Introduction to the context/topic

Welding is a cost-effective and productive process for joining metals and is a critically important process in modern manufacturing. It is estimated that over 50% of global domestic and engineering products contain welded joints. GMAW, shown in Figure 1, is currently the most commonly used fusion joint method in product manufacturing due to its many advantages, such as its applicability for most common industrial metals, its suitability for all weld positions, the high-quality welds produced, high welding speed, and suitability for automation. GMAW is, however, a complicated process that involves complex interactions of arc plasma, metal transfer, weld pool dynamics, and solidification with simultaneous interplay of materials with the plasma, gaseous, and solid states. In addition to experimental study of GMAW welds, numerical models have been developed to examine the complex phenomena in a GMAW process, which include electromagnetics, heat transfer, fluid flow, metal transfer, microstructure evolution, and thermal and mechanical effects. Experimental study and numerical modeling of the GMAW process have significantly improved understanding of the welding physics and have enabled improved optimization of welding process parameters and more reliable prediction of microstructure evolution and weld properties.

Although GMAW has been used for many decades, the importance of further advancements in GMAW cannot be underestimated as they can lead to more efficient production strategies, resource savings and quality improvements. This book provides an overview of various aspects associated with GMAW, starting from its theoretical basis and ending with the characteristics of industrial applications and control methods. Additional sections cover ancillary processes associated with welding and welding control, such as fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, and others.

Welding and joining are essential for the manufacture of a vast range of engineering components, from very large structures, such as ships and bridges, to very complex structures such as aircraft engines and miniature components for micro-electronic applications.

Information about why you wanted to study the topic.

In view of the increasing industrialization and urbanization of modern society, the future looks promising for welding, and it will continue to be an important, productive, and cost-effective manufacturing method. However, steps must be taken to attract skilled personnel into the industry, and changes must be made to accommodate the changing demands of modern society and working life (e.g., greater welding automation). The welding industry must embrace all modern-day technological tools to keep pace with the rest of the world.

The book Advancements in Intelligent Gas Metal Arc Welding Systems aims to cover recent advances in the development of gas metal arc welding and experimental study of GMAW processes, sensing and control of GMAW processes, process optimization, and new applications of GMAW. Readers can gain knowledge of many aspects of welding and read the chapters in any order they prefer.

As modern manufacturing shifts towards automated technologies, research in the field of intelligent robots with the ability to make human-like decisions has been a hot topic of interest. This has led to investigation of the integration of robotic science, sensor technology, monitoring and control systems, artificial intelligence and other relevant technologies in practical applications of intelligent robotic welding. For example, information gathered from sensors plays an important role in the design of robust control systems for controlling the overall behavior of a welding system using computer vision, Figure 2. Professionals, welding and manufacturing engineers, materials scientists and researchers in the fields of manufacturing engineering, welding, joining, materials science, metallic materials and welding require knowledge of this area of modern welding practice, as do engineers taking the IIW certificate “IWE” and students at Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral levels, who represent the future of the welding industry.

Further details, i.e., the issues and problems involved

Advancements in Intelligent Gas Metal Arc Welding Systems sheds lights on many challenges facing GMAW practitioners and offers best practices and mitigation methods for problems and risks connected with GMAW. Additionally, it provides an in-depth overview of control methods for the welding process, such as fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, and others. These methods are gaining in popularity and will likely become widely used in future welding applications. At present, however, few companies are fully exploiting these welding control related techniques. The book demonstrates the ease of using systematic welding procedures and ensures that welding engineers have sufficient understanding of the GMAW process to achieve increases in productivity.

The ease with which knowledge of basic aspects of gas metal arc welding can be acquired allows welders to become proficient in the technique quickly with limited time spent on training and optimization of the process.  In the short term, this can be beneficial, and it partly explains the ubiquity of welding, yet it can cause problems down the line.  Manufacturers who are just starting to use the process often find themselves creating welds that are inferior and many welders are unsure of how to correct these problems.  The tips listed in this book are designed to help gas metal arc welders recognize errors and take appropriate mitigation steps to prevent problems from occurring repeatedly.

What the book does

The book provides an essential overview of the GMAW welding process and can be useful for manufacturers considering adopting GMAW, and manufacturers who already use this process or who are interested in exploring further its many possibilities. The book provides a concise, practical and sufficiently deep overview of the most important aspects of GMAW to allow understanding and application of GMAW in contemporary industrial and commercial operations. Actual industrial cases are used to demonstrate the advantages of GMAW automatization and robotization. This information is valuable for companies that are making first steps towards the use of modern welding automation or increasing their welding production automation. Investing in the skills and knowledge of employees is an important step to ensure the productivity and competitiveness of welding production.

Overall, Advancements in Intelligent Gas Metal Arc Welding Systems presents valuable information on modern GMAW in a comprehensive and organized manner, and industrial engineers will find many useful details to deepen their understanding of GMAW, which will enable them to achieve costs savings and profit from efficiency improvements in GMAW production.

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