1.

Weldability of Metals
1. Weldability of Metals 4

DIN 8580 and DIN 8595 classify welding into production technique main group 4 "Joining,
group 3.6 "Joining by welding, Figure 1.1.

Production Techniques
DIN 8580

Main group Main group Main group Main group Main group
Main group
2 3 4 5 6
1
Deforming Separating Joining Plating Changing material
Forming
DIN 8593 characteristics

Group Group Group Group

Group Group Group Group
4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7
4.1 4.2 4.3 4.8
Joining by Joining by Joining by Joining by
Assembling Filling Pressing Bonding
forming deforming welding soldering

Sub-group Sub-group
4.6.1 4.6.2
Pressure welding Fusion welding

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Classification of Production Techniques

to DIN 8580

Figure 1.1

Material
Welding suitability
Weldability of a component is determined
by three outer features according to DIN
8528, Part 1. This also indicates whether a
given joining job can be done by welding, Weldability
of a
Figure 1.2. component
We anu

sig ety
ldin fac
M

De g saf
g p ture

n
in
os

ld
sib

We
ility

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Influencing Factors on
Weldability to DIN 8528 Part 1

Figure 1.2
1. Weldability of Metals 5

Material influence on weld-

ability, i.e. welding suitabil-
ity, can be detailed for a
better understanding in
three subdefinitions, Figure
1.3.

The chemical composition of

a material and also its met-
allurgical properties are
mainly set during its produc-
tion, Figure 1.4. They have a
very strong influence on the
Figure 1.3
physical
characteristics of the material.
Process steps on steel manufacturing, shown in Figure 1.4, are the essential steps on the
way to a processible and usable material.
During manufacture, the requested chemical
composition (e.g. by alloying) and metallurgi-

Blast furnace:
cal properties (e.g. type of teeming) of the
Reduction of ore to
raw iron steel are obtained.
Intake of C, S, and P

Converter: Another modification of the material behav-

Top-blow (BOF)-, bottom Removal of C and P
blow (OBM)-, stirrer- through oxygen and CaO
converter iour takes place during subsequent treatment,
where the raw material is rolled to processible
Injection of Ladle treatment:
solid material
or feeding
Alloying and vacuum
degassing (removal
semi-finished goods, e.g. like strips, plates,
cored wires of N2, H2, CO/CO2)
bars, profiles, etc.. With the rolling process,
Ladle treatment
electrically heated material-typical transformation processes,
hardening and precipitation processes are
used to adjust an optimised material charac-
Continuous casting:
casting of billets,
blooms, slabs
teristics (see chapter 2).
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Important Process Steps

During Steel Production

Figure 1.4
1. Weldability of Metals 6

A survey from quality point of view about the influence of the most important alloy elements
to some mechanical and metallurgical properties is shown in Figure 1.5.

C Si Mn P S O Cr Ni Al

Tensile strength + + + + (-) + + + +

Hardness + + + + + + +

Charpy-V-toughness - - + - - - (-) ++

Hot cracking -- ++

Creep resistance +(-400C) (+) (+) (-) + +

Critical - - - - -
cooling rate
Formation
+ ++ ++ ++ +
of seggregations
Formation + + +
+ +
of inclusions with Mn with S with Al

+ Increase of property - Decrease of property

++ Strong increase of property -- Strong decrease of property

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Influence of Alloy Elements

on Some Steel Properties

Figure 1.5

Figure 1.6 depicts the deci-

C-content (%)
Material Fusion weldability
sive importance of the car- (Melt analysis)

S185 (St 33) [EN 10 025] unlimited Not guaranteed, however mostly no
bon content to suitability of (up to 0,30) problem with low C-content

S250GT (St 34), S235JR (St 37), up to 0,21 up to 0,22% C: good weldable (exception:
fusion welding of mild steels. S275JR (St 42) [EN 10 025]
L235GT (St 35), L275GT (St 45) up to 0,17
plate thickness <0,5 mm, special order
condtions), as long as content of
[Steels for tubing EN 10 208] impurities (P,S etc.) not too high
P235GH (H I), P265GH (H II), P285NH (H III) up to 0,22
A guide number of flawless [Steels for pressure vessel construction EN10 028]
C10 (C 10), C15 (C 15), C22 (C 22) up to 0,18 (up to 0,24)
[Case hardening and tempering steels EN 10 083]
fusion weldability is a carbon
S355J0 (St 52) up to 0,22 and higher Weldable
contents of Mn and Si
content of C < 0,22 %. with E295 (St 50) Steel for mechanical engineering unlimited, Restricted weldability with electric arc
about 0,30 methods, no gas welding of thin plates.

higher C contents, there is a

E355 (St 60), C35 (C 35) about 0,40 Weldable with special electrodes and
mostly pre- and post-welding heat
danger of hardening, and treatment.

E360 (St 70), C45 (C 45) about 0,50 Very restricted weldability in spite
welding becomes only pos- of special measures
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sible by observing special Fusion Weldability of

Unalloyed Quality Steels
precautions (e.g. pre- and
post-weld heat treatment). Figure 1.6
1. Weldability of Metals 7

In addition to material behaviour, weldability is also essentially determined through the design
of a component. The influence of the design is designated as welding safety, Figure 1.7.

Welding Safety

(Welding safety due to design)

Design Stress condition

e.g. Power flow in workpiece e.g. Type and Level of strain in workpiece
Arrangement of joints Dimensional degree of strain
Material thickness Stress speed
Notch effect Temperature
Stiffness differences Corrosion

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Welding Safety

Figure 1.7

Welding Possibility

The influence of the manufac-

(welding possibility due to manufacture)
turing process to weldability is
called welding possibility, Welding Execution of
preparation welding Post-treatment
Figure 1.8. For example, a
e.g. Welding method e.g. Heat control e.g. Post-weld heat treatment
Consumble type Grinding
pre- and post-weld heat and auxiliaries
Heat input
Welding sequence Pickling
Joint type
treatment is not always possi- Groove shape
Preheating
ble, or grinding the weld sur- Actions in the case
of unfavourable
face before welding the weather conditions
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subsequent pass cannot be

Welding Possibility
carried out (narrow gap weld-
ing). Figure 1.8