LASER BEAM WELDING

WHAT IS LASER BEAM?

The term laser is an acronym for Light

Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation.
A laser beam is a powerful, narrow,
monochromatic and directional beam of
electromagnetic radiation.
Often, these beams are within the visible
spectrum of light.
A laser device excites the atoms in a losing
medium. The electrons of these atoms move to
a higher orbit, then release photons, creating a
laser beam.
 Properties of Laser Beam

A LASER beam is highly intense in nature.

LASER beam is having strictly monochromatic.
LASER light is highly powerful and capable of
propagating over long distance & are not easily
absorbed by water.
LASER beam is also said to be highly directional.
This beam is coherent with the wave train in phase
with each other.
 Types of laser Beam

Types of lasers include gas, liquid and solid.

1. Gas lasers excite the electrons in gases, such as
helium, neon, cadmium, carbon dioxide and
nitrogen.
2. Liquid lasers include the dye laser, which uses
organic dye molecules in liquid form to produce a
wavelength of radiation that can be tuned.
3. Solid lasers include the ruby laser, which uses a
precious stone to produce a beam of red light.
 Laser beam welding process

In general cases heat is required to fuse the metals

for any types of welding, in laser beam welding
process the heat is obtained from the application of a
concentrated coherent light beam which striking
upon the weld metal and melt the metal, such this
weld joint is obtained, this welding process is called
laser welding.
 Principle of LBW

A laser beam is produced inside of the Ruby

Crystal. The Ruby Crystal is made of aluminium
oxide with chromium dispersed throughout it.
Which is forming about 1/2000 of crystal, this less
than natural ruby. Silver coated mirrors are fitted
internally in the both side of crystal. The one side
of mirror has a tiny hole, a beam is come out
through this hole.
A flash tube is placed around the Ruby Crystal,
which is filled with xenon inert gas. The flash is
specially designed such as which is made flash rate
about thousands flashes per seconds.
 The electrical energy is converted into light energy,
this is worked by flash tube.
The capacitor is provided for storage the electrical
energy and supply the high voltage to flash tube for
performed appropriately.
The electrical energy discharged from capacitor
and xenon transform the high energy into white
flash light rate of 1/1000 per second.
 The chromium atoms of Ruby Crystal are excited
and pumped into high energy. Due to heat
generating the some of this energy is lost. But some
light energy reflected mirror to mirror and again
chromium atoms are excited until loss their extra
energy simultaneously to form a narrow beam of
coherent light. Which is come out through the one
end tiny hole of crystals mirror.
This narrow beam is focused by a optical focusing
lens to produce a small intense of laser on the job.
 MECHANICS OF LBW

Laser beam welding (LBW) is a welding process

which produces coalescence of materials with the
heat obtained from the application of a concentrate
coherent light beam impinging upon the surfaces to
be joined.
It is achieved through following phases:
1. Interaction of laser beam with work material.
2. Heat conduction and temperature rise.
3. Melting vaporization and joining : When using
the laser beam for welding, the electromagnetic
radiation impinges on the surface of the base
metal with such a concentration of energy that
the temperature of the surface is melted vapor
and melts the metal below.
 Parameters of LBW

1. Medium Normal atmosphere

2. Tool High power laser beam
3. Critical parameters Beam intensity ,beam dia,
melting temperature.
4. Materials application All material
 LBW Process Advantages:

Works with high alloy metals without difficulty

Can be used in open air
Can be transmitted over long distances with a
minimal loss of power
Narrow heat affected zone
Low total thermal input
Welds dissimilar metals
No filler metals necessary
 Advantages contd..

No secondary finishing necessary

Extremely accurate
Produces deep and narrow welds
Low distortion in welds
High quality welds
Can weld small, thin components
No contact with materials
 LIMITATIONS

Rapid cooling rate may cause cracking in some

metals
High capital cost for equipment
Optical surfaces of the laser are easily damaged
High maintenance costs
The maximum joint thickness that can be welded
by laser beam is somewhat limited. Thus weld
penetrations of larger than 19 mms are difficult to
weld.
 ELECTRON BEAM WELDING

Electron Beam Welding is a welding process

utilizing a heat generated by a beam of high
energy electrons.
The electrons strike the work piece and their kinetic
energy converts into thermal energy heating the
metal so that the edges of work piece are fused and
joined together forming a weld after Solidification.
 Working Principle

The electrons are emitted by a cathode (electron

gun).
Due to a high voltage (about 150 kV) applied
between the cathode and the anode the electrons are
accelerated up to 30% - 60% of the speed of light.
Kinetic energy of the electrons becomes sufficient for
melting the targeted weld. Some of the electrons
energy transforms into X-ray irradiation.
Electrons accelerated by electric field are then
focused into a thin beam in the focusing coil.
Deflection coil moves the electron beam along the
weld.
 Electron Beam is capable to weld work pieces with
thickness from 0.0004 (0.01 mm) up to 6 (150 mm) of
steel and up to 20 (500 mm) of aluminum.

Electron Beam Welding may be used for joining any

metals including metals, which are hardly weldable by
other welding methods: refractory metals (tungsten,
molybdenum, niobium) and chemically active metals
(titanium, zirconium, beryllium).

Electron Beam Welding is also able to join dissimilar

metals.
 Vacuum chamber

The process is carried out in a vacuum chamber at a

pressure of about 2*10-7 to 2*10-6 psi (0.00013 to
0.0013 Pa).

Such high vacuum is required in order to prevent

loss of the electrons energy in collisions with air
molecules
 Advantages of Electron Beam Welding (EBW):
Tight continuous weld;

Low distortion;

Narrow weld and narrow heat affected zone;

Filler metal is not required.

Disadvantages of Electron Beam Welding (EBW):

Expensive equipment;

High production expenses;

X-ray irradiation.