• International Journal of Korean Welding Society
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2003

Welding using lasers can be mass-produced in high speed. In the laser welding, performing real-time monitoring system of the welding quality is very important in enhancing the efficiency of welding. In this study, the plasma and molten metal which are generated during laser welding were measured using the UV sensor and IR sensors. The results of laser welding were classified into five categories such as optimal heat input, little low heat input, low heat input, partial joining due to gap mismatch, and nozzle deviation. Also, a system was formulated which uses the measured signals with a fuzzy pattern recognition method which is used to perform real-time evaluation of the welding quality and the defects which can occur in laser welding.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2002

After high power lasers are avaliable in the commercial market, the number of applications of the laser welding has been increased in manufacturing industries. Although the tailored blank laser welding of butt jointed steel sheets is well known recently in the automotive industries, the lap joint laser welding is a new technology to the automotive manufacturing people as well as the design people. But the deep penetration laser welding seems to be preferred to the partial penetration welding for the lap joint welding in the automotive manufacturers because the partial penetration is a serious deflect for the butt joint. In this study, the feasibility of partial penetration welding fur the lap joint $CO_2$ laser welding was studied fur the 1mm thick 390MPa high strength steel sheets for automotive bodies. The process window of the lap joint partial penetration welding was obtained from experiments with the gap size and the welding speed as process parameters. The partial penetration welding was found excellent on the basis of the tensile shear strength and sectional geometry. The bead width, input energy Per volume, tensile-shear strength, deformation energy and the sectional geometries after tensile-shear tests of partial penetration welded specimens are compared with those of full penetration welded specimens with a series of gaps and welding speeds.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.510-516
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• 2002

Recently the laser welding technology has been applied increasingly for the automotive bodies. But the lap joint laser welding for 3 dimensional automotive body is new while the butt joint laser welding is well known as the tailored blank technology. In this study, the process window was found for the full penetration welding of the lap joint of the 1mm-thick high strength steel sheets. The limit curves and characteristic curves were suggested to define the boundaries and the contour lines in a space of the welding speed and the gap size. The characteristics of the weld sectional geometry were used to determine the limit curves. They are bead width, penetration depth and sectional area. After the observed data was analysed carefully, it was noticed that there was a transition point at which the sectional shape was changed and the bead area jumped as the welding speed was increased. Also a new concept of 'input energy Per volume' was suggested to distinguish the difference at the transition Point. The difference of sectional areas at the transition point can be related to the dynamic keyhole phenomena.