Weld Quality Analysis of High-Hardness Armored Steel in Pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding

As improving fuel economy and performance through weight reduction in vehicles are recognized as important tasks, the defense industry is researching ways to reduce the weight of armor plates for combat vehicles and increase bulletproof performance and durability. Most armor plates in combat vehicle...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Metals (Basel ) 2023-02, Vol.13 (2), p.303
Main Authors: Son, Hwi Jun, Jeong, Young Cheol, Seo, Bo Wook, Hong, Sung-Tae, Kim, Yu-Chan, Cho, Young Tae
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Armor
Automobiles
Combat vehicles
Compliance
Defense industry
Energy efficiency
Flux core wire welding
Fuel economy
Gas metal arc welding
Gases
Hardness
heat input
High strength steels
High temperature
high-hardness armor steel
Hydrogen
Hydrogen embrittlement
Impact tests
Integrity
Manufacturing
Mechanical properties
Plates
pulse GMAW
R&D
Research & development
shielding gas
Stainless steel
Tensile strength
Titanium alloys
Vehicles
Weight reduction
Weld defects
Welded joints
Welding
Welding fluxes
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Summary:As improving fuel economy and performance through weight reduction in vehicles are recognized as important tasks, the defense industry is researching ways to reduce the weight of armor plates for combat vehicles and increase bulletproof performance and durability. Most armor plates in combat vehicles are manufactured using weld joints. High-hardness armor (HHA) is used to make armor plates; however, its mechanical properties deteriorate because of hydrogen embrittlement and high-temperature softening during welding. Welding defects, such as pores and cracks, occur frequently. In this study, HHA steel was subjected to single-pulse gas metal arc welding (GMAW), and the welding performance of the shielding gas and heat input was analyzed by the United States army tank-automotive and armaments command (TACOM) standard. The specimen cross-section was visually examined, and hardness, tensile, and impact tests were used to identify the mechanical properties based on the welding conditions. Additionally, flux cored arc welding (FCAW) and GMAW were used and compared, and spatter image analyses were used to assess the integrity of the welding process of the HHA plate applied to a combat vehicle. As a result of the experiment, as the CO2 content and heat input increased, the mechanical strength of the welded zone and the integrity of the welding process deteriorated.
ISSN:2075-4701
2075-4701
DOI:10.3390/met13020303