Comparative Studies On Electron Beam And Laser Beam Welding Of Qt-Steel And Structural Steel

Beam welding processes such as electron beam or laser beam welding are used for a range of applications where precise and localised heat input is required. In this contribution, two industrial beam-welding facilities were used to produce joints with a maximum depth of 25 mm. The materials investigated were 42CrMo4 QT-steel and S355 structural steel. The investigations show that both beam welding processes led to comparable results. The butt joints generated were rated by means of macroscopic and microscopic characterization methods. The mechanical properties were investigated by static tensile and Charpy notched bar impact testing. Both beam sources exhibited characteristic features when joining the steels. Due to the smaller beam diameter of the laser, laser welded seams were 40 % to 50 % smaller than their electron beam welded pendants. The reduction of the tensile strength of the initial state was below 4 % for both welding techniques.