Abstract It was verified that SAE 4130 steel plates crack when laser beam welded at room temperature (RT). To overcome this problem, this work proposes a high temperature (HT) laser welding in order to reduce the residual stresses and create a bainitic structure instead of a martensitic one. A conventional post-welding heat treatment (PWHT) had been used as a comparison for HT. The centerline crack disappeared after a heat treatment of both in-situ (HT) or after inserting in a furnace (PWHT) at 500 °C for 10 minutes. The finite element analyses indicated a residual stress reduction from 163.70 to 3.72 MPa in the fusion zone (FZ) of the welds from RT to HT. The hardness obtained in FZ depends on the thermal cycle induced microstructure of the welds as 400 HV, 340 HV and 250 HV, for martensite (RT), tempered martensite (PWHT) and bainite (HT) micro-constituents. The proposed in-situ high-temperature laser beam welding method proved its usefulness to solve the center crack issue in SAE 4130 joints.

Resumo A solda a laser de aços com plasticidade induzida por transformação (TRIP) são conhecidos por gerar martensita nas zonas de fusão (ZF) e afetadas pelo calor (ZAC). Para resolver este problema, o presente estudo propõe uma soldagem em alta temperatura (HT) para evitar a transformação abaixo da temperatura inicial de martensita após a soldagem a laser. Assim, um aquecimento indutivo foi usado para atingir 500 °C antes da solda a laser da classe 750 de aço TRIP sobreposto de 1,6 mm de espessura. Após a soldagem, a temperatura foi mantida constante a 500 °C por mais 10 minutos para austemperar. As microestruturas das soldas em alta temperatura são compostas por bainita e austenita residual com dureza na ZF de até 300 HV, contra 450 HV da solda em temperatura ambiente (AT). Os valores da dureza HT são ligeiramente superiores ao tratamento térmico tradicional pós-soldagem (TW), 300 HV em comparação com 250 HV, devido à cinética de têmpera em cada caso. Os testes de embutimento Erichsen mostraram que as amostras HT apresentam melhor conformabilidade em comparação com as condições AT ou TW. A presente contribuição destaca uma possível solução para a fragilidade intrínseca durante a conformação a frio do aço TRIP 750 soldados a laser através da aplicação de uma austempera indutiva in situ.

Abstract Laser welded Transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steels are known to generate martensite in the fusion (FZ) and the heat-affected (HAZ) zones. To solve this issue, the present study proposes a high temperature (HT) welding to avoid decay below the martensite start temperature after laser welding. Therefore, an inductive heating has been used to reach 500 °C before laser weld of superposed 1.6mm thick TRIP steel class 750. After welding the temperature was kept constant at 500 °C for more 10 minutes in order to austemper. The microstructures of the welds at high temperature are composed of bainite and residual austenite with an FZ hardness up to 300 HV, compared to 450 HV of the ambient temperature (AT) weld. The HT values of hardness are slightly higher than a traditional post-weld heat treatment (TW), 300 HV compared to 250 HV, because of the tempering kinetics in each case. Erichsen cup indentation tests shown the HT coupons presents better formability compared to the AT or TW conditions. The present contribution highlights a possible solution to the intrinsic brittleness during cold forming of laser welded TRIP 750 steel by applying an inductive in-situ austempering.