Product Code: ICA10_1202

Distortion Effects in Micro Welding with Fibre Laser
Authors:
Claus Thomy, BIAS - Bremer Institut fűr angewandte Strahltechnik GmbH; Bremen Germany
Felix Möller, BIAS - Bremer Institut für angewandte Strahltechnik GmbH; Bremen Germany
Frank Vollertsen, BIAS - Bremer Institut für angewandte Strahltechnik GmbH; Bremen Germany
Presented at ICALEO 2010

While effects associated with distortion are already understood quite well in keyhole laser welding in the macro range, this is not yet the case for keyhole welding in the micro range. Especially, results from the macro range can not be transferred easily to the micro range, as scaling down complex welded functional components to the micro range may imply significant scaling effects.
To investigate such scaling effects associated with distortion in the micro range, bead-on-plate keyhole welding experiments were carried out on thin aluminium and stainless steel foils (thickness 10 .. 100 µm) using a single mode fibre laser. To quantify distortion, all specimens were measured before, during and after welding using a laser triangulation system. On the basis of a systematic variation of the experimental parameters material, material thickness, and heat input (by varying laser power and welding speed), relevant distortion effects were identified, and their scaling was investigated. In special, it was shown that scaling down sheet thickness, buckling distortion will become more relevant.
The experimental results shall contribute to an increased understanding of distortion in the micro range, aiming at increasing the precision of laser keyhole welded parts and structures.