Acoustic analysis in gas metal arc welding: Physical mechanisms, signal processing, and applications

Abstract

Acoustic analysis has emerged as a promising, non-intrusive approach for process monitoring and quality assessment in gas metal arc welding (GMAW). The sound generated during the GMAW process originates from complex physical phenomena, including arc plasma dynamics, metal transfer mechanisms, weld pool oscillations, and shielding gas flow. Therefore, acoustic signal contains significant information related to process stability and weld formation. During the previous decades, numerous researches have been focused on the application of audible sound and acoustic emission for real-time monitoring of the GMAW process. This paper provides an overview of the application of acoustic analysis in the GMAW process. The basic mechanisms of acoustic signal generation, as well as signal acquisition and processing techniques in the time, frequency, and time-frequency domains, are considered. Key application areas are reviewed, including process stability monitoring, weld quality assessment, metal transfer mode classification, and welding defects detection. Special attention is paid to contemporary trends, challenges and the integration of acoustic analysis with intelligent welding systems, highlighting its potential as a supplementary tool for advanced GMAW process monitoring.