Effect of process parameters and talc ratio on hot plate welding of polypropylene

This study analyzes the influence of different talc ratios on weld strength of polypropylene joined with hot plate welding process. It further determines the optimum welding parameter settings to achieve the optimum weld strength and observes the effect of process parameters, namely plate temperature and heating time on the joint quality. Process parameters were considered as variables and their effect, interactions and relative significance were investigated by utilizing design of experiment. Simultaneously, a mathematical predictive model of the weld strength was developed in terms of welding parameters. The model can predict effectively weld strength with a 95% confidence level.     

Resistance welding of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite using alternative heating element

The focus of this work is the use of a metal mesh as an alternative heating element for the joining of carbon fibre fabric reinforced polyetherimide composite laminate. A more homogeneous temperature distribution was generated by the metal mesh at the bonding surface. Glass fibre fabric reinforced PEI (GF/PEI) was used as an electrical insulator between the heating element and adherend laminates. Experimental results show that the GF/PEI prepreg could effectively prevent current leakage and enlarge the welding area. Welding parameters, such as input power level, welding time and pressure, were optimized according to the results of mechanical and microstructure characterization. Mechanical performance of composite specimens joined using metal mesh, in terms of lap shear strength and Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, was equivalent to that of compression moulded benchmarks. Fracture surfaces of welded specimens showed mostly cohesive failure or intralaminar failure, indicating that good bonding between the PEI matrix and metal mesh was achieved.     

Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung von Tiefspaltschweißnähten mittels Durchstrahlung und Ultraschall

Non destructive testing of Narrow-Gap welded joints using radiographic and ultrasonic methods . The intensified demand for economical sources of electrical energy has led to nuclear power plants with increasingly larger pressure vessels, particularly for BWR and PWR installations. The wall thicknesses of these vessels now exceeds 200 mm. The fabrication of these heavy structural components to close construction tolerances has required the development of economic welding processes, which in general are fully mechanised. One such process which has been successfully applied to the joining of heavy sections is Narrow-Gap welding. Investigations on Narrow-Gap welded joints using conventional nondestructive testing methods, such as radiographic and ultrasonic methods, have revealed that weld defects in these weld seams can be readily determined since for this process, the possible zones of weld failures are clearly defined over a very small region. The assessment of the test results according to accepted standards for pressure vessel construction has revealed, that providing the welding conditions are carefully controlled, acceptable weld quality is ensured.     

A356Al/TiB2颗粒增强铝基复合材料的搅拌摩擦焊

采用纯机械化的固相连接技术--搅拌摩擦焊成功地焊接了应用原位反应合成法制造的铸态A356Al/6.5%TiB2(体积分数)颗粒增强铝基复合材料,与铝合金相比,铝基复合材料搅拌摩擦焊的焊缝质量对焊接参数更为敏感.该连接方法在较低温度下实现铝基复合材料的焊接,避免了基体铝合金与增强相之间的化学反应,同时在搅拌头机械搅拌、挤压和摩擦热的共同作用下,焊缝区基体材料的晶粒和增强相被破碎并形成再结晶晶核,细化了组织结构,增强相分布也更加弥散.焊缝区的硬度值波动范围很小,抗拉强度比母材增加约20%.研究表明,搅拌摩擦焊用于连接颗粒增强铝基复合材料具有明显的优势.     

Joining of blanks by cold pressure welding: Incremental rolling and strategies for surface activation and heat treatment

The cold pressure welding of metals is a joining by forming technique capable of joining both similar and dissimilar metals in their solid state. In this article collective research on the cold pressure welding of metals with the aim of increasing both the overall weld strength and the weld‐ability is presented. The application of innovative strategies based on electrochemical methods for an optimized conditioning of metal surfaces is investigated. The results account for a noticeable increase in the weld strength of steel‐aluminum joints after a surface activation consisting of either an electrochemical roughening or electrodeposition of a bifunctional organosilane thin film. In addition to the surface activation process regimes for the pre‐ and post‐welding heat treatment is investigated. Both weld strength and weld ability are improved due to heat treatments of steel sheets with various coatings and uncoated aluminium. The cold pressure welding is hereby done by incremental rolling, a new design process that allows for the manufacture of linear and curved joints between sheet metal blanks.     

