Current trend of maximum utilization of properties of metal materials forces the fabricators to use different materials for different construction parts. Thus the fabricators of welded constructions, such as automobile constructions, today combine cold rolled steel plates with high strength low alloy steel as well as with aluminium or its alloys. Especially metallurgical joining of steel to aluminium represents certain issues resulting from different physical properties (e.g. different melting point temperature). Following paper is focused on the analysis of utilization possibilities of plasma arc at the performance of zinc coated steel to aluminium heterogenic joints and on the comparison with the MIG process using the AlSi5 filler material. K e y w o r d s : joining of dissimilar materials, plasma arc welding, MIG welding, aluminium, coated plates

At the present time, consumables assortment intended for utilization of MIG brazing process enables its application possibilities also for the joining of high-alloyed austenitic steels. In that case, the substitution of arc welding processes (such as MIG/MAG, or TIG) by the brazing process makes it possible to limit the weldability issue related to the crystallization of weld metal (hot cracking) and to the deformations (induced by excessive amount of heat input to the joint). Additional technological benefits may be offered by an application of flux-cored wires, which have been utilizing successfully within arc welding processes. Submitted paper is aimed to verify differences in the character and behaviour of arc metal transfer and in the stability of arc during MIG brazing of austenitic stainless steel by selected types of solid and flux-cored wire electrodes.

Welding of austenitic stainless steel has its specific issues, even when the weldability is considered good. The main problems of austenitic stainless steel welding are connected with its metallurgical weldability. The amount of the components presented in the structure of stainless steel welded joint affect its properties, therefore the understanding of the behavior of stainless steel during its welding is important for successful processing and allows the fabricators the possibility to manage the resulting issues. This paper is focused on the influence of heat input on the structural changes in GTA welded joints of austenitic stainless steel designated: ASTM SA TP 304L.