,

MICRO FORMING & WELDING

Presented by
S.SARAVANAN,
AP & HOD / Mechanical Engg.,
MICRO EXTRUSION
 MICRO LASER WELDING

Light Amplification by Laser Components

Stimulated Emission of Lasing Medium:
Radiation Provides appropriate transition and
Determines the wavelength (it must be in a
metastable state)
Pump:
Provides energy necessary for population
inversion
Optical Cavity:
Provides opportunity for amplification and
Produces a directional beam (with defined
length and transparency)
Properties of Laser
Coherent (synchronized phase
of light)
Collimated (parallel nature of
the beam)
Monochromatic (single
wavelength)
High intensity (~1014W/m2)
Facts About Laser:
Laser Basics

Light Amplification by
Stimulated Emission of
Radiation
 Facts About Laser:
Laser Quality and Its Effect

Beam Quality Effects of Beam Quality

 A measure of Lasers’ capability to be
☺ propagated with low divergence and
☺ focused to a small spot by a lens or
mirror
 Beam Quality is measured by M2 or BPP (Beam
Product Parameter, mm.mrad)
 Ratio of divergence of actual beam to a
theoretical diffraction limited beam with
same waist diameter
 M2= 1; Ideal Gaussian Beam, perfectly
diffraction limited
 Value of M2 tends to increase with  Smaller focus at constant aperture and focal
increasing laser power length
 Longer working distance at constant aperture
A higher power density by a smaller spot size and spot diameter
with the same optics, or
 Smaller aperture (‘slim optics’) at constant
The same power density at lower laser power focal diameter and working distance
Facts About Laser:
Primary Adjustable Parameters and Their Effects
Primary Controllable Parameters Change in Pulse Duration
 Laser Beam Energy Output Characteristics
(i) Voltage (ii) Pulse Duration
 Laser Focus Characteristic
(iii) Laser Beam Diameter Increased pulse duration results in
deeper and wider melting
Change in Voltage
Change in Voltage and Pulse
Duration

Increased voltage results in deeper

physical penetration with less melting
due to physical pressure
Change in Beam Diameter
Simultanous increase in voltage and
pulse duration results in deeper melting
Increased beam diameter results in
shallow soft penetration and wide, but
soft melting
Facts about lasers for welding
Laser Characteristics, Quality and Application

 Typical commercial lasers for welding CO2 Laser: M2 values [CW]

1. CO2 Laser
2. Nd3+:YAG Lasers Output power (W) M2
 Lamp-pumped <500 1.1-1.2
 LD-pumped 800-1000 1.2-2
3. Disk Laser 1000-2500 1.2-3
4. Diode Laser 5000 2-5
5. Fiber Laser 10,000 10

CO2 Laser: Characteristics

Wavelength 10.6 µm; far-infrared ray
Laser Media CO2–N2–He mixed gas (gas)
Average 45 kW (maximum)
Power (CW) (Normal) 500 W – 10 kW
Merits Easier high power (efficiency: 10–
20%)
Facts about lasers for Welding: YAG Laser
Laser Characteristics, Quality and Application
Lamp-pumped YAG Laser: Characteristics
Wavelength 1.06 µm; near-infrared ray
Laser Media Nd3+: Y3Al5O12 garnet (solid)
YAG Laser:10
Average M2kW
values [CWtype
(cascade & & fiber-
PW] YAG Laser Application: Automobile
Power [CW] coupling) Industries
Output power(Normal) 50MW–4
2
kW
(W)
Lamp- 3 to 4.5 kW class; SI fiber
Merits Fiber-delivery, and easier pumped delivered (Mori, 2003)
0-20 1.1-5
handling (efficiency: 1–4%) LD-pumped 2.5 to 6 kW
20-50 20-50
New Rod-type: 8 and 10 kW; Laboratory
50-150 50-75 LD-pumped YAG Laser: Characteristics
Development Prototype
150-500 75-150 (Bachmann
Wavelength about
Slab-type: 1 µm;
6 kW; near-infrared
Developed by ray
500-4000 75-150 2004) Precision Laser Machining
Laser Media Nd PLM
3+
Consortium, : Y3Al5O12 garnet (solid)
Average [CW] : 13.5 kW (fiber-coupling
Power max.)
[PW] : 6 kW (slab type max.)
Merits Fiber-delivery, high brightness,
and high efficiency (10–20%)
Facts about lasers for welding: Disk Laser
Laser Characteristics, Quality and Application
Disk Laser: Characteristics
Wavelength 1.03 µm; near-infrared ray
Laser Media Yb3+ : YAG or YVO4 (solid)
Average 6 kW (cascade type max.)
Power [CW]
Merits Fiber-delivery, high
brightness, high
efficiency(10–15%)

