Review Article

Weld Bead Geometry Control of Welds Made by

Submerged Arc Welding: A Review
Gaira Nagendra Singh1, Mehta RCS2

Abstract
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) has been used as an important joining process for fillet welds due
to its own inherent advantages. Since welding arc and weld bead are not visible during the
Submerged Arc Welding, so to run the submerged arc welding machine in automated mode, the
welding parameters have to set in advance to get the desired weld bead geometry.

Various studies have been made for the weld bead geometry control of weld made by the
submerged arc welding. Various statistical tools like Factorial Design Approach, Response Surface
Methodology, Artificial Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithm,Taguchi Method can been used to
correlate the weld bead geometry parameters with the control parameters like open circuit
voltage(V), wire feed rate(F), welding speed(S), nozzle to plate distance(N),etc.

Mathematical models have to be developed for this purpose for correlating the response
parameters with the control parameters. For each type of parent metal and thickness a separate
mathematical model has to be formulated which will be applicable to that particular material
and the plate thickness only.

The following text presents a review of the significant work done for this purpose till date.

Keywords: SAW, fillet weld bead, control and response parameters.

Introduction
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) process is a popular arc welding process. Here welding arc is covered by a thick
layer of granular flux in order to protect the weld bead area from atmospheric contamination. Since, during
welding the arc and the weld bead are not visible, so to run the submerged arc welding machine in automated
mode, the welding parameters have to set in advance to get the desired weld bead geometry. It is advantageous
due to deep penetration, high welding speed, high metal deposition rate, neat and clean welds and
environmental friendliness.

Some limitations of SAW are non visibility of the process, limited to flat welding position and detection of welding
defects only after the welding is over. First sensible step to analyze the SAW process Rosenthal (1941) developed
a mathematical model for determining temperature fields for welding an infinite plate. This model was modified
by Christensen et al. (1965) for different metals.
1,2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal Campus, Nainital-263132, Uttrakhand, India.
Correspondence: Mr. Gaira Nagendra Singh, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal
Campus, Nainital-263132, Uttrakhand, India.
E-mail Id: nagendragaira@gmail.com
Orcid Id: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2115-4319
How to cite this article: Singh GN, Mehta RCS. Weld Bead Geometry Control of Welds Made by Submerged Arc Welding: A
Review. J Adv Res Appl Mech Compu Fluid Dyna 2017; 4(1&2): 28-32.

E ISSN: 2349-7661 I P ISSN: 2394-7055

© ADR Journals 2017. All Rights Reserved.

