The Effects of GMAW Parameters on Penetration, Hardness and Microstructure of AS3678-A350 High Strength Steel

This research aims to study the effects of various welding parameters in gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process on welding penetration, microstructure and hardness of AS3578-A350 high strength steel with the thickness of 10 mm. The welding process parameters were a welding current of 100-200A, an arc voltage of 20-30V, a welding speed of 20-60 cm/min and a gas shielding type of Ar and $Ar+CO_2$. The summarized experimental results are as follows. An increase of the welding current and voltage affected to increase the penetration depth of the joint. However, when the welding speed was decreased, it increased the penetration depth of the joint. Using the Ar gas for shielding the weld area, produced the higher penetration depth and the less narrow weld bead than the joint that was shielded by the mix gas of $Ar+CO_2$. The variation of the welding process parameters affected to produce the various microstructures of weld metal and heat affected zone and also showed the various kind of hardness along the weld joint.