugo Garcia, and Lisa Davis.
56 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
GREEN & WHITE MOUNTAINS
January 17
Location: Custom Castings of Ver-
mont, Randolph Center, Vt.
Summary: Bob Wright, owner of Cus-
tom Castings of Vermont, gave a pres-
entation with questions and answers
on his custom lost-wax bronze casting
process as well as the process of gas
tungsten arc welding the bronze parts
back together.
District 2
Ken Temme, director
(856) 264-8377
kenneth.temme@gmail.com
District 3
Sean Moran, director
(717) 885-5039
sean.moran@ahydro.com
LEHIGH VALLEY
March 1
Location: Bethlehem, Pa.
Summary: Northampton Community
BY CINDY WEIHL — CWEIHL@AWS.ORG
College hosted the Lehigh Valley 49th
Annual Welding Competition.
READING
February 15, March 15
Location: Osgood’s Bar and Grill,
Robesonia, Pa.
Summary: The Section held two meet-
ings to finalize its welding competi-
tion and donations for participants.
Pete Vaccaro spoke about speakers and
tour contacts that could help facilitate
and enhance future meetings and
programs.
GREEN & WHITE MOUNTAINS — Seen
at the January meeting are Phil Witte-
man, Bob Wright, Ray Henderson,
Gary Buckley, John Steel, and Geoff
Putnam.

March 16
Location: Reading-Muhlenberg Career
& Technology Center, Reading, Pa.
Summary: The Section hosted its an-
nual welding competition.
District 4
Mr. Lynn Showalter, director
(757) 848-8029
lynneshowalter@gmail.com
TRIANGLE
February 28
Location: Peak Fall Protection Inc.,
Apex, N.C.
Summary: Section members gathered
at Peak Fall Protection where they re-
ceived an introduction and overview
SECTION NEWS
of the company. Safety Director Austin
Humphrey gave a presentation on
current challenges facing the welding
industry. Following the presentation,
there was an open discussion on safety
challenges faced by those in atten-
dance. The day concluded with a
shop tour.
District 5
Howard Record, director
(352) 816-0835
howard@rtdtools.com
ATLANTA
February 20
Location: Gainesville, Ga.
Summary: Section members partici-
pated in a facility tour of MAREL Inc.,
an advanced processing facility for the
poultry, fish, and meat markets. The
company manufactures, welds, assem-
bles, tests, and installs all company
equipment. Students from two local
technical colleges attended the tour in
hopes of gaining future employment
at the facility. The tour was led by Jen-
nifer Phillips, human resources, and
Drew Eads, manufacturing recruiter.
February 22
Location: Lanier Technical College –
Gainesville Campus, Gainesville, Ga.
Summary: Lanier Technical College
Welding Instructor Jay Maughon as-
sisted the fabrication team participat-
ing in the Georgia Skills Competition
in March.

READING — Participants in the Section’s welding competition, judges, and instructors gathered for a group photo to display the
Lincoln Electric Co. products, equipment, and clothing donated for the contest.

TRIANGLE — Members participating in the February facility tour of Peak Fall Protection included (from left) Chris Gitthens, Josh
Minton, William Smith, Damian Kotecki, Stewart Harris, Gary Cleveland, Melvin Wells, David Williams, David Myers, Matthew Cyran,
Chris Wilkins, and Austin Humphrey.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 57

SECTION NEWS
ATLANTA — Tour host and MAREL human resources representative Jennifer Phillips (back row in yellow) accepted an appreciation
plaque from the Section for hosting the meeting. Also seen are District 5 Director Howard Record, several executive board mem-
bers, instructors, students, and Section members.
guests toured the Moog Aircraft Divi-
sion and witnessed electron beam
welding.
NORTHERN NEW YORK
February 25
Presenter: Xin Li, research scientist,
radiation physics, GE Global Research
Summary: The section held an annual
joint dinner meeting with the local
Sections of ASM and ASNT. Li spoke
ATLANTA — Fabrication teams prac- to attendees about advanced digital ra-
ticed at Lanier Technical College for diography on weld inspection.
the Georgia Skills Competition.
District 6 District 7
Larry Heckendorn, director
Michael Krupnicki, director
(614) 292-1220
(585) 705-1764
heckendorn.4@osu.edu
mkrup@mahanyweld.com
COLUMBUS
NIAGARA FRONTIER February 21
February 21 Location: Aerospace Research Center,
Location: East Aurora, N.Y. Columbus, Ohio
Summary: Forty-four members and Presenter: Jim Gregory, professor,
NIAGARA FRONTIER — Participants in the Moog Aircraft Division tour included (from
left) Shawn Woodward, Praxair; Mary Jo Miller, EBW weld specialist; Section Chair
Paul Swatland; and Mike Woodward, engineer, Moog Aircraft.
58 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
Aerospace Research Center, The Ohio
State University
Summary: Section members partici-
pated in a tour of the Aerospace Re-
search Center (ARC), which focuses on
The Ohio State University’s aerospace
activities to optimize and connect core
strengths and to address current and
future air transportation challenges.
The main categories of research at
ARC are gas turbine engines, aerody-
namic flow control, and aeroacoustics
and unmanned aircraft systems.
March 19
Location: DNV GL Columbus Inc.,
Columbus, Ohio
Presenters: Brandon Rollins, MS, PE
senior engineer; Barbara Padgett, PhD,
principal engineer; and Shane Finner-
an, PE, principal engineer
Topic: Deepwater Horizon blowout
forensic investigation
Summary: Section members partici-
pated in a presentation from DNV re-
garding its role in the investigation of
the 2010 explosion and sinking of the
COLUMBUS — Guest Speaker and Pro-
fessor Jim Gregory explained a sub-
sonic wind tunnel during the Section’s
tour of the Aerospace Research Cen-
ter, The Ohio State University.

Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. The
company was retained to undertake
forensic evaluation of the blowout pre-
venter stack, its components, and as-
sociated equipment used by the Deep-
water Horizon drilling operations.
PITTSBURGH
February 19
Location: Steamfitters Local 449 Tech-
nology Center, Harmony, Pa.
Presenters: Katie Lam, Kara Nickolich,
and Liam Walsh, Carnegie Mellon Uni-
versity Student Electric Race Car Project
Summary: The Section honored the
participants of the 38th Annual Stu-
dent Weld-Off Competition. Speakers
from the Carnegie Mellon University
Race Team did a presentation on the
welding and fabrication methods used
to manufacture the car. Also during
the meeting, the Lincoln Electric Co.,
represented by David McMahon, pre-
sented Weld-Off winner Drake Ar-
mitage with a 20-week paid scholar-
ship to the Lincoln School for Welding.
PITTSBURGH — Lincoln Electric Co.’s
David McMahon (left) presented a 20-
week paid welding school scholarship
to Section Weld-Off Competition win-
ner Drake Armitage.
PITTSBURGH — Pictured are the Section’s 38th Annual Weld-Off Competition winners.
SECTION NEWS
Additionally, Section member and re-
tired instructor John Foley presented
a plaque of appreciation and dedica-
tion to Pittsburgh Technical College
for supporting the welding trade. The
Section is appreciative of System One
for providing the x-ray and nonde-
structive examination reports for all
the weld plates at no charge and to
Volkmar Kuntz, multimedia director,
Pittsburgh Technical College, for tak-
ing pictures of the event.
March 12
Location: Walnut Grille, Wexford, Pa.
Presenter: Gary Kistler, advanced NDT
manager, Diamond Technical Services
Inc.
Summary: The Section held its annual
joint meeting with the Pittsburgh sec-
tion of ASNT. Kistler presented on
nondestructive examination with an
emphasis on advanced NDE tech-
niques, including pulsed eddy current,
phased array, total focusing method/
full matrix capture, guided wave ultra-
PITTSBURGH — At March’s joint AWS/ASNT meeting were (from left) Section Chair
Ray Knobbs, Gary Kistler, ASNT Chair Lee Parks, and Section Entertainment Chair
Jason Sherman.
sonics, array eddy current, and 3D
laser mapping. Examples were given of
merging advanced NDE methods to
meet clients’ needs.
District 8
D. Joshua Burgess, director
(931) 260-7039
djoshuaburgess@gmail.com
CHATTANOOGA
February 23
Location: Sequoyah High School,
Soddy Daisy, Tenn.
Summary: The Section hosted its 10th
annual welding competition, which
was hosted by Sequoyah High School.
Fifty competitors in three categories
represented local high schools and
postsecondary schools. Cash and
prizes were awarded to the top three
welders in each category.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 59
SECTION NEWS

CHATTANOOGA — Seen are participants in the Section’s 10th annual welding competition.

ACADIANA — Pictured are attendees of the Section’s February seminar.

ACADIANA/BATON ROUGE/CENTRAL LOUISIANA/MORGAN CITY — Attendees of the joint Section meeting included (top row from
left) Bill Cohea, Craig Patterson, Barry Carpenter, Blake Hewitt, Forrest Schopp, Jim Falgout, AWS Past President John Bray, Allen
Bourgeois Jr., Shane Ransonet, AWS 2019 President Tom Lienert, District 9 Director Mike Skiles, Bud Steidley, Joey Rentrop, Charlie
Turk, Mike Stuchlik, Ernest Hansen, Andy Justice, Tom Reynolds, Terry Creuder, Tyson Patin, and Dale Smith. In the bottom row
(from left) are Brandon Dubrco, George Fairbanks, Tom Shelton, Mark Robert, and Mark Sibille.

ACADIANA/BATON ROUGE/CENTRAL LOUISIANA/MORGAN CITY — AWS 2019 President Tom Lienert (far left) and certificate of
sponsorship recipients (from left) George Fairbanks, Mark Robert, Craig Patterson, Joey Rentrop, AWS Past President John Bray,
Tom Shelton, and District 9 Director Mike Skiles.

60 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019


District 9
Michael Skiles, director
(337) 501-0304
michaelskiles@cox.net
ACADIANA
February 13
Location: Ramada Inn, New Iberia, La.
Presenters: Tom Reynolds, Briar Patch
Consulting Group; Chris McGowan, Tri-
dent Group; Jed Duplantis, CPE; Darrin
Lege, Acadian Contractors; Doyle
Richard, Dynamic Industries; Jake
Saunders, Chart Industries; John Stoll,
Veostalpine; Tyler Cestia, Bayou Weld-
ing Technologies; and Jerrod Olivier,
Precision Engineering Solutions
Summary: The Section hosted mem-
bers from the Morgan City and Baton
Rouge Sections for a seminar featuring
eight guest speakers discussing weld
repairs on carbon steel, stainless steel,
aluminum alloys, and high-strength
alloys. After each speaker there was a
Q&A session. Tom Reynolds was the
principal narrator, and all attendees
received eight professional develop-
ment hours for attending the seminar.
AUBURN-OPELIKA — February meeting attendees are seen during a facility tour of Diversified Metalsmiths Inc.
MOBILE — Past chairs recognized at the Section’s March meeting included (back row, from left) Lavon Mills, 2004–05; Jim Sullivan,
2005–06; Robert Wells, 2001–02; George P. Davis, 1968–70 and 1976–77; Stephen Veal 1982–83; and Larry Martin, 1980–81. In the bot-
tom row (from left) are Ronald C. Pierce, 1989–90; Brenda Amos, 2011–12; and Mike Barnett, 1998–99.
SECTION NEWS
ACADIANA/BATON
ROUGE/CENTRAL
LOUISIANA/MORGAN CITY
March 13
Location: Crawfish Town USA, Breaux
Bridge, La.
Presenter: Tom Lienert, 2019 AWS
president
Summary: During a joint meeting of
the Sections, District 9 Director Mike
BATON ROUGE — Speakers (from left)
Dale Delaville, Tom Shelton, and
George Fairbanks lectured on inspec-
tion, testing, and metallurgy.
Skiles welcomed everyone to the event
and led with the Pledge of Allegiance,
a prayer, and announcements on up-
coming events. George Fairbanks fol-
lowed by presenting scholarship spon-
sors with certificates. Lienert then
gave a presentation on AWS’s past,
present, and future.
AUBURN-OPELIKA
February 21
Location: Opelika, Ala.
Presenter: John Farr, Diversified Met-
alsmiths Inc.
Summary: Section members had the
opportunity to visit Diversified Metal-
smiths Inc. (DMI). Representatives
from Central Alabama Community
College, West Georgia Technical,
Southern Union State Community
College, Auburn University, as well as
several individuals from industry were
in attendance. Farr led participants on
a fabulous tour of DMI’s facility. At-
tendees learned about wax and sand
castings as well as welding techniques
the company uses. They also viewed
two motorcycles the company made
from titanium and aluminum.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 61
SECTION NEWS
BATON ROUGE
February 21
Location: Drusilla’s Seafood, Baton
Rouge, La.
Presenters: Dale Delaville, owner,
Quality Testing; Tom Shelton, owner,
MMT; and George Fairbanks, owner,
Fairbanks Inspection
Summary: Fairbanks lectured on the
questions and acceptance criteria that
needs to be addressed on procedures.
Delaville spoke on the importance of
traceability and identification of
coupons for the lab inspector; and
Shelton discussed welding-related
metallurgy for procedures and produc-
tion work.
MOBILE
March 14
Location: The Original Oyster House,
Spanish Fort, Ala.
Presenter: Thomas Lienert, AWS 2019
president
Summary: During the Section’s March
meeting, special recognition was given
to nine of the Section’s past chairs
who were in attendance. The Section is
celebrating its 60th anniversary this
year and wanted to recognize its pio-
neers for their contributions. Prior to
District Director Mike Skiles introduc-
ing President Lienert, meeting atten-
dees enjoyed a buffet-style dinner.
Lienert then gave a presentation on
AWS and its past, present, and future.
The meeting was sponsored by Airgas
and Miller Electric and had 81 individ-
uals in attendance.
NEW ORLEANS
November 3, 2018
Location: Metairie, La.
Summary: The 20th Annual AWS New
Orleans Section Student Welder Com-
petition was held at the New Orleans
Pipe Trades Training School. Partici-
pants from surrounding community
and technical colleges, Ironworkers LU
58 apprententiceship program, and
the Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local
60 apprenticeship program competed
in two levels of testing. Winners were
recognized and awarded prizes. The
Section is appreciative of the New Or-
leans Pipe Trades Training school for
the use of its facility for the event, as
well as to the instructors, Certified
Welding Inspectors, and sponsors for
making it a successful event. Consum-
ables and door prizes were donated by
the Lincoln Electric Co.
District 10
Mike Sherman, director
(216) 570-9348
mike@shermanswelding.com
DRAKE WELL/OIL REGION
STUDENT CHAPTER
February 19
Location: Steamfitters Local #449
Tech Center, Harmony, Pa.
Summary: Oil Region Student Chapter
members who competed in the Pitts-
burgh Section’s 38th Annual Weld-Off
were recognized during an awards din-
ner. Thomas McQuiston and Danial
Ruhlman received x-ray qualifications
for 3G (uphill) and 4G (overhead),
while Lukas Slosser received qualifica-
tions for 4G.

February 25
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Summary: The Oil Region Student
Chapter participated in a field trip
to the 2019 Cleveland Auto Show.
Twenty-four students participated
along with Drake Well Section Chair
Travis Crate and Section Secretary
Robert Fugate.

District 11
MOBILE — Pictured at the March meeting are (from left) District 9 Director Mike Phillip Temple, director
Skiles, AWS Foundation Chair and Trustee Emeritus Ron Pierce, Section Chair Mike (734) 546-4298
Magazzu, and AWS 2019 President Thomas Lienert. nwcllc_ptemple@att.net

NEW ORLEANS — Students, instructors, Certified Welding Inspectors, and Section officers are seen at the 20th Annual AWS New
Orleans Section Student Welder Competition.

62 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

 SECTION NEWS
DETROIT
February 21
Location: Ukrainian Cultural Center,
Warren, Mich.
Presenter: Michael Karagoulis, General
Motors
Summary: The Section continued its
Technical Meeting/Patrons’ Night. Be-
fore the technical meeting, the Sec-
tion’s executive committee member
DETROIT — Donald Maatz Jr. (far right) received the Old Timers Award.
Steve Gucciardo acknowledged all the
Section patrons in 2019. For the tech-
nical portion, Karagoulis, who has ing. The meeting was attended by ap- Warren, Mich.
decades of experience in R&D and proximately 100 individuals and lasted Presenter: Robert W. Roth, presi-
manufacturing of resistance welding 2.5 h. dent/CEO, RoMan Mfg. Inc.
innovations and applications in the Summary: The March Technical Meet-
automotive industry, spoke about March 14 ing/Old Timers’ Night began with Sec-
both resistance seam and spot weld- Location: Ukrainian Cultural Center, tion executive committee member

DRAKE WELL/Oil Region Student Chapter — Drake Well Section Chair Travis Crate (far left) and Secretary Robert Fugate (far right)
posed with Student Chapter welding competition participants (from left) Thomas McQuiston, Lukas Slosser, and Danial Ruhlman.

DRAKE WELL/Oil Region Student Chapter — Members of the Student Chapter visited the 2019 Cleveland Auto Show.

DETROIT — Pictured are all the patrons acknowledged during the Section’s Patrons’ Night.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 63

SECTION NEWS
Tyler Alexander acknowledging all the
2019 Old Timer awardees, among
whom Donald Maatz Jr. was presented
and received the award. Roth, who is
also an AWS vice president, spoke
about the history and status of AWS
and its 100th anniversary. He also
shared his perspective on the future of
the organization.
PINCKNEY COMMUNITY HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENT CHAPTER
March 1
Location: Pinckney Community High
School, Pinckney, Mich.
Summary: The Student Chapter hosted
Emily Fox from the Hobart Institute of
Welding Technology to learn about trade
schools and postsecondary options.
March 8
Location: Washtenaw Community Col-
lege, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Summary: Student Chapter members
participated in the Washtenaw Com-
munity College High School Welding
Competition.
March 13, 15
Location: Pinckney Community High

Pinckney Community High School Student Chapter — Emily Fox (far left) from the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology spoke
to students about trade schools and postsecondary options.

Pinckney Community High School Student Chapter — Chapter Advisor Mark Stein (far right) and his students participated in the
Washtenaw Community College High School Welding Competition.

Pinckney Community High School

Student Chapter — Student Adam
Payne (right) presented an award of
Pinckney Community High School Student Chapter — The Chapter presented an appreciation to Craig Winbigler of
appreciation award to Dennis Law of Midwest Machinery Movers. Bradhart Products.

64 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

SPARKING CONNECTIONS –
2019 AWS MEMBERSHIP CHALLENGE
WHAT IT IS:
Be the spark that ignites the people you know to join
AWS, and get rewards.

HOW IT WORKS:
Build up points throughout the year
for each AWS Member you recruit:
5 Points per Individual Membership
and 1 Point per Student Membership.

WHAT YOU GET:

The top point-earner will receive a $500 gift
card, and all other participants earning over
10 points will get AWS branded merchandise
based on points accrued throughout 2019.

The Fine Print: All AWS members in good standing may participate and are eligible to receive rewards based on points
accrued January 1 – December 31, 2019. Participant eligibility is determined at the sole discretion of AWS program
administrators. AWS staff members and administrators of commercial or educational packages that include AWS
memberships in the pricing structure are not eligible to participate. For more information, visit aws.org/be-the-spark
 AWS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Join or Renew: Mail: Form with your payment, to AWS Call: Membership Department at (800) 443-9353, ext. 480
Fax: Completed form to (305) 443-5647 Online: www.aws.org/membership 8669 NW 36 St, # 130
Miami, FL 33166-6672
CONTACT INFORMATION Telephone (800) 443-9353
FAX (305) 443-5647
q New Member q Renewal Visit our website: www.aws.org

q Mr. q Ms. q Mrs. q Dr. Please print • Duplicate this page as needed Type of Business (Check ONE only)
A q Contract construction
Last Name:_______________________________________________________________________________
B q Chemicals & allied products
C q Petroleum & coal industries
First Name:___________________________________________________________________ M.I:_______
D q Primary metal industries
E q Fabricated metal products
Birthdate: _____________________________ E-Mail:____________________________________________
F q Machinery except elect. (incl. gas welding)
G q Electrical equip., supplies, electrodes
Cell Phone ( )__________________________ Secondary Phone ( )______________________
H q Transportation equip. — air, aerospace
Were you ever an AWS Member? q YES q NO If “YES,” give year________ and Member #:____________________ I q Transportation equip. — automotive
J q Transportation equip. — boats, ships
Company (if applicable):___________________________________________________________________ K q Transportation equip. — railroad
L q Utilities
Mailing Address:_________________________________________________________________________ M q Welding distributors & retail trade
N q Misc. repair services (incl. welding shops)
_______________________________________________________________________________________ O q Educational Services (univ., libraries, schools)
P q Engineering & architectural services (incl. assns.)
City:_____________________________________State/Province:__________________________________ Q q Misc. business services (incl. commercial labs)
R q Government (federal, state, local)
Zip/PostalCode:_____________________Country:______________________________________________ S q Other

Œ Who pays your dues?: q Company q Self-paid  Sex: q Male q Female Job Classification (Check ONE only)
01 q President, owner, partner, officer
Ž Education level: q High school diploma q Associate’s q Bachelor’s q Master’s q Doctoral
02 q Manager, director, superintendent (or assistant)
q Check here if you learned of the Society through an AWS Member? Member’s name:_______________________Member’s # (if known):________ 03 q Sales
04 q Purchasing
q Check here if you would prefer not to receive email updates on AWS programs, new Member benefits, savings opportunities and events.
05 q Engineer — welding
20 q Engineer — design
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP 21 q Engineer — manufacturing
06 q Engineer — other
è Please check each box that applies to the Membership or service you’d like, and then add the cost together to get your Total Payment. 10 q Architect designer
q AWS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP (One Year)......................................................................................................$88 12 q Metallurgist
13 q Research & development
q AWS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP (Two Years) SAVE $25 New Members Only....................................$151 22 q Quality control
07 q Inspector, tester
q New Member Initiation Fee ...........................................................................................................................................$12
08 q Supervisor, foreman
14 q Technician
OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO AWS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS ONLY: 09 q Welder, welding or cutting operator
A.) OPTIONAL Book Selection (Choose from 12+ titles; up to a $192 value; includes shipping & handling) 11 q Consultant
15 q Educator
q Individual Members in the U.S..................................................................................................................................$35
17 q Librarian
q Individual Members outside the U.S (includes International shipping)...........................................................................$85 16 q Student
18 q Customer Service
ONLY ONE SELECTION PLEASE. For more book choices visit https://app.aws.org/membership/books 19 q Other
q Jefferson’s Welding Encyc.(CD-ROM only) q Welding Metallurgy q Welding Inspection Handbook
Technical Interests (Check all that apply)
Welding Handbook Selections: q WHB (9th Ed., Vol. 5) q WHB (9th Ed., Vol. 4) q WHB (9th Ed., Vol. 3) q WHB (9th Ed., Vol. 2) q WH (9th Ed., Vol. 1) A q Ferrous metals
B.) OPTIONAL Welding Journal Hard Copy (for Members outside North America) B q Aluminum
C q Nonferrous metals except aluminum
q Individual Members outside North America (note: electronic delivery of WJ is standard)..........................................$50
D q Advanced materials/Intermetallics
E q Ceramics
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP TOTAL PAYMENT..................................................................................$_____________ F q High energy beam processes
NOTE: Dues include $17.30 for Welding Journal subscription and $4.00 for the AWS Foundation. G q Arc welding
H q Brazing and soldering
I q Resistance welding
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP J q Thermal spray
K q Cutting
q AWS STUDENT MEMBERSHIP (with digital Welding Journal magazine)................................................$15 L q NDT
M q Safety and health
q AWS STUDENT MEMBERSHIP (with hard copy Welding Journal magazine)..............................................$35
N q Bending and shearing
Option available only to students in U.S., Canada & Mexico.
O q Roll forming
P q Stamping and punching
PAYMENT INFORMATION Q q Aerospace
R q Automotive
Payment can be made (in U.S. dollars) by check or money order (international or foreign), payable to the American Welding Society, or by credit card. S q Machinery
q Check q Money Order q AMEX q Diners Club q MasterCard q Visa q Discover q Other T q Marine
U q Piping and tubing
CC#:____________ / ____________ / ____________ / ____________ Expiration Date (mm/yy) ________ / ________ V q Pressure vessels and tanks
W q Sheet metal
X q Structures
Signature of Applicant:_________________________________________ Application Date:_______________________
Y q Other
Z q Automation
OFFICE USE ONLY Check #:_______________________________ Account #____________________________________ 1 q Robotics
Source Code: WJ Date:_________________________________ Amount:_____________________________________ 2 q Computerization of Welding
REV. 11/18

School, Pinckney, Mich.
Summary: Members presented awards
of appreciation to Craig Winbigler of
Bradhart Products for his donation of
a precision surface grinder and to Den-
nis Law of Midwest Machinery Movers
for donating the rigging and delivery
of the grinder.
District 12
Dale Lange, director
(715) 732-3645
dale.lange@nwtc.edu
SECTION NEWS
CHICAGO
February 24 District 14
Location: Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Tony Brosio, director
Restaurant, Burr Ridge, Ill. (765) 215-7506
Summary: The Section held its annual tbrosio@yahoo.com
Valentine’s Day celebration and en-
joyed an elegant evening together. INDIANA
During the gathering, Craig Tichelar February 9
received an AWS Life Member Award Location: J. Everett Light Career Cen-
for his 35 years of membership and
John Hesseltine received a 25-Year
ter, Indianapolis, Ind.
Summary: The Section conducted and
Silver Member Award. judged the SkillsUSA Indianapolis re-

MILWAUKEE
February 21
Location: Tanner Paul Banquet Hall,
Milwaukee, Wis.
Presenter: Randall Counselman, senior
welding engineer, TC Industries
Summary: Section members enjoyed
dinner and a presentation by Counsel-
man on improving welding operations
in manufacturing. This included
streamlining, documentation, and so-
cial interaction with people involved.
Professional development hours were
given to those in attendance. CHICAGO — Section Chair Cliff Iftimie (far left) is pictured with Marty Vondra (far
right) and membership award recipients John Hesseltine and Craig Tichelar.
RACINE-KENOSHA
February 28
Location: Gateway Technical College,
Elkhorn, Wis.
Presenter: Wally Janus
Summary: Members and welding stu-
dents from Gateway Technical College
attended a hands-on event featuring
the basics of blacksmithing presented
by Janus.

