The influence of strain rate on the properties of laser welded AM50 and AM60 magnesium alloys has been investigated. Butt welding without filler material was conducted on 3mm thick high pressure die cast (HPDC) plates using a high power Nd:YAG laser. All butt welds were produced at 2kW nominal laser power, 0.6mm diameter laser spot size and plate travel speed of 2.5m/min. Tensile testing of the parent HPDC alloys and welded samples was performed at three different strain rates ranging from 0.0016s-1 to 2s-1. For the welded samples, both longitudinal and transverse tensile tests were performed where the loading axis was parallel and perpendicular to the weld bead respectively. Results are presented and the effects of strain rate on the properties of the welded joints are discussed in this paper.

Topics
Lasers, Alloys, Solidification process, Welding
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