［溶接学会論文集 第 31 巻 第４号 p.

22s-25s （2013）］

Numerical simulation on plasma property in TIG-MIG hybrid welding

process*

by Hisashi MISHIMA**, Shinichi TASHIRO***, Shuhei KANEMARU**** and Manabu TANAKA***

TIG-MIG hybrid welding process has a possibility as a new type of welding process with high quality and high efficiency. However, the
mechanism of this process is not clear due to complex interaction of TIG arc and MIG arc. In this study, the calculation of arc phenomena in
TIG-MIG hybrid welding process was performed by using three-dimensional numerical model, in which torch angle was changed.
Consequently, it was found that the expansion of high temperature plasma between the electrodes and the current between the electrodes
increased with torch angle, and the balance determined by the stiffness and repulsion of both arc was important for the convergence of heat
flux. It was also found that TIG-MIG hybrid welding process had the possibility to optimize the plasma property and the heat source property
by adjusting TIG and MIG torch angles.

Key Words: Three dimensional analysis, Hybrid welding, Pure argon shielding gas, TIG, MIG, Arc welding

1. Introduction
Gas shielded arc welding are used as arc welding processes
which require high quality welded joint. For example, TIG
welding can produce especially high quality welded joint because
it is conducted in pure inert shielded condition although welding
speed is low. On the other hand, MIG welding has advantage in
efficiency although it is necessary to admix several percent of
oxygen to shielding gas to stabilize arc plasma through prompting
thermionic electron emission from the base metal surface 1,2)
which leads to lowering of quality comparing to that of TIG
welding.
We found that MIG arc can be stable even under pure argon
shielding gas by simple hybridization of TIG and MIG. The new
3)
welding process is TIG-MIG hybrid welding process , which has
the above both advantages, high quality and high efficiency.
However, in TIG-MIG hybrid welding process, because the arc
phenomena become more complex due to interference of both arc,
it is difficult to optimize the heat source property of the process
through understanding phenomena theoretically. In this study, we
discussed the influence of torch angle on the plasma property and
the heat source property in TIG-MIG hybrid welding process with
three-dimensional numerical analysis model.
2. Simulation Model
2.1 TIG-MIG hybrid welding process
Fig.1 shows configuration diagram of welding torches and
power sources of TIG-MIG hybrid welding process in this study.
TIG torch is connected to constant current power source. On the
other hand, MIG torch is connected to constant voltage power
source. The two electrodes are set up as configuration of leading
TIG㸫trailing MIG. Arc length is defined as the shortest distance
between each electrode tip and the base metal. Distance between
TIG and MIG arc is the distance between the points where the
extension lines of each electrode axis and the base metal surface
cross.
2.2 Modeling

In this study, the numerical analysis model needs to be

three-dimensional because arc phenomenon is asymmetric in
TIG-MIG hybrid welding process. The three-dimensional model
Fig. 1 Configuration diagram of TIG-MIG hybrid welding. was developed based on the two-dimensional numerical analysis
 *Received: 2012.11.29 model assuming the axial symmetry4-7).
**
Student Member, Joining and Welding Research Institute Fig.2 shows the simulation region of the three- dimensional
Osaka University numerical analysis model assuming plane symmetry. The
***
Member, Joining and Welding Research Institute Osaka
University calculating area is 30mm×80mm×45mm. For metal transfer of
****
Member, TAIYO NIPPON SANSO Corporation.
 溶 接 学 会 論 文 集 第 31 巻（2013）第４号 23s
     ◊✲ㄽᩥ

w §¨ N wh ·¸ w §¨ N wh ·¸ w §¨ N wh ·¸
   jx Ex  j y E y  jz Ez  U
wx ¨© c p wx ¸¹ wy ¨© c p wy ¸¹ wz ¨© c p wz ¸¹ (6)
Maxwell-Ampere equation
w
 jx   w  j y  w  jz  0 (7)
wx wy wz
j x VE x , j y VE y , j z VE z (8)
In the following equations, ρ, ν, p, B, η, j, g, h, κ, cp, E, U, σ,
refer respectively density, velocity, pressure, magnetic field,
viscosity coefficient, current density, gravity acceleration,
enthalpy, thermal conductivity, specific heat, electric field,
radiation loss and electric conductance.
Table1 shows the welding conditions in this study. TIG current
Fig. 2 Simulation region of the numerical simulation model. of 300A and MIG current of 270A are defined as typical
condition. In this study, and TIG and MIG touch angles are
MIG arc, only heat transfer is considered for simplification of the changed in the range of 0°~30°and 30°~60°.
model. The heat input of droplet is supplied to the base metal Table 1 The conditions of TIG-MIG hybrid welding.
directly under the wire tip. The assumptions used in this model Condition Parameter
are listed as follows: Leading TIG㸸300A
(1) The arc plasma satisfies LTE approximation. Current
Trailing MIG㸸270A
(2) Flow is laminar. Diameter㸸ȭ4.0mm
(3) Both electrodes are in solid phases. Tungsten cathode
Tip angle㸸30°Tip diameter㸸1mm
(4) Surface of weld pool is flat.
Diameter㸸ȭ1.2mm
And the governing equations used in this model are listed as Wire anode
Extension㸸25mm
follows.
Arc length 5mm㸦TIG and MIG㸧
Mass conservation equation
Distance between
w 4mm
Uv x   w Uv y   w Uv z  0 TIG and MIG arc
wx wy wz (1)
Shielding gas Ar 25L/min 㸦TIG and MIG㸧
Momentum conservation equation
Wire feeding rate 8m/min
X direction
Welding speed 30cm/min
w w

