Predicting the combined effect of TiO2 nano-particles and welding input parameters on the hardness of melted zone in submerged arc welding by fuzzy logic

Submerged arc welding (SAW) is a high-quality arc welding process used in heavy industries for welding thick plates. In this process, selecting appropriate values for the input parameters is required for high productivity and cost effectiveness. A very important weld quality characteristic affected by welding input parameters is the hardness of melted zone (HMZ). This paper reports the applicability of fuzzy logic (FL) to predict HMZ in the SAW process which is affected by the combined effect of TiO₂ nano-particles and welding input parameters. The arc voltage, welding current, welding speed, contact tip-to-plate distance, and TiO₂ nano-particles were used as input parameters and HMZ as the response to develop FL model. A five-level five-factor central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used in the experiments to generate experimental data. Experiments were performed, and HMZs were measured. The predicted results from FL were compared with the experimental data. The correlation factor value obtained was 99.99% between the measured and predicted values of HMZ. The results showed that FL is an accurate and reliable technique for predicting HMZ because of its low error rate.     

Mathematical models for control of weld bead penetration in the GMAW process

This paper presents the effects of welding process parameters on weld bead penetration for the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process. Welding process parameters included wire diameter, gas flow rate, welding speed, arc current and welding voltage. The experimental results have shown that weld bead penetration increased as wire diameter, arc current and welding voltage increased, whereas an increase in welding speed was found to decrease the weld bead penetration. However, the weld bead penetration is not affected significantly by gas flow rate changes. Mathematical equations for study of the relationship between welding process parameters and weld bead penetration have also been computed by employing a standard statistical package program, SAS.     

Optimization of pulsed GTA welding process parameters for the welding of AISI 304L stainless steel sheets

Optimization of pulsed gas tungsten arc welding (pulsed GTAW) process parameters was carried out to obtain optimum weld bead geometry with full penetration in welding of stainless steel (304L) sheets of 3 mm thickness. Autogenuous welding with square butt joint was employed. Design of experiments based on central composite rotatable design was employed for the development of a mathematical model correlating the important controllable pulsed GTAW process parameters like pulse current (I _p), pulse current duration (T _p), and welding speed (S) with weld bead parameters such as penetration, bead width (W), aspect ratio (AR), and weld bead area of the weld. The developed models were checked for adequacy based on ANOVA analysis and accuracy of prediction by conducting a confirmation test. Weld bead parameters predicted by the models were found to confirm observed values with high accuracy. Using these models, the main and interaction effects of pulsed GTAW process parameters on weld bead parameters were studied and discussed. Optimization of pulsed GTAW process parameters was carried out to obtain optimum bead geometry using the developed models. A quasi-Newton numerical optimization technique was used to solve the optimization problem and the results of the optimization are presented.     

Study on arc characteristics and their influences on weld bead geometry in narrow gap GMAW of 5083 Al-alloy

As an efficient process, narrow gap gas metal arc welding (NG-GMAW) was employed to join thick plates of 5083 Al-alloy. In this paper, arc characteristics in NG-GMAW of 5083 Al-alloy and their influence on the weld bead geometry were studied with synchronous acquisition system for various groove types, welding modes, welding current levels, and swing frequencies. The arc profiles were measured and appear to be entirely different compared with that in bead-on-plate GMAW process, meanwhile the arc size changes with varied welding mode, welding current, and arc swing frequency. Arc characteristics highly affect the weld bead geometrical parameters such as bead width, welding penetration, sidewall penetration, and weld surface concavity. Linear regressions were made between the arc characteristics and the weld bead geometrical parameters both in swing and non-swing arc process. It showed that a negative linear correlation exists between welding penetration and arc length, sidewall penetration, and arc warpage, while a positive linear correlation exists between weld surface concavity and arc warpage in non-swing arc process. In contrast, a non-linear correlation exists among them and the variation tendency remains the same in swing arc process.     

Modeling of multiple characteristics of an arc weld joint

Process parameters modeling have always been one of the key aspects in development of an adaptive control of arc welding process. The welding process parameters are inherently nonlinear, time-delayed, and interdependent, and their on-time adjustment highly influences a sound weld bead formation and process monitoring. During the welding process, parameters control is the primary goal to leads a quality welding. Moreover, the final weld joint behavior, i.e., residual stress, welding strength, and micro-crack formation are generally observed after cooling of the weld product. Thus, it has always been a difficult task to control mechanical properties of a final weld joint. To obtain the best mechanical properties, the final weld joint characteristics needed to be controlled and predicted during the process itself by precise adjustment of the process parameters. The paper presents a neuro-fuzzy modeling approach to provide adaptive control for the automatic process parameter adjustment. Three input parameters wire feed speed, welding gap, and torch speed are modeled with welding current output, providing control over weld bead formation during the welding. The same input process parameters are also modeled to predict final weld joint characteristics, i.e., dilution ratio, hardness of weld bead, hardness of fused zone, and bead width. In order to ascertain the effectiveness of the neuro-fuzzy modeling approach, multiple regression models were also developed to compare the performances.     

