Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten
Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Zeitschriftenartikel (147)
- Vortrag (108)
- Beitrag zu einem Tagungsband (45)
- Posterpräsentation (15)
- Dissertation (1)
- Forschungsdatensatz (1)
Sprache
- Englisch (317) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Laser beam welding (80)
- Additive manufacturing (31)
- Additive Manufacturing (26)
- Laser metal deposition (23)
- Thermography (21)
- Numerical simulation (20)
- Microstructure (19)
- Solidification cracking (17)
- Mechanical properties (14)
- Weld pool shape (14)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 9.3 Schweißtechnische Fertigungsverfahren (317) (entfernen)
Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (108)
The present Ph.D. thesis provides a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the bulging-cracking relationship in laser beam welding of thick unalloyed steel sheets. It focuses on experimentally proving the existence of the bulging region and on developing a coupled multiphysics mathematical framework to analyze its influence on the three critical factors controlling the susceptibility to solidification cracking, namely the thermal, metallurgical, and mechanical factors.
The research employs a novel experimental setup, utilizing a combination of transparent quartz glass and thick unalloyed steel sheet, enabling real-time visualization of the weld pool geometry and confirming the existence of a distinctive bulging region. To deepen the understanding of these experimental insights, an extensive multiphysics mathematical framework was developed and rigorously verified and validated. This framework introduces an innovative approach using Lamé curves for accurately describing complex three-dimensional weld pool geometries, including the bulging region's characteristics. Through analytical solutions and numerical procedures, it facilitates the computation of solidification parameters, which are crucial for understanding the metallurgical aspects of crack formation. The framework also incorporates a mechanical model to assess and evaluate the local stress distribution within the bulging region.
The findings indicate that an elongated, sharply shaped bulging region significantly increases the susceptibility to solidification cracking. This is attributed to its adverse impact on the distribution and local dwell time of liquid metal residing at grain boundaries during solidification, combined with the localized tensile stresses identified in the bulging region.
In essence, this research contributes to the broader understanding of solidification cracking in laser beam welding of thick unalloyed steel sheets, with a particular focus on the bulging region. The insights and methodologies developed in this thesis are valuable for future research and advancements in the application of the laser beam welding technology for joining high-thickness unalloyed steel components.
A fundamental study of physical mechanisms of wineglass-shaped fusion zone profile in laser melting
(2024)
The fusion zone geometry in laser melting processes e.g., laser welding and laser-based additive manufacturing, of metallic materials has commonly a wineglass-shaped profile which is critical to the grain orientation and stress distribution. Hereby, we adopt for the first time a decoupling work through a combination of multi-physics modelling and experiments to reveal the fundamental mechanisms of this special morphology. Two physicsbased easy-to-use metal vapour models are proposed to consider the vapour’s momentum and thermal effects separately. It is found that the direct laser energy absorption and Marangoni shear stress which are widely hypothesised to dominate the wineglass-shape formation show only a minor influence. The additional heating from the metallic vapour plume rather than its momentum impact contributes predominantly to the enlarging of the molten pool top region, resulting directly in the formation of the wineglass-shaped fusion zone. The generality of the plume heating effect is also validated in two types of materials (steel and Al) in a wide range of parameters.
Despite the advances in hardware and software techniques, standard numerical methods fail in providing real-time simulations, especially for complex processes such as additive manufacturing applications. A real-time simulation enables process control through the combination of process monitoring and automated feedback, which increases the flexibility and quality of a process. Typically, before producing a whole additive manufacturing structure, a simplified experiment in the form of a beadon-plate experiment is performed to get a first insight into the process and to set parameters suitably. In this work, a reduced order model for the transient thermal problem of the bead-on-plate weld simulation is developed, allowing an efficient model calibration and control of the process. The proposed approach applies the proper generalized decomposition (PGD) method, a popular model order reduction technique, to decrease the computational effort of each model evaluation required multiple times in parameter estimation, control, and optimization. The welding torch is modeled by a moving heat source, which leads to difficulties separating space and time, a key ingredient in PGD simulations. A novel approach for separating space and time is applied and extended to 3D problems allowing the derivation of an efficient separated representation of the temperature.
The results are verified against a standard finite element model showing excellent agreement. The reduced order model is also leveraged in a Bayesian model parameter estimation setup, speeding up calibrations and ultimately leading to an optimized real-time simulation approach for welding experiment using synthetic as well as real measurement data.
Direct energy deposition additive manufacturing technologies utilizing an electric arc offer a great potential in generating large volume metal components. However, the selection of process parameters that yield the desired near net shape design as well as the requested mechanical component behavior is not a trivial task due to the complex relationship. Exemplarily for additive manufacturing of high-strength precipitation hardening AlMgSi-aluminum alloy this paper shows the application of a newly developed matching solid welding wire doped with TiB as grain refiner. The correlation between process parameters and component quality is examined analyzing the size and distribution of pores as well as the grain morphology. Furthermore, the influences of different post-weld heat treatments are evaluated to meet the reference mechanical properties of the corresponding wrought material. Finally, the digital integration of the entire additive manufacturing chain enables an overall traceability of the relevant process steps which is the basis for a reliable subsequent quality assessment.
In manufacturing, fusion welding processes use a lot of resources, which presents an opportunity to reduce environmental impact. While there is a general understanding of the environmental impact of these processes, it is difficult to quantitatively assess key parameters. This study introduces a welding-specific methodology that uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impact of fusion welding technologies. Our approach analyses the main parameters that affect the environmental performance of different welding techniques, including traditional methods and additive manufacturing through the Direct Energy Deposition-Arc (DED-Arc) process. We integrate real-time resource usage data to offer an innovative framework for directly deriving environmental impacts. This research contributes to optimising welding processes by providing a precise and quantifiable measure of their ecological impact, facilitating the advancement of sustainable manufacturing practices.
Life cycle assessment of fusion welding processes considering upstream and downstream process steps
(2023)
In manufacturing, fusion welding processes consume significant resources, presenting a significant opportunity for reducing environmental impact. Although there is a qualitative understanding of the environmental implications of these processes, a quantitative assessment of key parameters remains complex. This study introduces a welding-specific methodology that employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantitatively evaluate the environmental footprint of fusion welding technologies. Our approach identifies and analyses the principal parameters affecting the environmental performance of various welding techniques, including traditional joint welding and additive manufacturing via the Direct Energy Deposition-Arc (DED-Arc) process. Real-time resource usage data is integrated to offer an innovative framework for directly deriving environmental impacts. This research contributes to optimising welding processes by providing a precise and quantifiable measure of their ecological impact. This facilitates the advancement of sustainable manufacturing practices.
Numerical and experimental assessment of liquid metal embrittlement in externally loaded spot welds
(2024)
Zinc-based surface coatings are widely applied with high-strength steels in automotive industry. Some of these base materials show an increased brittle cracking risk during loading. It is necessary to examine electrogalvanized and uncoated samples of a high strength steel susceptible to liquid metal embrittlement during spot welding with applied external load. Therefore, a newly developed tensile test method with a simultaneously applied spot weld is conducted. A fully coupled 3D electrical, thermal, metallurgical and mechanical finite element model depicting the resistant spot welding process combined with the tensile test conducted is mandatory to correct geometric influences of the sample geometry and provides insights into the sample’s time dependent local loading. With increasing external loads, the morphology of the brittle cracks formed is affected more than the crack depth. The validated finite element model applies newly developed damage indicators to predict and explain the liquid metal embrittlement cracking onset and development as well as even ductile failure.
Abstract
In the post-processing of large maritime components, a considerable amount of waste in the form of milling and grinding chips is produced. At the same time, additive manufacturing technologies have shown great potential in producing high-volume parts for maritime applications, allowing novel design approaches and short lead times. In this context, this study presents a sustainable approach to recycle and use aluminium bronze waste material, generated during post-processing of large cast ship propellers, as feedstock for laser-powder directed energy deposition. The recycling technology used to produce powder batches is inductive re-melting in combination with ultrasonic atomization. The derived metal powders are characterized using digital image analysis, powder flowability tests, scanning electron microscopy as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Compared to conventional metal powders produced by gas atomization, the recycled material shows excellent sphericity and a powder size distribution with a higher content of finer and coarser particles. Metallographic sections of deposited additively produced specimens show an increased hardness and reduced ductility, but also competitive densities and higher yield and ultimate tensile strength compared to cast material. The process chain shows high potential for the maritime sector to enable circular and sustainable manufacturing.
The main solidification parameters, namely the crystal axis, the growth rate, and the cross-sectional area of the columnar crystal control the primary microstructure and thus the final weld seam properties.
