%0 Journal Article 
%A Chludzinski, Mariane
%A Dos Santos, Rafael Eugenio
%A Ortega Iguña, Marta
%A Churiaque Bermejo, Cristina
%A Porrúa Lara, Manuel
%A Sánchez Amaya, José María
%T Low-Energy Pulsed-Laser Welding as a Root Pass in a GMAW Joint: An Investigation on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties
%D 2022
%@ 1996-1944
%U http://hdl.handle.net/10498/28654
%X Root pass is a fundamental step in multi-pass welding. In gas metal arc welding (GMAW), the weld bead qualities depend on the process parameters, filler materials, and welder abilities. This work investigates the effect of a Nd: YAG pulsed laser as a first pass to reduce the welders' reliance on the AH36 low-alloy steel with 5.5 mm thickness. This autogenous automatable process delivers reduced thermal impact due to the concentrated high-energy source, pulse overlap, and higher penetration depth-to-power ratio than continuous lasers. The outcomes indicate that the PL as a root welding generated a small HAZ compared to the GMAW condition. In addition, the subsequent arc passes positively affected the microstructure, reducing the hardness from around 500 to 230 HV. The PL + GMAW achieved similar strength results to the GMAW, although its Charpy impact values at -50 degrees C were around 15% lower than the arc condition.
%K gas metal arc welding
%K pulse laser welding; root pass
%K AH36 steel
%K microstructure
%K mechanical properties
%~ Universidad de Cádiz