Review on experimental study of Nd:YAG laser beam welding, with a focus on aluminium metal matrix composites

Abstract

The demand for high performance materials particularly in aviation and automobile industries gradually increases, CO 2 and Nd: YAG lasers are becoming most popular in processing these advanced materials. In this context, one of the most important process is joining by welding. It has been a constant endeavour by researchers to explore various methods and techniques to enhance the process efficiency of autogenous Nd: YAG laser welding of various materials i.e. without any filler materials. In this work, we present a comprehensive review of major research findings for the last decades or so, obtained by researchers about the effect of process parameters on autogenous laser beam welding (LBW) process performance. Main objective of such experimental research was to improve laser weld quality such as tensile strength, weld micro structure, heat affected zone (HAZ), weld penetration etc. In this paper, discussions are also made about different parameter optimisation techniques, design of experiments (DOE), modelling and simulation techniques, adopted by different researchers to achieve optimum weld quality. This review tries to bring out a foresight for direction of further research needed in this field.

Multi-criteria optimization of weld bead in pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding of stainless steel 316

“…That is, Taguchi considers experimental design as a means for reducing the sources of variation on process or product quality characteristics. 33 Taguchi method employs the orthogonal arrays to study a large number of variables by conducting a small number of experiments. The conclusion results extracted from small-scale experiments are reliable over the entire experimental region.…”

“…Taguchi's orthogonal array is simple to use because it presents the experimental design in a table and the results are given in the form of linear graphs. 33 Taguchi proposed the concept of signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios to be used as measures of the effect of noise factors on target characteristics. In this work, the weld width has been considered as smallerthe-better type, whereas the weld penetration is of the higher-the-better type.…”

Regeneration of Aluminum Matrix Composite Reinforced by SiCp and GCsf Using Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Technology

“…Moreover, the authors showed that increasing the SiC content from 0 to 20% caused a decrease in the reflection of the laser beam and an increase in melt viscosity. This was potentially caused by an increasing amount of Al 4 C 3 compound [ 28 ].…”

Influence of Welding Process on Microstructure and Properties of Laser Welding of SiCp/6061 Al Matrix Composite

“…As a result, the obtained SiCp/AMCs joints may have a poor appearance, severe segregation of SiC particles, and degradation of mechanical performance. Laser welding was recognized as a more ideal substitution over other traditional welding method due to its higher energy density, larger productivity and narrower heat affected zone (Chao et al, 2013;Banerjee et al, 2016). Extensive efforts have been devoted to explore the appropriate processes in order to obtain a laser welded SiCp/AMCs joints with satisfactory weld formation.…”