Influence of Welding Parameters and Filler Material on the Mechanical Properties of HSLA Steel S960MC Welded Joints

This article provides an overview of the influence of welding parameters and filler material on changes in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of thermo-mechanically controlled processed (TMCP) steel welded joints. The research focused on evaluating the effect of heat input and cooling rate on the width of the soft zone, which significantly affects the mechanical properties of welded joints. The negative effect of the soft zone is more pronounced as the thickness of the material decreases. Therefore, the object of this research was a 3-mm-thick sheet of S960MC steel welded by gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and metal-cored arc welding (MCAW) technology. Variable welding parameters were reflected in different heat input and cooling rate values, which led to a change in the properties of the HAZ and thus the mechanical properties of the welded joints. The changes in the HAZ were analyzed by microscopic analysis and mechanical testing. The measured results showed a significant effect of heat input on the cooling rate, which considerably affected the width of the soft zone in the HAZ and thus the overall mechanical properties of the welded joints.