Limited understanding of solidification parameters due to complexities in experimental and theoretical weld pool boundary determination and
its mathematical description.
Application of local Lamé curves for efficient weld pool boundary reconstruction Derivation of general analytical solutions for the main solidification parameters of a two-dimensional columnar crystal growth during laser beam welding of thin steel sheets.
The Lamé curves approximation technique was successfully applied for the reconstruction of the rear part of the two-dimensional steady-state weld pool boundary. General analytical expressions for the main solidification parameters, namely the crystal axis, the growth rate and the cross-sectional area of the crystal were derived.
The derived expressions and herewith obtained results were verified and validated by comparing them to known theoretical solutions and experimental measurements. Dimensionless analysis of the influence of the size and shape of the rear weld pool boundary on the solidification parameters was provided.
The derived general solutions and the analysis provided allow for critical welding parameters to be estimated and adapted accordingly to improve the welding process.
The laser hybrid welding process offers many advantages such as the high penetration depth and high welding speed, and it is characterized by its low heat input compared to the arc-based welding processes, which makes the laser hybrid welding process as a suitable alternative process when welding thick-walled steels. However, there are some challenges when using laser hybrid welding process for thick steels. Due to the uneven cooling conditions and the inhomogeneous filler wire mixing, a typical laser hybrid weld can be divided into two different zones over the depth: the arc-dominated zone on the upper part and the laser-dominated zone in the root part. This leads to different mechanical properties in a laser hybrid welded joint. Due to the high cooling rates and the lack of filler wire in the laser-dominated zone, this area is more critical regarding the mechanical properties, especially the Charpy impact toughness. A low heat input can lead to undesired microstructure consisting of martensite, hardening and deteriorated impact toughness due to the high cooling rate, where higher heat inputs can lead to grain-coarsening and even loss of impact strength. This study deals with the influence of the welding speed and resulting heat input on the cooling rates, the microstructure and the mechanical properties of single-pass laser hybrid welded steels of S355J2 with thickness up to 30 mm. The experiments were performed with a 20-kW fibre laser system and a contactless electromagnetic weld backing on up to 30 mm thick steels in butt-joint configuration in 1G welding position. The cooling time was measured in three different locations near to fusion lines corresponding to different heights of the seam using a special configuration with pyrometers, collimators, and optical fibres. The test specimens for the Charpy impact testing and tensile testing were extracted in up to three different depths. Based on the experiments, a heat input of 1.3 kJ/mm - 1.6 kJ/mm, 2 kJ/mm - 2.4 kJ/mm and 3.7 kJ/mm were recommended when single-pass laser hybrid welding of 20 mm, 25 mm and 30 mm thick structural steels in regard to the minimum requirements of the mechanical properties, respectively. The optical measurement of the cooling times in different depths could be carried out reproducibly.
The effect of the oscillating metal vapor plume on the keyhole and molten pool behavior during the laser beam welding of AlMg3 aluminum alloys is investigated by the experimental and numerical method. The real-time height of the metal vapor plume is measured by high-speed camera observation. The obtained experimental results are used to evaluate the additional heating source and laser beam attenuation caused by the scattering and absorption based on the Beer-Lambert theory. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior of the metal vapor plume is incorporated into a 3D transient heat transfer and fluid flow model, coupled with the ray tracing method, for the laser beam welding of the AlMg3 alloy. It is found that the additional heating resulting from the scattered and absorbed laser beam energy by the metal vapor plume significantly expands the shape of the molten pool on the top region. Moreover, the oscillating metal vapor plume caused the fluctuation of the molten pool shape. The probability of keyhole collapse at the bottom increases significantly to 72% due to the oscillating laser power induced by the laser beam attenuation. The internal interplay between the metal vapor plume, molten pool shape, and the keyhole collapse are obtained. The developed model has been validated by the experiments, which shows a good agreement.
Through experimental observation and auxiliary numerical simulation, this investigation studies the different types of grain refinement of 5754 aluminum alloy laser beam welding by applying a transverse oscillating magnetic field. Scanning electron microscope results have proved that the application of a magnetic field can reduce the average crystal branch width and increase its number. The interaction between the induced eddy current generated by the Seebeck effect and the applied external magnetic field produces a Lorentz force, which is important for the increase of the number of crystal branches. Based on the theory of dendrite fragmentation and the magnetic field-induced branches increment, the grain size reduction caused by the magnetic field is studied. Furthermore, the effects of the magnetic field are analyzed by combining a phase field method model and simulations of nucleation and grain growth. The grain distribution and average grain size after welding verifies the reliability of the model. In addition, the introduction of a magnetic field can increase the number of periodic three-dimensional solidification patterns. In the intersection of two periods of solidification patterns, the metal can be re-melted and then re-solidified, which prevents the grains that have been solidified and formed previously from further growth and generates some small cellular grains in the new fusion line. The magnetic field increases the building frequency of these solidification structures and thus promotes this kind of grain refinement.
The weld quality and the possible defect formation are directly determined by the weld pool shape and the thermo-fluid dynamics therein. In this paper, an untypical weld pool profile, i.e., elongated at its top and bottom but narrowed at the middle, is found experimentally and numerically in the wire feed laser beam welding. The detrimental influence of the weld pool narrowing on the element transport is analyzed and discussed. A magnetohydrodynamic technique is utilized to suppress the narrowing, aiming at a more homogenous element distribution. It is found that a low-temperature region is formed in the middle of the weld pool due to the interaction of the two dominant circulations from the top and bottom regions. The weld pool is significantly narrowed due to the untypical growth of the mushy zone in the low-temperature region, which results in a direct blocking effect on the downward flow and the premature solidification in the middle region. The Lorentz force produced by a transverse oscillating magnetic field shows the potential to change the flow pattern into a single-circulation type and the low-temperature-gradient region is mitigated.
Therefore, the downward transfer channel is widened, and its premature solidification is prevented. The numerical results are well validated by experimental measurements of metal/glass observation and X-ray fluorescence element mapping.
Numerical analysis of ultrasonic vibration enhanced friction stir welding of dissimilar Al/Mg alloys
(2023)
The ultrasonic vibration enhanced friction stir welding (UVeFSW) process has unique advantages in joining dissimilar Al/Mg alloys. While there are complex coupling mechanisms of multi-fields in the process, it is of great significance to model this process, to reveal the influence mechanism of ultrasonic vibration on the formation of Al/Mg joints.
In this study, the acoustic-plastic constitutive equation was established by considering the influence of both ultrasonic softening and residual hardening on the flow stress at different temperatures and strain rates. And the ultrasonic induced friction reduction (UiFR) effect on friction coefficient in different relative directions at the FSW tool-workpiece interface was quantitatively calculated and analyzed.
The Al/Mg UVeFSW process model was developed through introducing the above acoustic effects into the model of Al/Mg friction stir welding (FSW). The ultrasonic energy is stronger on the aluminum alloy side. In the stirred zone, there is the pattern distribution of ultrasonic sound pressure and energy. The heat generation at the tool-workpiece contact interface and viscous dissipation were reduced after applying ultrasonic vibra-tion. Due to the UiFR effect, the projection of friction coefficient and heat flux distributions at the tool-workpiece interface present a "deformed" butterfly shape. The calculated results show that ultrasonic vibra-tion enhanced the material flow and promoted the mixing of dissimilar materials.
The contactless magnetohydrodynamic technology has been considered as a potential and promising method to improve the weld qualities of deep penetration laser beam welding. In this paper, numerical investigations are conducted to study the influence of the auxiliary oscillating magnetic field on the porosity suppression in laser beam welding of 5754 aluminum alloy. To obtain a deeper insight into the suppression mechanism, a three-dimensional transient multi-physical model is developed to calculate the heat transfer, fluid flow, keyhole dynamic, and magnetohydrodynamics. A ray tracing algorithm is employed to calculate the laser energy distribution on the keyhole wall. A time-averaged downward Lorentz force is produced by an oscillating magnetic field. This force acts in the molten pool, leading to a dominant downward flow motion in the longitudinal section, which blocks the bubble migration from the keyhole tip to the rear part of the molten pool. Therefore, the possibility for the bubbles to be captured by the solidification front is reduced. The electromagnetic expulsive force provides an additional upward escaping speed for the bubbles of 1 m/s ~ 5 m/s in the lower and middle region of the molten pool. The simulation results are in a good agreement with experimental measurements. Based on the results obtained in this study, a better understanding of the underlying physics in laser beam welding enhanced by an auxiliary oscillating magnetic field can be provided and thus the welding process can be further optimized reducing the porosity formation.
