The present investigation attempts to understand the friction welding characteristics of sintered P/M steel preforms–wrought copper dissimilar parts. In order to achieve sound weld between these two materials the process parameters were optimized and inferred that the preforms of lower densities with lower process parameters yields quality weldments, established through post-weld tests. This study also envisages the influence of process parameters which include resident preform densities, friction pressure, upset pressure, and burn-off length on microstructure and mechanical properties of the welds. This work consolidates information on the aspects of joining P/M component with wrought materials for practical execution.

Investigations on the continuous drive friction welding of sintered powder metallurgical (P/M) steel and wrought copper parts

In recent years numerical solutions of the convective heat transfer equations have provided significant insight into the complex materials processing operations. However, these computational methods suffer from two major shortcomings. First, these procedures are designed to calculate temperature fields and cooling rates as output and the unidirectional structure of these solutions preclude specification of these variables as input even when their desired values are known. Second, and more important, these procedures cannot determine multiple pathways or multiple sets of input variables to achieve a particular output from the convective heat transfer equations.Here we propose a new method that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of the commonly used solutions of the convective heat transfer equations. The procedure combines the conventional numerical solution methods with a real number based genetic algorithm (GA) to achieve bi-directionality, i.e. the ability to calculate the required input variables to achieve a specific output such as temperature field or cooling rate. More important, the ability of the GA to find a population of solutions enables this procedure to search for and find multiple sets of input variables, all of which can lead to the desired specific output. The proposed computational procedure has been applied to convective heat transfer in a liquid layer locally heated on its free surface by an electric arc, where various sets of input variables are computed to achieve a specific fusion zone geometry defined by an equilibrium temperature. Good agreement is achieved between the model predictions and the independent experimental results, indicating significant promise for the application of this procedure in finding multiple solutions of convective heat transfer equations.

A computational procedure for finding multiple solutions of convective heat transfer equations

The objectives of this work were to characterise and understand the effects of circular magnetic arc deflection (arc stirring) on grain structure refinement of gas tungsten arc weld beads made in Inconel 690 substrates. Welds were made at various arc stirring frequencies (1·5–50 Hz), and microstructures were analysed using optical and electron backscattered diffraction microscopy. Optimum refinement of grain size occurred at a stirring frequency of ∼7 Hz. Analysis of computational fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification model results suggested that grain detachment was the primary mechanism for grain refinement.

Effect of magnetic stirring on grain structure refinement: Part 1 – Autogenous nickel alloy welds

Gas tungsten arc welding of fine-grained AZ31B magnesium alloys made by powder metallurgy

Abundant improvements have occurred in materials handling, especially in metal joining. Pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding (PCGTAW) is one of the consequential fusion techniques. In this work, PCGTAW of AISI 4135 steel engendered through powder metallurgy (P/M) has been executed, and the process parameters have been highlighted applying Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array. The results show that the peak current (Ip), gas flow rate (GFR), welding speed (WS) and base current (Ib) are the critical constraints in strong determinant of the Tensile strength (TS) as well as percentage of elongation (% Elong) of the joint. The practical impact of applying Genetic algorithm (GA) and Simulated annealing (SA) to PCGTAW process has been authenticated by means of calculating the deviation between predicted and experimental welding process parameters.

Optimization of pulsed current GTAW process parameters for sintered hot forged AISI 4135 P/M steel welds by simulated annealing and genetic algorithm

Pulsing of the welding current is one approach for refining the fusion zone microstructure in materials joined by fusion welding. The effect of current pulse frequency on weld bead microstructure, tensile strength, and hardness in joining of powder metallurgical steel preform sheets to wrought copper was studied. Considering weld strength as the quality characteristic in the selection of process parameters, the Taguchi method is used to analyse the effect of each process parameter individually and of their interaction on weld strength, and subsequently to determine the process parameters leading to optimum weld strength. The application of pulsed current causes iron dendrites to become more equiaxed and uniformly distributed owing to dendrite fragmentation. Further, there was an optimum frequency range over which the microstructural refinement was maximal. The same optimum frequency range corresponded to maximum tensile strength. Enhanced fluid flow and reduced thermal gradients are thought to be ...

Effect of pulse frequency in gas tungsten arc welding of powder metallurgical preforms

The present paper reports the feasibility studies on joining low density steel powder metallurgical (PM) preforms with wrought copper. In joining of these materials by tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, the welding current, pulse frequency and the density of the PM preforms were found to have a strong influence in controlling the weld strength. When welded with lower welding currents (continuous current), copper infiltrated into the PM steel and with higher currents, thermal effects dominated in controlling the weld strength. Through the application of a pulsed current, grains became more equiaxed due to dendrite fragmentation. Microstructural refinement was found to be at a maximum at an optimum pulse frequency, which resulted in maximum tensile strength.

M. V. Suresh

Papers

Effect of pulse frequency in gas tungsten arc welding of powder metallurgical preforms

Fusion welding of steel powder metallurgical preforms to wrought copper