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- 2022 (46) (entfernen)
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- Laser beam welding (11)
- DED (4)
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- L-PBF (3)
- Leichtbau (3)
- Microstructure (3)
- Offshore Windenergieanlagen (3)
- Quality assurance (3)
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Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (8)
Diese Arbeit zeigt erstmals die Anwendung einer elektromagnetischen Schmelzbadsicherung beim einlagigen MSG-Schweißen von dickwandigen Stählen. Die innovativen Entwicklungen im Bereich des Lichtbogenschweißverfahrens ermöglichen eine Erhöhung der Abschmelzleistung, um die Einschweißtiefe zu steigern. Somit kann die Lagenanzahl reduziert und die Produktivität gesteigert werden. Allerdings besteht insbesondere beim einlagigen Schweißen von dickwandigen Bauteilen in PA-Position ein erhöhtes Risiko für das gravitationsbedingte Austropfen der Schmelze an der Wurzel. Zur Verhinderung werden Badsicherungen eingesetzt, die mechanisch angebracht und nach dem Schweißen entfernt werden müssen, was zeit- und kostenintensiv ist.
Die im Rahmen dieser Studie eingesetzte elektromagnetische Schmelzbadsicherung wirkt dem gravitationsbedingten Austropfen der Schmelze entgegen und kompensiert den hydrostatischen Druck. Sie wirkt kontaktlos, was im Gegensatz zu herkömmlichen Badsicherungen vorteilhaft ist, so dass auf eine zeit- und kostenintensive Nachbearbeitung der Schweißnahtwurzel verzichtet werden kann. Das auf extern angelegten oszillierenden Magnetfeldern beruhende Verfahren wird dabei unterhalb des zu schweißenden Bauteils positioniert. Die Magnetfeldlinien sind quer zur Schweißrichtung ausgerichtet, sodass längs zur Schweißrichtung Wirbelströme im Werkstück und eine stets nach oben gerichtete Lorentzkraft generiert werden. Mit Hilfe der elektromagnetischen Badsicherung konnten beim einlagigen MSG-Schweißen von bis zu 10 mm dicken Blechen die Tropfenbildung vermieden werden. Die innovative Technologie ermöglicht es, dickwandige Bauteile einlagig zu schweißen und reduziert die Nachbearbeitungszeiten und -kosten deutlich.
The study deals with the influence of the heat input and the resulting cooling times on the microstructure and Charpy impact toughness of single-pass laser hybrid welded 20-mm thick high-strength steel S690QL. The main focus is on the change of the mechanical properties over the entire seam thickness. The cooling times were measured in-situ using a pyrometer and an optical fibre in three different depths of the seam where Charpy impact test specimens were also later taken. Thereby, three different heat inputs from 1.3 kJ/mm to 2 kJ/mm were investigated. Despite the observed decreased values of both t8/5-cooling time and the Charpy impact toughness in the root part of the seam, the required impact toughness of 38 J/cm2 could be reached in dependance on applied heat input, especially at the heat input of 1.6 kJ/mm.
Die technischen Entwicklungen in der Lasertechnologie in den letzten Jahrzehnten haben eine neue Generation von Hochleistungslasersystemen im Leistungsbereich bis zu 100 kW auf den Markt gebracht. Dennoch ist die industrielle Anwendung des Hochleistungslaserstrahlschweißens auf bis zu 15 mm dicke Bleche beschränkt. Mögliche Ursachen der Einschränkungen des Verfahrens sind z.B. die Sensibilität des Verfahrens auf Fertigungstoleranzen wie Spalt und Kantenversatz, die erhöhte Tropfenbildung bei höheren Blechdicken und eine inhomogene Verteilung des Zusatzwerkstoffes beim Laserhybridschweißen. In dieser Studie wird ein auf extern angelegte Magnetfelder basierte elektromagnetische Schmelzbadstütze eingesetzt, um die Grenzen des Verfahrens zu erweitern und die Herausforderungen zu minimieren. Der wesentliche Vorteil der elektromagnetischen Schmelzbadstütze ist, dass sie berührungslos arbeitet. Mit Hilfe der elektromagnetischen Schmelzbadstütze konnten bei 20 mm dicken Proben aus S355J2 die Tropfenbildung an der Wurzel vermieden werden. Zudem wurde der Einfluss der Kantenqualität auf die Schweißnahtqualität untersucht, wobei verschiedene Schneidverfahren zur Kantenvorbereitung eingesetzt wurden, wie z.B. Plasma-, Brenn- oder Laserschneiden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass auch bei schlechteren Kantenvorbereitung im Gegensatz zu gefrästen Bauteilen die Werkstoffe einlagig mittels Laserhybridschweißen bei einer hohen Schweißnahtqualität gefügt werden konnten. Bei plasmageschnittenen Proben wurden zudem eine Spaltüberbrückbarkeit bzw. Kantenversatz von bis zu 2 mm sicher überbrückt. Des Weiteren war es mit Hilfe der externen Magnetfelder möglich, die Durchmischung des Zusatzwerkstoffes über die gesamte Schweißnahttiefe deutlich zu homogenisieren.
It is already known that the laser beam welding (LBW) or hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) processes are sensitive to manufacturing tolerances such as gaps and misalignment of the edges, especially at welding of thick-walled steels due to its narrow beam diameter. Therefore, the joining parts preferably have to be milled. The study deals with the influence of the edge quality, the gap and the misalignment of edges on the weld seam quality of hybrid laser-arc welded 20-mm-thick structural steel plates which were prepared by laser and plasma cutting. Single-pass welds were conducted in butt joint configuration. An AC magnet was used as a contactless backing. It was positioned under the workpiece during the welding process to prevent sagging. The profile of the edges and the gap between the workpieces were measured before welding by a profile scanner or a digital camera, respectively. With a laser beam power of just 13.7 kW, the single-pass welds could
be performed. A gap bridgeability up to 1 mm at laser-cut and 2 mm at plasma-cut samples could be reached respectively.
Furthermore, a misalignment of the edges up to 2 mm could be welded in a single pass. The new findings may eliminate the need for cost and time-consuming preparation of the edges.
