Contact mechanical studies on continuous wave CO2 laser beam weld of mild steel with ambient and under water medium

Laser induced keyhole (KH) and weld pool formation during laser beam welding (LBW) can alter mechanical properties of weld seams. In this regard, deep penetration high power continuous wave (CW) CO₂ laser induced KH was generated in mild steel (MS) in both ambient and under water medium. Under water, KH was deeper and narrower as compared with KH formed in ambient condition. Contact mechanical studies of both the types of weld zones were carried out by measuring hardness and frictional properties. A significant rise in hardness was observed in fusion zone (FZ) regardless of the medium used. The KH and weld pool mediated LBW fusion zone showed lower coefficient of friction. Scratch size was also found to decrease in FZ due to increased hardness. The mechanical properties of FZ such as hardness, coefficient of friction and scratch size were correlated with microstructure composed of fine grained structure in the weld zones.     

功率密度对DP590钢激光焊缝熔深及组织的影响

目的研究相同热输入(功率/速度)下激光功率密度(功率/光斑面积)变化对焊缝熔深及组织的影响。方法在保持热输入不变的条件下,对不同功率下1.8 mm厚的DP590钢板进行光纤激光焊接试验,在光学显微镜下检测不同条件下的熔深,在扫描电镜下观察不同条件下的焊缝组织。然后,采用FLOW-3D软件对不同条件下焊接熔池/小孔行为与激光能量吸收进行了计算研究。结果随着功率密度的增加,焊缝熔深总体不断递增,但在速度为0.055 m/s和0.065 m/s时突变。结论通过模拟发现,匙孔吸收的能量影响了焊缝熔深变化。同时,焊缝冷却速率随着焊缝吸收能量的增加而降低,使得焊缝区马氏体组织大小出现差异。     

可调压力激光焊接工艺地面模拟装置的研制

目的 针对普通激光焊接实验装置无法用于非常压极端环境下激光焊接工艺的难点,研发设计一种可用于模拟环境压力变化的激光焊接地面模拟装置,使得在地面上模拟深海高压环境激光焊接和太空负压环境激光空间制造过程成为可能。方法 针对非常压极端环境下激光焊接实验成本高以及危险性大等问题,并综合考虑高压力、低真空,以及水下高盐度、低温度和微生物等环境特点,对模拟装置的压力调节集成系统、激光入射孔以及可移动运动平台3个主要方面进行设计。自主设计研发一套具备从负压到高压压力范围可调的激光焊接地面模拟装置,并对模拟装置进行实验和性能验证。结果 研制装置压力测试的结果表明,该装置能够开展5.2 Pa(真空环境)至13.13 MPa(深海环境)压力范围条件下的激光焊接实验,为深海高压激光焊接过程以及空间负压激光制造过程提供实验基础。基于该模拟装置进行了不同压力环境下的激光焊接实验,结果表明,大气环境中随着压力的增大,焊缝熔深逐渐增大,而熔宽呈减小趋势;水下环境中随着焊接速度的增大,焊缝熔深和熔宽均逐渐减小。结论 实验结果与现有研究结果相近,可调压力激光焊接地面模拟装置的可行性和有效性得到了验证。该装置能够为未来深海高压和外太空负压激光焊接实验进一步研究提供设备支撑,具有良好的应用前景。     

Hybrid simulation of laser deep penetration welding

In laser deep penetration welding, the knowledge on the temperature history of the material is of great interest for the assessment of the quality properties of the weld. For this purpose a hybrid process model that enables the fast calculation of temperature distributions as a function of process parameters is applied. The interaction between laser and material is taken into account by a reduced keyhole model, which exploits a hierarchy in the spatial dimensions occurring at high feed rates. The resulting shape of a stationary keyhole is introduced as a Dirichlet boundary into a thermal finite element simulation in which it is moved through the workpiece according to the process control of the laser beam. The boundary is mathematically described by a level set function and immersed in a fixed computational mesh. The Dirichlet boundary condition is imposed using an embedded boundary method. The calculated temperature distributions are evaluated by means of bead on plate welds conducted in 0.9 mm thick sheets of 1.4301 (AISI 304) stainless steel.     

Optical techniques for real-time penetration monitoring for laser welding

Optical techniques for real-time full-penetration monitoring for Nd:YAG laser welding have been investigated. Coaxial light emission from the keyhole is imaged onto three photodiodes and a camera. We describe the spectral and statistical analyses from photodiode signals, which indicate the presence of a full penetration. Two image processing techniques based on the keyhole shape recognition and the keyhole image intensity profile along the welding path are presented. An intensity ratio parameter is used to determine the extent of opening at the rear of a fully opened keyhole. We show that this parameter clearly interprets a hole in formation or a lack of penetration when welding is performed on workpieces with variable thicknesses at constant laser power.     

