A site dedicated to improving the weld industry through Weld Process Controls.
and Best Weld Practices,

It’s  2021, in the last  60 years that I have been in the weld industry, I provided manual and automated weld process improvements to hundreds of companies in 13 countries. Some of  factors that I witnessed in these companies that were having  a prime  influence on  the daily weld quality and productivity were;

[a] The common, global, front office lack of management and engineering Weld Process Ownership Capability.

[b] The often  weld shop front office reliance on weld sales personnel to make process improvements, while most sales individuals will have never run a weld shop and will have limited weld application expertise.

[c] Lack of weld process control and best weld practice expertise is  often evident on  weld shop floors. Who has not witnessed experienced weld personnel playing around with the two simple GMA weld equipment controls when making GMA and Flux cored welds.

Note: What I write here is of course not applicable with all weld shops. Also welder skills or length of the welders experience has nothing to do with weld process controls expertise. 

This site is focused on two weld processes GMA (MIG)  and Gas Shielded Flux Cored, (FCA). These processes use the same equipment,  MIG  equipment and daily account for over 80%  of the global arc welds produced.

In this “why change the way we have always done it industry,” and decades after the introduction of  GMAW (MIG) and gas shielded flux cored, (FCAW), in most  global weld shops, you will find personnel who have welded for decades yet  frequently “play around” with their manual or robot MIG equip. weld controls.

A MISSING LINK WITH ROBOT MIG WELDS. For close to four decades GMA welding robots have been the prime source of arc welds for the auto – truck industry. Yet in 2021, 99% of this industry does not supply its robot techs. with robot weld process controls and best practice training. So of course most will play around with the weld controls in their robot pendants.

I started MIG welding with Massey Ferguson, UK. in around 1962, and the 60 years I have been in this business, there is one thing that has not changed.

SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF GMA (MIG) IN THE 1950s, THE ACHILLE’S HEEL OF THE GLOBAL WELD INDUSTRY  HAS BEEN A GENERAL LACK OF MIG & FCA WELD PROCESS CONTROL, EXPERTISE.

FRONT OFFICES THAT LACK WELD PROCESS EXPERTISE WILL LACK THE ABILITY OF WELD PROCESS OWNERSHIP.

WHEN WELDERS LACK PROCESS CONTROL EXPERTISE THE RESULT IS WELD PROCESS AND PERSONNEL WILL “PLAY AROUND” WITH THEIR  WELD CONTROLS. 

In the 90s, while I was the North American,  ABB Robot Weld Manager, the average daily  US robot MIG weld rework  with the USA  Big Three, Japanese and German companies and tier one suppliers averaged  40 to 60%. The average  robot MIG weld down time as a result of weld issues  was  60 – 80 minutes per-shift.

ABB was one of the world’s largest engineering and robot companies. At ABB   USA. I worked with many weld engineers, mostly young graduates  of Ohio and Ferris State and LeTourneau Universities. All the engineers had one thing in common, none had been educated with the the ability to without reading  weld  instructions, set an optimum  GMA or Flux cored weld, instead,  when given a new robot weld application, they would often “play around” with their weld controls.

Robot GMA weld data for the world’s
largest trucks.

I was asked by both the ABB and Caterpillar management  how long would it take for me to develop all the multi-robot cell weld settings required to weld Caterpillar’s mammoth trucks. I think I shocked them when I quickly replied, ‘the majority of all these robot welds should be done with two simple weld settings.

ROBOT WELD QUESTION. What two GMA robot weld settings do you believe could weld the little truck above. Explain why I said that only two wire feed and voltage settings were appropriate.

While at ABB I used my robot MIG process control program to educate ABB engineers and also to train the ABB Tier One suppliers and companies like Harley and Caterpillar.  Since the 90s, annually I have updated this program. In 2021, over 2000 global  companies have used the program.  Extensive robot weld issues are addressed at this site. And my arc weld process control programs can be viewed  in the Process Training section.

The  hands off management at  Harley Davidson, have never understood  the concept off  front office  Manual or Robot Weld Process Ownership.

When Harley designed the Fat Boy bike in the nineties, it eventually decided to MIG  weld the frames with ABB robots.  I set the initial MIG weld  frame data that would  produce welds that would withstand any over weight rider.  In 2021, as America’s girth continues to expand, this bike is still the most durable and popular seller for Harley.

Those of you in this industry that don’t believe in the importance of  weld process control expertise, should have no issues with the following  weld questions on this page.

MANUAL WELD PROCESS QUESTION. What is the Spray Transfer Wire Feed and Amps start point for  the common 0.035 and 0.045 (0.9 – 1.2 mm) GMA steel wires using argon – 20% CO2? 

The lack of  GMA weld process control expertise stands out like a sore thumb  in the majority of auto – truck plants that use MIG weld robots. Most of Tier one and two plants will rarely broadcast how much additional dollars they spend each year as a result of robot MIG weld rejects, rework or from lost robot weld production

ROBOT GMA WELD PROCESS QUESTION. The robot cell is using a 70s-6 wire and 80% Ar. – 20% Co2. The weld transfer mode is set in the widely used  traditional CV mode. The weld wire feed and the  weld crater data is set  at 380 inch/min and  23 volts. With these welds, sometimes the  arc starts don’t occur. Why?

WHAT DANA, THE WORLD’S LARGEST TRUCK FRAME COMPANY THINKS ABOUT MY ROBOT MIG WELD  PROCESS CONTROL PROGRAM.

E – Mail From Dana Senior Weld Eng.

Em,  I wanted to send update about the E-Town DANA plant that you visited a few years ago. As you know, on your first visit to the plant, our robot MIG welding lines were producing less than 40 Ford F-150 truck frames per-hour, and 100 % of the completed robot frames required extensive manual weld rework. Thanks to your Robot Weld Process Control Training Program and your  consumable changes, the robot weld results from our employees are today staggering. Yesterday the  plant that I am at hit  very close to a record of 76 frames per hour. We are daily attaining our average goal of one frame per-minute. We had two recent weld audits. One weld audit had a total of two failures, and the 2nd weld audit was the first 100% pass weld audit in the history of the Ford F-150 line. We have now implemented your 7 Step Robot Weld Process Control” recommendations in five of our USA plants. Many thanks Em. From a grateful weld engineer.  Ryan Good. Dana Senior Weld Eng.

Note: Tier One supplier DANA is a world leader in the supply of frames and drive line  products, axles, drive shafts, and transmission. DANA employs approximately 22,500 people in 26 countries and in 2010 had sales of $6.1 billion.

ROBOT GMA WELD QUESTION. Anyone that programs a robot should  know the answer to this question. When you turn up the robot weld travel rate without adjusting the wire feed rate,  do you increase or decrease the voltage. Explain why.

Ed. (rear) training  more than 250 ship welders at the Aker Kaverner  ship yard located in the Philadelphia Naval Yard.

Aker had budgeted less than a million dollars weld repairs per-ship. When I  was hired as the yard weld mgr. they were spending over 10 million dollars on  flux cored weld repairs per-ship. I used my flux cored process control training,  a training format never previously  applied at any global ship yard. After three months of evaluation by the yard QA department. My  two day training program reduced the yard’s flux cored weld repair costs in three months by over 65%,  producing approx. savings of  6 to  7 million dollars per-ship.

AUTO – TRUCK  PLANTS AND SHIP YARDS, HAVE SOMETHING  IN COMMON.  

In these two industries welding has a high priority,  yet both industries will typically hire managers and engineers that lack the ability required for front office Weld Process Ownership. When the front office lacks this expertise,  you know their welders will be  playing around with either the manual or robot weld data.

THANK GOD THE AUTO & TRUCK PART SUPPLIERS DOES NOT REQUIRE NDT THAT EVALUATES  INTERNAL WELD QUALITY. IF IT DID, IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY GO OUT OF BUISNESS.

APPROX. 10% OF THE WELDS ON MOST  SHIPS WILL REQUIRE NDT THAT EXAMINES INTERNAL WELD QUALITY. IT’S ALWAYS VERY COSTLY FOR  SHIP YARDS WHEN THE UT OR X-RAY EQUIPMENT IS REQUIRED.

In the diverse industries in which code quality welds play a key role, weld rework, and costly weld rework and rejects have for decades  been  the norm with both the   GMA – Flux Cored   processes. 

