In the new process the arc gas passes cleanly through the metal, making it highly reproducible and robust.
Another advantage of Keyhole Welding is that the process can complete welds in a single pass, minimising the possibility of contamination and increasing productivity, especially when materials thicknesses exceed about 5mm.
The process is suitable for corrosion resistant materials such as stainless steels and titanium alloys. Welding speeds are dependent on material thickness, but welding that used to take hours can now be completed in minutes. As an example, single pass welds on 12mm plate can be done at 300mm per minute, 8mm plate at 500mm per minute and 3mm plate at 1000mm per minute.
The newly developed process also permits automation of the welding process.
For more information on titanium alloys, click here.