Consumable Double-Electrode GMAW -Part 1: The Process Arc stability, bypass current, and metal transfer mode were studied to better understand the fundamental issues of the process

Double-electrode gas metal arc welding (DE-GMAW) is a novel welding process recently developed to increase welding productivity while maintaining the base metal heat input at a desired low level. In this paper, the DE-GMAW process was improved by replacing its non-consumable tungsten electrode with a consumable welding wire electrode resulting in a new process called consumable DE-GMAW. To understand this new process and its prospects as an effective manufacturing process, the authors have studied fundamental issues and proposed solutions to resolve the problems encountered. These fundamental issues include the stability of the process, the adjustability of the bypass current, the effects of the bypass arc on the total current and the melting rate, and the mode of metal transfer of the bypass welding wire.