Mathematical modelling to predict bead geometry in MIG welded aluminium 6101 plates

MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding is a popular metal joining process due to its ability to weld a wide variety of metals. The mechanical properties of a weld are governed by the weld geometry parameters, namely the height of reinforcement, the width of the bead and penetration depth. The input welding parameters like wire feed rate, voltage, welding speed etc. in turn decide the above bead geometry parameters. The present research work aims at developing mathematical models connecting these input parameters to the bead geometry parameters for MIG welded aluminium 6101 plates. The mathematical models were generated by the central composite rotatable design technique. The developed models’ adequacy was verified by ANOVA (Analysis of variance) and RSM (Response Surface Methodology) was used to analyze the results graphically.