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Hybrid laser-arc welding of thick-walled ferromagnetic steels with electromagnetic weld pool support
(2018)
The hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) process provides many advantages over laser welding and arc welding alone, such as high welding speed, gap bridgeability, and deep penetration. The developments in hybrid laser-arc welding technology using modern high-power lasers allow single-pass welding of thick materials. This technology can be used for the heavy metal industries such as shipbuilding, power plant fabrication, and line-pipe manufacturing. The obvious problem for single-pass welding is the growth of the hydrostatic pressure with increasing thickness of materials leading to drop-out of molten metal. This phenomenon is aggravated at slow welding velocities because of increasing weld seam width followed by a decrease of Laplace pressure compensating the hydrostatic pressure. Therefore, weld pool support is necessary by welding of thick materials with slow welding velocities. The innovative electromagnetic weld pool support system is contactless and has been used successfully for laser beam welding of aluminum alloys and austenitic and ferromagnetic steels. The support system is based on generating Lorentz forces within the weld pool. These are produced by an oscillating magnetic field orientated perpendicular to the welding direction. The electromagnetic weld pool support facilitates a decrease in the welding speed without a sagging and drop-out of the melt thus eliminating the limitations of weldable material thickness.
The study deals with the application of the high-power hybrid-laser arc welding process on up to 15 mm thick pipe segments with the intention to avoid end crater imperfections during closing of the circumferential welds, where the pipes were turned during welding in 1G- and 2Gpositions.
Different techniques such as laser power ramp-down, abrupt switch-off of the laser power and change of the magnification of the laser spot diameter and defocusing of the laser beam relative to the workpiece were tested to remove the laser energy from the process. It could be shown that a high defocusing of the optic system above 40 mm with a resulting beam diameter > 2.9 mm in a short overlap length of approx.
20 mm leads to the formation of a cup-shaped weld seam, which is preferred for avoidance of cracks and pores in the end crater. A laser optics with motor-driven lens system was used for the welding experiments to defocuse the laser beam without changing the position of the arc.
Diese Arbeit zeigt erstmals die Anwendung einer elektromagnetischen Schmelzbadsicherung beim einlagigen MSG-Schweißen von dickwandigen Stählen. Die innovativen Entwicklungen im Bereich des Lichtbogenschweißverfahrens ermöglichen eine Erhöhung der Abschmelzleistung, um die Einschweißtiefe zu steigern. Somit kann die Lagenanzahl reduziert und die Produktivität gesteigert werden. Allerdings besteht insbesondere beim einlagigen Schweißen von dickwandigen Bauteilen in PA-Position ein erhöhtes Risiko für das gravitationsbedingte Austropfen der Schmelze an der Wurzel. Zur Verhinderung werden Badsicherungen eingesetzt, die mechanisch angebracht und nach dem Schweißen entfernt werden müssen, was zeit- und kostenintensiv ist.
Die im Rahmen dieser Studie eingesetzte elektromagnetische Schmelzbadsicherung wirkt dem gravitationsbedingten Austropfen der Schmelze entgegen und kompensiert den hydrostatischen Druck. Sie wirkt kontaktlos, was im Gegensatz zu herkömmlichen Badsicherungen vorteilhaft ist, so dass auf eine zeit- und kostenintensive Nachbearbeitung der Schweißnahtwurzel verzichtet werden kann. Das auf extern angelegten oszillierenden Magnetfeldern beruhende Verfahren wird dabei unterhalb des zu schweißenden Bauteils positioniert. Die Magnetfeldlinien sind quer zur Schweißrichtung ausgerichtet, sodass längs zur Schweißrichtung Wirbelströme im Werkstück und eine stets nach oben gerichtete Lorentzkraft generiert werden. Mit Hilfe der elektromagnetischen Badsicherung konnten beim einlagigen MSG-Schweißen von bis zu 10 mm dicken Blechen die Tropfenbildung vermieden werden. Die innovative Technologie ermöglicht es, dickwandige Bauteile einlagig zu schweißen und reduziert die Nachbearbeitungszeiten und -kosten deutlich.
The study deals with the 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.
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 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.
