Modelling of deep penetration laser welding

Abstract

Deep penetration laser welding is one of the most important applications of high power lasers. Theoretical modelling of this process is of major importance, because it results in an improved understanding of the welding mechanism. Many phenomena contribute to deep penetration laser welding, as e.g. absorption of laser radiation either by gaseous particles or by surfaces, heating of the workpiece melting, evaporation, plasma formation and thermocapillary melt flows. During the last ten years a wealth of theoretical work has been devoted to these phenomena, mainly in the USA and UK and in the Federal Republic of Germany. In the present paper an overview has been given that accounts for these efforts, but demonstrates, that a self-consistent theory of deep penetration laser welding is unfortunatately still missing.Deep penetration laser welding is one of the most important applications of high power lasers. Theoretical modelling of this process is of major importance, because it results in an improved understanding of the welding mechanism. Many phenomena contribute to deep penetration laser welding, as e.g. absorption of laser radiation either by gaseous particles or by surfaces, heating of the workpiece melting, evaporation, plasma formation and thermocapillary melt flows. During the last ten years a wealth of theoretical work has been devoted to these phenomena, mainly in the USA and UK and in the Federal Republic of Germany. In the present paper an overview has been given that accounts for these efforts, but demonstrates, that a self-consistent theory of deep penetration laser welding is unfortunatately still missing.