InfluenceoftheWeldingProcessontheHardnessoftheWeldedJoint.docVIP

INFLUENCE OF THE WELDING PROCESS ON THE HARDNESS OF THE WELDED JOINT Authors: Slobodan Kralj Branko Bauer Angela Mustapi? Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, I. Lucica 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia tel/fax: + 385 1 6157 124, e-mail: fsb.zk@fsb.hr Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Computing, University of Mostar, Matice Hrvatske bb, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, tel/fax: + 387 36 322 358 Key words: laser, TIG, heat-treatable steel, welding, welded joint, hardness Abstract: Laser and TIG welding processes are suitable for welding of thin sheets. Welding of heat-treatable steels causes substantial increase of the hardness in the welded joint area. Laser and TIG welding differ regarding the power density and heat input into the material. High power density in laser welding allows welding with a lower specific heat input compared to TIG welding, thus resulting in very high cooling rates. Butt welds of 2 mm thick heat-treatable steel sheets 25CrMo4 and 42CrMo4 were welded using laser and TIG processes applying different parameters, using argon and helium as shielding gases. Nd:YAG laser was used. The testing was performed on the geometry of the welded joint, the microstructure and the hardness, and a comparison of the results of laser and TIG welding was carried out. 1. INTRODUCTION Heat-treatable steels have improved strength along with good properties of toughness and fatigue strength. In situations when tensile strength and the yield strength of structural steels does not satisfy the design requirements, there is a need for heat-treatable steels with higher carbon content. The improved strength allows the production of lighter structures, i.e. the usage of thin sheets. The welding processes suited to the joining of thin sheets are laser and TIG welding. The influence of the chemical composition on the weldability is defined by the carbon equivalent. Based on the a