Efficiency of tungsten-inert-gas arcs in very-high-speed welding

Previous work with high-speed tungsten-inert-gas (t.i.g.) arcs has shown the need for experiments to determine their melting performance. To achieve this, a new apparatus has been built in which the workpiece is of substantial thickness, rather than the earlier tests which used thin shims as the workpiece. The apparatus also has a calorimetric capability, which allows the magnitude of the total heat input to be determined. Data describing the variation of the weld penetration, width and cross-section over a wide range of arcing conditions (current, speed, tip angle, arc gap) have been determined. Additionally, interesting observations have been made concerning the changing distribution of heat input under certain arcing conditions.