J. Adv. Res. Appl. Mech. Compu. Fluid Dyna. 2017; 4(1&2)
Rubin BT developed a theoretical model of the
submerged arc welding process [18].
Jackson and Shrubsall; Apps RL et al.; Donchenko;
Drayton, Tsygan and Lebeder, Renwick and Patchett
worked in the qualitative approach for welding of
steels. Gunnrt and Parmar have also used this
technique.
Jackson and Shrubsall utilized the equations
developed by Gunnert.
Kokhanovski; Tetnev and Masin, Zhdanov et al. and
Demyantsevich have developed the equations to
make predictions of weld bead geometry under
practical welding situations. and Richer produced
various equations capable of predicting weld bead
geometry.
Sharapov predicted width of butt weld in SAW with
the help of a dimensionless width criterion.
Doherty and McGlone first developed predictive
equations for the SAW in two passes, of square edge
close butt joints and showed that these could be used
to predict procedure tolerance boxes.
Konkol PJ, Koons GF demonstrated that the methods
developed by Doherty and McGlone could be
successfully used to formulate predictive equation for
two electrode Ac-Ac SAW [17].
Other important contributions in SAW are Soni et al.;
McGlone JC; Harris et al. and Chandel.
Gunnert; Jackson and Shrubsall; Jackson; Gurev and
Stout; Datsko and Caddell RM supported that the
depth of penetration is generally influenced by
welding current, arc voltage and welding speed.
Jackson and Shrubsall found that increasing the angle
of electrode to the vertical resulted in decreased
penetration, edge. SMAW penetration varied
inversely with electrode diameters. This was
supported by Caddell RM [19].
Jackson and Shrubsall and Ishizaki predicted the effect
of arc forces on the contour of the surface of
penetration and depth of penetration respectively
which increases with higher arc forces.
Patchett concluded that acid flux produces the
deepest penetration followed by highly basic flux,
carbonate based flux and bauxite based flux.
Begeman reported that bead width and height were
more with reverse polarity than with straight polarity.
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Singh GN et al.
Jafferson reported that longer the arc greater the
bead width.
Houldcroft observed that lower the welding speed
broader the bead with overlap.
McGlone JC claimed that flux composition has little or
no effect on bead width, penetration and
reinforcement [13].
Murugan N, Parmar RS studied the effect of
submerged arc process variables on dilution and weld
bead geometry in single wire surfacing [7]. Das and
Parmar (1994) investigated the effect of welding
variables on dilution and residual stress in hyperbaric
weldment.
Apps RL et al. initiated the work of weld bead control
by studying the effect of some welding variables on
bead shape and size in SAW [21]. According to them
overall bead area increases slightly as welding voltage
increases. Penetration increases with welding current
and is deepest with DCEP. Bead width increase with
increasing welding speed but electrode extension has
no significant effect on overall bead area. Penetration
decreases with welding speed increase and so is bead
width. Penetration also decreases with increasing
electrode diameter.
Doncheko has set the principles related to selection of
automatic SAW conditions for gapped butt joints.
Richter has described calculative method for
determination of welding parameters for SAW.
Drayton showed graphically that bead height
increases non-linearly with increasing current. DCEN
produces more bead height than AC and DCEP Weld
bead width increases with increase in voltage. A
decrease in welding voltage produces an increase in
bead height. Penetration decreases with increase in
welding speed.
Demyantsevich has reported the dependence of
penetration on automatic SAW conditions.
Masumota et al. reported computerized
determination of the SAW welding parameters for I-
butt welding.
Jones claimed that with the increase of electrode
diameter, penetration decreases.
According to McGlone, Donchenko, Inagaki and Okada
and Jones, as both the root gap and joint angle
increase the root penetration also increases. As the
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Singh GN et al.
joint angle increases with increasing groove volume
the bead width increases.
Doherty and McGlone developed equations to predict
penetration, width and height of weld bead for two
pass, square edge close butt joint.
Konkol PJ, Koons GF used a 32 point central composite
split plot design having a half replicate of 25 factorial
design plus 6 centre points and 10 star points [17].
McGlone JC studied the effect of arc welding variables
such as welding current, voltage, and speed and
electrode diameter [14].
Chandel and Bala assessed the effects of current,
voltage, wire diameter, electrode stick out, heat input,
polarity and groove angles on the quality of root
beads made with SAW. They showed that as the
groove angle decreases, the frequency of defect
occurrence increases. Sound beads can be deposited
in the groove of 37.50. Lack of penetration occurs at
low current and low speeds.
Chandel RS et al. reported the effect of SAW variables
on penetration [11].
Gupta VK, Parmar RS used fractional factorial
technique to predict weld bead dimensions in
automatic SAW for micro alloyed steels and
developed mathematical model to predict various
response parameters [10].
Srihari T, Parmar RS made similar studies for weld
bead geometry control on HSLA steels [6].
Alfaro and Apps made a model to select the
parameters for welding of butt joints up to 80 mm
thick with 10 mm gap.
Yang LJ et al. studied the effect of process parameters
(like electrode polarity, electrode diameter, electrode
extension, welding current, welding voltage and
welding speed) on the bead width of SAW deposits
[8].
Yang et al. made the analysis of curvilinear regression
equations for modeling the SAW process. He said
linear regression equations were equally suitable for
this purpose as curvilinear techniques.
Murugan N, Parmar RS studied the effect of SAW
variables on dilution and bead geometry in single wire
surfacing [7].
Chan et al. rediscussed the algorithms for
representing submerged arc weld shape with work
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J. Adv. Res. Appl. Mech. Compu. Fluid Dyna. 2017; 4(1&2)
piece edge shape as developed by McGlone (1980)
and Chandel et al. (1986,1987)
Chan et al. developed a software system for
anticipating the size and shape of submerged arc
welds.
Mehta et al. studied the weld bead control of flat fillet
welds made by SAW.
Mehta RCS et al. developed a mathematical model to
correlate the weld bead geometry parameters viz. leg
length (A), throat thickness (T) and weld bead toe
width (W) with the control parameters namely open
circuit voltage (V), wire feed rate (F) and welding
speed (S) have been used. The parent metal used was
10mm thick C-Mn steel [4].
Mehta RCS et al. studied the effect of submerged arc
welding variables on the bead geometry of flat fillet
welds and horizontal fillet welds [3].
Mehta et al. predicted the weld bead geometry of
horizontal fillet welds made by SAW.
Computer software was developed by Gaira NS et al.
for predicting the weld bead geometry parameters of
flat fillet welds made by SAW for 10mm thick C-Mn
steel plate [1].
A study was made by Chaudhary Y et al. to develop
mathematical models to control the weld bead
geometry parameters for the flat fillet welds on C-Mn
steel plate of thickness plate thickness 16mm [2].
A sample mathematical model developed by Mehta
RCS et al. for fillet weld made under straight polarity
for flat position is as follows [5]:
a = 7.695+0.270V-0.479S+0.629VF+0.429VS-0.620FS+
0.204VFS
T = 7.350+1.116V+0.150F-0.725S-0.350VF-0.825VS+
0.691FS+0.358VFS
W = 11.204+0.212V-0.420S+0.595VF+0.337VS-0.787
FS+0.270VFS
Where a = Leg length, T = Throat thickness, W = Weld
bead-toe-width, V = Open circuit voltage, F = Wire
feed rate, S = Welding speed.
This mathematical model can be used to predict the
values of control parameters V, F and S in coded form
for the desired weld bead parameters a, T and W.
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J. Adv. Res. Appl. Mech. Compu. Fluid Dyna. 2017; 4(1&2) Singh GN et al.

Figure 1.Fillet Weld Geometry

Figure 2.Schematic Diagram of Submerged Arc Welding

Figure 3.Welding Fillet Welds in Flat Position

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