MODEL FOR CO2-LASER WELDING OF STAINLESS-STEEL, TITANIUM, AND NICKEL - PARAMETRIC STUDY

The present work has been carried out experimentally and theoretically with the aim of studying the effect of the operative pressure on the weld beads of different materials (AISI 304, Ti-6Al-4V and Ni), welded using a CO2 laser beam. At the same time, the reliability of a properly developed analytical model of the laser beam welding process has been confirmed. Such a model, taking into account the dynamics of the process itself, describes the laser induced thermal fields in terms of two heat sources, the first one representing the keyhole effect and the second one, the role played by the plume. A comparison between the experimental data and the beads predicted using the model gives satisfactory results, with average errors less than 5% for Ti-6Al-4 V and approximately 10% for AISI 304 and Ni. The model allows the quantitative evaluation of the power distribution between the keyhole and the plume and a deeper understanding of the entire process.