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Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (38)
During laser beam welding of aluminum alloys an electromagnetic field may favour pore outgassing through the top oxide layer. High frequencies cause a small penetration depth and thus exert a stabilizing effect on the weld surface. The point at which the laser beam between the two magnetic poles hits the workpiece surface is crucial to the influence of the magnetic field on the weld surface roughness. Using analyzed parameters for different laser points of application cause a change in weld surface roughness could be observed. The weld surface roughness could be reduced by 50%. The outgassing effect in terms of a reduction of pores could be observed for all parameter sets investigated.
Longitudinal residual stresses in beam welds ranging at the value of the local yield strength can diminish the lifespan of components. To extend the service life of welds special methods of welding residual stress reduction were developed earlier which are however not effective for beam welds in complex component geometries. Application of beam welding sources for postwelding heat treatment of components has become a flexible tool for reducing longitudinal stresses in beam welds. Such heat treatment in a specific transversal distance to the weld by a defocused beam results in huge stress reductions depending on the used process parameters. Experimental results for ferritic and austenitic steels reveal weld stress reductions to up to compressive stresses. For different materials and diverse material thicknesses special process parameter regions have to be used in this procedure. At a transmission component this procedure shows a stress reduction by >300 MPa.
Laser-MSG-Hybridschweißen
(2012)
Schweißzugeigenspannungen in Strahlschweißnähten auf Höhe der lokalen Werkstoffstreckgrenze können die Bauteileigenschaften sowie deren Lebensdauer beeinflussen. Die Nutzung der Schweißquelle für eine nachträgliche Behandlung der geschweißten Bauteile bietet eine kostengünstige und flexible Methode zur Reduzierung dieser Spannungen. Dabei wird durch einen oszillierenden defokussierten Elektronen- bzw. Laserstrahl der Werkstoff beidseitig der Schweißnaht auf mehrere hundert Grad Celsius erwärmt, um dort zusätzliche Zugspannungsbereiche hervorzurufen. Die so erzeugten Längszugspannungszonen führen zu einer mechanischen Entlastung der Schweißnaht. Experimentelle Messungen zeigen, dass die Längseigenspannungen in der Schweißnaht mit diesem Verfahren um bis zu 70% reduziert werden können. Hierbei wurde neben der experimentellen Untersuchung dieses Verfahrens an Linearnähten an 5 mm dicken Blechen des Werkstoffs S355J2+N auch eine umfassende Analyse der Einflüsse der Verfahrensparameter auf die Spannungsreduktion mittels FEMSimulation durchgeführt. Anhand der Ergebnisse wird der Entlastungsmechanismus diskutiert. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Residual tensile welding stresses in beam welds at the level of the local yield strength of the material may influence the properties of components as well as their service lives. The utilisation of the welding source for the subsequent treatment of the welded components offers a cost-favourable and flexible method of reducing these stresses. In this respect, an oscillating defocused electron or laser beam serves to heat the material on both sides of the weld up to several hundred degrees Celsius in order to induce additional tensile stress regions there. The longitudinal tensile stress zones produced in this way lead to the mechanical relief of the weld. Experimental measurements show that the longitudinal residual stresses in the weld can be reduced by up to 70% with this process. In this case, not only was the experimental investigation into this process conducted on linear welds on 5 mm thick sheets made of the S355J2+N material but a comprehensive analysis of the influences of the process parameters on the stress reduction was also made by means of FEM simulation. The relief mechanism is discussed on the basis of the results.
Schweißzugeigenspannungen in Strahlschweißnähten auf Höhe der lokalen Werkstoffstreckgrenze können die Bauteileigenschaften sowie deren Lebensdauer negativ beeinflussen. Die Nutzung der Schweißquelle für eine nachträgliche Behandlung der geschweißten Bauteile bietet eine kostengünstige und flexible Methode zur Reduzierung dieser Spannungen. Dabei wird durch einen oszillierenden defokussierten Elektronen- bzw. Laserstrahl, der Werkstoff beidseitig der Schweißnaht auf mehrere hundert Grad Celsius erwärmt, um dort zusätzliche Zugspannungsbereiche hervorzurufen. Die so erzeugten Längszugspannungszonen führen zu einer mechanischen Entlastung der Schweißnaht. Experimentelle Messungen der Längseigenspannungen an linearen Elektronen- und Laserstrahlschweißnähten im ersten Teil des Beitrags zeigten, dass die Spannungen mit diesem Verfahren um bis zu 70% reduziert werden können. In weiteren experimentellen Untersuchungen wird dieses Verfahren für kompliziertere Schweißnahtgeometrien getestet. An axialen sowie radialen Rundnähten an ferritischen Werkstoffen konnten ebenfalls hohe Spannungsreduktionen von über 50% erzielt werden. Zudem wurde dieses Verfahren mit einer für das Schweißen üblichen Laserstrahlschweißoptik ohne Scan-Funktion geprüft. Hierbei zeigte das Wärmebehandeln in zwei Arbeitsschritten noch größere Spannungsreduktionen im Vergleich zur Anwendung einer Laserstrahlscanneroptik zur quasisimultanen Wärmebehandlung auf beiden Seiten der Schweißnaht. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Residual tensile welding stresses in beam welds at the level of the local yield strength of the material may influence the properties of components as well as their service lives. The utilisation of the welding source for the subsequent treatment of the welded components offers a cost-favourable and flexible method of reducing these stresses. In this respect, an oscillating defocused electron or laser beam serves to heat the material on both sides of the weld up to several hundred degrees Celsius in order to induce additional tensile stress regions there. The longitudinal tensile stress zones produced in this way lead to the mechanical relief of the weld. Experimental measurements of the longitudinal residual stresses on linear electron and laser beam welds in the first part of the article showed that the stresses can be reduced by up to 70% with this process. In further experimental investigations, this process is tested for more complicated weld geometries. It was also possible to achieve great reductions in the stresses (over 50%) on both axial and radial circular welds on ferritic materials. Moreover, this process was tested with laser beam welding optics which are customary for welding and do not perform a scanning function. In this respect, the heat treatment in two work steps showed even greater reductions in the stresses in comparison with the application of laser beam scanner optics for quasi-simultaneous heat treatment on both sides of the weld.
IIW-2326
Austenitic and austenitic-ferritic CrMnNi-stainless steels are suitable materials in the transport and automotive industry due to their high corrosion resistance and high strength that allows weight and cost savings. This study focuses on the laser weldability of a commercial lean duplex and an austenitic high manganese stainless steel. The impact of different laser sources, i.e. a 5 kW CO2- and a 4 kW Nd:YAG-laser, and of the main process parameters on the resulting weld quality will be investigated. One important aspect will concern the appearance of weld defects such as pores and hot cracks. The factors causing such internal imperfections will be analysed in order to find effective methods for preventing them. Weld microstructure and the associated corrosion and mechanical properties will be assessed with different techniques and adequate process parameters for high quality welds will be determined. The advantages and limitations of the applied welding processes will be evaluated for future applications.
Short Term Metallurgy and Hot Cracking During Laser Beam Welding of Austenitic Stainless Steels
(2011)
Industrial application of high alloyed austenitic stainless steel laser welding has grown significantly in the recent time due to the continuous improvement of compact and high power density lasers systems. The application of such processes meanwhile ranges from pipeline or railway car body manufacturing to the production of household wares. The largest advantages of the laser application to welding production are much higher welding speeds, reduction or complete exclusion of welding consumables, easy design of the weld joints, decrease of thermal distortions and thus, costs saving. In contrast to arc welding, laser beam welding might particularly be associated with metallurgical defects, like the formation of hot cracks. Such phenomena are related to an order of magnitude higher temperature gradients and cooling rates in the solidification zone, providing rapid solidification kinetics which may cause significant segregation of alloying elements such as Ni and Cr and respective undercooling of the solute at the solidification front. In specific metastable austenitic stainless steels alloys in vicinity of the so called eutectic rim of the Fe-Cr-Ni constitutional diagram, such effects might entail a change of solidification mode from primary ferrite to austenite, providing an increased risk of solidification cracking. Previous studies has shown that the primary solidification mode change during laser beam welding of Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steels such alloys could be effectively influenced by nitrogen absorption as well as by the laser plasma type and also proved the occurrence of metastable primary ferritic solidification. In the present contribution, such results are compared to recent investigations of laser welding newer austenitic Fe-Cr-Mn-Ni steel grades by identification of respective hot cracking critical welding parameter intervals and strain rates in the Controlled Thermal Weldability (CTW) Test.
