International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET)

Volume 6, Issue 10, Oct 2015, pp. 194-201, Article ID: IJMET_06_10_020
Available online at
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ISSN Print: 0976-6340 and ISSN Online: 0976-6359
IAEME Publication

APPLICATION OF TAGUCHI METHOD TO

OPTIMIZE TENSILE SHEAR STRENGTH
BETWEEN STAINLESS STEEL AISI304 AND
MILD STEEL
Ramkrishna Parihar
M-Tech Scholar Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Medi-Caps Institute of Technology & Management, Indore (MP), India
Sanjay Jathar
Prof. Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Medi-Caps Institute of Technology & Management, Indore (MP), India)
ABSTRACT
Resistance spot welding (RSW) is widely used welding technique in
manufacturing industries today for joining two or more similar and dissimilar
sheet metals. The major problem associated with resistance spot welding is
improper selection of parameters that leads enhancement of tool wear and
poor weld quality that affects welding performance. Improper selection of
parameter may cause overheating electrode and result in insufficient weld
strength. That sophisticated behaviour of this process must be optimizing to
get better result for optimum welding parameters. This research investigates
about the optimum tensile strength by setting varying parameter like welding
time, welding current, hold time, electrode force at different levels. With the
rapidly used of dissimilar materials in mechanical assemblies it is necessary
to improve higher weld quality. This paper research basically focuses on
application of Taguchi method to optimization of strength between dissimilar
materials. Experimentation process uses L27 orthogonal arrays. For
experiment process stainless steel AISI 304 and mild steel of equal thickness
are selected. There are three levels are selected for four parameters. Spot
welding timer have been made For controlling welding time & hold time in
cycles .Shear strength test have been carried out on UTM machine.
Experimental numerical analysis has been done by analysis of variance
(ANOVA) and signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) for determining optimum tensile
shear strength and F test value confirms most significant parameter that affect
tensile shear strength at optimum level parameters to improve weld quality.
Tensile shear strength shows relationship between different levels of
parameter. Experimental and confirmation test validate Taguchi method for
better welding quality performance and to optimization of best combination of

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Application of Taguchi Method To Optimize Tensile Shear Strength between Stainless Steel
Aisi304 and Mild Steel

parameters in resistance spot welding. Finally confirmation test shows that it

is possible to increase tensile shear strength at significant level and gives best
output.
Key words: ANOVA, Dissimilar, Orthogonal, Resistance Spot Welding
(RSW), Signal-To-Noise-Ratio(S/N).
Cite this Article: Ramkrishna Parihar and Sanjay Jathar. Application of
Taguchi Method To Optimize Tensile Shear Strength between Stainless Steel
Aisi304 and Mild Steel, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and
Technology, 6(10), 2015, pp. 194-201.
http://www.iaeme.com/currentissue.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=6&IType=10

1. INTRODUCTION
The resistance spot welding process was first used about an hundred years ago. Now
days it is regularly using in manufacturing industries. Resistance spot welding is a
thermoelectric process. In which two or more sheets of metal are joined in one or
more spots by resistance to flow of current through object that are hold by two
electrodes under particular force. The spot welds are controlled by the combination of
heat, time pressure. The process is generally used copper electrode to impact the
pressure on work piece due to resistance of electric current to the work piece. Heat is
developed at the faying surface of wok piece. It results in melting the surface of work
piece & to become spot weld together at the metal sheets. Fig.1 shows the schematic
diagram of welding process. The resistance spot welding (RSW) plays a very
important role for its high speed & suitable for automotive industries. There are about
a 4000-5000 spot weld in automobile vehicles. RSW is significantly plays important
role in manufacturing cars, mechanical assemblies, railway structures & in many
more structural bodies.
The quality of spot weld is best judged by weld joint strength, weld nugget
diameter & heat affected zone (HAZ). Fig.1 shows the spot welding process.

Figure 1 Spot welding process

Norasjah Muhammad, et al. [1] have studied that under varying welding current
weld & hold time for join two sheets of low carbon steel. The setting of parameters is
done by Taguchi method. The parameters are optimized by multi response signal-tonoise ratio & significant levels of parameter are analyzed by ANOVA method. The
confirmation result shows that developed model can be used for to predict the weld
size of spot which can improve the performance & quality of weld joint in RSW.
Hefins rowlands and jiju Antony [2] have studied DOE method for optimal
process parameters. His research presents that application of DOE method to identify
the key process parameters, which affect the tensile strength of weld joints. Statistical
analysis has done for to identify the significant parameter which affects strength &

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Ramkrishna Parihar and Sanjay Jathar

variation in weld strength. The result shows that by the use of DOE method it can be
possible to increase performance of process.

