Experimental Validation of a Numerical Method that Predicts the Size of the Heat Affected Zone. Optimization of the Welding Parameters by the Taguchi’s Method

Abstract

This work outlines the experimental validation of a numerical method which determines the size of the heat affected zone (HAZ) in a low carbon steel plate using the gas metal arc welding technique. The welding parameters match between the experimental and numerical simulations. The later allows the calculation of the weld beads and temperature fields from which the size of the HAZ can be inferred. This size from numerical simulations compares quite well with the experimentally measured HAZ from the metal grain macrostructure. A relationship between the bead size and the thermal energy source parameters, defined by the Goldak's double ellipsoid, is found. Finally, the size of the HAZ is optimized by Taguchi's method, which make use of the signal-to-noise ratio and the analysis of variance to obtain the influence of the parameters on the size of HAZ. The numerical code can be used for other electric arc welding techniques as GTAW or FCAW.

Numerical-experimental validation of the welding thermal cycle carried out with the MIG welding process on a 6063-T5 aluminium tubular profile

“…Those were the first studies carried out on a heat source in movement and the welding cycle. The most frequently used model is the Goldak model [28], which allows the welding cycle to be obtained from the parameters of the Goldak double ellipsoid, and by estimation of the source size, the welding cycle of the welded joint is obtained, but the shape of the weld bead is not taken into account, as will be done in the present work.…”

Influence of Welding Parameters On Grain Size, Haz and Degree of Dilution in 6063-t5 Alloy. Optimisation Through the Taguchi Method of the Gmaw Welding Process.

“…These studies optimised the weld bead based on the electrical parameters used from the source. [17]- [19]. There is also an optimisation study that evaluated the welding thermal cycle [20].…”