A N APATHETIC FRONT OFFICE APPROACH TO  GMA – FCA WELD COSTS: In the hundreds of global weld shops I visited in my roles as the Corporate Linde – AGA – Airgas – Carbonic Weld Training Mgr. I was asked to solve thousands of weld customers problems. I never went in one US or Canadian weld shop that  had an understanding  of their  real “GMA – FCA Weld Costs. Typically the  weld shop weld cost focus was on the price of their weld gas mixes or weld wires.

GMA WELD COST QUESTION. The most common weld in this weld shop is a 1/4 (6mm) horizontal fillet weld. The weld shop has a 350 amp power source. For it’s  welds it uses an 0.045, 70s-3 wire. The gas is argon – 20% CO2. The welders average arc on time each hour is 30 minutes. How much weld are they depositing each each hour. If it takes more than two minutes to figure out, the expertise to control weld costs is lacking.

It’s rare in weld shops to see maximum weld deposition rates being consistently attained with any MAG or flux cored wire. If you are surprised at this lack of  cost control expertise, the next time you step into a weld shop front office, I would ask that you try and find someone that truly understands their daily GMA or FCA weld costs, someone who can answer this question.  

SIMPLE GMA WELD GAS QUESTION. Your weld shop uses argon 20% CO2 and makes the switch to argon  – 10% CO2. So you tell the welders to do what and why?

DECADES OF WELD PROCESS ISSUES HAS CREATED AN ENTRENCHED WELD PROCESS, CONFUSED  SHOP CULTURE. 

I was hoping that in the 60 years that I have been in this industry, that one day I would see a sign of weld shop evolution.  Instead  annually I have seen  increased weld process confusion. An increase in useless MIG power source  electronic bells and whistles. An increase in GMA – FCA and Metal Cored false claims. Along with the usual BS about three part MIG gas mixes.

“Why change the way we have always done it,” and can you give  me some time to “play around” with the weld controls. These could be put to music, and become part of a global weld shop national anthem.

ROBOT GMA WELD COST QUESTION:  In this auto plant, the average carbon weld size on the parts  welded is similar to a 3/6 (5 mm) fillets. The 0.045  wire feed rate is 350 inch/min. Argon – 10% CO2  mix is  used. The robot weld labor is $30 / hr. The weld wire cost $1 lb and the gas is $60 per-cylinder. In less than 5 minutes a weld decision maker should be able to provide the  cost of a foot or meter  of  each  weld produced, and know how much gas and wire to use for the project. 

Because NASA and the Aerospace companies are  involved, one should not always anticipate  a high tech approach to the welds being  produced.

One day the Orion space craft will land on Mars. I was involved for a short contract time at United Technologies  in approving some of the laser and weld joint designs for the Orion.

It never ceased to amaze me while contracting at United Technologies Corp. One of the leading global aerospace companies, that while in communication with some of the worlds brightest engineers, how little interest there was on the weld subjects, and how little  the engineers knew about the weld processes that they requested be used to produce the welds that would hold together the NASA Orion  spacecraft on its  journeys to the Moon and Mars. While at UT,  I also had a chance to  review NASA and Boeing Weld Procedures used throughout the aerospace industry and reading the procedures  felt like stepping  back into the 20th century. I e cannot chat about space exploration without bringing up SpaceX and it’s rocket weld fiasco. 

ELON MUSK WAS AT LEAST CONSISTENT IN HIS POOR ENGINEERING APPROACH TO THE WELDS PRODUCED AT HIS AUTOMOTIVE PLANTS, AND AT HIS COMPANY SPACEX.

When  TESLA, first started welding electric cars, this companies lack of management and engineering ability to control simple robot welds was well documented on google. It’s also well documented that before 2020, when Musk hired engineers to build his SpaceX  stainless rockets,  that they selected an inappropriate weld process and had problems providing consistent optimum weld quality.

Elon’s engineers lacked the ability necessary  to weld stainless rockets and other applications that would pass the required NASA destructive weld tests.

In 2019,  SPACEX was struggling with it’s stainless rocket weld quality, and things looked bad in terms of attaining NASA confidence and further NASA funding. Someone at SpaceX,  finally woke up and figured that to consistently pass  the required weld tests, SPACEX should use the semi-automated GTA process, (TIP TIG). Remember TIP TIG was a process that I had introduced to the SpaceX engineers  in  2009. 

When Musk was asked by a reporter in early 2020 what he had changed to achieve the rocket  quality that finally  gave NASA the confidence to rely on SpaceX, he said  “we changed the weld process to TIP TIG”. 

2019. WHAT MESSAGE DOES IT SEND  WHEN  THE HIGHLY EDUCATED AND QUALIFIED SPACEX MANAGEMENT AND ENGINEERS  TOOK A DECADE TO FIGURE  OUT THAT THE SOLUTION TO THEIR COSTLY WELD ISSUES, WAS A WELD PROCESS  THAT I HAD SHOWN  THEM IN 2009.

HOW POOR WORKING FOLKS OFTEN HAVE TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE, TO HELP MAKE THE ONE PERCENT LIKE MUSK EVEN RICHER. 

I might add that if my partner Tom and I did not  risk the equity in our homes and go without wages for months to start the risky business of bringing TIP TIG into the USA, (Austrian  inventor of TIP TIG previously failed at that task). And if we had not created TIG USA, then what could Musk have done as  Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, ESAB or Fronius had in 2019 , a weld process capable of what the semi-automated TIP TIG can do. Thanks to the return of the big C, I sold the business to Tom and made enough to cover my daily coffee budget till I am six feet under. However with the billions of taxpayers dollars that NASA now throws at Elon, I thought the least Elon could do is send me  a Hallmark thank you card.

A MESSAGE TO ALL WELD MANAGERS, ENGINEERS AND SUPERVISORS. It should not take more  30 minutes to those of you with weld experience with the semi-automated GMA – FCA processes  to figure out the benefits of changing from the manual GTA to a semi-automated GTA process, especially when you have at this site and at my tiptigwelding.com all the process evidence you need to make a logical weld quality / productivity decisions.

One thing Musk must have learnt the hard way at both Tesla & SpaceX, is that the difficulties in high technology industries, are usually not in the design or science for the applications, it’s the mfg. capability.

Anyone with  weld process control expertise  would quickly recognize  the unique weld quality productivity feature benefits for code quality and alloy applications.  Unfortunately it’s an expertise that was missing at  SpaceX for more than a decade.

2021. SpaceX eventually woke up and now has approx. 70 TIP TIG units that enable them to consistently attain the weld quality they desire. This is a process not welders  that allows SpaceX to continue on it’s quest to build rockets that will one day take unfortunate humans to the Moon and Mars. 

For Decades, a Global Weld Education Failure. 

FOR THE SIX DECADES I HAVE BEEN IN THE WELD INDUSTRY, I WITNESSED  A COMPLETE FAILURE IN THE GLOBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY WELD EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

When it comes to welding  courses, most community colleges and trade schools are stuck in the 1960s. When it comes to educating engineers, most global universities and colleges that offer weld degree programs have for six decades, hired professors and educators that lack “arc weld process control expertise”.

I provided weld process solutions to approx. 1000 companies in 13 countries. The reader should be aware  that the lack of weld  process control expertise was  the reason I was invited by by managers and engineers  to all these companies.

What concerns me the most about the weld  engineering process ignorance and apathy that’s frequently found  in the Aerospace, Defense, Oil and Power companies, is  while these companies have their pick of  hiring the brightest  engineers from institutions such as MIT, OSU and LeTourneau, yet the engineers hired often seem to be unaware  of what they should know to control  there common arc welds with simple equipment that typically has two prime weld controls.  This should have been a wake up call 50 years ago and it should not take a rocket scientist to figure out in 2021, the the failure of many, (not all), educational facilities in meeting the growing  global demands of  the weld industry.

WHAT IS THE LOGIC OF USING WELD INSPECTION PERSONNEL WHO LACK WELD PROCESS CONTROL EXPERTISE? To add to the above woes, in the last few years we see a weld industry that  often lacks weld process control expertise turning to AWS. CWI personnel to baby sit the welder. And this is ironic as the majority of weld inspectors that daily critique welds, lack the ability to provide the weld process information that would prevent weld defects. For those ready to argue this point, try the process questions on this page.

If interested in the semi-automated GTA, TIP TIG process,  and have an interest in comparing it to their other arc weld processes, I took 2000 hours to develop a technical “no sales influenced” web site, that few bother to visit. The site provides the process comparisons between Hot Wire GTA, manual GTA and Pulsed GMA. All the real world weld process attributes of  the  TIP TIG process are presented and this info.   https://tiptigwelding.com. 

