Stability of fiber laser-MIG hybrid welding of high strength aluminum alloy

The effect of fiber laser on MIG arc was investigated with 8 mm 7075-T6 high strength aluminum alloy as base material.The arc shape,droplet transfer form and electrical signal in the process of MIG welding and laser-MIG hybrid welding were analyzed.The stability of the hybrid welding process was evaluated by standard deviation analysis.The results show that with the increase of laser power,a large number of laser-induced plasma enters the arc column area,providing more conductive channels,which makes the heat of MIG arc more concentrated and the short circuit transition disappear.Due to the continuous effect of laser,the keyhole becomes a continuous electron emission source,and a stable cathode spot will be formed near the keyhole,which enhances the stability of MIG arc at the base current state.By using the method of standard deviation analysis,the voltage standard deviation of single MIG welding arc and laser-MIG hybrid arc within 4 seconds was calculated.The standard deviation of single MIG arc voltage was 1.05,and the standard deviation of MIG arc voltage in laser-MIG hybrid welding was 0.71–0.86,so the hybrid welding process was more stable.

Characteristic of laser-MIG hybrid welding with filling additional cold wire for aluminum alloy

The weld appearance, deposition rate, welding efficiency, stability of arc, laser keyhole characteristic, and weld property were studied by using a novel laser-MIG hybrid welding process with filling wire of aluminum alloy. The results were also compared with those by conventional laser-MIG hybrid welding process. It was found that with the suitable process parameters this novel welding process for aluminum alloy was stable and final weld bead had fine appearance. Compared to conventional laser-MIG hybrid welding process, during this novel welding process the stability of arc, the laser keyhole characteristic and the weld property were similar, while the keyhole cycle frequency and keyhole opening area had differences of 1.23% and 15.34%, respectively, and the welding efficiency increased by about 31% without increasing heat input.

Laser-pulsed MIG hybrid welding technology of A6N01S aluminum alloy

Welding research of A6N01S-T5 aluminum alloy profile for high-speed train was done by using laser-MIG hybrid welding and MIG welding individually. And the weld appearance,welding distortion,mechanical properties of the joints and microstructures were analyzed. The test results demonstrated that high-efficient welding for the profile can be achieved by using laser-MIG hybrid welding,the speed of which can be over 3. 0 m/min. The processing had a good gap bridging ability,even if the gap of the butt joint was up to 2. 0 mm,a good weld appearance can also be got. While the hybrid welding speed was greater than 2. 5 m/min,the welding distortion of the laser-tandem MIG hybrid joints was just about 33% of that of the MIG joints,but the welding efficiency was over 3 times of MIG welding. And tensile strength of the hybrid joints was 85% of that of A6N01S-T5 base metal,9% higher than that of the MIG joints. Fatigue properties was tested individually with pulsed tensile fatigue method in the condition of 1 × 10~7 lifetime. The test results demonstrated that the fatigue strength of the joints was a little lower than that of base material,which could be up to 115 MPa. But the fatigue strength of hybrid welding joints was 107. 5 MPa,which was 23% higher than 87 MPa of MIG welding joints.

Low-power YAG laser/arc hybrid welding of AZ-based Mg alloy

The results of recent researches on the weldability of laser/arc hybrid welding of AZ-based Mg alloy was presented.Experiments were conducted with a low-power(500 W) Nd:YAG laser and a TIG arc.The synergic effects and mechanical properties of the Mg joints by laser/arc hybrid welding were investigated,and the interaction mechanism of laser to arc was also discussed.The results show that Mg alloys can be easily welded in similar and dissimilar joints by laser/arc hybrid welding technique.With the arc power increasing,a higher weld depth is obtained,and the weld depths for laser and arc acting in combination(laser/arc) are two times higher than that of the total of laser and arc acting separately(laser+arc) in optimal conditions.The tensile strength and fatigue strength of the AZ31B joints welded by laser/arc hybrid process are equivalent to that of the based metal.Besides,the laser-induced plume/plasma images captured by high speed camera were used to study the interaction between laser beam and arc.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DROPLET TRANSFER IN CO_2 LASER-MIG HYBRID WELDING WITH SHORTCIRCUITING MODE