激光深熔焊等离子光焰图像信息提取的研究

激光深熔焊是当今制造技术发展的前沿领域。在激光深熔焊接中产生的光致等离子体光焰会随焊接过程呈周期性的变化，而焊缝的熔透性与光致等离子体光信号的累积强度有对应关系。本文通过图像处理的方法，对光致等离子光焰图像进行分析和处理，为科学分析激光深熔焊光致等离子体的机理和变化规律提供了可靠的量化数据。     

Process control of laser conduction welding by thermal imaging measurement with a color camera

Conduction welding offers an alternative to keyhole welding. Compared with keyhole welding, it is an intrinsically stable process because vaporization phenomena are minimal. However, as with keyhole welding, an on-line process-monitoring system is advantageous for quality assurance to maintain the required penetration depth, which in conduction welding is more sensitive to changes in heat sinking. The maximum penetration is obtained when the surface temperature is just below the boiling point, and so we normally wish to maintain the temperature at this level. We describe a two-color optical system that we have developed for real-time temperature profile measurement of the conduction weld pool. The key feature of the system is the use of a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor standard color camera leading to a simplified low-cost optical setup. We present and discuss the real-time temperature measurement and control performance of the system when a defocused beam from a high power Nd:YAG laser is used on 5 mm thick stainless steel workpieces.     

Research and Progress in Laser Welding of Wrought Aluminum Alloys. II. Metallurgical Microstructures, Defects, and Mechanical Properties

With the wide application of aluminum alloys in automotive, aerospace, and other industries, laser welding has become a critical joining technique for aluminum alloys. In this review, the research and progress in laser welding of wrought aluminum alloys are critically discussed from different perspectives. The primary objective of the review is to understand the influence of welding processes on joint quality and to build up the science base of laser welding for the reliable production of aluminum alloy joints. Two main types of industrial lasers, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG), are currently applied but special attention is paid to Nd:YAG laser welding of 5000 and 6000 series alloys in the keyhole (deep penetration) mode. In the preceding article of this review (part I), the laser welding processing parameters, including the laser-, process-, and material-related variables and their effects on welding quality, have been examined. In this part of the review, the metallurgical microstructures and main defects encountered in laser welding of aluminum alloys such as porosity, cracking, oxide inclusions, and loss of alloying elements are discussed from the point of view of mechanism of their formation, main influencing factors, and remedy measures. The main mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile and fatigue strength, and formability are also evaluated.     

Research and Progress in Laser Welding of Wrought Aluminum Alloys. I. Laser Welding Processes

With the wide application of Al alloys in automotive, aerospace and other industries, laser welding has become a critical joining technique for aluminum alloys. In this review, the research and progress in laser welding of wrought Al alloys have been critically discussed from different perspectives. The primary objective of this review is to understand the influence of welding processes on joint quality and to build up the science base of laser welding for the reliable production of Al alloy joints. Two main types of industrial lasers, carbon dioxide (CO₂) and neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG), are currently applied but special attention is paid to Nd:YAG laser welding of 5000 and 6000 series alloys in the keyhole (deep penetration) mode. In this part of the review, the main laser welding processing parameters including the laser-, process-, and material-related variables and their effects on weld quality are examined. In part II of this article in this journal, the metallurgical microstructures and main defects encountered in laser welding of Al alloys such as porosity, cracking, oxide inclusions, and loss of alloying elements are discussed from the point of view of mechanism of their formation, main influencing factors, and remedy measures. In part II, the main mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile, and fatigue strength and formability are also discussed.     

A comparative study of laser beam welding and laser-MIG hybrid welding of Ti-Al-Zr-Fe titanium alloy

Ti-Al-Zr-Fe titanium alloy sheets with thickness of 4 mm were welded using laser beam welding (LBW) and laser-MIG hybrid welding (LAMIG) methods. To investigate the influence of the methods difference on the joint properties, optical microscope observation, microhardness measurement and mechanical tests were conducted. Experimental results show that the sheets can be welded at a high speed of 1.8 m/min and power of 8 kW, with no defects such as, surface oxidation, porosity, cracks and lack of penetration in the welding seam. In addition, all tensile test specimens fractured at the parent metal. Compared with the LBW, the LAMIG welding method can produce joints with higher ductility, due to the improvement of seam formation and lower microhardness by employing a low strength TA-10 welding wire. It can be concluded that LAMIG is much more feasible for welding the Ti-Al-Zr-Fe titanium alloy sheets.     

