Sensitivity Analysis for Process Parameters in Cladding of Stainless Steel by Flux Cored Arc Welding

Austenitic stainless steel cladding is generally used to attain better corrosion resistance properties to meet the requirements of petrochemical, marine, and nuclear applications. The quality of cladded components depends on the weld bead geometry and dilution, which in turn are controlled by the process parameters. In this investigation, the effect of cladding parameters such as welding current, welding speed, and nozzle-to-plate distance on the weld bead geometry was evaluated. The objective of controlling the weld bead geometry can easily be achieved by developing equations to predict these weld bead dimensions in terms of the process parameters. Mathematical equations were developed by using the data obtained by conducting three-factor five-level factorial experiments. The experiments were conducted for 317L flux cored stainless steel wire of size 1.2 mm diameter with IS:2062 structural steel as a base plate. Sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the process parameters exerting the most influence on the bead geometry and to know the parameters that must be most carefully controlled. Studies reveal that a change in process parameters affects the bead width, dilution, area of penetration, and coefficient of internal shape more strongly than it affects the penetration, reinforcement, and coefficient of external shape.