TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 199/1982
By W Lucas
Background
A review of recent developments in the design of Japanese arc welding power sources has been conducted. The most salient conclusion to be drawn from this report was that, compared to European and North American designs, the power sources represented a significant technological advancement for two reasons. Firstly, increased use is made of modern electronic control systems such as thyristors, transistors and microprocessors. Secondly, by employing modern electronic manufacturing methods, the price of the power sources is significantly lower than the equivalent European and North American models of more conventional design. With regard to power source selection on the basis of operating characteristics, the major Japanese fabricators are of the opinion that their products appear to meet the stringent demands of the various sectors of industry.
When reviewing the advancements in welding technology in Japan, the opportunity has been taken to present new welding processes and improvements in fabrication techniques. Notable developments in arc welding processes include TIG (plasma) - hot wire, multiarc electrogas and narrow gap MIG, with emphasis on increased welding efficiency. In this respect, particular mention has been made of the extensive exploitation of the narrow gap MIG welding techniques where at least four different methods have been used by the major fabricators of pressure vessels.