Effect of process parameters on surface formation in laser welding of Al2O3 ceramic

Abstract

The attainment of formability in ceramic welding presents an imposing quandary within the realm of the manufacturing industry. In this article, the laser welding of Al2O3 ceramics was carried out to compare and analyze the influence of laser power, welding speed, laser duty cycle, and other process parameters on the macroscopic morphology of the weld, weld cracking rate, and welded joint properties. The results show that Al2O3 ceramic welds have a greater tendency to cracking and that the laser power should be matched to the appropriate welding speed. When heat input increases, the weld cracking rate decreases and then increases. Ceramic welded joints with a weld cracking rate of less than 30 % and a bending strength of more than 4 MPa can be obtained when the heat input range is 17–20.5 J/mm for continuous laser welding or 20.5–24 J/mm for pulsed laser welding. In addition, under high heat input conditions, pulsed laser welding reduces the tendency for weld cracking compared to continuous laser.