Project Code: 0903-10
Objectives
Develop laser and/or hybrid laser-arc welding procedures producing consistently high quality welds in Ni and Ti alloys.
Examine the benefits offered by high power, high brightness/high beam quality and/or scanned beams, in the area of laser welding of Ni and Ti alloys.
Characterise the quality and properties of the welds produced.
Project Outline
TWI and others have already demonstrated how autogenous laser welding using a number of different laser types may be used to achieve high quality welds in high temperature/high corrosion resistance materials.
Therefore, this project would address processes and/or laser sources which have not been widely used to date in welding research on such materials, possibly including hybrid welding processes, new, high brightness/high beam quality laser sources, and the advancing capacity of manipulating laser beams using galvo-scanning optics. Refinements that are already under development in the current Core Research Programme (eg using a directed gas jet or laser power modulation to stabilise autogenous laser welding of Ti alloys) will also be considered, as necessary, to achieve high quality.
The weld qualities achieved during the procedure development phase of the project would be continually assessed with respect to the requirements of relevant international standards, and other tighter criteria more in line with company welding standards. As has been proven a valid approach in recent work, different welding conditions would be screened by carrying out melt runs on plate, to reduce materials usage and expenditure. The most promising conditions would then be transferred to make square edge butt welds.
Demonstration butt welds would be made on completion of procedure development, and a basic evaluation of weld properties carried out, including properties such as weld metal composition, strength, toughness and corrosion resistance, depending on the parent material/s and envisaged application in question.
Relevant Industry Sectors
Aerospace, Power Generation, Petrochemical and Chemical Plant Industries