Effect of Welding Parameters on the Weld Bead Profile of Submerged Arc Welded Low Carbon Steel Plates

Abstract

Welding of thick and long steel sections with minimal requirements of etch preparation has posed a challenge to the fabricators to have a reliable and good quality joint. Such requirements are successfully catered to by the submerged arc welding process which was developed in early 40s to weld thick hull sections of naval ships. The process has since been used extensively in heavy fabrication industries like ship building, pressure vessel and rail industries. The strength and quality of weld produced is decided by its bead parameters like depth of penetration, bead width and reinforcement height. It has been found that weld parameters like wire feed rate, voltage welding speed nozzle to plate distance, torch angle and flux composition have influence on bead parameters. Present work is an attempt to develop a mathematical relation between bead parameters and input parameters so that an empirical relation can be developed between them Full factorial approach with 2 levels and 3 factors is used and graphical depictions are used to analyse the result