District 13
Ronald Ashelford, director INDIANA — Roger Hood, Braden Van Winkle, Eli Cooper, Keiler Shockley, and Dylan
(815) 218-8766 Geise were named regional qualifiers for SkillsUSA.
r.ashelford@rockvalleycollege.edu

RACINE-KENOSHA — Section members and students are pictured following a blacksmithing demonstration.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 67

SECTION NEWS
gional event. State qualifiers are Roger
Hood, J. Everett Light Career Center;
Braden Van Winkle, Whitewater Tech;
Eli Cooper, J. Everett Light Career
Center; Keiler Shockley, Whitwater
Tech; and Dylan Geise, Whitewater
Tech.

LEXINGTON
February 21
Location: American Welding & Gas
Inc., Lexington, Ky.
Presenter: Joe Moore
Summary: American Welding & Gas
Inc. hosted the Section’s February
meeting. During the gathering, Frank
McKinley was presented with an AWS
50-Year Gold Member Award. Moore
led a discussion about welding inspec-
tion and welder certifications. LEXINGTON — Judges and winners of the SkillsUSA Region 9 Competition included
(back row, from left) Andrew Tobin, judge, Kentucky Welding Institute; students
March 1 Patrick Helmberg, Boston Pergram, and Richie Cunningham; and contest judge
Location: Clark County ATC, Austin Cartwright. In the front row (from left) are students Caleb Hager, Joey Brewer,
Winchester, Ky. and Rebecca Schleiff.

LEXINGTON — Attendees of the Section’s February meeting are seen at American Welding & Gas Inc.

LEXINGTON — Frank McKinley re-

LEXINGTON — Pictured are the winners of the Missouri Welding Institute Welding ceived his AWS 50-Year Gold Member
Competition. Award.

68 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

 SECTION NEWS
Summary: The Section hosted the Re-
gion 9 SkillsUSA Welding Competition District 15 District 19
at Clark County ATC. Michael Hanson, director Shawn McDaniel, director
(763) 221-5951 (509) 793-5182
ST. LOUIS mikhan318@comcast.com shawnm@bigbend.edu
February 15
Location: Missouri Welding Institute BRITISH COLUMBIA
February 20
Inc., Nevada, Mo.
Summary: Section members partici- District 16 Location: UAPIC, Delta, BC
pated in the Missouri Welding Insti- Karl Fogleman, director Presenter: Reza Tavakoli, professional
tute Welding Competition. Tim Bo- (402) 677-2490 engineer, Avestec
rawski placed first and Adam Holt, fogleman3@cox.net Summary: The evening meeting con-
welding instructor South Tech High sisted of a catered dinner at UAPIC,
School, had several students walk away followed by a presentation by Tavakoli
with awards. about Avestec’s flying robot technolo-
gy for inspection of hazardous spaces
February 21
District 17 and hard-to-access locations for a
Location: Jerry Haas Race Cars, J Jones, director number of different industries.
Fenton, Mo. (832) 506-5986
Presenter: John DeFlorian, general jjones6@lincolnelectric.com SPOKANE
manager, Jerry Haas Race Cars February 20
Summary: Members of the Section Location: Ferraro’s Restaurant,
toured the Jerry Haas race car facility. Spokane, Wash.
DeFlorian led the tour. The company
has been building race cars for more District 18 Summary: Metal Artist Chris Ander-
son spoke to members about his back-
than 30 years and is intent on devel- Thomas Holt, director ground and life as a local arist who pri-
oping the newest and most effective (409) 721-5777 marily works with metal. He is listed
forms of drag-racing technology. tholt@techcorr.com in the Guinness Book of World Records

SPOKANE — Guest speaker and Metal

Artist Chris Anderson showed off
BRITISH COLUMBIA — Section Chair Bernard Booth (far left) thanked guest speaker some of his art at the Section’s Feb-
Reza Tavakoli (center) and three Avestec support team members. ruary meeting.

ST. LOUIS — Section members gave Jerry Haas and John DeFlorian speaker awards in appreciation for their facility tour.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 69

SECTION NEWS
holding a 40-ft-tall shovel. Thirty-five
members attended.
District 20
Pierrette H. Gorman, director
(505) 440-6284
pierrette@comcast.net
COLORADO
January 10
Location: Fort Collins, Colo.
Presenter: Lee Seltsam and Josh
Heuerman, Front Range Community
College
Summary: Seltsam and Heuerman pre-
sented the most recent upgrades and
equipment additions to the Front
Range Community College welding
program. Discussion was held on avail-
able courses at various campuses and
how they fit both industry and stu-
dent needs. A major topic was the
AWS Accredited Test Facility at the
Fort Collins campus and the need for a
bridge from training to employment
for graduating students.
COLORADO — Section members are seen during a facility tour of the Front Range Community College welding lab.
SAN FRANCISCO — Guest Speaker Mike Nagamoto addressed attendees aboard the SS Red Oak Victory’s former cargo hold,
which has been converted into small theater/auditorium.
70 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
District 21
Sam Lindsey, director
(858) 740-1917
slindsey@sandiego.gov
District 22
Robert Purvis, director
(916) 599-5561
purviswelds@gmail.com
CENTRAL VALLEY
February 28
Summary: More than 50 people, in-
cluding students, educators, and in-
dustry professionals, attended the
February Section advisory meeting.
Led by Chair Randy Emery, the meet-
ing focused on better communication.
During the gathering, Byron “Kip”
Williamson was presented with an
AWS Life Member Award for his 35
years of membership. The meeting
concluded with an informative presen-
tation by BluScope Buildings’ Visalia
Plant Manager Juan Garcia, who
spoke about the national and global
impact of the company’s operations.
CENTRAL VALLEY — Section Officers
Randy Emery (far left) and Chris Huff
(far right) presented Byron “Kip”
Williamson with an AWS Life Member
Award.
SAN FRANCISCO
March 12
Location: SS Red Oak Victory, Rich-
mond, Calif.
Presenter: Mike Nagamoto, volunteer
welder, SS Red Oak Victory
Summary: A catered banquet meeting
was held aboard the World War II Vic-
tory ship, Red Oak. Nagamoto gave a
presentation describing the challenges
of welding and restoration as applied
to a 75-year-old vessel. The ship was
one of the 534 Victory-class ships built
during World War II and is now part of
the Rosie the Riveter/World War II
Home Front National Historic Park.
 GUIDE TO AWS SERVICES
American Welding Society® GLOBAL OPERATIONS Director — International Activities
8669 NW 36 St., #130 Corporate Director Andrew Davis.. adavis@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(466)
Miami, FL 33166-6672 Jeff Kamentz..jkamentz@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . .(233) International Standards Activities, American
(800/305) 443-9353; Fax: (305) 443-7559 Oversees international business activities; Council of the International Institute of Welding
Phone extensions are in parentheses. certification, publications, and membership.
Manager, Safety and Health
AWS PRESIDENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS Stephen Hedrick.. steveh@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . .(305)
Thomas J. Lienert. . . . . . . .tjlienert@gmail.com Managing Director Metric Practice, Safety and Health, Joining of
Consultant John Perry .. jperry@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(247) Plastics and Composites, Personnel and Facilities
Qualification, Mechanical Testing of Welds
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM PUBLISHING & EDITORIAL
Executive Director/ Dept. information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(275) Program Managers II
Chief Executive Officer Stephen Borrero... sborrero@aws.org . . . . . . . . .(334)
Matt Miller.. mmiller@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(207) Welding Journal Definitions and Symbols, Structural Subcom-
Publisher/Editor mittees on Reinforcing Steel and Stainless Steel,
Chief Financial Officer/ Mary Ruth Johnsen.. mjohnsen@aws.org . . . . .(238) Joining of Metals and Alloys, Piping and Tubing
Chief Administrative Officer
Gesana Villegas.. gvillegas@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(252) Society News Editor Rakesh Gupta.. gupta@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . .(301)
Katie Pacheco.. kpacheco@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . .(275) Filler Metals and Allied Materials, International
Chief Marketing Officer Filler Metals, UNS Numbers Assignment, Computa-
Sofia Samuels..ssamuels@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(419) Section News Editor tional Weld Mechanics
Cindy Weihl..cweihl@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(256)
Senior Vice Presidents Jennifer Molin.. jmolin@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(304)
Cassie Burrell.. cburrell@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(253) Inspection Trends Editor Structural Welding, Sheet Metal Welding
Research, Strategy, and Membership Carlos Guzman..cguzman@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(348)

John Gayler.. gayler@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(472) MARKETING Program Managers

Welding & Technology Chief Marketing Officer Mario Diaz..mdiaz@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(310)
Sofia Samuels.. ssamuels@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . .(419) Automotive, Resistance Welding, Resistance
Vice Presidents Welding Equipment, Welding and Brazing in Aero-
Annette Alonso.. aalonso@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . .(299) MEMBER SERVICES space, Friction Welding
Talent Dept. information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(480)
Kevin Bulger..kbulger@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(306)
Patrick Henry.. phenry@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . .(226) Associate Director Brazing and Soldering, Methods of Weld In-
Society Programs Nici Banks...nbanks@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(270) spection, Welding in Marine Construction, Welding
Serves as a liaison between members and AWS of Machinery and Equipment
EXECUTIVE OFFICE headquarters.
Associate Director Jennifer Rosario.. jrosario@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(308)
Chelsea Steel.. csteel@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(294) Senior Manager, Volunteer Engagement and Oxyfuel Gas Welding and Cutting, Railroad
Support Welding, Thermal Spraying, Welding Iron Castings,
Program Administrator, National Awards Darrill A.Gaschler.. dgaschler@aws.org . . . . . . .(260) Welding Qualification
Malisa Mercado.. mmercado@aws.org . . . . . . . .(293)
CERTIFICATION SERVICES Welding Handbook Editor
HUMAN RESOURCES Dept. information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(273) Kathy Sinnes.. ksinnes@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(255)
Associate Director
Alex Diaz.. adiaz@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(209) Managing Director CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUPPORT
Denny Smith.....dsmith@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(263) Director
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF WELDING Hosea Carter...hcarter@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . .(413)
Senior Coordinator ACCREDITATION
Sissibeth Lopez . . sissi@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . .(319) Senior Manager Customer Service...customerservice@aws.org . .(280)
Liaison services with other national and interna- Emil Pagoaga..epagoaga@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(448)
tional societies and standards organizations. AWS FOUNDATION INC.
EDUCATION & TRAINING aws.org/w/a/foundation
GOVERNMENT LIAISON SERVICES Director General Information
Hugh Webster .... hwebster@wc-b.com Alicia Garcia..agarcia@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(229) (800/305) 443-9353, ext. 212, jdouglass@aws.org
Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, Washington, D.C.
(202) 785-9500; Fax: (202) 835-0243 CONFERENCES & EVENTS Chairman, Board of Trustees
Monitors federal issues of importance to the Director William A. Rice.. brice@oki-bering.com
industry. CaLae Browne..cbrowne@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(213)
Executive Director, Foundation
CONVENTION AND EXPOSITIONS SALES & PUBLISHING Monica Pfarr.. mpfarr@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(461)
Director, Expositions Managing Director
Matthew Rubin.....mrubin@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(239) Michael Walsh...mwalsh@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . .(350) Associate Director, Foundation Services
John Douglass.. jdouglass@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(212)
Senior Sales Executive, Expositions Senior Sales Executive, Academia
Sarah Dickson.....sdickson@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(297) Efram Abrams....eabrams@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(333)
The AWS Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3)
ITSA — INTERNATIONAL THERMAL Senior Sales Executive, Corporate charitable organization established to provide support
SPRAY ASSOCIATION Sandra Jorgensen.....sjorgensen@aws.org . . . . .(254) for the educational and scientific endeavors of the Amer-
Program Manager ican Welding Society. Promote the Foundation’s work
Alfred Nieves....anieves@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(467) STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT with your financial support.
Dept. information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(340)
RWMA — RESISTANCE WELDING MANUFACTUR-
ING ALLIANCE Director — Standards Development
Program Manager Peter Portela.. pportela@aws.org . . . . . . . . . . . .(311)
Adrian Bustillo....abustillo@aws.org . . . . . . . . . .(295) Technical Committee Activities, Additive
Manufacturing, High-Energy Beam Welding, Ro-
WEMCO — ASSOCIATION OF WELDING botics Welding, Welding in Sanitary Applications,
MANUFACTURERS Structural Subcommittees on Bridge Welding and
Program Manager Titanium
Keila DeMoraes....kdemoraes@aws.org . . . . . . .(444)

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 71

CERTIFICATION SCHEDULE
CERTIFICATION SEMINARS, CODE CLINICS, AND EXAMINATIONS

Note: The 2019 schedule for all certifications is posted online at 9-Year Recertification Seminar for CWI/SCWI
aws.org/w/a/registrations/prices_schedules.html. For current CWIs and SCWIs needing to meet education re-
quirements without taking the exam. The exam can be taken
at any site listed under Certified Welding Inspector.
Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)
Location Seminar Dates
Location Seminar Dates Exam Date Denver, CO May 5–10
Baton Rouge, LA May 5–10 May 11 Miami, FL May 19–24
Detroit, MI May 5–10 May 11 Pittsburgh, PA June 23–28
Denver, CO May 19–24 May 25 Charlotte, NC July 21–26
Nashville, TN May 19–24 May 25 Houston, TX Aug. 4–9
Birmingham, AL June 2–7 June 8 Orlando, FL Aug. 25–30
Kansas City, MO June 2–7 June 8 Sacramento, CA Sept. 22–27
Pittsburgh, PA June 9–14 June 15 Dallas, TX Oct. 6–11
Spokane, WA June 9–14 June 15 Denver, CO Oct. 20–25
Beaumont, TX June 16–21 June 22 Miami, FL Nov. 3–8
Hartford, CT June 16–21 June 22 New Orleans, LA Nov. 17–22
Newark, NJ June 23–28 June 29
Omaha, NE June 23–28 June 29
Louisville, KY July 7–12 July 13 Certified Welding Educator (CWE)
Phoenix, AZ July 7–12 July 13 Seminar and exam are given at all sites listed under Certified
Norfolk, VA July 14–19 July 20 Welding Inspector. Seminar attendees will not attend the Code
Milwaukee, WI July 21–26 July 27 Clinic portion of the seminar (usually the first two days).
Orlando, FL July 21–26 July 27
Cleveland, OH July 28–Aug. 2 Aug. 3 Certified Welding Sales Representative
Los Angeles, CA July 28–Aug. 2 Aug. 3 (CWSR)
Denver, CO Aug. 4–9 Aug. 10 CWSR exams are given at Prometric testing centers. More
Philadelphia, PA Aug. 4–9 Aug. 10 information at aws.org/certification/detail/certified-welding-
Chicago, IL Aug. 11–16 Aug. 17 sales-representative.
San Diego, CA Aug. 11–16 Aug. 17
Salt Lake City, UT Aug. 11–16 Aug. 17
Charlotte, NC Aug. 18–23 Aug. 24
Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS)
CWS exams are given at Prometric testing centers. More infor-
Sacramento, CA Aug. 18–23 Aug. 24
mation at aws.org/certification/detail/certified-welding-supervisor.
Houston, TX Aug. 25–30 Aug. 31
Seattle, WA Aug. 25–30 Aug. 31
Minneapolis, MN Sept. 8–13 Sept. 14 Certified Radiographic Interpreter (CRI)
San Francisco, CA Sept. 8–13 Sept. 14 The CRI certification can be a stand-alone credential or can
Nashville, TN Sept. 15–20 Sept. 21 exempt you from your next 9-Year Recertification. More in-
San Antonio, TX Sept. 15–20 Sept. 21 formation at aws.org/certification/detail/certified-radiographic-
Boston, MA Sept. 22–27 Sept. 28 interpreter.
New Orleans, LA Sept. 22–27 Sept. 28
Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29–Oct. 4 Oct. 5 Location Seminar Dates Exam Date
Miami, FL Sept. 29–Oct. 4 Oct. 5 Las Vegas, NV June 3–7 June 8
Long Beach, CA Oct. 6–11 Oct. 12 Pittsburgh, PA July 29–Aug. 2 Aug. 3
Tulsa, OK Oct. 6–11 Oct. 12 Houston, TX Sept. 30–Oct. 4 Oct. 5
Detroit, MI Oct. 13–18 Oct. 19
Houston, TX Oct. 13–18 Oct. 19 Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW)
Atlanta, GA Oct. 20–25 Oct. 26 OTC Daihen Inc., Tipp City, OH; (937) 667-0800, ext. 218
Cleveland, OH Oct. 20–25 Oct. 26 Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland, OH; (216) 383-4723
Kansas City, MO Oct. 27–Nov. 1 Nov. 2 Wolf Robotics, Fort Collins, CO; (970) 225-7667
Pittsburgh, PA Oct. 27–Nov. 1 Nov. 2 Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee, WI;
Dallas, TX Nov. 3–8 Nov. 9 (414) 456-5454
Reno, NV Nov. 3–8 Nov. 9 College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, CA; (651) 259-7800,
Sacramento, CA Nov. 10–15 Nov. 16 ext. 3062
Syracuse, NY Nov. 10–15 Nov. 16 Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College, Ogden, UT;
Roanoke, VA Nov. 17–22 Nov. 23 (800) 627-8448
Waco, TX Nov. 17–22 Nov. 23

IMPORTANT: This schedule is subject to change without notice. Please verify your event dates with the Certification Dept. to confirm your course status before
making travel plans. Applications are to be received at least six weeks prior to the seminar/exam or exam. Applications received after that time will be assessed a
$250 Fast Track fee. Please verify application deadline dates by visiting our website at aws.org/certification/docs/schedules.html. For information on AWS seminars
and certification programs, or to register online, visit aws.org/certification or call (800/305) 443-9353, ext. 273, for Certification; or ext. 455 for Seminars.

72 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

PERSONNEL

Lincoln Electric Promotes served as executive vice president,

Senior Managers chief information officer.

TranSystems Names
Assistant Vice President and
Senior Professional
TranSystems,
Kansas City, Mo.,
a national trans-
portation consult-
ing firm that pro-
vides engineering,
architectural,
D. E. McMillin Jr. R. A. Nelson planning, and con-
struction solu-
tions, has named
Timothy Hernan-
Lincoln Electric, Cleveland, Ohio, dez assistant vice
has promoted Daniel E. McMillin Jr. T. Hernandez president and sen-
as vice president, corporate controller; ior professional of
Robert A. Nelson as vice president, fi- the firm’s Chicago,
nance for the Americas Welding seg- Ill., office. Hernandez has more than
ment; and Michele R. Kuhrt as execu- 30 years of experience in structural
tive vice president, chief human re- steel and metals fabrications and in-
sources officer. spection. As the company’s senior
McMillin will be responsible for quality assurance manager, he has pro-
overseeing global finance functions vided administrative and technical
and financial reporting. He joined Lin- support to shop and field inspection
coln Electric in 2004 as director of fi- personnel during all phases of struc-
nancial reporting and has held several tural steel building and bridge fabrica-
finance leadership positions, including tion as well as field erection opera-
European finance director, interna- tions. He has also performed structur-
tional controller, and most recently al steel specification conformance re-
vice president of finance, Americas views for many of the Midwest De-
Welding segment. Prior to that, he partments of Transportation. Addi-
held finance and accounting positions tionally, Hernandez is an active mem-
with RTI International Metals Inc. and ber of the American Institute of Steel
Coopers & Lybrand. Construction and the American Weld-
Nelson will lead the regional fi- ing Society.
nance and accounting operations as
well as support the development of
businesses within the segment. He
joined the company in 1998 as an ac- RoMan® Manufacturing Adds
countant for Lincoln Electric Cleve- Director of Global Sales
land and held numerous roles within
the company and its Harris Products RoMan® Manu-
Group segment. Most recently, he facturing, Grand
served as general manager for the ma- Rapids, Mich., a
chine division. manufacturer of
Additionally, Kuhrt will be respon- alternating and di-
sible for leading the global human re- rect current power
sources team, with an emphasis on sources, has added
employee engagement and develop- James Gibson as
ment, diversity and inclusion, and en- director of global
hancing human resources systems and sales. He will over-
processes. She joined the company in see the company’s
1997 as director of taxes and later global sales func-
served as company officer and senior J. Gibson tions across all di-
vice president, tax. She most recently visions, including

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 73

 automotive, industrial, furnace, glass,
and foundry. Gibson has 20-plus years
of sales leadership experience with
manufacturers in industrial power and
automation. Prior to joining the com-
pany, he held sales and marketing
leadership positions in various compa-
nies, including Hammond Power Solu-
tions, Emerson Electric, and Weid-
muller.
Klotz joined PMA after serving as
president and executive vice president
of sales and marketing for Tebis Amer-
ica, a developer of computer-aided de-
sign and manufacturing software for
the tool, die, and mold manufacturing
industries. Previously, he was senior
manager of the Plex Automotive & In-
dustrial Mid-Market sales team for
eight years, and a manager at Dallas
Industries Inc. for 12 years.