The stability of the keyhole decreases for deep penetrated high-power laser beam welding. The keyhole tends to collapse with increasing laser power and e.g. keyhole induced porosity can occur. This study deals with the observation of the keyhole during high-power laser beam welding in partial penetration mode by means of a high-speed camera. A butt configuration of 25 mm thick structural steel and transparent quartz glass was used for the experiments. An oscillating magnetic field was applied perpendicular to the welding direction on the root side of the steel plate. The keyhole was highlighted with a coaxial diode laser. It was ascertained that the stability of the keyhole and the weld penetration depth were increased by applying an oscillating magnetic field with an oscillating frequency of 1.2 kHz and a magnetic flux density of 50 mT.
The study deals with the influence of the heat input and the resulting cooling times on the microstructure and Charpy impact toughness of single-pass laser hybrid welded 20-mm thick high-strength steel S690QL. The main focus is on the change of the mechanical properties over the entire seam thickness. The cooling times were measured in-situ using a pyrometer and an optical fibre in three different depths of the seam where Charpy impact test specimens were also later taken. Thereby, three different heat inputs from 1.3 kJ/mm to 2 kJ/mm were investigated. Despite the observed decreased values of both t8/5-cooling time and the Charpy impact toughness in the root part of the seam, the required impact toughness of 38 J/cm2 could be reached in dependance on applied heat input, especially at the heat input of 1.6 kJ/mm.
Die technischen Entwicklungen in der Lasertechnologie in den letzten Jahrzehnten haben eine neue Generation von Hochleistungslasersystemen im Leistungsbereich bis zu 100 kW auf den Markt gebracht. Dennoch ist die industrielle Anwendung des Hochleistungslaserstrahlschweißens auf bis zu 15 mm dicke Bleche beschränkt. Mögliche Ursachen der Einschränkungen des Verfahrens sind z.B. die Sensibilität des Verfahrens auf Fertigungstoleranzen wie Spalt und Kantenversatz, die erhöhte Tropfenbildung bei höheren Blechdicken und eine inhomogene Verteilung des Zusatzwerkstoffes beim Laserhybridschweißen. In dieser Studie wird ein auf extern angelegte Magnetfelder basierte elektromagnetische Schmelzbadstütze eingesetzt, um die Grenzen des Verfahrens zu erweitern und die Herausforderungen zu minimieren. Der wesentliche Vorteil der elektromagnetischen Schmelzbadstütze ist, dass sie berührungslos arbeitet. Mit Hilfe der elektromagnetischen Schmelzbadstütze konnten bei 20 mm dicken Proben aus S355J2 die Tropfenbildung an der Wurzel vermieden werden. Zudem wurde der Einfluss der Kantenqualität auf die Schweißnahtqualität untersucht, wobei verschiedene Schneidverfahren zur Kantenvorbereitung eingesetzt wurden, wie z.B. Plasma-, Brenn- oder Laserschneiden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass auch bei schlechteren Kantenvorbereitung im Gegensatz zu gefrästen Bauteilen die Werkstoffe einlagig mittels Laserhybridschweißen bei einer hohen Schweißnahtqualität gefügt werden konnten. Bei plasmageschnittenen Proben wurden zudem eine Spaltüberbrückbarkeit bzw. Kantenversatz von bis zu 2 mm sicher überbrückt. Des Weiteren war es mit Hilfe der externen Magnetfelder möglich, die Durchmischung des Zusatzwerkstoffes über die gesamte Schweißnahttiefe deutlich zu homogenisieren.
Bislang kommt das Laserstrahlschweißen bzw. Laserhybridschweißen hauptsächlich bei Dickblechen mit einer Wandstärke von bis zu 15 mm zum Einsatz. Für Anwendungen über 20 mm war dieses Verfahren aufgrund einiger Herausforderungen bisher nur bedingt realisierbar. Eine von der Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) entwickelte elektromagnetische Schmelzbadunterstützung ermöglicht nun ein einlagiges Schweißen von bis zu 30 mm Wandstärke.
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.
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.
Laserstrahlhybridschweissen von Türmen für Windkraftanlagen Ökonomische und ökologische Vorteile
(2022)
Das Laserstrahlhybridschweißen ist beim Schweißen von Türmen für Windkraftanlagen eine Alternative zum Unterpulverschweißen von Dickblechen in Mehrlagentechnik und bietet hier ökonomische und ökologische Vorteile. Der industrielle Einsatz des Verfahrens ist jedoch durch prozessspezifische Herausforderungen eingeschränkt. Die im Beitrag beschriebene kontaktlose elektromagnetische Badstütze dient zur Erweiterung des Verfahrenspotenzials im Dickblechbereich >15 mm.
