Hybrid laser arc welding is a laser welding method that combines laser beam and arc for welding. The combination of laser beam and arc fully demonstrates the significant improvement in welding speed, penetration depth and process stability. Since the late 1980s, the continuous development of high-power lasers has promoted the development of hybrid laser arc welding technology. Issues such as material thickness, material reflectivity, and ability to bridge gaps are no longer obstacles to welding technology. in Welding of parts made of medium thickness materials.
Hybrid Laser Arc Welding Technology
In the hybrid laser arc welding process, the laser beam and arc interact in a common weld pool to produce a narrow and deep weld, thereby improving productivity, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Schematic of the hybrid laser arc welding process
Basics of Hybrid Laser Arc Welding
Laser welding is known for its very narrow heat affected zone and its laser beam can be focused on a small area to produce a narrow, deep weld. It can achieve higher welding speeds, reducing heat input and welding heat. pieces. Probability of deformation. However, laser welding has poor gap bridging capabilities, which imposes high precision requirements in part assembly and edge preparation. Laser welding is very difficult to weld with high reflectivity materials such as aluminum, copper, gold, etc. In contrast, the arc welding process has excellent bridging capabilities, high electrical efficiency, and can effectively weld materials with high reflectivity. However, the low energy density during arc welding can slow down the welding process, thereby generating significant heat input in the welding zone and causing thermal deformation of the welded parts. Therefore, using a high power laser beam for deep penetration welding while simultaneously using a high energy efficiency arc creates synergy. The hybrid effect compensates for the shortcomings of the process and complements its advantages, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Weld formation modes for laser welding, arc welding, and hybrid laser arc welding
Advantages of the hybrid laser arc welding process
The disadvantage of laser welding is low gap bridging capacity and high requirements for joining parts; The disadvantage of arc welding is low energy density and shallow penetration when welding thick plates, which generates a large amount of heat input in the welding area, which can lead to thermal deformation of welded parts. The combination of the two can influence and support each other and compensate for the shortcomings of each other’s welding processes, giving full play to the advantages of laser deep penetration and arc welding to achieve low heat input , small weld deformation, fast welding speed and high welding strength. The advantages are shown in Figure 3. The comparison of the effects of laser welding, arc welding and hybrid laser arc welding on medium and thick metal sheets is shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Comparison of welding effects of medium and thick sheets
Figure 3 Schematic of hybrid laser arc welding process
Minglei Laser Arc Hybrid Welding Case
Minglei laser arc hybrid welding equipment mainly consists of manipulator, laser, cooler, welding head, arc welding power supply, etc. ., as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 Minglai laser arc hybrid welding equipment
Case 1
The client company is a company in the water recycling sector. /Product Introduction: Compound evaporative (condensation) cooling equipment. /Welding requires butt joining of pipes, 16mm external fillet welding and custom welding of plates made of special materials. The finished welding effect is shown in Figure 5, and the macroscopic metallographic image of the weld is shown in Figure 6.
Figure 5 Effect of finished welding product
Figure 6 Macroscopic metallography of the weld
Case 2
Product presentation Plywood shell U steel rib. /Welding Requirements 8mm, 10mm, 16mm Exterior corner welds must be fully penetrated, welded on one side and formed on the back. The finished welding effect is shown in Figure 7, and the macroscopic metallographic image of the weld is shown in Figure 8.
Figure 7 Effect of finished welding product
Figure 8 Macroscopic metallography of the weld
Hybrid laser arc welding application areas and development trends
Areas of application
With the gradual maturity of high-power laser technology, laser arc hybrid welding has been widely used in various fields. It has the advantages of higher welding efficiency, higher gap tolerance and deeper welding penetration. welding. The preferred welding method is also a welding method that can replace traditional welding in the field of large equipment manufacturing. It is widely used in industrial fields such as construction machinery, bridges, containers, pipelines, ships, steel structures and heavy industry, as shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9 Application areas of hybrid laser arc welding
Development trend
According to the “China Laser Arc Hybrid Welding Industry Market Monitoring Research Report 2022-2026 and Future Development Prospects” released by New Sijie Industrial Research Center, my country is a major producer of laser equipment in 2021, the production of my country’s laser equipment industry. will be 200,000 units. Among the above, laser welding equipment accounts for about 27.3% of the laser equipment market and is one of the most common equipment in the market. Hybrid laser arc welding is one of the new types of laser welding equipment. As the demand for medium-thickness plate welding continues to arise in various industries, the market demand for hybrid laser arc welding will continue to grow.
Conclusion
At present, high-power laser arc hybrid welding still largely relies on imports and is monopolized by companies from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries . There is a wide margin of domestic substitution for high-power hybrid laser arc welding. welding. In order to end this situation, Chinese enterprises must continue to innovate in technology, talents, applications, etc., and promote continuous progress in replacing imported high-power laser arc hybrid welding by the development trend of domestic substitution of high-power laser arc hybrid welding. -Hybrid power laser arc welding will become more and more obvious.
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