Weiler Abrasives Appoints

Director of Sales — West Obituary

Weiler Abra- Howard Patrie Jones Jr.

sives, Cresco, Pa.,
a provider of abra- Howard Patrie Jones Jr. of Walter-
sives, power boro, S.C., passed away on December
brushes, and 28, 2018. He was 94. Born June 15,
maintenance 1924, Jones was raised by his grand-
products for sur- parents until striking out on his own
face conditioning, at age 16. He worked at farms in Up-
has appointed state New York until he joined the U.S.
Jennifer Hawkins Army during WWII. He went into the
to director of sales Air Force and became a tail gunner in a
— West. She will B-24 Liberator. He had a long and ded-
J. Hawkins lead a team of dis- icated career with General Electric,
trict sales man- where he retired after 40 years of em-
agers as well as be ployment from manufacturing man-
responsible for providing value-add so- agement. He was a member of the
lutions, new products, marketing sup- American Welding Society and the his-
port, and training focused on safety torical Eighth Air Force group. He
and proper use of Weiler products. loved fishing and had a passion for
Hawkins joined the company in 2013 skydiving, doing a tandem jump on his
as a district sales manager for Houston birthday for the past ten years. He
and the surrounding areas, where she completed his eleventh jump in June
helped build end user and distributor 2018. Jones was predeceased in death
partnerships focused on growth and by his wife of 66 years, Nellie, and is
launched new product categories. survived by his three sons, daughters-
in-law, two brothers, seven grandchil-
dren, and 11 great grandchildren. WJ
Precision Metalforming
Association Elects President
The Precision
Metalforming As-
sociation (PMA),
Cleveland, Ohio,
has elected David
C. Klotz as presi-
dent. He will serve
the more than
800-member asso-
ciation, including
leading PMA’s 40-
member staff, di-
D. C. Klotz recting strategic
planning, engag-
ing in member-
ship development and outreach, man-
aging finances, and guiding domestic
and international advocacy efforts. H. P. Jones Jr.

74 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

STAINLESS Q&A
— continued from page 22
electrodes. This observation also car-
ried over to flux cored arc, gas metal
arc, and submerged arc welding stain-
less steel weld metal yield strengths.
In conclusion, I think it very safe to
say that the yield strength of common
austenitic stainless steel weld metal
will considerably exceed the yield
strength of the corresponding base
metal. A design based upon base met-
al yield strength, using corresponding
austenitic stainless steel filler metal,
will not lead to weld metal failure. WJ
Reference
1. Gowrisankar, I., Bhaduri, A. K.,
Seetharaman, V., Verma, D. D. N., and
Achar, D. R. G. 1987. Effect of number
of passes on the structure and properties
of submerged arc welds of AISI Type
316L stainless steel. Welding Journal 66(5):
147-s to 154-s.
DAMIAN J. KOTECKI is president, Damian
Kotecki Welding Consultants Inc. He is
chair of the AWS A5D Subcommittee on
Stainless Steel Filler Metals, and member
of the D1K Subcommittee on Stainless
Steel Structural Welding and WRC
Subcommittee on Welding Stainless Steels
and Nickel-Base Alloys. He is a past chair
of the A5 Committee on Filler Metals and
Allied Materials, past treasurer of the IIW,
and served as AWS president (2005–2006).
Questions may be sent to Damian J. Kotecki
c/o Welding Journal, 8669 NW 36 St., # 130,
Miami, FL 33166-6672, or via email at
damian@damiankotecki.com.

CENTENNIAL STORIES
— continued from page 28
times appear aloof, he could also be
thoughtful. Goodwin recalled a visit
Savage and his wife, Bobbie, made to
Goodwin and his wife, Linda, shortly
before Savage’s death. “He went out on
the deck and spotted a bird. He asked
where our bird book was. I replied that
we didn’t have one, so Doc had me drive
him into town where he bought a Peter-
son Field Guide to the Birds of North
America.” After the Savages left, Good-
win opened the book. Inside was writ-
ten “To Gene and Linda, Enjoy.” Savage
had also written out his whole life list of
birds he had spotted over the years. WJ

Can We Talk?

The Welding Journal staff encourages an exchange of ideas with you, our readers. If you’d like to ask a question, share an
idea, or voice an opinion, you can call, write, email, or fax. Staff email addresses are listed below, along with a guide to
help you interact with the right person.

Publisher/Editor Production Manager

Mary Ruth Johnsen, mjohnsen@aws.org, ext. 238
General Management, Reprint Permission,
Copyright Issues, Editorial Content
Sr. Editor
Cindy Weihl, cweihl@aws.org, ext. 256
Section News, SPRAYTIME®
Features Editor
Kristin Campbell, kcampbell@aws.org, ext. 257
Feature Articles, Industry News
Associate Editor
Katie Pacheco, kpacheco@aws.org, ext. 275
Society News, New Products
Assistant Editor
Roline Pascal, rpascal@aws.org, ext. 303
International News, Personnel
Zaida Chavez, zaida@aws.org, ext. 265
Design and Production
Editor of Inspection Trends/Editor of Welding Journal en
Español/Manager of Electronic Media
Carlos Guzman, cguzman@aws.org, ext. 348
Inspection Trends, Spanish-Language Content,
Design and Production
Advertising
Jeff Rhodes jeff.rhodes@mci-group.com and
Kim Daniele kim.daniele@mci-group.com
Subscriptions
Thomas Lira, tlira@aws.org, ext. 351
Subscriptions Representative
Welding Journal Dept.
8669 NW 36 St., #130
Miami, FL 33166

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 75

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**
NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY
— continued from page 17
Doneth said the project brings him full circle. “I used to
go to welding school and listen to Metallica’s music. Now we
made them something cool and are teaching welding,” he
said. Pink added Hetfield emerged from the band’s dressing
room strumming the guitar with a big smile. “He loved it,”
Pink said. “He said, ‘This is really cool.’”
Federal Funds Awarded to Solve
Manufacturing Challenges
The High Performance Computing for Manufacturing
Program has revealed the recipients of $1.2 million in feder-
al funding for four public/private projects. The program’s
solicitation round 6 focused on applying the high-perfor-
mance computing capabilities of the Department of Ener-
gy’s national laboratories to steelmaking and aluminum pro-
duction processes.
Each of the four newly selected projects will receive up to
$300,000 to support work performed by the national lab
partners. The projects receiving funding are as follows:
1. Alcoa USA Corp. collaborating with Oak Ridge National
Laboratory to use high-performance computing simulations
to understand and optimize the performance of its new ad-
vanced aluminum smelting cell.
2. AK Steel Corp. and Lawrence Livermore National Labo-
ratory (LLNL) working to demonstrate real-time modeling
of hot-strip milling for next-generation steels.
3. A collaboration by ArcelorMittal USA and LLNL to
apply HPC and machine learning to enable more energy-
efficient, defect-free manufacturing of steel slabs.
4. United States Steel Corp. working with LLNL on a hot-
strip mill simulation model that will provide predictions of
through-thickness temperature, deformation behavior, and
associated microstructure.
PMMI Foundation Partners with Nuts,
Bolts & Thingamajigs to Support Camps
The PMMI Foundation, Reston, Va., is supporting ten
summer manufacturing camps in 2020 and 2021 with a
$100,000 grant to Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs®, the Foun-
dation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association,
Int’l., Elgin, Ill.
They are partnering to develop summer camps that edu-
cate and inspire the future workforce to explore careers in
manufacturing with the goal of narrowing the growing skills
gap. The grant will support and allow approximately 300
students, ages 12–16, to be introduced to the manufactur-
ing process from design through production.
Industry Notes
• United Performance Metals, Cincinnati, Ohio, has
achieved Pratt & Whitney-Laboratory Control at Source
80 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
(LCS) approval. This will allow the company’s Greenville,
S.C., branch to begin providing LCS-certified materials in
sheet and bar forms to its southeastern U.S. user base.
• Clark State Community College, Springfield, Ohio, in
collaboration with FASTLANE, has invested in a 5-axis
computer numerical control machine. Nora Hatem, associ-
ate professor and program coordinator for Clark State’s in-
dustrial and engineering programs, noted the school un-
derstands the needs of its employer partners and made the
investment to help them develop the workforce of tomor-
row. Students will be introduced to 5-axis capabilities this
spring, with the intent of using the machine in the fall.
• NCCER, Alachua, Fla., has released a superintendent as-
sessment and is partnering with FMI® to offer a joint certi-
fication (nccer.org/superintendent). It includes the NCCER
assessment, which recognizes the knowledge of these pro-
fessionals, and the FMI Field Leadership Institute, which
provides hands-on interactive education and experiences.
• Industrial Magnetics Inc., Boyne City, Mich., has ac-
quired Clamp Manufacturing Co., South El Monte, Calif.,
a family-owned business. According to Dennis O’Leary, In-
dustrial Magnetics’ chief business development officer, the
acquisition marks the company’s next step in expanding its
workholding and general manufacturing product offerings.
• The German unmanned aerial systems-engine manufac-
turer Sky Power is refining its production and has put
Ersa soldering tools into operation. These are used in the
in-house electronics workshop; the i-CON 1 soldering sta-
tions, with integrated solder fume extraction, are meant
for the conversion of ignition systems/other electronics.
• Chemcoaters Inc., Gary, Ind., a coil coater and manufac-
turer of proprietary coating chemistries, now owns Eco
Green Coatings, which is a wholly owned subsidiary. As
part of its InterReactive® coatings, InterCoat® Chemguard
is a corrosion-resistant and adhesion-enhancing coating.
• DoALL Sawing Products, Savage, Minn., has donated
two band saws to Workshop For Warriors® in San Diego,
Calif. The organization provides technical and vocational
training for active-duty and armed-service veterans. WJ
Do You Have Some News to Tell Us?
If you have a news item that might interest Welding
Journal readers, send it to the following address:
Welding Journal Dept.
Attn: Kristin Campbell
8669 NW 36 St., #130
Miami, FL 33166
Items can also be sent via fax to (305) 443-7559 or
by email to kcampbell@aws.org.
POINT OF VIEW
— continued from page 21
5. Efficient Operations
Ease operating costs by incorporat-
ing robots within your factories or
work environments. Simple steps,
such as turning down the heating and
lighting or minimizing the space be-
tween robots on the factory floor, can
help you lower operating costs without
sacrificing performance.
Streamlining some of your other op-
eration costs can also help create a
more productive work environment.
Use such savings to invest in even more
effective technology and continuously
improve your business operations.
In addition, as they grow, compa-
nies are often faced with searching for
new locations that can better accom-
modate their staff. With robots, space
requirements or specifications may
change drastically; capable of working
in confined spaces, they can help free
the factory floor and reduce moving
costs.
Robotics Return on
Investment
With U.S. vehicle sales having re-
cently reached their highest March
volume since 2001, now isn’t the best
time for steel and aluminum tariffs
(Ref. 9). Steadily growing demand for
new vehicles may leave welders with
no choice but to buy from taxed coun-
tries like Canada, Mexico, and the EU.
To help offset such costs, consider giv-
ing robots a shot.
While robots come with upfront
costs, the benefits are sure to roll in
shortly after installation. Many advan-
tages, including greater workplace
safety, improved engagement, a spike
in product quality, and less overhead,
pledge to cover potential costs associ-
ated with the tariffs. WJ
References
1. loupventures.com/industrial-
robotics-outlook-2025/
2. news.gallup.com/poll/226841/
workers-unafraid-losing-jobs-robots.aspx
3. news.gallup.com/businessjournal/
193274/millennials-jobs-development-
opportunities.aspx
4. research.udemy.com/wp-content/
uploads/2018/03/FINAL-Udemy_
2018_Workplace_Distraction_Report.pdf
5. msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/
brief-interruptions-spawn-errors/
6. news.gallup.com/businessjournal/
204248/star-employees-slipping-
away.aspx?g_source=link_newsv9&g_
campaign=item_226025&g_medium=copy
7. info.workinstitute.com/
retentionreport2017
8. business.libertymutualgroup.com/
business-insurance/Documents/
Services/Workplace%20Safety%
20Index.pdf
9. autonews.com/article/20180328/
RETAIL/180329641/march-auto-sales-
us-retail-forecast
CHARLIE ADAMS
(marketing@kukarobotics.com) is an arc
welding laboratory engineer at KUKA
Robotics, Shelby Township, Mich., where he
is responsible for managing KUKA’s
TechCenters. Figures 1 and 2 are courtesy
of KUKA.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 81
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ADVERTISER INDEX
Arcos Industries, LLC Inside Back Cover AWS Education 7, 39
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Atlas Evaluation & Inspection Services (AEIS) 44 AWS Foundation 32, 46, 81
iweldusa.com (732) 388-7711 aws.org/foundation (800) 443-9353, ext. 250

Atlas Welding Accessories Inc. 73 AWS Member Services 13, 19,

atlaswelding.com (800) 962-9353 aws.org/membership (800) 443-9353, ext. 480

AWS Certification 7 AWS Publications 23

aws.org/certification 800) 443-9353, ext. 273 aws.org/publications (800) 443-9353, ext. 238

82 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019

 ADVERTISER INDEX

Camfil Air Pollution Control 2 Lincoln Electric Co. Outside Back Cover
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Moore Weld Profesional Services 25

Cor-Met 74 PlasmaArcWelding.com (678) 986-6510
cor-met.com (800) 848-2719
Novarc Technologies Inc. 1
novarctech.com (604) 428-0050
Diamond Ground 15, 17
diamondground.com (805) 498-3837 SanRex Corporation 26
sanrex.com (516) 625-1313
Fabtech 11
fabtechexpo.com
Select-Arc Inc. Inside Front Cover
select-arc.com (800) 341-5215
Fischer Engineering Company 44
fischerengr.com (937) 754-1750
TEC Welding Products 45
info@tectorch (760) 747-3700
Flexovit Abrasives 9
flexovitabrasives.com (800) 689-3539
TRUMPF 5
trumpf.com (860) 255-6000
G. A. L. Gauge 16
galgage.com (269) 465-5750
Weld Engineering Co, Inc 27
weldengineering.com (508) 842-2224
Gedik Welding 24
gedikwelding.com (855) 245-1607
Welder Training & Testing Institute 45
wtti.com (800) 223-9884
Gullco International Inc. USA 45
ussales@gullco.com (440) 439-8333

Welding Journal Now Publishing Direct Object Identifier (DOI) Numbers

Dear members of the welding research community,

Note that in each issue of the Welding Journal Research Supplement, we are including Direct Object Identifier (DOI)
numbers with each of the papers published in print and online. A direct object identifier is a unique alphanumeric string
assigned by a registration agency (we are using Crossref.org) to identify content and provide a persistent link to its
location on the Internet. Our decision to begin assigning a DOI for each paper comes directly from a request by the
research community.

As part of our obligation to Crossref.org, we are asked to provide DOI numbers, when available, in the references section of
papers. So, if you have submitted a paper to the Welding Journal or are planning on submitting a paper, we ask that you
update your references to include DOI numbers whenever possible.

Thank you.

Mary Ruth Johnsen,

Publisher, Welding Journal

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 83

COMING EVENTS
— continued from page 46
tion and continuing education units. Contact Hobart Insti-
tute of Welding Technology; (800) 332-9448; welding.org/
product-category/online-courses/.
ESAB Welding and Cutting Instructor-Led Training. Year-
round training at Denton, Tex.; West Lebanon, N.H.; Tra-
verse City, Mich.; Hanover, Pa.; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Online e-Learning training is available. Email trainingteam@
esab.com or visit training.victortechnologies.com.
Hypertherm Cutting Institute Online. Includes video tuto-
rials, interactive e-Learning courses, discussion forums, we-
binars, and blogs. Visit hypertherm.com; hyperthermcutting
institute.com.
Industrial Laser Training. Technical training and support
offered for users of industrial lasers in manufacturing,
education, and research. Regularly scheduled classes in laser
welding, laser cutting, and drilling. HDE Technologies Inc.;
(916) 714-4944; laserweldtraining.com.
Laser Safety Training Courses. Laser training courses for
personnel in research, industrial, and medical laser facilities.
Courses based on ANSI Z136.1, Safe Use of Lasers. Orlando,
Fla., or customer’s site. Laser Institute of America;
(800) 345-2737; lia.org.
Laser Vision Training Seminars. Two-day classes, offered
monthly and on request, include tutorials and practical
training. Presented at Servo-Robot Inc., St. Bruno, QC,
Canada. For schedule, cost, and availability, email info@
servorobot.com.
Machine Safeguarding Seminar. Rockford, Ill. Two-and-a-
half-day seminar teaches how to properly safeguard machin-
ery for OSHA/ANSI standards. A series of 15 safety demon-
strations will be presented; May 15–17, June 19–21, July
17–19, Aug. 21–23, Sept. 18–20, Oct. 16–18, and Nov.
13–15. Visit rockfordsystems.com/seminar.
Modern Furnace Brazing School. Wall Colmonoy presents
a three-day seminar offering knowledge and practical appli-
cation on brazing design, metallurgical aspects/brazing op-
eration, brazing atmosphere and furnace equipment, braz-
ing material selection and applications, and quality control.
United States seminar: May 7–9, Cincinnati, Ohio, contact
Jim Nicoll, (248) 585–6400, ext. 233, brazingschool@
wallcolmonoy.com, wallcolmonoy.com/brazing-school/; Euro-
pean seminar: Oct. 8–10, Pontardawe, Wales, UK, contact
Jordan Brace, +44 (0) 1792 860622, brazingschool@
wallcolmonoy.co.uk, wallcolmonoy.co.uk/brazingschool.
84 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019
NDE Classes. Moraine Valley Community College, Palos
Hills, Ill., offers NDE classes in PT, MT, UT, RT, radiation
safety, and eddy current, as well as API 510 exam prep and
weld inspection. (708) 974-5735; ccce@morainevalley.edu;
morainevalley.edu.
NDT Classroom Training and e-Learning Course. Offers
courses in UT, RT, MT, PT, eddy current, and remote visual
inspection. Onsite training also available. (855) 232-7470;
geinspectionacademy.com; inspection.academy@ge.com.
NDT Courses and Exams. Brea, Calif., and customers’ loca-
tions. Level I, II, and III refresher courses in PA, UT, MP, ra-
diation safety, radiography, visual, etc. Test NDT LLC;
(714) 255-1500; testndt.com.
Online Education Courses. Topics include Introduction to
Die Casting (free), Safety (free), Metal Melting and Han-
dling, Product Design, Energy Training, Dross Training,
Managing Dust Hazards, and more. North American Die
Casting Assoc.; diecasting.org/education/online;
(847) 808-3161.
Preparation for AWS® — CWI®/CWE® Examination. Troy,
Ohio. This two-week class offers nine days of instruction
with the test being administered on the tenth day. Includes
a backpack for the convenience of carrying books and other
study materials. Contact Hobart Institute of Welding Tech-
nology; (800) 332-9448; welding.org.
Professional Development Workshop. Five-day workshop
equips welding educators and industrial trainers with the
latest in training techniques, technology, and best practices.
Seven training modules include welding metallurgy; joining
and cutting processes; design, assembly, and robotic weld-
ing; welding codes, specifications, and safety; instructional
design and teaching strategies; nondestructive examination;
and additional welding and allied processes. Location and
dates available at weld-ed.org, or contact Michael Fox, (440)
366-4927, mfox@lorainccc.edu.
Protective Coatings Training and Certification Courses.
At various locations and online. The Society for Protective
Coatings; (877) 281-7772; sspc.org.
Robot Safety and Risk Assessment Training Seminar.
Learn the basic safety guidelines for robotic applications, de-
termine necessary tasks, identify possible hazards, and
more. Dallas/Fort Worth, Tex., May 22; Frankfurt, Germany,
June 6; and Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minn., June 18. Robot-
ic Industries Association; (734) 994-6088; robotics.org.
Veterans Goodwill Weld Training Program. South Burling-
ton, Vt., and Eagle River, Wis. AWI and Veterans of
Foreign Wars (VFW) have partnered to offer veterans a
complimentary two-day training at AWI facilities. Contact
(802) 660-0600, (715) 337-0122, or awi.edu. WJ

SUPPLEMENT TO THE WELDING JOURNAL, MAY 2019
Sponsored by the American Welding Society
Root Pass Microstructure in Super Duplex
Stainless Steel Multipass Welds
The impact of GTAW multipass weld thermal cycles on the root pass fusion zone
austenite volume fraction and morphology in UNS32750 is detailed
BY T. PICKLE, N. HENRY, P. MORRISS, L. TENNIS, D. WAGNER, AND R. E. BAUMER
ABSTRACT
Superduplex stainless steels (SDSS) have twice the
base strength and pitting corrosion resistance of austenitic
stainless steels and are commonly used when stress-
corrosion cracking is a concern. During multipass welding of
SDSS, a 50-50 austenite-ferrite phase balance is recom-
mended in the exposed root pass fusion zone and heat-
affected zone (HAZ), although 35–65% of austenite is ac-
ceptable. Systematic studies with the arc energy and num-
ber of weld passes with mechanized multipass gas tung-
sten arc welding (GTAW) of 6-mm- (0.24-in.-) and 12.7-mm-
(0.5-in.-) thick substrates (UNS S32750) reveal that multiple
thermal cycles experienced in the root result in an in-
creased root fusion zone austenite-ferrite ratio and pres-
ence of secondary austenite. Gleeble® 1500 physical re-
heating simulations, applying experimental thermal cycles
directly measured in the root of multipass GTA welds, con-
firm these results.
KEYWORDS
• Duplex Stainless Steel • Secondary Austenite
• Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) • Microstructure
Introduction
Superduplex stainless steels (SDSS) are Fe-Cr-Ni-N alloys
with a dual-phase wrought microstructure consisting of ap-
proximately 50–50 vol-% austenite/ferrite. This phase bal-
ance provides superior pitting corrosion resistance and
twice the yield strength compared to standard austenitic
stainless steels (Refs. 1, 2). As a result, SDSS are commonly
used in applications that require high strength, toughness,
and corrosion resistance where stress corrosion cracking
(SCC) is a concern (Refs. 1–4). Welding of duplex stainless
steel (DSS) significantly alters the engineered microstruc-
https://doi.org/10.29391/2019.98.010
WELDING RESEARCH
ture, and has been reported to cause loss of corrosion resist-
ance (Refs. 5–7) and reduced impact toughness (Refs. 5, 8).
Detrimental property changes in the weld fusion zone (FZ)
and heat-affected zone (HAZ) have been reported to origi-
nate from the following: deviation from a proper austenite/
ferrite microstructure phase balance (Ref. 9), composition
(Refs. 7, 10), and formation of brittle secondary phases like
the sigma () phase (Ref. 11). Base metal and filler composi-
tion, heat input (Refs. 4, 12), dilution (Ref. 4), shielding gas
(Refs. 12–15), cooling rates (i.e., rate of change of tempera-
ture with respect to time) (Refs. 16, 17), interpass tempera-
tures in multipass welding (Ref. 4), and weld process type
(Refs. 9, 18) are all important process variables that collec-
tively influence the welded microstructure and the FZ and
HAZ material properties (Ref. 3).
Maintaining a proper austenite/ferrite phase balance,
while avoiding formation of embrittling phases (e.g., ), is
necessary to maintain acceptable weld FZ and HAZ tough-
ness and corrosion resistance. Both nickel and nitrogen are
austenite stabilizers, and researchers have investigated
welding with overalloyed (nickel) filler metals (e.g., ER2594
on duplex 2205) (Refs. 13, 19) and nitrogen-containing
shielding gases (Refs. 15, 20–22). Researchers have demon-
strated that nitrogen loss from weld metal during welding
reduces austenite content and reduces corrosion resistance
(Refs. 23, 24), while intentional additions of nitrogen to ar-
gon shielding promotes austenite formation and can in-
crease corrosion resistance (Refs. 20, 24).
The thermal history of the FZ and HAZ is also very im-
portant for microstructural phase balance. For DSS, the mi-
crostructure solidifies as 100% ferrite and then forms
austenite in a diffusion-mediated phase transformation
with the primary austenite forming between 800˚ and
1200˚C (1472˚ and 2192˚F), although it can form at temper-
atures up to 1350˚C (2462˚F) for superduplex grades (Refs.
25, 26). As welding heat input (arc energy) increases, weld
FZ and HAZ cooling rates decrease. Slower cooling rates in-
crease the amount of time for austenite nucleation and
growth in the 800˚‒1200˚C (1472˚–2192˚F) temperature
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 123-s
WELDING RESEARCH

A B

C D

Fig. 1 — Schematics showing experiment and sample setup: A — Mechanized GTAW fixture; B — 6-mm-thick substrate with 3-mm
backing plate; C — cross-section schematic of weld joint before root pass; and D — cross-section schematic showing thermocou-
ple location after completion of root pass weld.