The study deals with the application of the high-power hybrid-laser arc welding process on up to 15 mm thick pipe segments with the intention to avoid end crater imperfections during closing of the circumferential welds, where the pipes were turned during welding in 1G- and 2G-positions. Different techniques such as laser power ramp-down, abrupt switch-off of the laser power and change of the magnification of the laser spot diameter and defocusing of the laser beam relative to the workpiece were tested to remove the laser energy from the process. It could be shown that a high defocusing of the optic system above 40 mm with a resulting beam diameter > 2.9 mm in a short overlap length of approx. 20 mm leads to the formation of a cup-shaped weld seam, which is preferred for avoidance of cracks and pores in the end crater. A laser optics with motor-driven lens system was used for the welding experiments to defocuse the laser beam without changing the position of the arc.
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.
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.
-Elektromagnetische Schmelzbadstütze wurde beim
Laserhybridschweißen von Dickblechen erfolgreich zur
Unterdrückung der Tropfenbildung eingesetzt
-Auch bei „schlechteren“ Kantenqualitäten konnten einlagige
Schweißnähte mit hoher Qualität erzielt werden
-Spaltüberbrückbarkeit bis zu 2 mm (bei plasmageschnittenen
Proben) konnte gewährleistet werden
-Homogenere Verteilung des Zusatzwerkstoffes wurde erzielt
High heat input leads to grain coarsening and softening in WM and HAZ; the tensile strength is reduced. Low heat input leads to inadmissible hardening in the WM; the impact strength is reduced.
The proposed t8/5-time of 3 s to 15 s could be achieved through the reduced welding velocity.
The concept of electromagnetic weld pool support system allowed single-pass welds in flat position without gravity drop-outs even for reduced welding speeds; in this way the heat input can be controlled.
The adaptation of the electromagnetic weld pool support system to laser and laser hybrid welding process can dramatically increase the potential field of application of these technologies for real industrial implementation.
Diese Arbeit zeigt erstmals die Anwendung einer elektromagnetischen Schmelzbadstütze beim einlagigen MSG-Schweißen von dickwandigen Stählen. Die innovativen Entwicklungen im Bereich des Lichtbogenschweißverfahrens ermöglichen eine Erhöhung der Abschmelzleistung, um die Einschweißtiefe zu steigern. Somit kann die Lagenanzahl reduziert und die Produktivität gesteigert werden. Allerdings besteht insbesondere beim einlagigen Schweißen von dickwandigen Bauteilen in PA-Position ein erhöhtes Risiko für das gravitationsbedingte Austropfen der Schmelze an der Wurzel. Zur Verhinderung werden Badstützen eingesetzt, die mechanisch angebracht und nach dem Schweißen entfernt werden müssen, was zeit- und kostenintensiv ist.
Die im Rahmen dieser Studie eingesetzte elektromagnetische Schmelzbadstütze wirkt dem gravitationsbedingten Austropfen der Schmelze entgegen und kompensiert den hydrostatischen Druck. Sie wirkt kontaktlos, was im Gegensatz zu herkömmlichen Badstützen vorteilhaft ist, so dass auf eine zeit- und kostenintensive Nachbearbeitung der Schweißnahtwurzel verzichtet werden kann. Das auf extern angelegten oszillierenden Magnetfeldern beruhende Verfahren wird dabei unterhalb des zu schweißenden Bauteils positioniert. Die Magnetfeldlinien sind quer zur Schweißrichtung ausgerichtet, sodass längs zur Schweißrichtung Wirbelströme im Werkstück und eine stets nach oben gerichtete Lorentzkraft generiert werden. Mit Hilfe der elektromagnetischen Badstütze konnten beim einlagigen MSG-Schweißen von 8 mm bis 12 mm die Tropfenbildung vermieden werden. Die innovative Technologie ermöglicht es dickwandige Bauteile einlagig zu schweißen und reduziert die Nachbearbeitungszeit deutlich.
