Optimization of tensile strength of ferritic / austenitic laser welded components

Ferritic/Austenitic (F/A) joints are a popular dissimilar metals 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 optimise selected laser beam welding parameters (laser power, welding speed, and focus length). The Taguchi approach was used for the selected factors, each having five levels (L-25; 5*3). Joint strength was determined using the notched tension strength (NTS) method. The results were analysed using analyses of variance (ANOVA) and the signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) ratio 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