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Review
. 2023 Nov 6;16(21):7054.
doi: 10.3390/ma16217054.

Critical Review on Magnetically Impelled Arc Butt Welding: Challenges, Perspectives and Industrial Applications

Mukti Chaturvedi  1 , Arungalai Vendan Subbiah  1 , George Simion  2 , Carmen Catalina Rusu  2 , Elena Scutelnicu  2
Affiliations
Review

Critical Review on Magnetically Impelled Arc Butt Welding: Challenges, Perspectives and Industrial Applications

Mukti Chaturvedi et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

Magnetically Impelled Arc Butt (MIAB) welding is a cutting-edge joining method that replaces the conventional welding procedures such as resistance, friction, flash and butt welding. It is a solid-state process that uses a rotating arc to heat up the butt ends of tubes, being followed by a forging process that completes the joining of the workpieces The magnetic flux density and the current interact to develop the Lorentz force that impels the arc along the faying surfaces. This process is found to produce high tensile strength and defect-free welds in ferrous materials and for this reason, it is predominantly employed in automobile applications for joining metallic tubes. Also, this joining procedure can be applied in the fabrication of boilers, heat exchangers, furnace piping in petrochemical industry and other safety-critical high-pressure machinery parts. The MIAB method has several advantages such as a shorter welding cycle, lower input energy requirement and lower loss of material. Compared to other solid-state welding processes, the MIAB welding has an important advantage in terms of cost-efficient welds with better control and reliability. Moreover, there are researchers who have investigated the joining of non-ferrous dissimilar materials using this welding procedure. The studies have been focused on process parametric analysis that involves optimizing and forecasting the magnetic field and thermal profile distribution. This review article provides competitive insights into various design features, computational methods, tests and material characterization, technical issues and workarounds, as well as automation aspects related to the MIAB-welding process. This work will prove to be a quick reference for researchers, useful to identify the research gaps and conflicting ideas that can be further explored for advancements in joining the similar and dissimilar materials.

Keywords: MIAB welding; equipment; industrial applications; joint characterisation; key process parameters; numerical analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of the MIAB-welding process [9].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Illustration of magnetic flux, current vectors, and Lorentz force.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Magnetic flux density versus distance from the tubes outer surface for different coil positions distances and constant current of 1.0 A [12].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Magnetic flux density versus distance from the tubes outer surface for different current values. Reproduced from [13], Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, with permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2009.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic diagram of MIAB-welding process [16].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Profile of predicted (dashed line) and experimental (solid line) heat flow [26].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Temperature distribution for high-speed arc or analogous multi-arc system. Reproduced from [14], International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, with permission from IOS Press, 2014.
Figure 8
Figure 8
MIAB device design: (a) parts of the device (b) longitudinal small coils. Reproduced from [29], Annals of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Fascicle XII, Welding Equipment and Technology, with permission of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 2001.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Principle sketch of the transverse magnetizing system: (a) superior half-disk (b) parts of the device and radial arrangement of coils. Reproduced from [30], Annals of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Fascicle XII, Welding Equipment and Technology, with permission of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 2000.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Preparation of materials’ edges [40].
Figure 11
Figure 11
Original longitudinal magnetisation system with multiple solenoids. Reproduced from [10], Journal of Materials Processing Technology, with permission from Elsevier, 2010.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Arc stability zones vs. different gap lengths and welding current. Reproduced from [10], Journal of Materials Processing Technology, with permission from Elsevier, 2010.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Weld (right side). Reproduced from [10], Journal of Materials Processing Technology, with permission from Elsevier, 2010.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Weld (left side). Reproduced from [10], Journal of Materials Processing Technology, with permission from Elsevier, 2010.
Figure 15
Figure 15
HAZ with partially and completely recrystallised region. Reproduced from [11], Welding in the World, with permission from Springer Nature, 2002.
Figure 16
Figure 16
SEM image of TMAZ1. Reproduced from [5], Materials Today: Proceedings, with permission from Elsevier, 2020.
Figure 17
Figure 17
SEM image of WI. Reproduced from [5], Materials Today: Proceedings, with permission from Elsevier, 2020.
Figure 18
Figure 18
SEM image of TMAZ3. Reproduced from [5], Materials Today: Proceedings, with permission from Elsevier, 2020.
Figure 19
Figure 19
SEM Microstructure [45].
Figure 20
Figure 20
W-H Plot of weld region [49].
Figure 21
Figure 21
XRD Spectral analysis of weld region [49].
Figure 22
Figure 22
Comparison of B-scan and CT results in the cross sections of the shaft A–A, C–C, D–D and detail B [55].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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