Use of explosives in the reduction of residual stresses in the heated zone of welded joints

In this paper, the effect of explosive charges as a method of reducing the residual stresses in the heated zone of welded joints was studied. A comparative analysis was made of two geometries of the explosive charge applied on welded joints, linear and sinusoidal. The comparative results obtained before and after the explosive treatment demonstrate its effectiveness through the reduction of the residual stresses. Residual stress reduction ranged in the order of 50 and 60%, confirming that explosive treatment offers a viable solution for extending the life of the welded joints.