Evaluation of High Penetration Hybrid Laser-GMAW Welding Process Productivity Applied in the Joining of Thick Plates and Pipelines

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Gomes Nunes Silva ◽  
Max Baranenko Rodrigues ◽  
Milton Pereira ◽  
Koen Faes
Keyword(s):  
Laser Beam ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Operating Time ◽  
Laser Beam Welding ◽  
Welding Process ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Thick Plates ◽  
High Penetration ◽  
Welding Processes

Abstract Welding processes are present in all sectors of the industry, highlighting the manufacturing industry of thick plates and pipelines. In these applications, welding processes have a major influence on costs, schedules, risk analysis and project feasibility. Conventional arc welding processes, such as the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process, have limitations when applied to high thickness joints due to their maximum achievable penetration depth. On the other hand, the laser beam welding (LBW) welding process, despite reaching high penetration depths, has several limitations mainly regarding the geometric tolerance of the joint. In this regard, the hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) process emerges as a promising bonding process, combining the advantages of the GMAW and LBW processes into a single melting pool. Despite the many operational and metallurgical advantages, the HLAW process presents a high complexity due to the high number of parameters involved and the interaction between the laser beam and the electric arc. The present work discusses the challenges involved in the parametrization of the HLAW process applied to the joining of thick plates and pipes, and empirically evaluated a comparison between the HLAW and GMAW processes, showing a reduction of operating time of approximately 40 times, and a reduction of consumption of shielding gas and filler material of approximately 20 times, evidencing the technical and financial contribution of the hybrid process.

scholarly journals Hybrid laser-arc welding of laser- and plasma-cut 20-mm-thick structural steels

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ömer Üstündağ ◽  
Nasim Bakir ◽  
Sergej Gook ◽  
Andrey Gumenyuk ◽  
Michael Rethmeier
Keyword(s):  
Laser Beam ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Laser Beam Welding ◽  
Digital Camera ◽  
Welding Process ◽  
Beam Power ◽  
Beam Diameter ◽  
Hybrid Laser Arc Welding ◽  
Single Pass ◽  
New Findings

AbstractIt is already known that the laser beam welding (LBW) or hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) processes are sensitive to manufacturing tolerances such as gaps and misalignment of the edges, especially at welding of thick-walled steels due to its narrow beam diameter. Therefore, the joining parts preferably have to be milled. The study deals with the influence of the edge quality, the gap and the misalignment of edges on the weld seam quality of hybrid laser-arc welded 20-mm-thick structural steel plates which were prepared by laser and plasma cutting. Single-pass welds were conducted in butt joint configuration. An AC magnet was used as a contactless backing. It was positioned under the workpiece during the welding process to prevent sagging. The profile of the edges and the gap between the workpieces were measured before welding by a profile scanner or a digital camera, respectively. With a laser beam power of just 13.7 kW, the single-pass welds could be performed. A gap bridgeability up to 1 mm at laser-cut and 2 mm at plasma-cut samples could be reached respectively. Furthermore, a misalignment of the edges up to 2 mm could be welded in a single pass. The new findings may eliminate the need for cost and time-consuming preparation of the edges.

Dissimilar and Similar Laser Beam and GTA Welding of Nuclear Fuel Pin Cladding Tube to End Plug Joint

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 40-47
Author(s):  
Aravind Murugan ◽  
R. Sai Santhosh ◽  
Ravikumar Raju ◽  
A.K. Lakshminarayanan ◽  
Shaju K. Albert
Keyword(s):  
Laser Beam ◽  
Laser Welding ◽  
Laser Beam Welding ◽  
Welding Process ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Optical Microscope ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Fuel Pin ◽  
Gtaw Process ◽  
Welding Processes

The end plug to cladding tube of fast reactor fuel pin is normally welded using Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process. The GTAW process has large heat input and wide heat-affected-zone (HAZ) than high energy density process such as laser welding. In the present study Laser Beam Welding (LBW) is being considered as an alternative welding process to join end plug to clad tube. The characteristics of autogenous processes such as GTAW and pulsed Nd-YAG laser welding on fuel cladding tube to end plug joints have been investigated in this study. Dissimilar combinations of modified stainless steel (SS) alloy D9 cladding tube to SS316L end plug, and similar combinations of SS316L cladding tube to SS316L end plug were successfully welded using the above two welding processes. The laser welding was performed at the butting surfaces of the cladding tube and the end plug, and also by shifting the laser beam by 0.2 mm towards the end plug side to compensate the heat balance and for improving the Creq/Nieq ratio in the molten pool. Helium Leak Test (HLT) and Radiography Test (RT) were carried out to validate the quality of the welds. The microstructures of the weld joints were analysed using optical microscope. In the present study, it has been demonstrated that it is possible to obtain welds free from hot cracks by shifting the laser beam by 0.2 mm towards end plug side, while the weld produced using the beam positioned at the interface shows cracks in the weld.

