TY - JOUR A1 - Akyel, Fatma A1 - Üstündag, Ömer A1 - Bakir, Nasim A1 - Brunner-Schwer, Christian A1 - Gumenyuk, Andrey A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Influence of heat input on cooling rates and mechanical properties of laser hybrid welded thick structural steels N2 - Laser hybrid welding presents several challenges when used to weld thick steels. A typical weld is divided into the arcdominated and laser-dominated zone. These zones lead to variations in the mechanical properties of the weld. The laserdominated zone is of particular importance regarding mechanical properties, notably Charpy impact toughness, due to the high cooling rates and the absence of filler wire. The low heat input of the laser can lead to martensitic microstructure causing hardening and deterioration of impact toughness. The high heat input of the arc can lead to grain coarsening and even loss of impact toughness. This study examines the influence of heat input on the cooling rates, microstructure and mechanical properties of single-pass laser hybrid welded steels of S355J2 and EH36 with thicknesses up to 30 mm. The experiments were performed with a 20-kW fibre laser and a contactless electromagnetic weld backing in the butt-joint configuration in 1G welding position. The cooling time was measured in three different locations near the fusion lines corresponding to different heights of the seam using a special configuration with pyrometers, collimators and optical fibres. The test specimens for the Charpy impact testing and tensile testing were extracted in three different depths. The experiments indicated that a heat input of 1.6 kJ/mm–2 kJ/mm, 2 kJ/mm–2.4 kJ/mm and 3.7 kJ/mm were recommended when single-pass laser hybrid welding of 20-, 25-, and 30-mm-thick structural steels regarding the minimum requirements of the mechanical properties, respectively. KW - Laser hybrid welding KW - Heat input KW - Mechanical properties KW - Charpy impact toughness KW - Cooling rate PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-625282 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-025-01924-8 SN - 1878-6669 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Springer CY - United Kingdom AN - OPUS4-62528 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Biegler, Max A1 - Yang, Keke A1 - Meschut, Gerson A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Occurrence and avoidance of liquid metal embrittlement in resistance spot welding of springback-afflicted deep-drawn components N2 - This study investigates the occurrence and mitigation of liquid metal embrittlement occurring during resistance spot welding in deep-drawn automotive components, specifically focusing on an S-Rail made from advanced high-strength steel. A simulation-based liquid metal embrittlement risk criterion based on local major component stresses was established and used to quantify and compare liquid metal embrittlement risks between different tests. Experimental and numerical analyses were conducted, revealing that springback significantly impacts liquid metal embrittlement formation. Adjustments in electrode geometry and hold time post-welding were found to mitigate liquid metal embrittlement risks. The effects of stack-up configuration and related parameter settings on liquid metal embrittlement occurrence were identified and liquid metal embrittlement was effectively prevented across both stack-up configurations. These findings advance the understanding of liquid metal embrittlement mechanisms and provide practical approaches to enhance the spot weld quality in AHSS-based body-in-whites. KW - Liquid metal embrittlement KW - Crack KW - Advanced high-strength steels KW - Resistance spot welding KW - Weld current KW - Heat input KW - Simulation KW - Springback KW - Deep drawing KW - S-Rail PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-636577 DO - https://doi.org/10.1177/13621718251340452 SN - 1362-1718 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - SAGE Publications AN - OPUS4-63657 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Böhne, Chr. A1 - Meschut, G. A1 - Biegler, M. A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Avoidance of liquid metal embrittlement during resistance spot welding by heat input dependent hold time adaption N2 - Liquid metal embrittlement (LME) cracking can occur during resistance spot welding (RSW) in zinc-coated advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) for automotive production. In this study, a methodological variation of hold time is performed to investigate the process-related crack influence factors. A combination of numerical and experimental investigations confirms, that the extent of heat dissipation and re-heating of the sheet surface can be influenced and thus the degree of crack formation can be controlled in a targeted manner by the parameterisation of the hold time. The temperature and stress history of crack-free and crack-afflicted spot welds are analysed and a conclusion on the borders defining the LME active region is derived. KW - Liquid metal embrittlement KW - Crack KW - Advanced high-strength steels KW - Resistance spot welding KW - Hold time KW - Heat input KW - Simulation PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/13621718.2020.1795585 SN - 1362-1718 VL - 25 IS - 7 SP - 617 EP - 624 PB - Taylor Francis Online AN - OPUS4-51096 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -