Weld Integrity Evaluation of 316L Stainless Steel Produced by Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques are highly capable of creating complex parts with generally improved mechanical properties, making them beneficial for use in replacements, repairs, and various maintenance work. However, a drawback of this technique is its size limitations. In situations where parts exceed these limitations, they are assembled using a welding process. The objective of this research is to study the parameters used in the welding process of stainless steel 316L produced by bound metal deposition. Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) are both employed to create butt joints in 316L plates. The joining between two cold roll (CR-CR) plates and the joining between a cold roll plate and an AM plate (CR-AM) were performed. The results demonstrate that the voltage and current during the welding process fall within acceptable ranges. Examination of the welds using non-destructive testing methods reveals deep penetration and no defects in the welded joints. The hardness test results reached a maximum value of 178, which meets the acceptance criteria for a Vickers hardness maximum of 220. Additionally, the tensile strength was 577 MPa, exceeding the minimum requirement of 490 MPa. Therefore, it can be concluded that the methods and conditions used in the experimental welding process can serve as guidelines for joining stainless steel 316L.