Optimization strategies for laser welding high alloy steel sheets

A known phenomenon during laser welding of thin sheets is the deformation caused by thermally induced stresses. This deformation can result in a change of the gap width between the welded parts, which leads to an unstable welding process. Inducing displacements by using a second heat source will compensate for the change in gap width, hence optimizing the welding process. The base material is 1 mm thick austenitic stainless steel 1.4301, which is welded by a CO2 laser. The second heat source is a diode laser. The gap between the welded parts was set between 0.05 mm and 0.1 mm. The influence of the second heat source on the welding process and the welding result is described. The usage of a second heat source allows a higher gap width to be set prior to the welding process. The results of the numerical simulation were found to be corresponding to those of the experiments. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.