Recent Development (Mann 2004; and

Morris 2004):
 Commercially available disk laser
system: 1 and 4 kW class
 Beam delivery with 150 and 200 µm
diameter fiber
 Even a 1 kW class laser is able to
produce
a deep keyhole-type weld bead
extremely narrow width
in stainless steel and aluminum alloy
Facts about lasers for welding: Fiber Laser
Laser Characteristics, Quality and Application
Fiber Laser: Characteristics
Wavelength 1.07 µm; near-infrared ray
Laser Yb3+ : SiO2 (solid), etc.
Media
Average 20 kW (fiber-coupling max.)
Power [CW]
Merits Fiber-delivery, high
brightness, high
efficiency(10–25%)

Recent Development (Thomy et.al. 2004; and

Ueda 2001):
 Fiber lasers of 10kW or more are
commercially available
 Fiber lasers of 100kW and more are
scheduled
 Fiber laser at 6.9kW is able to provide
deeply penetrated weld at high speed
 Fiber laser is able to replace high quality
(slab) CO2 laser for remote or scanning
welding
Facts about lasers for welding
Comparison of different laser systems

Correlation of Beam Quality to Laser Power

(Katayama 2001; O’Neil et. al. 2004; Shiner 2004;
Lossen 2003):
 Overlaid with condition regimes
 Beam quality of a laser worsens with an
increase in power
 LD-pumped YAG, thin disk, CO2 and fiber
lasers can provide high-quality beams
 The development of higher power CO2 or YAG
lasers is fairly static and, hence
Main focus on development: i.
high-power diode, ii. LD-pumped YAG, iii.
disk and/or iv. fiber lasers
Facts about lasers for welding
Wavelengths of some important laser sources for materials processing

CO2 Laser

Expanded portion of the electromagnetic spectrum showing the

wavelengths at which several important lasers operate
Why do we need laser for welding?
Traditional welding:
 Natural limitations to speed and
productivity
 Thicker sections need multi-pass
welds
 A large heat input
 Results in large and unpredictable
distortions
 Very difficult to robotize
Laser beam welding:
 High energy density input process
 single pass weld penetration up to ¾
inch
 High aspect ratio
 High scanning speeds
 Precisely controllable (close
tolerence: ± 0.002 in.)
 Low heat input produces low
distortion
 Does not require a vacuum (welds at
atmospheric pressure)
 No X-rays generated and no beam
wander in magnetic field.
 No filler metal required (autogenous
weld and no flux cleaning)
 Relatively easy to automate
 Materials need not be conductive
Lasers Beam Welding:
Types of LBW

Conduction Welding

Description
 Heating the workpiece above the melting temperature
without vaporizing
 Heat is transferred into the material by thermal
conduction.

Characteristics
 Low welding depth
 Small aspect ratio (depth to width ratio is around
unity)
 Low coupling efficiency
 Very smooth, highly aesthetic weld bead

Applications
Laser welding of thin work pieces like foils, wires, thin
tubes, enclosures, etc.
Lasers Beam Welding:
Types of LBW

Keyhole Welding

Description
 Heating of the workpiece above the vaporization
temperature and forming of a keyhole
 Laser beam energy is transferred deep into the
material via a cavity filled with metal vapor
 Hole becomes stable due to the pressure from vapor
generated

