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LBW Process

The document covers various welding technologies, focusing on Laser Beam Welding (LBW) and its principles, advantages, disadvantages, and applications. LBW utilizes concentrated coherent light to produce high-quality welds with precise control, making it suitable for a wide range of materials and applications. However, it also has limitations such as slower welding speeds and challenges with certain metals.

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اوس محمد رؤوف لؤي
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1 views26 pages

LBW Process

The document covers various welding technologies, focusing on Laser Beam Welding (LBW) and its principles, advantages, disadvantages, and applications. LBW utilizes concentrated coherent light to produce high-quality welds with precise control, making it suitable for a wide range of materials and applications. However, it also has limitations such as slower welding speeds and challenges with certain metals.

Uploaded by

اوس محمد رؤوف لؤي
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Welding Technology (II)

4th Year
*******
Lecturer
Rafat Alazzawi
Main Topics
 Brazing.
 Braze Welding.
 Soldering.
 Thermo-Chemical Welding Processes.
 Radiant Energy Welding Processes.
 Solid-State Welding Processes.
 Adhesive Bonding.
Radiant Energy Welding Processes
 Radiant energy processes focus an energy beam on the
workpiece. The heat is generated only when the energy beam
strikes the workpiece.
 Radiant energy processes are:

1. Electron Beam Welding (EBW).


2. Laser Beam Welding (LBW).
Laser Beam Welding Process (LBW)
❖ It is a welding process wherein coalescence is produced by heat obtained from the application
of concentrated coherent light beam impinging upon the surfaces to be joined.
❖ LASER* stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
❖ All light consists of waves. In common light , these waves are incoherent** and of varied
lengths and frequencies that shoot off in numerous directions.
❖ The laser beam on the other hand, is a coherent*** light i.e. the waves are identical and
parallel.
❖ The laser is a device for concentrating light waves into narrowly defined highly intense beam
that can impart tremendous energy on a small area to produce fusion for welding process.
َّ
* (‫املحفزلإلشعاع‬ ‫)تضخيم الضوء بواسطة االنبعاث‬

**(‫ غير ّمت ِسق‬،‫) ال متساوق‬

***(‫ متسق‬،‫) متساوق‬


Principles and Theory of Operation
 A laser is a device that uses an optical resonating system incorporating a crystal
or gas medium and reflective mirrors or focusing lenses to amplify and
synchronize light waves into a coherent beam. Coherence of the beam is
produced by stimulated electronic or molecular transitions to lower levels of
energy. The laser emits this concentrated beam as energy that can be focused
on the weld joint or cutting site and applied as heat to make the weld or cut.
Principles and Theory of Operation
 The medium between the end mirrors of an optical resonator
cavity is excited, the majority of active atoms (or molecules) in the
medium (solid, liquid, gas) are put into a higher-than-normal
energy state. This results in a source of coherent light that can
then reflect back and forth between the end mirrors of the cavity.
When light waves are coherent they are in phase; that is, the time
variation of the electric field in all the light waves is synchronized.
Principles and Theory of Operation
 When coherent light reaches a threshold point (the point at which
the gain in light amplification begins to exceed any losses in light
that simultaneously occur), the device starts emitting a beam of
laser light, which can be transported over relatively long distances
before being highly concentrated through the use of either
transmissive optics (lenses) or reflective optics (mirrors) to
provide the level of beam power density needed to do a variety of
material-processing tasks.
 Among these tasks are welding, various forms of cutting, and laser
transformation hardening.
 Laser technology is used in both welding and cutting.
Principles and Theory of Operation
 In laser beam welding, the heat obtained from the concentrated
beam of light is impinged on the joint and produces a fusion weld.
The two types of lasers predominantly used for industrial welding,
cutting, and other material processing applications are the 1.06
µm (41.7 µin.) wavelength Nd:YAG laser, which uses the
neodymium (Nd) ion as the active element, and the 10.6 µm (417
µin.) wavelength CO2 laser, which uses the CO2 molecule as the
active element.
Principles and Theory of Operation
 Several types of equipment, such as electrically pumped, pulsed,
and continuous-wave gas lasers use alternating current (ac), direct
current (dc), or radio frequency (rf) as the means of excitation.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers with beam power outputs of up to 12
kW also are in general use. Although no longer commercially
produced, lasers with power levels up to 45 kW are still in use for a
wide variety of industrial material processing tasks. These high-
power lasers are capable of making single-pass welds with
complete joint penetration in steel up to 15 mm (0.6 in.) thick and
cuts in materials up to 25 mm (1 in.) in thickness.
Principles and Theory of Operation
 The laser beam is directed to the workpiece by flat optical
elements, such as mirrors, and then focused onto a small spot,
which creates high power density at the weld joint or cut location
using either reflective focusing elements or lenses. Although the
bulk laser power is important, it is predominantly the beam power
density, or the amount of power per unit area, that governs the
interactive mechanisms between the beam and workpiece.
Laser beam welding and cutting are non-contact processes; no
part of the apparatus is in contact with the workpiece surface. An
inert gas generally is employed to shield the weld pool to prevent
oxidation and to provide control of the plasma plume that is
generated.
Types of Laser Beam Systems
Laser beam welding systems include:
1. Solid-state lasers.
2. Direct-diode lasers.
3. Fiber lasers.
4. Gas lasers.