A three-dimensional numerical model was developed to accurately predict the steady-state weld pool shape in full penetration laser beam welding. The model accounts for the coupling between the heat transfer and the fluid dynamics by considering the effects of solid/liquid phase transition, thermo-capillary convection, natural convection, and phase-specific and temperature-dependent material properties up to the evaporation temperature. A fixed right circular cone was utilized as a keyhole geometry to consider the heat absorbed from the laser beam. The model was used to analyze the influence of the thermodynamic activity of solutes and turbulence on the weld pool shape. A mesh sensitivity analysis was performed on a hybrid mesh combining hexahedral and tetrahedral elements. For the case of full penetration laser beam welding of 8 mm thick unalloyed steel sheets, the dependence of the weld pool shape on the surface-active element sulfur was found to be negligible. The analysis of the results showed that a laminar formulation is sufficient for accurately predicting the weld pool shape since the turbulence has a minor impact on the flow dynamics in the weld pool. The validity of the numerical results was backed up by experimental measurements and observations, including weld pool length, local temperature history, and a range of metallographic crosssections.
Numerical study on the formation of a bulging region in partial penetration laser beam welding
(2023)
A transient three-dimensional thermo-fluid dynamics numerical model was developed to study the formation of a bulging region in partial penetration laser beam welding. The model accounts for the coupling between the fluid flow, the heat transfer, and the keyhole dynamics by considering the effects of multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption of the laser beam in the keyhole, the phase transitions during melting and evaporating, the thermo-capillary convection, the natural convection, and the phase-specific and temperature-dependent material properties up to the evaporation temperature. The validity of the model was backed up by experimentally obtained data, including the drilling time, the weld pool length, the local temperature history outside the weld pool, the process efficiency, and a range of metallographic crosssections.
The model was applied for the cases of partial penetration laser beam welding of 8 mm and 12 mm thick unalloyed steel sheets. The obtained experimental and numerical results reveal that the bulging region forms transiently depending on the penetration depth of the weld, showing a tendency to transition from a slight bulging to a fully developed bulging region between penetration depths of 6 mm and 9 mm, respectively.
Magnetohydrodynamic technology is increasingly recognized as a promising approach for enhancing the quality of deep penetration laser beam welding. This study employs experimental and numerical methods to investigate the effects of an auxiliary oscillating magnetic field on reducing porosity in the laser beam welding of 5754 aluminum alloy. The experimental results clearly demonstrate a significant reduction in the porosity ratio, thereby validating the efficacy of applying MHD technology in mitigating porosity during the laser beam welding process. In addition, a transient 3D multi-physical model has been developed, integrating the magnetohydrodynamic and metal vapor plume, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the porosity suppression mechanism. The introduction of an oscillating magnetic field generates a time-averaged downward Lorentz force. This Lorentz force, in turn, induces an electromagnetic expulsive force, which effectively increases the upward escape velocity of bubbles in the molten pool. Furthermore, the molten pool shape is significantly enlarged, which further facilitate the escape of bubbles. The simulation results agree well with the experimental results.
The effect of the oscillating metal vapor plume on the keyhole and molten pool behavior during the laser beam welding of AlMg3 aluminum alloys is investigated by experimental and numerical methods. The real-time height of the metal vapor plume is measured by high-speed camera observation. The obtained experimental results are used to evaluate the additional heating source and laser beam attenuation caused by the scattering and absorption based on the Beer–Lambert theory. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior of the metal vapor plume is incorporated into a 3D transient heat transfer and fluid flow model, coupled with the ray tracing method, for the laser beam welding of the AlMg3 alloy. It is found that additional heating resulting from the scattered and absorbed laser beam energy by the metal vapor plume significantly expands the shape of the molten pool on the top region. Moreover, the oscillating metal vapor plume caused the fluctuation of the high-temperature region in the molten pool. The probability of keyhole collapse at the bottom increases 17% due to the oscillating laser power induced by the laser beam attenuation. The internal interplay between the metal vapor plume, molten pool shape, and keyhole collapse is obtained. The developed model has been validated by experiments, which shows a good agreement.
The effect of the oscillating metal vapor plume on the keyhole and molten pool behavior during the laser beam welding of AlMg3 aluminum alloys is investigated by experimental and numerical methods. The real-time height of the metal vapor plume is measured by high-speed camera observation. The obtained experimental results are used to evaluate the additional heating source and laser beam attenuation caused by the scattering and absorption based on the Beer–Lambert theory. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior of the metal vapor plume is incorporated into a 3D transient heat transfer and fluid flow model, coupled with the ray tracing method, for the laser beam welding of the AlMg3 alloy. It is found that additional heating resulting from the scattered and absorbed laser beam energy by the metal vapor plume significantly expands the shape of the molten pool on the top region. Moreover, the oscillating metal vapor plume caused the fluctuation of the high-temperature region in the molten pool. The probability of keyhole collapse at the bottom increases 17% due to the oscillating laser power induced by the laser beam attenuation. The internal interplay between the metal vapor plume, molten pool shape, and keyhole collapse is obtained. The developed model has been validated by experiments, which shows a good agreement.
The amount of absorbed energy in the keyhole as well as its spatial and temporal distribution is essential to model the laser beam welding process. The recoil pressure, which develops because of the evaporation process induced by the absorbed laser energy at the keyhole wall, is a key determining factor for the macroscopic flow of the molten metal in the weld pool during high-power laser beam welding. Consequently, a realistic implementation of the effect of laser radiation on the weld metal is crucial to obtain reliable and accurate simulation results. In this paper, we discuss manyfold different improvements on the laser-material interaction, namely, the ray tracing method, in the numerical simulation of the laser beam welding process. The first improvement relates to locating the exact reflection points in the ray tracing method using a so-called cosine condition in the determination algorithm for the intersection of reflected rays and the keyhole surface. A second correction refers to the numerical treatment of the Gaussian distribution of the laser beam, whose beam width is defined by a decay of the laser intensity by a factor of 1/e2, thus ignoring around 14% of the total laser beam energy. In the third step, the changes in the laser radiation distribution in the vertical direction were adapted by using different approximations for the converging and the diverging regions of the laser beam, thus mimicking the beam caustic. Finally, a virtual mesh refinement was adopted in the ray tracing routine. The obtained numerical results were validated with experimental measurements.
The spatial laser energy absorption inside the keyhole is decisive for the dynamic molten pool behaviors and the resultant weld properties in high-power laser beam welding (LBW). In this paper, a numerical simulation of the LBW process, considering the 3D transient heat transfer, fluid flow, and keyhole dynamics, is implemented, in which the free surface is tracked by the volume-of-fluid algorithm. The underlying laser-material interactions i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by an advanced ray-tracing method based on a localized Level-Set strategy and a temperature-dependent absorption coefficient. The laser energy absorption is analyzed from a time-averaged point of view for a better statistical representation. It is found for the first time that a noticeable drop of the time-averaged laser energy absorption occurs at the focus position of the laser beam, and the rest region of the keyhole has relatively homogenous absorbed energy. This unique absorption pattern may lead to a certain keyhole instability and have a strong correlation with the detrimental bulging and narrowing phenomena in the molten pool. The influence of the different focus positions of the laser beam on the keyhole dynamics and molten pool profile is also analyzed and compared. The obtained numerical results are compared with experimental measurements to assure the validity of the proposed model.
The spatial laser energy absorption inside the keyhole is decisive for the dynamic molten pool behaviors and the resultant weld properties in high-power laser beam welding (LBW). In this paper, a numerical simulation of the LBW process, considering the 3D transient heat transfer, fluid flow, and keyhole dynamics, is implemented, in which the free surface is tracked by the volume-of-fluid algorithm. The underlying laser-material interactions i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by an advanced ray-tracing method based on a localized Level-Set strategy and a temperature-dependent absorption coefficient. The laser energy absorption is analyzed from a time-averaged point of view for a better statistical representation. It is found for the first time that a noticeable drop of the time-averaged laser energy absorption occurs at the focus position of the laser beam, and the rest region of the keyhole has relatively homogenous absorbed energy. This unique absorption pattern may lead to a certain keyhole instability and have a strong correlation with the detrimental bulging and narrowing phenomena in the molten pool. The influence of the different focus positions of the laser beam on the keyhole dynamics and molten pool profile is also analyzed and compared. The obtained numerical results are compared with experimental measurements to assure the validity of the proposed model.
