High-power laser beam welding for thick section steels - new perspectives using electromagnetic systems

In recent years, it was shown that the introduction of additional oscillating and permanent magnetic fields to laser beam and laser-arc hybrid welding can bring several beneficial effects. Examples are a contactless weld pool support for metals of high thickness suffering from severe drop-out when being welded conventionally or an enhanced stirring to improve the mixing of added filler material in the depth of the weld pool to guarantee homogeneous resulting mechanical properties of the weld. The latest research results show the applicability to various metal types over a wide range of thicknesses and welding conditions. The observations made were demonstrated in numerous experimental studies and a deep understanding of the interaction of the underlying physical mechanisms was extracted from numerical calculations.

Automated summary

The addition of oscillating and permanent magnetic fields to laser beam and laser-arc hybrid welding can bring beneficial effects, such as supporting weld pool contactlessly for thick metals and enhancing mixing of filler material for homogeneous mechanical properties. Recent research studies have demonstrated the applicability of this technique to various metal types, thicknesses, and welding conditions. The observations were backed by experimental studies and a deep understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms was obtained through numerical calculations.