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LASER WELDING
Laser welding is a non-contact fusion welding process which involves melting and joining of two similar or dissimilar materials by the application of heat generated by a fine focused spot of laser beam.
Laser welding usually employs a power density of 105-107 W/cm2 and hence, categorized as a power beam welding process. The welding can be done in conduction mode for thin sections and keyhole mode for thick sections. Generally, the welds are made autogenously but external addition of filler material to modify the microstructure is also feasible.
Key Features & Advantages of Laser Welding
- High power density
- High depth of penetration (aspect ratios upto 20:1)
- High welding speeds and low heat input
- Can weld wide variety of materials with varying thickness
- Possibility to precisely focus the beam spot at desired location
- Appropriate heat balance can be obtained while welding dissimilar materials or thicknesses
- Pulsed mode operation
- Low heat input precision welding
- No vacuum requirement, unlike electron beam welding
- Can weld magnetic materials, unlike electron beam welding
- Non contact process and hence clean weld unlike Shielded Metal Arc Welding or Tungsten Inert Gas welding
- Some laser wavelengths can be sent through optical fiber and to weld inaccessible locations
Some Typical Applications
- Tailor-Welded Blanks (TWB) for Automotive bodies
- Gear assemblies in automotive transmission
- Stringer welding to skin of fuselage
- Sandwich panels for ship building
- Stainless steel equipment
- Hermetically sealed valves for solenoid applications
Ongoing R & D Projects
- Tailor-weld blanks
- Welding of Ti-6Al-4V
- Thin section sensors to thick section structures made hardenable steels
- Dissimilar material joint Ti-SS
- Galvanised sheet steel
- Titanium parts for aerospace applications
- Micro welding of sensors to structures.
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