Effects of High Frequency Mechanical Impact on Fatigue Life of Semi-Automated Gas Metal Arc Welding (GTAW) of HSLA Butt Weld

This paper deals with a comprehensive investigation of fatigue life enhancement on semiautomated Gas Metal Arc Welding (GTAW) butt weld joint which is found almost everywhere in Malaysia welding structure steel sectors. The selected material in this study was high strength low alloy steel S460G2+M commonly used extremely in steel structure due to its outstanding mechanical properties. In this investigation, the method for joining the butt weld was conducted by unprofessional welder using semi-automated GMAW. At first, suitable welding parameters were identified and formulated into welding procedure specification (WPS) qualification conforming to AWS D1.1 standard. The test specimens were prepared and tested to ensure the welding quality. Further, the HFMI using Pneumatic Impact Treatment (PIT) technique were applied at the weld toe of the butt weld as tool for fatigue life enhancement. To investigate the influence of HFMI/PIT on the fatigue strength, the specimens were undergone fatigue test using universal fatigue machine using a constant amplitude loading. Finally, the comparison of the fatigue strength of as welded and treated specimens to indicate the beneficial influence of the treatment. Yes, the conduction by unprofessional welder using semi-automatic GMAW, the findings showed the improvement of fatigue strength and slope of S-N curves. In addition, the fracture location of test specimen shows physically affected by shifting from critical weld transition to base metal. The tensile test and hardness value also showed a slight difference as compared to untreated specimens