Effect of Preliminary Hydroabrasive Cutting on the Imperfection of Welded Joints and Their Mechanical Properties

The structure of the welded joints of high-strength steel sheets, which were made using hydroabrasive cutting, is studied by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron-probe microanalysis. Uniaxial tensile and impact bending tests are performed on an instrumented pendulum impact testing machine and loading diagrams are recorded. Faulty fusion defects and slag inclusions are revealed during a fractographic investigation of the fracture surfaces of tensile and impact specimens. These defects are shown not to be related to the use of hydroabrasive cutting for cutting rolled sheets.