Influence of Surface Structured Filler Wires on Laser Beam Welding of Copper Alloys

2015 ◽  
Vol 805 ◽  
pp. 171-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Mann ◽  
Fabian Gärtner ◽  
Florian Hugger ◽  
Konstantin Hofmann ◽  
Felix Tenner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Laser Beam ◽  
Weld Seam ◽  
Copper Alloys ◽  
Laser Beam Welding ◽  
Welding Process ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Additional Amount ◽  
Infrared Wavelengths ◽  
Welding Processes

Compared to steel, the required amount of energy for conventional welding of copper is higher, due to its higher thermal conductivity. This problem is mainly solved by preheating the work pieces or welding processes with high intensities such as laser beam welding. As the absorption of copper for infrared wavelengths, which are commonly used in industrial applications today, is typically low, the energy efficiency of the laser welding process is low. Besides this, if filler wires are used in order to increase the bridgeable width of joining gaps, the energy consumption of the process is further increased due to the additional amount of energy required to melt the filler material.As roughened surfaces of copper parts are known to increase absorption and consequently energy efficiency of laser beam welding without filler wires, this paper investigates the influence of surface structured filler wires on laser beam welding of copper alloys. Thus, the correlation between knurling geometries, absorption, molten volume and the welding result is investigated. For this reason, the welding result is evaluated by means of geometrical, electrical and mechanical weld seam properties e.g. seam width, weld reinforcement, area of cross-section, electrical resistance, tensile strength and strain.

Effect of Welding Processes on Mechanical and Microstructural Characteristics of DP780 Steel Welded Joints for the Automotive Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 835 ◽  
pp. 101-107
Author(s):  
Khalid M. Hafez ◽  
Mohamed Mosalam Ghanem ◽  
Hamed A. Abdel-Aleem ◽  
Naglaa Fathy
Keyword(s):  
Laser Beam ◽  
Weld Metal ◽  
Automotive Industry ◽  
Welded Joints ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Gas Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Laser Beam Welding ◽  
Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Welding Processes ◽  
Dp780 Steel

Arc welding processes are widely used in the automotive industry among other welding processes. Consequently, laser welding technology is being used instead of arc welding due to the rapid heating and cooling characteristics of the laser. In this study, empirical investigations and comparative study are held out on the arc and laser beam welded joints of DP780 dual-phase steel. Accordingly, weld joint microstructures, hardness distribution, and fatigue properties cross the butt-welded joints were investigated. The results showed that laser beam welding produces narrow fusion and heat-affected zones while gas metal arc welding produced wide welds with incomplete penetration. It was observed that the microstructure of the laser joint weld metal has mainly lath martensite in the ferritic matrix, while microstructure of gas metal arc weld metal relies upon filler type. Heat-affected zone in DP780 steel exhibit hardness softening in both laser beam welding and gas metal arc welding due to martensite tempering, a wider softening region was clearly observed in heat-affected zone welded by gas metal arc welding than laser beam welding. Generally, fatigue ratio, fatigue limit and fatigue life of the welded joints were improved by using laser welding.

scholarly journals Development of laser welding of high strength aluminium alloy 2024-T4 with controlled thermal cycle

2020 ◽  
Vol 326 ◽  
pp. 08005
Author(s):  
Mete Demirorer ◽  
Wojciech Suder ◽  
Supriyo Ganguly ◽  
Simon Hogg ◽  
Hassam Naeem
Keyword(s):  
Laser Beam ◽  
Laser Welding ◽  
Heat Input ◽  
Thermal Cycle ◽  
Laser Beam Welding ◽  
Base Material ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Cooling Rates ◽  
Aa 2024 ◽  
Welding Processes

An innovative process design, to avoid thermal degradation during autogenous fusion welding of high strength AA 2024-T4 alloy, based on laser beam welding, is being developed. A series of instrumented laser welds in 2 mm thick AA 2024-T4 alloys were made with different processing conditions resulting in different thermal profiles and cooling rates. The welds were examined under SEM, TEM and LOM, and subjected to micro-hardness examination. This allowed us to understand the influence of cooling rate, peak temperature, and thermal cycle on the growth of precipitates, and related degradation in the weld and heat affected area, evident as softening. Although laser beam welding allows significant reduction of heat input, and higher cooling rates, as compared to other high heat input welding processes, this was found insufficient to completely supress coarsening of precipitate in HAZ. To understand the required range of thermal cycles, additional dilatometry tests were carried out using the same base material to understand the time-temperature relationship of precipitate formation. The results were used to design a novel laser welding process with enhanced cooling, such as with copper backing bar and cryogenic cooling.

Advanced submerged arc welding processes for Arctic structures and ice-going vessels

2016 ◽  
Vol 232 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-127
Author(s):  
Pavel Layus ◽  
Paul Kah ◽  
Viktor Gezha
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Welding Process ◽  
Submerged Arc Welding ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Correct Selection ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Welding Processes ◽  
Submerged Arc

The Arctic region is expected to play an extremely prominent role in the future of the oil and gas industry as growing demand for natural resources leads to greater exploitation of a region that holds about 25% of the world’s oil and gas reserves. It has become clear that ensuring the necessary reliability of Arctic industrial structures is highly dependent on the welding processes used and the materials employed. The main challenge for welding in Arctic conditions is prevention of the formation of brittle fractures in the weld and base material. One mitigating solution to obtain sufficiently low-transition temperatures of the weld is use of a suitable welding process with properly selected parameters. This work provides a comprehensive review with experimental study of modified submerged arc welding processes used for Arctic applications, such as narrow gap welding, multi-wire welding, and welding with metal powder additions. Case studies covered in this article describe welding of Arctic steels such as X70 12.7-mm plate by multi-wire welding technique. Advanced submerged arc welding processes are compared in terms of deposition rate and welding process operational parameters, and the advantages and disadvantages of each process with respect to low-temperature environment applications are listed. This article contributes to the field by presenting a comprehensive state-of-the-art review and case studies of the most common submerged arc welding high deposition modifications. Each modification is reviewed in detail, facilitating understanding and assisting in correct selection of appropriate welding processes and process parameters.

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