The weldability of a ferritic ductile cast iron was investigated as a function of different consumables and welding conditions.A 23 full factorial experimental design was used to analyze the effect of factors and their interactions on ultimate tensile strength of weldments.The shielded metal arc welding(SMAW)process was used with two types of consumables(E7018and ENi-CI)under eight different conditions using as-cast samples.The microstructural evolution and fracture mechanisms were investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM),respectively.The hardness,tensile and impact tests were also performed to determine the weld quality.Based on experiment design,preheat,consumable,cooling condition,preheat-cooling and preheat-consumable interactions were significant factors.Preheat is the most effective factor and in the case of E7018,preheat and cooling conditions were the most sensible factors.It was found that buttering was the most appropriate welding method for ferritic ductile cast iron. The weldability of a ferritic ductile cast iron was investigated as a function of different consumables and welding conditions. A 23 full factorial experimental design was used to analyze the effect of factors and their interactions on ultimate tensile strength of weldments. Shielded metal arc welding ( SMAW) was used with two types of consumables (E7018 and ENi-CI) under eight different conditions using as-cast samples. Microstructural evolution and fracture mechanisms were investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The hardness, Tensile and impact tests were also performed to determine the weld quality. Based on experiment design, preheat, consumable, cooling conditions, preheat-cooling and preheat-consumable interactions were significant factors. Preheat is the most effective factor and in the case of E7018, preheat and cooling conditions were the most sensible factors. It was found that buttering was the most appropriate welding method for fe rritic ductile cast iron.