The spatial laser energy absorption inside the keyhole is decisive for the dynamic molten pool behaviors and the resultant weld properties in high-power laser beam welding (LBW). In this paper, a numerical simulation of the LBW process, considering the 3D transient heat transfer, fluid flow, and keyhole dynamics, is implemented, in which the free surface is tracked by the volume-of-fluid algorithm. The underlying laser-material interactions, i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by an advanced ray-tracing method based on a localized level-set strategy and a temperature-dependent absorption coefficient. The laser energy absorption is analyzed from a time-averaged point of view for a better statistical representation. It is found for the first time that a significant drop in the time-averaged laser energy absorption occurs at the focus position of the laser beam and that the rest of the keyhole region has relatively homogeneous absorbed energy. This unique absorption pattern may lead to a certain keyhole instability and have a strong correlation with the detrimental bulging and narrowing phenomena in the molten pool. The influence of different focus positions of the laser beam on the keyhole dynamics and molten pool profile is also analyzed. The obtained numerical results are compared with experimental measurements to ensure the validity of the proposed model.
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.
Liquid metal embrittlement (LME) cracking is a phenomenon observed during resistance spot welding (RSW) of zinccoated advanced highstrength steels (AHSS) in automotive manufacturing. In this study, severe cracks are observed at the edge of the sheet under reduced flange widths. These cracks, traversing the AHSS sheet, culminate at the edge with a width of approximately 1.2 mm.
Through combined numerical and experimental investigations, and material testing, these cracks are identified and validated as a new type of LME crack. The mechanism behind this crack formation is attributed to unique geometric conditions that, when compared to center welding, amplify radial material flow by ninefold to 0.87 mm. The resultant tangential tensile stresses approximate 760 MPa, which exceed the yield strength of the examined advanced highstrength steel (AHSS) under heightened temperature conditions, and when combined with liquid zinc, promote the formation of this new type of LME crack.
The amount of absorbed energy in the keyhole as well as its spatial and temporal distribution is essential to model the laser beam welding process. The recoil pressure, which develops because of the evaporation process induced by the absorbed laser energy at the keyhole wall, is a key determining factor for the macroscopic flow of the molten metal in the weld pool during high-power laser beam welding. Consequently, a realistic implementation of the effect of the laser radiation on the weld metal is crucial to obtain reliable and accurate simulation results.
In this paper, we discuss manyfold different improvements on the laser-material interaction, namely the ray-tracing method, in the numerical simulation of the laser beam welding process. The first improvement relates to locating the exact reflection points in the ray tracing method using a so-called cosine condition in the determination algorithm for the intersection of the reflected rays and the keyhole surface. A second correction refers to the numerical treatment of the Gaussian distribution of the laser beam, whose beam width is defined by a decay of the laser intensity by a factor of 1/e2 thus ignoring around 14 % of the total laser beam energy. In a third step, the changes in the laser radiation distribution in the vertical direction were adapted by using different approximations for the converging and the diverging regions of the laser beam thus mimicking the beam caustic. Finally, a virtual mesh refinement was adopted in the ray tracing routine. The obtained numerical results were validated with experimental measurements.
The laser hybrid welding process offers many advantages during welding oft hick-walled steels, such as the increased penetration depth and, thus, reduced number of layers, reduced heat input and decreased distortion compared to arc-based welding processes. Especially, when welding high-strength steels (HSS), the reduced heat input plays an essential role. However, a major challenge when laser hybrid welding of thick-walled steels is the limited filler wire mixing over the entire seam thickness, which can lead to changed mechanical properties over the depth. To overcome this issue, the add of oxygen into the shielding gas and its influence on the filler wire mixing and finally to the mechanical properties were investigated within this work. Therefore, 20 mm thick S690QL steels were laser hybrid welded in a single-pass. A contactless electromagnetic backing was used to avoid sagging. The admixture of oxygen was performed by a gas mixer, where the oxygen content was varied between 0 % and 7.2 %. The experiments were also accompanied by laser beam welding tests in steel/glass configuration, where the melt pool geometry as well as the melt flow characteristics were captured by a high-speed camera. It can be concluded, that adding of 2 % to 4 % oxygen into the shielding gas had a positive effect on the filler wire mixing, were up to a depth of 18 mm elements of the filler wire could be observed.
The study deals with the influence of the heat input on the thermal cycles, the microstructure and the mechanical properties for laser-hybrid welded steels of S355J2 with thicknesses up to 30 mm using a 20-kW high-power laser with contactless electromagnetic backing. The focus is on the change of the mechanical properties over the seam thickness. Therefore, the impact toughness and tensile strength were tested in different depths. Based on the experiments, a heat input of 1.3 kJ/mm - 1.6 kJ/mm, 2 kJ/mm - 2.4 kJ/mm and 3.7 kJ/mm were recommended when single-pass welding of 20 mm, 25 mm and 30 mm with a 20-kW laser in regard to the minimum requirements of the mechanical properties, respectively. Lower heat inputs led to undesired microstructure consisting of martensite, hardening and deteriorated impact toughness, where higher heat inputs led to grain-coarsening and even loss of impact strength due to the formation of retained-austenite on the grain boundaries.
High-power hybrid laser arc welding of thick materials with electromagnetic weld pool support
(2023)
In addition to the many advantages of deep penetration, increased welding speed and a low sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances such as gap and edge offset, the hybrid laser arc welding (HLAW) process is used increasingly in industrial applications such as shipbuilding or pipeline manufacturing. Nonetheless, thick-walled sheets with a wall thickness of 20 mm or more are still multi-pass welded using the arc welding process, due to increased process instability by increasing laser power. Welding at reduced speed, especially in a flat position, leads to an irregular formation of the root part such as dropping. The hydrostatic pressure exceeds the surface tension, which decreases with increasing seam width. In order to prevent gravity drop-outs, the use of a melt pool support is necessary. Usual weld pool supports such as ceramic or powder supports require time-consuming mechanical detachment. The electromagnetic weld pool support system, which is described in this study, operates without contact and based on generating Lorentz forces in the weld pool. An externally applied oscillating magnetic field induces eddy currents and generates an upward directed Lorentz force, which counteracts the hydrostatic pressure. This allows single-pass welds up to 30 mm by hybrid laser arc welding process with a 20-kW fibre laser. Moreover, it is favoured by the diminished welding speed the cooling rate which leads to an improvement of the mechanical-technological properties of the seams – the lower formation of martensite in the microstructure enables better Charpy impact toughness. The electromagnetic weld pool support extends the limitation of the laser hybrid welding process in the thick sheet area. By adapting the electromagnetic weld pool support to the laser and laser hybrid welding process, the application potential of these technologies for industrial implementation can be drastically increased.
New developments in nickel-based superalloys and production methods, such as the use of additive manufacturing (AM), can result in innovative designs for turbines. It is crucial to understand how the material behaves during the AM process to advance industrial use of these techniques. An analytical model based on reaction-diffusion formalism is developed to better explain the solidification behavior of the material during laser metal deposition (LMD). The well-known Scheil-Gulliver theory has some drawbacks, such as the assumption of equilibrium at the solid-liquid interface, which is addressed by this method. The solidified fractions under the Scheil model and the pure equilibrium model are calculated using CALPHAD simulations. Differential scanning calorimeter is used to measure the heat flow during the solid-liquid phase transformation, the result of which is further converted to solidified fractions. The analytical model is compared with all the other models for validation.
AbstractLaser beam welding has become widely applied in many industrial fields in recent years. Solidification cracks remain one of the most common welding faults that can prevent a safe welded joint. In civil engineering, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been successfully used to detect cracks in roads and buildings by analysing images of the constructed objects. These cracks are found in static objects, whereas the generation of a welding crack is a dynamic process. Detecting the formation of cracks as early as possible is greatly important to ensure high welding quality. In this study, two end-to-end models based on long short-term memory and three-dimensional convolutional networks (3D-CNN) are proposed for automatic crack formation detection. To achieve maximum accuracy with minimal computational complexity, we progressively modify the model to find the optimal structure. The controlled tensile weldability test is conducted to generate long videos used for training and testing. The performance of the proposed models is compared with the classical neural network ResNet-18, which has been proven to be a good transfer learning model for crack detection. The results show that our models can detect the start time of crack formation earlier, while ResNet-18 only detects cracks during the propagation stage.