SEMI-AUTOMATED GTA PROCESS QUESTION. Provide the two most important reasons, why TIP TIG could weld most Titanium parts > 3 mm without using a gas trailing shield.

FOR THOSE THAT WANT MY TIP TIG PROCESS CONTROL TRAINING PROGRAM, VIST “PROCESS TRAINING” AT THIS SITE. IF YOU WANT MORE TIP TIG DATA VISIT MY OTHER SITE, tiptigwelding.com

From the Fission to the Fusion industry, from the Aerospace to the  Defense, Oil industries, this site hopefully shows the importance of  weld process controls and  the importance of weld process / application awareness.

 I FINISHED  MY CAREER IN 2021 AT CFS, AS THEIR SENIOR WELD ENG. PROVIDING WELD ADVICE AND WELD QUALIFICATIONS TO BUILD THE WORLDS  FIRST EFFECTIVE FUSION REACTOR CALLED SPARC.   

CFS 2021 on it’s journey to build the first Fusion reactor in N. America, it’s called, SPARC. If you think you have had complex weld challenges, the plasma you see in the middle will be approx. 100 million degrees, and and the super conductor  magnets a few away, are around minus 400 degrees.

In 2021, one of the last jobs in my 60 year career in the weld industry was also a highlight of my career. I was proud to become part of the Commonwealth Fusion Systems engineering team that are building  SPARC. This  is the prototype fusion plant that will in a few years  lead to numerous CFS reactors called ARC’s. 

While at CFS, I believe, this weld engineer who left school in 1961 age 15 with no formal education, had extensive influence on  the key CFS designers and engineers responsible for the complex fusion SPARC design. I believe I reduced their  concerns with their  miles of multi-pass welds required on the complex  austenitic alloys. I also  reduced the CFS  engineering concerns for weld distortion in  building the world’s most complex pressure vessel, a vessel that will require extraordinary dimensional tolerances, a vessel  subject to  operating temperature variations never before attained.

2021. Nuclear plant construction and repairs,  and this industries 65 year relationship with the GTA weld process.

2021. Two Vogtle nuclear reactors , units 3 – 4 located in Georgia, USA, could cost close to 30 billion dollars at completion. Of course there are the usual over budget delays from construction issues that always have weld issues. The  manual GTA   has  been the prime manual arc weld process for these plants, as it has been the arc weld process of choice, since  1958, when the first US. commercial Nuclear Power  Station,  Shippingport was built. Since 2008 the GTA process has evolved, unfortunately the majority of the personnel that make weld decisions in the global Nuclear industry have not got the message.

•  GTA always required  the highest welder skills.
• GTA as a result of very slow weld speeds delivers high weld heat input that influences distortion.
• GTA typically delivers less than 0.3 lbs/approx.
• GTA weld speeds are typically 1 – 5 inch/min.
• GTA always produced the highest weld costs.

  For the upcoming  USA Fusion industry, perhaps my greatest weld achievement over time, maybe in an a weld industry in which “Why Change The Way We Have Always Done It,” has for decades been the norm, will be, the f act that I had an influence on paving the way in this new industry to progressive weld process changes that will have a dramatic influence on the amount of welders required,  the welding skills required, and  of course on the projects weld quality and costs.

While working  with the CFS  engineering team, I saw the future of power,  and  I have no doubts the young US. MA. CFS  team  may be the  first in the world to pave the way for clean, economic energy. There will have be many fusion plants built to assist in  carbon reduction, and the fabrication suppliers to the fusion industry will have to step up to the plate and provide a different approach to the welds desired.

In 2008, thanks to an  Austrian inventor Plasch, the GTA weld process  for steels and alloy steel welds, finally evolved into a Semi-automated GTA process called TIP TIG.  

My business partner Tom and I introduced TIP TIG in 2009 to the USA, Canada and Australia. In 2020 it passed the explosive weld test that would  qualify it for welding the sub hulls. As its easy to use,  and will triple the GTA production eventually the USA – UK and Australian Navy will hopefully wake up and figure the weld cost and quality benefits.

PRODUCING BOTH THE HIGHEST WELD ENERGY WITH THE LOWEST WELD HEAT INPUT ARE UNIQUE TO THE SEMI-AUTOMATED GTA, MANUAL  TIP TIG PROCESS.

You do not have to be a weld engineer to be  aware that every alloy attains it’s properties from heat treatment and every code quality weld becomes more possible when the weld process utilized provides the highest possible weld quality.

You should not need any engineer to figure out that an easy to use, all position arc weld  process that provides the unique combination of delivering the highest weld energy and lowest possible weld heat input is a process that should be examined especially for alloy steels and all code quality welds.

High energy  TIP TIG weld metal in an inert atmosphere enables defect free welds. Thanks to increased weld speeds and EN polarity this process also delivers the lowest stresses, the lowest distortion, the smallest HAZ  and  the best possible mechanical, metallurgical and corrosion properties.  So one has to ask what’s lacking in  the  North American Nuclear plant and submarine engineers. Also what’s wrong with  the engineers who designed and are building  the worlds largest engineering project, the ITER Fusion plant  in France. 

[1] TIP TIG produces the highest possible manual arc weld energy and weld fluidity that minimizes the opportunity for lack of fusion. 

[2] TIP TIG provides the lowest possible welded part heat input. Think of the reduced stresses, and distortion, along with the smallest HAZ and superior mechanical, metallurgical and corrosion benefits

In contrast to the very low weld deposition  from the manual  GTA process, TIP TIG increases the GTA deposition rates by 200 to 300%,  and therefore is not limited in the part  thickness, the weld size or application. Also as weld wire does not have to be manually fed into the TIP TIG arc plasma, this process provides a weld uniformity and continuity not attainable from manual GTA, and also  dramatically reduces the traditional TIG all position welder skills which also influences weld quality.

IN 2009 I WAS WELDING LARGE GRADE 2  TITANIUM PRESSURE VESSELS WITH TIP TIG, WITHOUT USING A GAS TRAILING SHIELD. This was the first time in the history of arc welds on a large, thirty foot diameter titanium vessel that  that was 100% welded using no gas trailing  shield was required. Yet in 2021 in N. America, the majority of those that will weld titanium are not aware of the semi-automated  GTA benefits for titanium. For those of you awake, visit my tiptipwelding.com site to see the titanium  video, and all other  alloy benefits.

With the decade old TIP TIG process, someone needs to wake the Navy, Army and Airforce and all those asleep in the Power, Oil and Aerospace industries to explain that if you can weld titanium without a trail shield, think about what that low weld heat input attribute will have on any high strength, all or ally steels in their organization or alt up on this one process attribute alone.

DISTORTION – DISTORTION – DISTORTION..
A concern  with many companies will have with tight dimensional tolerances especially on costly alloy steels is weld distortion. Therefore any engineer that is not stuck in the 20th century, would consider an easy to use arc weld process that delivers the lowest possible weld distortion.

You could try and duplicate my untouched TIP TIG weld, with GTA or pulsed GMA, but you would be wasting your time.

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD GET THE N. AMERICAN WELD INDUSTRY INTERESTED IN  A WELD PROCESS THAT THE N. AMERICAN WELD DISTRIBUTOR HAD NO INTERST IN?

I thought the best approach to selling TIP TG into the N. American industry dominated by Lincoln Hobart and Miller distributors,  was to do what I had done for decades. Instead of doing weld process control educational seminars, I started out by presenting  TIP TIG seminars and work shops. My  fist US work shop in 2009 had apart from Americans, participants from China, Australia, Canada and Brazil.

IN 2009, WHILE  N. AMERICAN WELD ENGINEERS WERE SITTING  IN FRONT OF THEIR LAP TOPS AND WORKING WITH 1946  GTA, THE CHINESE ENGINEERS MADE THE FIRST MOVE. CNOOC  HAD SERIOUS WELD QUALITY ISSUES WITH THEIR SUB SEA PIPE AND INCONEL CLADDING APPLICATIONS AND THEY HAD TRIED FRONIUS, LIBURDI AND OTHER EQUIPMENT, ALL FAILED. 

CNOOC Overlay Sub-sea pipe ID with Inconel then weld the pipe ends in minutes and never have defects that the X-Rays would reveal.

It was ironic that the first major customer to purchase TIP TIG  equipment and also to fully embrace the process, was the Chinese National Oil company, CNOOC. This company  flew a group of their engineers to my first TIP TIG seminar that was presented in the Philadelphia Naval Yard in 2009.  Of course no Naval from the yard attended.

