Influences of synergy effect between laser and arc on laser-arc hybrid welding of aluminum alloys

Researchers generally believe that synergy effect between laser and arc enables laser-arc hybrid welding to acquire obvious advantages of efficiency and quality in welding aluminum alloys. However, influences of physical essence of the synergy effect on welding process were not clear. In this study, basic principle of the synergy effect and its influences on welding process were obtained by spectral analysis of hybrid plasma plume and high-speed photographic analysis of welding process. First, the principle of the synergy effect is that laser interacts with arc to render electron energy level to transition. This process emits more photons, which enhance the heat input to the weld materials. The synergy effect is quantified by spectral intensity. It increases with the laser power, and decreases with the arc current and laser-arc distance. It is proportional to the cross section of weld, especially the upper, and beneficial to improve the welding energy utilization. Secondly, the amount of spatter in laser-arc hybrid welding is significantly less than that of arc welding. The bigger weld pool, the downward melt flow, and the reduced droplet transfer force generated by the synergy effect make the transferring droplets more easily absorbed by the weld pool, which stabilizes the transfer process and reduces the generation of spatter. The research results are beneficial for understanding hybrid welding mechanism and optimizing the welding process.