Slag recycling in submerged arc welding and its influence on weld quality leading to parametric optimization

Slag generated during conventional submerged arc welding (SAW) has been recycled by mixing varying percentages of crushed slag with fresh flux to use in subsequent runs. The influence of using flux-slag mixture on various aspects of SAW weld parameters of bead geometry have been investigated in a quantitative basis. Slag has been reprocessed and reused in submerged arc welding to produce bead-on-plate weld on mild steel plates. Apart from conventional process parameters: voltage (OCV), wire feed rate, nozzle to plate distance (stick-out) and traverse speed, welding has been carried out using various percentages of flux-slag mixture; the % of fused flux in the mixture has been treated as a process parameter. Various bead geometry parameters viz. bead width; reinforcement, depth of penetration and depth of HAZ have been measured for each of weld prepared in the study. Using experimental data, a grey-based Taguchi approach has been applied for parametric optimization of this non-conventional SAW process. The aim was to reveal the optimal amount of slag-mix%, which could be applied in SAW process without imposing any adverse effect on features of bead geometry and HAZ. Optimal result has been checked through confirmatory test.     

Optimization of weld bead geometry in the activated GMA welding process via a grey-based Taguchi method

We optimized the weld bead geometry of 6061 aluminum alloy welds pre-coated with activating flux before gas metal arc (GMA) welding. In this activated GMA welding process, there were five single component fluxes used in the initial experiment to evaluate the penetration capability of bead-on-plate GMA welds. Based on the higher penetration of weld bead, two single component fluxes were selected to create mixed component flux in next stage. The grey-based Taguchi method was employed to obtain the optimal welding parameters that were considered with multiple quality characteristics such as penetration, depth-to-width ratio (DWR) and fusion area of GMA welds. The experimental procedure of the proposed approach not only increases penetration of 6061 aluminum alloy welds, but also improves the DWR and fusion area of GMA butt-joint welds simultaneously.     

Optimization of Inconel 718 alloy welds in an activated GTA welding via Taguchi method, gray relational analysis, and a neural network

The purpose of this work is to optimize the weld bead geometry of Inconel 718 alloy gas tungsten arc (GTA) welds that are coated with activating flux before welding. In order to obtain the optimal welding parameters with multiple quality characteristics (QCs) such as penetration and depth-to-width ratio (DWR) of weld bead, the Taguchi method (TM), gray relational analysis (GRA), and a neural network (NN) are employed in this work. The TM is first used to construct a database for the NN. The GRA is adopted to solve the problem of multiple QCs. The gray relational grade (GRG) obtained from the GRA is used as the output of the backpropagation (BP) NN. Then, a NN with the Levenberg–Marquardt BP (LMBP) algorithm is used to provide the nonlinear relationship between welding parameters and GRG of each specimen. The optimal parameters of the activated GTA welding process are determined by simulating parameters using a well-trained BPNN model. The experimental procedure of the proposed approach not only improves the DWR of weld bead but also increases the penetration of Inconel 718 alloy welds.     

Optimization of weld bead geometry in GTAW of CP titanium using imperialist competitive algorithm

This paper aims to use a novel optimization algorithm called imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) in order to optimize the weld bead geometry in the gas tungsten arc welding process. This algorithm offers some advantages such as simplicity, accuracy, and time saving. Experiments were conducted in order to collect welding data and obtain a relationship for the bead geometry as a function of welding current, arc voltage, welding speed, and arc length. Furthermore, a regression equation for depth of penetration and bead width was obtained using the least squares method, and the equations were optimized using ICA. Ultimately, the value of the input variables to obtain minimum bead width and maximum depth of penetration was calculated using ICA. Computational results indicate that the proposed algorithm is quite effective and powerful in optimizing the cost function.     

