Selection of Spot Welding Electrode Material by Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation, VIKOR and WASPAS Methods

Abstract

Selection of electrode material for spot welding operation is a complex task due to compromising properties such as electrical conductivity and the strength of material, although limited materials possess them collectively. This research aims to rank eight discrete classes of Cr-Zr, Cu-Be, Cu-Cd, Cu-Cr-Zr, Cu-Ti and Cu-W spot welding electrode materials based on PROMETHEE, VIKOR and WASPAS methods. Preliminary screening of essential attributes was performed using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). It was observed that Cu-Cr-Zr is ranked as the best candidate material by all three MADM methods. However, the selection is based on availability, manufacturability, environment protection rules and cost. This paper suggested an approach for electrode manufacturers and end users to select reliable spot welding electrode material to achieve high weld quality