In recent years, there has been a significant growth in the use of automated and/or robotic welding systems. To develop these systems, mathematical models that correlate welding process parameters to the weld bead geometry are required. Partial-penetration, single-pass, bead-on-plate welds were therefore fabricated on 12mm mild steel AS 1204 flats varying a number of different welding process parameters to obtain relationships between welding process parameters and weld bead geometry. Experimental results are compared to outputs obtained using a set of published formulae relating input variables to output parameters, and also utilized to develop a mathematical model explaining the relationship between gas metal are welding (GMAW) variables and weld bead geometry. Using the theory of least squares, the welding process parameters such as wire diameter, welding voltage, are current, welding speed are calculated from a desired weld bead size. Copyright (C) 1996 Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd
