Modern Engineering of Arc Welding Provides Wider Scope in Thermomechanical Weld Simulation for Fabrication of Advanced Structural Steels

Abstract

The weldability and formability of advanced structural steels largely dominate their use in fabrication of various components of modern applications in automobile industries dealing with sheet metal to heavy engineering employing thick sections. With respect to their chemical compositions often these steels maintain good weldability due to low carbon and alloying content. But consideration of weldability of these steels becomes a delicate issue when their unique combination of superior properties primarily results from the presence of some specific morphological characteristics of the matrix. Control of deterioration of such microstructures during weld fabrication requires thorough knowledge of with and without strain induced transformations of these steels at nonconventional heat treatment of weld thermal cycle. The advances in welding engineering especially with respect to development of new arc welding processes and procedures introduces wide possibilities of control of thermal and mechanical behavior of weld joint. Certain extraordinary aspects of thermal and mechanical behavior of weld of advanced welding process have been discussed considering the versatile pulsed current gas metal arc welding (P-GMAW) process. In reference to the opportunities further prospect of more critical consideration of thermomechanical weld simulation which may facilitate more appropriate handling of delicate microstructure for desired joint properties of varied section of advanced structural steels has been discussed.