Industrial Laser Solutions Editorial Advisor Dr. Milton S. F. Lima of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Brazil is part of a team that carried out research at the Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) on the use of an induction-heating concomitant to laser beam welding to produce bainite in the welds in hot-pressed, advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) used in auto bodies. A 22MnB5 hot-stamping steel was heated to temperatures exceeding 400°C (750°F) prior to welding and then maintained at high temperature for 10 minutes. The resulting microstructure is characterized by bainite instead of martensite, thus increasing part toughness.
According to the authors, in a paper appearing in the Welding Journal (see https://goo.gl/5BEZQg), this technique opens the possibility to change the way hot stamping is done nowadays, with possible implications in the automotive sector.