• 한국레이저가공학회지
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.13-19
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• 2001

When a high-power laser beam is irradiated on the surface of material, it is well known that a cavity, called a keyhole induced by the pressure action of the vapor plume, is generated in the molten material. This paper describes the interaction between a pulsed CO$_2$ laser beam and water. The laser-beam is used to generate and maintain a conical depression in the water surface similar to the keyhole created during laser penetration welding. Experimental results show that the depth of laser-beam penetration is limited by hydrodynamic instability. The instability of the surface cavity can be understood by the capillary instability of a hollow jet. Theoretical computation of the steady keyhole shape has been performed. modifying the model suggested by Andrews et al. (1976). The model predicts the qualitative behavior of the keyhole but significantly underestimates the average diameter.

• 대한용접접합학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한용접접합학회 2002년도 Proceedings of the International Welding/Joining Conference-Korea
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• pp.600-605
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• 2002

The keyhole formed by high energy density laser-material interaction periodically collapses due to surface tension of the molten metal in partial penetration welds. The collapse sometimes traps a void at the bottom of the keyhole, and it remains as welding defects. This phenomenon is seen as one cause of the instability of the keyhole during laser beam welding. Thus, it seems likely that improving the stability of the keyhole can reduce voids and uniform the penetration depth. The goal of this work is to develop techniques for controlling laser weld keyhole dynamics to reduce weld defects such as voids and inconsistent penetration. Statistical analysis of the penetration depth signals in glycerin determined that keyhole dynamics are chaotic. The chaotic nature of keyhole fluctuations and the ability of laser power modulation to control them have been demonstrated by high-speed video images of laser welds in glycerin. Additionally, an incident leading beam angle is applied to enhance the stability of the keyhole. The quasi-sinusoidal laser beam power of 400Hz frequency and 15$^{\circ}$ incident leading beam angle were determined to be the optimum parameters for the reduction of voids. Finally, chaos analyses of uncontrolled signals and controlled signals were done to show the effectiveness of modulation on the keyhole dynamics. Three-dimensional phase plots for uncontrolled system and controlled system are produced to demonstrate that the chaotic keyhole dynamics is converted to regular periodic behavior by control methods: power modulation and incident leading beam angle.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.464-471
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• 2002

Porosity formation in partial penetration welds by high power lasers is a serious problem in industry. There are two main causes that induce porosity formation. One form of porosity is due to gases (e.g. hydrogen, oxygen) dissolving into the weld pool because of the high temperature and then the rapid solidification traps gases as a bubble in the weld metal. The second problem is voids formed by the keyhole collapsing due to unstable keyhole fluid dynamics. The voids that form at the bottom of the keyhole are relatively large and irregular in shape compared to the gas bubbles; this void formation is the primary concern in this paper. The reduction of voids formed by keyhole collapse is achieved by improving the stability of keyhole. Two methods to improve keyhole stability are discussed in this paper: pulse modulation and beam incident angle. Pulse modulation of the laser beam was performed between 100 Hz and 500 Hz to find out the optimum frequency for the keyhole dynamics. The incident beam angle changed the impact angle of the laser beam to the work surface in a range of 0 to 25 degrees. Glycerin in a semi-solidified state is used as a medium for performing the welding because its transparency allows of visualization of the keyhole.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.282-292
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• 2007

The present paper describes the results of high speed photography, acoustic emission (AE) detection and plasma light emission (LE) measurement during $CO_2$ laser welding of 304 stainless steel in different processing conditions. Video images with high spatial and temporal resolution allowed to observe the melt dynamics and keyhole evolution. The existence of keyhole was confirmed by the slag motion on the weld pool. The characteristic frequencies of flow instability and keyhole fluctuations at different welding speed were measured and compared with the results of Fourier analyses of temporal AE and LE spectra. The experimental results were compared with the newly developed numerical model of keyhole dynamics. The model is based on the assumption that the propagation of front part of keyhole into material is due to the melt ejection driven by laser induced surface evaporation. The calculations predict that a high speed melt flow is induced at the front part of keyhole when the sample travel speed exceeds several 10 mm/s. The numerical analysis also shows the hump formation on the front keyhole wall surface. Experimentally observed melt behavior and transformation of the AE and LE spectra with variation of welding speed are qualitatively in good agreement with the model predictions.

• 해양환경안전학회지
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.23-31
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• 1997

The results of high speed photography, acoustic emission detection and plasma UV radiation intensity measurement during CO2 laser welding of stainless steel 304 are presented. Video images with high spatial and temporal resolution allowed to observe the melt dynamics and keyhole evolution. The existence of a high speed melt flow which originated from the part of weld pool and flowed along the sides wall of keyhole was confirmed by the slag motion on the weld pool. the characteristic frequencies of flow instability and keyhole fluctuations at different welding speed were measured and compared with the results of Fourier analyses of temporal acoustic emission (AE) and light emission (LE) spectra. The experimental results were compared with the newly developed numerical model of keyhole dynamics. (The model is based on the assumption that the propagation of front part of keyhole into material is due to the melt ejection driven by laser induced surface evaporation.) The calculations predict that a high speed melt flow is induced at the front part of keyhole when the sample travel speed exceeds several 10mm/s. The numerical analysis also shows the hump formation on the front keyhole wall surface. Experimentally observed melt behavior and transformation of the AE and LE spectra with variation of welding speed are qualitatively in good agreement with the model predictions.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.26-33
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• 2002

