Multi-Objective Process Optimization of Pulsed Plasma Arc Welding SS400 Steel Pipe with Foamed Aluminum Liner

Abstract

Principal component analysis (PCA) coupled with Taguchi methods are employed in the study for developing multiple quality characteristics optimization of pulsed plasma arc welding SS400 steel pipe with foamed aluminum liner (SPFAL). The quality characteristics investigated are the micro-hardness, the compression strength, and the bending strength of the weldments. Eight control factors selected are the tip aperture (Factor A), plasma base current (Factor B), plasma pulse current (Factor C), duty cycle (Factor D), pulse frequency (Factor E), shielding gas (Factor F), plasma gas (Factor G), and welding velocity (Factor H), respectively. It is shown by the experimental results that the optimal parameter combination of the pulsed plasma arc welding process is A1 (tip aperture: O1.5mm), B3 (plasma base current: 30A), C3 (plasma pulse current: 100A), D2 (duty cycle: 50%), E3 (pulse frequency: 300Hz), F2 (shielding gas: 14L/min), G3 (plasma gas: 0.4L/min), and H2 (welding velocity: 4RPM). Moreover, it is ascertained from the analysis of variance (ANOVA) results that plasma base current (B), plasma pulse current (C), duty cycle (D), and welding velocity (H) are the most important control factors in the process design, and thus strict control must be applied to them. They account for 75.02% of the total variance. The experimental results likewise show that the best process design could indeed enhance the multiple quality characteristics of the pulsed plasma arc welded SPFAL as 3020kgf of the bending strength, 13650kgf of the compression strength, and 180.4Hv of the hardness, respectively.