The study deals with the influence of the heat input and the resulting cooling times on the microstructure and Charpy impact toughness of single-pass laser hybrid welded 20-mm thick high-strength steel S690QL. The main focus is on the change of the mechanical properties over the entire seam thickness. The cooling times were measured in-situ using a pyrometer and an optical fibre in three different depths of the seam where Charpy impact test specimens were also later taken. Thereby, three different heat inputs from 1.3 kJ/mm to 2 kJ/mm were investigated. Despite the observed decreased values of both t8/5-cooling time and the Charpy impact toughness in the root part of the seam, the required impact toughness of 38 J/cm2 could be reached in dependance on applied heat input, especially at the heat input of 1.6 kJ/mm.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Single-pass Hybrid Laser Arc Welding of Thick Materials Using Electromagnetic Weld Pool Support
(2019)
Hybrid laser-arc welding process allows single-pass welding of thick materials, provides good quality formation of joints with minimal thermal deformations and a high productivity in comparison with arc-based welding processes. Nevertheless, thick-walled steels with a thickness of 20 mm or more are still multi-pass welded using arc welding processes, due to increased process instability by increasing laser power. One limitation factor is the inadmissible formation of gravity drop-outs at the root. To prevent this, an innovative concept of electromagnetic weld pool support is used in this study. With help of such system a stable welding process can be established for 25 mm thick steel plates and beyond. Sound welds could be obtained which are tolerant to gaps and misalignment of the welded parts. The adaptation of this system to laser and hybrid laser-arc welding process can dramatically increase the potential field of application of these technologies for real industrial implementation.
The presented study deals with the performing and mechanical testing of single pass hybrid laser-arc welds (HLAW) on 25 mm thick plates made of steel grade S355J2. One of the challenges have to be solved at full penetration HLAW of thick plates is the drop formation occurring due to the disbalances of the forces acting in the keyhole and on the melt pool surface. Such irregularities mostly limit the use of high-power laser beam welding or HLAW of thick-walled constructions. To overcome this problem, an innovative concept of melt pool support based on generating Lorentz forces in the weld pool is used in this work. This method allows to perform high quality welds without sagging even for welding of 25 mm thick plates in flat position at a welding speed of 0.9 m min-1. For the obtain of full penetrated welds a laser beam power of 19 kW was needed. A high V-impact energy of up to 160 J could be achieved at the test temperature of 0 °C. Even at the most critical part in the weld root an impact energy of 60 J in average could be reached. The tensile strength of the weld reaches that of the base material. An introduce of the HLAW process with electromagnetic support of the melt pool in the industrial practice is an efficient alternative to the time- and cost-intensive arc-based multi-layer welding techniques which are established nowadays for joining of thick-walled constructions.
With global increases in clean energy demand, the natural gas is gaining in importance. Pipelines are the safest and most cost-effective way of transporting natural gas. Due to high transport volume and resulting high operation pressure, the demand for ultra-high strength steel grades such as X120 is very strong. As a result of the fact that these steels are produced by thermo-mechanical controlled processing, the welding process must be selected accordingly. Based on investigations, a high heat input such as by submerged arc welding process leads to softening in the weld metal and loss of strength whereas pure laser beam welding results in high cooling rates and deteriorate toughness of the weld metal. The objective of this research is to investigate the influence of heat input to mechanical properties of hybrid laser-arc welded pipeline steels of grade X120. Test specimens with a thickness of 20 mm could be welded without preheating in a single-pass with different welding velocities to observe the largest possible parameter window of the heat input. The achieved V-notch impact energy for hybrid laser-arc welded samples was 144±37 J at a testing temperature of -40 °C. With a tensile strength of 930±4 MPa the requirements of API 5L was achieved. To prevent gravity drop-outs at the slow welding speeds, an electromagnetic weld pool support system was used, which works contactless and is based on generating Lorentz forces. It was therefore possible to control the cooling rate in order to meet the requirements of the mechanical properties. 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.
