Experiment no 3

Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding

Introduction
TIG welding is a process where melting is produced by heating with an arc struck
between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and the workpiece. An inert gas is used
to shield the electrode and weld zone to prevent oxidation of the tungsten electrode and
atmospheric contamination of the weld and hot filler wire.
Tungsten is used because it has a melting point of 3370°C, which is well above any other
common metal. In the USA the TIG process is also called Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
(GTAW).
Of all the arc welding processes, TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding is capable of achieving
the highest quality welds and is the most versatile in terms of what can be welded and
the position of the welds. As in most industrial processes, however, quality comes at the
expense of time and TIG is generally slower than MIG or MMA welding. But, where weld
integrity is critical, production engineers are prepared to accept the additional process
time.

Objective
Selecting correct gases, voltage, filler wire size and wire feed speed. Demonstrating
proper work and travel angle, travel speed and stickout for welding with and without
pulse GMAW machine. Operating GMAW machines safely to weld to specifications and
within specified tolerances. Maintaining equipment as needed.

Process Description
The Principle of TIG Welding TIG welding is an electric arc welding process in which the
fusion energy is produced by an electric arc burning between the workpiece and the
tungsten electrode. During the welding process the electrode, the arc and the weld pool
are protected against the damaging effects of the atmospheric air by an inert shielding
gas. By means of a gas nozzle the shielding gas is lead to the welding zone where it
replaces the atmospheric air.
TIG welding differs from the other arc welding processes by the fact that the electrode is
not consumed like the electrodes in other processes such as MIG/MAG and MMA. If it is
necessary to use filler material, it is added either manually or automatically as a bare
wire.
Tungsten - also called wolfram - is a metal with a fusion point of more than 3300, which
means more than double the fusion point of the metals which are usually welded. Inert
Gas is the same thing as inactive gas, which means a type of gas that will not combine
with other elements. In Germany this method is called WIG welding, the W meaning
wolfram. TIG welding is the international standardised designation for this welding
method. According to DS/EN 24063 this welding process has number 141.
Equipment
Configuration
In order to handle the TIG welding process and make it work to its full capability you
need equipment consisting of different parts with their own separate function. The TIG
welding equipment chiefly consists of:
• A TIG torch that is the tool the welder uses to control the arc.
• A power source which is capable of providing the necessary welding current.
• A TIG unit with incorporated control systems that make it possible to adjust the
welding current, arc initiation etc.
• A shielding gas cylinder with pressure reducing valve and flow meter

Fig no1 TIG welding machine

 Cable for welding current

 Shielding gas
 Cable for welding cable for TIG torch
 Control cable for TIG torch
 Welding cable with + polarity
Many TIG welding machines are constructed in such a way that the power source and
the TIG unit are one unit.

Welding Torch
The main purpose of the TIG torch is to carry the welding current and shielding gas to
the weld.
The TIG torch is constructed on the basis of the welding handle and a torch head that is
coated with an electrically insulated material. The torch handle is usually fitted with a
switch to turn the welding current and the shielding gas on and off.

Fig no 2 welding torch

The electrode collet is split in order it can compress to fit tight around the electrode
when the electrode cap is tightened. In order to avoid a too heavy current load on the
electrode the torch is constructed in a way that the current transfer to the electrode
takes place very close to the electrode point.

Cooling of the TIG Torch

Some torches are constructed in such a way that it is the flowing shielding gas that cools
the torch. However, the torch also gives off heat to the surrounding air. Other torches
are constructed with cooling tubes. Water-cooled torches are mainly used for welding
with larger current intensities and AC-welding. Usually a water-cooled TIG torch is
smaller than an air-cooled torch designed to the same maximum current intensities.

The Power Source

The power sources for TIG welding generally have an open circuit voltage of about 70 to
80 V. For welding with direct current, a power source is used that rectify the alternating
current of the mains supply of 400 V to the suitable output for the TIG process and at
the same time changes the current intensity to the level set by the welder on the
welding machine. Modern welding machines are capable of welding of welding either in
a DC mode or some units provide both AC and DC modes.

TIG Boxes
The control system of the TIG equipment can be either very simple or very advanced
with many different functions. In its most simple version only the welding current is
controlled and the shielding gas is turned on/off by a small valve on the TIG torch.
The more advanced TIG boxes are capable of controlling the shielding gas so it is lead to
the welding place before the arc is ignited, and delaying the interruption of the shielding
gas after the welding current is cut off. This means that the tungsten electrode and the
weld pool are also protected from the atmospheric air during the cooling period.
Furthermore, the TIG box usually has an ignition facility in order to avoid having to
scratch the electrode against the work piece and thus damaging the electrode point.

TIG Welding - Shielding Gas

The shielding gas has several functions. One of them is to replace the atmospheric air so
it will not combine with the weld pool and the incandescent tungsten electrode.
Furthermore, the shielding gas also plays an important role in connection with the
transfer of current and heat in the arc. For TIG welding two of the inert gases used are
argon (Ar) and helium (He) of which argon is the more frequently used. The two
inactive shielding gases can be mixed with each other or each of them mixed with a type
of gas which has a reducing effect. To say that a gas is reducing means that it can
combine with oxygen. In connection with TIG welding the two reducing gases, hydrogen
(H2) and nitrogen (N2) are used. The shielding gas can be chosen on the basis of the
material to be welded.

