AILU Workshop – High Power and Hybrid Laser Welding

Introduction

Chair: Wojciech Suder (Cranfield University)

High power laser welding together with beam shaping has transformed the quality, speed and gap tolerance of joining thick materials. In addition, sometimes the hybrid laser-arc welding process (HLAW) is used to make single pass welds

 with simultaneous laser beam welding and a MIG welding arc (GMAW) to achieve a combination of deep penetration, low heat input and perfect side wall fusion. This can allow alloy welding wires to be used, and deliver much higher throughput than multi-pass multi-layer arc welding. It also minimises distortion.

In parallel with hybrid arc welding, beam shaping is being used to improve the quality of welding, especially in reflective materials like aluminium and copper which are often used in e-mobility applications, for reasons of their high conductivity.

Other research into hybrid ultrasonic and laser welding is showing some benefits in the minimisation of inter-metallics and improvements in weld speed.

With greater laser power, comes the need for greater laser safety considerations. The challenge to build in laser safety when the raw laser beam is above 10 kW is something that the industry is only now starting to get to grips with.

This workshop is aimed at sharing the latest results from researchers and manufacturers in the field of laser welding in the multi-kW regime. As price per watt continues to fall and wall-plug efficiency improves, the inherent viability of laser welding and the ease with which it can be automated makes it more and more the process of choice.

A range of speakers will present and exhibitors offering products to this market will be on hand to share information about their capabilities.  Cranfield University is situated conveniently close to the M1 and on the outskirts of Milton Keynes.

Programme

09:30 – 10:00  Registration & Refreshments

10:00 – 10:10  Introduction & Welcome
Wojciech Suder, Cranfield University

10:10 – 10:30  Novel Hybrid Laser Welding 
David Rico Sierra, Cranfield University

10:30 – 10:50 High-Power Laser Welding: A Comparative Study involving Cu and Al
Raga Meenakshisundaram, AMRC North West

10:50 – 11:10 Laser Beam Welding of Thick-Walled Components – Technologies, Challenges & Potential
Benjamin Kessler, Fraunhofer IWS

11:10 – 11:40 Break

11:40 – 12:00  Critical Factors When Customising Cored Wires for Laser Welding
Leonor Neto, Welding Alloys

12:00 – 12:20 Safety Enclosures for High Power Lasers
David Samuel, Kyrus Automation

12:20 – 12:40 Predicting and Improving Hairpin Weld Quality with a Process Simulation
Marcin Serdeczny, Flow Science       

12:40 – 13:40  Lunch

13:40 – 14:00  High Power Laser Welding and Hybrid Welding in Structural Steel
Berthold Kessler, IPG Photonics

14:00 – 14:20 Latest Developments in Laser in Vacuum Welding
Max Nentwich, Cambridge Vacuum Engineering

14:20 – 14:40  Beam Shaping for HLAW Welding of Thick Stainless-steel Plates with Multi-Plane Light Conversion
Pu Jian, Cailabs

14:40 – 15:00 Break

15.00 – 16.00 – Tour of the Welding & Additive Manufacturing Centre 

Venue

Vincent Building
Cranfield University
Cranfield
Bedfordshire
MK43 0AL

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