Laser Welding of Pipe Stubs Made From Super 304 Steel. Numerical Simulation and Weld Properties

The laser welding process of test pipe stubs which were made from Super 304 stainless steel is usually used to produce components of a power infrastructure. It was numerically simulated and the obtained results are presented in this paper. For the laser welding method, the weldability of this steel is presented, as well as the results of strength and microstructure tests of a joint welded at the parameter settings selected from a numerical simulation. The chemical composition, including the increased content of alloying elements such as chromium and nickel, improves the strength characteristics of the welded steel, allowing for the production of components of superheaters and partition walls of boilers operating in supercritical parameters

Metal expansion joints manufacturing by a mechanically assisted laser forming hybrid method – concept

This paper presents the concept of metal expansion joints manufacturing using a mechanically assisted laserforming hybrid method. The metal expansion joints are made of a metal tube of an appropriate diameter and wall thickness with a combined bellow-lens shape. The concept assumes using a CO2 laser to implement such expansion joints. The laser beam heats the selected area of the rotating tube, mounted on a swivel handle on one side and the actuator handle on the other end. After reaching the plasticising temperature, the actuator compresses the element. As a result, a bellow-lens shape is formed at the plasticization area. Initial experimental studies confirmed the validity of the concept. The bellow-lens metal expansion joint (type DN20) was obtained as a final result. The presented idea and the element manufacturing method were submitted to The Patent Office of RP

Properties of Laser Additive Deposited Metallic Powder of Inconel 625

Paper presents results of laser additive manufacturing. Deposition of nickel based super alloy Inconel 625 was performed. Laser metal deposition is advanced manufacturing process dedicated for prototyping and low scale series production. Inconel 625 is nickel based super alloy, with high heat resistance properties. Therefore due material properties and chemical composition is characterized as a difficult to machining [1, 2]. Additive manufacturing process using focused photons beam for selective deposition of metallic powder in laser engineered net shaping (LENS) method can be used as alternative technology. High energy density of controllable laser beam combining with coaxial delivery system allow to precise deposited metallic powder. Manufacturing process are based on selective melting of additional material using laser radiation and crystallization process. An additional material in form of filler wire as well as metallic powder can be used. Advantages of using metallic powder are higher level of process control, nevertheless adequate selection of process parameters are required. High energy density of laser beam and rapid crystallization process affect on metallographic structure of deposited material. Thermal energy absorbed in material affect on phase transformation.Molten powder mixing with base material changing metallographic structure. Chemical composition of obtained overlay weld are combination of base and additive material. Therefore to achieve stable crystallization process chemical composition of additive material wassimilar to base material. Additional alloying elements could affect on mechanical properties. Deposition process using TruLaserCell 1005 laser machine was performed. To determine properties of manufactured material metallographic analysis and destructive tests were performed

Corrosion Behavior of Inconel 625 Coating Produced by Laser Cladding

Anti-corrosion properties of Inconel 625 (In) laser cladding coatings onto the (S235JR) steel (S) were investigated. The coatings were produced with the use of wire (WIn/S) or powder (PIn/S). The mechanical properties of the Inconel 625 coatings were characterized by microhardness measurements. The PIn/S shows the highest hardness. The surface and microstructure of the specimens were observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The surface analysis of the laser cladding coatings by energy-dispersive spectroscope (EDS) indicated that the structure of the WIn, and PIn coatings depend on its production technique. The microstructure of the WIn and PIn coatings have a dendritic columnar character. Corrosion test materials were carried out by using electrochemical methods. The corrosive environment was acidic chloride solution. It turned out that the PIn/S coating, which was produced by laser cladding method with the use of Inconel 625 powder, has the best anti-corrosion properties in an aggressive chloride environment

Technology and Properties of Peripheral Laser-Welded Micro-Joints

This article presents the results of research on the technology and peripheral properties of laser-welded micro-couplings. The aim of this research was to determine the characteristics of properly made joints and to indicate the range of optimal parameters of the welding process. Thin-walled AISI 316L steel pipes with diameters of 1.5 and 2 mm used in medical equipment were tested. The micro-welding process was carried out on a SISMA LM-D210 Nd:YAG laser. The research methods used were macroscopic and microscopic analyses of the samples, and assessment of the distribution of elements in the weld, the distribution of microhardness and the tear strength of the joint. As a result of the tests, the following welding parameters are recommended: a pulse energy of 2.05 J, pulse duration of 4 ms and frequency of 2 Hz, beam focusing to a diameter of 0.4 mm and a rotation speed of 0.157 rad/s. In addition, the tests show good joint properties with a strength of more than 75% of the thinner pipe, uniform distribution of alloying elements and a complex dendritic structure characteristic of pulse welding