Schweißeigenspannungen - im Besonderen infolge von Strahlschweißprozessen - annähernd der werkstoffspezifischen Streckgrenze können durch eine mögliche Spannungsrelaxation oder verstärkte Spannungsrisskorrosion lebensdauerreduzierende Konsequenzen mit sich ziehen. Aus diesem Grund wurden viele Verfahren entwickelt, welche diese Eigenspannungen reduzieren können. Jedoch sind diese Verfahren kostenintensiv oder nur für breite Schweißnähte und einfache Bauteilgeometrien anwendbar. Die in dieser Arbeit dargestellte Methode nutzt den Schweißstrahl für den Schweißprozess sowie in defokussierter Form für eine thermische Nachbehandlung des Bauteils. Hierfür läuft der defokussierte Strahl durch hochfrequente Strahlablenkung beidseitig der Schweißnaht mit einer bestimmten zeitlichen Distanz dem Schmelzbad nach und wird zum Aufheizen dieser Materialbereiche genutzt. Mit dieser Prozedur ist es möglich die Spannungen in schmalen Schweißnähten mit großen Spannungsgradienten im Vergleich zu anderen spannungsreduzierenden Verfahren ohne Kontaktflächen oder zusätzlichem Equipment effizient zu reduzieren. Abhängig von der Bauteilgeometrie und der Strahlleistung können unterschiedliche Prozessparameter für dieses Verfahren angewandt werden. Es werden die Mechanismen der Eigenspannungsreduzierung in diesem Prozess und deren Abhängigkeit von den Prozessparametern anhand von Ergebnissen aus FEM-Simulationen diskutiert. Zudem wird in einer Reihe von experimentellen Ergebnissen die Anwendbarkeit von bereits für lineare Schweißnähte ermittelte Verfahrensparameter auf axiale und radiale Rundnähte nachgewiesen. Hierbei zeigen die besten experimentellen Ergebnisse für Elektronenstrahl- sowie für Laserstrahlschweißnähte Spannungsreduktionen größer als 90 %.
A three-dimensional laminar steady-state numerical model was developed to investigate the influence of an alternating current (ac) magnetic field during high-power full-penetration laser welding on the weld pool dynamics and weld cross section of a 20 mm thick aluminium plate in flat position. Three-dimensional heat transfer, fluid dynamics including phase transition and electromagnetic field partial differential equations were solved iteratively with the commercial finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics using temperature-dependent material properties up to evaporation temperature. Thermocapillary convection at the weld pool surfaces, natural convection and latent heat of solid–liquid phase transition were taken into account in this model. Solidification was modelled by the Carman–Kozeny equation for porous media morphology. The ac magnet was mounted on the root side of the weld specimen. The magnetic field was aligned perpendicular to the welding direction. The flow pattern in the melt and thus also the temperature distribution were significantly changed by the application of oscillating magnetic fields. It was shown that the application of an ac magnetic field to laser beam welding allows for a prevention of the gravity drop-out. The simulation results are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental observations.
Experimental investigation of the laser-plume interaction during high power fiber laser welding
(2011)
The effect of the well-known plasma absorption and refraction in CO2-laser metal welding plumes is in case of high power solid state laser welding negligibly small. By contrast, the diffraction effects of shorter wavelength laser radiation are considerable. According
to the results of preliminary studies, the fine condensed metal particles in the welding plume can lead to essential worsening of the laser beam quality.
This work is devoted to the investigation of the lasermatter interaction during up to 20 kW ytterbium fiber laser welding of thick mild steel plates. The plume attenuation of a probe 1.3 µm wavelength diode laser beam as well as of continuous radiation in 250-600 nm
wavelength range was measured during welding with and without Ar shielding gas supply. The measured results allow it to calculate average size and concentration of fine condensed metal particles in
different plume areas using the multi-wavelength method and the Mie scattering theory. The plume temperature, which determines the condensation conditions, was measured by means of Fe I atom
spectral line emission registration.
The obtained results can be also of interest for remote metal treatment with high-power fiber or disc lasers.
The results of an in-situ plume-laser interaction measurement during welding of mild steel with a 5 kW ytterbium fiber laser are reported. A measurement of the attenuation of probe laser beam passing through the plume has allowed to estimate the plume characteristics like the size of the extinction area and the spatial distribution of the extinction coefficient. The power loss of the fiber laser radiation propagating through the whole plume length was calculated. Together with a measured temporal characteristics of extinction the result indicates a significant decreasing of the laser radiation stability, which can lead to the formation of the macroscopic welding defects.
