Effect of Plasma Cutting on the Fatigue Resistance of Fe510 D1 Steel

Abstract

The paper describes the results of a research programme, carried out at the Department of Aerospace Engineering of the University of Pisa, for the assessment of the influence of plasma cutting on the physical and mechanical properties of Fe510 D1, a low carbon steel widely used in carpentry. The activity started by observing that several industries rework plasma cut edges, particularly in the case of fatigue structures, in spite of the good quality of the plasma cut edges in a fully automatic process. Obviously, reworking is very expensive and time-consuming. Comparative fatigue tests demonstrated that the fatigue resistance of plasma cut specimens in Fe510 steel was fully comparable to that of milled specimens, as the consequence of the beneficial residual stresses which formed in the plasma cut edges. [S0094-4289(00)02201-5]