Danut Iordachescu

Laser Welding of Structural Aluminium

This chapter starts with an overview of the fusion welding processes used in aluminium welding and further progresses by analysing in detail the characteristics of laser welding of aluminium. Laser sources for welding are available for a few decades but new concepts are coming to the market. The chapter addresses the most commonly used lasers for materials processing, CO2 and Nd-YAG (neodymium–yttrim aluminium garnet) and their interaction with aluminium alloys in welding applications. More recent laser types are also included, namely fibre lasers and disc lasers as, though only more recently available in the market, their potential is foreseen as being interesting for welding of aluminium. Hybrid laser MAG (Metal Active Gas) welding has proven to lead to good results in welding aluminium plates namely for long seam welding.

Laser Shock Processing: an emerging technique for the enhancement of surface properties and fatigue life of high-strength metal alloys

Profiting by the increasing availability of laser sources delivering intensities above 10 9 W/cm 2 with pulse energies in the range of several Joules and pulse widths in the range of nanoseconds, laser shock processing (LSP) is being consolidating as an effective technology for the improvement of surface mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of metals and is being developed as a practical process amenable to production engineering. The main acknowledged advantage of the laser shock processing technique consists on its capability of inducing a relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly, the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Following a short description of the theoretical/computational and experimental methods developed by the authors for the predictive assessment and experimental implementation of LSP treatments, experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated surface properties modification successfully reached in typical materials (specifically steels and Al and Ti alloys) under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented

Influence of heating source position and dilution rate in achieving overmatched dissimilar welded joints

Abstract The investigation addresses the overall performance of black and white joints (BWJ) of low carbon steel (LCS) and stainless steel thin sheets achieved by laser hybrid welding. Assuming that the structural integrity is directly influenced by the processing temperature, a thermal simulation of BWJ of thin sheets was developed. Afterwards, the base metals apportionment at joint formation, namely their distinct dilution rate, was originally estimated from the top surface temperature variation. Defect-free laser hybrid dissimilar welds were experimentally obtained using the selected filler metal and the energetic input from the process simulation, even for a critical analysed case of heat source displacement from the weld gap centreline towards LCS. Detailed macro and microstructural examination of the BWJ and related microhardness analysis results are presented. The tensile tests results indicate that in the case of transversally loaded BWJ, the positive difference in yield between the weld metal and the base materials protects the weld metal from being plastically deformed; the flat transverse tensile specimens loading up to failure reveals large strains in LCS, far away from the weld.

FEM model of butt cold welding

Abstract Butt cold pressure welding is a solid state manufacturing process with several important applications, but with a gap in its fundamentals. This paper presents a new approach of the research in the field, bringing both theoretical and practical original contributions to the knowledge and creating the bases for the development of new processes addressing modern materials. First, an overview of finite element method (FEM) used in butt cold welding is presented. Correlation between stresses and material deformation is further addressed. Original indicators related to cold welding process initiation are introduced: critical deformation, welding critical stress and welding critical radius. The paper brings an original interpretation of cold welding process based on FEM model and on microstructural considerations. Results of mechanical tests and of macro- and microscopic analysis are provided to validate the model.

Induction of Engineered Residual Stresses Fields and Associate Surface Properties Modification by Short Pulse Laser Shock Processing

Laser shock processing (LSP) is consolidating as an effective technology for the improvement of metallic materials surface properties involving their fatigue life. The main acknowledged advantage of the LSP technique consists on its capability of inducing a relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Progress accomplished by the authors in the line of practical development of the LSP technique at an experimental level, aiming its integral assessment from an interrelated theoretical and experimental point of view, is presented in this paper. Concretely, experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated surface properties modification successfully reached in typical materials (especially Al and Ti alloys) under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented, a correlated analysis of the residual stress profiles obtained under different irradiation strategies and the evaluation of the corresponding induced surface properties as roughness and wear resistance being also presented. Through a coupled theoretical- experimental analysis the real possibilities of the LSP technique as a possible substitutive of related traditional surface modification techniques as, for example, shot peening.