The influence of heat input and welding speed on the microstructure and mechanical properties of single-pass hybrid laser arc welded 20mm thick plates of high-strength pipeline steel X120 were presented. The heat Input was varied in the range of 1.4 kJ mm−1 to 2.9 kJ mm−1, while the welding speed was changed between 0.5m min−1 and 1.5m min−1. A novel technique of bath support based on external oscillating electromagnetic field was used to compensate the hydrostatic pressure at low welding velocities. A major advantage of this technology is, that the welding speed and thus the cooling time t8/5 can be variated in a wide parameter window without issues regarding the weld root quality. The recommended welding thermal cycles for the pipeline steel X120 can be met by that way. All tested Charpy-V specimens meet the requirements of API 5 L regarding the impact energy. For higher heat inputs the average impact energy was 144 ± 37 J at a testing temperature of −40 °C. High heat Input above 1.6 kJ mm−1 leads to softening in the weld metal and heat-affected-zone resulting in loss of strength. The minimum tensile strength of 915 MPa could be achieved at heat inputs between 1.4 kJ mm−1 and 1.6 kJ mm−1.
The hybrid laser arc welding (HLAW) process provides many advantages such as improved gap bridgeability, deep penetration and misalignment of edges, that is why the process is used increasingly in industrial applications e.g. shipbuilding, power plant industry and line-pipe manufacturing. The obvious encountered problem for single pass welding in flat position is the gravity drop-out at low welding velocities. With the usage of an electromagnetic weld pool support system, which is based on generating Lorentz forces within the weld pool, wide seams followed by reduced welding velocities could be achieved in this study leading to the realization of a gap bridgeability up to 1 mm, misalignment of edges up to 2 mm and a single pass weld up to 28 mm thickness with a 20-kW fibre laser. These developments expand the boundaries of the HLAW process for different industrial applications. As a result, less accurate preparation of the edges would be sufficient, which saves time for manufacturing.
The laser hybrid welding process offers many advantages regarding deep penetration, increased welding velocity and with the help of the supplied filler wire an improved bridgeability to gap and misalignment tolerances. High power laser systems with a power of approx. 30 kW are already available on the market. Nevertheless, multi-layer technology with an arc process is still used for welding of plates from a thickness from 20 mm. A potential cause is the process instability with increasing laser power. It is inevitable that gravity drop-out due to the high hydrostatic pressure at increasing wall thickness especially at welding in flat position and with a low welding speed. The surface tension decreases with increasing root width resulting from low welding velocities. To prevent such inadmissible defects of the seam a use of weld pool support is required. Usual weld pool support systems such as ceramic or powder supports require a mechanical detachment which is time-consuming. The electromagnetic weld pool support system described in this work shows an alternative weld pool support which works contactless. It is based on generating Lorentz forces in the weld pool due to oscillating magnetic field and induced eddy currents. This innovative technology offers single pass welds up to 28 mm in flat position and reduced welding velocity with a laser power of just 19 kW. It also leads to improved mechanical-technological properties of the seams because of the slow cooling rate. With usage of an electromagnetic weld pool support the limitation of the hybrid laser arc welding process in the thick sheet metal will be extend.
Hybrid laser-arc welding offers many advantages, such as deep penetration, good gap bridge-ability, and low distortion due to reduced heat input. The filler wire which is supplied to the process is used to influence the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld seam.
A typical problem in deep penetration high-power laser beam welding with filler wire and hybrid laser-arc welding is an insufficient mixing of filler material in the weld pool, leading to a non-uniform element distribution in the seam. In this study, oscillating magnetic fields were used to form a non-conservative component of the Lorentz force in the weld pool to improve the element Distribution over the entire thickness of the material. Full penetration hybrid laser-arc welds were performed on 20-mm-thick S355J2 steel plates with a nickel-based wire for different arrangements of the oscillating magnetic field. The Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) data for the distribution of two tracing elements (Ni and Cr) were used to analyze the homogeneity of dilution of the filler wire.
With a 30° turn of the magnetic field to the welding direction, a radical improvement in the filler material distribution was demonstrated. This would lead to an improvement of the mechanical properties with the use of a suitable filler wire.
The understanding of process-microstructure-property-performance (PMPP) relationships in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is highly necessary to achieve wide-spread industrial application and replace conventionally manufactured parts, especially regarding safety-relevant applications. To achieve this understanding, reliable data and knowledge regarding material’s microstructure-property relationships (e.g. the role of defects) is needed, since it represents the base for future more targeted process optimizations and more reliable calculations of performance. However, producing reliable material data and assessing the AM material behaviour is not an easy task: big challenges are e.g. the actual lack of standard testing methods for AM materials and the occasional difficulties in finding one-to-one comparable material data for the conventional counterpart.
