Laser and arc manufacturing processes: A review

Abstract

Manufacturing can be defined as the transformation of raw materials into desired products by various processes, such as machining, welding and coating. Today, laser and arc heat sources are largely used as the means for processing raw materials. The laser is one of the most widely used non-contact thermal energy sources in various processes, and the development of laser processes and devices for effective manufacturing is still ongoing. Arc heat sources are widely used in welding and coating processes. In particular, the types of welding processes using arc heat sources are very different depending on the materials used and the purpose of welding. In this paper, individual processes using laser and arc heat that have been reported over the past five years are reviewed, including machining, welding, sintering and coating. Then, hybrid processes that use laser and arc heat sources together are also reviewed. The final part of this review provides a summary and discusses future trends for individual and hybrid processes using laser and arc heat sources.