Laser welds were made in three dual-phase (DP) alloys with ultimate tensile strengths ranging from 450-980 MPa and varying microstructures to investigate effects of heat input on heat affected zone (HAZ) softening. To compare the total heat transferred into the HAZ of all the welds, heat input was normalized using the Rosenthal Equation. It was found that HAZ softening experienced in a DP steel was a function of both martensite content and heat input. Maximum HAZ softening was proportional to the martensite content, and the heat input controlled the completion of softening. Material softening was normalized by martensite content, which showed that the contribution of martensite to material hardness from the three materials is the same; however the materials had different transformation kinetics.

Purpose This paper aims to provide a review on the process of additive manufacturing of ceramic materials, focusing on partial and full melting of ceramic powder by a high-energy laser beam without the use of binders. Design/methodology/approach Selective laser sintering or melting (SLS/SLM) techniques are first introduced, followed by analysis of results from silica (SiO2), zirconia (ZrO2) and ceramic-reinforced metal matrix composites processed by direct laser sintering and melting. Findings At the current state of technology, it is still a challenge to fabricate dense ceramic components directly using SLS/SLM. Critical challenges encountered during direct laser melting of ceramic will be discussed, including deposition of ceramic powder layer, interaction between laser and powder particles, dynamic melting and consolidation mechanism of the process and the presence of residual stresses in ceramics processed via SLS/SLM. Originality/value Despite the challenges, SLS/SLM still has the potential in fabrication of ceramics. Additional research is needed to understand and establish the optimal interaction between the laser beam and ceramic powder bed for full density part fabrication. Looking into the future, other melting-based techniques for ceramic and composites are presented, along with their potential applications.

Understanding effects of welding on strength and formability is critical to support wider application of advanced high strength steels in automotive components. In this study, High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) and DP980 (Dual Phase, 980MPa) sheet steels were welded with a 4kW diode laser. Mechanical properties of welds and parent metals were assessed by tensile and limiting dome height tests, and related to microhardness distribution across the welds. The formability of HSLA welds was insensitive to the welding process and comparable to that of parent metal. For the DP steel, weld formability was much lower than that of corresponding parent metal, which appeared to be due to the formation of soft zones in the outer region of the Heat affected zone (HAZ) of the welds. It was found that increase of welding speed resulted in a slight increase of formability of the DP steel, associated with a reduction in the microhardness difference between base metal and HAZ soft zones.

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