Effect of magnetic field on plasma control during CO2 laser welding

During high power CO₂ laser beam welding, the plasma above the keyhole has a shielding effect that it not only absorbs part of the laser energy but also defocuses the laser beam. As a result, the welding efficiency and the aspect ratio of the welds are influenced. In order to reduce the effect of plasma, helium as a plasma control gas has been used successfully and effectively. However, the cost of helium in Southeast Asia is extremely high and therefore the production cost is significantly increased when helium is used as a continuous bleeding plasma control gas. To search for an alternative plasma control technique, feasibility in using magnetic effect as a control tool is explored in this paper. The influences of the magnetic field strength, laser power, welding speed, field direction and shielding gas (e.g. helium and argon) on the penetration depth and the width of bead were also investigated. Experimental results indicated that the magnetic field can influence the shielding effect of the plasma without using plasma control gas. It was found that at a suitable magnetic field strength the penetration depth was increased by about 7%, but no significant difference on the width of bead was found. Moreover, it was shown that the plasma control effect can be achieved at low magnetic field strength and the penetration depth can be increased significantly under argon atmosphere.     

Measurement of the bead profile and microstructural characterization of a CO2 laser welded AISI 904 L super austenitic stainless steel

Laser welding of AISI 904 L super austenitic stainless steel using a diffusion cooled slab 3.5 kW CO₂ laser and employing two different shielding gases, namely argon and helium, was carried out. The laser weld bead profile depends on various parameters such as beam power (BP), travel speed (TS) and focal position (FP) of the laser spot. These parameters have to be selected suitably to obtain the desirable output. The cross sectioned area of the bead profiles measured using an optical microscope to determine the bead width and depth of penetration. X-ray diffraction used for phase identification confirmed that the weld structure was fully austenitic and dendritic. Hardness was observed to increase in the weld bead with respect to the parent metal and it was related to the microstructural refinement induced by a rapid cooling of the weld zone.     

Modelling of CO2 laser welding of magnesium alloys

Laser welding is an important joining process for magnesium alloys. These materials are being increasingly used in different applications such as in aerospace, aircraft, automotive, electronics, etc. To date, carbon dioxide (CO₂) neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) and the high power diode laser have been extensively used to investigate the weldability of magnesium alloys. The present work describes an analytical thermal model for the weldability of magnesium alloys (WE43) using an industrial (CO₂) laser source. The main target of the project is to present to the industrial community a simple and rapid tool for the determination of the penetration depth and the bead width as a function of both the incident laser power and welding speed. The proposed model is based on the Davis thermal approach, largely considered for the characterization of the average radius of the liquid zone, aiming at predicting the joint shape. Moreover, since during the welding process considered in this study, a protecting gas is used to avoid joint oxidation, both thermal convection and radiation phenomena in the welding area have been estimated and introduced in our model for a better characterization of the welding process. The obtained results have been compared to the experimental ones and a satisfactory correlation has been observed, indicating the reliability of the model developed in this study.     

Effect of electric and magnetic fields on plasma control during CO2 laser welding

Feasibility in using electric and magnetic fields as a plasma control tool during high-power laser welding is explored in this paper. Preliminary results indicated that both fields can influence the shielding effect of the plasma above the keyhole. It was found that at suitable field parameters the penetration depth can be increased by more than 13%. Moreover, under the effect of both fields, the interrelation between the penetration depth and the width of bead was found. In addition, the influence of both electric and magnetic fields strength, field direction and laser power on the penetration depth and the width of bead were also investigated.     

Using Taguchi method to optimize welding pool of dissimilar laser-welded components

In the present work, CO₂ continuous laser welding process was successfully applied and optimized for joining a dissimilar AISI 316 stainless-steel and AISI 1009 low carbon steel plates. Laser power, welding speed and defocusing distance combinations were carefully selected with the objective of producing welded joint with complete penetration, minimum fusion zone size and acceptable welding profile. Fusion zone area and shape of dissimilar austenitic stainless-steel with ferritic low carbon steel were evaluated as a function of the selected laser welding parameters. Taguchi approach was used as statistical design of experiment (DOE) technique for optimizing the selected welding parameters in terms of minimizing the fusion zone. Mathematical models were developed to describe the influence of the selected parameters on the fusion zone area and shape, to predict its value within the limits of the variables being studied. The result indicates that the developed models can predict the responses satisfactorily.     

