Specialists from the All-Russia Research Institute of Experimental Physics in Sarov working with Professor Antonio Lapucci from the Institute of Applied Optics in Florence, Italy and Director of the Welding Institute in Aachen, Germany, Professor Ulrich Delthey, are developing a completely new light-laser welding system that uses polychromatic energy sources.
The researchers say this will overcome shortcomings of the current generation of laser welding technology. Financial support for the project comes from the International Science and Technology Centre.
The first experimental version of the laser is being tested currently. It involves two energy sources, a Nd-YAG-laser (a neodymium-yttrium aluminium garnet laser), which is what performs the spot weld , and a special light module. This second light source of radiation is at the heart of the laser’s capabilities. Its power is such that it can quickly and effectively heat a weld area and its surrounding space to over 1000 degrees. In its turn, this is a guarantee that defects that form under the welding of cold (that is specially non-heated) parts are significantly fewer, while the need for annealing ready products is eradicated altogether.
Welders have long known that the quality of a weld-joint is better if the parts are well heated beforehand. But the materials being welded may expand at different rates when heated, putting the joint out of line, or the materials involved may not be heat resistant.
To resolve this problem, Doctor of Technical Sciences Valentin Sysoev and his colleagues propose the use of the light source for heating the area, with a narrow laser beam inside to perform the spot weld.
By combing the two beams in this way it will be possible to use lower power, and therefore, lower cost lasers.
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