Improvement of the mechanical properties of mobile platform stainless construction elements

Stainless steel could be treated as the main material used to construct various means of transport, including mobile platforms and tank trucks. An austenitic steel known as 316L steel (1.4401) has high resistance to atmospheric corrosion, natural waters, water vapor, alkaline solutions, and acids, even at elevated temperatures. This steel is weldable, although it is also prone to various types of welding cracks. Many factors influence the quality and mechanical properties of a joint. The most significant of these is the appropriate selection of welding parameters, which should be determined precisely and separately for each type of sheet, depending on its thickness and geometric features. The aim of the present article is to study the influence of main TIG (Tungsten inert gas) welding parameters on the creation of proper joints used in the construction of mobile truck platforms or tank trucks. The proper selection of parameters enables the production of welds with good functional properties. A novelty of this article is the proposal to weld each layer of a thick joint with different parameters, which has an important influence on the mechanical properties of the joint. It is expected that the new material and technological solution will yield a joint with good corrosion resistance and increased mechanical properties. This is important in the responsible construction of means of transport, using the example of mobile platforms and tank trucks. Different tests verifying the properties of joints, including non-destructive testing, tensile strength tests, and fatigue tests, as well as a hardness probe, were applied.