Abstract

The advanced variant of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) known as cold metal transfer (CMT) developed by Fronius in Austria is used to overcome heat-input- and fusion-related issues such as porosity and cracking in welding of AA8011-H18 alloy sheets. AA8011-H18 alloy sheets 3 mm thick were welded using normal CMT-GMAW and pulsed CMT (PCMT)-GMAW processes. The microstructure of the weld metal and heat-affected zone was analyzed using an optical microscope. The tensile properties and hardness of joints were evaluated and compared. The results revealed that the PCMT-GMAW joints showed 26.45, 48.97 and 40.42% improvements in tensile strength, yield strength and elongation, respectively, compared with CMT-GMAW joints. The superior tensile performance of PCMT-GMAW joints compared with that of CMT-GMAW joints is due to the current pulsing effects along with the wire retraction mechanism, which aids in reducing the heat input and controlled droplet transfer.

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