Effect of process parameters and mathematical model for the prediction of bead geometry in pulsed GMA welding

Pulsed gas metal arc welding is one of the most widely used processes in the industry. It offers spray metal transfer at low average currents, high metal deposition rate, versatility, less distortion, and the ability to be used in automated robotic welding systems. The weld bead plays an important role in determining the mechanical properties of the weld. Its geometric parameters, viz., width, reinforcement height, and penetration, are decided according to the welding process parameters, such as wire feed rate, welding speed, pulse current magnitude, frequency (cycle time), etc. Therefore, to produce good weld bead geometry, it is important to set the proper welding process parameters. In the present paper, mathematical models that correlate welding process parameters to weld bead geometry are developed with experimental investigation. Taguchi methods are applied to plan the experiments. Five process parameters, viz., wire feed rate, plate thickness, pulse frequency, pulse current magnitude, and travel speed, are selected to develop the models using multiple regression analysis. The models developed were checked for their adequacy. Results of confirmation experiments show that the models can predict the bead geometry with reasonable accuracy.     

Genetic algorithm based optimization of the process parameters for gas metal arc welding of AISI 904 L stainless steel

The present study is focused on welding of super austenitic stainless steel sheet using gas metal arc welding process with AISI 904 L super austenitic stainless steel with solid wire of 1.2 mm diameter. Based on the Box — Behnken design technique, the experiments are carried out. The input parameters (gas flow rate, voltage, travel speed and wire feed rate) ranges are selected based on the filler wire thickness and base material thickness and the corresponding output variables such as bead width (BW), bead height (BH) and depth of penetration (DP) are measured using optical microscopy. Based on the experimental data, the mathematical models are developed as per regression analysis using Design Expert 7.1 software. An attempt is made to minimize the bead width and bead height and maximize the depth of penetration using genetic algorithm.     

Prevention of humping bead associated with high welding speed by double-electrode gas metal arc welding

Manufacturing productivity can be improved by increasing the welding speed. However, humping bead will occur when welding speed is beyond a certain value. An experimental system of double-electrode gas metal arc welding (DE-GMAW) was developed to implement high speed welding and prevent from humping bead formation. The DE-GMAW appropriately partition the heat energy between the wire and the base metal so that higher deposition rate of filler wire and suitable shape and size of weld pool are ensured. The arc images captured during DE-GMAW process were used to optimize the geometric parameters between the gas tungsten arc welding and the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) torches. The main arc and bypass arc integrated well and satisfactory weld bead formation was obtained. Through observing the weld pool behaviors from side view during DE-GMAW process, it was found that the height of both solidified and molten region at the pool tail is almost flat so that no humping bead was formed during DE-GMAW with the welding speed up to 1.7?m/min. The side view images of weld pool in DE-GMAW were compared with those in conventional GMAW, and the reason why DE-GMAW can suppress humping bead is shortly discussed.     

Study on the burning loss of magnesium in fiber laser welding of an Al-Mg alloy by optical emission spectroscopy

In order to study the burning loss of magnesium, a specially designed device was used to capture the spectrum emitted from the keyhole plasma in deep penetration laser welding of aluminum alloy 5052. The content of magnesium in the weld bead was measured by an electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). The effect of the welding parameters on the spectral intensity of magnesium plasma was examined, and the distributions of the spectral intensity of magnesium plasma in the radial and depth directions of the keyhole were investigated. Finally, the mechanism of the magnesium loss was analyzed. The results indicate that burning loss of magnesium can be monitored by spectral analysis technique. The welding parameters have a great effect on the burning loss of magnesium. The influence of welding speed on the burning loss of magnesium on the top surface is dependent on the penetration regime. The distribution of magnesium in the weld is not uniform. In the radial direction of the weld bead, the content of magnesium increases from the center to the edge of the keyhole. In the depth direction of the weld bead, the content of magnesium decreases firstly and then increases from the top to bottom. The maximum burning loss of magnesium occurs at the middle of the weld bead.     

Gas Pool Coupled Activating TIG Welding Method with Coupling Arc Electrode

Gas pool coupled activating TIG(GPCA?TIG) welding put forward in?house can dramatically enhance weld penetration of TIG welding through introducing active element oxygen to reverse the Marangoni convection flow in the molten pool. In order to further improve the welding productivity, the normal solid tungsten electrode is replaced by a kind of coupling arc electrode. The changes of arc pressure distribution along anode surface and the weld appearance were evaluated. On this basis, the dependences of weld shape characterized with weld depth, width and undercut on the main welding parameters were discussed. The results indicate, the substitution of coupling arc electrode can lead to an obvious decrease of arc pressure. Compared to hollow tungsten electrode and twin tungsten electrodes, the coupling arc electrode is much easier to manufacture and has more compacter structure. Combined with the symmetric distribution of arc pressure in di erent directions, this electrode has extensive adaptability. In the GPCA?TIG welding with coupling arc electrode, both the substitution of coupling arc electrode and the introduction of outer active gas oxygen can reduce the possibilities of producing humping bead and undercut. Their joint action makes this welding method have the capability of realizing high travel speed and deep penetration welding.     

