Maximum Production Rates for Prescribed Mass and Heat Transfer: An Optimization Approach

The objective of this paper is to determine maximum GMAW production rates for the desired mass and heat values, at which there exists an input vector (contact tip-to-workpiece distance, open circuit voltage, wire feed speed and weld speed) and a corresponding output vector (physically possible current and stick-out). Using an optimization method, a novel approach to achieve maximum production rates for prescribed mass and heat transfer to the weld pool has been developed. This optimization method maximizes the weld speed with respect to current, contact tip to work piece distance, stick-out, and weld speed for any given mass and heat values. Kharitonov's theorem for robust stability was used to determine the stability of the system for the prescribed mass and heat values.