3. Conclusion

The search for a suitable metallic material for a welded structure, to which a mechanical function is assigned in a given environment, naturally leads to selection criteria which must reconcile technical and economic imperatives that go beyond the scope of this article, which is limited to the first aspect. From this point of view, the improvements in mechanical properties made possible by specific manufacturing processes, together with a better understanding of damage mechanisms and the behavior of these materials during welding, make the designer's task easier on the one hand, and improve the structure's suitability for use on the other. The challenge for welded mechanical engineering in the future will be to remain competitive with composite construction on the one hand, and additive manufacturing on the other, a field in which certain welding processes must now position themselves....