Obtaining high formability of IF-galvanized steel tailor welded blanks by applying optimum CO sub(2) laser welding parameters

• Published in: International journal of materials research Vol. 102; no. 10; pp. 1295 - 1302
• Main Authors: Abbasi, M, Ketabchi, M, Shakeri, H R, Shafaat, M A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-10-2011
• Subjects: Blanks; Formability; Galvanized steels; Interstitials; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Sheet metal; Tailored blanks; Welding
• ISSN: 1862-5282
• DOI: 10.3139/146.110580

Tailor welded blanks are complex component designs tailor-made through welding of multiple metal sheets with different thicknesses, shapes and/or strengths prior to forming. Making tailor welded blanks out of interstitial free galvanized steels not only provides the general advantages of tailor blanks including the weight and manufacturing cost reductions per part, but also considering the properties of the parent sheet, could guarantee exceptional corrosion resistance as well as favorable formability characteristics. The quality of the weld joint in these blanks and their formability is directly influenced by the parameters of the welding process. In this research, the use of CO[sub 2] laser for welding thin interstitial free galvanized steel sheets with different thicknesses (0.8 and 1.2 mm) was optimized using the Taguchi analytical methodology. An equation based on a regression model is presented to predict the minimum dome height value of tailor welded blank consisted of interstitial free galvanized steels with a thickness ratio of 1.5.