Solid-state Nd:YAG lasers and gas CO2 lasers are the most
widely used in industry.
Typical CO2 mixture composed of 80% He, 15% N2 and
5%CO2.
LBW Techniques
The four commonly used techniques of laser beam welding are:
1. Conduction-mode.
2. Deep-penetration (keyhole).
3. Shallow-penetration.
4. Pulsed laser beams used in thin-section welding.
Advantages of LBW
1. Welds can be made inside transparent glass or plastic housing.
2. A wide variety of materials can be welded, including some of what
are considered unweldable combinations.
3. As no electrode is used, electrode contamination or high electric
current effects are eliminated.
4. Areas not readily accessible can also be welded.
5. It permits welding small, closely spaced components with welds as
small as a few microns in diameter.
6. Surface contaminants such as oxides and organic materials make
little, if any, difference in the quality of the weld.
7. Unlike LBW it operates in air, no vacuum is required.
Advantages of LBW
8. Being highly concentrated and narrowly defined produces narrow
size of HAZ.
9. Laser beam’s concentrated energy can be precisely controlled.
Laser light is not only intense, it can also be readily focused without
loss of intensity. It can be focused to microscopic dimensions.
10. Because of its excellent control of heat input, the laser can fuse
metal next to glass or even weld near varnished coated wires.
11. It is possible to weld heat-treated alloys without affecting their
heat-treated conditions.
12. No mechanical contact with the job is required; moreover, the
material being welded need not be a conductor of electricity.
Disadvantages of LBW
1. Relatively slow welding speed (25 to 250 mm/min) resulting from the pulse
rates and puddle sizes at the fusion point.
2. LBW is limited to depths of approximately 19 mm and additional energy tends
to create gas voids and undercuts in the work.
3. Materials such as magnesium tend to vaporize and produce severe surface
voids.
4. The high reflectivity and high thermal conductivity of some metals, such as
aluminum and copper alloys, may adversely affect weldability with the laser.
5. As a consequence of the rapid solidification characteristic of laser beam
welds, some weld porosity and brittleness can be expected in many common
engineering alloys.
6. Laser equipment and fixturing costs may be high.
Applications of LBW
1. Laser is a high energy light beam that can both weld and cut the metals.
2. For connecting leads on small electronic components and in integrated circuitry in the
electronic industry.
3. To weld lead wires having polyurethane insulation without removing the insulation.
The laser evaporate the insulation and complete weld.
4. To join hard high melting point metal alloys.
5. In space and aircraft industry for welding light gauge materials.
6. It can join dissimilar metals and other difficult to weld metals such as copper, nickel,
aluminium, stainless steel. Tungsten, zirconium, tantalum, Kovar etc.
7. It can weld wire-to-wire, sheet-to-sheet, wire-to-sheet, tube-to-sheet and small
diameter stud welds.
8. Laser beam is used for microwelding purposes. It is practically suitable for welding of
miniaturized and microminiaturized components.
Safety in LBW
The laser welding machine should be designed to prevent
exposure of the operator's eyes to the direct or reflected
laser beam.

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