range (Refs. 12, 16, 19). Similarly, multipass welding, which
may reheat previously solidified weld zones to temperatures
well above 800˚C (1472˚F), can induce significant mi-
crostructure and property changes, such as the formation of
secondary austenite and/or possible formation of the sigma
phase (Refs. 6, 17). Although previous studies have reported
that reheating with autogenous welds or HAZ re-heating af-
fects weld microstructure (Refs. 6, 17, 27), only a few have
studied the change in root pass FZ austenite content caused
by reheating thermal cycles from subsequent passes (Refs.
13, 14). In pipeline applications of SDSS, the root pass FZ
and HAZ are in direct contact with corrosive media. It is,
therefore, of great importance to understand the impact of
multipass thermal cycles on the root pass FZ and HAZ mi-
crostructure, specifically the austenite/ferrite ratio.
In this study, in-situ thermal measurements in the root
of mechanized multipass gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
on 6-mm- (0.24-in.-) and 12.7-mm- (0.5-in.-) thick UNS
S32750 plates were performed, and the in-situ measured
multiple reheating thermal cycles were correlated with mi-
crostructural evolution of austenite in the root pass FZ. To
isolate the effect of solid-state reheating on austenite
growth, in-situ measured thermal data from the root pass
was used for Gleeble® 1500 reheating simulations on as-
welded bead-on-plate (BOP) microstructures. Results indi-
cate the thermal cycle history significantly affects the final
root pass austenite/ferrite ratio. Thermal cycle history is
found to be additive to the known effect of nitrogen content
in argon shielding gases. These findings suggest root-pass
thermal history is an important consideration when devel-
oping welding procedures for superduplex stainless steels.
Methodology
Mechanized GTA welds were performed on 6-mm- and
6.35-mm-thick UNS S32750 (2507) substrates with pre-
mixed certified gases (100% Ar, 98% Ar/2% N2, and 94% Ar/
6% N2). Backing plates of UNS S32750, 3–3.13 mm (0.12–
0.125 in.) thick, were used as shown in Fig. 1B and C. All
multipass welds had a maximum interpass temperature of
120˚C (248°F). For all welds, nickel-enriched ER2594 1.2-
mm- (0.047-in.-) diameter filler metal was used. The details
of each weld are tabulated in Table 1. Table 2 shows the
manufacturer-reported composition of the substrates, back-
ing plates, and welding wire.
Figure 1A shows the mechanized GTA weld setup, including
the heat sink and clamping system. All samples were cleaned
with acetone prior to welding and wire brushed with stainless-
steel brushes before each weld pass. To obtain the austenite
volume fraction, each sample was cross sectioned according to
guidelines described in ASTM E3-11, polished to 6-micron dia-
mond grit, etched with Beraha’s II reagent (1-g potassium

124-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98

 WELDING RESEARCH

Table 1 — Welding Parameters Used for Each Individual Weld

Exp. ID # of Travel Avg. Arc Shielding Avg. Avg. Arc Wire Feed Root
Passes Speed Voltage Length/ Gas Comp. Current Energy Speed Austenite
(in./min) (V) AVC (Ar/N2) (A) (kJ/in.) (in./min) (vol-%)

A39 6 2.5 10.9 1/8 in. 98/2 N 102 26.5 ± 1.5 6 56.5 ± 2.1
B43 4 2 10.4 1/8 in. 98/2 N 100 31.3 ± 1.0 10 57.4 ± 1.5
A40 4 2 11.0 1/8 in. 98/2 N 123 40.3 ± 0.7 15 root, 10 50.8 ± 2.2
A41 2 2 12.4 1/8 in. 98/2 N 170 63 ± 6.1 20 35.1 ± 2.6
#1 A42 2 2 13.1 1/8 in. 98/2 N 200 78.3 ± 8.1 20 33.0 ± 4.8
W1 6 2.5 10.8 1/8 in. 98/2 N 102 26.2 ± 1.3 7 57.9 ± 2.7
W2 4 2 10.4 1/8 in. 98/2 N 100 31.1 ± 1.4 10 47.2 ± 1.9
W3 4 2 11.4 1/8 in. 98/2 N 123 41.7 ± 1.4 12 52.2 ± 2.4
W4 2 2 11.2 1/8 in. 98/2 N 170 56.9 ± 6.9 20 40.2 ± 2.7
W5 2 2 11.0 1/8 in. 98/2 N 200 65.7 ± 4.7 20 38.8 ± 4.5

Root #1 1 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 43.1 ± 2.2

Root #2 1 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 41.3 ± 2.0
Root #3 1 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 46.0 ± 1.7
E1 2p w1 2 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 52.1 ± 3.7
TC M#1 2 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 49.7 ± 3.3
TC M#2 2 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 45.2 ± 1.8
E1 3p w1 3 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 59.3 ± 2.7
#2 E1 3p w2 3 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 56.7 ± 2.1
E1 3p w3 3 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 53.1 ± 2.4
E1 3p w4 3 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 53.8 ± 3.2
E1 4p w1 4 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 52.1 ± 1.8
E1 4p w2 4 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 55.9 ± 3.2
E1 4p WO1 4 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 54.9 ± 3.4
E1 4p WO2 4 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 54.1 ± 2.3
E1 4p WO3 4 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 51.5 ± 2.2
Mech 4 14 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 61.5 ± 3.6

Ar #2 1 2.7 12 AVC 100 Ar 150 40 18 35.3 ± 1.6

Ar #3 1 2.7 12 AVC 100 Ar 150 40 18 34.8 ± 2.3
98/2 #1 1 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 36.3 ± 1.2
#3 98/2 #4 1 2.7 12 AVC 98/2 N 150 40 18 38.7 ± 2.1
94/6 #1 1 2.7 12 AVC 94/6 N 150 40 18 43.8 ± 1.5
94/6 #2 1 2.7 12 AVC 94/6 N 150 40 18 40.6 ± 1.5

*Exp. 1 welds used a 1⁄8 in., 2% thoriated tungsten and shielding gas 30 ft3/h flow rate while Exp. 2 and 3 welds used a 3⁄32 in., 2% lanthanated tungsten electrode and 19
ft3/h flow rate. Each electrode was precision ground to a 40-deg electrode angle with a 5⁄8 in. tungsten stickout. AVC indicates automated voltage control, which auto-
matically adjusted arc length to maintain voltage.

metabisulfite, 20-mL HCL, and 100-mL H2O), and analyzed
using light optical microscopy at 500 magnification. The vol-
umetric fraction of austenite was calculated using JMicroVi-
sion digital image analysis software (Ref. 28) with a minimum
of 10 pictures per zone. Images were converted to grayscale,
phases extracted and calculated, and results averaged to obtain
overall austenite fraction with methods similar to that report-
ed by Zhang et al. (Ref. 14). An example of austenite phase cal-
culation is shown in Fig. 2. All austenite volume fraction data
reported in the text corresponds to an average value and stan-
dard deviation (minimum ten fields of view).
Experiment #1: 6-mm (0.24-in.) GTAW
Multipass Welds with Varied Arc Energy
In Experiment 1, mechanized GTAW was performed on 6-
mm- (0.24-in.-) thick UNS S32750 with a 75-deg single-V
joint, 2-mm (0.08-in.) root opening, and 3-mm- (0.12-in.-)
thick UNS S32750 backing plate (Fig. 1B and C), using an aver-
age arc energy of 26, 31, 41, 57, 64, and 78 kJ/in. per pass per
weld specimen. Arc energy is taken to be the total weld energy
per length and was calculated as I ∙ V ∙ 60/v, where V is voltage
[volts], I is current [amperes], and v is travel speed [in./min].
Welding heat input includes an arc efficiency factor, , to ac-
count for heat loss (i.e., convection and radiation) to the weld
area, which has been calculated to be 0.81 for a GTAW process
using a calorimetric method (Ref. 17). Since the heat sinks for
welding experiments may vary, theoretical arc energy (i.e.,  =
1) is used to describe the heat input for the weld process in
this work. Travel speed was held constant at 2 in./min (except
with 2.5 in./min for 26 kJ/in.), and voltage varied only slightly
between experiments (11–14 V) at a fixed arc length of 3.2
mm (0.125 in.). Arc energy was controlled by varying current
from 100 to 200 A. A shielding gas composition of 98% Ar/2%
N2 was used at a flow rate of 14 L/min (30 ft3/h).

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 125-s

WELDING RESEARCH

A B C

Fig. 2 — A — Example as-etched microstructure (Beraha’s II reagent); B — example grayscale image of sample; and C — red high-
lighted area used to calculate austenite-ferrite ratio in JMicroVision.

Table 2 — Composition of Substrate, Backing, and Filler Materials Used for Experiments 1–3

Material Composition (wt-%)

C Cr Ni Mo N Cu Si Mn P S Ti

Backing, 3 mm (a, b) 0.015 24.96 6.93 3.81 0.28 0.24 0.34 0.78 0.029 0.001 0.007
Substrate, 6 mm (a, b) 0.016 25.04 6.93 3.78 0.27 0.4 0.44 0.76 0.028 0.001 0.009
Backing and Substrate, 3.19 mm (b, c) 0.02 24.8 6.6 3.7 0.28 0.16 0.35 0.82 0.024 0.0003 —
Substrate, 6.35 mm (b) 0.019 25.64 6.95 3.8 0.28 0.25 0.25 0.59 0.025 0.0003 —
Substrate, 12.7 mm (b) 0.02 24.8 6.6 3.7 0.28 0.16 0.35 0.82 0.024 0.0003 —
ER2594 Solid Welding Wire (a, b, c) 0.02 25 9.5 4.0 0.25 — 0.35 0.4 — — —

(a) Experiment 1, (b) Experiment 2, (c) Experiment 3

Deposition rates and wire feed speed (WFS) were higher
with the higher arc energy (20 in./min WFS) than lower arc
energies (6 in./min WFS), requiring fewer passes (2 passes)
than the lower arc energy welds (6 passes) to fill the 6-mm-
(0.12-in.-) thick joint (Fig. 3B). A 3.2-mm- (0.125-in.-) diam-
eter 2% thoriated electrode was used for this experiment
with the electrode tip centered in the joint for the root pass,
and with split passes for the 4- and 6-pass welds — Fig. 3B.
Austenite volume fraction measurements were obtained as
described above.
Experiment #2: 6-mm (0.24-in.) and 12.7-mm
(0.5-in.) Multipass Welds with Constant Arc
Energy and Varied Number of Passes
In Experiment 2, 4-pass welds with a 40-kJ/in. arc energy
(12 V, 150 A, 2.7 in./min) and a wire feed speed of 18 in./min
were performed with a 98% Ar/2% N2 shielding gas with a gas
flow rate of 9 L/min (19 ft3/h). A 2.4-mm (33⁄ 2-in.) 2% lan-
thanated tungsten electrode was used for this experiment. To
analyze how the root FZ microstructure changes with subse-
quent passes, three welds were made with just the root pass
before cross-sectional analysis, three welds with 2 passes, four
welds with 3 passes, and seven welds with 4 passes (Fig. 4B).
Weld specimens were cross sectioned in the middle of the weld
specimen and austenite volume fraction measured in both the
weld root and subsequent pass FZ regions. For in-situ thermal
data of the initial root weld, K-type thermocouples were
plunged into the molten pool root pass welds to measure cool-
ing rates. The high-temperature accuracy of the K-type ther-
mocouples (Omega Instruments) was validated by measuring
the melting point of 99.9% pure copper (McMaster-Carr),
finding an average of 1079 ± 19.0˚C (1974 ± 66°F), compared
to the known melting point of 1084.6˚C (1985°F) (Ref. 29). All
thermal data was collected with a National Instruments data
acquisition system at a sampling frequency of 4 Hz.
Following completion of the initial root pass weld, 4.8-mm-
(0.19-in.-) diameter holes were drilled through the backing
plate and root pass. Thermocouples were embedded from the
backing plate side, approximately 1.2 mm (0.047 in.) above the
interface between the substrate and backing, and manually
welded in place from the root side using GTAW and 3.2-mm-
(0.13-in.-) diameter ER2594 filler. Plug welds were ground
flush with the rest of the root pass. Between three to four
thermocouples were embedded in each root pass, ~ 38 mm
(1.5 in.) apart, and enabled direct measurement of the root
pass FZ time and temperature data during subsequent weld
passes — Fig. 1D and Fig. 4B, 1–4. The rate of change of tem-
perature per time (i.e., cooling rate) in the FZ was calculated
using a linear fit between 1200˚ and 800˚C (2192˚ and
1472°F). After welding, samples were cross sectioned at ther-
mocouple locations to determine the distance from the ther-
mocouple tip to the FZ boundary of each subsequent pass. To
analyze the effect of a thicker plate on the thermal history in
the root pass, a mechanized GTA weld was then performed on
12.7-mm- (0.5-in.-) thick UNS S32750 plate with the same
joint geometry, backing plate, 40 kJ/in. arc energy, and weld-
ing parameters described for 6-mm (0.24-in.) welds. For a con-
stant arc energy of 40 kJ/in. and wire feed speed of 18

126-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98


A B
Fig. 3 — Experiment 1: A — Root pass FZ microstructures after completion of weld showing a 25% increase in austenite percent-
age from A5 to A1; B — weld specimen geometry for all welds showing split passes for 4- and 6-pass welds.
in./min, 14 passes were required to fill the joint. The first two
passes were centered on the root, while the rest of the passes
were staggered in rows of 2–3 passes with 3 passes at the top
of the joint. The root pass FZ thermal cycle data was obtained
for passes 2–6, following the same methodology for the 6- and
6.35-mm multipass welds.
Experiment #3: Single-Pass Bead-on-Plate
Welds and Gleeble Thermal Simulations
Single-pass BOP welds on 3.15-mm- (0.125-in.-) thick
[150-mm-long  50-mm-wide (6-  2-in.)] plates with
ER2594 welding wire were made using a 100% Ar, 98% Ar-
2% N2, or 94% Ar-6% N2 shielding gas, all with a flow rate of
9 L/min (19 ft3/h), to observe the effect of nitrogen shield-
ing gas content on the austenite vol-%. All other process pa-
rameters (40 kJ/in., deposition rate, and electrode) were
identical to Experiment 2 (see Table 1).
K-type thermocouples were plunged in the fusion zone in
the BOP welds to enable comparison of cooling rates in BOP
as-welded FZ microstructures to that measured in the root
pass FZ of Experiment 2 welds. The BOP welds were cross sec-
tioned into six total 25-  76-mm (1-  3-in.) specimens per
shielding gas (three per plate; two BOP welds per shielding gas
WELDING RESEARCH
composition), and each specimen was used for physical reheat-
ing simulations. Using the in-situ measured average thermal
cycles experienced in the root pass FZ in the multipass weld of
Experiment 2, a Gleeble 1500 thermo-mechanical simulator
was used to perform one, two, or three reheating cycles on
BOP samples in a chamber with 100% Ar, 98% Ar-2% N2, or
94% Ar-6% N2 shielding gas environments matching the origi-
nal BOP weld shielding gas. Before each experiment, the 0.028
m3 (0.6 ft3) Gleeble chamber was purged using a 14 L/min (30
ft3/h) flow rate for 1.2 min (until filled), and then continually
purged at the same flow rate until the sample cooled below
500˚C (932°F). The resultant microstructure before and after
each reheating cycle, particularly the austenite volume fraction
and morphology, was analyzed and compared with the actual
weld root pass results from Experiment 2.
Results
Experiment #1: Multipass Welds with Varied
Arc Energy
As shown in Figs. 3A and 5A, the austenite vol-% in the
root pass FZ decreases with increasing arc energy. Howev-
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 127-s
WELDING RESEARCH

A B C

Fig. 4 — Experiment 2 results with a constant heat input per

pass (40 kJ/in.) showing the following: A — In-situ root pass
time and temperature reheating measurements; B —
schematic of cross-section geometry for each subsequent
weld pass with relative thermocouple location; and C — root
microstructure evolution showing increased austenite after
subsequent passes.

er, when replotted as a function of the number of passes,
the root pass FZ austenite content increases significantly
with increased number of reheated thermal cycles — Fig.
5B. As the number of passes increased from 2 (highest arc
energy) to 6 passes (lowest arc energy), the total root pass
FZ austenite vol-% increased from a minimum of 33% to as
high as 58% austenite. For welds made with more passes
and a lower arc energy, the root pass FZ microstructure has
a significant austenite content increase due to formation
of secondary austenite, as well as more primary grain
boundary allotriomorphic and Widmanstätten austenite
— Fig. 3A, 1. Following previous work (Ref. 20), secondary
austenite is identified as intragranular austenite particles
located within ferrite grains, such as shown in the root
pass FZ microstructures in Fig. 2. Based on the results of
Experiment 1, it was hypothesized that the root pass (dur-
ing multipass welding) is reheated by subsequent passes
with temperatures sufficiently high as to cause intragranu-
lar secondary austenite formation and increased total
austenite content. To test this hypothesis, the 40 kJ/in. arc
energy condition from Experiment 1 was selected for fur-
ther study.
Experiment #2: Multipass Welds with
Constant Arc Energy
In Experiment 2, the 40 kJ/in. (requiring 4 total passes)
experiment was repeated with thermocouples embedded in

Table 3 — Measured Thermal Data from the Root Pass of Experiment 2 and Measured Austenite Vol-% in the FZ of Each Weld Zone Region

Root Pass T(t)

# Weld Zone* Austenite Heating Cooling Cooling Time Total time T > Peak
Passes Volume [%] Rate [°C/s] Rate [°C/s] above 800°C [s] 800°C [s] Temp. [°C]

1 1 43.5 ± 2.0 – 25.1 ± 3.4 16 ± 2.0 — —

1 49 ± 2.6
2 2 46.7 ± 2.7 109.6 ± 21.2 31.3 ± 3.6 13.3 ± 2.7 17.2 ± 2.9 1218.8 ± 104.4

1 55.7 ± 2.8
3 2 55.6 ± 4.3 77 ± 16.7 26.0 ± 7.2 10.2 ± 2.1 13.7 ± 2.8 1065.0 ±
3 49.8 ± 6.7 80.6

1 53.5 ± 1.6
2 58 ± 3.1
4 3 53.4 ± 1.9 61.6 ± 4.5 21.1 ± 7.4 8.3 ± 1.7 11.1 ±2.0 972.0 ±
4 47.1 ± 2.2 49.5

*Zone 1 = root pass, zone 2 = 2nd pass, etc., as shown in Fig. 4B.
*Heating and cooling rates are based on linear fits between 100oC and Tmax and Tmax and 800oC, respectively. The cooling time and total time above the critical
temperature of 800oC are also shown.

128-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98

 WELDING RESEARCH

A B

Fig. 5 — A — Root austenite content as a function of heat input; B — total number of thermal cycles experienced in the root pass.

A B

Fig. 6 — The 12.7-mm (0.5-in.) mechanized GTAW results: A — Measured root pass reheating thermal cycles for passes 2–6 at an
average heat input of 40 kJ/in.; B — mechanized 12.7-mm (0.5-in.) 40 kJ/in. per pass austenite vol-% vs. number of reheating ther-
mal cycles compared with 6.35-mm- (0.25-in.-) thick plate results from Experiment 2. Pass 2 shows an 80.1 ± 2.4 austenite % and
is considered not representative (see text).

the root pass to obtain in-situ measurements of the thermal
cycle experienced by the root pass FZ. The measured tem-
perature response is shown as thin gray lines in Fig. 4A,
with the average thermal data from each welded sample
shown in a bold colored line. The peak temperature and
cooling rate data are presented in Table 3. The scatter in
peak temperature for individual welds is linearly related to
the distance of the thermocouple relative to the bottom fu-
sion boundary of each subsequent pass (analysis not
shown). Peak temperatures measured in the root FZ were
1218 ± 104.4˚C (2224 ± 220°F) during pass 2, 1065.0 ±
80.6˚C (1949 ± 177°F) during pass 3, and 972.0 ± 49.5˚C
(1782 ± 121°F) during pass 4. Heating rate, peak tempera-
ture, and cooling rate decrease with each subsequent pass.
The average total time spent at temperatures above 800˚C
(1472°F) was calculated to be 58 s, including the initial cool-
ing of the root pass.
Analysis of the microstructure and austenite morphology
of the root pass FZ after each subsequent weld pass was per-
formed for four cases: 1) root pass only; 2) root pass and sec-
ond pass; 3) root pass and two additional passes (3 total); and
4) root pass and 3 additional passes (4 total) (Fig. 4B, 1–4).
Representative micrographs from the root pass are presented
in Fig. 4C, 1–4. The average starting austenite content in the
root pass FZ is 43.5 ± 2.4% — Fig. 4C, 1. Following both the
second and third pass, an increase of 5–6 vol-% austenite was
found in the root pass FZ, with vol-% austenite values of 49.0
± 3.5% and 55.7 ± 2.8% measured in the root pass FZ after the
second and third pass, respectively — Fig. 4C, 2 and 3. Howev-
er, an average slight decrease of 2% austenite content to 53.5 ±
1.6 vol-% austenite was observed in the root after the fourth
pass, which is hypothesized to be due to intragranular second-
ary austenite morphology changes — Fig. 4C, 4. In the second
and third pass regions, a similar trend of increasing levels of
austenite was seen following subsequent passes (Table 3). For
instance, the 2nd pass FZ (denoted as zone 2) experiences an
average 8.9% increase in austenite after completion of 1 subse-
quent pass. Formation of intragranular secondary austenite
formation was observed in the root pass FZ after only one ad-
ditional thermal cycle (compare Fig. 4C, 1 to 2), leading to a fi-
nal morphology (Fig. 4C, 4) that is very consistent with obser-
vations from Experiment 1 — see Fig. 3A, 3.
Similar trends were seen with the 12.7-mm (0.5-in.)
mechanized GTA weld. The peak temperatures experienced
in the root pass for 5 additional thermal cycles are shown in
Fig. 6A. The peak temperatures in the root pass (average of
three thermocouple readings) are 1142 ± 154˚C (2088 ±
309˚F), 1001 ± 121˚C (1834 ± 250˚F), 844 ± 90.4˚C (1551 ±
195˚F), 849 ± 87˚C (1560 ± 189˚F), and 791 ± 69˚C (1456 ±
156˚F) for passes 2–6, respectively.