等离子弧焊接熔池和小孔形成过程数值分析

目的 研究等离子弧焊接穿孔过程中熔池内部的金属流动情况和小孔动态变化过程。方法 通过“传热-熔池流动-小孔”之间的相互耦合关系,建立了等离子弧焊接穿孔过程的数值分析模型,通过VOF方法追踪了小孔界面,采用FLOW-3D软件模拟了等离子弧焊接熔池和小孔的形成过程,定量计算了等离子弧焊接温度场、熔池流场及小孔形状;分析了等离子弧焊接熔池和小孔行为;并通过等离子弧焊接实验数据验证了模拟结果。结果 当焊接时间为0~1.0 s时,小孔深度曲线与熔深曲线几乎相同,小孔底部紧贴熔池底部;在2.8 s以后,小孔深度曲线与熔深曲线有一定距离,小孔深度曲线在一定范围内波动,等离子弧焊接电弧挖掘作用到达极限,电弧压力与其他力达到平衡状态。模拟的焊缝熔深为8.04 mm、熔宽为13.20 mm,实验测得的焊缝熔深为8.00 mm、熔宽为13.42 mm。结论 构建的随小孔动态变化的曲面热源模型和电弧压力模型可以描述等离子弧焊接过程中的电弧热-力分布;模拟出了等离子弧焊接熔池和小孔动态演变过程;模拟得到的等离子弧焊接焊缝形貌与实验测得的焊缝形貌基本吻合。     

Keyhole Double-Sided Arc Welding Process

［1］E.Craig: Welding J., 1988, 67(2), 19. ［2］J.Dowden, P. Kapadia and B.Fenn: J. Phys. (D):Appl. Phys., 1993, 26, 1215. ［3］Y.M.Zhang and S.B.Zhang: Welding J., 1999, 78(6),202. ［4］Y.M.Zhang and S.B.Zhang: U. S. Patent, 5 990 446.,1999. ［5］Welding Handbook, 8th edition: Welding Processes, AWS, 1991, 2, 722.     

Effect of process parameters on bead properties of A359/SiC MMCs welded by laser

Metal matrix composites are well known materials that present several positive features, mainly in terms of mechanical strength to weight ratio. On the other side, MMC’s are extremely difficult to machine (in particular by chip removal processes) and this difficulty has limited a wider diffusion. Welding, together with other joining technologies, could be a solution to limit the chip removal processes in the production of a MMC part, but this is not a problem-free process. This paper presents an experimental study on the laser welding of MMCs using both a CO₂ and a diode laser source. The CO₂ welding is performed in keyhole conditions (deep penetration), whereas the diode laser performs a conduction welding. Results show that the CO₂ welding is greatly affected by the formation of Al₄C₃, that compromises the toughness of the bead. The content of Al₄C₃ can be reduced by acting on the process parameters, but cannot be completely eliminated. Instead, diode laser welding generates a sound bead, with negligible Al₄C₃ formation and of superior quality. Considering also the other positive features of this kind of sources (high efficiency and radiation wavelength, that is, highly absorbed by MMCs), diode laser welding seems to be highly recommendable for MMCs laser welding.     

Closed-loop power and focus control of laser welding for full-penetration monitoring

We describe a closed-loop control system ensuring full penetration in welding by controlling the focus position and power of a 4-kW Nd:YAG laser. A focus position monitoring system was developed based on the chromatic aberration of the focusing optics. With the laser power control system we can determine the degree of penetration by analyzing the keyhole image intensity profile. We demonstrate performance in bead-on-plate welding of Inconel 718 and titanium. The focus control system maintained a focal position on tilted and nonflat workpieces, and the penetration monitoring technique successfully controlled the laser power to maintain the full-penetration regime in the presence of linear and step changes of thickness. Finally we discuss the performances and the limits of the systems when applied to a realistic complex aerospace component.     

Study of dimensionless quantities to analyse front and rear wall of keyhole formed during laser beam welding

Fluid flow mechanisms present in Keyhole (KH) during Laser Beam Welding (LBW) process influence the associated heat and mass transfer. In an attempt to describe these complexities for eventual optimization of LBW parameters, a dimensionless analysis using Mach (Ma), Raleigh (Ra), Reynolds (Re) and Marangoni (Mg) numbers have been carried out. This analysis describes hydrodynamics of melt and vapour phase appearing in the front and rear wall of KH. The non-dimensional hydrodynamic quantities describe the mechanism behind flow pattern present in melt-vapour in terms of ratio of convection–conduction heat transfer occurring within KH. The analysis shows that the higher Marangoni number indicates stronger Marangoni convection in the KH causing relatively higher capillary flow in the melt pool. The laminar-turbulent flow of melt-vapour in KH medium is described in terms of ratio of Reynolds and Mach numbers (Re/Ma). The pressure distribution in the KH accounts for the melt-vapour ejection rate. A relationship between depth and radius of KH has been obtained as a function of delivered laser power.     

