Understanding Contact Tip Longevity for Gas Metal Arc Welding

摘要

In gas metal arc welding (GMAW), an electric arc is established between a continuously fed consumable electrode and the workpiece to produce a molten pool. The welding gun directs current, shielding gas and the consumable electrode to the weld joint, then the current is transferred to the consumable electrode at the very end of the gun using a sliding contact — the contact tip. The contact tip is a key component of a welding gun for GMAW. Production downtime is often associated with its failure. So, understanding the mechanisms that contribute to contact tip failure is extremely important to reduce downtime and increase productivity in any GMAW system.