Laser welding with activating flux

The effect on laser welding of activating flux, originally developed to improve penetration depth for tungsten inert gas welding, was investigated. Both mild and stainless steels were tested. Results show that weld penetration capability relates closely to the laser power level and welding speed of the process. Significant improvement in penetration was only observed when laser welding was performed in the conduction mode (i.e. weld aspect ratio <1). For the range of parameters studied, the best penetration capability improvements achievable for mild steel, type 304 stainless steel, and duplex stainless steel were found to be 41, 53, and 63% respectively. These data are of use in the selection of parameters for laser welding with activating flux.