Developing heat sink method in gas metal arc welding to minimize distortion

Abstract

Abstract Efforts to minimize distortion of welding results need to be done, considering that it can reduce the accuracy of the weld dimensions, increase the repair process, and increase the production costs. This study aims to reduce distortion by the heat sink (HZ) method and its effect on mechanical properties. The heat sink method was applied in conjunction with Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) process by liquid nitrogen coolant with a variable of the HZ’s contact area. The HZ areas of contact were designed in 3 dimensions, namely 10 L, 20 L, and 30 L, and it was placed on the surface of the plate with 10 mm space from the welding line. The results show that the surface area in contact with the coolant affects the quality of the welding joint. Based on visual tests, the greater the HZ’s contact area, the greater the defected impacts due to the lack of penetration. Besides, the greater the surface area of the HZ, the more effective it is to minimize welding distortion, especially the distortion in the longitudinal direction. The HZ contact area has somewhat little influence on the hardness and microstructure of the weld metal (WM) and heat affected zone (HAZ), but probably does not affect the tensile strength of the welding joint.