Optimal design for laser beam butt welding process parameter using artificial neural networks and genetic algorithm for super austenitic stainless steel

Laser welding input parameters play a very significant role in determining the quality of a weld joint. The joint quality can be defined in terms of properties such as weld bead geometry, mechanical properties and distortion. Therefore, mechanical properties should be controlled to obtain good welded joints. In this study, the weld bead geometry such as depth of penetration (DP), bead width (BW) and tensile strength (TS) of the laser welded butt joints made of AISI 904L super austenitic stainless steel were investigated. Full factorial design was used to carry out the experimental design. Artificial Neural networks (ANN) program was developed in MatLab software to establish the relationships between the laser welding input parameters like beam power, travel speed and focal position and the three responses DP, BW and TS in three different shielding gases (Argon, Helium and Nitrogen). The established models were used for optimizing the process parameters using Genetic Algorithm (GA). Optimum solutions for the three different gases and their respective responses were obtained. Confirmation experiment has also been conducted to validate the optimized parameters obtained from GA.     

Research on laser welding of vehicle body

Based on many experiments of CO₂ laser welding of vehicle body, joint microstructure and stress–strain curve of specimen are analyzed. The deep punching performance acquired by adopting Ar as protective gas is better than that of the one acquired by adopting N₂ as protective gas. Meanwhile the percentage of zinc in welding seam can be effectively controlled by means of blowing side protective gas. In this paper, welding penetration and width are shown to vary with laser power and speed of welding. The results indicate that some flaws such as gas hole, crack and softening of HAZ do not appear in laser welding seam in sheet steel of automobile bodies if technology parameters optimizes. The deep punching performance of tailor-welding sheet is fine.     

Spectroscopic characterization of low-nickel copper welding with pulsed Nd:YAG laser

Effects of various operating parameters of 400 W pulsed Nd:YAG laser on welding of nickel-alloyed copper have been investigated. The induced plume spectra in case of using different assist gases and preheat temperatures have been analyzed and the effects of these key factors on melt features such as penetration depth, porosity and spattering have been attributed to the spectroscopic behavior of the plume. Moreover, the CuI electron temperature and its standard deviation as the spectroscopic responses of the plasma plume to various laser process parameters have been quantitatively evaluated at different average and peak powers and pulse energies. Also, the mentioned responses were utilized to justify the weld bead profile features, involving weld depth, width and their stabilities, at similar process parameters. The operating conditions of welding were optimized, regarding the results of spectroscopic observations and attributing them to the qualitative aspects of the melt pool.     

Laser welding of structural steels: Influence of the edge roughness level

Laser welding continues to become more extensively used in many industrial applications and in the last 10 years an increasing number of studies have examined ways to increase the efficiency of the process. This study investigates the influence of joint edge surface roughness on weld quality and penetration depth. The characteristics are investigated of welded samples of two low alloyed steels, S355 and St 3, of 20 mm thickness with various joint edge surface roughness levels in butt joint configuration. Welding was performed with different fiber lasers with a wavelength of 1070 nm at power levels from 10 to 15 kW. The absorption characteristics were evaluated at 10 kW power level using a calorimeter. There was a significant positive correlation between edge surface roughness level and the penetration depth. Optimum roughness levels to provide maximum penetration depth are presented. The highest penetration depth at power levels of 14 and 10 kW was achieved at R_a=6.3 μm.     

Optimization of weld bead geometry in laser welding with filler wire process using Taguchi’s approach

In the present work, laser welding with filler wire was successfully applied to joining a new-type Al–Mg alloy. Welding parameters of laser power, welding speed and wire feed rate were carefully selected with the objective of producing a weld joint with the minimum weld bead width and the fusion zone area. Taguchi approach was used as a statistical design of experimental technique for optimizing the selected welding parameters. From the experimental results, it is found that the effect of welding parameters on the welding quality decreased in the order of welding speed, wire feed rate, and laser power. The optimal combination of welding parameters is the laser power of 2.4 kW, welding speed of 3 m/min and the wire feed rate of 2 m/min. Verification experiments have also been conducted to validate the optimized parameters.     

