TY - JOUR

T1 - Investigations on laser beam welding of thick steel plates using a high-power diode laser beam source

AU - Seffer, Oliver

AU - Nothdurft, Sarah

AU - Hilck, Alexander

AU - Hustedt, Michael

AU - Hermsdorf, Jörg

AU - Kaierle, Stefan

N1 - Funding Information: The work presented was carried out within the scope of the German joint research project DIOMAR “Thick metal sheet welding by high-power diode lasers for maritime applications” (“Dickblechschweißen mittels Höchstleistungs-Diodenlaser für maritime Anwendungen”), subproject “Laser beam welding process development and laser-safety conception” (“Laserstrahlschweißprozessentwicklung und Lasersicherheitskonzeption”). This project (Reference No. 03SX452B) was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), now Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), within the frame-work of the funding line “Next generation maritime technologies” (“Maritime Technologien der nächsten Generation”) of the German Federal Government and supervised by the Project Management Jülich (PTJ), which is gratefully acknowledged. The joint research project was coordinated by MEYER WERFT GmbH & Co. KG, Papenburg, Germany. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank their project partners MEYER WERFT GmbH & Co. KG, HELD SYSTEMS Deutschland GmbH, Heusenstamm, Germany, and Laserline GmbH, Mülheim-Kärlich, Germany, for the good cooperation and the valuable support.

PY - 2022/11/1

Y1 - 2022/11/1

N2 - For joining of thick steel plates, commonly arc welding and partially laser-arc hybrid welding are used. Both techniques offer individual disadvantages besides their advantages. Arc welding processes are typically characterized by low welding speeds, high heat inputs, high distortions, and high filler material consumptions. Laser-arc hybrid welding processes are limited to weldable material thicknesses regarding weld imperfections as well as the ability to bridge gaps. Therefore, the investigations presented are about high-power diode laser beam welding of steel with plate thicknesses t between 15 and 30 mm using output powers PL of up to 60 kW and welding speeds v between 0.5 and 1.0 m/min. The welding experiments contain butt welds by using weld backing materials. Among other things, influence of energy per unit length (laser beam power PL, welding speed v), focal position z, and plate thickness t are analyzed for different reproducible processes. The evaluation of weld seams includes visual inspection, metallographic analyses regarding geometric characteristics, and weld imperfections as well as radiographic inspections. The investigations show achievable qualities and characteristics of the weld seams depending on the plate thickness t by using high-power diode laser beam sources. Weld seams on plates with thicknesses t of 15 and 22 mm were welded without cracks or other weld imperfections according to metallographic analyses and radiographic testing by using a laser beam power PL of 40 kW and the suitable process parameters developed. As a result, relatively high plate thicknesses t can be welded in a single layer with high quality as well as comparatively high welding speed v.

AB - For joining of thick steel plates, commonly arc welding and partially laser-arc hybrid welding are used. Both techniques offer individual disadvantages besides their advantages. Arc welding processes are typically characterized by low welding speeds, high heat inputs, high distortions, and high filler material consumptions. Laser-arc hybrid welding processes are limited to weldable material thicknesses regarding weld imperfections as well as the ability to bridge gaps. Therefore, the investigations presented are about high-power diode laser beam welding of steel with plate thicknesses t between 15 and 30 mm using output powers PL of up to 60 kW and welding speeds v between 0.5 and 1.0 m/min. The welding experiments contain butt welds by using weld backing materials. Among other things, influence of energy per unit length (laser beam power PL, welding speed v), focal position z, and plate thickness t are analyzed for different reproducible processes. The evaluation of weld seams includes visual inspection, metallographic analyses regarding geometric characteristics, and weld imperfections as well as radiographic inspections. The investigations show achievable qualities and characteristics of the weld seams depending on the plate thickness t by using high-power diode laser beam sources. Weld seams on plates with thicknesses t of 15 and 22 mm were welded without cracks or other weld imperfections according to metallographic analyses and radiographic testing by using a laser beam power PL of 40 kW and the suitable process parameters developed. As a result, relatively high plate thicknesses t can be welded in a single layer with high quality as well as comparatively high welding speed v.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85141086189&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.2351/7.0000783

DO - 10.2351/7.0000783

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85141086189

VL - 34

JO - Journal of laser applications

JF - Journal of laser applications

SN - 1042-346X

IS - 4

M1 - 042031

ER -