Work Hardening

Work hardening occurs through plastic deformation when dislocations pile up and block each other in the structure. This makes the material harder but also more brittle. When welding, this can become a problem especially with steels with higher carbon content or with thin sheets, because the risk of cracks increases. If you want to get the structure soft and tough again, targeted annealing or controlled cooling helps so that the structure can relax again. Just be careful not to put too much stress into the component when straightening or cold forming.