The residual stresses in narrow electron or laser beam welds with high stress gradients are decreased without any contact surfaces or additional equipment by applying the welding beam after welding in a defocused mode for heating the material regions in a certain distance from the weld on both sides. In case of electron beam application, the beam is positioned and focused by the electromagnetic coil with high frequency. In case of laser beam application a laser scanner optics enables fast positioning by an optomechanic beam deflection, while defocusing of the laser beam is obtained by increasing the distance between scanner optics and workpiece. Dependent on the component geometry and on the beam power different process parameters are used. The adjustable process parameters are the radius and the power of the defocused beam and the transversal and longitudinal distances between the welding and the defocused beam. The mechanism and the influence of the process parameters are investigated by FEM-simulation and a number of experiments on a ferritic steel S355J2+N with 5 mm thickness. FEM-simulation is used to reduce the matrix of process parameters for the experiments. The best experimental result shows a stress reduction of about 70%.
A three-dimensional laminar steady
state numerical model was used to investigate
the influence of an alternating current (ac)
magnetic field during high power laser beam
keyhole welding of 20 mm thick nonferromagnetic
aluminum. COMSOL
Multiphysics was used to calculate the threedimensional
heat transfer, fluid dynamics and
electromagnetic field equations. Most
important physical effects of the process were
taken into account: Thermo-capillary
(Marangoni) convection at the upper and lower
weld pool boundaries, natural convection due
to gravity and latent heat of solid-liquid phase
transition. It is shown that the gravity drop-out
associated with welding of thick plates due to
the hydrostatic pressure can be prevented by
the application of an ac magnetic field. The
application of an oscillating magnetic field of
70 mT was investigated to allow for singlepass
laser beam welding of thick aluminum
plates. The flow pattern in the molten zone and
the temperature distributions are significantly
changed.
Potential for repair welding technology based on laser metal deposition for chemical industry
(2012)
A multi-physics numerical model was developed to investigate the influence of a steady magnetic field aligned perpendicular to the welding direction during partial penetration high power laser beam welding of aluminium in downhand position. Three-dimensional heat transfer, fluid dynamics including phase transition and electromagnetic field partial differential equations were successfully solved with the finite element differential equation solver COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2. The implemented material model used temperature-dependent properties up to evaporation temperature. Marangoni convection in the surface region of the weld pool, natural convection due to the gravitational field and latent heat of solidliquid phase transition were taken into account. Solidification was modelled by the CarmanKozeny equation for porous media morphology. The flow pattern in the melt as well as the weld bead geometry were significantly changed by the induced Lorentz force distribution in the liquid metal. It reveals that the application of a steady magnetic field to laser beam welding with corresponding Hartmann numbers Ha2 ≈ 104 allows for a suppression of the characteristic wineglass-shape of the weld cross section caused by thermocapillary flow. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental results obtained with welding of AlMg3 with a 16 kW disc laser. The steady magnetic field was delivered by permanent magnets mounted on both lateral sides of the weld specimen. The maximum magnetic flux density was around 500 mT. It shows, that the applied magnetic field has a predominant dissipating effect on the weld pool dynamics independently of its polarity.
Full penetration 15 kW Yb fibre laser butt welding of thick AlMg3 (AW 5754) plates was performed in PA position. A contactless inductive electromagnetic weld pool support system was used to prevent gravity dropout of the melt. The welding speed needed to achieve 20 mm penetration was ~0·5 m min-1. An ac power supply of ~244 W at 460 Hz was necessary to completely suppress gravity dropout of the melt and eliminate sagging of the weld pool root side surface. The oscillating magnetic field can suppress the Marangoni convection in the lower part of the weld pool. The system was also successfully used in the full penetration welding of 30 mm thick AlMg3 plates.
We have conducted spectroscopic studies of the welding plasma formed in the process of welding with an ytterbium fiber laser delivering output power of up to 20 kW. The influence of shielding gases (Ar, He) on different parts of the welding plume is investigated. The absorption coefficient of the laser radiation by the welding-plume plasma is estimated. Scattering of 532-nm probe radiation from particles of the condensed metal vapor within the caustic of a high-power fiber laser beam is measured. Based on the obtained results, conclusions are made on the influence of the plasma formation and metal vapor condensation on the radiation of the high-power fiber laser and the stability of the welding process.