Numerical analysis of laser-welded flange pipe joints in lap and fillet configurations

This article presents a numerical analysis of laser-welded flange pipe joints. The presented results concern the welding of low carbon S235JR and stainless 316L steels using a CO2 laser in lap and fillet joint configurations. The estimation of welding parameters was achieved using Simufact Welding software and numerical simulation, where output power, feed rate, efficiency and intensity distribution (Gaussian parameter) were analysed. In accordance with the established model, a thermo-mechanical simulation was performed. The calculated joint geometries show good agreement with experiments; therefore, the obtained results were used to study selected joint properties of both joint types. Stress-strain distribution was estimated on the basis of thermo-mechanical analysis. Weld bead geometry obtained from numerical simulation was compared with the results from trial joints. The numerical model established for both joint configurations shows good agreement with experimental results and were assumed to be accurate. The results of the performed analysis shown some advantages of the use of this configuration of lap joints in flange pipe joints

Numerical and Metallurgical Analysis of Laser Welded, Sealed Lap Joints of S355J2 and 316L Steels under Different Configurations

This paper presents the results of laser welding of dissimilar joints, where low-carbon and stainless steels were welded inthe lap joint configuration. Performed welding of austenitic and ferritic-pearlitic steels included a sealed joint, where only partial penetration of lower material was obtained.The authors presented acomparative study of the joints under different configurations. The welding parameters for the assumed penetration were estimated via anumericalsimulation. Moreover, a stress–strain analysis was performed based on theestablished model. Numerical analysis showed significant differences in joint properties, therefore, further study was conducted. Investigation of the fusion mechanism in the obtained joints wascarried out using electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and metallurgical analysis. The study of the lap joint under different configurations showed considerable dissimilarities in stress–strain distribution and relevant differences in the fusion zone structure. The results showed advantages of using stainless steel as the upper material of a microstructure, and uniform chemical element distribution and stress analysis is considered

Semi-Hybrid CO2 Laser Metal Deposition Method with Inter Substrate Buffer Zone

This article presents the results of the metal deposition process using additive materials in the form of filler wire and metal powder. An important problem in wire deposition using a CO2 laser was overcome by using a combination of the abovementioned methods. The deposition of a multicomponent alloy—Inconel 625—on a basic substrate such as structural steel is presented. The authors propose a new approach for stopping carbon and iron diffusion from the substrate, by using the Semi-Hybrid Deposition Method (S-HDM) developed by team members. The proposed semi-hybrid method was compared with alternative wire and powder deposition using laser beam. Differences of S-HDM and classic wire deposition and powder deposition methods are presented using metallographic analysis, within optic and electron microscopy. Significant differences in the obtained results reveal advantages of the developed method compared to traditional deposition methods. A comparison of the aforementioned methods performed using nickel based super alloy Inconel 625 deposited on low carbon steel substrate is presented. An alternative prototyping approach for an advanced high alloy materials deposition using CO2 laser, without the requirement of using the same substrate was presented in this article. This study confirmed the established assumption of reducing selected components diffusion from a substrate via buffer layer. Results of metallographic analysis confirm the advantages and application potential of using the new semi-hybrid method for prototyping high alloy materials on low alloy structural steel substrate

Semi-Hybrid CO₂ Laser Metal Deposition Method with Inter Substrate Buffer Zone

This article presents the results of the metal deposition process using additive materials in the form of filler wire and metal powder. An important problem in wire deposition using a CO2 laser was overcome by using a combination of the abovementioned methods. The deposition of a multicomponent alloy—Inconel 625—on a basic substrate such as structural steel is presented. The authors propose a new approach for stopping carbon and iron diffusion from the substrate, by using the Semi-Hybrid Deposition Method (S-HDM) developed by team members. The proposed semi-hybrid method was compared with alternative wire and powder deposition using laser beam. Differences of S-HDM and classic wire deposition and powder deposition methods are presented using metallographic analysis, within optic and electron microscopy. Significant differences in the obtained results reveal advantages of the developed method compared to traditional deposition methods. A comparison of the aforementioned methods performed using nickel based super alloy Inconel 625 deposited on low carbon steel substrate is presented. An alternative prototyping approach for an advanced high alloy materials deposition using CO2 laser, without the requirement of using the same substrate was presented in this article. This study confirmed the established assumption of reducing selected components diffusion from a substrate via buffer layer. Results of metallographic analysis confirm the advantages and application potential of using the new semi-hybrid method for prototyping high alloy materials on low alloy structural steel substrate