Welding of Al-Si coated high-strength steel 22MnB5

Al-Si-based coatings are widely used as surface protection of steel sheets against high-temperature oxidation during the hot stamping process. Laser welding is a suitable technology for hardened components joining because it does not produce a wide heat-affected zone with a degraded microstructure. The highly concentrated energy of the laser beam is responsible for rapid heating and subsequent rapid cooling of material which results in insufficient homogenization of the weld metal. In Al-rich areas (Al originates from the coating), ferritic bands are formed in the dominantly martensitic matrix. These bands decrease the strength of laser weld by more than one third compared to the base metal. The low-power electric arc placed immediately behind the laser beam can help to achieve a slower cooling of the weld metal, reduce the ferritic bands and increase the strength of weld joints up to 90 % of base metal tensile strength