METAL DROPLET DEPOSITION - REVIEW OF INNOVATIVE JOINING TECHNIQUE

With pulsed gas metal arc (GMA) welding, many metal droplets per secon d are pinched off from the welding wire. The resultant continuous flow of metal droplets forms the weldment together with the parts to be jo ined. Each droplet has a certain heat content that it passes on to its surroundings. The droplet deposition welding process, instead of form ing many droplets per second is able to form only one droplet at any d esired moment. This single metal droplet call then be used to make a w elded joint. The relatively new welding process of droplet deposition welding can be applied, for example, as a replacement joining techniqu e for brazing and lead-tin soldering. The present paper reviews the hi story of this welding process and its industrial application. (C) 1997 The Institute of Materials.