Effect of Using Different Welding Currents and Distributed Heat Fluxes on the Geometrical Weld Bead Characteristics

The present work aims to study experimentally the influence of using different currents and distributed heat fluxes on the geometrical weld bead shape characteristic of welded low carbon steel material using specific type of fusion welding process. Butt welded joints designs were prepared by welding 4 mm thickness of sheet by a single pass at different input parameters (welding current and welding voltage). Distributed heat flux and welding velocity were computed depending on these factors in order to determine its thermal influence on the welded bead joint geometry in terms of bead geometric characteristics (weld penetration, weld bead width , weld bead height and reinforcement) and shape factors (Weld penetration shape factor and Weld reinforcement shape factor). It was found that increasing the welding current caused an increase in weld penetration, width of the bead, weld reinforcement shape factor and distributed heat flux, while reinforcement, Weld reinforcement shape factor, welding velocity and welding voltage remained a quasi-steady. Additionally, the results showed that as the distributed heat flux increased, the penetration slightly increased, the width of the bead significantly increased and the reinforcement shape factor was also increased, whereas the welding velocity, reinforcement and weld penetration shape factor stayed almost constant.