Variation of hot-wire GTAW combines two arcs into one

TIG^er technology from Polysoude is a variant of hot-wire GTAW. The basic principle involves the juxtaposition of two GTAW arcs, organized and controlled to combine into one single arc with the calorific value of the combination of both powers, but with characteristics that are unusual for such intensities, the company states.

The wire is preheated using the Joule effect via the control of a third current source. This enables a special profile of the weld pool to be used that helps improve the procedure’s efficiency. Depending on the requirements, it is possible to optimize layer thickness to between 0.06 and 0.14 in. This flexibility enables the quantity of weld metal to be adjusted to strict requirements, resulting in savings of filler products.

Optimized welding speeds are 27.56 to 35.43 IPM, with deposition rates of 5.5 to 13.23 lbs./hr. — about three times more than hot-wire GTAW, the company states. Complete control over dilution is provided with a rate of 12 percent on the first layer and 1.5 to 2 percent from the second layer deposited.

Applications include horizontal cladding (internal and external cladding of tubes and pipes) and vertical cladding (internal and external anticorrosion weld overlay cladding of manifolds for the petrochemical and gas industries).