Effect of the welding profile generated by the modified indirect electric arc technique on the fatigue behavior of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy

This paper reports the effect of the welding profile generated by the modified indirect electric arc (MIEA) technique on the fatigue behavior of 6061-T6 welded joints. The calculations are based on the effect of the stress concentration factor produced by the characteristic geometry of the welding profile formed during the welding process. It was found that the fatigue life of welded samples using this welding technique was larger in comparison with data reported in the literature. Also, measurements of microhardness and tension testing were performed to account for the effect of different levels of fatigue damage on the mechanical properties of these welds. Experimental findings reveal that, with reference to undamaged samples, fatigue damage increases the microhardness in the weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ) whereas it only produces a moderate increase in yield strength of approximately 14% for a 75% of fatigue damage. Tensile and fatigue tests indicate that the thermal affection undergone by the plates during fusion welding dictates failure in the HAZ under tension stress but not under fatigue. The failure mechanism under fatigue is discussed in terms of theoretical analyses and fractography.