Prakarsh Pratik (08011040)

Title: Infrared temperature measurement and interference analysis of magnesium alloys in

hybrid laser-TIG welding process.
Authors: Huang RS, Liu LM, Song G
Source: Materials Science And Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure
and Processing Volume: 447 Issue: 1-2 Pages: 239-243 Published: Feb 25, 2007
Summary:
The object of this research is to make a deep understanding about the formation of
interference, explore a new method to eliminate the interfering radiation during laser-TIG
hybrid welding of magnesium alloys and to obtain the distribution of temperature field
accurately.

IR thermography system, serves as a convenient, sensitive, non-contact method for making

temperature field measurement. It has large potential to be applied in capturing the welding
temperature field. However, the existence of radiant reflection from arc light and hot tungsten
electrode decrease the accuracy of temperature measurement, especially for the materials
with high reflectivity such as Al alloys and Mg alloys.

Hybrid laser-TIG welding involves laser welding with the traditional TIG welding, resulting
in high productivity, efficiency and welding quality. Comparing hybrid laser-TIG welding
with TIG welding, the interference factors are much more complex in hybrid welding. So, in
this paper, the infrared thermography system was applied to measure the obverse temperature
distribution of the weld surface during hybrid laser-TIG welding process of AZ31 magnesium
alloy, a new method was introduced to decrease the radiant interference from arc light,
ceramic nozzle, electrode and laser nozzle, and the data of welding temperature field captured
by IR termography system was calibrated. In traditional experiment, IR image was captured
paralleling to the direction of welding seam, and IR temperature measurement of welding
temperature field was interfered badly by interferences mentioned above. In this paper, the IR
thermography system was placed perpendicularly to welding seam, so the interferences that
caused by specular reflection were transferred out of welding seam, Considering the
interference caused by diffuse reflection is little the IR temperature distribution data are
believable while IR thermography system is placed perpendicularly to welding seam. For
each sensing point in the IR image caught by IR thermography system, its temperature ti
altered when its emissivity εi altered. Through data analysis based on ti and εi, the relational
expression was validated as follows: 4√εi(ti + 273.15) ≈ C where C is a constant. It indicates
that, for each IR sensor, its output is able to comply with the Stefan–Boltzmann law of grey-
body radiation accurately.

On the basis of the observation of interference analysis and temperature measurement in

hybrid laser-TIG welding process of AZ31B magnesium alloy described in the paper, the
following conclusions were arrived at:
1. The interferences caused by radiant specular reflection of arc light, ceramic nozzle,
electrode and laser nozzle were transferred out of welding seam while the IR thermography
system was placed perpendicularly to welding seam during hybrid laser-TIG welding process.
2. Data of the welding temperature field outside the area covered by arc captured by IR
termography system which had been calibrated by thermocouple was reliable.