Tensile shear strength of laser lap joints

This study was aimed at establishment of a model that can predict tensile shear strength and fracture portion of laser-welded lap joints in the tensile test. To clear the influence of bead length and bead width on them, the joints that used steel sheets with a thickness in the range of 0.8–1.2 mm were evaluated. It was found that the tensile shear strength increases with the bead size, and the fracture occurs at base metal (BM), weld metal (WM) or a portion between them with a curvature heat-affected zone (HAZ), in the tensile test. Also to clarify the rotational deformation process around WM during the tensile test, cross-sections of joints were observed, which were applied to several loads in the tensile test. This observation derived the relationship between the radius, Ri, at the inner plane of the HAZ and the rotational angle at the centre of the sheet thickness. Furthermore, the relationship between Ri and the applied load was obtained by linear regression. A plastic analysis for deformation of the joints was carried out based on these functions and some assumptions. These assumptions consider that the joint consists of BM, WM and HAZ, which are under a simplified stress mode. Finally, estimation of the tensile shear strength and the fracture portion of the joints was achieved. This estimation made good accordance with the experimental results. © 2014, © 2014 Taylor & Francis.