The application of hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) for joining closed circumferential welds is a challenge due to the high risk of forming a defective overlap area with a shrinkage void or solidification cracks in the material thickness. A series of HLAW experiments were performed to understand the development of a faulty overlap area when closing the circumferential weld. Welding trials on flat specimens and pipe segments were supported by numerical analyses in which the thermomechanical behavior of the welds in the overlap area was investigated. Different process control strategies were tested, including variations in defocusing levels and the overlap length. The newly developed HLAW head, including laser optics with a motor-driven collimation system, made it possible to defocus the laser beam during welding without disturbing the stability of the welding process. High-level defocusing of the laser beam of more than 40 mm relative to the specimen surface with a resulting beam diameter of > 2.9 mm, and in combination with a short overlap length of 15 mm, was promising with respect to the formation of a desired cup-shaped weld profile that is resistant to solidification cracks.
Laserstrahlhybridschweissen von Türmen für Windkraftanlagen Ökonomische und ökologische Vorteile
(2022)
Das Laserstrahlhybridschweißen ist beim Schweißen von Türmen für Windkraftanlagen eine Alternative zum Unterpulverschweißen von Dickblechen in Mehrlagentechnik und bietet hier ökonomische und ökologische Vorteile. Der industrielle Einsatz des Verfahrens ist jedoch durch prozessspezifische Herausforderungen eingeschränkt. Die im Beitrag beschriebene kontaktlose elektromagnetische Badstütze dient zur Erweiterung des Verfahrenspotenzials im Dickblechbereich >15 mm.
Characterization of Ti-6Al-4V fabricated by multilayer laser powder-based directed energy deposition
(2022)
Laser powder-based directed energy deposition (DED-L) is increasingly being used in additive manufacturing (AM). As AM technology, DED-L must consider specific challenges. It must achieve uniform volume growth over hundreds of layers and avoid heat buildup of the deposited material. Herein, Ti–6Al–4V is fabricated using an approach that addresses these challenges and is relevant in terms of transferability to DED–L applications in AM. The assessment of the obtained properties and the discussion of their relationship to the process conditions and resulting microstructure are presented. The quality of the manufacturing process is proven in terms of the reproducibility of properties between individual blanks and with respect to the building height. The characterization demonstrates that excellent mechanical properties are achieved at room temperature and at 400 °C.
Die lichtbogenbasierte, additive Fertigung ist dank hoher erreichbarer Aufbauraten und nahezu uneingeschränktem Bauraum zur Fertigung großvolumiger Bauteile prädestiniert. Die Kombination etablierter Maschinenkomponenten aus Robotertechnik, Schweißtechnik und Sensorik ermöglicht den präzisen schichtweisen Materialauftrag. Die Wirkmechanismen zwischen Prozessparametern und den daraus resultierenden mechanisch-technologischen Eigenschaften der additiv gefertigten Bauteile stellen eine Herausforderung dar. Dies gilt insbesondere auch für dickwandige Bauteile. Bei der Fertigung von Bauteilen aus höherfesten Al-Mg-Si-Aluminiumlegierungen ist aufgrund der hohen Anfälligkeit für Erstarrungsrisse und der Neigung zu wasserstoffinduzierter Porosität im besonderen Maße auf das Temperaturregime und die gewählte Aufbaustrategie zu achten.
Der Einfluss der Prozessparameter auf die Bauteilqualität wurde durch die Analyse der Größe und Verteilung von Poren sowie der resultierenden Festigkeit untersucht. Darüber hinaus wurde der Einfluss einer Wärmenachbehandlungsstrategien auf das Festigkeitsverhalten analysiert. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass dickwandige Strukturen aus höherfesten Al-Mg-Si-Aluminiumlegierungen mit mechanischen Kennwerten im Bereich des Referenzmaterials mittels MSGLichtbogenverfahren additiv gefertigt werden können.
Duplex stainless steels combine the positive properties of its two phases, austenite and ferrite. Due to its good corrosion resistance, high tensile strength, and good ductility, it has multiple applications. But laser beam welding of duplex steels changes the balanced phase distribution in favor of ferrite. This results in a higher vulnerability to corrosion and a lower ductility. Herein, different powder combinations consisting of duplex and nickel for coating layers by laser metal deposition (LMD) are investigated. Afterward, laser tracks are welded, and the temperature cycles are measured. The ferrite content of the tracks is analyzed by feritscope, metallographic analysis, and electron backscatter diffraction. The goal is the development of a powder mixture allowing for a duplex microstructure in a two-step process, where first the edges of the weld partners are coated with the powder mixture by LMD and second those edges are laser beam welded. The powder mixture identified by the pretests is tested in the two-step process and analyzed by metallographic analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and
Vickers hardness tests. The resulting weld seams show a balanced duplex microstructure with a homogenous nickel distribution and a hardness of the weld seam similar to the base material.
Duplex stainless steels combine the positive properties of its two phases, austenite and ferrite. Due to its good corrosion resistance, high tensile strength and good ductility it has multiple applications. But laser beam welding of duplex steels changes the balanced phase distribution in favor of ferrite. This results in a higher vulnerability to corrosion and a lower ductility. In this study different powder combinations consisting of duplex and nickel for coating layers by laser metal deposition are investigated. Afterwards laser tracks are welded, and the temperature cycles measured. The ferrite content of the tracks are analyzed by feritscope, metallographic analysis and Electron Backscatter Diffraction. The goal is the development of a powder mixture allowing for a duplex microstructure in a two-step process, where firstly the edges of the weld partners are coated with the powder mixture by LMD and secondly those edges are laser beam welded. The powder mixture identified by the pretests is tested in the two-step process and analyzed by metallographic analysis, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Vickers hardness tests. The resulting weld seams show a balanced duplex microstructure with a homogenous nickel distribution and a hardness of the weld seam similar to the base material.
Laser metal deposition (LMD) as an additive manufacturing technique became increasingly important in recent years and thus the demand for component safety. This is the reason, for the need for reliable in-situ defect detection techniques. For laser beam weld seams an optical measurement technique based on an optical flow algorithm was successfully used to define the critical straining conditions that lead to hot cracking. This algorithm was adapted for bead-on-plate weld seams on LMD deposited layers of IN718 alloy while performing external strain on the specimen in an externally loaded hot cacking test facility. The resulting transversal hot cracks along the weld seam were localized via X-Ray inspection and the type of cracking confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The strain distribution was measured in the vicinity of the solidification front and correlated to the detected hot cracks. Based on the results this technique could be adopted for LMD experiments.
