The influence of the reconditioning by welding processes on the hardness of crankshafts in the automotive industry

One of the aims of our modern society is to reduce the car maintenance costs. The part that most frequently breaks down in the engine block is the crankshaft - in the main journal and crankpin journal areas. This paper presents the effects of welding inert-gas (WIG) and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) on the hardness of the material in the zones subject to reconditioning, more specifically the hardness values in the deposited material layer, in the fusion line and the heat-affected zone (HAZ).