Effect of surface tension metal transfer on fume formation rate during flux-cored arc welding of HSLA steel

This paper reports the effect of process parameters on fume formation rate during flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel plates using steady current mode and surface tension transfer (STT) mode. Five levels of wire feed speed and five levels of voltage were used to generate welding fumes. Fume formation rate (FFR) was determined by ANSI/AWS F1.2 method. Investigation reveals that FCAW with STT mode reduced the FFR around 40–50% when compared with steady current mode. The STT mode of welding also provides excellent weld bead geometry and microhardness level. Three-dimensional representation of FFR was generated and gives clear representation about the influence of process parameters on FFR for both the steady current mode and STT mode welding.