Laser welding is an appropriate technique for joining Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) parts together and to conventional wrought ones. The potential consists of profiting from synergies between additive and conventional manufacturing methods and overcoming the existing limitations of both. On the one hand, L-PBF is a widely spread metal-based additive manufacturing technique suitable for generating complex parts which can present intrinsic designed cavities, conformal cooling channels, and filigree structures contributing to sustainable manufacturing and efficiency-oriented designs. On the other hand, chamber sizes for producing L-PBF parts are limited, and the process is time-consuming. Thus, its employment is not for every geometry justified. Additionally, they are in most cases individual elements of a larger assembly and need to be joined together to conventionally fabricated parts.
The present research suggests laser welding parameters to adequately bond pairs of wrought and L-PBF processed plates and two L-PBF plates of Inconel 718 in butt position. L-PBF samples are printed in three different build-up orientations. Additionally, the influence of as-built L-PBF roughness qualities and usual pre-weld preparations such as edge milling are examined. The effect of normed pre-weld heat treatments is also contemplated. Identified cracks are analyzed by means of EDS in order to confirm the present phases on the areas of interest. EBSD is also employed to obtain a clear depiction of the crystallographic texture and distribution of the hot cracks.
The quality of the weldment was examined according to existing standards. Substantial differences in seam geometry and microstructure across different edge’s surface qualities and build directions of stress relieved L-PBF parts have not been detected. Nevertheless, even if no other irregularities are present in the seam, variability in liquation cracking susceptibility has been confirmed. This defect is prone to happen when parts made of this nickel-based superalloy are welded together when not enough precautions are taken. It has been determined that grain size and ductility of the material before welding play a crucial role and mitigating or intensifying these imperfections. Moreover, recommendations are presented to avoid this potential welding defect.
-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
The present work deals with the recently confirmed widening of the weld pool interface, known as a bulging effect, and its relevance in high power laser beam welding. A combined experimental and numerical approach is utilized to study the influence of the bulge on the hot cracking formation and the transport of alloying elements in the molten pool. A technique using a quartz glass, a direct-diode laser illumination, a high speed camera, and two thermal imaging cameras is applied to visualize the weld pool geometry in the longitudinal section. The study examines the relevance of the bulging effect on both, partial and complete penetration, as well as for different sheet thicknesses ranging from 8 mm to 25 mm. The numerical analysis shows that the formation of a bulge region is highly dependent on the penetration depth and occurs above 10 mm penetration depth. The location of the bulge correlates strongly with the cracking location. The obtained experimental and numerical results reveal that the bulging effect increases the hot cracking susceptibility and limits the transfer of alloying elements from the top of the weld pool to the weld root
Die vorliegende Untersuchung befasst sich mit dem Einfluss des Additive Manufacturing auf die Schweißeignung von Bauteilen aus Inconel 718. Hierfür wurden Proben mittels DED und L-PBF hergestellt und ihr Verhalten in Blindschweißversuchen anhand eines Vergleichs mit konventionellen Gussblechen untersucht. Im zweiten Schritt wurden die verschiedenen additiv hergestellten Proben mit dem Gussmaterial im I-Stoß sowie untereinander verschweißt.
Als Schweißverfahren wurde für alle Proben das Elektronenstrahlschweißen angewandt. Zur Auswertung wurde anhand von Schliffen das Nahtprofil vermessen und die Proben auf Poren und Risse untersucht. Zusätzlich wurde die Dichte vermessen und eine Prüfung auf Oberflächenrisse durchgeführt. Das AM-Material zeigte dabei Unterschiede in Nahtform und Defektneigung im Vergleich zum Gusswerkstoff. Insbesondere die DED-proben neigten unter bestimmten Parameterkonstellationen verstärkt zu Porenbildung. Risse konnten nicht beobachtet werden. Trotz auftretender Nahtunregelmäßigkeiten wurde in den kombinierten AM-Schweißproben die Bewertungsgruppe C erreicht. Eine Prüfung der bestehenden Regelwerke zur Schweißnahtbewertung anhand der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse zu additiv gefertigten Proben im Elektronenstrahlschweißprozess zeigte keinen Ergänzungsbedarf.
Untersuchung zur Herstellung von Cu-Strukturen mittels Wire Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing
(2022)
Das Additive Manufacturing gewinnt zunehmend an Bedeutung für die Fertigung metallischer Bauteile im industriellen Umfeld. Hierbei wird zunehmend auch auf drahtförmige Ausgangswerkstoffe gesetzt, da diese Vorteile im Handling bieten, bereits in der Industrie etabliert sind und sich in der Regel durch geringere Beschaffungskosten auszeichnen. In den letzten Jahren entwickelte sich neben den bereits im großen Umfeld untersuchten Wire-DED-Verfahren auch eine Prozessvariante unter Nutzung des Elektronenstrahls zur industriellen Marktreife. Dabei zeigt die als Wire Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing bezeichnete Technologie besondere Vorteile gegenüber anderen, zumeist Laser- oder Lichtbogen-basierten DED-Prozessen. Das Verfahren bietet vor allem Potenzial für die Verarbeitung von hochleitfähigen, reflektierenden oder oxidationsgefährdeten Werkstoffen. Insbesondere für die Herstellung von Bauteilen aus Kupferlegierungen zeigt sich der Elektronenstrahl als besonders geeignet. Um das Verfahren einem breiten Anwenderkreis in der Industrie zugänglich zu machen, fehlen jedoch übergreifende Daten zu Leistungsfähigkeit, Prozessgrenzen und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten. Die vorliegende Untersuchung beschäftigt sich mit dieser Problemstellung am Beispiel zweier Cu-Werkstoffe. Dabei werden ein korrosionsbeständiger Werkstoff aus dem maritimen Bereich sowie eine Bronze mit guten Verschleißeigenschaften aus dem Anlagenbau getestet.
Über mehrstufige Testschweißungen wurden die physikalisch möglichen Prozessgrenzen ermittelt und Rückschlüsse über die Eignung der Parameter zum additiven Aufbau gezogen. Hierfür wurden zunächst optimale Bereiche für den Energieeintrag anhand von Volumenenergie sowie mögliche Schweißgeschwindigkeiten untersucht.
Anschließend wurde die Skalierbarkeit des Prozesses anhand von Strahlstrom und Drahtvorschub getestet.
Als wesentliche Zielgrößen wurden dabei Spurgeometrie, Aufmischung und Härte herangezogen. Die Eignung der ermittelten Parameter wurde im letzten Schritt exemplarisch anhand einer additiven Testgeometrie in Form eines Zylinders nachgewiesen.