LF6 aluminum alloy plates with 4.5 mm thickness are welded in this experiment. Welding is carried out by using the CO2 laser-MIG paraxial hybrid welding in fiat position. The experimental results indicate that the inherent droplet transfer cycle time of conventional MIG arc is changed due to the interaction between CO2 laser beam and MIG arc in the short-circuiting mode of laser-MIG hybrid welding. Because of the preheating action of CO2 laser to electrode and base material, the droplet transfer frequency of MIG arc is increased in the hybrid welding process. When laser power is increased to a certain degree, the droplet transfer frequency is decreased due to the effect of laser-induced keyhole. Furthermore, through analyzing the MIG welding current and arc voltage waveforms and the characteristics of droplet transfer in the hybrid welding process, the effect of laser energy and the action point between laser beam and arc on the frequency of droplet transfer and weld appearance is investigated in details.

Numerical simulation of temperature field in laser-arc hybrid welding of wear-resistant steel

Using ABAQUS software and cylindrical ellipsoid and body heat sources with a peak-heat-flux- attenuation function, a finite element model of the temperature field in the laser-arc hybrid welding of 4.5-mm BW300TP wear-resistant steel is proposed. The proposed model considers convection, radiation, molten pool flow, and heat conduction effect on temperature. A comparison of the simulation and actual welding test results confirms the reliability of the model. This welding heat-process model can provide the cooling rate at any position in the heat affected zone （HAZ） and can be used as a reference for the analysis of material properties and for process optimization.

High-speed butt welding of magnesium alloy using pulsed laser-arc hybrid heat source

Laser-arc hybrid welding at a speed of 6 000 mm/min is carried out on 2 mm thick magnesium alloy AZ61 plateand completely-penetrated butt joints are obtained, lnvestigations of the influence of parameters on weld formation show that Ihe addition of pulsed laser can effctively enhance tlle heat penetrability attd directivity nf the hybrid heat source. Measurements on microstructures and mechanical properties the joint indicate that grain in the.fhsion zone is refined and the grain size is sensitive to the arc current ; the fitsioa zone exhibits the highest hardaess; the tensile strength of the joint reaches 93% of base metal; there is the brittle fracture along the grain bozmdaries in the fusion zone. High-speed camera images exhibit that although the two adjacent laser pulses can not overlap, the recorery relaxation of the concentrated electric arc after laser intlse action can still maintain the continuous welding process.

Low temperature impact toughness of laser hybrid welded joint of high strength low alloy steel

High strength low alloy steel with 16 mm thickness was welded by using high power laser hybrid welding. Microstrueture was characterized by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy （ SEM ） , transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and selected area electron diffraction （SAED）. Low temperature impact toughness was estimated by using Charpy V-notch impact samples selected from the upper part and the lower part at the same heterogeneous joint. Results show that the low temperature impact absorbed energies of weld metal are （202,180,165 J） of upper samples and （178,145,160 J） of lower samples, respectively. All of them increase compared to base metal. The embrittlement of HAZ does not occur. Weld metal primarily consists of refined carbide free bainite and a little granular bainite since laser hybrid welding owns the character of low heat input. Retained austenite constituent film ＂locates among the lath structure of bainitie ferrite. Refined bainitic ferrite lath and retained austenite constituent film provide better low temperature impact toughness compared to base metal.

