LASER - Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Characteristics of LASER

1. Laser is a special light source that generates an intense beam of

light.
2. Light is very pure -- all the light rays in the beam are nearly the same
colour.
3. The light is extremely well collimated -- all the rays are headed in
almost exactly the same direction.
4. The laser is a light it produces coherent (105 to 107 W/cm2).

Laser can be classified as

1. Optically pumped laser

2. Electrically pumped laser

On the basis of the operation mode

1. Continuous Wave Lasers

2. Pulsed Lasers.

Medium used to produce the Laser:

1. Solid State
2. Liquid state
3. Gaseous

Principle of laser welding

 Laser-Beam Welding (LBW)

# Uses a moving high-density (105 to 107 W/cm2) coherent optical

energy source called a laser as the source of heat

# The coherent nature of the laser beam allows it to be focused to a

small spot, leading to high energy densities

# focal spot diameter for a laser beam ranges from 100 to 1000 μm

# Used with / without shielding gas, no pressure is applied

# Filler metal may or may not be used

# Can be operated in normal atmosphere

# No radiation kind of problems

# The laser output is not electrical, does not require electrical

continuity, is not influenced by magnetism, is not limited to electrically
conductive materials
Basic operation of laser welding
• The high intensity light beam 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 the penetration of the workpiece depends on

o conducted heat,

o the thickness of the materials to be welded is generally less than

0.80 inches

o Characteristics of laser

• Concentrated energy produces melting and coalescence before a heat

affected zone is developed
Welding lasers

1. Solid state
2. Liquid state

1. Nd:YAG (neodymium-yttrium aluminum garnet) Laser

Solid bar of YAG doped with neodymium as a lasing medium

2. Co2 laser
(A mixture of high purity carbon dioxide with helium and nitrogen as lasing
medium)
PROCESS
Lasers are capable of both
1. Conduction-mode welding
2. Deep-penetration welding

Conduction-mode welding
Momentum transfer or convection dominates conduction-mode welding

# Surface-tension-driven thermo-capillary flow

# Convection is the single most important factor affecting the
geometry of the laser melt pool (that is, pool shape, aspect ratio,
and surface ripples) and can result in defects such as variable
penetration, porosity, and lack of fusion

# Convection is also responsible for mixing and therefore affects the

composition of the melt pool during laser welds because pool
configuration in conduction-mode laser welding is a function of
the Prandtl number

Prandtl number = (kinematic viscosity/molecular diffusivity)

# Low Prandtl numbers, the pool shape is more spherical and is

dominated by conduction heat transfer

# High Prandtl number material, where pool shape is shallow

and wide because it is dominated by the surface-tension-driven flow
Deep-penetration welding

# the process is a non-contact one that directs laser outputs of 2-10

kW into a very small area
# Power levels in excess of 105- 107 W/cm2 are produced on the
surface of the parts to be welded
# The laser beam makes a ‘keyhole’ and the liquid steel solidifies
behind the traversing beam, leaving a very narrow weld and heat
affected zone (HAZ)
# The weld is approximately 1 mm wide and the surrounding
material is not distorted
# Because the weld bead is small, there is usually no need for
finishing or re-working and this reduces costs
Laser Welding Parameters

The major independent process variables for laser welding include:

• INCIDENT LASER BEAM POWER

• INCIDENT LASER BEAM DIAMETER

• ABSORPTIVITY

• TRAVERSE SPEED OF THE LASER BEAM ACROSS THE

SUBSTRATE SURFACE

1. Laser-Beam Power

# The depth of penetration with laser welding is directly related to

the power density of the laser beam and is a function of incident beam
power and beam diameter

# For a constant beam diameter, penetration typically increases as

the beam power is increased

2. Laser-Beam Diameter

# This parameter is one of the most important because it determines

the power density

3. Absorptivity

# The efficiency of LBW depends on the absorption of light energy

by the workpiece

# Any heat transfer calculation for laser processing is based on the

energy absorbed by the workpiece

# Absorptivity is a function of the electrical resistivity of the

substrate material
# Applying an absorbent powder to the surface or forming an
anodized film on the surface are two techniques that are
considered to be very effective

# Absorptivity can also be increased by the use of reactive gases

4. Traverse Speed

# Other Parameters

 Weld design
 Shielding gas
 Gap size for butt welds
 Depth of focus with respect to the substrate

These factors decides

 Depth of penetration
 Microstructure
 Mechanical properties of laser-welded joints, and
 Weld pool geometry
Advantages and Limitations of LBW

• LIGHT IS INERTIALESS (HENCE, HIGH PROCESSING SPEEDS WITH VERY

RAPID STOPPING AND STARTING BECOME POSSIBLE)

• FOCUSED LASER LIGHT PROVIDES HIGH ENERGY DENSITY

• LASER WELDING CAN BE USED AT ROOM ATMOSPHERE

• DIFFICULT-TO-WELD MATERIALS (FOR EXAMPLE, TITANIUM, QUARTZ,

ETC.) CAN BE JOINED

• WORKPIECES DO NOT NEED TO BE RIGIDLY HELD

• NO ELECTRODE OR FILLER MATERIALS ARE REQUIRED

• NARROW WELDS CAN BE MADE

• PRECISE WELDS (RELATIVE TO POSITION, DIAMETER, AND PENETRATION)

CAN BE OBTAINED

• WELDS WITH LITTLE OR NO CONTAMINATION CAN BE PRODUCED

• THE HEAT-AFFECTED ZONE (HAZ) ADJACENT TO THE WELD IS VERY

NARROW

• INTRICATE SHAPES CAN BE CUT OR WELDED AT HIGH SPEED USING

AUTOMATICALLY

• ABSENCE OF DISTORTION IN WELDS CREATED

• EXCELLENT METALLURGICAL QUALITY WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN WELDS

• ABILITY TO WELD SMALLER, THINNER COMPONENTS

• INCREASED TRAVEL SPEEDS

• NON-CONTACT WELDING

• LOT OF REFLECTION / POOR ABSOPRTIVITY

• HIGH COST