- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
Vertical-up or -down for robotic welding?
- By Paul Cameron
- Updated February 9, 2024
- October 3, 2014
- Article
- Arc Welding
Q: We have a weldment that incorporates 0.375-in.-diameter steel rods and a 0.060-in.-thick sheet metal stamping of 1018 CR material. Each weld is the same, 0.75 in. long with a 0.25-in. fillet, perhaps including weaving. The assembly is fixture and welded robotically using GMAW with CO2 gas and repeated 100 to 300 times.
We utilize vertical welding, but which is a better progression, down or up?
Vertical-up and vertical-down welding are significantly different from one another in the technique used and the resulting finish weld. This is the reason welding codes consider this change in progression an essential variable and require additional testing when changing from one to the other.
Choosing the Right Position
From your description, I would have to conclude that of all of the possible positions (flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead), this is an ideal candidate for welding vertical-down. Your greatest concern in this application is going to be burn-through on the 0.060-in. sheet metal. Welding vertical-up will be difficult, if not impossible, in this configuration because of the low travel speed and high heat input. Welding vertical-up with GMAW typically requires a weave technique to carry the puddle and give you the proper bead profile. GMAW vertical-up is a deep-penetrating technique, and this characteristic is going to lead to consistent burn-through.
GMAW vertical-down, on the other hand, tends to lack penetration and side-wall fusion. These characteristics are undesirable in most applications, but given that you are using a fully automated system, tight control of wire feed speed (WFS), voltage, travel speed, and bead placement should allow you to counteract these characteristics and control your finish weld quality.
I’ve had a lot of success setting up similar applications in what I call the 45-degree vertical-down position. The key is using a slight drag angle (10 to 15 degrees) and keeping the arc on the leading edge of the puddle at all times. This is a little easier to do at a 45-degree incline than at straight 90 degrees.
If possible, consider a mix shielding gas (minimum 85 percent argon/maximum 15 percent CO2) as opposed to the straight CO2 you are using today. This should reduce chances of burn-through and reduce weld spatter considerably. A 0.035-in.-diameter solid electrode should work well in this application.
Modify Weld Size
You stated the weld size was 0.25 in. Talk to the engineering team and your customer about reducing the weld size to 0.19 or even 0.125, which will help increase travel speed, ensure penetration into the root, and reduce cost. Large welds with no root penetration or side-wall fusion are of little benefit to your customers.
About the Author
Paul Cameron
Braun Intertec
4210 Highway 14 East
Rochester, MN 55904
About the Publication
subscribe now
The Welder, formerly known as Practical Welding Today, is a showcase of the real people who make the products we use and work with every day. This magazine has served the welding community in North America well for more than 20 years.
start your free subscription- Stay connected from anywhere
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Welder.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Tube and Pipe Journal.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator en Español.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 04/16/2024
- Running Time:
- 63:29
In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Caleb Chamberlain, co-founder and CEO of OSH Cut, discusses his company’s...
- Trending Articles
Sheffield Forgemasters makes global leap in welding technology
ESAB unveils Texas facility renovation
Engine-driven welding machines include integrated air compressors
How welders can stay safe during grinding
The impact of sine and square waves in aluminum AC welding, Part I
- Industry Events
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,
Pipe and Tube Conference
- May 21 - 22, 2024
- Omaha, NE
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY
Advanced Laser Application Workshop
- June 25 - 27, 2024
- Novi, MI