Effect of GMAW Process Parameters and Heat Input on Weld Overlay of Austenitic Stainless Steel 316L-Si

Overlay welding with stainless steels has gained attention in several sectors of industry by increasing the mechanical and electrochemical properties of surfaces, in order to obtain them using lower cost substrates. However, the control of welding parameters can become complex due to the multiple control variables, being of interest to obtain deposits with greater productivity. In this context, the objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of the heat input on weld overlays of austenitic stainless steel 316L-Si obtained by the GMAW process, to determine the best welding conditions. For this, a Design of Experiments was implemented to analyze the response variables, which include heat input, reinforcement, width, dilution and hardness of the weld metal. The models were considered significant, presenting R2>0.9 for all responses, based on a 95% confidence limit. Surface graphs indicated influence of welding speed or/and voltage for all responses, in addition to the results demonstrating optimal parameters for overlays such as high ratio between reinforcement and width (0.631), and low dilution values (8.81%). The microstructural analysis indicated the presence of residual gamma-austenite and delta-ferrite in all samples, and also the formation of peninsulas and islands, added to defects such as voids, for some weld deposits.