Effect of filler wire properties on porosity formation in laser welding of AC-170PX aluminium alloy for lightweight automotive component manufacture

Abstract

AC-170PX (AA6014) alloys are typically used in lightweight automobile vehicles. Laser welding can be a viable tool for the assembly of components. However, porosity is often generated during aluminium welding. In this article, an investigation is reported on the characteristics of porosity formation in high-power disc laser welding of AC-170PX aluminium alloy sheets in two weld joint configurations: fillet edge and flange couch with three different filler wires of 4xxx, 3xxx and 5xxx aluminium series for each joint. Porosity, microstructures, tensile strengths and joint geometry were investigated. It has been found that the use of filler wires with higher Mg and Mn content such as AA5083 and AA3004 leads to a significant reduction in porosity to less than 1.5% in both types of joints compared with up to 80% porosity with the silicon-rich AA4043 wire. The mechanism that led to this improvement is discussed.

Development of laser welding of high strength aluminium alloy 2024-T4 with controlled thermal cycle

“…In accordance with results from literature (Sánchez-Amaya et al, 2012;Alshaer, Li and Mistry, 2017;Niu et al, 2017;Ahn et al, 2018) about aluminium welding, previous studies generally focus on problems which occur in fusion zone (FZ), and research to date has not yet determined how the coarsening of precipitates can be inhibited in the over-aged zone, i.e. heat-affected zone (HAZ).…”

Aluminum Alloy Welding in Automotive Industry

“…The most important structural components of the vehicle are made predominantly from aluminum and very often these are welded structures [4][5]. On the car body, alloys from the 5xxx and 6xxx groups are more and more often used; however, welding problems occur [6][7].…”

“…On the car body, alloys from the 5xxx and 6xxx groups are more and more often used; however, welding problems occur [6][7]. Usually, it is proposed to weld these alloys TIG and MIG process, and the best parameters and ways of welding these alloys are still being sought [5][6][7][8].…”

Effect of Laser Welding Process Parameters and Filler Metals on the Weldability and the Mechanical Properties of AA7020 Aluminium Alloy

“…Owing to their low density and good mechanical properties, aluminium alloys are increasingly being employed in many important manufacturing areas, such as the automobile industries, aeronautics and the military [4][5][6]. Friction-stir welding (FSW) and laser beam welding (LBW) are noteworthy for their present use in commercial aircraft manufacturing [7][8][9][10][11]. LBW has accounted for a 5% reduction in the weight of Airbus A300 series structures and has also been employed to join some parts of the fuselage [4].…”