12 years after I introduced the TIP TIG  process to CNOOC at the Phily. work shop,  China in the Oil, Nat Gas and Power sectors now leads the world in the use of the semi-automated GTA TIP TIG process.

Since 2009. there has neve been a process that can
out perform semi-automated GTA.

Thanks to the CNOOC Chinese company ordering equipment from us, Tom and I now had the funds required to get TP TIG USA grounded in the US. 

From pipe or plate, root to fill, TIP TIG is the easiest process to use in any weld position. No weld fumes, no spatter or weld cleaning required.  The same  two weld settings can be used  for most pipe and plate welds. The GTAW – Pulsed MIG and Gas Shielded Flux Cored weld processes simply cannot compete when  code quality welds are required.

FOR THOSE THAT WANT THE PROCESS FACTS IN AN INDUSTRY IN WHICH PROCESS MYTHS ARE MUCH MORE ABUNDANT.

I believe that I  generated  the world’s most informative web site on TIP TIG, process. This  site is not influenced by the usual  sales bovine fecal matter. The site is  tiptigwelding.com.  

THINK ABOUT THE SUCESS OF THE WORLD’S MOST WIDELY UTILIZED ARC WELD PROCESSES.

The reasons for the success of GMA and gas shielded flux cored, is they are  “semi-automated” easy to use arc weld processes that provides respectable weld deposition rates. So when someone comes along and makes the GTA process into a “semi-automated” the easy to use TIP TIG process that provides 200 0 300%  more weld than GTA, what’s this weld  industries response? 

SIMPLE SEMI-AUTOMATED GTA QUESTION. Why do you believe that in contrast to any other arc weld process,  TIP TIG would enable the lowest possible weld joules and a two to three hundred percent increase in GTA weld deposition?

The following  are real world TIP TIG weld benefits attained  for code quality welds.

• TIP TIG enables  on average 300% greater weld deposition than manual GTA welds. 
• TIP TIG on “all position welds” is easier to use than  DC GTA, Pulsed MIG and Flux Cored, while at the same time producing superior weld quality.
• TIP TIG with increased weld speeds and DC polarity always enables the lowest possible weld joules, producing  superior  mechanical / corrosion properties than any other arc weld process.
• TIP TIG always enables the lowest possible weld fumes.
• TIP TIG no weld spatter, and no weld cleaning required.
• TIP TIG always lowest weld distortion and lowest weld / part stresses.
• TIP TIG highest weld fusion capability with no weld porosity concerns. 
• Use TIP TIG on large or small applications, one process root to fill, one process capable of welding all metals from  the thinnest to the thickest parts.
• TIP TIG semi-automated or easily fully automated.
• TIP TIG, one gas, one weld wire, no more than three simple weld settings and one weld procedure.

It’s unfortunate that in  2021  N. America , that the Defense, Aerospace and Power industries, along with research facilities and universities like Le-Tourneau, Ohio State, and MIT that should be leading the way in arc weld evolution have FAILED MISERABLY. 

IF YOU WANT EVIDENCE OF 2021  GMA – FCA WELD PROCESS CONFUSION AND THE LACK OF CONTROLS &  BEST WELD PRACTICES, YOU WILL FIND IT AT ANY N.AMERICAN NAVAL YARD. 

Any personnel that deal with Navy projects, will likely be aware that the Navy senior management  desperately wants to get a grip of their weld quality, rework and weld costs in all the ship yards that build or service their ships and submarines.

UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN PROGRESSIVE CHANGE IS SUGGESTED REF. WELDING, IT’S THE SENIOR NAVAL ENGINEERING OFFICERS THAT ARE ALWAYS THE FIRST TO RESIST THE  WELD ENGINEERING CHANGES. 

The ship yards will  typically annually  be spending  millions of over budget dollars that are most often a result from the poor flux cored weld quality,  and also from the poor daily weld productivity being attained.  The weld  reality in these yards, is that the yard front office management and engineers  have for decades simply lacked the weld process control expertise that would enable them the ability for  Weld Process Ownership.

SHIP YARD  WELD COSTS. In  an 8 hr/shift, a ship yard welder welding all position, gas shielded flux cored welds should be able to deposit a minimum of  23  – 24 lbs/per-shift. However thanks to the too common apathetic yard management and engineers,  and also the inadequate ship yard welder training programs, the typical ship yard in N. America,  will deliver on average only 50 to 60% of the weld metal it should deposit daily. 

FLUX CORED PROCESS QUESTION.  If the weld shop is welding mostly carbon steels  in the flat and horizontal weld positions and the steels are 3/8 and thicker,  why is the commonly used E71T-1 wire a poor choice?

For those of you that want to control gas shielded flux cored welds, and attain minimum weld rework with always maximum weld productivity, you get that with process controls. The FCA self teach  / training resource, is in my process training section.

In the highly competitive global weld industry, where companies can purchase welded parts from China, South Korea or Eastern Europe  if USA companies don’t evolve, and they continue to listen to sales-reps, continue on the path of lack of weld process ownership, and resist  progressive weld process  that can create real world, weld quality, productivity & cost improvements, they may as well  close their weld shop doors.

The following is common  in 2021 for the industries which utilize  traditional  manual  Pulsed GMA, manual GTAW and Gas Shielded Flux Cored welds on  large scale code quality weld projects;

• The daily weld quality and weld production being  produced  in most (not all) plants will in reality  have changed  little in six decades.
• Weld rejects and weld rework will too frequently be the expected norm.
• Weld spatter clean up is often the norm.
• More than one weld process will be used on the code welds, requiring different weld qualification  procedures, different  weld procedures, different weld equipment, different weld consumables, practices and skills will be required.

  GMA Weld Question. Welding 6 – 7 mm carbon steels in the flat positions with an 0.045  wire, argon 20 – CO2, and a 350 amp power source , what would be the average GMA deposition rate be with  an arc on time of 30 minutes. 

  A QUESTION THAT WILL ANNOY MANY.

The growing army of AWS CWI weld inspection personnel, would get more respect if  before they offer an opinion on the welds they view, they take a few hours to  understand the simple two control GMA – FCA weld processes that they daily critique?

IT TAKES APPROX. ONLY 20 HOURS TO LEARN GMA – FCA – TIP TIG – ADAVANCED TIG or ROBOT GMA ARC WELD PROCESS CONTROLS  RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT THIS  SITE.

Before you purchase your next MIG power source, ask yourself, why you need the electronic  Bells and whistles.

A weld fact. In 2021, using a N. American  350 – 450 amp, CV MIG power source that has been changed little since the 1960s. A  power source that  in contrast to a pulsed MIG power source would typically costs 100 to 200% less, that I could demo in  a few minutes, that with  3 weld settings,  I would produce, spatter free, superior MIG weld quality on any  steels and alloy steels. With this same CV equip. I could then provide superior flux cored welds. T

GAS SHIELDED FLUX  CORED QUESTION.
Why in contrast to a CV MIG power source, is it difficult to get superior weld fusion  with a gas shielded flux cored wire if using a  pulsed MIG or multi-process power source?

Too often when the plant is having manual or robot weld issues, the plant or engineering mgr. may then turn to more expensive weld resolutions such as, employing more manual GTA – MIG or FCA  welders. Perhaps they will ask their sales-rep to bring in the latest Lincoln, Miller or Panasonic electronic wonder power source. Or for the robot line as the robots are not meeting their promised potential there solution will be to  purchase more robots. Or perhaps as is common with the N.  American Auto – Truck industry, they will outsource the troubled welded parts to a  southern State  or Mexico, where weld rework costs are rarely relevant.

The sad weld reality for global weld decision makers that have a difficult time consistently attaining the full manual or robot GMA weld quality and productivity potential from the world’s most utilized arc weld processes,  is that for for approx. six decades, producing  manual mediocre GMA weld quality and productivity, and creating unnecessary  costly weld rework has become the DAILY NORM. And the managers that run plants with GMA robots are simply no aware of the robot GMA process control that’s been available at this site for more than 20 years. (process training section).

HOW WILL MANAGERS PROVIDE THE RESOLUTIONS TOO THEIR WELD SHOP ISSUES, IF THEY  ‘DON’T RECOGNIZE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THEIR WELD PROBLEMS?  

MOST MANAGERS WILL  NOT BE AWARE THAT “WELDER SKILLS” HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SECONDARY REQUIREMENT FOR WELD PROCESS OPTIMIZATION. FIRST AND FORMOST IS WELD PROCESS CONTROL EXPERTISE:

You will rarely see “must have extensive weld process control expertise”  in any job description and its definitely not something that SpaceX or NASA would request when hiring a weld engineer. 

