New approaches on antigravity welding processes Danut Iordachescu*, Emil Constantin*,

The antigravity welding processes are defined as the welding processes where the welding molten metal has the natural tendency to flow. There are cases when it is necessary a very carefully technological and equipment designing activity to make efficient the mechanized antigravity welding. That was the reason to establish theoretically and experimentally some limits for the mechanized position welding parameters, with the view to obtain in a maximum productivity with imposed quality rules. For this purpose, a mathematical model of the forces that act towards the welding bath has been created. It was also necessary to verify experimentally the model and to offer some useful indications for designers and welders. Original laboratory research equipment was designed, was manufactured and was used for different experiments. The equipment have possibility to test: diverse equipment units; diverse specific features welding power supply units; welding techniques and technologies in almost every welding position; several mechanized antigravity welding processes: GMAW, PW (Plasma Welding), TIG etc. The welding electric arc deflection angle, the global equilibrium of the antigravity welding bath, a new approach of the correlation between the arc welding parameters and the weld geometry, some extreme (pushed to the limits) welding proces