Study on the effect of welding current during laser beam-resistance seam welding of aluminum alloy 5052

The effect of welding current on the weld shape and tensile shear load during laser beam-resistance seam welding （LB-RSW） of aluminum alloy 5052 is studied. Experimental results show that the penetration depth, weld width ,tensile shear load and the ratio of penetration depth to weld width of LB-RSW are bigger than those of laser beam welding（ LBW） under the same conditions and the former three parameters increase as welding current rises. The weld shape of LB-RSW below 5 kA welding current is nearly the same as that of LBW. The weld morphology is protuberant under the condition of 5 kA welding current and 0. 8 m/min welding speed. Furthermore, the microstructure of the weld seam of LB-RSW is coarser than that of LBW.

Simulation on the deformation controlling of T-joint LBW with auxiliary heat source for high strength aluminum alloy

To avoid the angular deformation of aluminum alloy T-joint weldments, a new method named welding with auxiliary heat source is proposed. The welding simulation is performed with the commercial finite element software Abaqus and FORTRAN programme encoding a special conical heat source with Gaussian volumetric distribution of flux. The influence of the local model on the temperature, residual stress, and welding deformation distributions is investigated. The findings show that angular deformation achieved through numerical computation completely consists with the experimental result which has proved the effectiveness of the finite element methods developed. Various measurements performed on small-scale welded test specimens provide a data base of experimental results that serves as a bench mark for qualification of the simulation result. Finally, the residual stress and strain states in a T-joint are predicted.

Spreading Behavior and Hot Cracking Mechanism of Single Tracks in High Strength Al–Cu–Mg–Mn Alloy Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)technology is a high-precision metal additive manufacturing(AM)technology.Due to the high specific strength of high strength aluminum alloys,high strength aluminum alloys fabricated by LPBF have broad application prospects in the field of light weighting.However,high strength aluminum alloys have high hot cracking susceptibility.In this study,an analysis of the hot cracking susceptibility as a function of processing parameters is presented for single tracks of LPBF processed(LPBFed)high strength Al–Cu–Mg–Mn alloy.The hot cracking in single tracks of LPBFed Al–Cu–Mg–Mn alloy is solidification cracking based on the experimental observations of microstructure.Combining Rosenthal simulations and spreading behavior of a single droplet,the critical scanning speed of single track with balling phenomenon was obtained.It was found that when the laser power was 200 W,the scanning speed exceeded 440.1 mm/s,the droplet will not be able to spread completely,which is consistent with the experimental result of 500 mm/s.Through the calculation and analysis of the microstructure and the existence time of the molten pool,it was pointed out that the reduction in the liquid phase caused by the high scanning speed,the shortening of the solidification time and the high stress caused by the high-temperature gradient promoted the generation of hot cracking.In summary,this work contains a practical guide to optimize processing parameters of LPBFed Al–Cu–Mg–Mn alloys,which provides a basis for fabricating thin walls and cubic samples without hot cracking.

Achieving high strength in laser powder-bed fusion processed AlFeCuZr alloy via dual-nanoprecipitations and grain boundary segregation

Additive manufacturing of aluminum alloys has received significant attention in the aerospace industry;however,achieving sufficient high strength,especially at elevated temperatures,remains challenging.Here,a crack-free and near-full dense Al-1Fe-0.6Cu-1.3Zr alloy was fabricated by the laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)technique.The Al-Fe-Cu-Zr alloy exhibits heterogeneous microstructures with two distinct zones.One is the so-called coarse-grain zones(CGZs)with an average grain size of 0.95μm,where(Al,Cu)Fe_(3) nanoparticles precipitate in the Al matrix and Fe and Cu cosegregate at the grain boundaries(GBs).The other is fine-grain zones(FGZs)with an average grain size of 0.45μm,where an Al 3 Zr nanoparti-cle precipitates in each of theα-Al grains(serves as the nuclei),and Fe-rich nanoprecipitates and Fe/Cu cosegregation appear at the GBs.As a result,the LPBF Al-Fe-Cu-Zr alloy,with these unique heteroge-neous structures,displays high strength at both room temperature and elevated temperatures,e.g.,with high yield strengths of 500 MPa at room temperature,and 163 MPa at 573 K,both are higher than those of additive manufactured Al-based alloys reported thus far.It is suggested that the high strength over a wide temperature range of the current LPBF Al alloy is mainly attributed to the combination of the precipitation strengthening mechanism and grain-boundary strengthening mechanism.