Experimental investigation on submerged arc welding of Cr–Mo–V steel

Welding aspects of a high-quality Cr–Mo–V steel are investigated in the present work. Cr–Mo–V steel can be suggested as a best choice for fabrication of pressure vessels to be operated in high-temperature operating conditions. Welding of this group of steel demands very critical attention on the parameters setting of chosen welding process. Only a few researchers had carried out research on the optimization aspects of the submerged arc welding of Cr–Mo–V steel. In the present work, complete experimental analysis is carried out on the submerged arc welding of Cr–Mo–V steel. The important input process parameters considered are welding current, voltage, welding speed, and wire feed. The effect of these input parameters is studied on various responses related to weld bead geometry and few mechanical properties. Taguchi’s L₉ orthogonal array is used for design of experiment and the mathematical models are developed for the responses using MINITAB 15 software. The models developed are validated by conducting more experiments. Optimised parameter setting is also obtained by using a recently developed teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm.     

Nd:YAG激光+脉冲MAG电弧复合热源焊接参数对焊缝熔深的影响

试验研究Nd:YAG激光 脉冲MAG电弧复合热源焊接过程中焊接参数对焊缝熔深的影响.研究结果表明,复合热源焊缝熔深随电弧功率和激光功率的增大而增大,随焊接速度的增大而减小,并且在相同参数下,复合热源焊缝熔深稍大于激光焊缝熔深而显著大于脉冲MAG焊缝熔深.对于不同焊接电流,光丝间距在0～3 mm内复合热源焊缝取得最大熔深,且取得最大熔深的光丝间距与焊接电流大小有关;复合热源焊缝熔深在离焦量为2 mm时取得最大值.试验结果分析表明,在激光 电弧复合热源焊接过程中激光功率不仅决定复合热源焊缝熔深,而且可以极大地提高焊接速度:MAG电弧也可提高Nd:YAG激光焊的热效率.     

弧焊机器人摆动跟踪时摆幅与频率的模糊模式识别

针对10 mm厚钢板V形坡口接头的弧焊机器人摆动跟踪焊接,实时测量电弧电压和焊接电流的瞬时值,对其进行两次统计处理,构建不同摆幅和摆动频率时的焊接电参数特征矢量,采用模糊模式识别技术,建立了焊接电参数特征矢量与摆动焊接摆幅和频率的内在联系,为定量研究摆幅和频率对V形坡口焊缝成形的影响提供依据。     

Optimisation of the weld bead geometry in gas tungsten arc welding by the Taguchi method

In this paper, determination of the welding process parameters for obtaining an optimal weld bead geometry in gas tungsten arc welding is presented. The Taguchi method is used to formulate the experimental layout, to analyse the effect of each welding process parameter on the weld bead geometry, and to predict the optimal setting for each welding process parameter. Experimental results are presented to explain the proposed approach.     

Multiresponse optimization of laser welding of stainless steels in a constrained fillet joint configuration using RSM

This paper presents experimental design approach to process parameter optimization for CW Nd/YAG laser welding of ferritic/austenitic stainless steels in a constrained fillet configuration. To determine the optimal welding parameters, response surface methodology was used to develop a set of mathematical models relating the welding parameters to each of the weld characteristics. The quality criteria considered to determine the optimal settings were the maximization of weld resistance length and shearing force, and the minimization of weld radial penetration. Laser power, welding speed, and incident angle are the factors that affect the weld bead characteristics significantly. A rapid decrease in weld shape factor and increase in shearing force with the line energy input in the range of 15–17 kJ/m depicts the establishment of a keyhole regime. A focused beam with laser power and welding speed respectively in the range of 860–875 W and 3.4–4.0 m/min and an incident angle of around 12° were identified as the optimal set of laser welding parameters to obtain stronger and better welds.     

Application of arc plasma spectral information in the monitor of Al–Mg alloy pulsed GTAW penetration status based on fuzzy logic system

In this paper, an intelligent fuzzy system based on arc spectral information was proposed to recognize the weld penetration status. A spectrometer and a visual sensor were used simultaneously to collect the arc spectral and visual information about the Al–Mg alloy pulsed GTAW process, respectively. Principal component analysis was utilized for spectral line identification, redundancy removal and spectral characteristic signals extraction; wavelet packet denoising technique was used to filter these signals. The relationship between the penetration status under different welding conditions and the corresponding spectral signals was discussed and clarified. Finally, a fuzzy system based on the spectral signals was developed and successfully used to estimate the percentage index of the weld penetration status. With a binary decision of penetration index, the average recognition rate for the penetration status about the specific welding conditions was no less than 82.1 %.