Hello Viv, you haven't given a lot of information to work with concerning the problem that you are encountering so please forgive me for the somewhat simplistic suggestions. From the sound of the problem you have a weld which has hardened and has hardened for any number of reasons: incorrect weld parameters, incorrect joint design, lack of weld joint backing protection, (allowing sugaring or oxidation). 316L SS is generally a very workable and forgiving alloy that can be rolled, formed, drawn, etc. with very little problem other than the wear factors on the forming mediums. That is why I believe that you have an issue with the design of the weld joint or the process which you are using to perform the weld. Think of it this way, if you weld a butt joint on a piece of material (partial penetration, welded correctly) and load it on the weld side it will still likely fracture on the back side, on the other hand if you are able to make a full penetration weld on the material and weld it correctly you will likely be able to load it from either side and repeatedly, without failure or fracture. Color is generally a good indicator for condition of SS welding, welds that exhibit silver, gold, or possibly a pink color are generally very acceptable regarding heat input, when you see darker shades of blue or black then you should be concerned that you have destroyed the base materials and characteristics of the alloy and thus could see cracking issues when you try to work the part. More information please. Regards, aevald