Development of an Ultralight Pulse Gas Metal ARC Welding System for Shipyard Applications

A significant cost in shipbuilding is setup during unit erection and outfitting to support welding operations. For small welding jobs such as hanger and tack welding, the labor associated with equipment relocation and setup can be a large part of the total cost of welding. This is primarily due to the need to move large and cumbersome welding equipment and cables through confined structures. As a result, many hangers and other light-duty welding tasks are carried out aboard ship using the shielded metal arc welding SMAW process stick welding. This manual process is relatively slow, discharges considerable fume, requires removal of welding slag and electrode stubs, and may have lower welder appeal compared to the semi-automatic pulse gas metal arc welding PGMAW process. During certain phases of construction, it has not been economical to weld all hangers with PGMAW because of the high amount of labor required to move the cumbersome welding equipment around the boat. Additionally, shipboard space restrictions frequently interfere with power supply placement and accessibility for the PGMAW wire feeder, wire conduit, and welding torch.