Hybrid Laser-GMAW Welding of High Strength Quenched-Tempered Steels

High-strength quenched and tempered (HSQT) steels have been widely used in structural applications where light weight is of primary design interest.Gas metal arc welding is a common way to join QT steels.When GMAW is used to join the HSQT steel,multi-pass is usually required to achieve full penetration.In addition,weld crack is often observed because of HSQT steel's high susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement.In addition,due to the large amount of heat input from the arc,the heat affected zone is often softened.This reduces the ductility and strength of welds and makes the weld weaker than the base metal.In this study,a hybrid laser/GMAW process is proposed to produce butt joint for 6.5mm thick HSQT A514 steel plate.Hydrogen diffusion mechanism is first discusses for GMAW and hybrid laser-GMAW welding processes.Metal transfer mode during the hybrid laser/GMAW welding process is also analyzed.A high speed CCD camera with 4000 frame/second is used to monitor the welding process in real time.Welds obtained by GMAW and hybrid laser/GMAW techniques are compared and tested by static lap shear and dynamic impact.Effects of gap between two metal plates and laser beam/GMAW torch spacing on weld property are studied.By appropriately choosing these two parameters,crack-free butt joints with full penetration can be successfully obtained by the hybrid laser/GMAW welding process for HSQT A514 steel plate.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hybrid Laser-Friction Stir Welding between AA6061-T6 Al Alloy and AZ31 Mg Alloy

For the purpose of improving the strength of this dissimilarjoint, the present study was carried out to investigate the improvement in intermetallic layer by using a third material foil between the laying edges of the friction stir welded and hybrid welded AI6061-T6/AZ31 alloy plates. The difference in microstructural and mechanical characteristics of friction stir welded and hybrid welded AI6061-TO/AZ31 joint was compared. Hybrid butt- welding of aluminum alloy plate to a magnesium alloy plate was successfully achieved with Ni foil as filler material, while defect-free laser-friction stir welding （FSW） hybrid welding was achieved by using a laser power of 2 kW. Transverse tensile strength of the joint reached about 66% of the Mg base metal tensile strength in the case of hybrid welding with Ni foil and showed higher value than that of the friction stir welded joint with and without the third material foil. This may be due to the presence of less brittle Ni-based intermetallic phases instead of Al12Mg17.

Process of friction-stir welding high-strength aluminum alloy and mechanical properties of joint

The process of friction-stir welding 2A12CZ alloy has been studied. And strength and elongation tests have been performed, which demonstrated that the opportunity existed to manipulate friction-stir welding parameters in order to improve a range of material properties. The results showed that the joint strength and elongation arrived at their maximums (331 MPa and 4%) at 37.5 mm/min and 300 rpm. As welding parameters changing, joint tensile strength and elongation had similar development. Hardness measurement indicated that the weld was softened. However, there was considerable difference in softening degree for different joint zone. The weld top had lower hardness and wider softening zone than other zone of the weld. And softening zone at advancing side was wider than that at retreating side.

Effect of Laser Welding on Properties of Dissimilar Joint of Al-Mg-Si and Al-Mn Aluminum Alloys

This study discusses the welding properties for the components of an aluminum-alloy ultra-high vacuum chamber and beam position monitor （BPM）.The welding parameters include the modes of laser output （pulsed wave and continuous wave）,welding speed,shield gas flow,welding bead structure,and focusing distance.The results showed that the welding defect rate of the pulsed wave type was larger than that of the continuous wave type.The crack in the welding bead reduced with decreasing welding speed.The fusion penetration of the welding bead was higher when the focusing distance was long enough to deepen into the welding material.Weld morphology during the experimental process revealed the proper flow of shield gas.The adaptability design of the welding bead structure in the preceding processes had more effect on overall welding structure and morphology.

