GB2201112A - Improvements in arc welding apparatus - Google Patents
Improvements in arc welding apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2201112A GB2201112A GB08704237A GB8704237A GB2201112A GB 2201112 A GB2201112 A GB 2201112A GB 08704237 A GB08704237 A GB 08704237A GB 8704237 A GB8704237 A GB 8704237A GB 2201112 A GB2201112 A GB 2201112A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- contact tube
- tube
- copper
- tungsten
- arc welding
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K9/00—Arc welding or cutting
- B23K9/12—Automatic feeding or moving of electrodes or work for spot or seam welding or cutting
- B23K9/122—Devices for guiding electrodes, e.g. guide tubes
- B23K9/123—Serving also as contacting devices supplying welding current to an electrode
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Arc Welding In General (AREA)
Abstract
An arc welding contact tube for use in MIG welding comprises a copper bodied tube 1 to the operative end of which is secured a replaceable tip portion 11 having a welding rod passageway co-axial with the tube and consisting of a copper/ tungsten alloy containing 76% w/w tungsten and 24% w/w copper. <IMAGE>
Description
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ARC WELDING APPARATUS"
The present invention relates to improvements in arc welding apparatus especially apparatus in which welding wire or rod is fed through a contact tube.
In metal inert gas (MIG), open-are and submerged arc welding, welding wire or rod (solid or fluxed) is taken from a supply and fed through a so-called contact tube to which the power supply of the welding apparatus is connected and which conducts the necessary power for welding to the extending portion of the wire or rod. Generaliy the contact tubes are formed from an essentially pure copper, a 1% weight/weight chromium/copper alloy or a 1% w/w beryllium (plus chromium plus cobalt) copper alloy.
The high temperatures involved in arc welding and the nature of the material used as a welding flux result in the contact tubes being subject to rapid erosion which leads to frequent replacement of the complete tube. Of the alloys mentioned above, the beryllium/ copper contact tubes have the longest life but are relatively very expensive.
There therefore exists a need for contact tubes having prolonged life without excessive increase in cost over those currently available.
We have now found that if the end of å contact tube, for example a tube of substantially pure copper, is recessed and provided with a tip portion formed from a sintered tungsten/copper alloy containing at least 65% tungsten, then a very substantial increase in life, for example five fold, is obtained for the tube. Furthermore, ~ because only the tip of the tube is subject to erosion, this can then be removed and replaced with a new tip, thus avoiding the need to purchase completely new contact tubes each time the tip is eroded to the point of requiring replacement.
The tungsten/copper alloy, which is preferably of elkonite w w/w W., 24% w/w Cu), sold by Johnson Mathey under the trade name "Mathey 20w3" has good electrical conductivity and does not adversley affect the flow of power from the contact tube to the extending end portion of the wire or rod.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawing which is a part cross-section through a contact tube.
In the drawing. a contact tube generally indicated at 1 comprises a body portion 2 through which extends an axial passageway 3, having a lead-in portion 5 at the inner end thereof. At the outer end. a recess 10 is formed, in which is located an elkonite tip 11 containing an axial passageway 12, co-axial with passageway 3. The tip 11 is conveniently secrued within the recess 10 by silver soldering.
The contact tube 1 is, in use,secured in a conventional hand held welding gun such as a MIG gun, in which case it will be surrounded by a shroud for controlling the flow of inert gas around the end of the welding wire. Welding wire 5, taken from a supply is inserted through leadin portion 4 into axial passageway 3, through passageway 12 until a portion 6 projects from the end of the contact tube. MIG. submerged arc or open-arc welding is then undertaken in the normal manner until such time that erosion of the tip requires that the contact tube be removed. After removal, the tip 11 from the contact tube is itself removed and replaced by a new.tip after which the tube can be replaced within the welding gun.
Although the contact tube has been described as being of substantially pure copper, tubes manufactured from alloys normally used for this purpose will be equally effective and it is anticipated that the life of such tubes will also be substantially increased.
The tip of the tube will, of course, be dimensioned to suit the particular contact tube to which it is to be secured, and have the correctpassageway dimensions for the wire or rod that is to be employed.
Claims (5)
1. An electric arc welding contact tube comprising a copper body to the operative end of which is secured a tip portion consisting of a tungsten/copper alloy containing at least 65%w/w tungsten and having a welding rod wire passageway co-axial with the corresponding passageway in the contact tube.
2. A contact tube wherein the tungsten/copper alloy contains 76% W/w tungsten and 2#% wlw copper.
3. A contact tube according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the said end of the contact tube is recessed to receive the said alloy tip portion and said tip portion is replaceable.
4. A contact tube according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the body of the tube is formed of substantially pure copper.
5. A contact tube substantially as herein described with reference to the drawing.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8704237A GB2201112B (en) | 1987-02-24 | 1987-02-24 | Improvements in arc welding techniques |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8704237A GB2201112B (en) | 1987-02-24 | 1987-02-24 | Improvements in arc welding techniques |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8704237D0 GB8704237D0 (en) | 1987-04-01 |
| GB2201112A true GB2201112A (en) | 1988-08-24 |
| GB2201112B GB2201112B (en) | 1990-02-28 |
Family
ID=10612794
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8704237A Expired - Fee Related GB2201112B (en) | 1987-02-24 | 1987-02-24 | Improvements in arc welding techniques |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2201112B (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5618456A (en) * | 1994-05-24 | 1997-04-08 | Korea Institute Of Machinery & Metals | Improvement of surface property of tip and nozzle for gas welder made of copper and copper alloys by chemical conversion coating treatment |
| US6093907A (en) * | 1995-10-03 | 2000-07-25 | Kabushiki Kaisha Smk | Contact tip for welding |
| CN102114529B (en) * | 2009-12-31 | 2012-09-05 | 南京理工大学 | Method for induction heating fusion-cast welding of copper-tungsten mold |
| WO2024044292A1 (en) * | 2022-08-26 | 2024-02-29 | Elco Enterprises, Inc. | Multi-piece contact for an end assembly of a welding device |
-
1987
- 1987-02-24 GB GB8704237A patent/GB2201112B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5618456A (en) * | 1994-05-24 | 1997-04-08 | Korea Institute Of Machinery & Metals | Improvement of surface property of tip and nozzle for gas welder made of copper and copper alloys by chemical conversion coating treatment |
| US6093907A (en) * | 1995-10-03 | 2000-07-25 | Kabushiki Kaisha Smk | Contact tip for welding |
| CN102114529B (en) * | 2009-12-31 | 2012-09-05 | 南京理工大学 | Method for induction heating fusion-cast welding of copper-tungsten mold |
| WO2024044292A1 (en) * | 2022-08-26 | 2024-02-29 | Elco Enterprises, Inc. | Multi-piece contact for an end assembly of a welding device |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8704237D0 (en) | 1987-04-01 |
| GB2201112B (en) | 1990-02-28 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 19940224 |