Characteristics
 High welding depth
 High aspect ratio (depth to width
ratio can be 10:1)
 High coupling efficiency
Lasers Beam Welding:
Laser welding unit

Schematic Beam
Diagram Delivery
unit
Beam Delivery Unit

Laser

Processing
Optics

Workpiece Positioning Unit

Lasers Beam Welding:
photographic view of laser welding unit

Specimen
Holder

Shielding Gas
Nozzle Specimen

Laser
Head
Lasers Beam Welding: Fuel Injector Perspective
XL2 injector: VB-VS Welding Configuration and Power Profile

Segment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Joint overlap at full

power to ensure
Time [ms] 0 20 200 20 200 50 0 hermetic enclosure
of joint
Power [W] 0 870 870 200 200 0 0
Post heating to
remove micro cracks
from joint surface

power
Power profile vs angle
Turn
1000 3,5
3
800
2,5
Power [W]
600 2

400 1,5
1
200
0,5
0 0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

Angle [°]

Valve Body-Valve Seat

Welding Configuration
A Case Study

LASER BEAM WELDING OF MARTENSITIC

STAINLESS STEELS IN A CONSTRAINED
OVERLAP JOINT CONFIGURATION
Experimental Procedure and Conditions
Experimental Design Design matrix with actual Independent process variables
Process Sym Levels of Each Factor Actual levels
Factors bols Std Run
1 2 3 Laser Welding Fiber
Order Order
Power, Speed, WS Diameter,
Laser power LP 800 950 1100 LP (W) (m/min) FD (µm)
(W)
1 14 800 4.50 300
Welding speed WS 4.5 6.0 7.5
2 7 950 4.50 300
(m/min)
3 2 1100 4.50 300
Fiber Diameter FD 300 - 400
(µm) 4 16 800 6.00 300

Constant Factors 5 12 950 6.00 300

6 3 1100 6.00 300
Base material Outer Shell AISI 416
Inner Shell AISI 440 FSe 7 4 800 7.50 300
Laser source Nd:YAG Laser 8 8 950 7.50 300

Angle of 900 (onto the surface) 9 6 1100 7.50 300

Incidence 10 18 800 4.50 400
(deg)
11 10 950 4.50 400
Shielding gas Type Argon
12 9 1100 4.50 400
Flow rate 29 l/min
13 15 800 6.00 400
Response Factors
14 13 950 6.00 400
Weld bead Weld Zone (WZ) Width (W), Weld
characteristics Resistance Length (S), and Weld 15 17 1100 6.00 400
Penetration Depth (P) 16 11 800 7.50 400
Mechanical Weld Shearing Force (F) 17 5 950 7.50 400
properties
18 1 1100 7.50 400
Experimental Procedure and Conditions:
Mechanical Characterization: Weld X-Section Experimental Measured Responses
Response Values
Std
Weld Penetration Resistance Shearing
Order
Width, Depth, P Width, S Force, F (N)
W (µm) (µm) (µm)
1 490 960 440 5910
2 490 1290 480 6022
3 580 1610 500 6775
4 530 710 370 6233
5 520 950 470 6129
6 510 1180 450 6355
7 530 560 210 2999
8 590 730 390 5886
9 590 880 510 6861
10 572 790 529 5722
11 612 1043 586 5809
12 638 1307 613 6730
Characterization of welding cross-section (W: Weld width, 13 622 577 266 4457
P: Weld penetration depth, S: Weld resistance length)
14 699 727 481 6154
15 771 920 588 5942
16 600 492 33 1897
17 721 580 273 2602
18 732 749 442 5044
Experimental Procedure and Conditions:
Mechanical Characterization: Shearing Test

Punch

Expeller
Specimen
Holder
Specimen

(b)

Photographic views of the experimental set-up for shearing test

Results and Discussion:
Weld profile Aspect

Curvature of the keyhole profile is

closely related to welding speed.
The higher the welding speed
the larger the curvature of the
keyhole.

 Keyhole is nearly cone-shaped

 Its vertex angle decreases as
the keyhole depth increases
Shape of the keyhole
changes from conical to
cylindrical