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 129-s

WELDING RESEARCH
A B
E F
I J
Fig. 7 — Experiment 3 results showing microstructure evolution for single-pass BOP as-welded FZ and Gleeble thermal cycles in
the same location.
The austenite content for the 12.7-mm (0.5-in.) plate was
quantified across the weld from the root to the cap pass. Fig-
ure 6B shows the austenite volume fraction, measured with
optical microscopy, plotted as a function of the number of
thermal cycles experienced for each of the 14 passes. The weld
that experiences no reheating (the top pass) is labeled as 0,
while the weld that experiences the most reheating cycles is
the root (labeled as 13). The lowest austenite volume fraction
is found in the top pass, with an average of 51.2  2.0%
austenite (0 reheat thermal cycles). After approximately 5 re-
heating cycles, the austenite content is approximately con-
stant, as indicated by the dashed line (63.3  2.4%, average of
passes 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8). The surprisingly high percentage of
80.0  2.4% austenite in the second pass (asterisk symbol) is
likely the result of a weld defect, as the microstructure has a
ferrite interdendritic morphology similar to austenitic stain-
less steel (i.e., qualitatively different from other passes) and is
therefore considered to not be representative. The 6.35-mm
(0.25-in.), 4-pass weld austenite results [same process condi-
tions per pass as the 14-pass, 12.7-mm (0.5-in.) weld] are plot-
ted for comparison and show similar results.
Experiment #3: Single-Pass Bead-on-Plate
Welds and Gleeble Simulations
The data presented in Experiment 2 suggests that reheat-
ing plays an important role for microstructure evolution. How-
ever, given the complexity of multipass welding, it is desirable
to isolate the role of composition and thermal cycles on root
pass FZ microstructure evolution. Therefore, BOP welds were
completed with 3.18-mm- (0.125-in.-) thick UNS S32750
130-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
C D
G H
K L
plates to give samples for Gleeble reheat experiments. In the
BOP specimens, the average dilution of the weld metal is 80 
2.5% in comparison to the dilution of 54.0  2.8% measured
for the root pass in Experiment 2 multipass welds. The as-
welded BOP microstructures are presented in Fig. 7 and quali-
tatively similar to microstructures found in the Experiment 2
root pass FZ: primary grain boundary austenite with Wid-
manstätten side plates (compare Fig. 7E to Fig. 4C, 1). The
austenite content in BOP FZ is lower than that measured in
root pass FZ microstructures of Experiment 2 multipass
welds, likely reflecting the increased dilution values in the BOP
welds, given that the cooling rates from the plunged thermo-
couple data are close [see Table 3, 25.1  3.4˚C/s (77.2 
38.1˚F/s) for Experiment 2; 30.5  10.6˚C/s (86.9  51.1˚F/s)
measured in Experiment 3 BOP welds]. However, given the
qualitative similarities in microstructure between BOP and
multipass weld FZ microstructures, the BOP welds were con-
sidered sufficiently representative to use with physical simula-
tion reheating studies.
Using the root thermal cycle data obtained in Experiment
2, the as-welded BOP microstructures were reheated with a
Gleeble 1500 thermo-mechanical simulator using the in-situ
root pass measured thermal cycle from Experiment 2. For the
three different shielding gases, 1, 2, or 3 thermal cycles (dark,
thick lines in Fig. 4A) were applied and microstructure data ob-
tained in the center of the reheated sample (at the control
thermocouple location). For all shielding gas types, austenite
content increases linearly by approximately 2–4% with each
additional reheating thermal cycle — Fig. 8A. After 3 reheat-
ing thermal cycles, the total average austenite content in-
creased 9.3% for all shielding gas types, compared to the 10%
austenite content seen in the root FZ of Experiment 2. Figures
7 and 8 show that additions in nitrogen shielding gas content

A B
Fig. 8 — Austenite volume fraction in BOP fusion-zone welds following Gleeble reheating thermal cycles: A — Austenite increase
as a function of reheated thermal cycles; B — austenite increase from increasing nitrogen content in shielding gas.
have a direct correlation with increased primary austenite con-
tent in the as-welded fusion zone of the single-pass BOP
welds. With weld parameters held constant, the increase in
shielding gas nitrogen content showed a linear increase of 2%
in austenite content with every increase in 2% nitrogen shield-
ing gas content (ranging from 34.5 to 42.2% austenite for as-
welded microstructures) — Fig. 8B.
The as-welded austenite morphologies for each type of
shielding gas show a Widmanstätten microstructure (Fig. 7A,
E, and I) similar to the microstructure from the root pass from
Experiment 2 — Fig. 4C, 1. After one reheating cycle, signifi-
cant intragranular secondary austenite growth was observed
within the ferrite grains — Fig. 7B, F, and J. Subsequent re-
heating cycles correlate with continued secondary austenite
growth, with extensive formation of fine austenite particles
~ 1–5 m in diameter forming inside the ferrite matrix.
Discussion
Role of Thermal Cycles
The data obtained in Experiment 1, demonstrating de-
creasing austenite content with increasing arc energy (Fig.
5A), is surprising, given the well-established results from
previous studies that have demonstrated austenite content
increases with slower cooling rate thermal cycles and higher
arc energies in the weld metal and HAZ (Refs. 12, 16, 25,
30). Although using arc energy as a single variable shows
surprising results compared to what is predicted with slow-
rate cooling predictions from the Fe-Cr-Ni pseudo binary
phase diagram (Ref. 1), the total accumulative thermal cy-
cles experienced locally in the root pass FZ of multipass
welds in the form of multipass reheating cycles (Figs. 3A,
4A, 4C, and 5B) appears to have a more significant impact
on austenite stabilization and evolution, including intra-
granular secondary austenite precipitation, than just arc en-
ergy per pass as a single variable.
The combined results of Experiments 2 and 3 show that in-
creasing the number of thermal cycles with a constant arc en-
WELDING RESEARCH
ergy result in increased austenite content. First, direct experi-
mental measurement of root-pass temperature during subse-
quent weld passes (Experiment 2) demonstrates for the cho-
sen 4-pass weld conditions, weld passes 2, 3, and 4, all heat the
root pass FZ above the critical temperature of 800°C (1472°F)
— Fig. 4A. Second, the step-wise measurement of root-pass
FZ austenite volume fraction at each of the 1–4 passes clearly
correlates austenite increases with thermal cycles. Finally, the
primary role of thermal cycle, suggested by Experiments 1 and
2, is definitively demonstrated by the Experiment 3 Gleeble re-
heating simulations of as-welded BOP microstructures per-
formed with 98% Ar/2% N2 shielding gas. For both the as-
welded microstructure in the root pass of Experiment 2 (Fig.
4C, 1) and the BOP microstructure of Experiment 3 (Fig. 7E),
thermal cycles change the microstructure from primarily grain
boundary and Widmanstätten austenite morphology to one
including pronounced intragranular secondary austenite con-
tent. Quantitatively, both experiments show increases in
austenite content of about 10% as follows: Initial root pass
austenite content of 43.5% increases to 53.5% in Experiment
2, while the initial BOP austenite content of 37% increases to
47% after application of three total Gleeble reheating thermal
cycles — Figs. 6B and 8A, respectively. The austenite volume
fraction increases 3–4% after each thermal cycle during the
Gleeble experiments (Fig. 8A), for all shielding gas conditions,
demonstrating the thermal cycle impact is additive to that of
nitrogen content.
These findings are broadly consistent with previous stud-
ies that have focused on the impact of multipass welding on
the root pass HAZ microstructures. For example, Tan simulat-
ed the root pass HAZ of a multipass weld by performing Glee-
ble thermal simulations using Rosenthal’s heat transfer model
(Ref. 6). They report a total 5% increase in the root HAZ
austenite volume fraction of a 12.7-mm (0.5-in.) single-V
bevel geometry after the second and third subsequent passes,
but with peak temperatures of 1050˚C (1922°F) in the second
pass and 700°C (1292°F) in the third pass, compared to the
peak temperatures of 1218°C (2224°F) and 1065°C (1949°F)
measured in this work (see Table 3) (Ref. 6). Ramirez draws a
good correlation between Rosenthal’s heat flow model and ex-
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 131-s
WELDING RESEARCH
perimental time and temperature gathered from the HAZ in
three passes in GTA welds on 2205 DDSS (Ref. 27). His work
shows that the HAZ in a root pass will increase in austenite
upon reheating for both actual welds and Gleeble, which was
observed in the FZ with Experiment 2 welds (Ref. 27).
Ramirez and Hosseini both report peak temperatures around
1000°C (1832°F) during the third pass for a 6-mm- (0.24-in.-)
thick substrate (very close to temperatures collected by the
thermocouples in the root FZ in Experiment 2 but in contrast
to Tan’s peak temperatures as shown previously) (Refs. 17,
23, 27). The discrepancies of time and temperature data can
be explained by the differences in joint thickness and geome-
try, which affect the heat flow and temperatures experienced
in the root pass (Ref. 27). Other experiments measured the
ferrite number (FN) in three pulsed 2205 and 2507 GMA
welds over a GTAW root and report that the FN is highest in
the top pass FZ and lowest in the second GMA pass FZ (Ref.
13), which is consistent with results in this work demonstrat-
ing the role of reheating to promote austenite formation. Fi-
nally, other studies that have focused on reheating effects in
the HAZ or base metal in multipass welding (Refs. 6, 23, 24)
demonstrate austenite content increases with thermal cycles.
Most of the increase in austenite upon reheating when
observed with optical microscopy is characterized as intra-
granular secondary austenite (i.e., Fig. 2). Identification of
the intragranular light regions as secondary austenite is
consistent with previous studies of secondary austenite for-
mation during Gleeble reheating thermal cycles (Refs. 31–
33). Secondary austenite should not be confused with pri-
mary intragranular austenite, which forms mostly in an as-
welded microstructure — Fig. 7A, E, and I. Previous studies
have shown that secondary austenite precipitates predomi-
nantly at temperatures of 1000°C (1832°F) on UNS S32750
and decreases at higher reheating temperatures above
1100°C (2012°F) (Ref. 33). Dissolution of intragranular
(ferrite/ferrite) and intergranular (austenite/ferrite)
chromium nitrides (Cr2N) contribute to secondary austenite
nucleation and growth, and longer times up to 10 s in be-
tween 900°–1100°C (1652°–2012°F) contribute to complete
dissolution of Cr2N and more secondary austenite formation
(Ref. 31). However, only intragranular austenite is observed
in this study. Thus, temperatures that rise above 900˚C
(1652°F), such as temperatures seen with the third reheat-
ing cycle in Experiment 2, may cause heterogeneous nucle-
ation of secondary austenite with UNS32750. Higher tem-
peratures above 1100°C (2012°F) would cause grain growth
of primary and secondary austenite upon reheating, but
temperatures above the ferritization temperature (solid-
state transformation temperature) may dissolve intragranu-
lar secondary austenite within the ferrite matrix. Therefore,
reheating effects on nucleation and growth of primary and
secondary austenite are sensitive to specific temperature
ranges, depending on the composition and grade of duplex
stainless steel.
Sigma phase can also form due to HAZ thermal cycles in
the 828˚–1028˚C temperature range, potentially leading to
a loss of toughness and corrosion resistance in welded du-
plex stainless steels (Refs. 6, 17). While preliminary inves-
tigations for the presence of sigma phase were completed
with optical microscopy of welds etched with Murakami
reagent, the sigma phase was not observed. However, giv-
132-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
en other investigators have reported formation of 0.24%
sigma phase volume fraction for high arc energy (27
kJ/in.) and 0.06% for low arc energy (12 kJ/in.) after four
passes in the reheated HAZ (Ref. 17), additional investiga-
tion of the impact of multipass welds on sigma phase for-
mation in the root pass FZ is an opportunity for future
work.
Comparison of Chemical Composition and
Thermal Effects
While these results demonstrate that solid-state reheat-
ing increases austenite volume fraction in the root pass FZ,
this data does raise one final question: Why do the highest
arc energy welds of Experiment 1 have the lowest root pass
austenite content (Fig. 5A)? It is hypothesized that these re-
sults showing a decrease in root pass austenite with increas-
ing arc energy (Fig. 5A) are the consequence of two effects.
First, as previously discussed, an increased arc energy re-
sults in fewer passes and reduces the number of solid-state
reheating thermal cycles, hence reducing the final root pass
austenite content. Second, it is hypothesized that increasing
arc energy results in a reduction of austenite-stabilizing ele-
ments through the combined effects of dilution and nitro-
gen loss. Here, this second hypothesis is discussed.
Dilution increases as arc energy increases, which results
in a decreasing benefit of the elevated nickel content in the
ER2594 welding wire compared to the UNS 32750 SDSS
base material (see Table 2). Additionally, increasing arc ener-
gy increases the weld pool size and yields slower cooling
rates, thereby promoting nitrogen loss. As described in Du
Toit’s model (Ref. 34), a dynamic equilibrium exists in the
nitrogen content of the nitrogen-enriched shielding gas,
molten FZ, and adjacent HAZ. For a fixed nitrogen content
in the shielding gas, increasing arc energy will promote ni-
trogen loss. For example, Hosseini demonstrated that in
four autogenous weld passes, performed with the same arc
energy (11.9 kJ/in.) over the same region in the SDSS, ni-
trogen was reduced from 0.28 wt-% in the base metal to
0.17 wt-% in the weld metal, corresponding to a decrease in
austenite volume fraction from 45 to 25% (Ref. 24). They re-
port a higher arc energy (27.4 kJ/in.) resulted in a nitrogen
loss of 0.28 to 0.10 wt-%, which caused a decrease in austen-
ite from 45 to 21% (Ref. 24). Furthermore, other studies
have shown that welding with pure argon may result in a
lower-than-desired austenite-ferrite ratio (Refs. 21, 24). Ni-
trogen loss is significant since a decrease in 0.05 wt-% N is
reported to decrease the austenite content by as much as
10–15% (Refs. 16, 24). The addition of nitrogen to a shield-
ing gas, which is claimed to increase the austenite content
with the same arc energy, is interesting to understand from
a reheating aspect (Ref. 21). It was found that increasing ni-
trogen content (0–6% N2) reveals higher austenite values
among reheating (Fig. 8B), emphasizing the importance of
shielding gas content selection for welding procedures speci-
fications in multipass welding.
In summary, it is hypothesized that the initially surpris-
ing results of Fig. 5A, showing a decreasing root pass FZ
austenite volume fraction with increasing arc energy, may be
explained through the combined and synergistic effects of
the following: 1) increasing arc energy reduces the number

of solid-state reheating cycles because of higher deposition
rates; 2) increasing arc energy increases dilution and thereby
reduces the weld metal nickel content; and 3) increasing arc
energy increases weld pool size and decreases cooling rates,
which promote nitrogen loss.
Implications of Results
While previous studies have largely focused on the root
pass HAZ because of loss of corrosion resistance (Refs. 14,
18, 33, 35–37), this paper focuses on metallurgical changes
in the root FZ because of the initially unexpected results
shown in Fig. 5. This work suggests that two primary factors
are critical to controlling final microstructure and therefore
weld metal properties: 1) weld metal composition and 2)
solid-state reheating thermal cycles. As previously argued,
for a given base alloy composition, final weld metal compo-
sition will be controlled by arc energy together with the cho-
sen shielding gas nitrogen content and filler material
through the combined effects of dilution and nitrogen evo-
lution. While the initial FZ weld metal microstructure and
austenite volume fraction are strongly affected by shielding
gas nitrogen content (Fig. 7A, E, and I), thermal cycles play
an additive effect on increasing the austenite content as
shown by the Gleeble reheating data (Fig. 8A).
Understanding the differences with microstructural evo-
lution in a thick-walled weld joint compared to a thin wall
joint is important because cooling rates are faster in a thick
wall joint with the same arc energy, which could have differ-
ent microstructure behavior in the root than a thin wall
joint (Ref. 25). Also, more reheating thermal cycles in the
root occur with a thick wall joint than a thin wall joint (13
for thick and 3 for thin) as shown in Fig. 6B. Time and tem-
perature data was only collected for five additional passes
with the 12.7-mm- (0.5-in.-) thick weld, showing that the
root gets to a peak just below 800°C (1472°F) at pass 6 (Fig.
6A). This data indicates that the root pass in thicker weld
joints endure more thermal cycles and potential microstruc-
ture differences than a 6.3-mm- (0.25-in.-) thick weld. Also,
Fig. 6B shows passes 1–13 (other than the top pass) experi-
ence reheating, which is evident in the average austenite
volume fraction of 63.3% for passes 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8. Table 3
and Fig. 6B show that the second and third pass regions for
the 6.3-mm (0.25-in.) multipass welds increase in austenite
content as well as the root pass when reheated. Therefore, it
is suggested that arc energy, the number of passes, joint
configuration, deposition rate, dilution, shielding gas, and
filler composition all be recognized as significant variables
for microstructure development in all regions within a mul-
tipass weld, including both the root pass FZ and HAZ.
Conclusions
Based on this study, the following conclusions were
made:
1) Reheating thermal cycles in multipass welds cause sig-
nificant austenite vol-% increase and morphology changes
in the root pass fusion zone due to intragranular secondary
austenite formation.
2) Total time spent in critical austenite temperature for-
mation ranges has a significant impact on microstructure
WELDING RESEARCH
evolution in the root and subsequent passes.
3) The combined effects of chemical composition
(through nitrogen gas additions and overalloyed nickel weld-
ing wire), arc energy (dilution), and thermal cycles con-
tribute to the wide range in morphology and austenite con-
tent.
4) These results suggest that arc energy, the number of
passes, dilution, shielding gas, and filler composition are all
important variables to consider when designing welding
procedures for successful joining and proper phase balance
of superduplex stainless steels.
Acknowledgments
We thank Bechtel Global Corp. for financial support of ini-
tial work; Outokumpu and Böhler Welding for donation of
UNS S32507 plates and filler materials, respectively; and Trin-
ity Rail Industries for providing financial support for the DAQ
system. We are grateful to Dr. Ben Pletcher, Dr. Yoni Adonyi,
Balazs Varbai, Dr. Richard Campbell, and Dr. Jonathan Demko
for useful discussions. We thank Christian Von Qualen,
Michael Miller, and Reed Philips for experimental support.
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j.apsusc.2016.10.047
TIMOTHY PICKLE, NICHOLAS HENRY, PETER MORRISS, LOGAN
TENNIS, and DAVID WAGNER are undergraduate research stu-
dents, and RICHARD E. BAUMER (richardbaumer@letu.edu) is
the Omer Blodgett chair of welding and materials joining engi-
neering, at LeTourneau University, Department of Welding/
Materials Joining Engineering, Longview, Tex.

Cold Wire Gas Metal Arc Welding:
Droplet Transfer and Geometry
Bead-on-plate welds were performed to investigate the metal transfer dynamics and
its influence on dilution and melting efficiency for three natural transfer modes
R. A. RIBEIRO, E. B. F. DOS SANTOS, P. D. C. ASSUNÇÃO, E. M. BRAGA, AND A. P. GERLICH
ABSTRACT
The metal transfer dynamics induced by cold wire addi-
tions were examined during the three natural transfer
modes in welding: short circuit (low arc power), globular (in-
termediate arc power), and spray (high arc power), and their
implications on weld bead geometry, dilution, and melting
efficiency were evaluated during cold wire gas metal arc
welding (CW-GMAW). Bead-on-plate welds were conducted
on 3⁄8-in. (9.52-mm) -thick AISI 1020 steel plates. Data acqui-
sition of the electrical signals were synchronized with high-
speed imaging to study the arc dynamics. Standard metallo-
graphic procedures were used to study dilution, allowing the
melting efficiency to be estimated. The results provide evi-
dence that increasing cold wire feeding rates will favor arc
attachment to the cold wire rather than to the weld pool for
all natural transfer modes. This influences dilution of the
welds along with the melting efficiency. The findings are
used to identify conditions where CW-GMAW offers higher
melting efficiency than the standard GMAW process.
KEYWORDS
• Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) • Arc Physics
• Heat Transfer • Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels
Introduction
Productivity and reliability are vital to advanced manu-
facturing technology, and this includes welding processes,
which are prominent in metal fabrication. To achieve these
goals in welding, processes with increasingly advanced and
hybrid technologies are being more widely used. Welding
melting rate (in units of kg/h) is considered here as an indi-
cation of overall productivity in welding, which also depends
on other factors such as welding speed, arc time, and weld-
ing defect rate according to general manufacturing defini-
tions (Ref. 1). Moreover, according to Suban and Tušek (Ref.
2), melting rate is the most prominent factor to assess weld-
ing productivity. For this reason, it is taken here as a refer-
ence for assessing welding productivity.
https://doi.org/10.29391/2019.98.011
WELDING RESEARCH
To decouple productivity/melting rate from the heat in-
put, several techniques can be employed. These include dou-
ble electrode gas metal arc welding (DE–GMAW), cold wire
submerged arc welding (CW-SAW), and cross arc GMAW,
which are outlined as follows.
A recently developed technique is DE-GMAW, which uses
a bypass electrode to limit the amount of current passing
through the workpiece. The effect of bypass current on arc
stability and metal transfer was studied by Li and Zhang
(Ref. 3). Using two GMAW power sources, the bypass cur-
rent was held constant, which improved metal transfer sta-
bility in spray transfer, and consequently nearly doubled the
productivity over standard GMAW.
The consequences of these process modifications to in-
crease productivity can also be noted in the reduced heating
of the heat-affected zone (HAZ), which leads to improved
properties. For example, Mohammadijoo et al. examined
CW-SAW and showed the deposition rate was increased by
6% due to cold wire (Ref. 4). In addition, the prior austenite
grain size (PAGS) in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone
(CGHAZ) was reduced due to the decrease in the heat input
to the workpiece. Meanwhile, the HAZ fracture toughness
(Ref. 5) was increased due to the reduction of the fraction of
martensite-austenite.
A further development in welding processes is the cross
arc GMAW, or CA-GMAW, as proposed in a preliminary re-
port by Chen et al. (Ref. 6). Generally, a cross arc is estab-
lished between a gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) electrode
and two carbon electrodes aiming to decouple deposition
and heat input. The interwire current is related to the ion-
ization degree of the arc, and the authors reported that this
process is stable for different levels of GTAW currents.
Moreover, the stability increases with GTAW current, which
allows deposition to be controlled separately from heat in-
put. Another approach to increasing the productivity of a
welding process is by enhancing the melting efficiency,
which represents the magnitude of the arc net power that is
devoted to melting the base and filler metals. This improve-
ment in melting efficiency is achieved when a larger fraction
of the arc energy is used to create and sustain the melting
pool. Based on the work of DuPont and Marder (Ref. 7), it is
thought that the maximum value of melting efficiency for
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WELDING RESEARCH

A B

Fig. 1 — General welding setup. A — Photograph showing the components of the setup; B — schematics showing the GMAW torch
and cold wire injector are coplanar (sagittal plane).

an arc-shielded welding process is around 0.5 or 50% due to

the intrinsic heat losses of the weld pool. Recently, Hacken-
haar et al. examined the melting efficiency of GMAW using
a Box-Behnken designed experiment, and it was found that
melting efficiency depends on the geometry of the welded
part, which is consistent with differences in energy distribu-
tion and losses. Comparing the values of melting efficiency
for joints and beads on plates, the reported values obeyed
the general limit of 0.5 (Ref. 8). Moreover, joints presented
lower melting efficiency, which is consistent with 3D heat
flow regime. Fig. 2 — Schematic for dilution and melting efficiency.
To provide an alternative to such costly and specialized
equipment in these welding processes, CW-GMAW was devel- transfer induced by the cold wire feeding (nonenergized) in
oped. This was originally proposed to provide higher deposi- CW-GMAW for the three natural transfer modes: short cir-
tion in shipbuilding applications (Ref. 9), where decreasing the cuit, globular, and spray. The results have shown that with
heat-induced distortion can be achieved by simply using an ad- the increase of cold wire feed rates, the arc attaches progres-
ditional wire feeder to feed cold wire to the weld pool. Subse- sively more to the cold wire, leading to changes in dilution
quently, Ribeiro et al. (Ref. 10) showed that cold wire introduc- and melting efficiency. Moreover, estimates of melting effi-
tion leads to a slight increase in current without consequent ciency were calculated assuming an average value of arc effi-
increase in penetration. Moreover, Assunção et al. (Ref. 11) ciency. A main focus is the potential to decouple welding
successfully demonstrated the use of CW-GMAW can facilitate deposition and nominal heat input during CW-GMAW,
5-mm-wide narrow gap welding. A key point was shown in which is a key feature of new welding processes.
that CW-GMAW prevents detrimental sidewall erosion, and
decreases the HAZ width in comparison to conventional
GMAW. Further research on CW-GMAW by Costa et al. (Ref. Experimental Methodology
12) using an acoustic birefringence technique provided evi-
dence that the use of cold wire reduces residual stress, and Bead-on-plate welds were performed on hot rolled AISI
consequently there is evidence that CW-GMAW manufactured 1020 plates measuring 300 mm long, 150 mm wide, and
joints offer superior fatigue life, using standard fatigue tests 9.52 mm thick. AWS ER70S-6 (Ref. 14) was used as an ener-
and metallographic techniques, when compared to GMAW gized electrode and the nonenergized cold wire with nomi-
joints as proposed by Marques et al. (Ref. 13). nal diameters of 1.2 mm (0.045 in.) and 0.9 mm (0.035 in.),
To validate the CW-GMAW and foster new applications, respectively. Table 1 presents the nominal compositions of
the present work evaluated the modifications to metal the base metal and welding wires used.