Hochfeste Nickelbasislegierungen wie Inconel 939 spielen eine wesentliche Rolle im modernen Turbinenbau. Additive Fertigungstechnologien eröffnen hierbei neue Möglichkeiten für die Verarbeitung, jedoch fehlen verlässliche Fügeprozesse für die Absicherung der additiven Prozesskette im Bereich Neuteilfertigung und Instandsetzung. Insbesondere Heißrisse stellen eine große Herausforderung an die Fügetechnik. Die vorliegende Untersuchung befasst sich daher mit dem Verhalten von additiv gefertigten Blechen aus Inconel 939 beim Elektronenstrahlschweißen. Es werden grundlegende Zusammenhänge zwischen Prozessparametern, Härte und Rissneigung betrachtet und Ansätze für eine Optimierung auf Basis statistischer Versuchsplanung aufgezeigt. Hierbei erfolgt eine Einteilung der Risse nach bestimmten Nahtbereichen. Risse am Nahtkopf können durch die Faktoren Vorschub und Streckenenergie sowie die Härte des Schweißgutes beeinflusst werden. Risse im Bereich der parallelen Nahtflanken stehen hingegen im Zusammenhang mit der Härte der Wärmeinflusszone. Ein abschließender Vergleich der angepassten Parameter mit der Ausgangssituation zeigt, dass durch Anwendung der statistischen Optimierung eine deutliche Reduzierung der Rissneigung erreicht werden kann.
Die Anwendung von Leichtbauprinzipien im Stahlbau, wie z.B. die Verwendung von aufgelösten Tragstrukturen, sog. Jackets-Fundamenten, bietet ein großes Potential zur Reduzierung des Ressourcenverbrauchs, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die benötigte Stahlmenge.
In diesem Vortrag zeigen wir die Potenziale einer vollständigen Digitalisierung der schweißtechnischen Fertigungs- und Prüfkette auf, um eine vollautomatische Fertigung sowie Qualitätsprüfung von Rohrknoten als Schlüsselelement von Jackets-Fundamenten zu ermöglichen. Darüber hinaus wird der Zusammenhang zwischen der Geometrie der Nahtform und der resultierenden Ermüdungsfestigkeit durch numerische Methoden unter Einbeziehung bionischer Prinzipien bewertet. Es wird gezeigt, dass Hohlprofilknoten vollautomatisch unter Berücksichtigung von Geometrietoleranzen geschweißt werden können. Darüber hinaus konnte die Nahtform gemäß den numerischen Modellen hergestellt werden, was ein großes Potenzial für eine verlängerte Lebensdauer bietet. Anschließend werden die Verbesserungen bei der Ressourceneffizienz und die Reduzierung der Kohlendioxidemissionen durch eine Lebenszyklusanalyse bewertet.
Innovative Design- und Fertigungsstrategien zur Steigerung der Leichtbaupotenziale im Stahlbau
(2022)
Ziel des Verbundvorhabens „SmartWeld“ ist es, für die schweißtechnische Fertigung von Stahlbaustrukturen exemplarisch am Beispiel von Hohlprofilknoten, welche als designrelevante Elemente von Gründungsstrukturen für Offshore-Windenergieanlagen (OWEA) einsetzbar sind, die Möglichkeiten des Leichtbaus unter konsequenter Digitalisierung der Fertigungskette aufzuzeigen, um einerseits die Ressourceneffizienz zu forcieren und gleichzeitig wettbewerbsfähige Fertigungsstrategien aufzuzeigen.
Innerhalb von „SmartWeld“ werden daher die Möglichkeiten einer wirtschaftlichen Fertigung von Leichtbau-Gründungsstrukturen am Beispiel aufgelöster Tragstrukturen (Jackets) aufgezeigt. Eine lastgerechte Auslegung der Schweißverbindungen nach bionischen Prinzipien ermöglicht, weitere Einsparpotenziale an Ressourcen bei gleichzeitiger Erhöhung der Lebensdauer zu erschließen.
Die Ausnutzung konstruktiver Prinzipien des Leichtbaus zur Erzeugung innovativer und ressourcenschonender Produkte erfordert den Einsatz digitaler Werkzeuge in der Designphase, der virtuellen Absicherung, der Fertigung und Qualitätsüberwachung sowie nachgelagerten Bauteilprüfung zur Abbildung der Nutzungsphase. Im Rahmen der Arbeiten wird daher der gesamte Produktentstehungs- und Prüfprozess betrachtet. Dies beinhaltet das Design im Kontext des konstruktiven Leichtbaus, den schweißtechnischen Fertigungsprozess, die Bauteilprüfung sowie den Transfer der Ergebnisse in die Industrie durch serientaugliche Demonstratoren. Der Fokus der Arbeiten ist, die Fertigung auch im Umfeld eines für großskalige Stahlstrukturen üblichen hohen Individualisierungsgrades schweißtechnisch zu automatisieren und das Leichtbaupotenzial gezielt umzusetzen. Die Vorgaben aus der Designphase hinsichtlich einer lastgerechten Gestaltung bzw. Implementierung bionischer Ansätze können so gezielt durch einen adaptiven, automatisierten Schweißprozess eingestellt werden. Dies führt zu einer Erhöhung der Ermüdungs¬festigkeit und damit Produktlebensdauer, wodurch die Strukturen dünnwandiger ausgeführt und Ressourcen sowie CO2 eingespart werden können.
Innovative Design- und Fertigungsstrategien zur Steigerung der Leichtbaupotenziale im Stahlbau
(2022)
Ziel des Verbundvorhabens „SmartWeld“ ist es, für die schweißtechnische Fertigung von Stahlbaustrukturen exemplarisch am Beispiel von Hohlprofilknoten, welche als designrelevante Elemente von Gründungsstrukturen für Offshore-Windenergieanlagen (OWEA) einsetzbar sind, die Möglichkeiten des Leichtbaus unter konsequenter Digitalisierung der Fertigungskette aufzuzeigen, um einerseits die Ressourceneffizienz zu forcieren und gleichzeitig wettbewerbsfähige Fertigungsstrategien aufzuzeigen.
