Effect of Weld Groove Area on Distortion of Butt Welded Joints in Submerged Arc Welding

This article describes how welding is the most prominent process for joining components into complex assemblies or structures. The various distortions induced by the welding process due to the inherent local non-uniform heating and cooling cycles associated with the joining processes. The manufacturing and shipbuilding industries encounter problems of distortion. Restriction of any distortions by restraint may lead to higher residual stresses. The predictions of the degree of shrinkage and angular distortion in ship panels due to welding are of great importance from the point of view of dimensional control. In view of this, an experimental study has been performed to analyze the effect of groove area on angular distortion, transverse and longitudinal shrinkages of butt welded joints in submerged arc welding process for constant heat input. It is observed that the angular distortion decreases with increase in the groove area but the transverse and longitudinal shrinkages increase with increase in the groove area.