cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccLASER BEAM WELDING

INTRODUCTION c

Laser beam welding (LBW) is a welding technique used to join multiple pieces of metal
through the use of a laser. The beam provides a concentrated heat source, allowing for
narrow, deep welds and high welding rates. The process is frequently used in high
volume applications, such as in the automotive industry c

OPERATION:

Like electron beam welding (EBW), laser beam welding has high power density (on the
order of 1 mw/cm² (MW)) resulting in small heat-affected zones and high heating and
cooling rates. The spot size of the laser can vary between 0.2 mm and 13 mm, though
only smaller sizes are used for welding. The depth of penetration is proportional to the
amount of power supplied, but is also dependent on the location of the focal point
.penetration is maximized when the focal point is slightly below the surface of the work
piece.

A continuous or pulsed laser beam may be used depending upon the application.
Milliseconds long pulses are used to weld thin materials such as razor blades while
continuous laser systems are employed for deep welds.

LBW is a versatile process, capable of welding carbon steels, stainless steel, Al and
titanium. Due to high cooling rates, cracking is a concern when welding high-carbon
steels. The weld quality is high, similar to that of electron beam welding. The speed of
welding is proportional to the amount of power supplied but also depends on the type
and thickness of the work pieces. The high power capability of gas lasers make them
especially suitable for high volume applications. LBW is particularly dominant in the
automotive industry.

Some of the advantages of LBW in comparison to EBW are as follows: the laser beam
can be transmitted through air rather than requiring a vacuum, the process is easily
automated with robotic machinery, x-rays are not generated, and LBW result in higher
quality welds.

A derivative of LBW, laser-hybrid welding combines the laser of LBW with an arc
welding method such as gas metal arc welding. This combination allows for greater
positioning flexibility, since GMAW supplies molten metal to fill the joint, and due to
the use of a laser, increases the welding speed over what is normally possible with
GMAW. Weld quality tends to be higher as well, since the potential for undercutting is
reduced.

EQUIPMENT:

hc The two types of lasers commonly used in are solid-state lasers and gas lasers
(especially carbon dioxide lasers and ND: YAG lasers).
hc The first type uses one of several solid media, including synthetic ruby and
chromium in aluminum oxide, neodymium in glass (ND: glass), and the most
 common type, crystal composed of yettrium, Al, garnet doped with neodymium
(ND:YAG).
hc Gas lasers use mixtures of gases like helium, nitrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2
laser) as a medium.
hc Regardless of type, however, when the medium is excited, it emits photons and
forms the laser

SOLID STATE LASER

Solid-state lasers operate at wavelengths on the order of 1 mm, much shorter than gas
lasers, and as a result require that operators wear special eyewear or use special screens
to prevent retina damage. ND: YAG lasers can operate in both pulsed and continuous
mode, but the other types are limited to pulsed mode. The original and still popular
solid-state design is a single crystal shaped as a rod approximately 20 mm in diameter
and 200 mm long, and the ends are ground flat. This rod is surrounded by a flash tube
containing xenon or krypton. When flashed, a pulse of light lasting about two
milliseconds is emitted by the laser. Disk shaped crystals are growing in popularity in
the industry, and flash lamps are giving way to diodes due to their high efficiency.
Typical power output for ruby lasers is 10±20 W, while the ND: YAG laser outputs
between 0.04±6,000 W. To deliver the laser beam to the weld area, fiber optics are
usually employed.

GAS LASER

Gas lasers use high-voltage, low-current power sources to supply the energy needed to
excite the gas mixture used as a lasing medium. These lasers can operate in both
continuous and pulsed mode, and the wavelength of the laser beam is 10.6 ȝm. Fiber
optic cable absorbs and is destroyed by this wavelength, so a rigid lens and mirror
delivery system is used. Power outputs for gas lasers can be much highercthan solid-
state lasers, reaching 25 KW.

FIBER LASER

In fiber lasers, the gain medium is the optical fiber itself. They are capable of power up
to 50 kW and are increasingly being used for robotic industrial welding.

cc c c c
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ow it works:c
The focal spot is targeted on the workpiece surface which will be welded. At the surface
the large concentration of light energy is converted into thermal energy. The surface of
the workpiece starts melting and progresses through it by surface conductance. For
welding, the beam energy is maintained below the vaporization temperature of the
workpiece material, because hole drilling or cutting vaporization is required.
Because the penetration of the workpiece
depends on conducted heat, the thickness of
the materials to be welded is generally less
than 0.80 inches if the ideal metallurgical
and physical characteristics of laser
welding must be realized.
Concentrated energy produces melting and
coalescence before a heat affected zone is
developed and when the materials to be
welded are thick and have high thermal
conductivity like for example aluminum the
advantage of having a minimal heat
affected zone can be seriously affected.
Because the heat source in this type of
welding process is the energy of light, the workpiece will be welded purely which means
the fatigue strength of the welded joint will be excellent.
Energy distribution across the beam is generated by the design of the resonant cavity,
including mirror curvatures or shape and their relative arrangement. This combination
results in photon oscillation within the cavity specific output beam energy patterns,
these patterns are called Transverse Energy Modes (TEMs).
The function of all laser beam welding processes whether they be gas (carbon dioxide,
helium, neo, etc.) or other lasing sources is based on the principles of the excitation of
atoms using intense light, electricity, electron beams, chemicals, etc., and the
spontaneous and stimulated release of photons.
The role of focusing lenses in this process is really important because it concentrates the
beam energy into a focal spot as small as 0.005 in diameters or even less.

Like mentioned above there are many types of Laser Beam Welding (LBW) but the
most popular types in the industry are:
1-Nd:YAG (neodymium-yttrium aluminum garnet) Laser:
The Nd: YAG laser uses a man-made crystal as its active medium and produces light
with ac1.06-micron wavelength.
2-Carbon Dioxide Lasers:
The CO2 laser uses a mixture of gases including CO2 as the active medium and
produces light with a 10.6-micron wavelength.
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LASER WELDING FACTORS:

We have already discussed the influence of the reflectivity of the material on its
suitability. Thermal diffusivity, mentioned in the above calculations, is a measure of the
ability of the material to conduct heat. The lower the diffusivity, the more the heat
remains in the vicinity of the laser beam spot.

Metals with low boiling points produce a large amount of metal vapor which could
initiate gas breakdown and plasma generation in the region of high beam intensity just
above the metal surface. This plasma, which readily absorbs the laser energy, can block
the beam passes, and bubbles tend to form at the root of the weld. If the viscosity is
high, these bubbles do not escape before the molten metal solidifies.

Although the melting point of metals does not have a significant effect on laser weld
ability, it must be reached during the initial absorption of energy. Thus, low melting
point materials are easier to weld with a laser than high melting point metals.

AD ANTAGES:

Many manufacturing engineers have read about the technical advantages of using lasers
in place of more conventional techniques. But, what about economic justifications,
which form the basis of most production purchases? The industrial laser user gets no
return from publicizing the cost cutting realized with a laser welding system and might
even tip off competitors. So most manufacturers tend to regard their usage of lasers as
proprietary information .Several applications were recently listed in MAN. The
advantages of using lasers in comparison with the most popular techniques

Competing Process Advantages of Laser Welding

 Faster welding rates by an order of magnitude; low
Gas Metal Arc distortion; no filler metal required; single-pass two-side
welding
Faster welding rates; low distortion; no flux or filler
Submerged Arc
needed
Non-contact, eliminating any debris buildup; can reach
Resistance Welding
otherwise inaccessible locations; faster welding rates
Does not need to be performed in a vacuum; on-line
Electron Beam processing; shorter cycles and higher uptimes; welds
magnetic materials; does not require radiation shielding

AD ANTAGES:

1-Absence of distortion in welds created.

2-Minimal heat affected zones in welds created.
3-Excellent metallurgical quality will be established in welds.
4-Ability to weld smaller, thinner components.
5-Increased travel speeds.
6-Non-contact welding.

USES & APPLICATIONS:

The laser welding machine finds application in various fields. Some of the common
applications of the machine are:

hc Electronics industry
hc Automotive applications
hc Metalworking
hc Welding stain less steel
hc manufacturing industries
hc Plastic welding