Weldability Investigation of Temper-Grade Steels

The mechanical properties of temper-grade steels can be modified in a wide range by heat treatment. The principle of heat treatment lies in the good hardenability, so when such steels are welded it is very likely that the heat affected zone is hardened. Considering the fact that in the case of design simplifications it may be needed to weld temper-grade steels, as well therefore it is of crucial importance to eliminate cold cracking. There are many methods available to determine preheat temperature. The applicability of methods for determination of preheat temperature was checked by experimental welding for both two and three dimensional heat conduction. According to our experience the different methods cannot be applied in general namely they are valid only under certain conditions.