I'm wondering if anyone out there can help me with an issue I'm having at work.

I work for a metal fabricator, and we weld tubular products out of stainless steel and inconel metals. We typically then form them into corrugated products, or bellows.

My problem is we keep blowing out welds during the forming process. I need to find a way to increase the mechanical properties of the material at the weld so that it is more like that of the base metal that has not been welded, preferably without having to have the tubing drawn.

I know that planishing the weld can increase the mechanical properties some, but I'm curious if anyone has any real world knowledge in dealing with this type of issue and how they have solved the problem.

Thanks!

Greg