RESEARCH ON OPTIMAL MIG WELDING PARAMETERS FOR A36 STEEL PLATE USING TAGUCHI METHOD WITH GRAY RELATIONAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a precise technique known for producing high-quality welds in sheet metal applications. This research aimed to optimize MIG welding parameters to enhance mechanical properties, included impact toughness and Rockwell hardness, in butt welds of A36 steel plates, commonly used in wire rope winch manufacturing. Experiments were conducted on 10mm thick A36 steel plates using the L9 orthogonal array from the Taguchi design, integrated with gray relational analysis. The welding parameters investigated included welding current, welding voltage, and shielding gas flow rate. Through the application of the Taguchi method and gray relational analysis, optimal conditions for maximizing hardness and impact toughness were identified, with a welding current of 180A, voltage of 24V, and gas flow rate of 20 l/min. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that welding current was the most influential factor affecting both hardness and impact toughness, followed by welding voltage and shielding gas flow rate.