Product Code: ICA11_1505

Bifocal Hybrid Laser Welding - Fillet Welds of Aluminum
Authors:
M.R. Kronthaler, Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management; Garching Germany
S. Spengler, Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management; Garching Germany
M. F. Zaeh, Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management; Garching Germany
Presented at ICALEO 2011

Shortage of resources demands a consequent lightweight design with aluminum. Process stability and a high seam quality in welding processes of this material are difficult to achieve especially for hard to weld materials like EN AW-6060. Bifocal hybrid laser welding (BHLW) demonstrates how this material can be welded reliable without defects in a butt joint configuration. The used hybrid laser system consists of a Nd:YAG laser and a high power diode laser (HPDL). This leads to a high welding penetration with a high seam quality. In this publication the welding results of BHLW in a t-joint configuration are shown. An additional filler wire supplement was used to create filled welding seams with a high joining cross section and less hot crack length. Influence of defocusing the laser beam on the welding seam quality is treated. The paper will although show the results of displacing the laser beam to the abutting edge to the joining cross section and the siliceous distribution in the welding seam. Depending on the oxide skin of the welding region, a high displacement leads to an asymmetrical siliceous distribution.