Abstract
The auxiliary gas-shielded MAG (AMAG) process, which was devised to provide an argon-rich shielding environment using small amount of argon gas, was investigated experimentally to figure out its effects on metal transfer and weld quality. Proper conditions for the AMAG process including the argon gas ratio, position and direction of the auxiliary nozzle were determined experimentally. Performance of the AMAG process was compared with that of the double gas-shielded MAG(DMAG) and MAG processes by monitoring the bead profile, current and voltage waveforms. The AMAG process was found to provide better bead profile, more stable arc and wider operating range of spray transfer mode compared with the DMAG process. In general, performance of the AMAG process using the argon ratio of 30% was comparable to that of the MAG process using 80% argon and 20% CO₂ gas.
