This is funny JS..........
I had a 90 minute phone talk with Ed Craig yesterday, he is retired, but we still chat and welding still dominates his thoughts.
He ruthlessly took me to the woodshed about several "whistles and bells" I have allowed salesmen to impress me with.
He spent the bulk of our talk, framing a set of trials and commanding me to put down my regular duties and carry them out so that he could be proven right about the chewy goodness of 45 year old CV GMAW technology.
He said something along the lines of this: Whether its Short Circuit Mig, Rapid Arc, STT or CMT, the amount of energy it takes to make the open root groove weld is exactly the same" "The energy required to fuse and fill the metal does not change !" I must concede his point is true.
What a wealth of knowledge and experience this guy has... Both on the scientific side (where the rubber meets the road) in shield gasses and foundational work on GMAWP, which he is warming to just a small fraction. Ed was one of the early pioneers of GMAWP, had his work stolen by a major (red) player and then came to the realization that for many reasons regular CV GMAW is the best way to go for most welding.
"So yesterday....." "Works good, lasts a long time" are things not to be taken lightly.
Lawrence,
I am looking at Ed's well worn book on Mig Welding sitting on my bookshelf as I type these words. I am not sure I agree with everything Ed argues but I am indebted to him for the very things of which you indicate. A little skepticism on bells and whistles, and gases. And he is a brilliant guy.
In the context of STT and other technologies it is not that these technologies do not have value and have not improved applications. The problem is the over aggressive/panacea marketing that follows after its introduction. I have no doubt it drives him as crazy as it does myself.
It is also an interesting coincidence that just yesterday I had lunch with a good friend that spends a great deal of time researching welding technology and he clued me in to even more problems with new technologies and applications wherein the machines of yesterday simply kick the new machines azzes.
Don't get me wrong, as in another thread wherein I stated my support for the CWEng certification with limitations, I herein support STT/RMD or whatever, with a sober understanding of what the technology is able, and unable, to do.