Through experimental observation and auxiliary numerical simulation, this investigation studies the different types of grain refinement of 5754 aluminum alloy laser beam welding by applying a transverse oscillating magnetic field. Scanning electron microscope results have proved that the application of a magnetic field can reduce the average crystal branch width and increase its number. The interaction between the induced eddy current generated by the Seebeck effect and the applied external magnetic field produces a Lorentz force, which is important for the increase in the number of crystal branches. Based on the theory of dendrite fragmentation and the magnetic field-induced branches increment, the grain size reduction caused by the magnetic field is studied. Furthermore, the effects of the magnetic field are ana lyzed by combining a phase field method model and simulations of nucleation and grain growth. The grain distribution and average grain size after welding verify the reliability of the model. In addition, the introduction of a magnetic field can increase the number of periodic three-dimensional solidification patterns. In the intersection of two periods of solidification patterns, the metal can be re-melted and then re-solidified, which prevents the grains, that have been solidified and formed previously, from further growth and generates some small cel lular grains in the new fusion line. The magnetic field increases the building frequency of these solidification structures and thus promotes this kind of grain refinement.
Through experimental observation and auxiliary numerical simulation, this investigation studies the different types of grain refinement of 5754 aluminum alloy laser beam welding by applying a transverse oscillating magnetic field. Scanning electron microscope results have proved that the application of a magnetic field can reduce the average crystal branch width and increase its number. The interaction between the induced eddy current generated by the Seebeck effect and the applied external magnetic field produces a Lorentz force, which is important for the increase in the number of crystal branches. Based on the theory of dendrite fragmentation and the magnetic field-induced branches increment, the grain size reduction caused by the magnetic field is studied. Furthermore, the effects of the magnetic field are analyzed by combining a phase field method model and simulations of nucleation and grain growth. The grain distribution and average grain
size after welding verify the reliability of the model. In addition, the introduction of a magnetic field can increase the number of periodic three-dimensional solidification patterns. In the intersection of two periods of solidification patterns, the metal can be re-melted and then re-solidified, which prevents the grains, that have been solidified and formed previously, from further growth and generates some small cellular grains in the new fusion line. The magnetic field increases the building frequency of these solidification structures and thus promotes this kind of grain refinement.
Electromagnetic stirring is known to promote material flow, reduce porosity, uniform elements distribution, and refine grain in laser beam welding (LBW), which enhances the applicability of LBW in various industries. In this study, a phase-field model of dendrite growth in AA5754 Al alloy electromagnetic stirring laser beam welding was established. The model considered the thermal electromagnetic Lorentz force resulting from the interaction between the electric field generated by the Seebeck effect and the magnetic field, as well as the temperature gradient and solidification rate of the solidification interface obtained from the computational fluid dynamics electromagnetic stirring LBW model. The variation rules of dendrite growth with different magnetic parameters and effects are analyzed. Comprehensively, the magnetic field promotes the solidification rate, thus promoting interfacial instability and a large magnetic flux density leads to a faster interface instability. The solidification rate as well as the temperature gradient affect the growth rate, and the accelerated growth caused by the so lidification rate with a high frequency and a large magnetic flux density effectively inhibits the slow growth caused by the temperature gradient. The thermal electromagnetic Lorentz force is the main factor for the branch increment at low frequencies, while both thermal electromagnetic Lorentz force and temperature gradient in crease the number of branches at high frequencies. The calculated average branch numbers considering various factors in the stable stage under different magnetic parameters were consistent with the results of the scanning electron microscope tests.
The amount of absorbed energy in the keyhole as well as its spatial and temporal distribution is essential to model the laser beam welding process. The recoil pressure, which develops because of the evaporation process induced by the absorbed laser energy at the keyhole wall, is a key determining factor for the macroscopic flow of the molten metal in the weld pool during high-power laser beam welding. Consequently, a realistic implementation of the effect of laser radiation on the weld metal is crucial to obtain reliable and accurate simulation results. In this paper, we discuss manyfold different improvements on the laser-material interaction, namely, the ray tracing method, in the numerical simulation of the laser beam welding process. The first improvement relates to locating the exact reflection points in the ray tracing method using a so-called cosine condition in the determination algorithm for the intersection of reflected rays and the keyhole surface. A second correction refers to the numerical treatment of the Gaussian distribution of the laser beam, whose beam width is defined by a decay of the laser intensity by a factor of 1/e2, thus ignoring around 14% of the total laser beam energy. In the third step, the changes in the laser radiation distribution in the vertical direction were adapted by using different approximations for the converging and the diverging regions of the laser beam, thus mimicking the beam caustic. Finally, a virtual mesh refinement was adopted in the ray tracing routine. The obtained numerical results were validated with experimental measurements.
Additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the manufacturing industry, offering a new paradigm to produce complex geometries and parts with customized properties. Among the different AM techniques, the wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process has gained significant attention due to its high deposition rate and low equipment cost. However, the process is characterized by a complex thermal history, dynamic metallurgy, and mechanical behaviour that make it challenging to simulate it in real-time for online process control and optimization.
In this context, a reduced order model (ROM) using the proper generalized decomposition (PGD) method is proposed as a powerful tool to overcome the limitations of conventional numerical methods and enable the real-time simulation of the temperature field of WAAM processes. Though, the simulation of a moving heat source leads to a hardly separable parametric problem, which is handled by applying a novel mapping approach. Using this procedure, it is possible to create a simple separated representation of the model, also allowing to simulate multiple layers.
In this contribution, a PGD model is derived for the WAAM procedure simulating the temperature field. A good agreement with a standard finite element method is shown. The reduced model is further used in a stochastic model parameter estimation using Bayesian inference, speeding up calibrations and ultimately leading to a calibrated real-time simulation.
AISI 2205 duplex stainless steel is used in a variety of industries, including the chemical and petrochemical industries. This is due to its high tensile strength combined with good ductility and corrosion resistance. However, in laser beam welding, these properties are negatively afected by the high cooling rates typical of the welding process. The resulting higher ferrrite content in the weld metal than in the base material leads to a reduction in the ductility and corrosion resistance of the welded joint. To overcome this problem, in this study, thick plates were coated by direct energy deposition (DED) prior to laser beam welding, whereas a duplex powder mixture containing a higher nickel concentration was used as a coating material. To improve the weld quality for the proposed two-step process, a method of additional material deposition instead of conventional tack weld was investigated. The resulting welded joints showed a well-balanced austenite to ferrite ratio and their properties and microstructure were verifed by metallographic analysis, electron backscatter difraction and Charpy impact testing. Using the standard ASTM G48 test method, it was found that the corrosion resistance of the welds was improved by a factor of four in average compared to the conventionally welded joints. The resulting properties, such as good ductility and corrosion resistance, of the welds with pre-coated edges showed good agreement with those of the base metal and confrmed the proposed two-step process as a promising alternative to the conventional approaches for welding thick duplex stainless steel plates.
In recent years, in addition to the commonly known wire-based processes of Directed Energy Deposition using lasers, a process variant using the electron beam has also developed to industrial market maturity. The process variant offers particular potential for processing highly conductive, reflective or oxidation-prone materials. However, for industrial usage, there is a lack of comprehensive data on performance, limitations and possible applications. The present study bridges the gap using the example of the high-strength aluminum bronze CuAl8Ni6. Multi-stage test welds are used to determine the limitations of the process and to draw conclusions about the suitability of the parameters for additive manufacturing. For this purpose, optimal ranges for energy input, possible welding speeds and the scalability of the process were investigated. Finally, additive test specimens in the form of cylinders and walls are produced, and the hardness profile, microstructure and mechanical properties are investigated. It is found that the material CuAl8Ni6 can be well processed using wire electron beam additive manufacturing. The microstructure is similar to a cast structure, the hardness profile over the height of the specimens is constant, and the tensile strength
and elongation at fracture values achieved the specification of the raw material.
The application of anti-corrosion coated, high-strength steels in the automotive industry has increased in recent years. In combination with various zinc-based surface coatings, liquid metal embrittlement cracking can be observed in some of these materials. A high-quality, crack-free spot-welded joint is essential to realize the lightweight potential of the materials. In this work, the LME susceptibility of different coatings, which will be determined by the crack length and the occurrence rate, will be investigated using a welding under external load setup. The uncoated specimens did not show any LME. EG, GI and GA showed significantly less LME than ZM coatings. The latter coatings showed much larger crack lengths than the EG, GI and GA coatings. Furthermore, two mechanisms regarding the LME occurrence rate were observed: the occurrence of LME in zinc–magnesium coatings was theorized to be driven by the material properties of the coatings, whereas the occurrence of LME at EG, GI and GA samples was forced mainly by the application of the external tensile load.
In the experimental setup of this work, the materials were exposed to unusually high mechanical loads (up to 80% of their yield strength) to evoke LME cracks.
