Laser welding is a well known process, so is GMAW. But the joining of the processes,
the so called laser hybrid welding is not that known, yet. Looking into the laser welding we realise,
after many years use that there are some limitations to the process. One of the most significant is
that the process deals poorly with the ability to bridge gaps between plates that are to be joined.
This has its drawbacks on welding economy, the tolerances on ingoing parts has to be very high, the
laser process can not tolerate more than 0,1 mm gap between the plates. The GMAW process on the
other hand has the ability to deal with the joint tolerances in a better way, the backside is of course
the productivity and the penetration properties. In the laser hybrid process where the two processes
are joined in the same welding head, we are experienceing a great improvement in several
properties. Gaps are no longer a big problem, the process can deal with gaps up to 2,0 mm with the
present technology, (it is possible to coop with larger gaps using an oscillation of the laser beam,
but this is only on experimental stage yet). This now means that costs for ingoing parts will be
reduced. Process stability at high welding speeds is acchived.
There are many advantages in high strenght steels that are sensitive to heat input; better mechanical
properties are possible to obtain. Looking at the stainless materials the process has many
advantages, one of the most important is the joint volume reduction in thicker materials, another is
the ability to weld in duplex stainless steels.
GMA-laser Hybrid Welding of High-strength Fine-grain Structural Steel with an Inductive Preheating