ANALYSIS OF TENSILE STRENGTH IN GTAW WITH WELDING CURRENT AND TUNGSTEN DIAMETER VARIATIONS ON ST-37 STEEL

Abstract

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) is commonly used in construction due to its precision
and efficiency. This research focuses on assessing the tensile strength of ST 37 steel welded
using GTAW with different tungsten electrode diameters and current settings. The electrode
sizes used were 1.6 mm, 2.4 mm, and 3.2 mm, paired with current levels of 60 A, 80 A, and
100 A. Tensile strength testing was performed following ASTM E8 standards. The results
indicated that the 3.2 mm electrode with 100 A current produced the highest tensile strength
at 43.13 kg/mm², while the 1.6 mm electrode with 60 A current yielded the lowest tensile
strength at 29.75 kg/mm². These findings demonstrate that higher current levels in GTAW
welding result in greater tensile strength for ST 37 steel, offering valuable guidance for
optimizing welding parameters in industrial settings