A technique for calculating the main solidification parameters for a two-dimensional columnar crystal growth during complete penetration laser beam welding of thin steel sheets was developed. Given that the weld pool interface is described by Lamé curves (superellipses) within the horizontal plane of growth, general analytical solutions were derived for the geometry of the crystal axis and the corresponding growth rate and cross-sectional area of the crystal. A dimensionless analysis was performed to provide insights on the dependence of the solidification parameters on the shape and dimensions of the rear part of the weld pool boundary. The derived solutions were applied for the case of complete penetration laser beam keyhole welding of 2 mm thick 316L austenitic chromium-nickel steel sheets. It was shown that the reconstruction of the weld pool boundary with Lamé curves provides higher accuracy and flexibility compared to results obtained with elliptical functions. The validity of the proposed technique and the derived analytical solutions was backed up by a comparison of the obtained solutions to known analytical solutions and experimentally determined shapes and sizes of the crystals on the top surface of the sheet. The dimensions of the calculated crystal axis correlated well with the experimentally obtained results.
Friction stir welding (FSW) has the capacity to join the Al/Ti dissimilar structures with superior mechanical properties. The microstructures and mechanical characteristics of Al/Ti dissimilar FSW joints are determined by the heat and mass transfer during the welding process. However, a quantitative study of the Al/Ti dissimilar FSW process is lacking. Therefore, using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and volume of fluid (VOF) approach, a multi-phase model was constructed for quantitatively analyzing the heat and mass transfer behaviour in dissimilar FSW of TC4 titanium alloy and AA2024-T4 aluminium alloy. The mixed material was treated as a functionally graded material (FGM) to compute the thermophysical characteristics at the weld nugget zone (WNZ). Due to the vast disparity in the thermophysical characteristics of aluminum and titanium alloy, the temperature field in Al/Ti dissimilar FSW was severely asymmetric. The temperature of titanium alloy on the advancing side (AS) was higher than that of aluminium alloy on the retreating side (RS) at the same distance from the tool centre line near the tool shoulder, but it was lower than that of aluminium alloy on the RS without the influence of the shoulder. Due to the high flow stress of titanium alloy, plastic material flow mostly occurred on the RS of aluminium alloy in the Al/Ti dissimilar FSW, with its percentage exceeding 80%. This model was validated by experiment results.
The strain field can reflect the initiation time of solidification cracks during the welding process. The traditional strain measurement is to first obtain the displacement field through digital image correlation (DIC) or optical flow and then calculate the strain field. The main disadvantage is that the calculation takes a long time, limiting its suitability to real-time applications. Recently, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have made impressive achievements in computer vision.
To build a good prediction model, the network structure and dataset are two key factors. In this paper, we first create the training and test sets containing welding cracks using the controlled tensile weldability (CTW) test and obtain the real strain fields through the Lucas–Kanade algorithm. Then, two new networks using ResNet and DenseNet as encoders are developed for strain prediction, called StrainNetR and StrainNetD. The results show that the average endpoint error (AEE) of the two networks on our test set is about 0.04, close to the real strain value. The computation time could be reduced to the millisecond level, which would greatly improve efficiency.
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.
Understanding the void defect formation mechanism and simultaneous predicting the tool service life in friction stir welding are critical for optimizing the welding parameters. However, the void defect formation mechanism in friction stir welding is not yet elucidated. In this study, a novel integrated thermal-fluid-structure coupling model of the friction stir welding process was proposed for simultaneous prediction of the weld formation and tool service life. A new non-uniform distribution model of the tool-workpiece contact pressure was proposed to describe the interaction between the tool and the workpiece. The void defect formation mechanism was quantitatively studied using the proposed integrated thermal-fluid-structure coupling model. The results show that the plastic material flows in the horizontal direction and can completely fill the cavity behind the tool for the welding condition of forming a sound weld. While the tool-workpiece contact interfacial frictional shear stress in the rear of the tool is decreased significantly which leads to a severe decrease in the plastic material flow velocity. Therefore, after bypassing the tool from the retreating side, the plastic material at the bottom of the weld stagnates, and void defect forms in the middle and lower part of the weld at the advancing side. The difference between the maximum and the minimum tool-workpiece contact pressure could serve as a numerical criterion to predict void defects. A sound joint is formed when the difference is lower than the critical value of 15 MPa, while a void defect is formed in the weld if it is higher than this critical value. The maximum equivalent stress acting on the tool is located at the pin root with severe stress concentration at a high welding speed. The front of the tool is subjected to tensile stress while its rear is subjected to compressive stress, therefore the tool is apt to fracture at its root under an inappropriate welding condition. The average normal stress of the tool varies periodically with its period consistent with the rotation period of the tool. The service life of the tool is decreased with the increase in welding speed and the decrease in rotation speed. The model is validated by experimental results.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
-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
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.
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.
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 hotcracking 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 nonhomogeneous 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.
The contactless magnetohydrodynamic technology has been considered as a potential and promising method to improve the weld qualities of deep penetration laser beam welding. In this paper, numerical investigations are conducted to study the influence of the auxiliary oscillating magnetic field on the porosity suppression in laser beam welding of 5754 aluminum alloy. To obtain a deeper insight into the suppression mechanism, a three-dimensional transient multi-physical model is developed to calculate the heat transfer, fluid flow, keyhole dynamic, and magnetohydrodynamics. A ray tracing algorithm is employed to calculate the laser energy distribution on the keyhole wall. A time-averaged downward Lorentz force is produced by an oscillating magnetic field. This force acts in the molten pool, leading to a dominant downward flow motion in the longitudinal section, which blocks the bubble migration from the keyhole tip to the rear part of the molten pool. Therefore, the possibility for the bubbles to be captured by the solidification front is reduced. The electromagnetic expulsive force provides an additional upward escaping speed for the bubbles of 1 m/s ~ 5 m/s in the lower and middle region of the molten pool. The simulation results are in a good agreement with experimental measurements. Based on the results obtained in this study, a better understanding of the underlying physics in laser beam welding enhanced by an auxiliary oscillating magnetic field can be provided and thus the welding process can be further optimized reducing the porosity formation.
Numerical analysis of ultrasonic vibration enhanced friction stir welding of dissimilar Al/Mg alloys
(2022)
The ultrasonic vibration enhanced friction stir welding (UVeFSW) process has unique advantages in joining dissimilar Al/Mg alloys. While there are complex coupling mechanisms of multi-fields in the process, it is of great significance to model this process, to reveal the influence mechanism of ultrasonic vibration on the formation of Al/Mg joints.
In this study, the acoustic-plastic constitutive equation was established by considering the influence of both ultrasonic softening and residual hardening on the flow stress at different temperatures and strain rates. And the ultrasonic induced friction reduction (UiFR) effect on friction coefficient in different relative directions at the FSW tool-workpiece interface was quantitatively calculated and analyzed.
The Al/Mg UVeFSW process model was developed through introducing the above acoustic effects into the model of Al/Mg friction stir welding (FSW). The ultrasonic energy is stronger on the aluminum alloy side. In the stirred zone, there is the pattern distribution of ultrasonic sound pressure and energy. The heat generation at the tool-workpiece contact interface and viscous dissipation were reduced after applying ultrasonic vi-bration. Due to the UiFR effect, the projection of friction coefficient and heat flux distributions at the tool-workpiece interface present a "deformed" butterfly shape. The calculated results show that ultrasonic vibration enhanced the material flow and promoted the mixing of dissimilar materials.
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.
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.
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.
The macro and micro benefits from a magnetic field have been well recognized in the laser beam welding, but the influence mechanism, especially on the local keyhole dynamics, is yet not fully understood. A combination of experimental approach and numerical modeling was conducted to study the highly transient keyhole dynamics under the magnetic field. It was found that the magnetic field gave a direct impact on the laser energy absorption at the keyhole front wall. The keyhole-induced porosity was suppressed under the influence of the magnetic field, which was confirmed by the micro-X-ray computed tomography. The porosity mitigation comes from multiple physical aspects, including keyhole stabilization, widening of the bubble floating channel, and the electromagnetic expulsive force. The predicted penetration depth and weld pool profiles with/without magnetic field show a good agreement with the experimental measurements, including optical micrographs and in-situ metal/glass observation.
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.