This work aims to contribute to end this lack of reliable material data and knowledge for the low cycle fatigue behaviour of the most used titanium alloy in aerospace applications (Ti-6Al-4V). For this purpose, two sets of test specimens were investigated. The first set was manufactured from cylindrical rods produced by an optimized DED-L process and the second was manufactured from a hot formed round bar. The test specimens were cyclically loaded until failure in the low-cycle-fatigue (LCF) regime. The tests were carried out according to ISO 12106 between 0.3 to 1.0 % axial strain amplitude from room temperature up to 400°C. The LCF behaviour is described and compared between materials and with literature values based on cyclic deformation curves and strain-based fatigue life curves. Besides, the parameters of Manson-Coffin-Basquin relationship were calculated. The microstructures (initial and after failure) and fracture surfaces were comparative characterized. Thereby, the focus lied on understanding the role of grain morphology and defects on the failure mechanisms and fatigue lifetimes. For this latter characterization, optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro computed tomography (µCT) were used.
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.
Creep and fracture behavior of conventionally and additively manufactured stainless steel 316L
(2020)
A critical task within the frame of establishing process-structure-property-performance relationships in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is producing reliable and well-documented material behavior’s data and knowledge regarding the structure-property correlation, including the role of defects. After all, it represents the basis for developing more targeted process optimizations and more reliable predictions of performance in the future. Within this context, this contribution aims to close the actual gap of limited historical data and knowledge concerning the creep behavior of the widely used austenitic stainless steel 316L, manufactured by Laser-Powder-Bed-Fusion (L-PBF). To address this objective, specimens from conventional hot-rolled and AM material were tested under application-relevant conditions according to existing standards for conventional material, and microstructurally characterized before and after failure. The test specimens were machined from single blocks from the AM material. The blocks were manufactured using a standard scan and build-up strategy and were subsequently heat-treated. The creep behavior is described and comparatively assessed based on the creep lifetime and selected creep curves and characteristic values. The effect of defects and microstructure on the material’s behavior is analyzed based on destructive and non-destructive evaluations on selected specimens. The AM material shows shorter creep lives, reaches the secondary creep stage much faster and at a lower strain, and features lower creep ductility compared to its conventional counterpart. The creep damage behavior of the AM material is more microstructure than defect controlled and is characterized by the formation and accumulation of single intergranular damage along the whole volume. Critical features identified are the grain morphology and the grain-boundary as well as the dislocation’s density. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) proves to be an alternative to metallography to analyze the creep damage.
Eine kritische Aufgabe im Rahmen der Etablierung von Prozess-Struktur-Eigenschafts-Performance-Beziehungen bei der additiven Fertigung (AM) von Metallen ist die Ermittlung von zuverlässigen und gut dokumentierten Kennwerten zum Materialverhalten sowie das Schaffen von Wissen über die Struktur-Eigenschafts-Korrelation. Schließlich ist dies die Grundlage für die Entwicklung gezielterer Prozessoptimierungen und zuverlässigerer Lebensdauer-Vorhersagen. In diesem Zusammenhang zielt dieser Beitrag darauf ab, Daten und Erkenntnisse über das Kriechverhalten des austenitischen Edelstahls 316L zu liefern, der mittels Laser-Powder-Bed-Fusion (L-PBF) hergestellt wird. Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, wurden Proben aus konventionellem warmgewalztem sowie AM-Material gemäß den bestehenden Normen für konventionelles Material geprüft und vor und nach dem Versagen mikrostrukturell charakterisiert. Die Probekörper wurden aus einzelnen Blöcken des AM-Materials gefertigt. Die Blöcke wurden mit einer Standard-Scan- und Aufbaustrategie hergestellt und anschließend wärmebehandelt. Das Kriechverhalten wird anhand der Kriechlebensdauer und ausgewählter Kriechkurven und Kennwerte beschrieben und vergleichend bewertet. Der Einfluss von Defekten und Mikrostruktur auf das Materialverhalten wird anhand von zerstörenden und zerstörungsfreien Auswertungen an ausgewählten Proben analysiert. Der AM-Werkstoff zeigt kürzere Kriechlebensdauern, erreicht das sekundäre Kriechstadium deutlich schneller und bei geringerer Dehnung und weist eine geringere Kriechduktilität im Vergleich zu seinem konventionellen Gegenstück auf. Das Kriechschädigungsverhalten des AM-Werkstoffs ist eher mikrostruktur- als defektgesteuert und ist durch die Bildung intergranularer Kriechrisse gekennzeichnet. Als kritische Merkmale werden die Versetzungsdichte sowie die Versprödung der Korngrenzen identifiziert. Die Mikro-Computertomographie (µCT) erweist sich als Alternative zur Metallographie, um die Kriechschädigung zu analysieren.