Measurement and analysis technologies for magnetic pulse welding: established methods and new strategies

Magnetic pulse welding (MPW) is a fast and clean joining technique that offers the possibility to weld dissimilar metals, e.g., aluminum and steel. The high-speed collision of the joining partners is used to generate strong atomic bonded areas. Critical brittle intermetallic phases can be avoided due to the absence of external heat. These features attract the notice of industries performing large scale productions of dissimilar metal joints, like automotive and plant engineering. The most important issue is to guarantee a proper weld quality. Numerical simulations are often used to predict the welding result a priori. Nevertheless, experiments and the measurement of process parameters are needed for the validation of these data. Sensors nearby the joining zone are exposed to high pressures and intense magnetic fields which hinder the evaluation of the electrical output signals. In this paper, existing analysis tools for process development and quality assurance in MPW are reviewed. New methods for the process monitoring and weld characterization during and after MPW are introduced, which help to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of established technologies. These methods are based on optical and mechanical measuring technologies taking advantage of the hypervelocity impact flash, the impact pressure and the deformation necessary for the weld formation.     

Nucleus geometry and mechanical properties of resistance spot welded coated–uncoated DP automotive steels

In this study, mechanical properties of resistance spot welding of DP450 and DP600, galvanized and ungalvanized automotive sheets have been investigated. The specimens have been joined by resistance spot welding at different weld currents and times. Welded specimens have been examined for their mechanical, macrostructure and microstructure properties. Depending on the weld current and time, effects of zinc coating on tensile properties, microhardness values as well as microstructure nugget geometry and nucleus size ratio have been investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis has been used to investigate the phase that formed at the joint interface. Result of the experiment show that nugget diameter, indentation depth and tensile load-bearing capacity are affected by weld parameters. Coating prevents full joining at low parameters. Microhardness increased in heat-affected zone and weld metal.     

A displacement-detection based approach for process monitoring and processing window definition of resistance welding of thermoplastic composites

The evolution of weld displacement, or the thickness of welding stack, with welding time during resistance welding of thermoplastic composites was characterised, and based on this the possibility of using displacement data for process monitoring and processing window definition was investigated. Resistance welding of glass fabric reinforced polyetherimide using a metal mesh as the heating element was studied, and weld displacement was detected using a laser sensor. The effect of welding parameters on the displacement curve was studied. Welding defects, such as voids and squeeze flow, could be detected by monitoring the weld displacement. Fast definition of the welding processing window was found to be possible using displacement curves, and the predicted processing window showed good agreement with the processing window determined from mechanical tests.     

Effect of jig constraint state during welding process on fatigue properties of Al/CFRP dissimilar welds and fatigue life evaluation based on singular stress

Manufacturers have been promoting multimaterial designs. So the dissimilar material welding methods are being developed. Especially, heat welding technology, which is a direct joining by local heating, has been focussed. Therefore, this study used a heat welding technology for friction stir spot welding of aluminium alloy and carbon fibre‐reinforced plastic. This study investigated the effect of changes to jig constraint of joined members on the fatigue properties of joints. Also, the fatigue life estimation was carried out by considering the singular stress at the welding joint interface. As a result, the fatigue strength of joint in a less constrained state is higher than that in a more constrained state. The singular stress intensity at the slit tip was uniformly predicted by the differences in welding parameters of joints.     

Butt-welding technology for double walled Polyethylene pipe

In this study, mechanical analyses of a butt welding technology for joining Polyethylene pipe are presented. The pipe had unique structure with double wall, and its section topology was not flat. For an effective repair of leakage and replacements of the pipe, the butt welding technology was developed and tested. For the material characterizations, thermodynamic analyses such as thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were performed. Based on the test results, the process temperature and time were determined to ensure safe joining of the pipes using a hot plate apparatus. The welding process was carefully monitored by measuring the temperature. Then, the joined pipes were tested by various methods to evaluate the quality. The analyses results showed the detail process mechanism during the joining process, and the test results demonstrated the successful application of the technology to the sewage pipe repairs.     

