Motal transfer is a complex phenomenon involving melting and interaction between various forces exerted on the molten tip of the electrode. Several attempts were made to figure out the mechanism of molten drop formation and detachment through theoretical modeling. One of the models applied the static force balance in the molten drop having the spherical shape, and another applied pinch instability theory assuming the electrode as the current-conducting cylinder. The current work takes a different approach, applying energy method to study the effects of welding conditions on the shape of the molten electrode tip. With some limitations, effects of the welding conditions on the metal transfer can be estimated through change of the molten tip shape in the globular and spray transfer modes.