Innerhalb von „SmartWeld“ werden daher die Möglichkeiten einer wirtschaftlichen Fertigung von Leichtbau-Gründungsstrukturen am Beispiel aufgelöster Tragstrukturen (Jackets) aufgezeigt. Eine lastgerechte Auslegung der Schweißverbindungen nach bionischen Prinzipien ermöglicht, weitere Einsparpotenziale an Ressourcen bei gleichzeitiger Erhöhung der Lebensdauer zu erschließen.
Die Ausnutzung konstruktiver Prinzipien des Leichtbaus zur Erzeugung innovativer und ressourcenschonender Produkte erfordert den Einsatz digitaler Werkzeuge in der Designphase, der virtuellen Absicherung, der Fertigung und Qualitätsüberwachung sowie nachgelagerten Bauteilprüfung zur Abbildung der Nutzungsphase. Im Rahmen der Arbeiten wird daher der gesamte Produktentstehungs- und Prüfprozess betrachtet. Dies beinhaltet das Design im Kontext des konstruktiven Leichtbaus, den schweißtechnischen Fertigungsprozess, die Bauteilprüfung sowie den Transfer der Ergebnisse in die Industrie durch serientaugliche Demonstratoren. Der Fokus der Arbeiten ist, die Fertigung auch im Umfeld eines für großskalige Stahlstrukturen üblichen hohen Individualisierungsgrades schweißtechnisch zu automatisieren und das Leichtbaupotenzial gezielt umzusetzen. Die Vorgaben aus der Designphase hinsichtlich einer lastgerechten Gestaltung bzw. Implementierung bionischer Ansätze können so gezielt durch einen adaptiven, automatisierten Schweißprozess eingestellt werden. Dies führt zu einer Erhöhung der Ermüdungs¬festigkeit und damit Produktlebensdauer, wodurch die Strukturen dünnwandiger ausgeführt und Ressourcen sowie CO2 eingespart werden können.
Innovative Design- und Fertigungsstrategien zur Steigerung der Leichtbaupotenziale im Stahlbau
(2022)
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 presentation 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.
The high amount of resource consumption of fusion welding processes offers the potential to reduce their environmental impact. While the driving forces are known froma qualitative perspective, the quantitative assessment of the crucial parameters is not a trivial task. Therefore, herein, a welding-specific methodology to utilize life cycle assessment as a tool for evaluating the environmental impact of fusion welding processes is presented. In this context, two welding processes, resistance spot welding and laser beam welding, are analyzed for two different use cases.
These comprise the welding of shear test specimens and a cap profile made of electrogalvanized sheets of DC 05þ ZE (1.0312) as representative of an automotive application. For both welding processes, the main influences on the resulting environmental impact categories are evaluated and compared. The requirements for ecological efficient welding processes are discussed and implemented.
Ein wesentliches Ziel der deutschen Industriepolitik besteht darin, Rahmenbedingungen zu schaffen, welche die Positionierung nachhaltiger Produkte und Prozesse innerhalb globaler Wertschöpfungsketten ermöglichen und ökoeffiziente Fertigungsprozesse langfristig sichern. In diesem Beitrag werden aktuelle Forschungsarbeiten zur Bewertung der Umweltwirkungen der schweißtechnischen Fertigungskette anhand ausgewählter Schmelzschweißverfahren unter Berücksichtigung vor- sowie nachgelagerter Fertigungsschritte dargestellt. Eine weit verbreitete und standardisierte Methode zur Abschätzung der Umweltwirkungen eines Produkts oder Prozesses ist die Ökobilanzierung. Hierbei stellen die Sachbilanzierung, das heißt die Ermittlung sämtlicher relevanter Energie- und Ressourcenverbräuche während der schweißtechnischen Fertigung, aufgrund des hohen Dokumentationsaufwands, sowie die Ableitung assoziierter Wirkkategorien das größte Hindernis für eine Etablierung und Akzeptanz der Ökobilanzierung in der Praxis dar. Gleichwohl wird seitens Unternehmen, welche als Zulieferer von OEM’s (engl.: original equipment manufacturer) agieren, die Dokumentation des fertigungsspezifischen CO2-Verbrauches gefordert. Ein weiterer Aspekt der Arbeiten beinhaltet Methoden zur automatisierten Erfassung von schweißtechnischen Produktionsdaten sowie deren Nachverfolgbarkeit. Anhand unterschiedlicher Schweißverfahren werden die aus den Produktionsdaten abgeleiteten Energie- und Ressourcenverbräuche automatisiert in die relevanten Umweltwirkungen überführt. Die analysierten Schweißprozesse umfassen dabei ein breites für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) relevantes Spektrum. Durch die softwareseitige Bereitstellung der aufgestellten Umweltprofile ist der Anwender in der Lage, Schweißprozesse unter ökologischen Aspekten zu bewerten und die effizienteste Variante zu identifizieren.
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.
An accurate and efficient description of the spatial distribution of laser energy is a crucial factor for the modeling of laser material processing, e.g., laser welding, laser cutting, or laser-based additive manufacturing. In this study, a 3D heat transfer and fluid flow model coupled with the volume-of-fluid algorithm for free surface tracking is developed for the simulation of molten pool dynamics in high-power laser beam welding. The underlying laser-material interactions, i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by a raytracing method. Two strategies of free surface reconstruction used in the ray-tracing method are investigated: a typical piecewise linear interface calculation (PLIC)-based method and a novel localized level-set method. The PLIC-based method is discrete, resulting in noncontinuous free surface reconstruction. In the localized level-set method, a continuous free surface is reconstructed, and, thus, the exact reflection points can be determined. The calculated spatial laser energy distribution and the corresponding molten pool dynamics from the two methods are analyzed and compared. The obtained numerical results are evaluated with experimental measurements to assure the validity of the proposed model. It is found that distinct patterns of the beam multiple reflections are obtained with the different free surface reconstructions, which shows significant influence not only on the molten pool behaviors but also on the localized keyhole dynamics.
An accurate and efficient description of the spatial distribution of laser energy is a crucial factor for the modeling of laser material processing, e.g., laser welding, laser cutting, or laser-based additive manufacturing. In this study, a 3D heat transfer and fluid flow model coupled with the volume-of-fluid algorithm for free surface tracking is developed for the simulation of molten pool dynamics in high-power laser beam welding. The underlying laser-material interactions, i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by a ray-tracing method. Two strategies of free surface reconstruction used in the ray-tracing method are investigated: a typical piecewise linear interface calculation (PLIC)-based method and a novel localized Level-Set method. The PLIC-based method is discrete, resulting in non-continuous free surface reconstruction. In the localized Level-Set method, a continuous free surface is reconstructed, and thus the exact reflection points can be determined. The calculated spatial laser energy distribution and the corresponding molten pool dynamics from the two methods are analyzed and compared. The obtained numerical results are evaluated with experimental measurements to assure the validity of the proposed model. It is found that distinct patterns of the beam multiple reflections are obtained with the different free surface reconstructions, which shows significant influence not only on the molten pool behaviors but also on the localized keyhole dynamics.