With the common management and engineer  lack of awareness of process control expertise, it’s logical  that this expertise  will be something rarely required in  any weld job description and process controls will never be part of the mfg. plant discussions.

SURELY RELYING ON A WELD  SALESMEN THAT MOST LIKELY HAS NEVER HAVE RUN A WELD SHOP, IS NOT SOMETHING ANY  ENGINEER, MANAGERS OR SUPERVISOR SHOULD BE PROUD OF.

As far as I know, the weld industry is the only technical industry that relies on  inexperienced sales or equipment  representatives to provide weld process advice for a shop’s weld issues. The sales rep, will typically be an individual  that  likely has never run a weld shop. This nonsense has been going on for decades. The issues are typically with weld equipment that that has two weld controls that have not changed since the 1960s.. 

As a corporate training or weld product manager at Linde, Airgas, AGA and Carbonic, I trained over 4000 weld sales-reps, and I figured out no matter what training they received perhaps 5 in a hundred were worthy to walk through a weld shop door and provide weld advice,

One area that will always reveal the lack of MIG weld process controls and best weld practice expertise that prevails is found in the robot cells in most global automotive and  truck plants. A look at many pendant weld programs will reveal  the often poor, ever changing weld program data for simple welds that should require no more than two weld settings.

IT WAS TYPICAL AT ABB FOR ME TO ESTABLISH ONE OR TWO OPTIMUM GMA ROBOT WELD SETTINGS FOR ANY GM – FORD OR CHRYSLER APPLICATION.  AND  WHEN I VISITED THEIR PLANTS, I WOULD USUALLY SEE THAT MY  DATA HAD IN SOME INSTANCES BEEN CHANGED USUALLY 10 TO 30 TIMES,  AND THE ROBOT WELDS WERE A MESS.

Managers and engineers wake up. Robot personnel “playing around”  with the weld control data in a robot cell, is not a sign of enlightened engineering and mfg. management, it’s  an indication that the company management and engineers are simply not aware of  the weld process control expertise that’s  required  by technicians and engineers to attain the best possible robot weld quality and productivity. 

For decades, most global mfg. and plant managers thought playing around with weld controls was the norm.  Most managers were simply not aware that their engineers or technicians were NOT taught  Arc Weld Process Controls, at the Colleges or Universities that provided them with their weld educations. However for more than 20 years, this expertise in self teaching / training formats has been available at this web site, (process training).

LACK OF MANUAL OR ROBOT WELD PROCESS CONTROLS  & LACK OF BEST ARC WELD PRACTICE  &  AND LACK OF WELD COST CONTROL  EXPERTISE IS SIMPLE TO RECTIFY:

If managers, engineers and supervisors in automotive and  truck facilities, don’t understand  the robot weld process control expertise requirements for weld process ownership, it’s not likely their robot technicians or those that are making the weld changes will  have this expertise.

If a rare enlightened  plant or engineering manager had insisted that at least one person in their plant had the weld process control and best weld practice expertise necessary to own the processes, and therefore be able to optimize either their daily robot or manual  weld quality or productivity,  that same manager, would also be wise enough to ensure that this person  was  given the responsibility to train all those in both the front office and the weld shop that  daily are making the weld decisions. O well dream on.

You don’t get asked to establish  the robot MIG welds on America’s most iconic vehicles without a reputation for past weld accomplishments .

Just a few of the products Em. worked on

[] FORD F150.. I was the only person to establish robot welds that did not require weld rework which was amazing if you saw the poor robot weld joints.

[] BEETLE.  New VW Beetle car seats provided the highest crash ratings ever attained for small cars in the US. I set these robot MIG welds at Johnson Controls in Mexico. Johnson found out that the VW robot MIG data established by VW  in Germany would not work. Not only did i attain zero rework  i increased the robot production by 30%

[] CORVETTE, Some of the worst welds produced in the auto industry in the 80 –  90s were on America’s fav. sports car the Corvette. This vehicle was manually welded with flux cored  wires and the welds were a disgrace. I recommended to the GM engineer Peera responsible for the project that they should be using MIG. I trained the GM workers to transition to MIG. After that a I recommended that GM  progress to robots. They did and I established the Corvette robot MIG welds.

HARLEY. This hands off management company has no understanding at all of the requirements or the value of front office weld process ownership. So its no surprise that this company was  slow to evolve to robot MIG welds. Most of the  bike frame welds were done manually in MIG weld production lines that reminded me of  the production line in Henry Ford’s first  plant.  When Harley developed the FATBOY, it quickly became a best seller. I set the initial robot welds for this product while I was the weld mgr. at ABB Robots.

GENIE. Who has not seen these products on construction sites or in plants, and because of what the do they need defect free robot and manual weld quality. I set their robot welds and provided process control training programs.

CATERPILLAR. Who else would this company turn to but ABB and myself when they wanted the robot MIG weld the world’s largest trick.

Please be aware, that I spent decades condensing and simplifying  both  my Manual and Robot MIG  weld process control training resources so that irrespective of their weld background, they could be presented by anyone. 

By the way those of you who want to make progressive weld changes in your plants, I would suggest you start with  the  “Job Description”  Include the words, “Must have the required Manual or Robot Weld Process Controls and Best Weld Practice expertise”.

THIS WILL SHOCK MANY. A “WELD TEAM” IN ANY MANUFACURING FACILITY, IS TYPICALLY A SIGN OF  “INEXPERIENCED WELD MANAGEMENT”.

THE WELD TEAM: Another unique attribute about poor global weld  shop practices, is when managers, supervisors or engineers lack weld process control and best practice expertise  they will frequently create a Weld Team, a team that ironically will also lack the same expertise.  The common manager’s response to their never ending weld issues is to daily take an acid reducing TUM to control their heart burn, and then  call a WELD TEAM meeting. Too often the only thing frequently achieved by the weld team will be  the consumption of a large amount of  coffee and donuts, wasted man hours, and more weld process confusion added to the plant. 

My easy to learn  manual and robot weld process controls and best practice self teaching or training programs typically only require 15 to 20 hours to learn.  If  this training was provided  to all  the company’s personnel that  daily influence weld decisions,  the weld reality  is that no plant or weld facility  would require  a “weld team” and the reason would be, that  all the companies weld decision makers would be trained with the weld process  control – best practice requirements that enable them to uniformly walk the one path required to consistently attain,  manual or robot weld process optimization. Think how unique that would be a plant in which all involved in weld decisions were trained in the requirements for weld process ownership.

Process OWNERSHIP comes from My MIG – Flux Cored  and TIP TIG,  Manual and Robot Weld Process Controls & Best Weld Practice, Training or Self Teaching Programs.

HOWEVER A MANUFACTURING TEAM IS LOGICAL. Rather than creating  a robot weld team, a more logical approach in an organization that understands weld processes would be to create a  “manufacturing team”. This would be a team comprised of the key robot weld decision maker, and the production, quality, maintenance and engineering manager. The manufacturing team’s prime responsibility would be to ensure  that the products for the robot cells should be delivered  in a timely manner, and the parts to be welded by the robots would be manufactured in accordance with the  specified design,  conditions and dimension,  (always a rare event in poorly managed auto / truck plants).

In a highly competitive industry, an experience weld
shop manager, supervisor or engineer should never allow this attitude.

INSTEAD OF PURCHASING LOW COST DURABLE CV MIG EQUIPMENT AND PROVIDING EMPLOYEES WITH PROCESS CONTROL TRAINING,  MANAGERS WILL OFTEN SPEND 200 to 300% MORE FOR PULSED MIG WELD EQUIPMENT TO WELDD STEELS  AND ALLOY STEELS , THE QUESTION IS WHY?

Of course electronics in MIG equipment has enabled interesting weld transfer mode opportunities especially with pulsed MIG and  aluminum welds benefit.  However much of the electronics that from the 1980s to 2020, that have gone into pulsed MIG equipment that is used for steel and alloy welds, have in reality been  mostly useless BELLS & WHISTLES. 