Residual Stress Distributions in Bi-Metal (Ferritic to Austenitic Steel) Joints Made by Laser Welding

In this work, autogenous laser welding was used to join thin plates of low carbon ferritic and austenitic stainless steel. Due to the differences in the thermo-physical properties of base metals, this kind of welds exhibit a complex microstructure, which frequently leads to an overall loss of joint quality. Four welded samples were prepared by using different sets of processing parameters, with the aim of minimizing the induced residual stress field. Microstructural characterization and residual strain scanning (by neutron diffraction) were used to assess the joints’ features.

Specific properties of ferritic/austenitic Dissimilar Metals Welded Joints

This paper addresses several peculiar properties of ferritic/austenitic welded joints (Black and White Joints-BWJ) of thin sheets, which are emerging nowadays due to cost saving and satisfactory service performance. Starting from 3D thermal field modelling approached by considering Goldak’s double ellipsoidal heat source, together with a contribution of the authors, a 2D FEM-based model was used for arc welding of low carbon steel (CS) and stainless steel (SS) of thin sheets (3 mm). Conclusion helped to conduct experiments of BWJ arc welding (MMA and TIG), and laser-GMA hybrid welding, whilst infrared thermographic measurements were compared with the FEM results. Besides microstructural examination and mechanical characterization (hardness and tensile), fracture toughness and stress corrosion tests were performed on the BWJ laser hybrid welded. Whilst the model has offered important qualitative information about the asymmetric thermal field and the heat apportionment on the molten metal pool formation, the experiments have shown inadequate microstructures and constitutions of the welds for MMA and TIG welding, with respect to laser-GMAW hybrid joints. The description of the experimental program focused on B&W laser-GMA hybrid welding of thin plates aiming a characterization procedure using fracture mechanics methods is briefly presented.

Mechanical Properties Enhancement of High Reliability Metallic Materials by Laser Shock Processing

Laser shock processing (LSP) is being increasingly applied as an effective technology for the improvement of metallic materials surface properties in different types of components as a means of enhancement of their corrosion and fatigue life behavior. As reported in previous contributions by the authors, a main effect resulting from the application of the LSP technique consists on the generation of relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Additional results accomplished by the authors in the line of practical development of the LSP technique at an experimental level (aiming its integral assessment from an interrelated theoretical and experimental point of view) are presented in this paper. Concretely, follow-on experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated surface properties modification successfully reached in typical materials (especially Al and Ti alloys) under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented along with a practical correlated analysis on the protective character of the residual stress profiles obtained under different irradiation strategies and the evaluation of the corresponding induced properties as material specific volume reduction at the surface, microhardness and wear resistance. Additional remarks on the improved character of the LSP technique over the traditional “shot peening” technique in what concerns depth of induced compressive residual stresses fields are also made through the paper.

Characteristics of Miab welding process and joints

The paper presents the MIAB welding of thin walled tubes achieved with an original longitudinal magnetization system, designed to assure the magnetic flux concentration on the tube wall. Based on images resulting from process monitoring, the main stages of the process are presented, starting with arc initiation, to apparition of molten metal, upsetting and ending with the weld achievement. Infrared thermography was also used for temperature measurements and visualization of the process. Macro and microstructural analyses accompany the hardness tests made on correspondingly welded samples, demonstrating the process capability in producing sound joints when guided by the operational windows developed through this investigation.

Improvement of mechanical properties and life extension of high reliability structural components by laser shock processing

Profiting by the increasing availability of laser sources delivering intensities above 109 W/cm2 with pulse energies in the range of several Joules and pulse widths in the range of nanoseconds, laser shock processing (LSP) is being consolidating as an effective technology for the improvement of surface mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of metals and is being developed as a practical process amenable to production engineering. The main acknowledged advantage of the laser shock processing technique consists on its capability of inducing a relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly, the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Following a short description of the theoretical/computational and experimental methods developed by the authors for the predictive assessment and experimental implementation of LSP treatments, experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated surface properties modification successfully reached in typical materials (specifically Al and Ti alloys) under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented. In particular, the analysis of the residual stress profiles obtained under different irradiation parameters and the evaluation of the corresponding induced surface properties as roughness and wear resistance are presented.