Laser Welding ATI 425® Alloy

Laser Beam Welding of ATI 425® Alloy was performed on 2.5 mm thick butt joints.  This new alloy could be used in place of standard Ti-6Al-4V for a variety of lower-cost structural solutions.  Demonstration of its fusion weldability with laser welding is of particular interest because it is a near-net- shape process, capable of high welding speeds, which will further enable lower cost manufacturing options.  It was found that ATI 425® Alloy could be successfully welded using a fiber laser at speeds over 3 m/min.  Microstructural, microhardness and tensile property evaluations were performed on the resulting welds.  It was found that there was a 15% hardness increase in the weld and the strength of the joints was within 2% of base metal properties.