Evaluation of Welding Distortion and Hardness in the A36 Steel Plate Joints Using Different Cooling Media

The temperature difference in the weld area during the process of welding, cooling the welded product, and post-welding affect the formation of distortion. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the distortion formed and hardness behavior on the ASTM A36 (EN S275) steel plate while welding using different cooling media including air, water, and ice. This involved using the MAG (Metal Active Gas) method, which used the AWS A5.18 ER70S-6 electrode with a 1 mm diameter and an 8 mm plate thickness. The value of distortion on the MAG-welded steel plate was measured using a digital dial indicator and evenly distributed by first making a grid. Moreover, the measuring points from the transverse and longitudinal directions were placed at 20 and 8 rows with a distance of 10 mm between points for each variation of the cooling media, such that 10 mm each was allowed left-right and top-down. The results showed that the highest distortion value of 3.13 was formed on the second row of the air cooling media, and this media was also used to determine the contours and distortion profiles.