Element transport in the wire feed laser beam welding (WFLBW) is directly determined by the molten pool shape and thermo-fluid flow therein. In this paper, an untypical molten pool profile, i.e., elongated at its top and bottom but narrowed at the middle, is found experimentally by real-time metal/glass observa- tion and numerically by multi-physical modeling. Ex-situ X-ray fluorescence element mapping is used to characterize the element dilution status in the fusion zone. For the first time, the detrimental influence of the molten pool narrowing on the element transport is identified and discussed, combining the exper- imental and numerical results. A magnetohydrodynamic technique is utilized to suppress the narrowing, aiming at a more homogenous element distribution. It is found that due to the interaction of the two dominant circulations from the top and bottom regions of the molten pool, a low-temperature region is formed. It leads to an untypical growth of the mushy zone, narrowing the molten pool in the middle re- gion. Its detrimental effect on material mixing is non-negligible considering the direct blocking effect on the downward flow and the premature solidification at the middle region. The Lorentz force from a trans- verse oscillating magnetic field can change the flow pattern into a single-circulation type. The downward transfer channel is widened, and its premature solidification is prevented because the low-temperature- gradient region is mitigated. This paper provides a supplementary reason regarding the common issue of insufficient material mixing during LBW, and a promising technique to optimize the process.
Funktional gradierte Materialien auf Basis von Stellite und Stahl im Laserpulver-Auftragschweißen
(2022)
Das Hinzufügen von Stellite auf Stahl ist eine typische Vorgehensweise um Bauteile gegen Verschleiß und Korrosion zu schützen. Der Sprung in den Materialeigenschaften kann jedoch zu Rissen und somit zum Versagen der Beschichtung führen. Um die Lebensdauer von Beschichtungen zu erhöhen wird daher ein gradierter Übergang mit verschiedenen Materialpaarungen untersucht.
Directed energy deposition (DED) has been in industrial use as a coating process for many years. Modern applications include the repair of existing components and additive manufacturing. The main advantages of DED are high deposition rates and low energy input. However, the process is influenced by a variety of parameters affecting the component quality. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) offer the possibility of mapping complex processes such as DED. They can serve as a tool for predicting optimal process parameters and quality characteristics. Previous research only refers to weld beads: a transferability to additively manufactured three-dimensional components has not been investigated. In the context of this work, an ANN is generated based on 86 weld beads. Quality categories (poor, medium, and good) are chosen as target variables to combine several quality features. The applicability of this categorization compared to conventional characteristics is discussed in detail. The ANN predicts the quality category of weld beads with an average accuracy of 81.5%. Two randomly generated parameter sets predicted as “good” by the network are then used to build tracks, coatings,walls, and cubes. It is shown that ANN trained with weld beads are suitable for complex parameter predictions in a limited way.
Prognose von Qualitätsmerkmalen durch Anwendung von KI-Methoden beim Directed 10 Energy Deposition
(2022)
Dieser Beitrag enthält die Ergebnisse eines im Rahmen der DVS Forschung entwickelten Ansatzes zur Qualitätssicherung im Directed Energy Deposition. Es basiert auf der Verarbeitung verschiedener während des Prozesses gesammelter Sensordaten unter Anwendung Künstlicher Neuronale Netze (KNN). So ließen sich die Qualitätsmerkmale Härte und Dichte auf der Datenbasis von 50 additiv gefertigten Probenwürfel mit einer Abweichung < 2 % vorhersagen. Des Weiteren wurde die Übertragbarkeit des KNN auf eine Schaufelgeometrie untersucht. Auch hier ließen sich Härte und Dichte hervorragend prognostizieren (Abweichung < 1,5 %), sodass der Ansatz als validiert betrachtet werden kann.
The Directed Energy Deposition process is used in a wide range of applications including the repair, coating or modification of existing structures and the additive manufacturing of individual parts. As the process is frequently applied in the aerospace industry, the requirements for quality assurance are extremely high. Therefore, more and more sensor systems are being implemented for process monitoring. To evaluate the generated data, suitable methods must be developed. A solution, in this context, was the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs). This article demonstrates how measurement data can be used as input data for ANNs. The measurement data were generated using a pyrometer, an emission spectrometer, a camera (Charge-Coupled Device) and a laser scanner. First, a concept for the extraction of relevant features from dynamic measurement data series was presented. The developed method was then applied to generate a data set for the
quality prediction of various geometries, including weld beads, coatings and cubes. The results were compared to ANNs trained with process parameters such as laser power, scan speed and powder mass flow. It was shown that the use of measurement data provides additional value. Neural networks trained with measurement data achieve significantly higher prediction accuracy, especially for more complex geometries.
The Directed Energy Deposition process is used in a wide range of applications including the repair, coating or modification of existing structures and the additive manufacturing of individual parts. As the process is frequently applied in the aerospace industry, the requirements for quality assurance are extremely high. Therefore, more and more sensor systems are being implemented for process monitoring. To evaluate the generated data, suitable methods must be developed. A solution, in this context, was the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs). This article demonstrates how measurement data can be used as input data for ANNs. The measurement data were generated using a pyrometer, an emission spectrometer, a camera (Charge-Coupled Device) and a laser scanner. First, a concept for the extraction of relevant features from dynamic measurement data series was presented. The developed method was then applied to generate a data set for the quality prediction of various geometries, including weld beads, coatings and cubes. The results were compared to ANNs trained with process parameters such as laser power, scan speed and powder mass flow. It was shown that the use of measurement data provides additional value. Neural networks trained with measurement data achieve significantly higher prediction accuracy, especially for more complex geometries.
With additive manufacturing in the powder bed, the component size is limited by the installation space. Joint welding of additively manufactured parts offers a possibility to remove this size limitation. However, due to the specific stress and microstructure state in the additively built material, it is unclear to what extent existing evaluation rules of joint welding are also suitable for welds on additive components. This is investigated using laser beam welding of additively manufactured pipe joints. The welds are evaluated by means of visual inspection, metallographic examinations as well as computed tomography. The types of defects found are comparable to conventional components. This is an indicator that existing evaluation regulations also map the possible defects occurring for weld seams on additive components.