The weld quality and the possible defect formation are directly determined by the weld pool shape and the thermo-fluid dynamics therein. In this paper, an untypical weld pool profile, i.e., elongated at its top and bottom but narrowed at the middle, is found experimentally and numerically in the wire feed laser beam welding. The detrimental influence of the weld pool narrowing on the element transport is analyzed and discussed. A magnetohydrodynamic technique is utilized to suppress the narrowing, aiming at a more homogenous element distribution. It is found that a low-temperature region is formed in the middle of the weld pool due to the interaction of the two dominant circulations from the top and bottom regions. The weld pool is significantly narrowed due to the untypical growth of the mushy zone in the low-temperature region, which results in a direct blocking effect on the downward flow and the premature solidification in the middle region. The Lorentz force produced by a transverse oscillating magnetic field shows the potential to change the flow pattern into a single-circulation type and the low-temperature-gradient region is mitigated. Therefore, the downward transfer channel is widened, and its premature solidification is prevented. The numerical results are well validated by experimental measurements of metal/glass observation and X-ray fluorescence element mapping.
Numerical study on the formation of a bulging region in partial penetration laser beam welding
(2022)
A transient three-dimensional thermo-fluid dynamics numerical model was developed to study the formation of a bulging region in partial penetration laser beam welding. The model accounts for the coupling between the fluid flow, the heat transfer, and the keyhole dynamics by considering the effects of multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption of the laser beam in the keyhole, the phase transitions during melting and evaporating, the thermo-capillary convection, the natural convection, and the phase-specific and temperature-dependent material properties up to the evaporation temperature. The validity of the model was backed up by experimentally obtained data, including the drilling time, the weld pool length, the local temperature history outside the weld pool, the process efficiency, and a range of metallographic cross-sections. The model was applied for the cases of partial penetration laser beam welding of 8 mm and 12 mm thick unalloyed steel sheets. The obtained experimental and numerical results reveal that the bulging region forms transiently depending on the penetration depth of the weld, showing a tendency to transition from a slight bulging to a fully developed bulging region between penetration depths of 6 mm and 9 mm, respectively.
A three-dimensional numerical model was developed to accurately predict the steady-state weld pool shape in full penetration laser beam welding. The model accounts for the coupling between the heat transfer and the fluid dynamics by considering the effects of solid/liquid phase transition, thermo-capillary convection, natural convection, and phase-specific and temperature-dependent material properties up to the evaporation temperature. A fixed right circular cone was utilized as a keyhole geometry to consider the heat absorbed from the laser beam. The model was used to analyze the influence of the thermodynamic activity of solutes and turbulence on the weld pool shape. A mesh sensitivity analysis was performed on a hybrid mesh combining hexahedral and tetrahedral elements. For the case of full penetration laser beam welding of 8 mm thick unalloyed steel sheets, the dependence of the weld pool shape on the surface-active element sulfur was found to be negligible. The analysis of the results showed that a laminar formulation is sufficient for accurately predicting the weld pool shape since the turbulence has a minor impact on the flow dynamics in the weld pool. The validity of the numerical results was backed up by experimental measurements and observations, including weld pool length, local temperature history, and a range of metallographic cross-sections.
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 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.
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.
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.
Numerical simulations are essential in predicting the behavior of systems in many engineering fields and industrial sectors. The development of accurate virtual representations of actual physical products or processes (also known as digital twins) allows huge savings in cost and resources. In fact, digital twins would allow reducing the number of real, physical prototypes, tests, and experiments, thus also increasing the sustainability of production processes and products’ lifetime. Standard numerical methods fail in providing real time simulations, especially for complex processes such as additive manufacturing applications.
This work aims to use a reduced order model for efficient wire arc additive manufacturing simulations, calibrations and real-time process control. Model reduction, e.g. the proper generalized decomposition [1,2] method, is a popular concept to decrease the computational effort. A new mapping approach [3] was applied to simulate a moving heat source with the proper generalized decomposition. Using this procedure even complex models can be simulated in real-time. The physical model is later on calibrated with the use of a stochastic model updating process and the reduced order model, leading to an optimized real-time simulation.
In this contribution, a proper generalized decomposition model for a bead-on-plate wire arc additive manufacturing is presented. It is also coupled with a stochastic model updating process identifying the heat source characteristics as well as the boundary conditions of the transient thermal problem, whereas the heat source shape is simulated using a Goldak heat source
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.
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.
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.
In this paper, the highly transient keyhole dynamics, e.g., laser absorption, keyhole geometry, and fluctuation, etc., under a magnetic field are investigated using an experimental approach and multi-physical modeling. The model provides accurate predictions to the variation of penetration depth and weld pool profiles caused by the MHD effect, which is validated by the measurements of optical micrographs and in-situ metal/glass observation. The micro-X-ray computed tomography shows a remarkable reduction of keyhole-induced porosity with the magnetic field. The correlation between the porosity mitigation and the weld pool dynamics influenced by the magnetic field is built comprehensively. It is found that the magnetic field gives a direct impact on the laser energy absorption at the keyhole front wall by changing the protrusion movement. The porosity mitigation comes from multiple physical aspects, including keyhole stabilization, widening of the bubble floating channel, and the electromagnetic expulsive force. Their contributions vary according to the bubble size. The findings provide a deeper insight into the relationship between electromagnetic parameters, keyhole dynamics, and suppression of keyhole-relevant defects.
The talk motivates and introduces the WelDX project and the proposed solutions for current challenges in the field of research data management and Open Science practices in welding research.
Using an exemplary welding dataset based on the joint and welding process design of offshore structures, advanced data fusion and analysis capabilities are demonstrated.
The dataset shown consists of a complex welding sequence covering multiple weld layers with varying process parameters and adaptive weaving motions to cover manufacturing tolerances. In the presentation, an interactive exploration of the dataset contents in the spatial domain is presented. Furthermore, transformation between spatial and time domain of the data is demonstrated.
In addition to data gathered during the welding process, the integration of downstream testing data and results is also explained. For demonstration, integration of weld seam cross section images and Vickers hardness mapping test results into the dataset are explained an demonstrated. The testing data is set into context with the welding process information.
Finally, implications for advancements in research data management for WAAM and AI applications are discussed.
Scientific welding data covers a wide range of physical domains and timescales and are measured using various different sensors. Complex and highly specialized experimental setups at different welding institutes complicate the exchange of welding research data further. The WelDX research project aims to foster the exchange of scientific data inside the welding community by developing and establishing a new open source file format suitable for the documentation of experimental welding data and upholding associated quality standards. In addition to fostering scientific collaboration inside the national and international welding community an associated advisory committee will be established to oversee the future development of the file format. The proposed file format will be developed with regard to current needs of the community regarding interoperability, data quality and performance and will be published under an appropriate open source license. By using the file format objectivity, comparability and reproducibility across different experimental setups can be improved.
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 talk gives an introduction into gas metal arc welding and its relation to plasma science as well as current challenges in welding research concerning research data management and the application of the FAIR principles.
The WelDX project is introduced and the main goals are discussed and contrasted with the current features of the weldx API.
Different internal and public facing use cases focusing on research data management and their implementation using weldx are presented.
The interactive part of the presentation displays some advanced multi layer use cases and data analysis using the weldx API as well as the integration of materials properties into weldx.
Laser powder-based directed energy deposition (DED-L) is a technology that offers the possibility for 3D material deposition over hundreds of layers and has thus the potential for application in additive manufacturing (AM). However, to achieve broad industrial application as AM technology, more data and knowledge about the fabricated materials regarding the achieved properties and their relationship to the manufacturing process and the resulting microstructure is still needed. In this work, we present data regarding the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of Ti-6Al-4V. The material was fabricated using an optimized DED-L process. It features a low defect population and excellent tensile properties. To assess its LCF behavior two conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy featuring different microstructures were additionally tested. The strain-controlled LCF tests were carried out in fully reversed mode with 0.3 % to 1.0 % axial strain amplitude from room temperature up to 400°C. The LCF behavior and failure mechanisms are described. For characterization, optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and micro-computed tomography (µCT) were used. The low defect population allows for a better understanding of the intrinsic material’s properties and enables a fairer comparison against the conventional variants. The fatigue lifetimes of the DED-L material are nearly independent of the test temperature. At elevated test temperatures, they are similar or higher than the lifetimes of the conventional counterparts. At room temperature, they are only surpassed by the lifetimes of one of them. The principal failure mechanism involves multiple crack initiation sites.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This paper presents investigation results of a process for defect-free hybrid laser arc welding (HLAW) of closed circumferential welds. The process aims to avoid weld imperfections in the overlap area of a HLAW circumferential weld. A process control strategy for closing the circumferential weld was developed to achieve a defect-free overlap region by controlling the solidification conditions at the end of the weld. The controlled heat flow is achieved by adjusting the parameters of both welding processes involved, the laser beam as well as gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process. Experimental investigations were carried out on 12 mm to 15 mm thick tube sections. The influence of process parameters such as the laser ramp time, the change in magnification scale and the defocusing of the laser beam on the solidifi-cation conditions at the end of the circumferential weld was investigated to find an optimum strategy for ramping out the process energy. Within the framework of the experimental studies, it was demonstrated that defocusing the laser beam in the range between 60 mm and 100 mm over a short run-out area of the weld of approximately 15 mm led to a significantly better weld formation in the overlap area. A favourable cup-shaped weld shape could be achieved without a tendency to crack. The laser optics with a motor-driven lens system made it possible to increase the laser beam diameter without changing the position of the GMAW arc relative to the component surface.
