Laser welding characteristics with high power combining beam

Abstract

We have developed the high power laser beam combining system of a 6 kW Nd:YAG laser and a 10 kW Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser (COIL). This study presents a thick plate welding with the combined beam. The wavelengths of Nd:YAG laser and COIL are 1.06 µm and 1.32 µm respectively, hence their beams can be combined by a dichroic mirror. The average power of the combined beam was over 16 kW. Welding tests of stainless steel type 304 were carried out.The Nd:YAG laser has a function of pulse modulation. As a result of the welding test with Nd:YAG laser, it was clarified that the PW(pulsed wave) beam has good efficiency of deeper penetration compared with CW(continuous wave) beam at low welding speed. A full penetration with a thickness of 20mm was achieved using the PW Nd:YAG laser beam at a welding speed of 0.2 m/min. Moreover, using the combined beam of PW Nd: YAG laser and CW COIL, the full(20mm-thickness) penetration on a stainless steel was achieved with a high aspect ratio at high welding speed.We have developed the high power laser beam combining system of a 6 kW Nd:YAG laser and a 10 kW Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser (COIL). This study presents a thick plate welding with the combined beam. The wavelengths of Nd:YAG laser and COIL are 1.06 µm and 1.32 µm respectively, hence their beams can be combined by a dichroic mirror. The average power of the combined beam was over 16 kW. Welding tests of stainless steel type 304 were carried out.The Nd:YAG laser has a function of pulse modulation. As a result of the welding test with Nd:YAG laser, it was clarified that the PW(pulsed wave) beam has good efficiency of deeper penetration compared with CW(continuous wave) beam at low welding speed. A full penetration with a thickness of 20mm was achieved using the PW Nd:YAG laser beam at a welding speed of 0.2 m/min. Moreover, using the combined beam of PW Nd: YAG laser and CW COIL, the full(20mm-thickness) penetration on a stainless steel was achieved with a high aspect ratio at high welding speed.