Application of PCA-TOPSIS Method for Selecting Optimal Welding Conditions in GMAW to Improve the Weld Quality

Generally, the weld quality depends on the mechanical properties like ultimate strength and yield strength. Again the weld bead geometry mainly the depth of penetration affects these mechanical properties. These weld quality parameters weld bead geometry, weld bead strength are highly controlled or influenced by the welding process parameters like welding current, welding voltage, and wire feed rate, gas flow rate, and nozzle to workpiece distance in gas metal arc welding. As the process parameters affect the different welding performance parameters in different ways, single-objective optimization technique is not efficient enough to optimize all the parameters simultaneously. In this paper, a hybrid multi-objective approach, i.e., Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach has been used to obtain improved welding quality in optimal welding condition for gas metal arc welding (GMAW).