Parametric optimization of the GMAW welding process in thin thickness of austenitic stainless steel by Taguchi method

Abstract

In the present work, an analysis of different welding parameters was carried out on the welding of stainless-steel thin thickness tubes by the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) process. The influence of three main parameters, welding voltage, movement angle, and welding current in the quality of the welds, was studied through a specifically designed experimental process based on the establishment of three different levels of values for each of these parameters. Weld quality is evaluated using destructive testing (macrographic analysis). Specifically, the width and root penetration of the weld bead were measured; however, some samples have been disregarded due to welding defects outside the permissible range or caused by excessive melting of the base metals. Data are interpreted, discussed, and analyzed using the Taguchi method and ANOVA analysis. From the analysis of variance, it was possible to identify the most influential parameter, the welding voltage, with a contribution of 43.55% for the welding penetration and 75.26% for the bead width, which should be considered in the designs of automatic welding processes to improve the quality of final welds.