Uvx2   Uvx v y   w Uvz vx 
wx wy wz Torch angle TIG㸸- 0°or30°㸭MIG㸸+ 30°~60°
wp § w 2v w 2v w 2v ·
  j y Bz  j z B y  K ¨¨ 2x  2x  2x ¸¸ Base metal t10mm
wx © wx wy wz ¹ (2)
Y direction
w
Uvx v y   w Uv y2  w Uv y vz 
  3. Result and discussion
wx wy wz
wp § w 2v y w 2v y w 2v y ·
  j z Bx  j x Bz  K ¨ 2   ¸ (3) 3.1 The influence of torch angle on arc property
wy ¨ wx wy 2 wz 2 ¸
© ¹
Z direction Table2 shows the current values of each classified current
w
Uvx vz   w Uv y vz   w Uvz2  path as function of torch angle. These results are calculated on the
wx wy wz following four conditions; (i) TIG0°MIG30°, (ii) TIG0°MIG45°,
wp § w 2vz w 2vz w 2vz ·
  j y Bx  j x By  K ¨¨   ¸¸  Ug Table2 The current values of each classified current path as function
wz © wx
2
wy 2 wz 2 ¹ (4)
Energy conservation equation of torch angle.(Examples are described in Fig.3)
w w w TIG0° TIG0° TIG0° TIG30°
wx

Uvx h  
wy

Uv y h 
wz

Uvz h Current path
MIG30° MIG45° MIG60° MIG30°
w §¨ N wh ·¸ w §¨ N wh ·¸ w §¨ N wh ·¸ (a) MIG wire to
   jx Ex  j y E y  jz Ez  U 264A 248A 232A 246A
wx ¨© c p wx ¸¹ wy ¨© c p wy ¸¹ wz ¨© c p wz ¸¹ base metal
(5)
Current conservation equation (b)Base metal to
294A 278A 262A 276A
w w w TIG cathode
wx

Uvx h 
wy

Uv y h wz

Uvz h
(c)Between both
6A 22A 38A 24A
electrodes
 24s 研究論文  MISHIMA et al.: Numerical simulation on plasma property in TIG-MIG hybrid welding process
(iii) TIG0°MIG60°, (iv) TIG30°MIG30°. Fig.3 shows the arc
shapes as function of torch angle.
In TIG-MIG hybrid welding process, the two electrodes with
different property and reverse polarity are facing each other, and
high temperature arc plasma between the two electrodes is
formed by the collision of the plasma jets generated near both
electrodes. Therefore, a current path is formed between two
electrodes because electrical conductivity increases there due to
existence of the high temperature arc plasma. Therefore as it can
be noticed for Table2 and Fig.3, torch angle affects the arc shape
and the current balance. It can be confirmed that the arc shape in
Fig.3 (iv) is approximately same as that observed in the
experiment3).
In case of TIG torch angle of 0°, as MIG torch angle increases
from 30° to 60°, the expansion of high temperature plasma
between the electrodes increases, and the current between
electrodes also increases. The expansion is determined by the
balance between the stiffness of arc and the repulsion of both arcs.
The electric conductivity depends on the expansion. As a result,
(i) TIG0°MIG30°
(iii) TIG0°MIG60°
Fig. 3 The arc shapes as function of torch angle.

as MIG torch angle increases, the current between the electrodes
increases from 6A to 38A.
Likewise, in case of MIG torch angle of 30°, as TIG torch
angle increases, the current between the electrodes increase,
although the distance between each electrode tip increases. From
the results, it is considered that torch angle is more effective than
the distance between each electrode tip in the current between the
electrodes.
3.2 The influence of torch angle on heat source property
Fig.4 shows the distribution of heat flux to base metal as
function of torch angle at x=0. As the distance between two peaks
of heat flux change depending on the distance between
high-temperature regions of both arcs, the distributions of heat
flux in Fig.4 approximately agree with the arc shapes in Fig.3.
The convergence of heat flux is peaked at TIG0°MIG45°. It is
considered that the convergence of heat flux depends on the
balance between the stiffness of arc and the repulsion of both arcs.
Because the distance between high-temperature regions of both
arcs becomes the shortest, and the heat input concentrates
(ii) TIG0°MIG45°
(iv) TIG30°MIG30°
 溶 接 学 会 論 文 集
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(i) TIG0°MIG30°
(iii) TIG0°MIG60°
Fig. 4 The distributions of heat flux to base metal.
between the electrodes in TIG0°MIG45°.
As compared with the other results, the maximum of heat
input becomes the smallest in TIG0°MIG60°. For this reason, it is
thought that because the length of the arc column generated from
MIG wire is longer than those of the other results, the plasma
temperature near the surface of base metal is lower than those of
the other results.
4. Conclusions
The calculation of arc phenomena in TIG-MIG hybrid welding
process was performed by using three-dimensional numerical
model, in which torch angle was changed. Consequently, it was
found that the expansion of high temperature plasma between the
electrodes and the current between the electrodes increased with
torch angle, and the balance determined by the stiffness and
repulsion of both arc was important for the convergence of heat
flux. It was also found that TIG-MIG hybrid welding process had
the possibility to optimize the plasma property and the heat
source property by adjusting TIG and MIG torch angles.
                                           
第 31 巻（2013）第４号 25s
(ii) TIG0°MIG45°
(iv) TIG30°MIG30°
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