TY - CONF A1 - Brunner-Schwer, Chr. A1 - Biegler, M. A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Investigation on laser cladding of rail steel without preheating N2 - The contact between train wheels and rail tracks is known to induce material degradation in the form of wear, and rolling contact fatigue in the railhead. Rails with a pearlitic microstructure have proven to provide the best wear resistance under severe wheel-rail interaction in heavy haul applications. High speed laser cladding, a state-of-the-art surface engineering technique, is a promising solution to repair damaged railheads. However, without appropriate preheating or processing strategies, the utilized steel grades lead to martensite formation and cracking during deposition welding. In this study, laser cladding of low-alloy steel at very high speeds was investigated, without preheating the railheads. Process speeds of up to 27 m/min and laser power of 2 kW are used. The clad, heat affected zone and base material are examined for cracks and martensite formation by hardness tests and metallographic inspections. A methodology for process optimization is presented and the specimens are characterized for suitability. Within the resulting narrow HAZ, the hardness could be significantly reduced. T2 - Lasers in Manufacturing Conference 2021 CY - Erlangen, Germany DA - 21.06.2021 KW - High speed laser cladding KW - Preheatin KW - Rail tracks KW - Pearlitic microstructure PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53974 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaurasia, Prashant Kumar A1 - Cagtay, Fabry A1 - Andreas, Pittner A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Automated in situ monitoring and analysis of process signatures and build profiles during wire arc directed energy deposition N2 - Wire arc directed energy deposition (DED-Arc) is an emerging metal additive manufacturing process to build near-net shaped metallic parts in a layer-by-layer with minimal material wastage. Automated in situ monitoring and fast-responsive analyses of process signatures and deposit profiles during DED-Arc are in ever demand to print dimensionally consistent parts and reduce post-deposition machining. A comprehensive experimental investigation is presented here involving real-time synchronous measurement of arc current, voltage, and the deposit profile using a novel multi-sensor monitoring framework integrated with the DED-Arc set-up. The recorded current–voltage transients are used to estimate the time-averaged arc power, and energy input in real time for an insight of the influence of wire feed rate and printing travel speed on the deposit characteristics. A unique attempt is made to represent the geometric profiles of the single-track deposits in a generalized mathematical form corresponding to a segmented ellipse, which has exhibited the minimum root-mean-square error of 0.03 mm. The dimensional inconsistency of multi-track deposits is evaluated quantitatively in terms of waviness using build profile monitoring and automated estimation, which is found to increase with an increase in step-over ratio and energy input. For the multi-track mild steel deposits, the suitable range of step-over ratio for the minimum surface waviness is observed to lie between 0.6 and 0.65. Collectively, the proposed framework of synchronized process monitoring and real-time analysis provides a pathway to achieve dimensionally consistent and defect-free parts, and highlights the potential for closed-loop control systems for a wider industrial application of DED-Arc. T2 - IIW Annual Assembly 2025 CY - Genova, Italy DA - 23.06.2025 KW - Additive Manufacturing KW - Arc welding KW - Real-time monitoring and control KW - Dimensional inconsistency KW - DED-arc PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65231 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Frei, J. A1 - Biegler, M. A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Resistance spot welding under external load for evaluation of LME susceptibility of zinc coated advanced high strength steel sheets N2 - Some zinc coated advanced high strength steels (AHSS), under certain manufacturing conditions, are known to be prone to liquid metal embrittlement (LME) during resistance spot welding. LME is an undesired phenomenon, which can cause both surface and internal cracks in a spot weld, potentially influencing its strength. An effort is made to understand influencing factors of LME better, and evaluate geometry-material combinations regarding their LME susceptibility. Manufacturers benefit from such knowledge because it improves the processing security of the materials. The experimental procedure of welding under external load is performed with samples of multiple AHSS classes with strengths up to 1200 MPa, including dual phase, complex phase and TRIP steels. This way, externally applied tensile load values are determined, which