Numerical simulation of tensile strength of upset welded joints with experimental verification

Resistance upset welding (UW) is a widely used process for joining metal parts. In this process current, time and upsetting force are three parameters that affect the quality of welded products. This paper considers numerical simulation and experimental investigation of UW process parameters. The investigated parameters include heating and post-weld heating current and their corresponding duration as well as interference of the part features that form the joint. In this study, evaluation of tensile strength of the welded joint with variation of the process parameters is also reported. For numerical analysis, a two-dimensional axisymmetric model using a coupled electro-thermal finite element method is developed to study the thermal behavior of the welded joints. The results of this numerical simulation are used to determine the status of the weldment and therefore evaluate the quality of the weld at the joint. Both numerical and experimental results suggest an optimum set of welding parameters, i.e. time and electrical current that yields a maximum value for the tensile strength of the joint. Also the effects of post-weld heating time and current on the tensile strength are evaluated and show that these parameters have a remarkable effect on improving tensile strength of the weldment.     

Effect of high filling ratio on the weld strength of hot plate welded calcite filled polypropylene and its comparison with talc filling

In this paper, the effect of the hot plate welding parameters on the weld strength of 40 % calcite filled polypropylene were investigated by utilizing design of experiment and compared to talc filled polypropylene. The plate temperature and the heating time were considered as the process parameters. A mathematical predictive model of the weld strength was developed in terms of welding parameters. The results show that the mathematical model correlates well with the experimental results. The optimum welding parameters of calcite filled polypropylene are determined as 260 °C of plate temperature and heating time of 25 s. The welding strength of the joint welded at optimum parameters is found as 18.32 MPa. Hot plate welding efficiency of the 40 % calcite filled polypropylene is observed to be higher than 40 % talc filled polypropylene material.     

Influence of Friction Stir Weld Parameters on the Corrosion Susceptibility of EN AW-7075 Weld Seam and Heat-Affected Zone

Friction stir welding enables joining of high-strength, lightweight aluminum alloys, e.g., EN-AW-7075, below the melting point by induced plastic deformation. Therefore, heat transfer into the adjacent regions beneath the weld seam is significantly reduced as compared to fusion welding processes such as laser beam welding. However, specific zones along the weld seam area are susceptible to localized corrosion due to grain growth and the precipitation of intermetallic phases. Thus, several approaches toward lowering the corrosion susceptibility of the heat-affected zone are presented. Special interest is given to increasing the plastic deformation by the use of novel multipin welding tools that eventually facilitate reduced heat input during welding as a result of substantially lower tool revolutions. The corrosion behavior is tested by means of full material immersion tests and electrochemical measurements which provide insight into the corrosion kinetics. Using pre- and postmortem microstructural analysis, the mechanisms influencing the initiation of corrosion can be identified. Supported by in-operando temperature measurements, the varied welding parameters and their interrelationships to corrosion resistance can be derived. Furthermore, recommendations on optimal welding parameters to obtain enhanced corrosion resistance can be deduced.     

焊接参数对TC4薄板焊接过程的影响

目的 揭示焊接参数对TC4薄板焊接过程中温度场、位移场及应力场的影响规律。方法 基于有限元(FEM)模拟方法，运用Fortran语言对焊接热源及焊接参数进行定义，以模拟不同焊接参数下TC4薄板的TIG对接焊过程。结果 在稳弧阶段，温度场为一组以焊接方向为长轴的椭圆，且存在温度梯度，随着焊接速度的增大，温度场峰值、温度场温度梯度、熔池宽度和熔池体积逐渐减小，而焊接效率和焊接电流对温度场的影响与焊接速度刚好相反;随着焊接速度的增大，薄板最大变形量逐渐减小，焊接角变形及挠度变形逐渐得到改善，而焊接效率和焊接电流对位移场的影响与焊接速度刚好相反。在稳弧阶段，焊缝位置的残余应力为拉应力，两侧为压应力，随着焊接速度和焊接电流的增大，纵向残余拉应力逐渐增大，焊缝处高应力集中区的宽度逐渐减小，而焊接效率对应力场的影响与焊接速度刚好相反。在高焊接速度、中等焊接效率、低焊接电流参数条件下，可获得熔池体积小及熔池宽度窄的焊缝，有利于减小焊后残余应力与变形。结论 上述研究结果可为TC4薄板的焊接过程提供一定的理论指导。     

