Benefits of Post-Weld Heat Treatment

Skyscrapers, stadiums, bridges and other complex buildings are made up of a group of highly skilled fitter welders, who weld these huge projects together one by one. A process called post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) allows builders to maintain the toughness of the material in the welded area so that they can bend without breaking and last longer. Let us look at some of the benefits of post-weld heat treatment. Welding kit manufacturers share with you.
Stress management
The extreme heating and subsequent cooling during the welding process can cause the metal to change around the so-called heat-affected zone (HAZ), the interface between the base metal and the weld metal. This area is the most stressed because of melting and cooling. The stress of the metal depends on the size and shape of the workpiece. As a result of manufacturing, some stress has been formed in the metal part. The post-weld heat treatment process relieves part of the stress by making the welds and weldments easier to grind and cut.

Softer Side
After welding, the weldment will actually become very hard. How hard the weld becomes depends on the chemical composition of the metal, the carbon content of the connected metal, and may appear at different rates. Combining all these stresses may exceed metal tolerances, leading to welding failures. It will become fragile and break more easily. In fact, superhard steel behaves like glass, shattering, breaking and cracking.
Post-weld heat treatment is beneficial because it relaxes the weld seam and weldment. Prevent the material from becoming brittle and improve the resistance to stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen-induced cracking, which may be caused by the large amount of hydrogen released during the welding process. This treatment method makes the metal sheet more flexible and flexible, which ultimately makes it stronger and extends its life. Generally speaking, it can restore many properties changed during the welding process.
Decision
Deciding when and whether to use post-weld heat treatment depends on the composition of the weld and base metal, the end use or service of the product, and the previous heat treatment and machining of the base metal. It ensures that the workpiece is properly repaired and meets the required hardness, strength and flexibility that customers, designers and architects seek.
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