Repair of fatigue damage in welded joints

Summary

With the use of suitable conditions, it is possible to remelt along the toe of a weld which has been subject to fatigue stressing.

This effectively removes the accumulated damage due to the fatigue cycling if the fatigue crack has not been allowed to grow too deep.

Retesting of fatigue specimens after treatment shows that substantial increases in the fatigue life can be achieved by the process.

Keywords: metal fatigue, welding, weld repair, fatigue crack, annealing welds