Effect of Heat Input Variations to the Mechanical Properties and Pitting Corrosion in the Dissimilar Stainless-Steel Welding

Abstract

Advancement in the manufacturing of the mechanical product is required to meet the demand. The consumer needs the product to have more functions and also lighter. One key aspect of product manufacturing is the joining of material for parts. Welding is one type of joining method and mostly used for metal joining. The new challenge in welding is fusing two different ones. The study in this paper is a starting point for research, especially in developed countries about the dissimilar metal joint. The welding process that investigated is Gas-Tungsten Arc Welding. Base materials are two different types of stainless steel (AISI 304L and AISI 316L). They have different melting points, so the keys in this process are metal filler and heat input. Metal filler which is stainless steel class ER 308 (per standard ISO) is used as the control variable. The independent variable in this study is heat input which contains electrical voltage (fixed) and electrical current (changed). There are two dependent variables as observation points: mechanical properties of the material (strength and hardness) and pitting corrosion. In conclusion, the study could be used as a guide for future research in the welding of metals. The optimum parameter is 0.807 kJ/min.