This study was undertaken to obtain the fundamental knowledges on the weld deflects and it's realtime monitoring method. The paper describes the results of high speed photography, acoustic emission (AE) detection and plasma light emission (LE) measurements during $CO_2$ laser welding of STS 304 stainless steel and A5083 aluminum alloy in different welding condition. The characteristic frequencies of plasma and keyhole fluctuations at different welding speed and shield gases were measured and compared with the results of Fourier analyses of temporal AE and LE spectra, and they had considerably good agreement with keyhole and plasma fluctuation. Namely, the low frequency peaks of AE and LE shifted to higher frequency range with the welding speed increase, and leer the argon shield gas it was higher than that in helium and nitrogen gases. The low frequencies dominating in fluctuation spectra of LE probably reflect keyhole opening instability. It is possible to monitor the weld bead deflects by analyzing the acoustic and/or plasma light emission signals.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.71-78
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• 2006

It has been reported that good quality weld beads are not easily obtained during the $CO_2$ CW laser welding of primer coated plate. However, by introducing a small gap clearance in the lap position, the zinc vapor can escape through it and sound weld beads can be acquired. Therefore, this study examines for keyhole behavior by observing the laser-induced plasma and investigates the relation between keyhole behavior and formation of weld defect. Laser-induced plasma has accompanied with the vaporizing pressure of zinc ejecting from keyhole to surface of primer coated plate. This dynamic behavior of plasma was very unstable and this instability was closely related to the unstable motion of keyhole during laser welding. As a result of observing the composition of porosity, much of Zn element was found from inner surface of porosity. But Zn was not found from the dimple structure fractured at the weld metal. By analyzing of vaporizing element in laser welding, a component ratio of Zn was decreased by introducing a small gap clearance. Therefore we can prove that the major cause of porosity is the vaporization of primer in lap position. Mechanism of porosity-formation is that the primer vaporized from the lap position accelerates dynamic behavior of the key hole and the bubble separated from the key hole is trapped in the solidification boundary and romaines as porosity.

• 대한용접접합학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한용접접합학회 2002년도 Proceedings of the International Welding/Joining Conference-Korea
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• pp.612-619
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• 2002

The dynamic behavior of Al-Mg alloys plasma was very unstable and this instability was closely related to the unstable motion of keyhole during laser irradiation. The keyhole fluctuated both in size and shape and its fluctuation period was about 440 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. This instability has been estimated to be caused by the evaporation phenomena of metals with different boiling point and latent heats of vaporization. Therefore, the authors have conducted the spectroscopic diagnostics of plasma induced in the pulsed YAG laser welding of Al-Mg alloys in air and argon atmospheres. In the air environment, the identified spectra were atomic lines of Al, Mg, Cr, Mn, Cu, Fe and Zn, and singly ionized Mg line, as well as strong molecular spectrum of AlO, MgO and AIH. It was confirmed that the resonant lines of Al and Mg were strongly self-absorbed, in particular in the vicinity of pool surface. The self-absorption of atomic Mg line was more eminent in alloys containing higher Mg. These facts showed that the laser-induced plasma was relatively a low temperature and high density metallic vapor. The intensities of molecular spectra of AlO and MgO were different each other depending on the power density of laser beam. Under the low power density irradiation condition, the MgO band spectra were predominant in intensity, while the AlO spectra became much stronger in higher power density. In argon atmosphere the band spectra of MgO and AlO completely vanished, but AlH molecular spectra was detected clearly. The hydrogen source was presumably the hydrogen solved in the base Metal, absorbed water on the surface oxide layer or H$_2$ and $H_2O$ in the shielding gas. The temporal change in spectral line intensities was quite similar to the fluctuation of keyhole. The time average plasma temperature at 1 mm high above the surface of A5083 alloy was determined by the Boltzmann plot method of atomic Cr lines of different excitation energy. The obtained electron temperature was 3, 280$\pm$150 K which was about 500 K higher than the boiling point of pure aluminum. The electron number density was determined by measuring the relative intensities of the spectra1lines of atomic and singly ionized Magnesium, and the obtained value was 1.85 x 1019 1/㎥.

• 한국공작기계학회논문집
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.14-21
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• 2003

With the increased use of lasers in industrial welding applications, techniques for monitoring and controlling these processes become increasingly important. It is very important that we understand the dynamic behaviors of the laser induced Plume in welding, because the laser induced plume has considerable effects on welding efficiency and the quality of materials. As the plume fluctuation was associated with keyhole instability, unstable vapor plume indicated the process was unstable and would result in poor welds. An Infrared Thermal-vision Camera can be utilized compensate for incurracies encountered in real-time monitoring during laser welding. We have results that instabilities of plume are closely related with hot cracking and defect of laser welding.