Abstract: A method for producing a tailor-made semi-finished sheet metal product where two steel sheets of different material grades and/or thicknesses are joined by laser welding. At least one of the sheets is press-hardenable steel having a metallic coating of aluminium or aluminium-silicon. Filler wire is fed into the weld melt. The filler wire is substantially free of aluminium and contains at least one alloy element which promotes the formation of austenite in a content that is at least 0.1 wt. % greater than that in the press-hardenable steel. The filler wire is heated before being fed into the weld melt. The steel sheets have a gap delimited by the edges of the sheets having an average width of at least 0.15 mm. The ratio of the volume of filler wire inserted into the gap to the volume of the steel sheet material melted by the laser beam is at least 20%.

Abstract: A method for producing a tailor-made semi-finished sheet metal product where two steel sheets of different material grades and/or thicknesses are joined by laser welding. At least one of the sheets is press-hardenable steel having a metallic coating of aluminium or aluminium-silicon. Filler wire is fed into the weld melt. The filler wire is substantially free of aluminium and contains at least one alloy element which promotes the formation of austenite in a content that is at least 0.1 wt. % greater than that in the press-hardenable steel. The filler wire is heated before being fed into the weld melt. The steel sheets have a gap delimited by the edges of the sheets having an average width of at least 0.15 mm. The ratio of the volume of filler wire inserted into the gap to the volume of the steel sheet material melted by the laser beam is at least 20%.

Abstract: A method for laser welding one or more workpieces made of press-hardenable steel in a butt joint, wherein the workpiece or workpieces have a thickness of between 0.5 and 1.8 mm, and/or a jump in thickness of between 0.2 and 0.4 mm occurs at the butt joint, and wherein laser welding is carried out with the feed of filler wire into the molten bath, which is generated only by at least one laser beam. The filler wire contains at least one alloy element from the group comprising manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon and/or nickel, which alloy element promotes the formation of austenite in the molten bath generated by the laser beam, wherein said at least one alloy element is present in the filler wire in a mass percentage greater by at least 0.1 wt. % than in the steel of the workpiece or workpieces and the workpiece or workpieces used are non-coated or the coating thereof is partially removed.

Abstract: A method for laser welding of one or more workpieces made from press hardenable steel, in a butt joint, in which the workpiece or the workpieces have a thickness of at least 1.8 mm and/or a jump in thickness of at least 0.4 mm arises at the butt joint including supplying filler wire into a molten bath generated by a laser beam. In order to ensure that the weld seam can reliably harden into a martensitic structure during the hot forming (press hardening), the filler wire contains at least one alloy element from the group of manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon and nickel, wherein the at least one alloy element is present in the filler wire with a mass proportion that is larger by 0.1% by weight than the mass proportion of the element in the press hardenable steel of the workpiece or the workpieces.

Abstract: A method for laser welding one or more workpieces made of press-hardenable steel in a butt joint, wherein the workpiece or workpieces have a thickness of between 0.5 and 1.8 mm, and/or a jump in thickness of between 0.2 and 0.4 mm occurs at the butt joint, and wherein laser welding is carried out with the feed of filler wire into the molten bath, which is generated only by at least one laser beam. The filler wire contains at least one alloy element from the group comprising manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon and/or nickel, which alloy element promotes the formation of austenite in the molten bath generated by the laser beam, wherein said at least one alloy element is present in the filler wire in a mass percentage greater by at least 0.1 wt.% than in the steel of the workpiece or workpieces and the workpiece or workpieces used are non-coated or the coating thereof is partially removed.

Abstract: A method for joint-welding coated metal sheets in a butt joint. At least one pulverulent welding additive in the form of a gas-powder flow is added to the weld melt via at least one flow duct, such that the gas-powder flow leaving the flow duct is directed towards the weld melt at a speed of at least 2 m/s, such that the welding additive mixes turbulently with the weld melt and flow eddies form in the weld melt. A device including at least one welding head for producing and/or focussing an energy beam and at least one flow duct for supplying gas-powder flow, the flow duct having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis and the beam axis of the energy beam being at an angle between 15 and 75 degrees. The flow duct is adapted to set the gas powder flow to a speed of at least 2 m/s.

Abstract: A method for laser welding of one or more workpieces made from press hardenable steel, in a butt joint, in which the workpiece or the workpieces have a thickness of at least 1.8 mm and/or a jump in thickness of at least 0.4 mm arises at the butt joint including supplying filler wire into a molten bath generated by a laser beam. In order to ensure that the weld seam can reliably harden into a martensitic structure during the hot forming (press hardening), the filler wire contains at least one alloy element from the group of manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon and nickel, wherein the at least one alloy element is present in the filler wire with a mass proportion that is larger by 0.1% by weight than the mass proportion of the element in the press hardenable steel of the workpiece or the workpieces.

Abstract: A method for joint-welding coated metal sheets in a butt joint. At least one pulverulent welding additive in the form of a gas-powder flow is added to the weld melt via at least one flow duct such that the gas-powder flow leaving the flow duct is directed towards the weld melt at a speed of at least 2 m/s, such that the welding additive mixes turbulently with the weld melt and flow eddies form in the weld melt. A device including at least one welding head for producing and/or focussing an energy beam and at least one flow duct for supplying gas-powder flow, the flow duct having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis and the beam axis of the energy beam being at an angle between 15 and 75 degrees. The flow duct is adapted to set the gas powder flow to a speed of at least 2 m/s.

Abstract: A method for laser welding of one or more workpieces made from press hardenable steel, in a butt joint, in which the workpiece or the workpieces have a thickness of at least 1.8 mm and/or a jump in thickness of at least 0.4 mm arises at the butt joint including supplying filler wire into a molten bath generated by a laser beam. In order to ensure that the weld seam can reliably harden into a martensitic structure during the hot forming (press hardening), the filler wire contains at least one alloy element from the group of manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon and nickel, wherein the at least one alloy element is present in the filler wire with a mass proportion that is larger by at least 0.1% by weight than the mass proportion of the element in the press hardenable steel of the workpiece or the workpieces.