Application of Grey based Taguchi Method for Optimization of Weld Bonding Parameter of Aluminium Alloy 6061

Abstract

This paper focuses on weld bonding of Aluminum 6061 alloy that consists of resistance spot welding and adhesive bonding. A conductive graphene nanopowder filled polyurethane adhesive was used in the weld bonding process. This study investigated the multi-response optimization of weld bonding process to yield a maximum shear-tensile strength, T-peel strength and nugget diameter size using the combination of Grey relational analysis (GRA) and Taguchi method. A Taguchi L9 orthogonal array was designed and nine experimental runs were performed based on the designed experiments. Welding current, weld time, electrode force and percentage of graphene nanopowder added in polyurethane adhesive were the parameters taken into consideration. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed determine the most significant parameters affecting the weld bonding performance. Based on the average responses, the optimum parameters are A3B3C1D3 and the most significant parameter is graphene nanopowder which leads to the satisfaction of the joint. The Grey-based Taguchi methodology has been proved to be applicable in the optimization of weld bonding parameter.