FEW WELD SHOPS ARE AWARE OF THE NEGATIVE WELD QUALITY AND COST ATTRIBUTES OF PULSED MIG WELDS:

Anyone who has ever done a weld macro on a steel or stainless fillet weld on steels > 5 mm thick, will be aware with the MIG Spray mode that unfortunately has a poor ratio of weld energy to weld mass, will view that the weld fusion attained  is  often poor to marginal. When that Spray mode is changed to a pulsed mode that can provide the same weld deposition potential as Spray, but however spends 50% of  its time at a low background current, then is should not be a surprise to find that this lower energy mode will in contrast to a Spray weld, not improve  the weld fusion or reduce the weld porosity, but that pulsed MIG mode will suitable for welds that require lower weld energy, welds on  gauge steels, aluminum,  and clad welds. I wrote  a book on MIG and Pulsed MIG over 20 years ago. That book was called “A Management and Engineers Guide To MIG”.In this book I dedicated over a 100 pages as to what was wrong with the pulsed MIG mode for steels and alloy welds, and all the issues I discussed then are still relevant today in 2020. By the way those weld shops that purchased costly  Pulsed MIG  equipment to reduce weld spatter, could have spent  $200 on one of my MIG training programs and eliminated their spatter concerns with something called Weld Process Control Expertise.

In the 1970 and 1980s, with low cost CV MIG equipment, I was showing weld shops how to produce MIG short circuit welds with no spatter.

 TWO WAYS TO RUN A WELD SHOP.  ONE WITH FRON OFFICE WELD PROCESS OWNERSHIP CAPABILITY.  THE OTHER WITH THE ADVICE OF A WELD SALES REP.

In the nineteen sixties I  started  MIG and flux cored welding  tractors in a Massey Ferguson plant in Manchester England, and today in 2020 in any global weld shop, I could take a 1960s CV MIG power source, or a 2020 $2500 new CV MIG power source, and with MIG weld process control expertise, consistently provide optimum quality, spatter free welds on any steel  and alloy steel parts from 14 gauge to any thickness.  So the weld reality for the one or two readers that are aware of this 20 year old website,  is if the weld shop mostly welds aluminum parts that less than 6 mm thick,  then the purchase of a pulsed MIG power source provides many weld benefits. However if the weld shop welds thicker aluminum parts, the weld shop will attain better aluminum weld quality by using the CV spray mode on the lower cost CV MIG equip. If the weld shop welds mostly steels and alloys the weld shop will save money if it simply purchases  CV MIG units that can typically cost 100 to 200% less.   Think of the  savings for the weld shop from being able to purchase the lower cost, easier to repair, more durable CV equipment that has two simple weld controls and for the occasional aluminum welds provide a portable pulsed MIG unit. Weld decisions such as this, require managers and engineers that are capable of Weld  Process Ownership. Managers that will be  aware they can optimize their steel MIG and flux cored welds  with low cost CV MIG equipment because they have provided all their weld personnel with the required  MIG Weld Process Controls – Best Weld Practice Training. 

THE PURCHASE OF THREE PART GAS MIXES AND METAL CORED WIRES ARE ALSO  OFTEN INFLUENCED BY SALES  BOVINE FECAL MATTER: While some metal cored wires that contain alloys may be beneficial for high strength applications, when welding low carbon steels. I never saw a metal cored weld I could not replicate with a lower cost MIG wire. As for those three part MIG gas mixes, as a key writer of the AWS MIG Shielding Gas Specifications, I would like to inform any weld shop that over the last four decades purchased a three part MIG gas mix for steels and alloy steel welds, that the costly three part MIG gas mixes were never necessary and the reality of adding oxygen in a gas mix created more negative attributes to a weld than benefits. I will admit however that both the metal cored wires and three  part gas mixes were always a good tool for the weld distributors to attain gas business in weld shops that lacked the ability for MIG weld process ownership.

On many steel and alloy weld applications, for decades, the common useless electronics found in pulsed MIG equipment was a good companion for the useless three part MIG gas mixes and metal cored  wires that were also used as a crutch by those that lacked weld process control expertise.

GAS SHIELDED FLUX CORED: In 2020, the majority of global weld shops may also be surprised to hear that both GTAW and the Gas Shielded Flux Cored process  are  a poor weld process choice for many code quality welds.  For those using all position gas shielded flux cored wires in 2020 on applications that require X-Rays or Ultrasonic testing, a reasonable question would be why would any weld shop choose a weld process such as flux cored,  in which irrespective of the welder’s skills, unreliable weld quality, excess  porosity, trapped slag weld fusion concerns, excess spatter  and excess weld fumes will be the norm. 

ITS 2020 AND SOMEONE FORGOT TO TELL WELD SHOPS THAT IN THE LAST DECADE, THE GTAW PROCESS BECAME OBSOLETE: And If the weld shop is still using the seventy year old DC. TIG process  for welding parts that require an extensive amount of welds, what  manager has not been frustrated in dealing with this ultra slow process that requires the highest welder skills, and also provides high heat into the welded parts. Note: For those that are interested in the well documented  issues that occur with the common MIG –  Pulsed MIG – GTAW -Flux Cored processes and their equipment and consumable issues when utilized on  manual and robot welds, please visit my programs sections. While pulsed MIG,  DC TIG and the gas shielded Flux Cored processes have since the 1960’s,  been responsible for most of the  global code quality arc welds that are produced daily, in 2019, few weld shops are aware that for more than a decade there has been  an alternative,  superior, “manual semi-automated and fully automated” weld process called TIP TIG.

TIP TIG is  a process that  may appear at first glance for some weld personnel to be a cross between  the  TIG and MIG process. However this is a process that  when code quality welds are required, TIP TIG will provide superior weld performance than TIG – Pulsed MIG – Gas Shielded  Flux Cored and Hot Wire TIG welds.

TIP TIG is both an easy to use semi-automated and fully automated arc weld process. When code quality welds are required, by consistently enabling the highest weld energy in an inert atmosphere,  (best weld fusion lowest porosity) along with attaining the lowest welded part heat input from DC polarity and increased travel rates. In contrast to GTAW – Pulsed MIG – FCAW and Hot Wire TIG, the TIP TIG process will always attain the best possible weld quality and also part mechanical and corrosion properties.

TIP TIG provides the highest weld energy and weld fluidity, with the highest weld purity, and also enables the lowest weld part heat with an easy to use  process for welds on any metals, applications any size, and welds in any position..

WHEN TOM MY BUSINESS PARTNER AND I  BOUGHT TIP TIG TO NORTH AMERICA  IN 2009 AND STARTED  “TIP TIG USA, THIS PROCESS CREATED DRAMATIC NEW WELD OPPORTUNITIES FOR WELD SHOPS IN  N.AMERICA,  AUSTRALIA AND CHINA.

2020. I predict that by 2025, the “Plasch Austria” patented TIP TIG process that I and my business partner Tom introduced to North America, China and Australia in 2009,  will be  the  world’s most widely utilized arc weld process that is associated with most code quality welds.

With so many weld, metallurgical, mechanical, corrosion, and  also weld fume safety benefits obtained from  TIP TIG,  benefits that are spelled out on this page and  especially in my comprehensive, “TIP TIG” program which provides TIP TIG data that’s not provided on any other global website.  For any weld shop the weld reality is this, when the highest possible quality on all position, root or fill, fillet or butt, small or large parts, on manual or automated applications are required, the weld shop will find TIP TIG will  be easier to use, (less skills), and always produce superior  weld quality than the traditional   DC/AC  TIG –  Pulsed MIG –  STT  MIG – RMD MIG, Flux Cored  and  also the Hot Wire TIG process.

Note: For those that may not agree with the above TIP TIG statement, why waste a breath arguing the subject, after all it would take less than 60 minute  for  a TIP TIG demo in any weld shop to prove the TIP TIG weld quality and cost results are superior to what your company is presently producing. Of course the local sales rep. that has a degree in liberal arts or history,  and  likely does not sell TIP TIG may disagree,  and instead perhaps they will want you to try their latest electronic MIG power source or another  useless three part MIG gas mix.

This site places much focus on the process expertise that’s too often lacking in global weld shops and also on the GTAW – Pulsed MIG – FCA and TIP TIG weld process comparisons for common, code quality global weld shop applications. Note, the weld  process comparisons will have more meaning when those that are interested in the comparisons, have the weld process controls & best weld practice expertise that’s been necessary to optimize the common arc weld process utilized in their weld shops. 

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES THE PERFECT ARC WELD PROCESS? If  I was to ask a well seasoned weld individual,  what do you believe the key  weld process attributes would be to make the perfect weld process for most code quality welds.  The following would be my list. 

Ten fundamental weld process requirements to attain the best possible, all position, code quality manual welds on any metals.

