Weld Bead Performance Assessment using Image Processing during Destructive Testing by Multivision Technique through NDT methods for MS ASTM A 106 B grade material

Pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding (P-GMAW) is extensively used in high hi-tech industries for fabrication of materials to gain better productivity and quality. Grade B MS ASTM A 106 is carbon steel material can be easily welded by all types of fusion welding processes for high temperature service. P-GMAW achieves coalescence of metals by melting constantly fed current-carrying wire. This process needs consistent, high-quality welding procedures to accomplishexcellent quality of weld and attractive looking. This requires due to continuous control metal transfer that is essential in P-GMAW for thin metal work pieces. In this paper welding process parameters considered are viz., Current, Gas Flow Rate (GFR) and Wire Feed Rate (WFR). For performance assessment of a weld bead the output variables considered are Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS, N/mm2), Yield Strength (YS, N/mm2) and % of elongation. Trials have been conducted based on Taguchi's L27 standard orthogonal array.This paper establishes how NDT methods and image processing technique could be applied to MS ASTM A 106 B grade material weld bead for assessment of mechanical properties during destructive testing. Using image processing by multivision techniques for different loading conditions, image features like area and height of weld bead have been extracted.For quality inspection and process monitoring, vision techniques play a significant role. Though vision technology pixel processing and edge recognition are improved consistently and reliably achieved. From the established trend and study conducted it is evident that multivision technique and NDT methods are capable of quantifying the parameters associated with performance of wed bead joints. The trend established using image processing features correlating well with traditional measurement.