Design of experiments for laser metal deposition in maintenance, repair and overhaul applications
(2013)
Modern and expensive parts lead to an increasing demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) technologies. Instead of part replacement, MRO technologies are economically advantageous throughout the life cycle. Laser metal deposition as modern MRO technology can be used to repair cracks or protect damaged surfaces with a hard facing layer. It is necessary to adjust weld bead profile to the specific task. For this purpose, Design of Experiment (DoE) has a high potential to decrease experimental effort. In this paper, a full factorial design is used to determine the effect of process parameters on the geometric dimensions of the weld bead. The paper is of interest to engineers working with laser metal deposition as well as DoE methods.
The aim of the present work was to investigate the possibilities of hybrid laser arc welding regarding reliable production of longitudinal welds of high strength pipe steels X80 and X120 and to evaluate achievable mechanical properties of laser hybrid welds. The study focused on weld toughness examination in low temperature range up to –60°C. Suitable filler materials were identified in the context of this task. It could be shown that metal cored electrodes guaranteed sufficient Charpy impact toughness at low temperature for both investigated materials. Modern arc welding technologies such as modified pulsed spray arc were used to promote deeper penetration of the filler material into the narrow laser welding gap. Edge preparation with a 14 mm deep root face was considered as optimum, because no penetration of the filler material could be detected beyond this depth limit, and therefore, any metallurgical influences on the weld metal properties through the welding wire could be excluded.
Overview of recent advances in welding - Focusing on friction stir welding & laser hybrid welding
(2010)
Laserstrahl-MSG-Hybridschweißen dicker Bleche aus Rohrleitungsstahl mit Faserlasern hoher Leistung
(2010)
In diesem Beitrag werden die Ergebnisse aus einem gemeinschaftlich durchgeführten Forschungsprojekt zur Schweißeignung unlegierter Stähle mit Laserstrahl- und Lichtbogenschweißverfahren vorgestellt. Es wurden Schweißversuche in Ein- sowie Mehrlagentechnik mit Blechdicken von 16, 20 und 28 mm durchgeführt sowie die Prozessgrenzen für die Spaltüberbrückbarkeit, den Kantenversatz und das Schweißen in Zwangspositionen untersucht. Für die Schweißversuche kamen Faserlaser mit Leistungen von 8, 20 und 30 kW in Verbindung mit einem MAG-Schweißprozess als Laserstrahl-MSG-Hybridschweißen zum Einsatz. Mit dem 30-kW-Faserlaser war es möglich, 28 mm dicke Bleche einlagig zu schweißen, jedoch besteht weiterer Forschungsbedarf, um Aussagen über die erreichbare Qualität treffen zu können. Bei 20 kW Laserstrahlleistung wurde zum einlagigen Schweißen von Blechen mit einer Dicke von 20 mm eine entsprechende Nahtvorbereitung benötigt, 16 mm dicke Bleche konnten dagegen ohne Vorbereitung der Naht im Stumpfstoß geschweißt werden. In der Mehrlagentechnik wurden mit dem 8-kW-Faserlaser 16 mm dicke Bleche vorbereitet mit einer Y-Naht geschweißt. Hierbei wurde die Wurzellage hybrid geschweißt, die Füll- und Decklagen mit einem reinen MAG-Prozess.
The results of a collaborative research project on laser beam weldability of carbon steels of high sheet thickness are presented. That includes single and multiple pass welding of 16 mm and 20 mm thick plates, as well as the investigation of acceptable tolerances i.e. gap bridgeability and edge misalignment. For the welding experiments fibre lasers with 8 kW, 20 kW laser power and different GMAW-techniques were used in various applications. With the 20 kW fibre laser 16 mm plates could be welded with a single pass, 20 mm required a seam preparation or alternatively preheating of the material. For multi pass welding with 8 kW laser power a joint preparation with a single V-butt joint with a broad root face (Y-groove) was applied. The root pass was always welded with a hybrid process, the filler passes with a hybrid process as well as a GMAW process which produced the best results.