1.  Must be an easy to use, semi-automatic and automatic weld process.
2. Must have the weld capability for both open root and fill passes on any application and metals, and suitable to welds on any thickness.
3. Must provide the highest weld energy, (weld fluidity) capability to attain optimum weld fusion with all metals. (not possible with MIG or FCAW.
4. Must provide moderate all position weld deposition rates that while producing, cost effective welds are also providing an important balance between the amount of weld deposited and the weld energy delivered.
5. Must provide an inert plasma atmosphere that minimizes weld oxidation and porosity.
6. Must provide no spatter or slag.
7. Must provide automatic control of weld start / stop data.
8. Must provide EN polarity that enables with the weld speeds attained, the lowest welded part heat input that enables the smallest weld HAZ,  and the best  mechanical and corrosion properties.
9. Must be simple to set.
10. Must not require more than three settings for all welds.

Note in 2020 there is  only one weld process capable of delivering the above and it’s the decade old TIP TIG process. https://tiptigwelding.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THAT EVERY  THING THAT’S  STATED AT THIS SITE,  I CAN  DEMONSTRATE  AND PROVE IN LESS THAN AN HOUR AT ANY WELD SHOP.

 MODERATE WELD DEPOSITION RATES AND THE HIGHEST DC WELD ENERGY ENABLE THE BEST ALL POSITION WELD FUSION.  When the weld shop  has an all position,  easy to use  process such as TIP TIG that produces  moderate weld deposition rates that provide the highest energy and fluidity welds that are protected by an inert gas, for the weld shop this this enables the capability to attain on any scale application the highest possible arc weld quality. When you combine the weld quality asset of TIP TIG with the TIP TIG’s DCEN and weld speed ability to produce the lowest possible weld heat input to the parts welded, this provides for the weld shop, the manual and automated weld capability to eliminate the normally anticipated weld rework on any application. And also to be able to weld any type of weldable metal without worrying about any weld metallurgical concerns.  The TIP TIG welds shown on this page and in the TIP section cannot be duplicated by any regular  optimum TIG, pulsed MIG or flux cored welds.

Note. Yes with traditional DC TIG process the weler can always produce excellent weld quality, but with manual DC TIG,  the welder cannot attain the  TIP TIG weld energy,  the TIP TIG weld uniformity and weld continuity that drives weld speeds, the TIP TIG weld deposition rates and reduced skills  that drive weld costs, and with TIP TIG the weld shop can produce on most parts > 2 mm the lowest welded  part heat that influences metallurgy and application capability.

When I first introduced TIP TIG to N. America and Australia around 2009, I  was well aware that this  unique process would be a huge game changer for weld shops, and would have to be compared with the traditional arc weld processes utilized by the weld shops, especially with code quality welds. When discussing weld process comparisons,  it helps if those doing the process comparisons first have the weld  process controls and best weld practice expertise that was necessary to  consistently attain weld process quality and productivity optimization with the weld shop processes  they daily use. (available with my low cost weld process optimization training programs),  however the bottom line is simply this,  there is no optimum Pulsed MIG – GTAW and Gas Shielded Flux Cored welds that will have the capability to match the weld  quality show on upper left, and with the other TIP TIG welds shown here and in my TIP TIG section.

Some processes as discussed in the process section of this site are simply not capable of consistently producing optimum weld quality. Weld shops will be aware  that with manual welds, that irrespective of the welder skills, arc weld  processes such as Pulsed MIG and gas shielded flux cored are  on many applications simply not capable of  consistently delivering  defect free welds. The inherent weld process issues that influence the weld quality are discussed  extensively in my TIP TIG and in MIG and flux cored weld program sections.

Some of you that attended my process control workshops or purchased my weldreality training programs, will be aware that  I have specialized  on  the requirements for weld process control and best weld practice  for close to the five decades that I have been in this industry. Manual,  automated or robot welds, I know what each arc weld process quality – productivity and capability is with any metals on any applications. I am well aware also of the weld issues that will be generated from the weld process and consumables used, and also the issues that are generated from  the common poor weld practices used by the welders. So please keep this in mind in the weld advice that I offer,  I  was born in Manchester UK, and in general Mancunians are people that have good sense of humor with no time for BS. I don’t sell welding products, and from my lips  you will never hear weld equipment or  process bias. However for decades I do offer what in general is missing in the majority of weld shops of the global weld industry, that is the required Weld Process Controls and Best Weld Practice  self teaching / training  programs that will help any company  personnel attain the best possible weld results with the MIG – FCAW – Advanced TIG and also TIP TIG process utilized.  

If a person wanted to find evidence of the too often poor, stagnant state of the global weld industry, they  could start out in two diverse industries such as ship building and automotive. In most of the  global ship build facilities, thanks to lack of weld management and weld engineering ownership and lack of weld process controls expertise,  there is  usually always  extensive, unnecessary manual costly weld rework. And in the auto. truck plants, the bins that line the robot aisles will usually be full of weld rejects and rework from the poor robot MIG weld quality,  and few of the robots in the plants will be attaining optimum their robot weld productivity potential.

For decades.  as a result of  unnecessary flux core and MIG weld rework, millions of dollars have been  lost per-vessel built, and the reason is a simple one, the common Navy and shipyard front office,  lack of  Weld Process Controls and  Best Weld Practice Expertise.

Its 2020, and as they have done for decades, global Navy shipyards will be  building multi-million dollar vessels and dramatically going past their weld rework budgets and yet at these shipyard facilities the;

1. THE  REQUIRED WELD SPECIFICATIONS ARE BEING UTILIZED.
2. THE WELD PROCESSES WERE APPROVED.  
3. THE WELD PROCEDURES QUALIFIED.
4. THE WELDERS  TRAINED.
5. THE WELDERS WERE QUALIFIED.
6. AND THE QA DEPARTMENT DAILY STRIVES TO  ENSURE  THAT STRINGENT WELD INSPECTION WAS AN EFFECTIVE PART OF THE SHIP BUILDING PROCESS. 
7.  SO CAN YOU GUESS  WHY THE NEVER ENDING WELD ISSUES, AND WHAT THE MISSING LINK IS?

___________

With any facility that applies an annual budget for it’s anticipated  weld repairs, you would assume that the manufacturing management created that budget from its history of typical past, annual weld repair costs, You would also think that the key weld decision makers would then strive to reduce those weld repair costs. And yet in shipyards, you will find the annual weld repair costs rarely go down, and  in most cases again thanks to lack of management and engineering process ownership expertise, the weld repair costs typically will again, like the movie Groundhog Day,  repeat, and often dramatically exceed the weld repair budget sometimes by many millions of dollars.

WHY WITH SIMPLE WELD CONTROL ARC WELD  PROCESSES ARE THERE SO MANY WELD ISSUES:  A logical manager or engineer would ask, why with the  simple to set, two control, MIG and flux cored weld process that are utilized daily for the majority most arc welds, two processes that have hardly changed in many decades,  do the responsible managers and engineers  continue to fail in their task of  owning these weld processes and better managing their  daily weld quality and productivity?  Also why after decades of experience  with these two weld processes is there little evidence of weld process control and best weld practice evolution throughout the global weld industry?

Lets face it, anyone who had spent 30 minutes at this web site would not need to be a rocket scientist to figure out why the never ending shipyard or automotive plant weld issues have been going on for decades, or why most of the aerospace, power, oil and defense industries are stuck in the welding  20th Century. The following are five common root causes of  why many of the global weld issues occur;

[1] MANY MANAGERS ARE NOT AWARE THAT MANUAL – ROBOT WELD PROCESS CONTROLS & BEST WELD PRACTICE IS AN  EXPERTISE THAT EXISTS.

[2] FEW FRONT OFFICE  WELD DECISION MAKERS HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO  RAPIDLY WORK OUT THE COST OF A COMMON 1/4 6 mm MIG OR FILLET WELD. 

[3] ENGINEERS  AND TECHNICIANS ARE NOT TAUGHT WELD PROCESS CONTROLS AND BEST WELD PRACTICES. 

[4] MANAGER AND SUPERVISORS TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT THEIR  WELD PERSONNEL HAVE TO PLAY WITH WELD CONTROLS.

[5] MANAGERS & ENGINEERS & SUPERVISORS ARE NOT AWARE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO LEARN THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WELD PROCESS OWNERSHIP. 

I do apologize for the size of this web site, however its 25% of what it once was, however the weld processes and applications discussed are diverse, the weld process issues extensive, and the repercussions of costly arc weld quality and productivity issues that daily effect the majority of the global weld industry has been going on for the five decades that I have been in this industry.  However the weld reality is, the process controls  – best weld practice subjects should be of interest to anyone that calls them self a weld professional. 