钛合金薄板激光和钨极氩弧焊残余应力测试研究

采用小孔释放法对钛合金薄板激光焊和钨极氩弧焊(TIG焊)的焊接残余应力进行了测试，并分析了焊接方法、焊接线能量和焊后热处理对残余应力分布规律的影响。研究结果表明：激光焊残余应力分布规律与普通熔焊方法相似，但其分布区域较窄；在热影响区内，激光焊残余拉应力值比TIG焊的约低100MPa；在焊缝及其熔合线附近，激光焊残余应力却比TIG焊的高。对于不同线能量激光焊接，线能量越大，焊缝越宽，热影响区的残余应力也越大。焊后真空热处理能降低残余应力90％。     

The influence of fog sublayer formation on H2O cryodeposit instability

The spontaneous mechanical collapse of the cryodeposit layer is a major impediment to both experimental and theoretical research into heat and mass transfer at low temperatures. This paper understands the term ‘cryodeposit’ to mean the layer of solid H₂O condensate (H₂O frost) which is formed in the process of simultaneous heat and mass transfer from the surrounding ambient gas to the cryogenic surface.The mechanical instability of the cryodeposit, formed from a binary gas mixture (moist air) onto a vertical isothermal cryo-surface (at atmospheric pressure and subject to the effects of gravity), can especially be observed under the conditions of free convection. This paper offers an hypothesis on the possible cause of this instability. The hypothesis is tested by comparing an empirically determined temperature range, in which at the same time there emerges an ‘anomaly’ in the growth kinetics of the cryodeposit, mechanical instability and the marked presence of a fog sublayer in the boundary layer, with a theoretically determined temperature range marked by maximum thickness of the fog sublayer.     

Fatigue performance of pulsed current gas tungsten arc,friction stir and laser beam welded AZ31B magnesium alloy joints

This paper reports the influence of welding processes such as friction stir welding (FSW), laser beam welding (LBW) and pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding (PCGTAW) on fatigue properties of AZ31B magnesium alloy. Fatigue experiment was conducted using servo hydraulic controlled fatigue testing machine. Fatigue strength, fatigue notch factor and notch sensitivity factor were evaluated. The LBW joints showed higher fatigue strength compared to FSW and PCGTAW joints. The formation of very fine grains in weld region, higher fusion zone hardness, uniformly distributed finer precipitates are the main reasons for superior fatigue performance of LBW joints compared to PCGTAW and FSW joints.     

Microstructural and mechanical characterization of laser-beam welding of a 8090 Al-Li thin sheet

In extension to a previous study on electron-beam welding (EBW) under vacuum on a 8090 thin sheet, the current paper reports the parallel results of laser-beam welding (LBW) of the same material. Autogenous bead-on-plate laser-beam welding was performed by a 3 kW CO₂ LBW machine. The power of the input laser beam, the specimen moving speed, and the focusing condition was varied from 700 to 1300 W, 1500 to 9000 mm min^–1 and 1 to 3 mm below the specimen top surface, respectively. The protection atmosphere and plasma jet were achieved by blowing either Ar or N₂ gas. The effects of using different gases were evaluated in terms of weld-line appearance, fusion-zone dimension, solute evaporation, microhardness, post-weld tensile properties, as well as porosity distribution. In comparing with the EBW results, LBW on the 8090 alloy was characterized with a higher fusion-zone depth/width ratio, cooling rate and porosity amount, and a lower solute loss and post-weld tensile strain. The primary formation mechanism for porosity was thought to be related to the collapsed key-holes during LBW under Ar or N₂ and the hydride-induced gas pores during EBW under vacuum.     

Numerical simulation of fluid flow and temperature field in keyhole double‐sided arc welding process on stainless steel

Double‐sided arc welding process powered by a single supply is a type of novel high‐production process. In comparison with the conventional single‐sided arc welding, this process has remarkable advantages in enhancing penetration, minimizing distortion and improving welding production. In this paper, a three‐dimensional steady numerical model is developed for the heat transfer and fluid flow in plasma arc (PA)–gas tungsten arc (GTA) double‐sided keyhole welding process. The model considers the surface tension gradient, electromagnetic force and buoyancy force. A CCD camera is used to observe the size and shape of the keyhole and weld pool. The acquired images are analysed through image processing to obtain the surface diameters of the keyhole on the two sides. A double‐V‐shaped keyhole geometry is then proposed and its characteristic parameters are derived from the images and cross‐section of weld bead. In the numerical model, the keyhole cavum within the weld pool is treated as a whole quality, whose temperature is fixed at the boiling point of the workpiece material. The heat exchange between the keyhole and weld pool is treated as an interior boundary of the workpiece. Based on the numerical model, the distributions of the fluid flow and temperature field are calculated. A comparison of cross‐section of the weld bead with the experimental result shows that the numerical model's accuracy is reasonable. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.