Although the avoidance of hot cracking still represents a major topic in modern fabrication welding components, the phenomena have not yet been fully understood. Through the 20 individual contributions from experts all over the world the present state of knowledge about hot cracking during welding is defined, and the subject is approached from four different viewpoints. The first chapter provides an overview of the various hot cracking phenomena. Different mechanisms of solidification cracking proposed in the past decades are summarized and new insight is particularly given into the mechanism of ductility dip cracking. The effects of different alloying elements on the hot cracking resistance of various materials are shown in the second chapter and, as a special metallurgical effect, the initiation of stress corrosion cracking at hot cracks has been highlighted. The third chapter outlines how numerical analyses and other modelling techniques can be utilized to describe hot cracking phenomena and how such results might contribute to the explanation of the mechanisms. Various hot cracking test procedures are presented in the final chapter with a special emphasis on standardization. For the engineering and natural scientists in research and development the book provides both, new insight and a comprehensive overview of hot cracking phenomena in welds. The contributions additionally give numerous individual solutions and helpful advice for international welding engineers to avoid hot cracking in practice. Furthermore, it represents a very helpful tool for upper level metallurgical and mechanical engineering students.

Failure of welded components can occur during service as well as during fabrication. Most common, analyses of the resistance of welded components against failure are targeted at crack avoidance. Such evaluations are increasingly carried out by modern weldability studies, i. e. considering interactions between the selected base and filler materials, structural design and welding process. Such weldability investigations are particularly targeted to prevent hot cracking, as one of the most common cracking phenomena occurring during weld fabrication. To provide an international information and discussion platform to combat hot cracking, an international workshop on Hot Cracking Phenomena in Welds has been created, based on an initiative of the Institute for Materials and Joining Technology at the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg and the Division V. 5 - Safety of Joined Components at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin, Germany. The first workshop was organized in Berlin under the topics mechanisms and phenomena, metallurgy and materials, modelling and simulations as well as testing and standardization. It consisted of 20 individual contributions from eight countries, which were compiled in a book that found a very ready market, not only in the welding community. As a consequence of increasing interest, it has been decided to establish the Workshop on Hot Cracking Phenomena in Welds as a regular event every three years embedded in the International Institute of Welding (IIW). Attached to the IIW Commission IX and II Spring intermediate meetings, the second workshop was organized in March 2007.

Failure of welded components can occur during service as well as during fabrication. Most common, analyses of the resistance of welded components against failure are targeted at crack avoidance. Such evaluations are increasingly carried out by modern weldability studies, i. e. considering interactions between the selected base and filler materials, structural design and welding process. Such weldability investigations are particularly targeted to prevent hot cracking, as one of the most common cracking phenomena occurring during weld fabrication. To provide an international information and discussion platform to combat hot cracking, an international workshop on Hot Cracking Phenomena in Welds has been created, based on an initiative of the Institute for Materials and Joining Technology at the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg and the Division V. 5 - Safety of Joined Components at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin, Germany. The first workshop was organized in Berlin under the topics mechanisms and phenomena, metallurgy and materials, modelling and simulations as well as testing and standardization. It consisted of 20 individual contributions from eight countries, which were compiled in a book that found a very ready market, not only in the welding community. As a consequence of increasing interest, it has been decided to establish the Workshop on Hot Cracking Phenomena in Welds as a regular event every three years embedded in the International Institute of Welding (IIW). Attached to the IIW Commission IX and II Spring intermediate meetings, the second workshop was organized in March 2007.

Although the avoidance of hot cracking still represents a major topic in modern fabrication welding components, the phenomena have not yet been fully understood. Through the 20 individual contributions from experts all over the world the present state of knowledge about hot cracking during welding is defined, and the subject is approached from four different viewpoints. The first chapter provides an overview of the various hot cracking phenomena. Different mechanisms of solidification cracking proposed in the past decades are summarized and new insight is particularly given into the mechanism of ductility dip cracking. The effects of different alloying elements on the hot cracking resistance of various materials are shown in the second chapter and, as a special metallurgical effect, the initiation of stress corrosion cracking at hot cracks has been highlighted. The third chapter outlines how numerical analyses and other modelling techniques can be utilized to describe hot cracking phenomena and how such results might contribute to the explanation of the mechanisms. Various hot cracking test procedures are presented in the final chapter with a special emphasis on standardization. For the engineering and natural scientists in research and development the book provides both, new insight and a comprehensive overview of hot cracking phenomena in welds. The contributions additionally give numerous individual solutions and helpful advice for international welding engineers to avoid hot cracking in practice. Furthermore, it represents a very helpful tool for upper level metallurgical and mechanical engineering students.