Effect of heat input in deep penetration laser welding of carbon steel

Abstract

In autogeneous high-power laser welding, a given depth of weld penetration may be achieved by a number of different weld parameter combinations. Often in laser welding applications any one of these sets of parameters is arbitrarily selected with little attempt to determine whether that particular set represents an optimum set of parameters. In this investigation, the effect of heat input on the weld bead profile, integrity, and microstructure is studied. In particular, it was desired to determine whether heat input was a significant parameter in the determination of optimum laser welding parameters.