Evaluation of Arc Welding Process Practical Capability According to Joint Design Requirements

The difference between arc welding processes characteristics leads to variation between process capabilities. Similarly, welded joints vary based on design and other technical requirements. These variations deem certain processes more suitable to weld a specific joint while others might be unsuitable for the specific task. In this work a software to facilitate the identification and selection for five arc welding process base on their design and technical differences was developed. These arc welding methods are: shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), flux cord arc welding (FCAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). The software model that developed in this paper consists of two main modules. The first module examined the weldability of the nine most common metals and alloys based on the relationship between the alloy nature and its thickness regarded to the five arc welding processes. The second module deals with compatibility between these welding processes and the joint configurations like joint type, edge and thickness. The new software was successfully verified on twelve case studies. Using software to screen the most capable processes is a precursor for automating the process of selecting the optimal welding process for the specific joint.