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The effects of welding parameters on metal transfer and bead properties in the variable-polarity GMAW of mild steel

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Abstract

Sheet metal components are widely used in automobiles, home appliances, aerospace, and other industries. Gas–metal arc welding (GMAW) easily produces welding defects such as bending deformation and burn-through. However, variable-polarity gas–metal arc welding (VP-GMAW) features low heat input. In this paper, a VP-GMAW waveform is proposed, whose feasibility is proven by a welding process analysis. A model of short-circuit transition was established, and comparative experiments were conducted. With the adjustment of welding parameters in the short-circuit stage and arc-burning stage, the influence of each parameter on the welding process is sorted out by analyzing the weld geometries and microstructures. Furthermore, the effect of electrode negative (EN) ratio on weld microstructure, microhardness, and tensile property is emphasized. The result shows that the welding parameters in the short-circuit stage mainly affect the welding spatter, and the parameters in the arc-burning stage mainly affect the weld geometry. With the increase of the EN ratio, the microstructure grain of the weld bead is refined, and the hardness and tensile strength of the joint are improved. Compared with traditional welding methods, the current waveform proposed in VP-GMAW can obtain fewer splashes and better weld morphology.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the editorial department and the reviewers

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong, China (No. 2021A1515011773), the Enterprise Science and Technology Commissioner Funding Project of Guangdong, China (No. GDKTP2021024300), and the Key Research Project of Guangzhou, China (No.2023B03J1329).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China

    Min Zeng, ZhiTao Li, ZiXin Hu, JiaXiang Xue & Wei Zhang

  2. GuangDong Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Welding and Equipment, Guangzhou, China

    Min Zeng, ZhiTao Li, ZiXin Hu, JiaXiang Xue & Wei Zhang

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  1. Min Zeng
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  2. ZhiTao Li
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  5. Wei Zhang
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Contributions

The conceptualization and manuscript were conducted by MZ, ZL, and ZH. The data analysis was completed by ZW. Funding acquisition and manuscript review were performed by MZ. XJ provided the experiment equipment. All the authors took part in the paper.

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Correspondence to Min Zeng.

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Zeng, M., Li, Z., Hu, Z. et al. The effects of welding parameters on metal transfer and bead properties in the variable-polarity GMAW of mild steel. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 129, 4165–4183 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-023-12579-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-023-12579-4

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