Modeling and Optimization of Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) Process

Weld quality is greatly affected by the operating process parameters in the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process. The quality of the welded material can be evaluated by many characteristics, such as bead geometric parameters, deposition efficiency, weld strength, weld distortion, et cetera. These characteristics are controlled by a number of welding process parameters, and it is important to set up proper process parameters to attain good quality. Various optimization methods can be applied to define the desired process output parameters through developing mathematical models to specify the relationship between the input parameters and output parameters. The method capable of accurate prediction of welding process output parameters would be valuable for rapid development of welding procedures and for developing control algorithms in automated welding applications. This chapter presents the details of various techniques used for modeling and optimization of GMAW process parameters. The optimization methods covered in this chapter are appropriate for modeling and optimizing the GMAW process. It is found that there is high level of interest in the adaptation of RSM and ANN techniques to predict responses and to optimize the GMAW process. Combining two optimization techniques, such as GA and RSM, would reveal good results for finding out the optimal welding conditions. Furthermore, efforts are required to apply advanced optimization techniques to find out the optimal parameters for GMAW process at which the process could be considered safe and more economical.