This article presents a cost-effective and reliable method for welding 30 mm thick sheets of shipbuilding steel EH36. The method proposes to perform butt welding in a two-run technique using hybrid laser arc welding (HLAW) and submerged arc welding (SAW). The HLAW is performed as a partial penetration weld with a penetration depth of approximately 25 mm. The SAWis carried out as a second run on the opposite side. With a SAWpenetration depth of 8 mm, the weld cross-section is closed with the reliable intersection of both passes. The advantages of the proposed welding method are: no need for forming of the HLAW root; the SAW pass can effectively eliminate pores in the HLAWroot; the high stability of the welding process regarding the preparation quality of the weld edges. Plasma cut edges can be welded without lack of fusion defects. The weld quality achieved is confirmed by destructive tests.
Ensuring the required mechanical-technological properties of welds is a critical issue in the application of multi-wire submerged arc welding processes for welding high-strength fine-grained steels. Excessive heat input is one of the main causes for microstructural zones with deteriorated mechanical properties of the welded joint, such as a reduced notched impact strength and a lower structural robustness. A process variant is proposed which reduces the weld volume as well as the heat input by adjusting the welding wire configuration as well as the energetic parameters of the arcs, while retaining the advantages of multiwire submerged arc welding such as high process stability and production speed.
size limitations and high production costs of L-PBF make it competitive for smaller, highly complex components, while the less complex elements of an assembly are manufactured conventionally. This leads to scenarios that use L-PBF only where it’s beneficial, and it require an integration and joining to form the final product. For example, L-PBF combustion swirlers are welded onto cast parts to produce combustion systems for stationary gas turbines. Today, the welding process requires complex welding fixtures and tack welds to ensure the correct alignment and positioning of the parts for repeatable weld results. In this paper, L-PBF and milled weld preparations are presented as a way to simplify the Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding of rotationally symmetrical geometries using integrated features for alignment and fixation. Pipe specimens with the proposed designs are manufactured in Inconel 625 using L-PBF and milling. The pipe assembly is tested and TIG welding is performed for validation. 3D scans of the pipes before and after welding are evaluated, and the weld quality is examined via metallography and computed tomography (CT) scans. All welds produced in this study passed the highest evaluation group B according to DIN 5817. Thanks to good component alignment, safe handling, and a stable welding process, the developed designs eliminate the need for part-specific fixtures, simplify the process chain, and increase the process reliability. The results are applicable to a wide range of components with similar requirements.
Die Beschichtung hochfester Stahlfeinbleche beeinflusst das Auftreten von flüssigmetallinduzierter Rissbildung (LME). Daher wurden in dieser Arbeit industrieübliche Beschichtungen bei gleichem Grundwerkstoff hinsichtlich ihres Aufbaus und chemischer Zusammensetzung charakterisiert und bezüglich ihrer LME Anfälligkeit untersucht. Aus dieser vergleichenden Untersuchung heraus wurden Potentiale für die Widerstandsfähigkeit gegen LME identifiziert. Diese Potentiale werden experimentell durch den Einsatz einer von der Forschungsstelle entwickelten Methode überprüft. Gegenstand der Untersuchungen waren neben unbeschichteten Proben industrieübliche Zinküberzüge wie Elektrolytisch verzinkt, Feuerverzinkt, Galvannealed und Zink-Magnesium Beschichtungen.
Die LME Anfälligkeit dieser unterschiedlichen Überzüge wird mit einem Schweißen unter Zugbelastung Versuchsaufbau untersucht. Dabei ergibt sich die resultierende Anfälligkeit aus den auftretenden Risslängen und der Auftrittswahrscheinlichkeit von LME bei den einzelnen Versuchen. Es konnte eine LME Anfälligkeits-Rangfolge für die Zinküberzüge festgestellt werden. Zink-Magnesium Beschichtungen galten als besonders LME Anfällig, gefolgt von Feuerverzinkt und Galvannealed. Die größte LME Resistenz wurde bei elektrolytisch verzinkten Proben festgestellt.
Aus den Ergebnissen werden Handlungsempfehlungen zur Erhöhung der Verarbeitungssicherheit bzw. Schweißpunktqualität abgeleitet.
Motivated by the loss of tensile strength in 9%Ni steel arc-welded joints performed using commercially available Ni-based austenitic filler metals, the viability of retaining tensile strength using an experimentally produced matching ferritic filler metal was confirmed. Compared to the austenitic Ni-based filler metal (685 MPa), higher tensile strength in gas metal arc (GMA) welded joints was achieved using a ferritic filler metal (749 MPa) due to its microstructure being similar to the base metal (645 MPa). The microstructure of hard martensite resulted in an impact energy of 71 J (-196 °C), which was two times higher than the specified minimum value of _>34 J. The
tensile and impact strength of the welded joint is affected not only by its microstructure, but also by the degree of its mechanical mismatch depending on the type of filler metal. Welds with a harder microstructure and less mechanical mismatch are important for achieving an adequate combination of tensile strength and notched impact strength. This is achievable with the cost-effective ferritic filler metal. A more desirable combination of mechanical properties is guaranteed by applying low preheating temperature (200 °C), which is a more practicable and economical solution compared to the high post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) temperature (580 °C) suggested by other research.
During resistance spot welding of zinc-coated advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs) for automotive production, liquid metal embrittlement (LME) cracking may occur in the event of a combination of various unfavorable influences. In this study, the interactions of different welding current levels and weld times on the tendency for LME cracking in third-generation AHSSs were investigated. LME manifested itself as high penetration cracks around the circumference of the spot welds for welding currents closely below the expulsion limit. At the same time, the observed tendency for LME cracking showed no direct correlation with the overall heat input of the investigated welding processes. To identify a reliable indicator of the tendency for LME cracking, the local strain rate at the origin of the observed cracks was analyzed over the course of the welding process via finite element simulation. While the local strain rate showed a good correlation with the process-specific LME cracking tendency, it was difficult to interpret due to its discontinuous course. Therefore, based on the experimental measurement of electrode displacement during welding, electrode indentation velocity was proposed as a descriptive indicator for quantifying cracking tendency.
