Mechanism of the Influence of Weld Pool Wall Constraint on Weld Profile Formation in Gas Metal Arc Welding of Aluminum Alloy

This paper aims to clarify the influence of the wall constraint on the convection behavior of molten metal in a molten pool and improve the weld formation and mechanical property. In this paper, the flow behavior of molten metal under the action of weld pool wall constraint and driving forces is studied; especially, the mechanism of weld pool wall constraint on the flow behavior of molten metal and its influence on the weld formation are studied and verified. Additionally, the influence of convection behavior on the composition distribution and properties of weld are explored. The results show that the bottom wall of the molten pool has the function of constraint on the molten metal, which directly determines the profile and size of the upper and lower reinforcement of the weld. Therefore, the reinforcement forming coefficient R-c is proposed to value the diversion ability of the bottom wall. Meanwhile, the EDS results demonstrate that the flow pattern of molten metal has a significant effect on the distribution of the weld composition for different profiles of weld. For the weld with depressed upper reinforcement, its mechanical properties can be significantly improved because of its enhanced wall constraint when the supporting plate is added.