Investigation of laser welding fatigue behavior by modeling and tests

One of the joining methods that is widely used in the joining of steel sheets, especially in the automotive sector, is the welding method. Different welding methods are applied according to the shape of the material or part to be joined. Laser welding is a superior joining method that is used or started to be used instead of traditional resistance welding or gas welding methods. Laser welding can be the reason why parts are preferred over other welding methods with their properties such as joining quality, strength and process speed. In addition to joining the same type of materials, laser welding is used in many industries for joining different types of materials. In this study, finite element modeling and physical tests of the lap laser welding method were carried out to examine the joint strength and fatigue behavior. The joining strength and fatigue performance of the complex phase steel sheet material, which is mostly used in the parts of the suspension system and vehicle chassis in the automotive sector, were determined by laser welding method. The laser welding method was modeled with the help of finite element package programs and the fatigue performance was correlated with the physical test results. As a result of this study, the joint fatigue performance of the laser welding method in complex phase steel sheet materials was calculated. Welding fatigue graph was obtained as a result of laser welding work performed with appropriate parameters. This graphic will shed light on the fatigue calculation studies of the parts that are considered to be combined with laser welding in product development studies.