LASER-WELDING ALUMINUM

摘要

The current preferred manufacturing route for aircraft fuselage structures is riveting, and the principal material for these structures is aluminum. Recent analyses, however, have indicated that a move from riveted to welded airframe structures could lead to manufacturing cost savings in the region of 30%, according to researchers at The Welding Institute Ltd. (TWI) and Warwick Manufacturing Group Arden House. Welding was studied as part of a program called CEMWAM (Cost Effective Manufacture: Welding of Aerospace Materials), which was initiated by several UK industrial companies, research and technology organizations, and universities. Laser welding is one of the processes currently being considered because of its high processing speeds, low heat input, low distortion, good weld quality, and the overall flexibility that the process offers. Over the past few years, there has been an increased effort in the automotive industry to introduce laser-welding technology onto the shop floor. A great deal has been learned from these experiences, but further scrutiny of welding procedures is required to ensure that the weld quality needed for aerospace applications can be achieved reliably, in particular for the laser welding of aluminum.