Non-destructive Testing of Longitudinal and Charge Weld Seams in Extruded Aluminum and Magnesium Profiles

The present study focuses on the influence of longitudinal and charge weld seams on the possibility for their non-destructive testing in extruded profiles. For this, aluminum and magnesium alloys were extruded at different extrusion conditions using porthole dies and prepared for non-destructive testing. First, the electrical conductivity of profiles containing charge welds was measured on two measuring paths over the length of the profile and correlated to the respective mechanical properties and microstructures. Second, detailed measurements on specimens taken from similar profiles were done in order to evaluate and compare the detectability of longitudinal weld seams for different alloys.