Microstructure and mechanical property of resistance spot welded joint of aluminum alloy to high strength steel with especial electrodes

Dissimilar material joining of 6008 aluminum alloy to H220 YD galvanized high strength steel was performed by resistance spot welding with especial electrodes that were a flat tip electrode against the steel surface and a domed tip electrode upon the aluminum alloy surface. An intermetallic compound layer composed of Fe2Al5 and FeAl3 was formed at the steel/ aluminum interface in the welded joint. The thickness of the intermetallic compound layer increased with increasing welding current and welding time, and the maximum thickness being 7. 0 μm was obtained at 25 kA and 300 ms. The weld nugget diameter and tensile shear load of the welded joint had increased tendencies first with increasing welding current （ 18 -22 kA） and welding time （ 50 - 300 ms）, then changed little with further increasing welding current （ 22 - 25 kA） and welding time （300 -400 ms）. The maximum tensile shear load reached 5.4 kN at 22 kA and 300 ms. The welded joint fractured through brittle intermetallic compound layer and aluminum alloy nugget.

Recent progress in corrosion protection of friction stir welded high-strength aluminum alloy joints

Friction stir welding （FSW） has been widely used in many industries, with which high-strength aluminum alloys can be well joined. However, the corrosion resistance of FSW high-strength Al alloy joints is relatively poor, which limits their industrial applications. The joints shall be protected against corrosion. In this review, therefore, the current status and development of corrosion protection for FSW high-strength Al alloy joints are presented. Particular emphasis has been given to different protection methods ： lowering heat input, post-weld heat treatment, surface modification and spray coatings. Finally, opportunities are identified for further research and development in corrosion protection of FSW high-strength Al alloy joints.

Study of the Laser-MIG Hybrid Welded Al-Mg Alloy

The technology of laser-MIG hybrid welding is hotspot in welding researched field at present.It can improve the velocity of the welding,reduce the distortion of the welding,optimize the structure of the welding joint and etc..The 5052 aluminum alloy of the 10mm thick was welded by the laser-MIG hybrid welding.The structure,the alloy elements profile and the mechanical property of the welded joint are researched by the optical microscope,SEM,sclerometer and etc..The results showed:The medium thick Al alloy was welded in high speed by the laser-MIG hybrid welding.The appearance of the welding joint is well.The weld joint and the weld interface are fine.The intenerate region in the welding joint is small.The tensile strength in welding joint has achieved 94.4% of that in base metal.

Effect of variable polarity frequency on 2A14-T6 aluminum alloy welds using HPVP-GTAW process

Hybrid ultrahigh frequency pulse variable polarity gas tungsten arc welding （HPVP-GTAW） for 2A14-T6 high strength aluminum alloy was carried out and the effects of variable polarity frequency with constant pulse current frequency 40 kHz on weld bead geometry, microstrueture and microhardness were analyzed. Experimental results indicate that, compared to that of the conventional VP-GTAW process, the weld depth and ratio of weld depth to width are improved significantly by the variable polarity frequency in the HPVP-GTAW process, which the ratio of weld depth to width is improved by 36% at equal variable polarity frequency of 100 Hz, and improved by 55% with that of 200 Hz. Weld microstructure and microhardness distribution are changed obviously with the increase of variable polarity frequency. In the conventional VP-GTA W process, the grains in weld central zone are coarser, and the microhardness in weld central zone and fusion zone is about 95 HV and the lowest 82 HV, respectively. The microhardness is enhanced to a certain extent both in the weld central zone and fusion zone with the variation of variable polarity frequency in the HPVP-GTAW process due to the refinement and uniformity of weld microstructure. With the variable polarity frequency of 600 Hz, the microhardness in weld central zone and fusion zone reaches nearly 110 HV and 97 HV, respectively.