EU194 in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This paper describes some of the results obtained in the United Kingdom within the Eureka Eurolaser Project EU194 — Industrial Applications of High-Power CO2 Lasers. Areas selected include laser welding of aluminium alloys, in particular with respect to the tensile and formability properties of the welds produced; a new technique, involving laser beam spinning, is described for thick section cutting of mild steel using only modest laser power; a comparison of thermal cutting processes is presented in terms of the kerf widths, speed, squareness, roughness and size of heat affected zone produced; a mathematical model for the welding of thin sheet material is described. along with the results of experimental verification of the predictive capabilities of the model; and finally, laser welding of tailored blanks for application in the automotive industry is described, with examples of two particular areas where this technology might be used to advantage.