cause liquid metal embrittlement in the samples to occur. In the future, finite element simulation of this procedure gives access to in-situ stress and strain values present during LME formation. The visualization improves the process understanding, while a quantification of local stresses and strains allows an assessment of specific welded geometries. T2 - ESDAD 2019 CY - Dusseldorf, Germany DA - 24.06.2019 KW - RSW KW - LME KW - Advanced high strength steel KW - Testing method KW - Zinc coated steel PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49079 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gumenyuk, Andrey A1 - Üstündag, Ö. A1 - Fritzsche, André A1 - Avilov, V. A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - High power laser beam welding of thick materials using EM melt pool control N2 - Electromagnetic weld pool support system is illustrated successfully for hybrid laser arc welding of 20 -30 mm ferromagnetic Steels Welding of thick-walled steels in flat position and reduced welding velocities is possible Gap and misalignment between welded plates can be tolerated by use of this Technology Opportunity to reduce the laser beam power because of reduced welding velocity respectively increase of weldable material thickness with a 20 kW- fibre laser Mechanical properties of welds are in correspondence with requirements of Standards. T2 - SLT 2018 10. Stuttgarter Lasertage CY - Suttgart, Germany DA - 05.06.2018 KW - Hydrostatic and arc pressure exceed the Laplace pressure PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-45229 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Artinov, Antoni A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - A theoretical study of influence of electromagnetic stirring on transport phenomena in wire feed laser beam welding N2 - The additional element from the filler wire in the laser beam welding is usually distributed inhomogeneously in the final weld due to the high solidification rate of weld pool. It has been found that the electromagnetic stirring produced by an external oscillating magnetic field can enhance the material mixing in the weld pool to achieve a more uniform element distribution. However, the magnetic field has a highly non-linear and multi-coupled interaction with the weld pool behavior, which makes the quantitative explanation of the physical mechanism difficult. In this study, the effect of electromagnetic stirring on the transport phenomena in the wire feed laser beam welding is investigated by a numerical modelling. A 3D transient multi-physical model considering the magnetohydrodynamics, heat transfer, fluid flow, keyhole dynamics and element transport is developed. The multiple reflections and the Fresnel absorption of the laser on the keyhole wall are calculated using the ray tracing method. The numerical results show that a Lorentz force produced by the oscillating magnetic field and its induced eddy current gives significant influence on the transport phenomena in the molten pool. The forward and downward flow is enhanced by the electromagnetic stirring, which homogenizes the distribution of the additional elements from a nickel-based filler wire in a steel weld pool. The numerical results show a good agreement with the high-speed images of the molten pool, the fusion line from the optical micrograph and the element distribution from the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. This work provides a physical base for the electromagnetic-controlled laser beam welding and some guidance for the selection of electromagnetic parameters. T2 - ICALEO 2019 CY - Orlando, US DA - 07.10.2019 KW - Magnetohydrodynamics KW - Molten pool dynamics KW - Element transport KW - Laser beam welding PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49300 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Pittner, Andreas A1 - Fabry, Cagtay A1 - Thiele, Marc A1 - Artinov, Antoni A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Automated Arc Welding and Sensor Based Quality Assessment for Enhancing Fatigue Strength and Structural Reliability of Offshore Wind Turbine Supports N2 - Offshore wind energy plays a crucial role in achieving a carbon dioxide free industrial sector in the coming decades. However, foundation systems for offshore wind turbines significantly impact the overall installation process, posing technical and regulatory challenges. Adopting lightweight design principles in steel construction such as dissolved load bearing structures in jacket foundations offers substantial potential for reducing resource consumption, particularly steel usage. This presentation explores the complete digitalization of welding manufacturing and testing processes, enabling fully automated production and data driven quality assessment of tubular nodes, which are vital components of jacket foundations. The study also investigates the relationship between seam geometry