Characterization of Kovar-to-Kovar laser welded joints and its mechanical strength

For the packaging of a pump laser in butterfly package, the most crucial assembly step is the fiber-to-laser diode coupling and attachment. The use of laser welding as the joining method offers several advantages if compared with the adhesive joints: strong joining strength, short process time and less contamination. This paper reports on laser welding process characteristics; weld strength and its fracture mode. The penetration depth and melt area of laser spot welds were found to be complicated functions of laser pulse energy, intensity, and beam diameter. Effects of pulse width, input power and size of the focal spot on the rate of energy input to the workpieces and consequently, the weld strength were reported. The weld strength was found to be dependent on the overlapping area between the two joining materials. Surface roughness, R_a, has influence on the fraction of energy absorbed, A, and therefore, affecting the penetration depth. Thermal analysis was carried out on the laser-welded joints and its heat-affected zone (HAZ) induced by various power densities was examined. These data are important in order to optimize and utilize the laser welding process as an effective manufacturing tool for fabrication of reliable pump laser.     

万瓦级光纤激光焊接过程中小孔内外等离子体研究

为了进一步深入了解超高功率光纤激光深熔焊接过程中等离子体特征,试验拍摄了深熔小孔内外等离子体形态,并采用光谱仪检测分析了光纤激光致等离子体光谱信号.利用检测得到的等离子体光谱信号,计算研究了等离子体的电子温度、电子密度、电离度以及等离子体压力特征,并分析了在小孔内不同深度处及孔外等离子体的变化规律.结果表明,孔内等离子体呈现不均匀分布特征,孔外金属蒸气远多于等离子体.等离子体光谱分析显示,光纤激光致等离子体辐射出的谱线较少,即电离程度较低.进一步的计算结果同样证实了光纤激光致等离子体处于弱电离状态,但等离子体电子密度仍然处于较高水平,且等离子体瞬态压力可达到数百个大气压.     

Analysis and prediction of single laser tracks geometrical characteristics in coaxial laser cladding process

Direct Laser Fabrication is a promising new manufacturing technology coming from laser cladding process. From a coaxial nozzle, powder is fed through a laser beam on a substrate. The powder melting and solidification processes lead to the fabrication of a part layer by layer. In this work 316L stainless steel powder is used to form laser tracks on a low carbon steel substrate. The layer geometry is an important process characteristic to control the final part of fabrication. This paper presents analytical relationships between the laser tracks geometrical characteristics (width, height, area, penetration depth) and the processing parameters (laser power P, scanning speed V and powder mass flow Q_m). Three values of each processing parameters are fixed and so 27 different experiments have been made and analyzed. The validity of these results is discussed studying the correlation coefficient R, the graphical analysis of the residuals and the uncertainty evaluations. Two kinds of models are studied to predict the form and the geometrical characteristics of the single laser tracks cross sections. The first one is an analytical model in which the distribution of the powder in the feed jet is supposed to govern the laser clad geometry. Three distributions are proposed: Gaussian, uniform and polynomial. In the second model the general form of the clad cross section is supposed to be a disk due to the surface tension forces. Analytical relationships are established between the radius and the center of the disk in one hand and the process parameters in the other hand. This way we show that we can reproduce the laser track geometry in all the area experimentally explored.     

Optimization of hybrid laser – TIG welding of 316LN steel using response surface methodology (RSM)

In the present study, the hybrid laser – TIG welding parameters for welding of 316LN austenitic stainless steel have been investigated by combining a pulsed laser beam with a TIG welding heat source at the weld pool. Laser power, pulse frequency, pulse duration, TIG current were presumed as the welding process parameters whereas weld bead width, weld cross-sectional area and depth of penetration (DOP) were considered as the process responses. Central composite design was used to complete the design matrix and welding experiments were conducted based on the design matrix. Weld bead measurements were then carried out to generate the dataset. Multiple regression models correlating the process parameters with the responses have been developed. The accuracy of the models were found to be good. Then, the desirability approach optimization technique was employed for determining the optimum process parameters to obtain the desired weld bead profile. Validation experiments were then carried out from the determined optimum process parameters. There was good agreement between the predicted and measured values.     

Study into penetration speed during CO2 laser cutting of stainless steel

Laser cutting quality depends upon the proper selection of laser and workpiece parameters. Laser cut quality drops considerably when the size of the surface plasma increases. This plasma affects the speed of penetration, which in turn affects the cut quality. The present study examines the measurement of the penetration speed during CO₂ laser cutting of stainless steel workpieces. To achieve this, three different methods were employed, namely, optical, thermocouple and wire methods. Oxygen and an argon-oxygen gas mixture were used as assisting gases. Penetration speed was also predicted, using a one-dimensional heat transfer model. It was concluded that the cut quality improves when penetration speed is at a maximum.     

Laser cleaning of particle and grease contaminations on the surface of optics

In the high power laser facility, surface contaminations on the optics will worsen the laser beam quality and damage the optics. Particle and grease contaminations are two of the usual contaminations on the surface of optics. In this work, the 1064-nm laser induced plasma shockwave cleaning is utilized to remove SiO₂ particle contaminations on the K9 glass surface. The results indicate the removal ratio can reach above 95%. The effects of parameters (particle position, laser gap distance and laser energy) on the cleaning efficiency have been studied in the case of single pulse laser cleaning. In addition, CO₂ laser (10.6 μm) is utilized to remove the dimethylsilicone oil contaminations on the gold-coated K9 glass surface. The results show that CO₂ laser can effectively remove the dimethylsilicone oil by properly controlling the laser parameters. The cleaned area increases with the increased laser power or irradiation time when the other parameters are constant.     

Modeling and optimization of laser transmission joining process between PET and 316L stainless steel using response surface methodology

Laser joining parameters play a very significant role in determining the quality of laser transmission joining between PET films and 316L stainless steel plates. In the present work, Laser power, joining speed and stand-off-distance were considered as joining parameters. The parameters that influence the quality of laser transmission joining were optimized using response methodology for achieving good joint strength and minimal joint width. The central composite second-order Rotational Design (CCRD) has been utilized to plan the experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) is employed to develop mathematical relationships between joining parameters and desired responses. Based on the developed mathematical models, the interaction effects of the process parameters on laser transmission joining were investigated and optimum joining parameters were achieved. The experimental values nearly agree with the predicted values from mathematical models, indicates that the models can predict the responses adequately and optimize the key process parameters quickly.     

Novel colliding plasma pulse clipper and optical isolator for high power infra-red lasers

The properties of a high density plasma focus produced inside a ring target with an Nd laser have been investigated. Studies of the axial propagation of a CO₂ laser beam through the plasma focus have shown that the device can be used either as a fast pulse clipper or as an optical isolator for high power infra-red lasers. Self-focussing, strong refraction and defocussing and non-classical absorption of the CO₂ laser beam have all been observed.     

Laser cutting of polymeric materials: An experimental investigation

The CO₂ laser cutting of three polymeric materials namely polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is investigated with the aim of evaluating the effect of the main input laser cutting parameters (laser power, cutting speed and compressed air pressure) on laser cutting quality of the different polymers and developing model equations relating input process parameters with the output. The output quality characteristics examined were heat affected zone (HAZ), surface roughness and dimensional accuracy. Twelve sets of tests were carried out for each of the polymer based on the central composite design. Predictive models have been developed by response surface methodology (RSM). First-order response models for HAZ and surface roughness were presented and their adequacy was tested by analysis of variance (ANOVA). It was found that the response is well modeled by a linear function of the input parameters. Response surface contours of HAZ and surface roughness were generated. Mathematical model equations have been presented that estimate HAZ and surface roughness for various input laser cutting parameters. Dimensional accuracies of laser cutting on polymers were examined by dimensional deviation of the actual value from the nominal value. From the analysis, it has been observed that PMMA has less HAZ, followed by PC and PP. For surface roughness, PMMA has better cut edge surface quality than PP and PC. The response models developed can be used for practical purposes by the manufacturing industry. However, all three polymeric materials showed similar diameter errors tendency in spite of different material properties.     

XPS study of the O2/SF6 microwave plasma oxidation of (0 0 1) GaAs surfaces

O₂SF₆ plasma effects on processed GaAs surfaces have been investigated. The influence of plasma parameters such as composition, power and exposure time has been studied. The microwave plasma treatment efficiency has been studied by surface depth profiling (cycles consisting of XPS measurements followed by a slight etching) coupled with an original modelling calculation. We have pointed out that SF₆ addition in plasma increases the oxidative rule of oxygen by increasing the total oxide thickness and that the quantity of the different oxidative and passivating species does not limit the oxidative mechanism, in the O₂:SF₆ ratio range 80:20 to 40:60. The increase in the plasma power leads to a change in the composition of the outer region of the oxide layer with an increase in the gallium content on the surface, and to an increase in the total oxide layer. The exposure time to the plasma increases also these two phenomena.