Since the 1980’s I have been documenting the  common global arc weld problems that I was asked  to resolve  in more than a 1000 weld shops in 13 countries. I have written 35 articles and had four books published on  MIG and Flux Cored weld issues and process control resolutions. My focus was always on simplifying and condensing the subject of weld process controls and best weld practices and passing this on to all weld decision makers.  I have spent decades  developing the low cost process control resources available at this site that enable managers and engineers to take ownership of their weld processes, however the sad weld reality is getting them to purchase these resources, has in most instances  been like getting a mule to drink water from a trough. 

2109:  On the subject of lack of weld evolution, their will always be a place for the traditional TIG process, (left), however  as you will read below, this 75 year old process should no longer the optimum  arc weld process of choice with  most code quality welds.

In  this home page, I will start out with some  general information on the three key common arc weld processes that will be used in the next decades, Pulsed MIG, Gas Shielded Flux Cored and  the most important will be the TIP TIG process. The reader will find with these  three weld processes, the most comprehensive manual and robot weld  process control data in this sites programs sections and  also in my weld books and training materials. And while the site is long winded due to its age and  the never ending global weld shop issues, I hope some  readers will find the information that could enable any organization to take the one path required for weld  process optimization, a path that ensures with each of the three weld processes, the best possible, consistent, uniform quality welds always of course produced at the lowest weld costs.

As  MIG is the world’s most widely utilized arc weld process, you can never have enough MIG information.

FOR ME,  50 YEARS HAVE PASSED IN THIS INDUSTRY AND I SEE LITTLE CHANGE.  Some may think it ironic that most of the MIG weld issues that  I was writing about in the 1970 -80’s, are the same issues as the MIG weld  issues that are being  generated in 2020. Please note that extensive data  on the Pulsed MIG process and the extensive pulsed MIG equipment issues are  found in  the MIG programs  section.

A WELD REALITY IS THAT FEW WELD SHOPS WERE AWARE OF THE DECADES OF POOR PULSED MIG EQUIPMENT WELD  EQUIPMENT  PERFORMANCE,  WHICH IS SIMPLY ANOTHER INDICATION OF THE LACK OF WELD PROCESS EXPERTISE THAT PREVAILS THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY. 

If the reader was to  ask their experienced weld shop floor personnel to explain why they need pulsed MIG equipment for steel welds, I can assure you that in their answers there will likely be many indications of their MIG weld process confusion. And if the front office weld decision makers were asked why they should purchase pulsed MIG for  their steel welds, they will likely tell you all the reasons that their local sales rep. (who never ran a weld shop) told them.

I have written approx. a hundred  thousand words on why Pulsed MIG is not a requirement in a weld shop that welds mostly steel and alloy steel welds, and with the introduction of TIP TIG, when rational weld process selection decisions are made, the purchase of Pulsed MIG equipment should decline especially when any code quality steel welds are required. If like me you don’t have a life,  there are decades of manual and robot pulsed MIG issues documented in  my pulsed MIG process and MIG equipment sections.

[] WELDING ROBOTS QUICKLY REVEAL THE LACK OF  MANAGEMENT WELD PROCESS OWNERSHIP:

Pulsed MIG or regular CV MIG welds, you would think it logical that those responsible for robot MIG weld decisions would be aware of the weld process and weld transfer mode  differences, so they can best utilize the weld modes in the attainment of  robot weld optimization.  You would also think that the front office weld decision makers would be aware that their employees will in most instances lack the  robot MIG weld process controls and best weld practice expertise that’s necessary to enable consistent, optimum robot MIG weld quality and productivity, always  of course with the  lowest robot down time.

[] DECADES OF MIG WELD GAS SALES AND WELD SHOP BS: 

In North America, there are forty plus MIG gas mixes available, and few weld shops that are aware that  no more than four MIG gas mixes have ever been required for all MIG welds. The majority of the MIG Gas Mix mixes sold are simply a result from the vivid imagination of a of gas marketing  or sales executive. Note: As the industrial gas marketing manager for Airgas, AGA, and Liquid Carbonic, I developed or introduced in N. America 4 of the top selling MIG gas mixes. If interested visit my MIG gas section. 

[]  A WELD PROFESSIONAL  WITH OWNERSHIP CAPABILITY WOULD SIMPLIFY, CONDENSE AND ENSURE  EMPLOYEES ARE TRAINED  IN THE PROCESS CONTROLS – BEST PRACTICES REQUIRED.

No matter what weld wire is placed on a MIG power source and what the weld metal and application is, as shown in my Training / Self teaching MIG and Gas Shielded Flux Cored weld process control – best weld practice programs, the reader will find that  there are “three” optimum weld settings. There are also MIG and  Flux Cored best weld practices that are necessary to minimize  weld defects and optimize weld productivity. The weld reality is few of your  weld personnel will be aware of the settings and practices, and as is common in many weld shops when setting a MIG or Flux Cored weld, the weld personnel will  frequently   “play around” with two weld controls that have changed little in decades.

Around 2007, in a rare weld event for me, I had the opportunity to apply my arc weld process controls – best weld practices in a US shipyard in which the managers and engineers were much more familiar with SMAW (STICK)  weld practices that were likely established in the second world war.

When hired as the shipyard weld manager, I walked into a yard in which the previous weld and engineering manager knew a lot about stick welding and nothing about  Flux Cored and MIG Weld Process Controls and Best Weld Practices. In this shipyard. within three months of my process control training, the weld quality and productivity results were staggering. The weld quality and cost information attained is below, and full info available in my flux cored section. 

WITH THE EXCESSIVE  N. AMERICAN WELD REPAIR COST OVERRUNS  ON THE PRODUCTION OF NAVY VESSELS, AND WATCHING HOW QUICKLY  CHINA CAN BUILD SIMILAR VESSELS, AFTER DECADES OF DOING NOTHING,  US  NAVY SENIOR MANAGEMENT IS BEGINNING TO WONDER WHY THE LACK OF OF WELD MANAGEMENT / ENGINEERING PROCESS OWNERSHIP EXPERTISE HAS BECOME THE NORM. A LACK OF EXPERTISE  THAT DAILY  IMPACTS THE WELD QUALITY, PRODUCTIVITY AND PRODUCTION DEADLINES. 

As you will read below, even the Navy executives who will have never run a weld shop are beginning to wonder why in the  shipyards that build their vessels, the over budget weld repairs are  always measured in the millions,  and over the decades there has been little evidence of  management coming to grips with the costly weld issues, and  rarely evidence of the understanding or importance of the use of  weld process controls or best weld practices. 

THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY SPEAKS ABOUT THE COSTLY WELD ISSUES BUT MOST OF HIS DEFENSE CONTRACTORS DON’T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND

 For those not interested in my opinions and my focus on the general  lack of weld weld best practices and weld process controls expertise, they may however want to be aware of the the words of  a Mr. Guerts, the Assistant Secretary of the US Navy.  Mr. Guerts is responsible for spending approx.  205 billion dollars next year, and as you will read below, the front office engineering and management lack of  weld process ownership in the  Navy shipyard departments that fabricate & weld have him more than worried about meeting the his annual ship build delivery and budget requirements.  See Navy below.

2021.  The USA, Australia, Europe and the UK, Thanks to China which now has the world’s largest Navy there has never been a greater demand for Naval vessels and submarines. Yet the countries mentioned are still using  the 1946 GTA process and often using inadequate or outdated weld specifications and  weld procedures. 

Process OWNERSHIP comes from My MIG – Flux Cored  and TIP TIG Manual and Robot Weld Process Controls & Best Weld Practice, Training or Self Teaching Materials.

INADEQUATE WELDER TRAINING PROGRAMS  ARE INADEQUATE IN MOST GLOBAL YARDS. All it takes is one flux Cored, lack of weld fusion defect in the right application location. and with the right circumstances, the result can be a catastrophic human and cost disaster. However the irony is that in most global ship and oil platform yards, is that they typically provide inadequate welder training programs that focus on welder skills with minimal  focus on the requirements for weld process optimization. I suppose that this is understandable as few of the shipyard managers and engineers are aware of the importance of the weld process controls and best weld practices required with the common semi-automated weld processes.

WELD QUALITY – WELD LIABILITY.

A platform such as this was used to provide offshore  accommodations. All it took was a  poor 1/4 (6mm)  flux cored fillet weld to influence  a structural component fatigue  failure, the platform collapsed into the ocean with  123 lives lost with  billions in costs.