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.
As humanity contemplates manned missions to Mars, strategies need to be developed for the design and operation of hospitable environments to safely work in space for years. The supply of spare parts for repair and replacement of lost equipment will be one key need, but in-space manufacturing remains the only option for a timely supply. With high flexibility in design and the ability to manufacture ready-to-use components directly from a computeraided model, additive manufacturing (AM) technologies appear extremely attractive. For the manufacturing of metal parts, laser-beam melting is the most widely used AM process. However, the handling of metal powders in the absence of gravity is one prerequisite for its successful application in space. A gas flow throughout the powder bed is successfully applied to compensate for missing gravitational forces in microgravity experiments. This so-called gas-flow-assisted powder deposition is based on a porous Building platform acting as a filter for the fixation of metal particles in a gas flow driven by a pressure difference maintained by a vacuum pump.
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.
Der Vortrag thematisiert die Behandlung von Schweißeigenspannungen bei der Auslegung geschweißter Bauteile. Ausgehend von Fragen der Klassifizierung unterschiedlicher Typen von Eigenspannungen wird auf Fragen der Behandlung von Primär- und Sekundärspannungen, der Ermittlung und Aussagefähigkeit von Eigenspannungs-Tiefen-Profilen und der Stabilität der Eigenspannungen bei zyklischer Beanspruchung eingegangen. Neben der Auslegung auf Bruch wird die Beschreibung der Ermüdungsrissausbreitung bei Vorhandensein von Eigenspannungen diskutiert, wobei neben der klassischen Langrissbruchmechanik auch Besonderheiten der Kurzrissbruchmechanik angesprochen werden.
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 magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) technology is recognized as a promising approach for improving 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 of 97% in the porosity ratio of the welded joints applied with an oscillating magnetic field compared to those without magnetic field, thereby validating the efficiency 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 MHD model and metal vapor plume, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the porosity suppression mechanism. The weld pool shape is significantly widened and enlarged because of the Lorentz force, which facilitates the escape of gas bubbles. Meanwhile, the introduction of an oscillating magnetic field generates a time-averaged downward Lorentz force. This averaged downward Lorentz force, in turn, enhances and stables the downward fluid flow, which hinders the bubble backward movement. Meanwhile, this averaged downward Lorentz force induces an upward electromagnetic expulsive force on the bubble, which effectively increases the upward escape velocity of bubbles in the weld pool. 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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 application of an external magnetic field has been found to significantly mitigate the porosity ratio in laser beam welded joints of AlMg3 aluminum alloy. To investigate the suppression mechanism, a 3D transient multi-physics coupled numerical model of laser beam welding (LBW), including laser propagation, laser-material interaction, and magnetohydrodynamic effects, has been developed to calculate the keyhole dynamics and weld pool behaviors during the welding process. The induced time-averaged Lorenz force is directed downward. Under the effects of the external magnetic field, the fluid flow pattern and the weld pool profile are both affected. The keyhole geometry reconstruction algorithm is proposed to calculate the keyhole diameter and its fluctuation, which is used to evaluate the keyhole stability. The results indicate that the oscillating magnetic field does not affect keyhole stability obviously in the LBW of aluminum alloy. Moreover, an electromagnetic expulsive force is induced on the bubble because of the time-averaged downward Lorentz force. This electromagnetic expulsive force can accelerate the bubble escape speed considerably. An analytical model is developed for investigating the bubble escape window, which shows that the bubble escape window is expanded by 45% under the effect of the external magnetic field. The calculated results based on the developed model agree well with the experimental results.
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.
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.