and fatigue strength inspired by bionic design principles. The results demonstrate that tubular nodes can be welded entirely automatically, accommodating geometric tolerances, and that seam geometries ca n be precisely manufactured according to suggestions from e.g. numerical models or other sources . These advancements significantly enhance the fatigue strength and service life of offshore wind turbine support structures. T2 - IIW Annual Assembly 2025 CY - Genova, Italy DA - 23.06.2025 KW - Automated gas metal arc welding KW - Quality assessment and control KW - Support structures KW - Fatigue PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65232 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Pittner, Andreas A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Automated arc welding of support structures for offshore wind turbines N2 - Offshore wind energy plays an important role for the desired transition towards a carbon dioxide free industry within the next decades. However, the grounding of the offshore wind plants governs the overall installation process besides bureaucratic bottlenecks. The application of lightweight principles in steel construction, e.g. the usage dissolved load-bearing structures, so called Jackets foundations, offer great potential in reducing the resource consumption, especially with respect to the needed amount of steel. In this context this paper focuses on a fully digitalization of the welding manufacturing and as well as testing chain to enable a fully automated manufacturing as well as quality assessment of tubular nodes as key element of Jackets foundation structures. Furthermore, the relationship between the seam shape geometry and resulting fatigue strength is evaluated by numerical methods incorporating bionic principles. It is shown that tubular nodes can be welded fully automatically taking geometry tolerances into account. Moreover, the seam shape could be manufactured as requested by the numerical models which offers great potential for an extended lifetime. Subsequently, the improvements in resource efficiency and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions are evaluated by a life-cycle-assessment. T2 - IIW Annual Assembly 2022 Tokyo, Japan CY - Tokyo, Japan DA - 21.07.2022 KW - Offshore wind turbines KW - Support structures KW - Automated welding KW - Lightweight principles PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56653 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Welding of thick metal plates with laser - Where are the limits? N2 - -With modern high-power lasers (and vacuum) penetration around 100 mm is possible -Important for industrial applications: single-pass full penetration welds with tolerances -Contactless EM-backing helps to overcome many main restrictions: -Single-pass HLAW of up to 30 mm can be realized with 20 kW laser power -Increase of the gap bridgeability and misalignement of edges -Lower sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances and edge quality; samples can be prepared by a plasma-cut instead of time-consuming milling process -Gives the possibility to increase the welding parameter window and cooling rate so that the required mechanical properties can be reached -Improved filler wire mixing behaviour T2 - AKL22 - International Laser Technology Congress CY - Aachen, Germany DA - 04.05.2022 KW - Laser hybrid welding KW - Thick-walled steel KW - High-power laser KW - Electromagnetic backing PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56367 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Trends in European thin sheet welding N2 - 1. Steel Production and Processing in Europe 2. Design Trends in the Automotive Industry 3. Welding Technologies in the Automotive Industry 4. Problems while Processing AHSS/UHSS 5. Challenges in Joining Multi-Material Structures 6. Mechanical Joining Technologies 7. Thermal-Mechanical Joining Processes 8. Energy Efficiency of Welding Processes T2 - AWS Sheet Metal Welding Conference XVII CY - Livonia, MI, USA DA - 19.10.2016 KW - Lightweight concepts PY - 2016 AN - OPUS4-38763 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - European perspective on 21st century BIW joining challenges N2 - •Main Welding Technologies in the Automotive: RSW and laserbeam welding •Light Weight Design leads to increasing use of AHSS and UHSS which results in higher demands for the joining technology •Joining Multi-Material Structures offers opportunities for “new” Thermal-Mechanical Joining Processes and Hybrid Processes •In the coming years a trend towards sustainable manufacturing can be seen. Comparison between laserbeam and RSW will be a tight match! T2 - AWS Sheet Metal Welding Conference XVll CY - Livonia, MI, USA DA - 19.10.2016 KW - Resistance spot welding KW - Laser beam welding KW - Lightweight concepts KW - AHSS KW - Weld cracks PY - 2016 AN - OPUS4-38339 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -