Selection of Processing Parameters in Laser Microwelding. Part 1: Continuous Wave (CW) Mode
J. Coroado, S. Ganguly, W.J. Suder, S. Williams, S. Meco and G. Pardal
A phenomenological model which specifies the penetration depth and width of the fusion zone in laser microjoining can be a very useful tool in achieving the required welding parameters for a desired application. In this study the power factor model, previously established and validated in macrowelding, has been tested in fibre laser microwelding, enabling achievement of a particular weld independently of a laser system. Different weld profiles in aluminium and stainless steel were correlated with various combinations of parameters for a wide range of beam diameters. It has been shown that the same penetration depth can be achieved with different weld profiles. A similar trend, as previously found in macrowelding, has been confirmed in microwelding. It was demonstrated that the depth of penetration can be kept constant independently of the laser system until certain limit of beam size.
Keywords: Fibre laser, 5251 aluminium alloy, 304L stainless steel, laser microwelding, interaction time, depth of penetration, beam diameter, weld shape, power factor model