Abstract :
Syahril Azli Abdul Rahman1,a, Sarizam Mamat1,b, Muhammad Iqbal Ahmad1,c and Mohd Rosdzimin Abdul Rahman2,d
1Faculty of Bioengineering and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia
2Department of Research and Innovation, Universiti Pertahanan National Malaysia, Kem Perdana Sungai Besi, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
aJ21E009F@siswa.umk.edu.my, bsarizam@umk.edu.my, ciqbal.a@umk.edu.my, drosdzimin@upnm.edu.my,
Abstract. The integration of lightweight materials such as aluminum with stronger metals like steel has become critical in industries like transportation to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency. However, welding dissimilar metals, particularly aluminum and steel (Al-Fe), presents significant challenges due to the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the weld interface, which negatively affect joint strength. This study explores the optimization of the Hybrid TIG-MIG welding process for joining aluminum (AA1100) and carbon steel, focusing on enhancing tensile strength while minimizing IMC formation. Using the Taguchi method combined with Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), the key welding parameters—MIG voltage, MIG current, TIG current, and welding speed—were optimized. The experimental results showed that the optimal parameter combination (MIG Voltage: 18V, MIG Current: 70A, TIG Current: 20A, and Welding Speed: 35 cm/min) produced the highest tensile strength of 63.08 MPa. While this value is lower than the tensile strength of base aluminum, it is competitive with existing research on aluminum-steel joints, demonstrating the effectiveness of the optimization process. Future work should focus on further minimizing IMC formation to enhance joint performance and durability in practical applications.
Keywords: Hybrid TIG-MIG welding, aluminum-steel joints, intermetallic compounds (IMCs), tensile strength, parametric optimization, Grey Relational Analysis (GRA). |