1.1 Purpose of research

There are two purpose of this research. The first one is to explore a systematic
procedure of using Taguchi method to control varying parameters. The second is to
demonstrate a use of Taguchi parameter design in order to find out the optimum
tensile shear strength with particular combination of welding parameters.

2. TAGUCHI APPROACH FOR QUALITY CONSIDERATION

Dr. Taguchi introduced the concept of quality engineering & management. It is the
most powerful approach to achieve high quality at reduced cost. It is the statistical
analysis tool Dr. Taguchi introduced mainly three concepts to achieve desired quality
of products; these are system design, parameter design & tolerance design. Taguchi
method includes ANOVA and signal-to-noise ratio statistical tools for quality
characteristics.

3. SELECTION OF MATERIALS & METHODS

The selection of material & methods for experimentation are given below as follow.

3.1 Materials
There are dissimilar material sheets of AISI304 & mild steel were selected. A batch of
160mm30mm1mm used for process to determine weld performance. Electrode is
of generally cu material.
3.2 Methods
The input parameters are selected as weld time, hold time, weld current, & electrode
force. Output parameter is tensile shear strength of weld joint. The input parameters
are shown in TABLE-1.
4. ORTHOGONAL ARRAYS
According to Taguchi method L27 orthogonal array are selected for three levels of
four parameters [3]. Orthogonal array L27 are shown in TABLE-2.
TABLE 1 Input parameters with their respective levels
Level

1
2
3

Weld time
(cycle)
(A)
10
30
50

Hold time
(cycle)
(B)
10
30
50

Weld current
(ampere)
(C)
2044
2628
3650

Electrode force
(N)
(D)
19.81
39.65
59.48

5. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
For experimentation a pedal operated rocker arm type spot welding machine with the
attachment of spot welding timer for controlling welding time, hold time in cycles as
shown in Fig.2.
For experimental procedure total 27 runs are taken & three responses of each run
are taken as shown in Fig.3. After runs samples are go through for tensile shear test

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Application of Taguchi Method To Optimize Tensile Shear Strength between Stainless Steel
Aisi304 and Mild Steel

on universal testing machine (UTM) as shown in fig.4. Average shear strength

value of each runs are illustrated in TABLE-2.

Figure 2 RSW machine

Figure 3 samples of experiment run

Figure 4 shear strength test on universal testing machine

6. ANALYSIS BASED ON TAGUCHI METHOD

Analysis of signal-to-noise ratio(S/N) & analysis of variance (ANOVA) are given as
follow.

6.1 Analysis of (S/N) ratio

It is the ratio is the ratio of signal-to-noise. Signal indicates the output desirable value
i.e. mean of output characteristics & noise indicates undesirable value i.e. squared
deviation of output characteristics. (S/N) ratio measures quality characteristics. (S/N)
ratio is denoted by & its unit is db.

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Ramkrishna Parihar and Sanjay Jathar

Quality characteristics are defined as higher the best (HB) & lower the best (LB).
For maximizing tensile shear strength higher the best value is desirable & also for
nugget diameter. Heat affected zone (HAZ) will be preferred as lower the best value
(LB).
The equation for for higher the best is (1) & for lower the best is (2) is given as
follow.

(1)

(2)

Signal-to-noise ratio are illustrated in TABLE-2

TABLE 2 L27 orthogonal array for experimental values

Experiment
no.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27

Weld
time
(cycle)

Hold time
(cycle)

Weld
current
(ampere)

Electrode
force
(N)

(A)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

(B)
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3

(C)
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3

(D)
1
2
3
2
3
1
3
1
2
1
2
3
2
3
1
3
1
2
1
2
3
2
3
1
3
1
2

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Average
Tensile
shear
strength
(KN)

S/N value
(db)

2.1
2.0
2.4
2.4
2.3
2.9
2.5
2.0
3.4
3.4
3.9
4.1
3.5
3.5
4.2
3.3
3.4
3.9
3.6
3.4
4.0
4.4
4.2
4.5
4.2
4.3
4.4

6.59
6.06
7.74
7.58
7.38
9.28
8.01
6.11
10.64
10.71
11.95
12.31
10.95
10.79
12.59
10.49
10.62
11.74
11.65
10.51
12.07
12.94
12.48
13.04
12.55
12.65
12.91

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Application of Taguchi Method To Optimize Tensile Shear Strength between Stainless Steel
Aisi304 and Mild Steel

6.2 Analysis of variance (ANOVA)

ANOVA is a statistical analysis tool for data analysis. It includes design parameters
that affect significantly output characteristics. In ANOVA method, sum of square
(SS), mean square (MS) & F-test values are calculated for deciding significant factors
which affecting the process & also percentage contribution contributed by parameters
are calculated. ANOVA table for tensile shear strength are described in TABLE-3,
average effect response table for tensile shear strength as shown in TABLE-4 &
S/N ratio analysis of rank wise parameters are described in TABLE-5.
TABLE 3 ANOVA table for experimental data
Source
A
B
C
D
Error
Total

DOF
2
2
2
2
72
80

SS
44.37
1.57
4.26
0.16
5.16
55.52

MS
22.18
0.78
2.13
0.08
0.07

F-value
312.39
10.98
30
1.12

%C
79.917
2.827
7.672
0.288
9.293
100

TABLE 4 Average effect response table for tensile shear strength

Level
1
2
3
Delta
Rank

A
2.4
3.7
4.1
1.7
1

B
3.2
3.6
3.5
0.4
3

C
3.3
3.2
3.8
0.6
2

D
3.3
3.5
3.4
0.2
4

TABLE 5 S/N ratio for tensile shear strength

Level
1
2
3
Delta
Rank

A
7.71
11.35
12.31
4.6
1

B
9.95
10.78
10.63
0.83
3

C
10.16
9.83
11.36
1.53
2

D
10.36
10.58
10.42
0.22
4

7. RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS

Below the Fig.5 shows the S/N graph for tensile shear strength. Larger value of S/N
ratio represents better quality characteristics for tensile shear strength. According to
S/N ratio graph the levels of parameters to be set for determine optimum value of
tensile shear strength is A3B2C3D2.
Most significant parameter according to ANOVA table is weld time which affect
the performance of tensile shear strength. After weld time the significant parameter
are weld current, hold time, & electrode force. Hold time & electrode force are less
effective parameters. The percentage contributed by weld time, weld current, hold
time, & electrode force are 79.917%,7.672%,2.827%, & 0.288%.

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14

S/N ratio for tensile shear strength

12
10
8
6
4
2
0

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

7.71

11.35

12.31

9.95

10.78

10.63

10.16

9.83

11.36

10.36

10.58

10.42

Levels of parameters

Figure 5 S/N ratio graph for tensile shear strength

8. CONFIRMATION TEST
Confirmation test is very important in design of parameters. The aim of confirmation
test is to validate the optimal value during analysis is A 3B2C3D2. The confirmation
test is done by the specific combination of parameters with their levels which were
predicted as A3B2C3D2. In this experimental procedure the optimal value has been
predicted & new experiment is designed to conducting new experiments to get best
weld performance of tensile shear strength. The predictions for optimum tensile shear
strength are.
Predicted mean =
= 4.8 in.

Similarly
S/N ratio mean = 13.68 db.
Comparison result of predicted tensile shear strength of optimum parameters with
actual tensile strength using the optimal parameter are as given in TABLE-6. The
improvement in tensile shear strength is 4.08% & in S/N ratio is 2.54%. So tensile
shear strength can be increase by Taguchi method.

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Application of Taguchi Method To Optimize Tensile Shear Strength between Stainless Steel
Aisi304 and Mild Steel

9. CONCLUSION
TABLE 6 confirmation test
Optimum process parameters
Level
Tensile shear
strength(KN)
S/N ratio(db)

Predicted
A3B2C3D2
4.8

Experimental
A3B2C3D2
5

13.68

14.032

Improvement in
%
4.08
2.54

This research deals with optimization & the affect of factors on tensile shear
strength. ANOVA table determines significant welding parameters. According to
ANOVA table welding time are highly affects tensile shear strength where as welding
current are second higher parameter that affects tensile shear strength. Hold time and
electrode force are less affective parameters. S/N ratio determines the optimum
combination of parameters with their levels or maximizing tensile shear strength. By
conducting confirmation test & its results it is possible to increase tensile shear
strength by 4.08%. The experimental results validate Taguchi method for quality
engineering to best performance & optimization of welding parameters in resistance
spot welding.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are appreciates help of work shop members of MITM, Indore college to
carried out experimental works.

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