Optimization of tensile strength of ferritic/austenitic laser-welded components

Ferritic/austenitic (F/A) joints are a popular dissimilar metal combination used in many applications. F/A joints are usually produced using conventional processes. Laser beam welding (LBW) has recently been successfully used for the production of F/A joints with suitable mechanical properties. In this study, a statistical design of experiment (DOE) was used to optimize selected LBW parameters (laser power, welding speed and focus length). Taguchi approach was used for the selected factors, each having five levels (L-25; 5×3). Joint strength was determined using the notched-tensile strength (NTS) method. The results were analysed using analyses of variance (ANOVA) and the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios for the optimal parameters, and then compared with the base material. The experimental results indicate that the F/A laser-welded joints are improved effectively by optimizing the input parameters using the Taguchi approach.