Orbitalschweißen im Pipelinebau - Neue Möglichkeiten durch die Anwendung von Hochleistungslasern
(2010)
Orbitalschweißen im Pipelinebau neue Möglichkeiten durch die Anwendung von Hochleistungslasern
(2010)
High welding residual stresses can cause service life reducing consequences. Even though many processes have been developed to reduce these stresses, they are only applicable for wider welds and simple component geometries or are cost-intensive, respectively. The presented method uses a defocused beam after welding for heating the material regions on both sides of the weld. In this way, the welding stresses are decreased without contacting the surfaces using the available equipment. Different process parameters could be used depending on the component geometry and the laser power. The mechanism and the influence of the process parameters were investigated by FEM-simulation and experiments on S355J2+N steel and showed a stress reduction of about 73%.
The main characteristic feature of deep penetration laser beam welding is a large temperature difference between the plasma cavity (keyhole) in the centre of the weld pool and the melting/solidification front. Large temperature gradients in the weld pool result in a very intensive thermocapillary (Marangoni) convection. The weld pool surface width becomes very large and unstable. However, an externally applied oscillating magnetic field can stabilize the surface of the melt (the Garnier-Moreau effect, 1983). In the present work this technology was used to stabilize the surface of the weld pool in partial penetration 4.4 kW Nd:YAG laser beam welding of AW-5754 alloyin PA position. The AC magnet was mounted on the laser welding head. The oscillating magnet field was oriented perpendicular to the welding direction. It was found that the AC magnet field can drastically reduce the surface roughness of welds. The analysis of the x-ray images shows a rastic reduction of porosity content in the welds. This effect can be explained as a result of electromagnetic ectification of the melt.
Thick-walled pipes made of steel are the basis of a large number of components in mechanical and installation engineering, e.g. for hydraulic components, in power station technology or in the petroleum industry. Particularly when strict positional and shape tolerances are demanded, the classical manufacturing process is chip-producing machining from the solid material. However, this is time-intensive and material-intensive. The laser/GMA hybrid processes with modern high-power lasers are a suitable alternative. With these processes, it is currently possible to weld components with a wall thickness up to approx. 15 mm with little distortion in one pass. However, in initial experiments, solidification cracks with longitudinal and vertical orientations in relation to the welding direction, so-called central line cracks, were established in welds on pipes. Within the framework of a research project, it was possible to determine the cause of the cracking and to find measures in order to avoid it. The technical boundary conditions could be complied with in this respect. The article gives an overview of the research project and the essential results.
Simulation of an inductive weld pool support for deep penetration laser beam welding of metal parts
(2012)
three-dimensional laminar steady state numerical model was used to investigate the influence of an altemating current (ac) magnetic field during single pass high power laser beam keyhole welding of 20 mm thick aluminum. The three-dimensional heat transfer, fluid dynamics and electromagnetic field equations were solved with the commercial finite element package COMSOL Multiphysics. Dominant physical effects of the process were taken into account: Thermo-capillary (Marangoni) convection at the upper and lower weld pool surfaces, natural convection due to the gravity influence and the latent heat of solid-liquid phase transition. Simulations were conducted for several magnetic field strengths and it was found that the gravity drop-out associated with welding of thick plates due to the hydrostatie pressure can be prevented by the application of an ac magnetic field below the weld specimen of around 70 mT (rms) at an oscillation frequency of 450 Hz. The inductive support System allows for single-pass laser beam welding of thick aluminum plates. The flow pattem in the molten zone and the temperature distributions are significantly changed by the application of the electromagnetic forces in the weld pool.
A multi-physics numerical model was developed to investigate the influence of a steady magnetic field during partial penetration keyhole laser beam welding of an aluminum plate in flat position. Three-dimensional heat transfer, fluid dynamics including phase transition and electromagnetic field partial differential equations were solved with the finite element differential equation solver COMSOL Multiphysics. The magnetic field was aligned perpendicularly to the welding direction. The main objective of these simulations was to estimate the critical value of the magnetic field needed to suppress convective flows in the weld pool during high-power (up to 20 kW) laser beam welding of aluminum alloys with up to 20 mm deep weld pool. It reveals that steady magnetic fields with corresponding Hartmann numbers Ha^2 ~ 10^4 based on the half-width of the weld pool can effectively suppress convective flows in the weld pool. Moreover, the typically occurring wineglass-shape of the weld cross section caused by thermo-capillary flow is weakened.