PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore

Department of Production Engineering

BE Production Engineering
3rd Semester – AY 2020-2021
19P305 Welding Technology
GTAW / TIG Welding

Mr.K.Saravanakumar
Assistant Professor (Senior Grade)
Department of Production Engineering
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore - 641004
Content
✓ Introduction
✓ Safety
✓ Preparation of TIG welding
✓ Techniques for basic weld joints
✓ TIG shielding gases
✓ Welding parameters
✓ Tungsten electrode selection
✓ Advantages & Disadvantages

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Introduction
✓ What is TIG?
✓ Tungsten Inert Gas
✓ Also referred to as GTAW
✓ Gas Shielded Tungsten Welding
✓ In TIG welding, a tungsten electrode heats the metal you are welding and gas
(most typically Argon) protects the weld from airborne contaminants.
✓ The Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding process fuses metals by heating them
between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and the base metal, while a
continuous envelope of inert gas flows out around the tungsten electrode.
✓ TIG welding uses a non-consumable tungsten
✓ Filler metal, when required, is added by hand
✓ Shielding gas protects the weld and tungsten
Safety
✓ Electric shock can kill.
✓ Always wear dry insulating gloves
✓ Insulate yourself from work and ground
✓ Do not touch live electrical parts
✓ Keep all panels and covers securely in place
✓ Fumes and gases can be hazardous to your health.
✓ Keep your head out of the fumes
✓ Ventilate area, or use breathing device
Safety
✓ Welding can cause fire or explosion.
✓ Do not weld near flammable material
✓ Watch for fire; keep extinguisher nearby
✓ Do not locate unit over combustible surfaces
✓ Do not weld on closed containers
✓ Arc rays can burn eyes and skin; Noise can damage
hearing.
✓ Wear welding helmet with correct shade of filter
✓ Wear correct eye, ear, and body protection
Safety
✓ Hot parts can cause injury.
✓ Allow cooling period before touching welded metal
✓ Wear protective gloves and clothing
✓ Magnetic fields from high currents can affect pacemaker
operation.
✓ Flying metal can injure eyes.
✓ Welding, chipping, wire brushing, and grinding cause
sparks and flying metal; wear approved safety glasses
with side shields
Safety

✓ Welding current can damage electronic parts in vehicles.

✓ Disconnect both battery cables before welding on a
vehicle
✓ Place work clamp as close to the weld as possible
Working
✓ In the TIG process, an arc is struck between the non-consumable tungsten
electrode and the work piece.
✓ The thickness of the metal and the type of current being used determine the
size of the tungsten electrode.
✓ The possible currents available are Direct Current Straight Polarity (DCSP),
Alternating Current (AC), or Direct Current Reverse Polarity (DCRP).
✓ The arc is covered by a layer of shielding gas which acts as the flux and keeps
the nitrogen and oxygen in the air from coming in contact with the molten
puddle.
✓ When the puddle is formed on the base metal, the torch is moved along the
joint until the workpiece is fused together.
✓ A filler rod may or may not be used.
✓ If a filler rod is used, it should be the same composition as the base metal.
✓ The filler rod is fed manually into the leading edge of the puddle.
✓ The torch may be moved in a semicircular motion to vary the width of the
bead.
✓ The movement of the TIG torch and applying filler rod is similar to the
movement used in braze welding with an oxy-fuel gas torch.
TIG Welding

What is TIG Welding?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO5pVLOAmD4

TIG Welding Setup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaXMPeHaQsA

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

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Techniques for Basic Weld Joints

Gas Cup Size

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

1-Workpiece, 2-Work clamp, 3-Torch, 4-Filler rod,

5-Gas cup, 6-Tungsten electrode
*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”
Techniques for Basic Weld Joints
Electrode Extension
✓ Refers to distance the tungsten extends out beyond the gas cup
✓ May vary from flush with the gas cup to no more than the
inside diameter of the gas cup
✓ Longer the extension, the more likely it may contact
something by accident
✓ General rule would be to start with an extension of one
electrode diameter
Techniques for Basic Weld Joints

Arc Starting with High Frequency

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

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Techniques for Basic Weld Joints
Manual Torch Movement

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

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

Butt Weld and Stringer Bead

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

Torch and rod position for welding the butt weld and stringer
bead

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Techniques for Basic Weld Joints
Lap Joint
✓ Pool is formed so that the edge of the
overlapping piece and the flat surface of
the second piece flow together
✓ Torch angle is important because the edge
will become molten before the flat surface
✓ Enough filler metal must be added to fill
the joint as illustrated on the right

Torch and rod position for welding the lap joint

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Techniques for Basic Weld Joints
T-Joint
✓ Edge will heat up and melt sooner
✓ Torch angle illustrated will direct more
heat onto the flat surface
✓ Electrode may need to be extended
further beyond the cup in order to hold a
short arc

Torch and rod position for welding the T-joint

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Techniques for Basic Weld Joints

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

Torch and rod position for welding the corner joint

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

TIG Shielding Gases

✓ Argon
✓ Helium
✓ Argon/Helium Mixtures
 TIG Shielding Gases

Argon Helium
✓ Good arc starting ✓ Faster travel speeds
✓ Good cleaning action ✓ Increased penetration
✓ Good arc stability ✓ Difficult arc starting
✓ Focused arc cone ✓ Less cleaning action
✓ Lower arc voltages ✓ Less low amp stability
✓ 10-30 CFH flow rates ✓ Flared arc cone
✓ Higher arc voltages
✓ Higher flow rates (2x)
✓ Higher cost than argon
TIG Shielding Gases
Argon/Helium Mixtures
✓ Improved travel speeds over pure argon
✓ Improved penetration over pure argon
✓ Cleaning properties closer to pure argon
✓ Improved arc starting over pure helium
✓ Improved arc stability over pure helium
✓ Arc cone shape more focused than pure helium
✓ Arc voltages between pure argon and pure helium
✓ Higher flow rates than pure argon
✓ Costs higher than pure argon
Welding Parameters

Aluminum weld parameters

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Welding Parameters

Aluminum with advanced squarewave weld parameters

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Welding Parameters

Stainless steel weld parameters

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Welding Parameters

Titanium weld parameters

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Welding Parameters

Mild steel weld parameters

*Figure copied from “TIG Handbook”

Tungsten Electrode Selection

Guide to selecting a tungsten electrode based on amperage range

*Figure copied from “Guidelines to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)”

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

✓ Lower filler metal deposition rates

✓ Good hand-eye coordination a
required skill
✓ Brighter UV rays than other
processes
✓ Slower travel speeds than other
processes
✓ Equipment costs tend to be higher
than other processes
TIG Application
✓ The TIG process can be used to join most metals.
✓ It welds aluminum and magnesium and their alloys, alloy steels, carbon steels,
stainless steels, copper, nickel and nickel alloys, titanium, tin, silicon,
aluminum bronzes, and cast iron.
✓ The TIG process can be adapted for welding in the horizontal, vertical, and
overhead positions as well as the flat position.
✓ It is used extensively in applications where weld quality is critical, such as
stainless steel piping systems. Stainless steel is used extensively in the dairy and
food processing industries.
✓ One limitation of the TIG welding process is the low deposition rate of the filler
and metal.
✓ The TIG process will deposit less filler metal per pass than of the other
processes.
✓ Because of the increased time needed to complete welds on thick metal, the
✓ TIG process is used most often on thinner metals.
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Application

TIG Welding Stainless steel Application

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQjvi7R4Lwc
TIG Welding Aluminium fabrication Application

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_h-C29hfvc&pp=QAA%3D

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Thank You

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