日本潜艇用钢及焊接材料的焊接性能综述

本文综述了日本的潜艇用钢及其焊接材料的各项焊接性能试验情况。对NS63和NS80钢的大量试验结果表明:为了防止产生焊接裂纹,应根据钢种强度级别、板厚和拘束应力的不同来选择不同的预热和道间温度,通常在50~150℃之间变化;相应的焊接热输入也宜在16~24 kJ/cm之内选配,以便得到与焊材相适应的临界冷却速度,使之满足焊缝力学性能的要求。还要限制施焊环境的水蒸气分压(≤25mmHg),焊材的吸潮量要≤0.20%。另外,对NS110钢的低强匹配焊接接头也进行了大量的试验工作,结果表明:在焊缝强度比母材降低15%的条件下仍具有良好的综合性能,将其应用到潜艇壳体上是可以信赖的。     

Strength development versus process data in ultrasonic welding of thermoplastic composites with flat energy directors and its application to the definition of optimum processing parameters

Ultrasonic welding of thermoplastic composites is a very interesting joining technique as a result of good quality joints, very short welding times and the fact that no foreign material, e.g. a metal mesh, is required at the welding interface in any case. This paper describes one further advantage, the ability to relate weld strength to the welding process data, namely dissipated power and displacement of the sonotrode, in ultrasonic welding of thermoplastic composite parts with flat energy directors. This relationship, combined with displacement-controlled welding, allows for fast definition of optimum welding parameters which consistently result in high-strength welded joints.     

TEM study of the FSW nugget in AA2195-T81

During friction stir welding (FSW) the material being joined is subjected to a thermal-mechanical process in which the temperature, strain and strain rates are not completely understood. To produce a defect free weld, process parameters for the weld and tool pin design must be chosen carefully. The ability to select the weld parameters based on the thermal processing requirements of the material, would allow optimization of mechanical properties in the weld region. In this study, an attempt is made to correlate the microstructure with the variation in thermal history the material experiences during the FSW process.     

Microstructural changes accompanying repair welding in 5xxx aluminium alloys and their effect on the mechanical properties

At the shipyards, the aluminium alloy 5083 is welded with a multi-pass sequence using the metal inert gas technique. If, while checking the weld integrity either after welding or during service, defects are detected in the vicinity of the weldment, repairs are usually employed to extend the service life.

The repair method involves removal of the upper passes, depending on the thickness and re-welding under the same conditions.

Purpose of this paper is to examine the microstructural changes accompanying repair welding, define their effect on properties of primary importance and set, if possible, an upper limit as far as the number of repairs is concerned.     

Recent developments in explosive welding

Explosion welding (EXW) is one of the joining methods consisting of a solid state welding process in which controlled explosive detonation on the surface of a metal. During the collision, a high velocity jet is produced to remove away the impurities on the metal surfaces. Flyer plate collides with base plate resulting in a bonding at the interface of metals. The metal plates are joined at an internal point under the influence of a very high pressure and causes considerable local plastic deformation at the interface in which metallurgical bonding occurs in nature and even stronger than the parent metals. Similar and dissimilar materials can be joined by explosive welding. In this paper, after detection the theories of welding and wave formation, experimental research and numerical studies on explosive welding are reviewed for the last four decades. Also, future developments in explosive welding are predicted and criticized in an outlook.     

Reinforced direct bonding of optical materials by femtosecond laser welding

A process for reinforcing a direct bond between optical materials using femtosecond laser welding is presented. As a side benefit, the optical transmission properties of the joined components are shown not to be altered by the joining process. The joints exhibits higher shear breakage loads, yielding a maximum measured joint strength of 5.25 MPa for an applied load of 75 kg in fused silica. The laser sealing of direct bonds between dissimilar materials improves their resistance to thermal shocks. Direct bonds sealed by a circular weld seam can withstand thermal shocks at temperatures at least twice as great as nonreinforced direct bonds. The combination of ultrashort laser welding and direct bonding provides an innovative joining method that benefits from the advantages of both contributing physical processes.