Flash butt welding application on 16MnCr5 chain steel and investigations of mechanical properties

In this study, 16MnCr5 chain steels were welded by flash butt welding and welded samples were annealed. Their microstructure and mechanical properties have been investigated. Upsetting current time was chosen as 1.6 s and build up pressure was chosen as 2, 2.5, and 3 bar. It is pointed out that welding parameters and annealing affected the mechanical properties. For all samples, the highest hardness was measured from weld metal. Non-annealed samples gave the highest tensile strength with the parameter of highest build up pressure. It is also found that annealing reduces the tensile strength of all samples.