High power Nd:YAG laser welding of aluminum alloys for car body

摘要

Vehicle manufacturers are strongly interested in aluminum car bodies because of their high potential for lightening vehicles. High-power Nd:YAG lasers are expected to provide high-speed welding of aluminum alloys thanks to their high energy beam. However, a single beam spot is apt to provide unstable welding because of violent interaction between an aluminum alloy and the beam. In this research, dual focus beam welding of aluminum alloys was investigated from the viewpoint of obtaining a stable weld bead and higher welding speed than what is possible with MIG and spot welding.