Table 1 — Nominal Chemical Composition of the Base Metal and Welding Wire

Nominal Chemical Composition (wt-%)

Material
C Si Mn P S Cr Fe
AISI 1020 Plate 0.18 — 0.30 — Max. 0.005 — Balance
ER 70S-6 Wire 0.15 1.15 1.85 0.025 0.035 0.05 Balance

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 WELDING RESEARCH

A B

C D

E F

Fig. 3 — Oscillograms for short-circuit parameters. A — Standard GMAW; B — CW-GMAW-20%; C — CW-GMAW-40%; D — CW-
GMAW-60%; E — CW-GMAW-80%; F — CW-GMAW-100%. It is important to remember that the percentages represent a mass frac-
tion of the quantity fed by the main wire.

During the bead-on-plate welds, high-speed imaging
was used to study the electric arc behavior with the follow-
ing conditions: The high-speed camera was operated at a
frame rate of 5000 frames/s, with an aperture of f/22, and
shutter speed of 25 s. A narrow band pass filter of 900 ±
10 nm wavelength reduced the amount of arc radiation
reaching the camera sensor to resolve the drops clearly. In
parallel, the electric signals were acquired using a data ac-
quisition system with a frequency of 20 kHz for 2 s.
Table 2 — Parameters to Calculate the Melting Efficiency for the Bead
Welds
ηa Hbase (J/mm3) Hfiller (J/mm3)
0.83 10.5(a) 7.88(b)
(a) This value is for plain carbon steel according to Ref. 17.
(b) This value is for ER70S-6 according to Ref. 7
Figure 1 shows the general setup for the experiment. The
cold wire in this experiment leads the arc and intersects
with the electrode wire axis under the arc — Fig. 1B. The ra-
tionale for the cold wire leading the arc was based on obser-
vation during preliminary experiments that a trailing cold
wire will interfere with arc stability and cause spatter for a
wide range of parameters. To overcome this issue, the lead-
ing position was adopted for all subsequent experiments.
The intersection position between the electrode wire and
cold wire was determined during the preliminary experi-
ments. When the two wires converged to a point under the
arc (Fig. 1A), the spatter level was reduced, providing higher
stability. One can see that the cold wire and the electrode
wire are coplanar, sagittal to the plane of the workpiece —
Fig. 1B.
To calculate the droplet detachment frequency, high-speed
videography provided equally spaced time intervals, and the
droplet frequency could be manually counted for each test.

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A B

C D

E F

G H

Fig. 4 — Oscillograms for globular parameters. A — Standard GMAW; B — CW-GMAW-20%; C — CW-GMAW-40%; D — CW-GMAW-
60%; E — CW-GMAW-80%; F — CW-GMAW-100%; G — CW-GMAW-120%; H — CW-GMAW-140%. It is important to remember that the
percentages represent a mass fraction of the electrode wire.

The results presented are an average of five values (five time the electrode diameter in inches (in.), and fd is the detach-
intervals). To calculate the droplet diameter, Equation 1 was ment frequency (in units of Hz).
used based on the proposed relation (Ref. 15): To assess the influence of cold wire in current variation
for each transfer mode, each welding condition was replicat-
1
ed eight times, and the values of instantaneous current were
 WFSd e2  3 recorded and statistically treated. The results present the av-
Dd = 
 40 f  d
erage instantaneous current with a variation of 95% confi-
(1) dence levels (Ref. 16).
where WFS is the wire feed speed in units of in./min, de is After welding, the beads were cross sectioned and prepared

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 WELDING RESEARCH

A B

C D

E F

G H

Fig. 5 — Oscillograms for the spray parameters. A — Standard GMAW; B — CW-GMAW-20%; C — CW-GMAW-40%; D — CW-GMAW-
60%; E — CW-GMAW-80%; F — CW-GMAW-100%; G — CW-GMAW-120%; H — CW-GMAW-140%. It is important to remember that
the percentages represent a mass fraction of the main wire.

through standard metallographic procedures and etched with
Nital 5% to show the macrostructure of the cross sections and
allow the measurement of geometrical features such as pene-
tration, height, and width. Subsequently, the melting efficien-
cy and dilution were calculated, refer to Equations 2 and 3, re-
spectively, based on the schematic provided in Fig. 2. General-
ly, the arc efficiency (a) is defined as the ratio between the
heat transferred to the welded part and the net arc heat input
delivered by the arc (Ref. 17). In this work, it is assumed that
the GMAW and CW-GMAW arc efficiencies are the same. The
shielding gas composition used was Ar-15%CO2 at the flow of
40 ft3/h (18.871/mn). Table 2 gives the thermophysical prop-
erties used to calculate melting efficiency (m). Dilution is
first calculated based on

MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 139-s

WELDING RESEARCH

A B

C
 Abase 
( )
D % =   100%
 Abase + Afiller 
(2)

where Afiller is the cross-sectional area (mm2) due to the filler

metal, and Abase is the area (mm2) due to the base metal. The
melting efficiency is then calculated using the proposed rela-
tion by Ref. 7:

m =
(A base ) ( )
Vt weld H base + A fillerVt weld H filler
aUIt weld
(3)
Fig. 6 — Coefficient of variation (CV) for all the three natural
where Hbase and Hfiller are the volumetric enthalpy of the base transfer modes in welding, for each cold wire feeding condition.
and filler metals (J/mm3), tweld is the welding time in seconds
(s), V is the travel speed (m/s), a is the arc efficiency, U is the consideration of energy for heating to vaporization and
the arc voltage (V), and I is the arc current in A. change from the liquid state to gas. The value of this ab-
To calculate the cold wire absorbed power, which repre- sorbed heat is given by
sents how much of the arc power the cold wire is able to ab- .
sorb depending on each condition, Equation 4 was used. The Q  𝑚̇cs(Tm – To) + 𝑚̇L (4)
wire physical quantities employed in the calculation are giv-
en in Table 3. The absorbed heat by the cold wire was calcu- where Q represents the cold wire absorbed power in kW; 𝑚̇
lated as a sum of the specific and latent heat of the addition- represents the cold wire mass feed rate in kg/s; cs is the solid
al wire, excluding the vaporization of the liquid that requires specific heat in kJ/kg; Tm and T0 are the wire melting tempera-

Table 3 — Physical Constants of the Wire Used ER70S-6 in the Electrode and Cold Wire

Delectrode Dcold wire Density

(mm) (mm) (kg/m) cs (kJ/kg K) L (kJ/kg K) Tm (K) T0 (K)
[in.] [in.]
1.2 [0.045] 0.9 [0.035] 7930 0.70 200 1723 293

Table 4 — Welding Parameters Set in the Source for All the Transfer Modes

Short Circuit
Wire feed speed (in./min) [m/min] Voltage (V) Travel speed (in./min) [cm/min]
250 (6.35) 20 25 (63.5)

Globular
Wire feed speed (in./min) Voltage (V) Travel speed (in./min)
250 25 25
Spray
Wire feed speed (in./min) [m/min] Voltage (V) Travel speed (in./min)
350 (8.89) 30 25

140-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98

 WELDING RESEARCH

A B C

Fig. 7 — The climbing of the arc in the cold wire for the short-circuit condition. A — 20% of cold wire; B — 60% of cold wire; C —
100% of cold wire.

A B C

Fig. 8 — The deflection of the arc in the cold wire for the globular condition. A — 20% of cold wire; B — 60% of cold wire; C —
140% of cold wire.

A B C

Fig. 9 — The deflection of the arc in the cold wire for the spray condition. A — 20% of cold wire; B — 60% of cold wire; C — 140%
of cold wire.

ture and the room temperature, respectively, in Kelvin; and L
is the wire latent heat in kJ/kg.
Table 4 summarizes the parameters used in the welding
source, for the three intended transfer modes, for the welds
in this work. For all the welds in this work, the contact tip to
workpiece distance is kept equal to 22 mm. Further details
concerning the experimental setup can be found in prior
work (Ref. 11).
Results
Electrical Signals and Arc Stability
Figure 3 presents the oscillograms for the short-circuit con-
ditions. One observes the presence of incipient short circuits
(by definition those with duration  2 ms). As the cold wire is
in contact with the substrate, it can short circuit the droplet
being formed. The distance to the droplet is less than to the
workpiece, which explains the increase of short-circuit fre-
quency as the cold wire fraction is increased, leading to more
spatter formation.
Figure 4 shows the oscillograms when globular condi-
tions are used during CW-GMAW. One can note that in con-
trast to the short-circuit case, the introduction of the cold
wire is better accommodated here, which can be explained
by the higher energy available in the weld pool. In fact, this
allowed the introduction of more than a 100% mass ratio of
cold wire to the electrode wire.
Figure 5 presents the electrical data for the spray condition.
In this condition, even higher energy is available in the system

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WELDING RESEARCH
A B
Fig. 10 — The influence of cold wire percentage feeding and absorbed energy in arc instantaneous power. A — Arc power vs. cold
wire feeding; B — arc power vs. cold wire absorbed power.
arc melt pool, allowing higher amounts of cold wire to be fed
compared to the short-circuit (low energy) condition. This
time, all incipient short circuits are avoided, meaning cold wire
feeding is better accommodated. For these particular parame-
ters, it was possible to only reach a 140% cold wire mass con-
tribution rate, where higher values led to pronounced spatter.
Figure 6 shows a quantitative analysis of arc stability
based on the coefficient of variation (CV) of voltage and cur-
rent, a statistic accounting for the variation of a particular
quantity; lower values of CV represent stable conditions. In
the short-circuit regime, the CW-GMAW process results in
higher CV, except for the 80% and 100% cold wire feed con-
ditions that have CV approximately equal to standard
GMAW. As for the globular and spray regimes, as said, the
introduction of cold wire does not induce significant distur-
bances in the arc.
One observes that progressively more arc attachment to
the cold wire occurs as its feed rate increases in the short-
circuit regime — Fig. 7. The distance of cold wire to the
droplet is lower than to the weld pool, which causes the
droplet to short circuit with the cold wire, since this is in
contact with the cathode (substrate), explaining the amount
of spatter — Fig. 7C.
Figures 8 and 9 show the progressive deflection of the arc
to the cold wire as the cold wire mass fraction is increased
for the globular parameters and spray, respectively. One ob-
serves that the arc length decreases for higher cold wire feed
rates in globular mode while it is constant in spray.
As briefly described previously, the increase of cold wire
fraction is perceived by the source as an increase in the elec-
trode wire feed speed, which causes an increase in current to
balance the melting rate to achieve a stable mass transfer
through the arc. For instance, standard GMAW achieves an
average current of 299 A in spray regime, while CW-GMAW
at the rate of 140% demanded approximately 321 A, or an
average increase of 22 A.
Clearly, the difference where the cold wire is melted im-
plies a difference in the cold wire absorbed power, which is
the heat generated by the electric arc that can be absorbed
by the cold wire and redrawn into the arc weld pool.
Figure 10A presents the instantaneous arc power vs. the
cold wire percentage for the three different welding sets of pa-
142-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
rameters taking into account the position of the arc in relation
to the cold wire. The transition in arc attachment is clear for
the different cold wire feed rates, along with the amount that
can be fed to keep a determined position of the arc to the cold
wire. For instance, as the arc power increases, there is a trend
to the arc move to the cold wire as well as the melt pool.
Figure 10B shows the arc power vs. the cold wire ab-
sorbed energy, revealing that the position of the arc related
to the cold wire dictates how much power will be absorbed.
For instance, the wire to wire melting position enables more
power to be transferred than any other arc position relative
to the cold wire position. In future sections, the relationship
between arc position related to the cold wire vs. dilution and
melting efficiency will be discussed.
Figure 11 shows the current variation for all the condi-
tions studied in this paper, as mentioned in the introduc-
tion, while prior research has shown that there is an in-
crease of current for CW-GMAW. The data revealed that this
increase in current is statistically significant only for the
globular and spray conditions. For instance, in the globular
transfer mode case (Fig. 10B), there is a statistical difference
between the standard GMAW and the CW-GMAW only for
cold wire feed rates of  40%. The same can be said for the
case of spray transfer, meaning only the cold wire feed rates
higher than 40% led to notable features in the arc.
Detachment Frequency and Droplet Size
Figure 12A shows the droplet diameter in short circuit,
and Fig. 13A shows the short-circuit frequency for all the
cold wire feedings. One can note that droplet diameter and
frequency are inverse quantities. The results indicate the di-
ameter of the droplets increase on average, and, consequent-
ly, the short-circuit frequency decreases. This is consistent
with the observation that arcing time in the short-circuit
mode increases as the number of short circuits decreases,
for certain conditions, as observed in the previous section
titled “Electrical Signals and Arc Stability.”
Figure 12B shows the droplet diameter, and Fig. 13B
shows the droplet detachment for the globular case. Con-
trary to the expectations, the data does not indicate any
trend, suggesting that the droplet diameter and detachment

A B
Fig. 11 — Current variation for all the transfer modes. A — Short-circuit; B — globular; C — spray.
A B
Fig. 12 — Droplet diameter. A — Short circuit; B — globular; C — spray.
frequency are lower than others. The reason behind this er-
ratic behavior remains unclear.
Figure 12C shows the droplet diameter, and Fig. 13C
shows the droplet detachment frequency for spray. One ob-
serves the decrease in droplet diameter and an increase in
frequency, which leads to the increase of spray detachment
frequency. The variation in electrode current (Fig. 11C) indi-
cates that for this transfer, there is a trend toward the in-
creasing of current with CW feed rate, indicating a propor-
tional increase in electromagnetic force, which explains the
increase in the detachment frequency.
Cross Sections and Bead Geometry
The variation in the size of the droplet shown in the pre-
vious section led to a change in the geometry of the cross
section geometric features of the resulting beads. Figure 14
shows the cross section for the short-circuit case. One ob-
serves that as the cold wire feed rate increases, the height of
the bead increases, meanwhile the dilution decreases. This
can be thoroughly revealed in Fig. 17C based on the average
values of bead height with CW feed rate, and Fig. 18A where
dilution measurements are reported. One finds that this
trend is observable for all the welding conditions, and so it
is important to determine which transfer mode is more sen-
sitive to the height increase.
Figure 17C shows that bead height increases faster for
globular than for other metal transfers. A possible explana-
tion for this is that short circuit leads to spatter, which re-
duces the amount of metal deposited when this becomes ex-
cessive. In contrast, for spray, the existence of metal evapo-
WELDING RESEARCH
C
C
ration and spatter inhibits the increase of bead height.
Figures 15 and 16 show the cross sections for the globu-
lar and spray case, respectively. Comparing them with Fig.
17A, one sees that the penetration decreased with the in-
crease in cold wire feed rates, contrary to the typical behav-
iour with standard GMAW, which dictates that depth of pen-
etration increases with current (Ref. 18). Although, as seen
in Fig. 11, when there is an increase in current, which is
highest during spray transfer, the penetration decreases.
Figure 17B shows the variation of width for the transfer
modes under study here. One sees that for short-circuit
transfer the cold wire has almost no influence on bead
width, since the values reported seem statistically equal. The
same trend is observed for globular. In contrast, only for
two spray conditions (40% and 60% cold wire feed rates) is
there a significant difference from the standard GMAW,
which suggests that the cold wire has an influence on bead
width in this condition.
One can also see from the cross sections that short circuit
(Fig. 14) the wetting angle, defined as the angle between the
substrate and the edge of the bead, it is not excessively high,
suggesting poor wetting. Consequently, the weld beads are
sound, and defects such as incomplete fusion or inclusions
are unlikely to form.
One can also note that similar to the globular case (Fig.
15), there were no inclusions, incomplete fusion, or porosity
found in the cross sections. Moreover, the height in globular
transfer is slightly higher than in other transfer modes,
along with the lowest dilution. These suggest the globular
parameter to be particularly well suited to weld surfacing.
The cross sections in spray (Fig. 16) also do not present
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 143-s
WELDING RESEARCH
A B
Fig. 13 — Droplet detachment frequency. A — Short circuit; B — globular; C — spray.
A B
D E
Fig. 14 — Cross sections for short-circuit conditions. SC indicating the transfer mode (short circuit) and the percentage indicating
the quantity of cold wire, when the case.
discontinuities such as porosities, incomplete fusion, or in-
clusions. One remarkable feature they possess is the finger-
like penetration. This type of penetration is normally ex-
pected for welds performed in spray transfer. This is due to
the momentum of the axial droplets in the weld pool. One
observes that the increase of cold wire mass feeding decreas-
es the finger-like penetration. This is likely due to the
shielding effect of the cold wire when the arc is pinned to it.
Dilution and Melting Efficiency
The changes in metal transfer caused by increasing the
cold wire feed rates ultimately caused a change in dilution
and in melting efficiency since both are related, as pointed
out by the seminal work of DuPont and Marder (Ref. 19).
Figure 18A presents the dilution values for the three dif-
ferent welding modes: short circuit, globular, and spray.
Each bar center signifies the average, with the standard de-
viation represented by the whiskers for each cold wire feed
rate condition. One observes that the general trend indi-
144-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
C
C
F
cates that dilution decreases with increasing cold wire feed
rate, which is explained by the increase of mass deposited
that causes an increase in the filler metal area at the expense
of the base metal area of the bead (Equation 2). This de-
crease of dilution for higher cold wire feed rates ultimately
means that for high values of cold wire feed, there is less
base metal dilution in the deposited bead. This situation is
also desirable for weld surfacing as a potential application of
the CW-GMAW process.
Figure 18B presents the melting efficiency for the three
welding modes for all the cold wire feeding rates. The dashed
line represents the theoretical melting efficiency of arc welding
processes based on the equation proposed by Fuerschbach and
Knorovsky (Ref. 17), which is 0.5.
One can discern that for globular and spray transfer,
there is a clear increasing trend between melting efficiency
and cold wire feeds. This is due to an increase in the filler
metal area contributed by the cold wire feeding, which con-
sequently increases the numerator of Equation 3. This in-
creases the apparent melting efficiency under the general

A B
D E
H plained by the fact the arc must melt a
G
Fig. 15 — Cross sections for short-circuit conditions. G indicating the transfer mode
(globular) and the percentage indicating the quantity of cold wire, when the case.
hypothesis that cold wire feeding does not significantly alter
the arc efficiency of gas-shielded arc welds.
For one situation at the highest cold wire feed rate with
globular transfer, the melting efficiency of the CW-GMAW
welds exceeded the theoretical limit proposed by Fuersch-
bach and Knorovsky (Ref. 17), suggesting that the CW-
GMAW can impart a greater part of the energy delivered by
the arc to the workpiece than actually used to melt the filler
and base metals.
Discussions
Oscillograms and Arc Stability
The oscillograms in globular and spray indicate higher
levels of arc energy, which creates a hotter weld pool. Conse-
quently, it can accommodate higher fractions of cold wire
feed rates (% in mass). For instance, it seems that the ener-
gy of the arc-weld pool set plays a key role on process stabili-
ty causing the CV to decrease in globular and spray transfer
regimes.
Regarding the short-circuit regime, one can discern that in
some cases, the cold wire extends the arc period between
droplet formation and short circuiting. This is readily ex-
WELDING RESEARCH
C
F
larger mass, when cold wire is introduced,
to form the droplet, which needs more
time to detach the droplet considering
the standard GMAW condition.
It is likely that the power source oper-
ation based on constant voltage regula-
tion accounts for the increase in current
with wire feed speed (in./min), and con-
sequently, an increase in electrode wire
melting rate for these transfer modes to
maintain the voltage set point in the
power source. Consequently, metal
transfer becomes more stable, avoiding
the phenomenon of arc climb to the con-
tact tip described by Zhang et al. (Ref. 20), which disturbs the
arc and may cause its extinction.
Metal Transfer Mechanisms and Arc Position Regarding
the Cold Wire
During welding, it was observed that the arc attachment
changes to the cold wire, independently of the welding
transfer condition, as the cold wire is fed into the weld pool.
It was possible to distinguish three main positions:
1) Electrode to pool melting: The arc retains its
straight position and the cold wire is melted inside the arc.
Generally, this condition is observed for cold wire feeding
rates of  60%;
2) Arc transition: This condition shows a transition in
the arc position; the arc starts to climb the cold wire, but re-
mains pinned to the workpiece. This condition generally
happens for cold wire feed rates between 60 and 80%;
3) Wire to wire melting: In this condition, the arc is
completely pinned to the cold wire, meaning that the weld
pool was displaced to the cold wire. This condition happens
for cold wire feed rates  100%.
Figure 19 shows schematically the positions of the arc
position in relation to the cold wire as a function of different
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 145-s
WELDING RESEARCH

A B C

D E F

cold wire feed rates. This change in the

G H
arc trajectory could be explained by two
effects, namely, the natural electron
path and arc blow. The natural electron
path effect related to the current flow in
the sense of lower resistance (shortest
path). The arc blow is caused by the
presence of a transverse magnetic field.
It is believed that the change in arc di-
rection is due to the lower resistance of-
fered by the cold wire to pin the arc. Fur-
ther details concerning this mechanism
Fig. 16 — Cross sections for short-circuit conditions. S indicating the transfer mode
are given by Zhang et al. (Ref. 20), which
(spray) and the percentage indicating the quantity of cold wire, when the case.
discusses this mechanism, particularly
in relation to the arc attachment to the
sidewalls in narrow grooves. rent square (I2) by Equation 5. Here, 0 is the magnetic per-
The increase in cold wire feed rates, as discussed, causes meability of the medium that is equal to 12.6 × 10−7H/m, Dd
the displacement of the arc. One can expect that this in- is the droplet diameter, r is electrode radius, and  is the arc
crease in cold wire feed rates will affect the electrical re- root angle while (Dp,r,) is a function that can be solved
sponse, and an increase in current was noted. More details based on the assumed morphology of the drop.
will be provided in the next section.

Current Variation and Electromagnetic Force
The variation in current was noticed to be statistically
significant only for globular and spray transfer regimes for
cold wire feed rates higher than 40%. The rationale for the
nonsignificance in short-circuit regime might be linked to
the constant voltage regulation of the source, which allows
increasing of the arcing period but restricts the variation of
current to keep the transfer mode in short circuit. For glob-
ular and spray regimes, there is more room for current varia-
tion without a change of transfer mechanism.
Once the cold wire feed rate reaches 40%, the current in-
creases significantly compared to the conventional GMAW
condition for globular and spray regimes. This current in-
crease also entails a variation of electromagnetic force. Am-
son (Ref. 21) studied the electromagnetic force (Fem) to
which droplets are subjected. This force is correlated to cur-
μ0 I 2
Fem =
4
(
f Dd ,r, ) (5)
assuming that (Dp,r,) is constant for conventional GMAW
and CW-GMAW conditions, and taking the spray regime as
an example. In the case of standard GMAW, the average cur-
rent was 299 A, while it was increased to 321 A with a 140%
cold wire addition. Using Equation 5, one can calculate that
for this situation, the electromagnetic force increased ap-
proximately 15% in CW-GMAW regarding the conventional
GMAW. This value, however, represents a rough approxima-
tion as the droplet diameter decreases with cold wire intro-
duction, causing (Dp,r,) to vary. In fact, one can expect
that the variation in electromagnetic force be higher than
15% in spray regime.
This increase in magnetic force represents an increase in

146-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98


Fig. 17 — Geometric features of the beads. A — Penetration depth; B — width; C — height.
the droplet detachment frequency and, consequently, a de-
crease in droplet diameter, for instance in spray since this
force dominates the metal transfer in this transfer mode. Ul-
timately, this variation in electromagnetic force will repre-
sent changes in bead geometry, as this force is related to
droplet momentum, which plays a role in defining the bead
geometry.
Weld Bead Geometrical Features
The rationale for the differences observed during CW-
GMAW are related to arc pinning to the cold wire as that
feed rate increases. This results in the droplet momentum
and arc pressure to be directed toward the semi-solid cold
wire that shields the weld pool, limiting the penetration.
This is called the cold wire shielding effect of the weld pool.
Overall, this limiting of penetration also impacts the
finger-like penetration that is suppressed by the cold wire
through the shielding effect mentioned earlier. In the spray
condition in particular, complete suppression of the finger-
WELDING RESEARCH
like profile occurs when the arc is completely pinned to the
cold wire, at a 140% cold wire feed rate. Regarding the in-
crease in bead height, the rate of height increase is higher
than in spray. A possible rationale for that is the thermal
balance of the arc is more efficient in globular than in spray
where the losses of energy and mass are higher. On the oth-
er hand, no clear trend is detected in terms of bead width.
Correlation between Dilution and Melting Efficiency
Dilution and melting efficiency are interrelated as already
pointed out. Overall, higher values of dilution represent
higher values of melting efficiency. As dilution varies direct-
ly with arc power, then arc power can be related to melting
efficiency. Simply put, high values of arc power imply higher
dilution values. However, one cannot say that higher values
of power will cause higher values of melting efficiency. As
the welding system is subjected to energy losses, increasing
the energy level could represent increasing the energy wast-
ing factors that will limit the growing of melting efficiency.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 147-s
WELDING RESEARCH

Fig. 18 — A — Dilution; B — melting efficiency for the three natural transfer modes.

