425-434It is very tedious to characterize the bead
geometry of welding process due to complex existence of parameters that affect
weld quality. Researchers have attempted to predict weld bead characteristics
including bead size and shape, using various experimental parameters such as
welding speed, welding current, arc voltage etc. However, the results of these
studies tend to be limited to a specific process parameter range and to certain
materials. In this article, the effects of welding process parameters on
welding current, arc voltage, welding speed and electrode extension on weld
bead geometries and percentage of dilution of submerged arc welding (SAW) on
A516 grade 70 carbon steel is presented. Taguchi method which is a systematic
optimization method for design and analysis of experiments is introduced to
acquire optimum weld conditions. Multiple curvilinear regression models are
developed to analyze the effects and interaction of each weld process parameter
on the weld bead geometries and dilution. Sensitivity analysis is performed to
study detailed characteristics of the weld bead. Results also reveal that the
bead reinforcement is almost non-sensitive to the variations in welding current
and welding speed