Laser-Beam Welding Impact on the Deformation Properties of Stainless Steels When Used for Automotive Applications

Materials other than standard and advanced high strength steels are remarkable for the thin-walled structures of the car-body in recent years in order to safety enhancement, weight and emission reduction, corrosion resistance improvement. Thus, there are presented in the paper the deformation properties of laser welded austenitic AISI 304 and ferritic AISI 430 stainless steels compared to these one measured for the high strength low alloyed steel H220PD. The properties were researched by tensile test and 3-point bending test with fixed ends on specimens made of basic material and laser welded one. The specimens were welded by solid state fiber laser YLS-5000 in longitudinal direction (the load direction). The deformation properties such as strength, stiffness and deformation work were evaluated and compared. The strength and stiffness were calculated from tensile test results and the deformation work was calculated from both, tensile test and 3-point bending test results. There has been found only minor effect of laser welding to the deformation properties for high strength low alloyed steel H220PD and austenitic stainless steel AISI 304. Otherwise, the laser welding strongly influenced the deformation work of the ferritic stainless steel AISI 430 as well as the elongation at tensile test.