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.
Infrared thermography is a technique that allows to measure the temperatures of objects by analyzing the intensity of the thermal emission without the need of direct contact with very high spatial and temporal resolution. As the temperature is a fundamental factor for the additive manufacturing processes of metals, infrared thermography can provide experimental data that can be used for the validation of simulations and improving the understanding of the processes as well as for in-situ process monitoring for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) for quality control.
In this talk we will provide an overview over the possibilities of state of the art thermographic in-situ monitoring systems for the DED-LB/M and PBF-LB/M processes and the challenges such as phase transitions and unknown emissivity values in respect to the determination of real temperatures. We define the requirements for different camera systems in various configurations and give examples on the selection of appropriate measurement parameters and data acquisition techniques as well as on techniques for data analysis and interpretation. Finally, we compare in-situ monitoring methods against post NDE methods by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of both.
This research was funded by BAM within the Focus Area Materials.
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
The study deals with the determination of the influence of an externally applied oscillating magnetic field on the melt pool dynamics in high power laser beam and hybrid laser arc welding processes. An AC magnet was positioned under the workpiece which is generating an upward directed electromagnetic force to counteract the formation of the droplets. To visualise the melt flow characteristics, several experiments were carried out using a special technique with mild steel from S355J2 with a wall thickness of up to 20 mm and a quartz glass in butt configuration. The profile of the keyhole and the melt flow were recorded with a high-speed camera from the glass side. Additionally, the influence of the magnetic field orientation to the welding direction on the filler material dilution on laser hybrid welding was studied with variating oscillation frequency. The element distribution over the whole seam thickness was measured with X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The oscillation frequency demonstrated a greater influence on the melt pool dynamics and the mixing of the elements of the filler wire. The high-speed recordings showed, under the influence of the magnetic field, that the melt is affected under strong vortex at the weld root, which also avoids the formation of droplets
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.
The present work seeks to extend the level of understanding of the stress field evolution during direct laser deposition (DLD) of a 3.2 mm thick multilayer wall of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by theoretical and experimental studies. The process conditions were close to the conditions used to produce large-sized structures by the DLD method, resulting in specimens having the same thermal history. A simulation procedure based on the implicit finite element method was developed for the theoretical study of the stress field evolution. The accuracy of the simulation was significantly improved by using experimentally obtained temperature-dependent mechanical properties of the DLD-processed Ti-6Al4V alloy. The residual stress field in the buildup was experimentally measured by neutron diffraction. The stress-free lattice parameter, which is decisive for the measured stresses, was determined using both a plane stress approach and a force-momentum balance. The influence of the inhomogeneity of the residual stress field on the accuracy of the experimental measurement and the validation of the simulation procedure are analyzed and discussed. Based on the numerical results it was found that the non-uniformity of the through-thickness stress distribution reaches a maximum in the central cross-section, while at the buildup ends the stresses are distributed almost uniformly. The components of the principal stresses are tensile at the buildup ends near the substrate. Furthermore, the calculated equivalent plastic strain reaches 5.9% near the buildup end, where the deposited layers are completed, while the plastic strain is practically equal to the experimentally measured ductility of the DLD-processed alloy, which is 6.2%. The experimentally measured residual stresses obtained by the force-momentum balance and the plane stress approach differ slightly from each other.
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.
Additive manufacturing promises a high potential for the maritime sector. Directed Energy Deposition (DED) in particular offers the opportunity to produce large-volume maritime components like propeller hubs or blades without the need of a costly casting process. The post processing of such components usually generates a large amount of aluminum bronze grinding waste. The aim of the presented project is to develop a sustainable circular AM process chain for maritime components by recycling aluminum bronze grinding waste to be used as raw material to manufacture ship Propellers with a laser-powder DED process. In the present paper, grinding waste is investigated using a dynamic image Analysis system and compared to commercial DED powder. To be able to compare the material quality and to verify DED process parameters, semi-academic sample geometries are manufactured.
A mathematical model for physical processes in fusion welding has been developed. It is based on the equivalent heat source concept and consists of two parts: thermo-hydrodynamics of the weld pool and heat conduction in the weldment outside the pool. In thermo-hydrodynamic problem, temperature – dependent material properties, keyhole shape, thermo-capillary and natural convection, phase transformations and other physical phenomena are taken into consideration.
Solution of the thermo-hydrodynamic problem by the finite element method is demonstrated with keyhole laser beam welding of a 15 mm thick steel plate. Thermo-capillary convection is primarily responsible for the intricate convex-concave melt pool shape and pool enlargement near the plate surfaces. The calculated and experimental molten pool dimensions are in close agreement.
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.
In recent years, it was shown that the introduction of additional oscillating and permanent magnetic fields to laser beam and laser-arc hybrid welding can bring several beneficial effects.
Examples are a contactless weld pool support for metals of high thickness suffering from severe drop-out when being welded conventionally or an enhanced stirring to improve the mixing of added filler material in the depth of the weld pool to guarantee homogeneous resulting mechanical properties of the weld. The latest research results show the applicability to various metal types over a wide range of thicknesses and welding conditions. The observations made were demonstrated in numerous experimental studies and a deep understanding of the interaction of the underlying physical mechanisms was extracted from numerical calculations.
The study deals with the influence of the heat input on the thermal cycles and Charpy impact toughness for hybrid laser-arc welding of 25 mm thick structural steel S355J2 using a 20-kW high-power laser in combination with an electromagnetic weld pool support. The main focus is on the change of the mechanical properties over the entire seam thickness. The cooling times were measured using a pyrometer in combination with an optical fibre in three different locations near to fusion lines corresponding to different heights of the seam. Also, Charpy impact specimens were taken from different parts of the weld joint corresponding to the different heights. The influence of the heat input was investigated for 1.8 kJ mm-1 and 3.2 kJ mm-1. 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 values could be reached in dependance on applied heat input.
One of the challenges of the high-power hybrid laser welding of thick steels is the sensitivity of the process of the process to manufacturing tolerances. This usually leads to a time-consuming preparation of the welding edges, such as milling. The study deals with the influence of the edge quality of milled and plasma-cut steel made of S355J2 with a wall thickness of 20 mm on the laser hybrid welded seam quality. Furthermore, the gap bridgeability and the tolerances towards edge misalignment was investigated. An AC magnet was used as backing support to prevent sagging and positioned under the workpiece, to generate an upwards directed electromagnetic pressure. The profiles of the edges and the gap on the top and root side were measured using a digital camera. Single-pass laser hybrid welds of plasma-cut edges could be welded using a laser beam power of just 13.7 kW. A gap bridgeability up to 2 mm and misalignment of edges up to 2 mm could be achieved successful. Additionally, the independence of the cutting side and the welding side was shown, so that samples were welded to the opposite side to their cutting. For evaluation of internal defects or irregularities, X-ray images were carried out. Charpy impact strength tests were performed to determine the toughness of the welds.
The study deals with the determination of the influence of an externally applied oscillating magnetic field on the melt pool dynamics in high power laser beam and hybrid laser arc welding processes. An AC magnet was positioned under the workpiece which is generating an upward directed electromagnetic force to counteract the formation of the droplets. To visualise the melt flow characteristics, several experiments were carried out using a special technique with mild steel from S355J2 with a plate thickness of up to 20 mm and a quartz glass in butt configuration. The profile of the keyhole and the melt flow were recorded with a highspeed camera from the glass side. Additionally, the influence of the magnetic field orientation to the welding direction on the filler material dilution on laser hybrid welding was studied with variating oscillation frequency. The element distribution over the whole seam thickness was measured with X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The oscillation frequency demonstrated a great influence on the melt pool dynamics and the mixing of the elements of the filler wire. The highspeed recordings showed, under the influence of the magnetic field, that the melt is affected under strong vortex at the weld root, which also avoids the formation of droplets.