Physical upset butt welding simulation for high performance Q&T steels

High-performance Q&T steels are widely used for steel chains and therefore the chain joining process has to be considered in an early stage of development of new steel grades. To guarantee high availability and cost efficiency, a scheme for the physical welding simulation of the upset butt welding process was elaborated within this study by applying it to the Q&T steel 23MnNiCrMo5-2. By conducting thermo-mechanical simulations on the Gleeble® 3800 (Dynamic Systems Inc.) the influence of different process parameters on the joint performance could be determined. Furthermore, feasibility was shown for simulating the weld zone by conducting upset butt welding under controlled ambient influences by the use of the stated Gleeble® simulator. By establishing a suitable welding procedure with appropriate control parameters, high-quality joints with geometrical features and microstructure, comparable to the industrial welding process, could be observed.