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Summary
Over recent years, one of the most interesting developments in the automotive industry has been the weight reduction of the automobile, thereby bringing about a reduction in fuel consumption. Among other requirements, automobile weight reduction and the maintenance of high performance levels necessitates the use of bodywork materials that have a high level of mechanical resistance. In this work, the authors present a study of the viability of using the diode laser to weld high-resistance steel sheets, more specifically microalloyed ferritic (ZStE) steel, dual phase (DP) steel and transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel. All these steels are materials that can be employed to form part of ‘tailored blanks’, which are defined as parts made through the combination, by welding, of steel sheets of different qualities and thicknesses. In this study the authors examine the metallographic characteristics of welds beads and the mechanical behaviour of the welds obtained, carrying out tests on microhardness, drawing, tension and fatigue.