Colour of the Colour of the

cylinder shoulder
Ar Turquoise Turquoise
Ar/H2 Turquoise Red
Ar/He Turquoise Brown

He Brown Brown

N2/H2 Light grey Red

Electrodes for TIG Welding

For TIG welding the applied electrode is mainly made of tungsten. Pure tungsten is a
very heat resistance material with a fusion point of approximately 3,380o C. By alloying
tungsten with a few per cent of a metal oxide the conductivity of the electrode can be
increased which has the advantage that it can thereby resist a higher current load. The
alloyed tungsten electrodes therefore have a longer lifetime and better ignition
properties than electrodes of pure tungsten.
The most frequently used metal oxides used for alloying of tungsten are:
• Thorium oxide
• Zirconium oxide
• Lanthanum oxide
• Cerium oxide

Operation
 Clean the surface of the base metal.
 Chose an electrode according to the WPS.
  Grind the electrode to make a tip because the pointed tip will give a smaller,
more directed arc.
 Insert the electrode into collet.
 Choose the setting according to the requirement i.e., AC, DCEN, DCEP.
 Turn on the gas and make a tack weld after the base metal is positioned
correctly.
 Start welding according to given requirements (weld position, weld type)
 At the end clean the surface of the weld is there is any slag.

Process Variables
The main variables in TIG welding are:
1. Welding current
2. Current type and polarity
3. Travel speed
4. Shape of tungsten electrode tip and vertex angle
5. Shielding gas flow rate

WELDING CURRENT
Weld penetration is directly related to welding current. If the welding current is
increased but the arc length is kept constant, the arc voltage will increase. For this
reason, it is necessary to change the voltage setting when the current is adjusted in
order to keep a fixed arc length. If the welding current is too low, the electrode tip will
not be properly heated, and an unstable arc may result. If the welding current is set too
high, the electrode tip might overheat and melt, leading to tungsten inclusions.

CURRENT TYPE AND POLARITY

The best welding results are usually obtained with DC electrode negative. Refractory
oxides such as those of aluminium or magnesium can hinder fusion but these can be
removed by using AC or DC electrode positive. With a DC positively connected electrode,
heat is concentrated at the electrode tip and therefore for DC positive welding the
electrode needs to be of greater diameter than when using DC negative if overheating of
the tungsten is to be avoided. The current carrying capacity of a DC positive electrode is
about one tenth that of a negative one and it is therefore limited to welding sections.
TRAVEL SPEED
Travel speed affects both weld width and penetration but the effect on width is more
pronounced than that on penetration. Increasing the travel speed reduces the
penetration and width. Reducing the travel speed increases the penetration and width.

TUNGSTEN ELECTRODE TYPES

Different types of tungsten electrodes can be used to suit different applications:
• Pure tungsten electrodes
• Thoriated electrodes
• Ceriated and lanthaniated electrodes
• Zirconiated electrodes

SHAPE OF TUNGSTEN ELECTRODE TIP

With DC electrode negative, thoriated, ceriated or lanthanated tungsten electrodes are
used with the end is ground to a specific angle (the electrode tip angle or vertex angle –
shown below)
As a general rule, the length of the ground portion of the tip of the electrode should have
a length equal to approximately 2 to 2.5 times the electrode diameter. The tip of the
electrode is ground flat to minimise the risk of the tip breaking off when the arc is
initiated or during welding (shown below). If the vertex angle is increased, the
penetration increases. If the vertex angle is decreased, bead width increases. For AC
welding, pure or zirconiated tungsten electrodes are used. These are used with a
hemispherical (‘balled’) end (as shown below). In order to produce a ‘balled’ end the
electrode is grounded, an arc initiated and the current increased until it melts the tip of
the electrode

Fig no 3 Electrodes tips

SHIELDING GASES
The following inert gases can be used as shielding gases for TIG welding:
• argon
• helium
• mixtures of argon and helium
Pure Argon is the shielding gas that is used for most applications and is the preferred
gas for TIG welding of steel and gas flow rates are typically ~ 8 to 12 litres/minute for
shielding.
The shielding does not only protect the arc and weld pool but also is the medium
required to establish a stable arc by being easy to ionise. A stable arc cannot be
established in air and hence the welder would not be able to weld if the shielding gas
were not switched on.

SHIELDING GAS FLOW RATE

If the gas flow rate is too -low, the shielding gas cannot remove the air from the weld
area, and this may result- in porosity and contamination. If the gas flow rate is too high,
turbulence occurs at the base of the shielding gas column. Air tends to be sucked in from
the surrounding atmosphere, and this may also give porosity and contamination.

Advantages of TIG
1. Non-consumable electrodes - It helps to provide flawless joints because it is not
needed to stop for replacing the electrode as in consumable electrode welding.
That also contributes to reducing downtime in production.
2. No flux is required because inert gas shields molten metal. So no slag and slag
inclusion problems.
3. High quality and strong welding achieved by TIG.
4. Cleaner and more appealing joints. Sometimes they don’t need finishing process.
5. They are suitable for welding of very thin sections.
6. The versatility of method. They can work with and without filler metal.

Disadvantages of TIG
1. TIG is a time-consuming process - They are slower than any other welding
process. Lower filler deposition rate.
2. More complicated - Highly skilled and professional workers are needed to
perform TIG welding.
3. Safety issue - Welders, are exposed to high intensity of light which can cause eye
damage.
4. High initial cost.
5. It cannot use in thicker sheets of metal.