A B C

Fig. 19 — Arc positions in relation to the cold wire as observed for different cold wire feeding. A — Electrode to pool melting; B —
arc transition; C — wire to wire melting.

The results presented in the section titled “Dilution and
Melting Efficiency” show that dilution and melting efficien-
cy are decoupled in CW-GMAW. The decrease in dilution is
dependent on the reduction of penetration caused by the
cold wire shielding of the weld pool. As the deposition in-
creases due to cold wire addition, the factors responsible for
melting efficiency of the filler metal increased (Equation 3),
causing the total melting efficiency to increase. Clearly, the
rate of increase in melting efficiency depends on arc power,
which differs for each metal transfer regime.
For the three transfer modes studied in this work, name-
ly, short circuit, globular, and spray, one can see that globu-
lar transfer mode, in some conditions, can induce measured
values of melting efficiency, which are apparently exceeding
the theoretical limit of 0.5. This might be explained by a
rather simple energy balance in which losses by radiation
and convection can be absorbed by the cold wire and reintro-
duced into the arc pool system, consequently increasing the
melting efficiency.
As for the short-circuit case, the system itself has lower

148-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98


energy compared to other transfer modes, and it loses ther-
mal energy transformed in spatter momentum during short
circuits. This leaves less energy available to be absorbed by
the cold wire. The inverse occurs in the case of spray trans-
fer, where higher energy is available to be lost by radiation
and plasma convection since the arc length is longer, imped-
ing melting efficiency to approach the theoretical limit, even
for spray parameters at the highest cold wire feed rates.
Conclusions
Bead-on-plate welds were performed to investigate the
metal transfer dynamics and its influence on dilution and
melting efficiency for the three natural transfer modes:
short circuit, globular, and spray. Based on the findings, the
following conclusions can be drawn:
1) Cold wire addition leads to changes in arc position in
the longitudinal axis, which were referred to here as arc
melting, transition, and weld pool arc pinning. This last po-
sition occurs for high cold wire feed rates, where the arc is
completely pinned to the cold wire.
2) The introduction of cold wire caused significant
changes in droplet diameter and detachment frequency for
short circuit and spray modes while no trend was detected
for globular. This change is due to the current increase de-
termined by increasing the cold wire feed rates. However,
this increase in current does not entail an increase in pene-
tration depth.
3) The variation in arc position entails different cold wire
energy absorption capacities. For instance, when the cold
wire melts in a melt pool, its absorption heat capacity is
maximum, which determines low dilution while higher melt-
ing efficiencies are obtained.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the Natural Sci-
ences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
and the TransCanada Pipelines Inc. for the funding of this
work.
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Weld. World. 61: 659–666. DOI: 10.1007/s40194-017-0466-5
12. Costa, E. S., Assunção, P. D.C., Dos Santos, E. B. F., Feio, L.
G., Bittencourt, M. S. Q., and Braga, E. M. 2017. Residual stresses
in cold-wire gas metal arc welding. Sci. Technol. Weld. Join. 22: 706–
713. DOI: 10.1080/13621718.-2017.1306014.
13. Marques, L. F. N., Dos Santos, E. B. F., Gerlich, A. P., and
Braga, E. M. 2017. Fatigue life assessment of weld joints manufac-
tured by GMAW and CW-GMAW processes. Sci. Technol. Weld. Join.
22: 87–96. DOI: 10.1080/13621718.-2016.1194735
14. AWS A5.18/A5.18M, Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes
and Rods for G as Shielded Arc Welding. 2005. Miami, Fla.: American
Welding Society.
15. Soderstrom, E. J., and Mendez, P. F. 2008. Metal transfer
during GMAW with thin electrodes and Ar-CO2. Welding Journal
87(5): 124-s to 133-s.
16. Montgomery, D. C. 2012. Design and Analysis of Experiments,
8th ed., New York, N.Y.: John Willey & Sons. DOI: 10.1198/
tech.2006.s372
17. Fuerschbach, P. W., and Knorovsky, G. A. 1991. A study of
melting efficiency in plasma arc and gas tungsten arc welding.
Welding Journal 70(11): 287-s to 297-s.
18. Murray, P. E., and Scotti, A. 1999. Depth of penetration in
gas metal arc welding. Sci. Technol. Weld. Join. 4: 112–117. DOI:
10.1179/136217199101537644
19. DuPont, J. N., and Marder, A. R. 1996. Dilution in single
pass arc welds. Metall. Mater. Trans. B 27: 481–489. DOI:
10.1007/BF02914913
20. Zhang, G., Shi, Y., Zhu, M., and Fan, D. 2017. Arc character-
istics and metal transfer behavior in narrow gap gas metal arc
welding process. J. Mater. Process. Technol. 245: 15–23. DOI:
10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2017.02.006
21. Amson, J. C. 1965. Lorentz force in the molten tip of an arc
electrode. Br. J. Appl. Phys. 16: 1169–1179. DOI: 10.1088/0508-
3443/16/8/316
RAFAEL DE ARAUJO RIBEIRO (rdearauj@uwaterloo.ca) and A. P.
GERLICH are with the Centre for Advanced Materials Joining
(CAMJ), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario. E. B. F. DOS
SANTOS is with Liburdi Automation Inc., Dundas, Ontario; and P.
D. C. ASSUNÇÃO and E. M. BRAGA are with Metallic Materials
Characterization Laboratory, Federal University of Pará,
Guamá, Belém – PA, Brazil.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 149-s
WELDING RESEARCH
Bubble Evolution in Ultrasonic Wave-Assisted
Underwater Wet FCAW
The interaction of ultrasonic waves with an arc bubble results in
changed bubble dynamics and improved process stability
J. WANG, Q. SUN, J. TENG, AND J. FENG
ABSTRACT
Ultrasonic wave-assisted underwater wet welding (U-
UWW) is a newly developed welding method. The principle
of this method is to apply the acoustic radiation force to
the arc bubble as an extra retaining force. The dynamic fea-
ture of the bubble under an acoustic field was demonstrat-
ed and analyzed by visual sensing and welding electrical
signals. Comparative experiments indicated that, under the
same conditions, the additional ultrasonic wave caused the
bubble’s motion with a certain angle with respect to the
welding torch axis so the welding process was not easily
affected by the rising of lateral bubbles. Meanwhile, there
was always a relatively large bubble maintained in the weld
pool surface. The oscillation of the bubble with small ampli-
tude was observed and no necking was present at the bub-
ble bottom. The measurement results revealed that the ex-
ertion of ultrasonic wave resulted in a reduced fluctuation
of welding electrical signals and an improvement in the arc
burning process. For the variation coefficient, the difference
between underwater wet welding and U-UWW became sig-
nificant with varying experimental groups, the maximum dif-
ference of which occurred at Group 4.
KEYWORDS
• Ultrasonic Wave • Underwater Wet Welding
• Bubble Dynamics • Process Stability
• Arc Burning Process
Introduction
Underwater wet welding (UWW) is predominantly em-
ployed in the maintenance and repair of offshore structures
due to its advantages, such as cost saving, process simplicity,
and better adaptability compared with dry and local dry cav-
ity welding (Refs. 1, 2). In UWW, the welding takes place by
formation of a bubble surrounded by the water environ-
ment. The bubble atmosphere is determined by the decom-
position of the used welding flux and the partial vaporiza-
tion or ionization of the surrounding water induced by the
radiative heat from the welding arc and some amount of
150-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
joule heating in the weld pool (Ref. 3). Jia et al. found a
breakdown of water molecules into H2 or H atoms under
welding temperatures, and they were part of the arc plasma
(Ref. 4). Due to the interaction between the bubble and the
water environment, the process stability and joint quality of
UWW is highly related to bubble dynamics, which is influ-
enced by many factors.
In UWW, arc behavior, metal transfer, and weld pool so-
lidification proceed inside the bubble. However, the bubble
presents various dynamic behaviors, including growth, de-
tachment, and burst (Ref. 5). These characteristics of an os-
cillating bubble play a significant role in the UWW process.
Early experimental research on the dynamic bubble effect
were reported in the literature. Their study on the topics in-
cluded the heat loss mechanism (Ref. 6), arc behavior (Ref.
5), metal transfer (Refs. 7, 8), process stability (Ref. 9), and
weld pool solidification (Ref. 10). Results demonstrated that
the dynamic bubble exerted an adverse effect on the entire
welding process, which restricted the improvement of UWW.
Tsai and Masubuchi reported that the heat loss was close-
ly related to the dynamic bubble, and inferred that high heat
loss in the weld pool was caused by the interaction between
the water environment and the rising bubble (Ref. 10). In
addition, more arc heat would be lost if the bubble rose too
fast, thereby resulting in the reduction of arc temperature
(Ref. 11). Jia et al. analyzed the relationship between the
evolving bubble and the arc behavior, and found that arc de-
viation was affected by the drifting arc cathode, induced by
the unstable bubble (Ref. 5). In Refs. 12 and 13, the relation-
ship between the bubble dynamics and the welding electrical
signals was also established to reveal the dependence of
process stability on bubble dynamics. Further, it was de-
duced and summarized that the larger volume and lower ris-
ing frequency of the bubble could help to stabilize the weld-
ing process (Ref. 14).
Additionally, the generation of a brittle microstructure
and cold cracking was the result of the rapid cooling rate in
the weld metal caused by the oscillation of the rising bubble
(Refs. 15–17). The real-time induction heating method (Ref.
18) and temper bead welding technique (Ref. 19) were fo-
cused on the mitigation of the detrimental weld properties
in UWW, but the effect of bubble oscillation was not consid-
https://doi.org/10.29391/2019.98.012

Fig. 1 — Schematic of the ultrasonic wave-assisted underwa-
ter wet welding (U-UWW) system.
A B
Fig. 3 — Gas bubble motion process in water: A — Gas bubble prior to rising at the tip of the gas tube; B — bubble rising without
ultrasonic wave; C — bubble extending downwardly with the ultrasonic wave.
ered. Guo et al. found the molten droplet was repelled and
fell outside the weld pool, forming a spatter if bubble oscilla-
tion was very violent (Ref. 20). As far as the underwater
welding environment was concerned, the hydrostatic pres-
sure (Ref. 21) and water flow (Ref. 22) were crucial factors
influencing the bubble dynamics and the resulting process
stability. Thus, understanding the mechanism of bubble dy-
namics is strongly required to suppress these issues and
achieve higher weld quality. Furthermore, controlling and
getting the stable bubble evolution is still a challenge.
Since bubble dynamics have a crucial effect on the process
stability and weld quality, the control technology of the UWW
bubble dynamics attracts many researchers’ attention. There
are a few preceding papers on reasonable control of the bubble
through the modification of the UWW process. Two kinds of
approaches to achieve bubble control can be described in the
literature. By optimizing welding parameters, research has
been carried out to demonstrate the conditions of forming a
stable bubble (Refs. 13, 14). A better protective effect afforded
by the optimized bubble can be achieved. However, this
method can only be effective to a certain extent because the
arc burning process is also determined by welding parameters.
The second approach can be developed on the basis of the ac-
tive control of the bubble. The local cavity method using a
movable chamber (Ref. 23) or utilizing a deep, narrow groove
(Ref. 24) was capable of restricting the rise of the bubble,
which might contribute to stabilizing the welding process.
WELDING RESEARCH
Fig. 2 — Schematic of the real-time monitoring system.
C
Wang et al. developed a mechanical constraint-assisted UWW
process, where the bottom surface of the brass cylinder inter-
acted with the bubble, and the latter was controlled for provid-
ing a better protective zone (Ref. 25). However, the welding
spatter was easily attached on the bottom surface of the con-
straint device and caused some difficulty in process operation.
Hence, any beneficial improvement that produces a control-
lable and stable bubble is of great significance to support the
application of the UWW process.
Ultrasonic wave, characterized by the mechanical effect,
acoustic streaming, and the cavitation effect, has the advan-
tages of improving the operation efficiency and technical char-
acteristic in the arc welding process (Refs. 26, 27). Sun et al.
applied the ultrasonic vibration in gas tungsten arc welding
(GTAW) (Refs. 28, 29). The main body of the ultrasonic sys-
tem included the ultrasonic transducer and the ultrasonic
horn. The acoustic field was formed between the horn and the
workpiece. The ultrasonic vibration was imposed on the weld-
ing arc, and the latter was compressed (Ref. 29). Fan et al.
adapted this method in gas metal arc welding (GMAW), where
the nonconsumable tungsten electrode was replaced by a con-
sumable metal electrode (Refs. 30–32). In addition to the com-
pressed arc, under the action of acoustic radiation force, the
globular transfer could be changed to the short-circuiting
transfer for certain welding conditions (Ref. 33).
A more recent publication by Wu et al. further adapted ul-
trasonic vibration in plasma arc welding (PAW) (Ref. 34). The
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 151-s
WELDING RESEARCH

A B

Fig. 4 — The captured bubble dynamic images at Group 1: A — Test Case 1, UWW; B — Test Case 2, U-UWW.

tungsten electrode, mechanically linked with the ultrasonic
transducer, vibrated axially and directly transmitted the ultra-
sound into the plasma arc. With ultrasonic vibration, the plas-
ma arc caused further constriction, and its keyholing capabili-
ty was enhanced. Therefore, ultrasonic wave-assisted GTAW,
GMAW, and PAW produced satisfactory process effectiveness.
Nevertheless, a welding electrode of high temperature can af-
fect the physical properties of the ultrasonic vibration unit,
possibly weakening the ultrasonic energy (Refs. 35, 36). As a
result, forced water cooling is strongly required.
However, most of these investigations of ultrasonic wave-
assisted arc welding focused on onshore welding. By con-
trast, UWW has its own characteristics, completely different
from onshore welding. The arc burning space of UWW has a
particular structure, and the arc behavior, metal transfer,
and weld pool solidification proceed inside the bubble (Refs.
5, 37). Due to the presence of the bubble, it is impossible to
apply ultrasonic wave directly to the arc burning space, as in
the cases of GTAW, GMAW, and PAW. Hence, the application
of the ultrasonic wave in the UWW process may become a
novel research topic. In Ref. 38, the authors proposed a nov-
el welding method, ultrasonic wave-assisted underwater wet
welding (U-UWW), for the first time. The experimental re-
sults showed the arc stability was enhanced, and the mi-
crostructure of the joints was improved, which led to the im-
provement of weld morphology and mechanical properties.
As an inherent property of wet welding, the bubble dynam-
ics has a key effect on process stability; however, the charac-
teristics of the bubble dynamics in the novel U-UWW
process have not been systematically studied.
To achieve the visual observability of the bubble and inves-
tigate its evolution characteristics in UWW, the dysprosium
lamp technique as backlight support was developed to pro-
vide a clear view of the bubble (Ref. 5). The advantage of us-
ing this method is that it has excellent image resolution and
quality for the bubble. Consequently, the bubble evolution
events can be easily detected (Ref. 13). On the other hand, the
dynamics of the gas-injected bubble from submerged orifices
have been extensively studied (Refs. 39, 40). When ultra-
sound is imposed on a liquid condition, the gas-injected bub-
ble tends to trap in the acoustic field with various behaviors
(Ref. 41). With the action of acoustic radiation force, the mo-
tion of the gas-injected bubble is controlled at a certain posi-
tion (Refs. 42, 43). For the heat-induced bubble with a high
expansion rate and large diameter in UWW, how can the addi-
tion of ultrasonic waves change the bubble dynamic feature
and enhance the process stability? It is a very interesting re-
search topic worthy of attention.
The purpose of this study is to focus on the bubble dynamic
feature under an acoustic field for the first time, and reveal the
relationship between the welding parameters and the bubble
dynamic feature in the novel U-UWW process. By observing

Table 1 — The Welding Conditions Used in Experiments

Test Case Wire Feeding Speed Arc Voltage Welding Speed Ultrasonic
Group No. (m/min) (V) (mm/s) Vibration
1 7.5 20 2.5 No
1
2 7.5 20 2.5 Yes

3 6.0 28 2.5 No
2
4 6.0 28 2.5 Yes

5 9.0 32 2.5 No
3
6 9.0 32 2.5 Yes

7 7.5 40 2.5 No
4
8 7.5 40 2.5 Yes

5 9 9.0 38 2.5 No

152-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98


A B
Fig. 5 — Arc voltage and welding current waveforms with time at Group 1: A — Test Case 1, UWW; B — Test Case 2, U-UWW.
A
B and a long copper welding torch. During the welding
Fig. 6 — The captured bubble dynamic images at Group 2: A
— Test Case 3, UWW; B — Test Case 4, U-UWW.
the high-speed imaging in conjunction with the corresponding
welding electrical signals, comparative experiments were car-
ried out to specifically discuss how the ultrasonic wave
changed the bubble dynamic feature. Furthermore, the influ-
ence of the bubble dynamic feature without and with ultrason-
ic waves on the process stability was also investigated by the
authors. The results are helpful for a comprehensive under-
standing of the U-UWW method.
Experimental Procedures
Experimental System
Figure 1 shows the schematic view of an U-UWW system,
which included three main parts: ultrasonic radiation sys-
tem, welding system, and water supply tank. The ultrasonic
radiation system consisted of the ultrasound power source,
ultrasonic transducer, and ultrasonic horn. The threaded
connection was arranged between the transducer and the
WELDING RESEARCH
horn to allow the complete transmission of vibration ener-
gy. The piezoelectric material in the transducer generated
the mechanical vibration that was amplified by the horn and
then radiated out from the ultrasonic radiator in the form of
ultrasonic waves. A radiator with a concave construction was
designed. Subsequently, the ultrasonic vibration from the
radiator was transmitted through water medium and acted
on the arc bubble, so the latter’s characteristics made an ob-
vious change.
The welding system consisted of the Lincoln Electric®
Power Wave® S350 power source, an automatic wire feeder,
process, the power source was worked in a constant voltage
mode with direct current electrode positive condition. The
copper welding torch was directed through the central hole
drilled through the transducer and the horn, and provided
access to the wire feeding. Then the ultrasonic radiation sys-
tem and the welding system were fixed to the five-axis ro-
botic manipulator.
A water tank of oblong construction was prepared with
four glass lateral walls. The distance between the ultrasonic
radiator tip and the workpiece surface was 50 mm. Because
the bead-on-plate welding experiments were carried out at a
water depth of 250 mm, the water surface should be 200
mm of magnitude higher than the ultrasonic radiator tip. In
other words, the ultrasonic radiation system was submerged
into the water depth of 200 mm. Thus, the amplified ultra-
sonic vibration was emitted from the radiator and propagat-
ed through the water medium. Finally, the flux-cored wire
inside the copper welding torch was ignited with the work-
piece for UWW and U-UWW.
Real-Time Monitoring System
As shown in Fig. 2, the high-speed camera (Olympus i-
SPEED 3) and the dysprosium lamp, constituting a high-
speed imaging system, were placed outside the water tank
and remained at constant positions. Opposite to the camera,
the dysprosium lamp was placed to provide a background
light source. The bubble at the workpiece surface was clearly
imaged by using this system with a frame rate of 2000 f/s to
observe its behavior and motion feature when the U-UWW
system was established. During the welding process, the
workpiece and the water tank traveled at a fixed welding
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 153-s
WELDING RESEARCH

A B

Fig. 7 — Arc voltage and welding current waveforms with time at Group 2: A — Test Case 3, UWW; B — Test Case 4, U-UWW.

A B

Fig. 8 — The captured bubble dynamic images at Group 3: A — Test Case 5, UWW; B — Test Case 6, U-UWW.

speed, while the welding torch and the imaging system were
kept stationary.
To characterize the process stability, the welding electri-
cal signals were recorded at a sampling frequency of 10 kHz
by using a Hall sensor (current sensor and voltage sensor).
The welding current and arc voltage waveforms were digi-
tized by the data acquisition card and processed by the con-
trol computer. Note that the high-speed imaging system and
welding electrical signals were not synchronized.
Welding Test Conditions
The bead-on-plate welding tests were carried out on E40
steel plates of 8 mm thickness. The used welding consumable
was a titanium-type slag system, flux-cored wire with 1.2 mm
in diameter. The contact tip-to-workpiece distance was kept at
16 mm. The ultrasonic frequency was 15 kHz. In the experi-
ments, the curvature radius of the concave radiator and the
distance between the radiator tip and the workpiece surface
were controllable parameters for evaluating the efficiency of
the ultrasonic wave. However, this is not a primary concern in
the study. The concave radiator with a curvature radius of 30
mm was applied.
There are two welding parameters, considered the major
parameters, affecting the bubble evolution mode. They includ-
ed wire feed speed (w) and arc voltage (U), and were used to
form the parameter vectors {w, U}. The experimental parame-
ters are shown in Table 1.
Experimental Results
Theoretical Foundation
To better reveal the underlying mechanism, a preliminary
experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of the ultra-
sound in water. The motion of the gas-injected bubble in water
was similar to the dynamic process of the arc bubble generated
by UWW. The simulation experiment was carried out by a gas
tube with the inner diameter of 6 mm. The tip of the tube was
placed in the area where the arc bubble existed. The gas bubble
motion process was recorded by the high-speed imaging sys-
tem, as shown in Fig. 3. The instantaneous image of the gas
bubble prior to rising is shown in Fig. 3A. During the bubble
growth process, there existed an equilibrium condition at the
interface between gas bubble, tube tip, and water. As a result,
the gas bubble grew steadily at the tip of the tube until it ac-
quired almost its maximum volume.
When increasing to its departure volume, the gas bubble
would detach from the tip of the tube either by introducing
a small perturbation around the bubble or by a small in-
crease in the gas volume. As shown in Fig. 3B, the gas bubble
was directly accelerated along its upward trajectory when
the experiment was carried out without the ultrasonic wave.
As observed, the gas bubble had a nearly spherical shape
with few deformations during the rising process. However,
with the ultrasonic waves, the gas bubble migrated down-
ward and its motion trajectory was so different from that
without ultrasonic wave. The most obvious feature was the

154-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98

 WELDING RESEARCH

A B

Fig. 9 — Arc voltage and welding current waveforms with time at Group 3: A — Test Case 5, UWW; B — Test Case 6, U-UWW.