With regard to efficient production, it is desirable to combine the respective advantages of additively and conventionally manufactured components. Particularly in the case of large-volume components that also include filigree or complex structures, it makes sense to divide the overall part into individual elements, which afterwards have to be joined by welding.
The following research represents a first step in fundamentally investigating and characterizing the joint welding of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) components made of Inconel 718. For this purpose, bead-on-plate welds were performed on plates manufactured using the L-PBF process and compared with the conventionally manufactured material. Conventional laser beam welding was used as welding process. The weld geometry was investigated as a function of the L-PBF build-up orientation. It was found that the welding depth and weld geometry differ depending on this orientation and in comparison to the conventional material.
Solidification cracking is still a serious problem in laser beam welding, especially in the welding of thick-walled plates. The influence of weld pool geometry on solidification cracking in partial penetration welding of thick plates is investigated within scope of this study. Therefore, a specific experimental setup of steel and quartz glass in butt configuration and on the side with high-speed camera were used to record the weld pool shape. In addition, the influence of laser inclination angle on the weld pool geometry and on solidification crack formation was investigated. The results show a bulge in the weld pool root, which is separated from an upper region by a necking region. This leads to a case where there are three different longitudinal region lengths with different solidification zones. This temporal sequence of solidification strongly promotes the formation of solidification cracks in the weld root.
This study presents mechanisms of the evolution of a narrowed region in the weld pool center during deep penetration laser beam welding. In numerous numerical studies presented in this study, it was also found that the local reduction of the weld pool size can cause detrimental effects on the melt flow behavior and the resulting properties of the welds. A particularly large influence of this effect was identified in three aspects. Firstly, the local variation of the solidification sequence of the weld pool causes an increase in the hot-cracking susceptibility due to a locally delayed solidification. Secondly, it was proven that a change in the local length and width of the weld pool is associated with an adverse impact on the potential flow routes of the molten material that induces stronger local variations of its solidification. Thus, the element mixing, e.g. during the welding with filler materials, is blocked. This leads to a non-homogeneous chemical composition of the final weld and can cause undesired effects on the final material properties. Finally, another observed effect is related to the reduced ability of process pores to reach the top surface. As this type of porosity is usually produced around the keyhole tip, the change of the fluid flow regime above this area plays a significant role in determining the final path of the pores until the premature solidification in the middle of the weld pool captures them. This study summarizes mainly numerical results which were supported by selected experimental validation results.
Herein, an improved ray-tracing routine using a virtual mesh refinement approach is adopted in a 3D transientmultiphysics computational fluid Dynamics model for deep penetration wire feed laser beam welding. In a previous study, it was shown that the improved localization of the reflection points of the subrays within the keyhole leads to a more realistic development of the keyhole Depth being validated with experimental results. Another effect investigated in Detail herein is a drastic change in the flow behavior in the weld pool, which promotes the occurrence of a necking area in the solidification line and subsequent bulging under specific circumstances. This has a detrimental effect on the filler material element transport in the weld pool, leading to an inhomogeneous dilution of the added material. The numerical observations are backed up by experimentally obtained data, allowing to provide a clear physics-based explanation of the reduced mixing behavior of the filler wire in the melt pool.
This study presents mechanisms of the evolution of a narrowed region in the weld pool center during deep penetration laser beam welding. In numerous numerical studies presented in this study, it was also found that the local reduction of the weld pool size can cause detrimental effects on the melt flow behavior and the resulting properties of the welds. A particularly large influence of this effect was identified in three aspects. First, the local variation of the solidification sequence of the weld pool causes an increase in the hot-cracking susceptibility due to a locally delayed solidification. Second, it was proven that a change in the local length and width of the weld pool is associated with an adverse impact on the potential flow routes of the molten material that induces stronger local variations of its solidification. Thus, the element mixing, e.g., during the welding with filler materials, is blocked. This leads to a non-homogeneous chemical composition of the final weld and can cause undesired effects on the final material properties. Finally, another observed effect is related to the reduced ability of process pores to reach the top surface. As this type of porosity is usually produced around the keyhole tip, the change of the fluid flow regime above this area plays a significant role in determining the final path of the pores until the premature solidification in the middle of the weld pool captures them. This study summarizes mainly numerical results that were supported by selected experimental validation results.
Laser beam welding is a widely used joining technique in many industrial applications. This is mainly due to its many unique advantages, especially compared to conventional arc welding processes. These advantages include, among others, highly concentrated energy deposition, low total heat input and a capacity to penetrate deep into the material while causing only small welding distortions.
However, at the same time, the small dimension of the laser spot, high solidification rates, and small dimensions of the weld pool itself can provoke issues regarding the assembly tolerances of the workpiece, the hot-cracking phenomena, as well as keyhole-induced bubbles escaping from the melt.
Weld pool shapes in laser beam welding are elongated at the external, free surfaces under the action of the main driving forces in the melt – such as recoil pressure and surface tension forces – while being shorter in the internal areas of the weld pool. This leads to a regular solidification sequence from the internal zones toward the free surfaces, e.g. from the bottom to the top in partial penetration welding. However, in recent studies reported in the literature and seen in the experimental and numerical investigations of BAM Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung in Berlin, it was found that an internal narrowing phenomenon can occur that is often accompanied by a distinct bulging of the weld bead in deeper zones.
As the internal behaviour of the melt during the process is hardly optically accessible, several numerical models and experimental techniques were established to visualise the mechanisms of the formation of the bulging and the narrowing phenomenon and to reveal the consequences on the solidification sequence, pore formation, and filler metal dilution.
Study on the transition behavior of the bulging effect during deep penetration laser beam welding
(2022)
The present work is devoted to the study of the transition behavior of the recently confirmed widening of the weld pool, known as the bulging effect, during high-power deep penetration laser beam welding of thick unalloyed steel sheets. A three-dimensional transient multi-physics numerical model is developed, allowing for the prediction of the bulge formation and the study of its temporal behavior. The model is generalized to account automatically for the transition from partial to complete penetration. Several experimental measurements and observations, such as drilling period, weld pool length, temperature, efficiency, and metallographic cross-sections are used to verify the model and assure the plausibility of the numerical results. The analysis of the calculated temperature and velocity distributions, as well as the evolution of the keyhole geometry, shows that the formation of a bulging region strongly depends on the penetration depth of the weld. Based on the numerical results, the bulge is found to occur transiently, having its transition from a slight bulge to a fully developed bulging between penetration depths of 6 mm and 9 mm, respectively.