Not logged inAmerican Welding Society Forum
Forum AWS Website Help Search Login
Up Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / helium/argon mix shielding gas for GMAW of thick ALM
- - By 1fastguy (**) Date 06-18-2008 15:46
Need some help. Our shop is starting to MIG Weld very thick base metals of 5086/5083 Alm. from 1/2 up to 1 inch thick with 5356 rod  Question:is there a chart or diagram that shows the results or paramiters of the heat input for adding or subtracting the percentage of Helium to Argon in the shielding gas?  
75%Argon 25%Helium  /  70%Argon 30%Helium  / 50%Argon 50%Helium  and so on. We are trying to establish some consistant wet in. 
Any information would be helpful.
Parent - By Lawrence (*****) Date 06-18-2008 21:03 Edited 06-18-2008 21:09
I would try a search at EWI and TWI

Some of their stuff is free and some will cost membership dues, which is a bargain if you do wierd stuff.

If your gas supplier is a major player they might have access to that kind of data. Tell them you are shopping around for new gas suppliers and that technical support is part of your decision making process. This will often get them quickly on track if they have the resources.

The Aluminum Associaton Theory and Practice manual encourages Ar/He mixes for situations like yours and says Helium percentages from 50-75% are preferred.
Parent - - By SWP (**) Date 06-18-2008 22:16
For TIG (constant current), helium raises the arc voltage, hence the arc power (watts), and provides a huge increase in thermal conductivity, both of which contribute to additional heat input and arc efficiency.

For MIG, I assume you would also have a "linear" contribution to thermal conductivity, but I don't know what if any affect helium has on the arc power since voltage is constant.  Maybe helium in MIG also requires a higher arc voltage for a given wire speed (amperage) and arc length.

Any way, unless you are mixing your own, wouldn't you use a standard 75/25 mix?
Parent - - By Metarinka (****) Date 06-19-2008 15:30
I believe the contribution of gas mixtures on MIG is also more variant due to the effect on transfer modes. Ala different gas modes supporting or reducing spray transfer, and raising or lowering the spray transfer transition voltage etc.
I'm guessing that changing gas mixtures has a secondary effect of changing the transfer properties which would not make it a linear transition in terms of penetration etc
Parent - By Lawrence (*****) Date 06-19-2008 19:54
Good point Joel

The more helium in the mix the closer to a "buried arc" your transfer mode becomes until at 100% burried arc is the way to go with GMAW and thick aluminum.
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 06-19-2008 03:51
Ed Craig suggests 60% Argon 40% Helium His website is WeldReality.com, You might check it out.
Up Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / helium/argon mix shielding gas for GMAW of thick ALM

Powered by mwForum 2.29.2 © 1999-2013 Markus Wichitill