A B

Fig. 10 — The captured bubble dynamic images at Group 4: A — Test Case 7, UWW; B — Test Case 8, U-UWW.

deformation of the gas bubble. When the gas bubble migrat-
ed downward to the workpiece surface, it was elongated
along its radial direction and a bell-shaped construction was
observed between the workpiece surface and the tube tip, as
shown in Fig. 3C. Also, the bubble evolution cycle lasted
about three times that without the ultrasonic wave.
The difference in the bubble motion process could be ex-
plained by the acoustic radiation force. Compared with the
gas bubble rising upward in water due to the buoyant force,
the gas bubble subjected to the ultrasonic wave started to
migrate downward because initially the radiation force was
greater than the buoyant force. This analysis was in accor-
dance with the experimental observation, as shown in Fig.
3. The gas bubble motion process bears a resemblance to the
dynamic process of the arc bubble generated by UWW to
some degree. The experimental results may help to verify
the feasibility of the proposed method that applied ultrason-
ic waves to control the arc bubble. It should be noted that a
complex welding environment will have a significant effect
on the physical properties inside the bubble, but the proper-
ties outside the bubble will be less affected. Thus, the effect
of ultrasonic waves on the bubble should change little in na-
ture even though the welding environment exists.
Bubble Dynamics and Electrical Signal
A series of welding experiments with wide ranges of weld-
ing current and arc voltage were carried out to investigate the
bubble dynamics in UWW. Observations and analysis indicat-
ed that under different combinations of welding current and
arc voltage, four fundamental bubble evolution modes could
be detected in UWW by the authors (Ref. 13). Based on these
four modes, this study will specifically discuss how ultrasonic
wave changes their corresponding dynamic processes by the
high-speed imaging system. Five group experiments were pre-
sented with welding current and arc voltage waveforms in
UWW and U-UWW. The waveforms were used to predict the
variation of the bubble dynamic feature.
Test Cases 1 and 2 {7.5 m/min, 20 V}
In Group 1, Test Cases 1 and 2, the wire feed speed was
7.5 m/min and the arc voltage was 20 V. The only difference
between the two test cases was whether the ultrasonic wave
was exerted or not. Figure 4 shows the captured bubble dy-
namic images for Test Cases 1 and 2. Under the same weld-
ing conditions, even though the bubble evolved organically
in the growing stage, the bubble burst always occurred in
conventional UWW without the action of the ultrasonic
wave, as shown in Fig. 4A. Some small, burst bubbles were
dispersed in the vicinity. As a result, arc extinguishing was
easily observed. As shown in Fig. 5A, the arc voltage rose to
a maximum and remained for a period of time, whereas the
welding current dropped to a minimum, accordingly.
When the ultrasonic wave was exerted, the bubble motion
process was significantly changed so that an obliquely upward

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WELDING RESEARCH
A B
Fig. 11 — Arc voltage and welding current waveforms with time at Group 4: A — Test Case 7, UWW; B — Test Case 8, U-UWW.
trajectory was found, as shown in Fig. 4B. This means that the
interaction of the ultrasonic wave with the arc bubble can
change the bubble motion feature under the same welding
conditions. In U-UWW, a deflected bubble was established
first at instant t = 1082.0 ms, and then it began to detach from
the arc burning zone until the moment t = 1118.0 ms. When
the bubble burst appeared, ultrasonic waves exerted no notice-
able effect on the arc bubble from 1152.5 to 1223.0 ms.
In conventional UWW, on one hand, the lower arc voltage
can lead to smaller bubble formation; on the other hand, it can
also make the wire access the weld pool easier, resulting in
short circuiting. Even if the bubble evolution process is affect-
ed by the ultrasonic wave in the growing stage, an undersized
bubble plus an unstable welding arc cannot provide a relatively
stable environment for U-UWW. In this case, bubble burst is
still observed in U-UWW due to improper welding conditions.
Again, arc extinguishing is produced in conjunction with un-
dulate electrical signals, as shown in Fig. 5B. Hence, the arc ex-
tinguishing existing at lower voltage cannot be eliminated by
the exertion of the ultrasonic wave, even though it changes the
bubble dynamic process for Group 1.
Test Cases 3 and 4 {6.0 m/min, 28 V}
As previously mentioned, improper welding parameters can
interfere with the stability and integrity of the arc bubble,
which, in turn, limits the effective impact of the ultrasonic
wave on the arc bubble. Hence, the existence of a complete
bubble is a prerequisite for ultrasonic application. To validate
this point, in Group 2, Test Cases 3 and 4 were made with a
wire feed speed of 6.0 m/min and an arc voltage of 28 V.
As shown in Fig. 6A, in conventional UWW, a growing bub-
ble was established first in the weld pool surface at instant t =
394.5 ms, and its dimension was expanded until the moment
t = 406.5 ms. Then, from t = 425.5 ms, the shape of the bubble
was elongated along the axial direction, forming a necking at
its bottom. Additionally, the bubble could not be maintained
continuously, but periodically detached from the welding zone
because it was dynamically fluctuated with time.
However, in U-UWW, a large bubble protecting the welding
zone from water invasion was observed in Fig. 6B. As more
156-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
gases inside the bubble were generated during welding, the
bubble was extended along the radial direction rather than
along the axial direction due to the ultrasonic wave. When ex-
tended to a certain extent, part of the bubble got rid of this en-
tirely and was detached from the lateral side at instant t = 44.0
ms. In addition, a growing bubble was not only first estab-
lished at the welding zone, but it could also be maintained con-
tinuously in the weld pool surface once the ultrasonic wave
was exerted, as shown in Fig. 6B.
It should be noted that the periodically upward motion of
the bubble tends to give the welding arc a shock, affecting the
process stability (Ref. 13). Through analyzing the welding elec-
trical signals in Fig. 7, the exertion of the ultrasonic wave
made the fluctuation of electrical signals be reduced under the
same welding conditions. This fact indicates that the interac-
tion of the ultrasonic wave with the arc bubble can make the
latter maintain a structural integrity around the welding zone,
and the stable arc burning process is guaranteed.
Test Cases 5 and 6 {9.0 m/min, 32 V}
With slightly higher values of both wire feed speed and
arc voltage, in Group 3, Test Cases 5 and 6 were carried out
to further check out the effectiveness of the ultrasonic wave
in changing the bubble dynamic feature. As shown in Fig.
8A, the bubble grew dynamically and remained at the weld
pool surface for a while until the moment t = 688.5 ms, sim-
ilarly to Test Case 3. Then, a necking still emerged at the
bubble bottom at t = 710.5 ms. Further, at t = 730.0 ms, a
newly formed bubble merged with the previously detached
bubble to form a community protecting the arc burning
zone. As a result, a relatively stable protection effect could
be obtained under the combined action of the two bubbles
in conventional UWW.
When the ultrasonic wave was utilized, the bubble coales-
cence was not observed. No necking was present adjacent to
the bubble bottom, and the bubble did not rise vertically but
from the lateral side. As shown in Fig. 8B, a large bubble was
continuously maintained in the weld pool surface in U-
UWW. Neither large bubble oscillation nor arc extinguishing
was observed in the arc burning zone.

Fig. 12 — The captured bubble dynamic images in UWW (Test Case 9)
Fig. 13 — Arc voltage and welding current waveforms with
time in UWW (Test Case 9).
Although the arc burning process was surrounded by a
relatively stable bubble in conventional UWW, the bubble
was not continuously maintained in the weld pool surface
because it still rose periodically in a vertically upward direc-
tion. By comparing the welding electrical signals in Fig. 9,
the fluctuation with very small amplitude was noticed in U-
UWW. It is clear that the variation in the bubble dynamic
process by ultrasonic waves can further reduce the fluctua-
tion of welding electric signals even if a relatively stable bub-
ble state has been achieved in conventional UWW.
Test Cases 7 and 8 {7.5 m/min, 40 V}
If a larger arc voltage was used, an oversized bubble could
be formed in conventional UWW. In Group 4, Test Cases 7
and 8 were performed in which the wire feed speed was 7.5
m/min and the arc voltage was 40 V.
As shown in Fig. 10A, the growing bubble remained in-
variably at the weld pool surface from 327.5 to 347.5 ms.
When the bubble grew to a maximum value, it began to rise
vertically with a necking at its bottom at t = 370.0 ms. At
this time, the rising bubble would have a strong impact on
welding arc, causing the latter to be extinguished. Successive
WELDING RESEARCH
arc extinguishing always occurred in conventional UWW at
t = 379.0, 492.0, 560.0, and 641.0 ms. Under these welding
conditions, as shown in Fig. 11A, welding current and arc
voltage waveforms presented considerable fluctuation be-
cause the interference of the oversized bubble to the weld-
ing arc reached the extreme value when rising or oscillating.
Test Case 7 also indicated that the adverse effect of the
bubble on arc behavior could be visualized by capturing dy-
namic images in which arc extinguishing was clearly visible.
Compared with conventional UWW, the perturbation from
the surrounding bubble was decreased in U-UWW, and the
bubble shape and its dynamics were relatively stable, en-
abling it to better decouple with the welding arc and mitigat-
ing the impact of the unstabe bubble driven by water.
Furthermore, in U-UWW, the ultrasonic control of the
bubble was weakened due to a larger buoyant force as a re-
sult of the oversized bubble. In this case, the detached bub-
ble rose with a slight deflection but not vertically. However,
the remanent bubble was always large enough to be main-
tained in the weld pool surface throughout the welding
process. By observing the welding electrical signals in Fig.
11, the changed bubble dynamic process by ultrasonic waves
could reduce the frequency of arc extinguishing and the re-
sulting fluctuation of welding electric signals under the cir-
cumstance of the oversized bubble.
Test Case 9 {9.0 m/min, 38 V}
According to Test Case 7, the dynamic perturbation of the
oversized bubble is one of the reasons for the appearance of
successive arc extinguishing. This also indicates that the arc
stiffness is low due to the large arc voltage, and it is difficult to
resist this adverse effect. Therefore, we guess that if the arc
stiffness is increased by changing welding parameters to resist
the oversized bubble interference, is it possible to obtain a sta-
ble arc behavior? To validate this point, in Group 5, Test Case 9
was conducted with a higher wire feed speed of 9.0 m/min and
smaller arc voltage of 38 V in conventional UWW.
As shown in Fig. 12, the oversized bubble was still pro-
duced at the welding zone, but arc extinguishing was not ob-
served when bubble rising at t = 216.0 ms. This indicated
that the greater arc stiffness produced by changing welding
parameters could resist the strong impact of the oversized
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 157-s
WELDING RESEARCH
A B
D E
G H
bubble to some degree. However, by observing welding elec-
trical signals in Fig. 13, the waveform of arc voltage occa-
sionally rose to a higher value and then stayed for a while,
indicating the occurrence of arc interruption. It can be con-
cluded that although the welding arc is not extinguished
when the bubble is rising, arc interruption may occur at oth-
er stages of the bubble evolution process because the dy-
namic interference of the bubble always exists throughout
the welding process.
The changed welding parameters can affect the dynamic
behavior of the bubble to a certain extent, and finally obtain
a comparable welding process. However, this degree of influ-
ence is relatively small because the complex, unstable bubble
dynamics affects the welding process all the time. Thus, the
active control of the bubble by external method is the most
fundamental point for overcoming this drawback in conven-
tional UWW.
The ultrasonic wave assisted in the UWW process pro-
vides a promising approach. The ultrasonic control of the
bubble can change the bubble dynamic process and enable
the large bubble attached to the weld pool surface for a long
time. On the other hand, the adverse effect of the dynamic
rising of the bubble is weakened so that the welding arc
158-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
C
F
Fig. 14 — Arc voltage and welding current
cyclograms in UWW and U-UWW: A —
Test Case 1, UWW; B — Test Case 2, U-
UWW; C — Test Case 3, UWW; D — Test
Case 4, U-UWW; E — Test Case 5, UWW; F
— Test Case 6, U-UWW; G — Test Case 7,
UWW; H — Test Case 8, U-UWW.
burns stably. Further, the influence de-
gree of ultrasonic control of the bubble in
the four experimental groups was evaluat-
ed by process stability in the following
section.
Process Stability Evaluation
As previously mentioned, if the bubble perturbation
caused by water is reduced, the stability of the welding
process must be enhanced in the U-UWW process. To exam-
ine this point, experiments were carried out by evaluating
the voltage and current (U-I) cyclograms as well as the varia-
tion coefficients of voltage and current.
Figure 14 shows the U-I cyclograms in conventional
UWW and U-UWW. Under the conditions of Test Cases 1
and 2, the U-I cyclograms were both loop-locked quadrilater-
als, as shown in Fig. 14A and B. They were typical symbols of
the short-circuiting process. In a single loop-locked quadri-
lateral, the four phases (i.e., droplet growth, arc termina-
tion, droplet transfer, and arc initiation) revealed the differ-
ent processes during a complete short-circuiting process. In
addition, many abnormal lines appeared in the upper-left
corner, indicating the occurrence of arc extinguishing. This
was caused by the bubble burst at a lower arc voltage. Com-
paring Fig. 14A and B, the abnormal lines were reduced to
some degree in U-UWW.
By observing Test Cases 3–8, the loop-locked quadrilater-

A B
Fig. 15 — Process stability indexes evaluation in UWW and U-UWW: A — Coefficients of variation of arc voltage and welding cur-
rent; B — decrement of variation coefficients after the exertion of the ultrasonic wave.
Fig. 16 — Analysis of the forces acting on the arc bubble in U-
UWW.
al characteristics disappeared and the dynamic movement of
the working point was concentrated in a certain area. As
shown in Fig. 14C, E, and G, no obvious signs of the short-
circuiting process could be observed, whereas the arc extin-
guishing process appeared invariably and accounted for a
large proportion in conventional UWW.
Under the same welding conditions with the ultrasonic
wave, the degree of the separation of the working point was
reduced and the clusters of the U-I cyclograms were concen-
trated, as shown in Fig. 14D, F, and H. The arc burning
process was strengthened, and a few signs of the arc extin-
guishing process were observed when the ultrasonic wave
was exerted. Especially, there was no arc extinguishing
process existing in U-UWW for Test Case 6. In one word, the
process stability of U-UWW presented much better proper-
ties than that of conventional UWW for the four experimen-
tal groups.
To quantitatively evaluate the process stability, the varia-
WELDING RESEARCH
tion coefficients of welding current and arc voltage were cal-
culated in conventional UWW and U-UWW. As shown in Fig.
15A, with varying the experimental group, the variation co-
efficients showed a significant difference. Whether the ul-
trasonic wave was exerted or not, the variation coefficients
of current and voltage both followed the order Group 1 >
Group 4 > Group 2 > Group 3. Further, under the same weld-
ing conditions, the variation coefficient of the current was
much larger than that of the voltage in conventional UWW
and U-UWW because a constant-voltage mode of the weld-
ing power source was used.
In addition, under the same experimental group, the
variation coefficients of current and voltage with the ultra-
sonic wave both yielded significantly smaller values than
those without the ultrasonic wave. Whether analyzing the
current or voltage variation coefficient, a minimum value
was observed at Group 3 in conventional UWW and U-
UWW. In fact, the process stability can be quantitatively
evaluated by the variation coefficient. The higher the vari-
ation coefficient, the more unstable the welding process,
and vice versa (Ref. 44). This indicated the enhanced
process stability in U-UWW for all the experimental
groups.
After exerting the ultrasonic wave in UWW, the decre-
ment of variation coefficient, including welding current and
arc voltage, is shown in Fig. 15B. For the variation coeffi-
cient, the difference between UWW and U-UWW became
very significant with varying the experimental group, the
maximum difference of which occurred at Group 4. When
Group 1 was compared, the variation coefficient of the cur-
rent was about 72.2% and 71.3% for UWW and U-UWW, re-
spectively, and the exertion of the ultrasonic wave only
made it decrease by 0.9%. When Group 4 was compared, the
variation coefficient of current was about 63.4% and 47.0%
for UWW and U-UWW, respectively, and the exertion of the
ultrasonic wave made it decrease by 16.4%.
It is observed from these results that the addition of ul-
trasonic waves in UWW indicates an improvement in the
process stability. Due to varying welding parameters (i.e.,
different experimental groups), the effect of ultrasonic
waves on process stability makes a significant difference,
which is in accordance with the influence degree of ultrason-
ic control of the bubble.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 159-s
WELDING RESEARCH
A B
C D
Fig. 17 — Comparison of the simplified bubble motion: A — Test Case 3, UWW; B — Test Case 4, U-UWW; C — Test Case 6, U-UWW;
D — Test Case 8, U-UWW.
Analysis and Discussion
The experimental results in Figs. 14 and 15 demonstrat-
ed that U-UWW could achieve an increase in maintaining
the process stability under the same welding conditions.
This further confirmed the effectiveness of the ultrasonic
control of the bubble for mitigating the adverse effect of the
dynamic rising of the bubble. The underlying mechanism
may be elucidated as follows. During wet welding, the flux-
cored wire is decomposed and the water is ionized or vapor-
ized, together forming an effective protection space. The
bubble emerges and is attached to the weld pool surface.
Hence, the arc behavior, metal transfer process, and high-
temperature weld pool solidification proceed in the bubble
cavity. Due to the interaction between the water environ-
ment and the bubble, the bubble presents periodical motion.
The bubble grows at the weld pool surface, then rises verti-
cally and finally detaches, repeatedly.
The bubble evolution process is governed by a combination
of forces acting on the bubble. The interplay of these forces
dictates the bubble dynamics, such as bubble growth time and
detachment volume, etc. In conventional UWW, there are five
different forces that are usually considered: buoyant force (FB,
upward), contact pressure force due to the overpressure inside
the bubble (FP, upward), surface tension force due to capillary
action (FS, downward), drag force due to moving liquid (FD,
downward), and inertial force (FI, downward).
During the bubble growth process, under quasi-static
force balance conditions, the buoyant force and the contact
160-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
pressure force promote the bubble detachment, whereas
the surface tension force, drag force, and inertial force re-
sist the bubble detachment and keep the bubble attached
to the weld pool surface, as schematically depicted in Fig.
16. Once the detaching forces exceed the retaining forces,
the bubble always forms a necking at its lower part and is
then lifted away from the weld pool surface. Finally, the
bubble moves in a vertical direction. After the bubble de-
tachment, only the buoyant force, drag force, and inertial
force play a role.
When the ultrasonic wave is applied to the UWW process,
the bubble is exerted an additional force so that its dynam-
ics start to change, as shown in Fig. 16. The additional force
is the acoustic radiation force (FU, downward) induced by the
acoustic wave and even the ultrasound (Ref. 41). Essentially,
the acoustic radiation force is originated from the acoustic
pressure difference along the bubble surface, and it is de-
fined as
2
FU = |P|2
l cl 2
(Ref. 45) where  is the acoustic absorption coefficient of 15
kHz in water, l is the density of water, cl is the velocity of
ultrasound propagation in water, and P = PAcos(t) is the
acoustic pressure (PA is the maximum acoustic pressure and
 is the angular frequency).
The addition of FU constitutes a new quasi-static force

Fig. 18 — Dynamic behavior of the arc burning process in UWW and U-UWW: A — Test Case 3, UWW; B — Test Case 4, U-UWW; C —
Test Case 5, UWW; D — Test Case 6, U-UWW; E — Test Case 7, UWW; F — Test Case 8, U-UWW.
balance condition in U-UWW, which can take the form of
FB + FP + FS + FD + FI + FU during the bubble growth process.
The downward-directed FU acts on the bubble. On one hand,
it can cause a larger bubble steadily attached to the weld
pool surface. The common necking phenomenon existing in
conventional UWW has been eliminated. This indicates that
the ultrasonic wave makes the expansion and contraction of
the bubble with large amplitude produce a reduced trend.
On the other hand, as more gases are continuously gener-
ated inside the bubble, the bubble expands more along the
radial direction rather than the axial direction so that its ra-
dial size increases. When expanded to maximum size, the
bubble starts to rise up and is divided into two parts due to
the perturbation of the welding torch as welding occurs and
the internal properties of the bubble. A large part is still at-
tached to the weld pool surface by ultrasonic wave. Mean-
while, the other part rises up from this position away from
the arc burning zone. Hence, the addition of the ultrasonic
wave causes the bubble motion with a certain angle with re-
spect to the welding torch axis so that the welding process is
not easily affected by the rising of lateral bubble.
For U-UWW, although the bubble can reach a good struc-
tural integrity with almost constant size attached to the
welding pool surface, the degree of ultrasonic control of the
bubble exhibits various features. Bubble volume has a signif-
icant effect on its motion with a certain angle with respect
WELDING RESEARCH
to the welding torch axis. Figure 17 shows a comparison of
the simplified bubble motion in UWW and U-UWW. In fact,
the buoyant force is directly proportional to bubble volume
(Refs. 39, 40). For experimental Group 2, since the bubble
volume is relatively small, the buoyant force is not so high
and there is room for further control over the bubble by the
ultrasonic wave. Hence, the trajectory of the bubble motion
takes on a horizontal movement first and then rises, resem-
bling a 90-deg transition, as compared in Fig. 17A and B. At
the same time, it can be inferred that the retaining forces
are much greater than the detaching forces throughout the
welding process.
For experimental Group 3, as the bubble volume increas-
es, the degree of ultrasonic control is decreased due to the
increased buoyant force. The bubble moves in an obliquely
upward direction, as shown in Fig. 17C. Even though the
buoyant force increases, ultrasonic control of the bubble still
has a significant effect, and an obvious difference in bubble
motion between UWW and U-UWW is observed.
For experimental Group 4, with a further increase in bub-
ble volume, the influence of buoyant force is enhanced and
dominates. This large increase has the potential to push the
bubble motion vertically upward. As a result, the additional
room for control by the ultrasonic wave becomes less be-
cause the buoyant force is already large enough. This is the
reason why the bubble with slight deflection is found when
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 161-s
WELDING RESEARCH
the larger bubble is exerted by ultrasonic wave, as shown in
Fig. 17D.
Due to the interaction between the ultrasonic wave and
the bubble in UWW, the above-mentioned acoustic radiation
force can improve the bubble dynamic process, enabling the
large bubble to surround the arc burning zone for a long
time and changing the trajectory of the dynamic rising of
the bubble. In particular, the relative contribution of the dy-
namic bubble with the vertically rising mode diminishes un-
der the action of the ultrasonic wave. Thus, the adverse ef-
fect of the dynamic rising of the bubble is weakened, and the
process stability is enhanced, as verified in Figs. 14 and 15.
To have a brief insight into the ultrasonic control of the
bubble, high-speed imaging was also performed to observe
the arc burning process inside the bubble, as shown in Fig.
18. In conventional UWW, since the welding arc with uneven
size is intermittently extinguished and reignited, the arc
burning process cannot be maintained at a stable state for
Test Case 3 in Fig. 18A. The deterioration of the arc burning
process is attributed to the dynamic bubble with vertically
rising mode, which causes the arc an intense oscillation, ad-
versely affecting the ability of the arc to burn continuously.
A similar trend is also found in other test cases, but there is
a stronger effect between the welding arc and dynamic bub-
ble for Test Case 7 than for Test Cases 3 and 5.
However, with the ultrasonic wave, the oscillation of the
arc with a small amplitude is observed in U-UWW. The size
of the arc does not vary significantly with time. When dif-
ferent test cases are used, the arc stability with ultrasonic
waves are all significantly higher than that without ultrason-
ic waves. Especially for Test Case 6, the arc with few signs of
oscillation is observed, verifying the better arc stability, as
shown in Fig. 18D. Additionally, the bubble controlled by ul-
trasonic waves always maintains a stable state without sig-
nificant oscillation, thus having a limited effect on the arc
burning process. When conducted in U-UWW, a better arc
burning process can be afforded, corresponding to an en-
hanced process stability.
Conclusions
The following may be concluded:
1) The bubble dynamic feature under an acoustic field
was demonstrated and analyzed by visual sensing and weld-
ing electrical signals in U-UWW for the first time.
2) The ultrasonic wave can enable the large bubble at-
tached to the arc burning zone for a long time, and the com-
mon necking phenomenon existing in conventional UWW
has been eliminated.
3) Under the same welding conditions, the addition of ul-
trasonic waves can cause the bubble motion of a certain angle
with respect to the welding torch axis so that the welding
process is not easily affected by the rising of lateral bubble.
4) For all experimental groups, the variation coefficients of
welding current and arc voltage with ultrasonic waves both
yield significantly smaller values than those without ultrasonic
waves, indicating better process stability in U-UWW.
5) The interaction of ultrasonic waves with the bubble
can result in an enhanced arc burning process. The oscilla-
tion of the arc with a small amplitude is observed. However,
the underlying mechanism needs further research.
162-s WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2019, VOL. 98
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for the financial support from the
National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.
51475104, 51435004) and the National Key Research and De-
velopment Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFB0300602).
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JIANFENG WANG, QINGJIE SUN (qjsun@hit.edu.cn), and JICAI
FENG are with the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding
and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
JUNBO TENG, WANG, SUN, and FENG are with the Shandong
Provincial Key Laboratory of Special Welding Technology,
Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, China.
MAY 2019 / WELDING JOURNAL 163-s