← Glossary
Build Platform Preheating
The targeted heating of the substrate prior to the actual building process to reduce the temperature gradient between the melt pool and the environment. This minimizes thermal residual stresses and cracking in difficult-to-weld alloys.
Preheating is important when the material is cold or you're welding thick parts. It prevents the weld from cooling too fast and the structure becoming cracked or hard. Heat the part evenly, then the heat spreads better and you avoid stresses. How hot exactly depends on the material – when in doubt, stick to the material specs or ask the foreman.
MetallurgieSchweißtechnik