Effect of Shortened Post Weld Heat Treatment on the Laser Welded AA7075 Alloy

Abstract

The present study provides an overview of previous studies on the welding of the AA7075-T6 aluminum alloy, followed by an investigation of the influence of short-time solution annealing on the mechanical properties of the weld. Conventional laser welding of Al-Zn-alloys leads to a low weld strength, which makes a post weld heat treatment (PWHT) favorable. The PWHT includes solution annealing, quenching and subsequent aging. For solution annealing, different holding times and cooling rates are investigated in this study. The focus of the investigation is on a short solution annealing time, which on the one hand is ecological and economically favorable and on the other hand offers great potential for inline heat treatments. The shortest solution annealing time of 10 s shows a significant increase in weld strength (joint efficiency of 72%), compared to the non-heat treated weld (joint efficiency of 52%). The microstructural analysis reveals that the cooling rate after solution heat treatment affects the formation of precipitates in the microstructure of the welded AA7075 alloy. Moreover, the enhancement of mechanical properties is related to the formation of Mg-Al-Cu and Mg-Zn rich precipitates.