Comparison of formability of friction stir welded and laser welded dual phase 590 steel sheets

The formability of welded dual phase 590 (DP 590) steel sheets was investigated, using both friction stir welding and laser welding. Similar and dissimilar gauge sheets were joined using both processes. The laser welded sheets were produced under process conditions typical of industrial production of tailor welded blanks. The friction stir welded specimens were produced in a lab, where different tool rotational speeds and translation speeds were investigated in order to obtain good weld properties. The formability of the welded sheets was evaluated using a series of mechanical tests, including transverse tension and plane strain formability testing. Friction stir welded specimens performed about the same as laser welded specimens in transverse tension testing; however, hardness profiles showed that the laser welds had greater peak hardness than the friction stir welds. Therefore plane strain formability tests were performed with the welds oriented along the major strain direction. When this type of weld stretching was performed the friction stir welded sheets were shown to be ∼20% more formable than the laser welded sheets.