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Comparative evaluation of AC and DC TIG-welded 5083 aluminium plates of different thickness

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Abstract

The comparative detailed study of tungsten inert gas (TIG)-welded aluminium 5083 alloy using two options of welding current, direct (DC) and alternative (AC), is presented in this study. The main motivation for starting this study was the general recommendation to use DC only for TIG welding of mild or stainless steel while AC for aluminium welding. Therefore, it was decided to compare the properties, together with the peculiarities of the welding process and the change in the geometry of the joint. To determine the influence of plate thickness in both processes, 5–10–15-mm-thick plates were selected. As welding practice indicates, DC does not require special preparation of plate edges, while in AC welding, special attention is paid to preparation. One pass is not enough to weld even 5-mm-thick plates in AC, 4 passes were used, and even 18 passes were used when welding 15-mm-thick plates. Using DC saves process time from 2 times and even up to 17 times when welding 5- and 15-mm-thick plates, respectively. When evaluating the hardness of the joints, no difference was observed between the AC and DC samples. The radiographic results showed an obvious advantage of DC-welded joints. The angular distortion measurement summarised the results of the presented comparative study, highlighting the superiority of DC again. As much as 10° of angular distortion was observed in AC welding of 15-mm-thick plates, while in DC welding, a small displacement of 0.2° was barely visible to the naked eye, which is 10 times less in the AC case. Finally, the study proved that the only limiting factor in the use of DC for aluminium welding is the experience and qualification of the welder.

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Abbreviations

TIG:

Tungsten inert gas welding

AC:

Alternative current

DC:

Direct current

DCEP:

Direct current with the positive electrode

DCEN:

Direct current with the negative electrode

VP:

Variable polarity

EP:

Electrode positive

EN:

Electrode negative

TIG-CMT:

Tungsten inert gas–cold metal transfer

NDT:

Non-destructive testing

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design, Kaunas University of Technology, Studentu Str. 56, 51424, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Regita Bendikiene, Rolandas Sertvytis & Antanas Ciuplys

Authors
  1. Regita Bendikiene
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  2. Rolandas Sertvytis
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  3. Antanas Ciuplys
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Regita Bendikiene, Rolandas Sertvytis and Antanas Ciuplys. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Regita Bendikiene, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Regita Bendikiene.

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Bendikiene, R., Sertvytis, R. & Ciuplys, A. Comparative evaluation of AC and DC TIG-welded 5083 aluminium plates of different thickness. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 127, 3789–3800 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-023-11779-2

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