公开(公告)号：US20200094351A1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-26

申请号：US16141142

申请日：2018-09-25

Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Inventor： Wu Tao

IPC: B23K26/26

Abstract: A device and associated method for joining, via a laser welder, a first workpiece to a second workpiece is described. This includes arranging the first and second workpieces in a stack, including overlapping a portion of the first workpiece with a portion of the second workpiece. The laser welder generates a first laser beam and coincidentally controls the laser welder to traverse a desired weld path that is disposed on the top surface of the first workpiece. The laser devices generates a second laser beam and coincidentally controls the laser welder to traverse the desired weld path. Generating, via the laser welder, the first laser beam includes operating the laser welder at a pulsed operation and at a first power level. Generating, via the laser welder, the second laser beam includes operating the laser welder at a continuous operation and at a second power level.

公开(公告)号：US20200047285A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-13

申请号：US16097689

申请日：2016-05-24

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David Yang ,  Wu Tao

IPC: B23K26/244 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/04 ,  B23K26/22 ,  B23K26/322

Abstract: A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up (10) that includes at least two overlapping steel workpieces, at least one of which includes a surface coating of a zinc-based material. The method includes forming at least one preliminary weld deposit (74) in the workpiece stack-up (10) and, thereafter, forming a principal laser weld joint. The formation of the principal laser spot weld joint involves advancing a principal welding laser beam (90) relative to a plane of the top surface (20) of the workpiece stack-up (10) along a beam travel pattern (104) that lies within an annular weld area (92). The beam travel pattern (104) of the principal welding laser beam (90) surrounds a center area (98) on the plane of the top surface (20) that spans the at least one preliminary weld deposit (74) formed in the workpiece stack-up (10).

公开(公告)号：US20190061056A1

公开(公告)日：2019-02-28

申请号：US16073536

申请日：2016-03-16

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David Yang ,  Wu Tao

IPC: B23K26/244 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/073 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/22 ,  B23K26/322

Abstract: A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up (10) that includes at least two overlapping metal workpieces (12, 14) comprises advancing a laser beam (24) relative to a plane of a top surface (20) of the workpiece stack-up (10) from a start point (84) to an end point (86) along a beam travel pattern (78) at a high laser beam travel speed of greater than 8 meters per minute. The two or more overlapping metal workpieces (12, 14) may be steel workpieces or they may be aluminum workpieces, and at least one of the metal workpieces (12, 14) includes a surface coating (40). Advancing the laser beam (24) along the beam travel pattern (78) forms a weld joint (76), which includes resolidified composite workpiece material derived from each of the metal workpieces (12, 14) penetrated by a molten weld pool (80), that fusion welds the metal workpieces (12, 14) together. The relatively high laser beam travel speed contributes to improve strength properties of the weld joint (76).

公开(公告)号：US20180304405A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-25

申请号：US15767080

申请日：2015-11-06

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David S. Yang ,  Jing Zhang ,  Wu Tao ,  Justin A. Wolsker

IPC: B23K26/22 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/32

CPC classification number: B23K26/22 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/32 ,  B23K2103/10

Abstract: A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up (10) that includes at least two overlapping aluminum workpieces (12, 14) comprises advancing a laser beam (24) relative to a plane of a top surface (20) of the workpiece stack-up (10) and along a spot weld travel pattern (74) that includes one or more nonlinear inner weld paths and an outer peripheral weld path that surrounds the one or more nonlinear inner weld paths. Such advancement of the laser beam (24) along the spot weld travel pattern (74) translates a keyhole (78) and a surrounding molten aluminum weld pool (76) along a corresponding route relative to the top surface (20) of the workpiece stack-up (10). Advancing the laser beam (24) along the spot weld travel pattern (74) forms a weld joint (72), which includes resolidified composite aluminum workpiece material derived from each of the aluminum workpieces (12, 14) penetrated by the surrounding molten aluminum weld pool (76), that fusion welds the aluminum workpieces (12, 14) together.

公开(公告)号：US20180141158A1

公开(公告)日：2018-05-24

申请号：US15575170

申请日：2015-06-02

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David S. Yang ,  Justin Allen Wolsker ,  Jing Zhang ,  Wu Tao ,  Dalong Gao

IPC: B23K26/244

CPC classification number: B23K26/244 ,  B23K2101/34 ,  B23K2103/04 ,  B23K2103/08

Abstract: A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up (10) that includes at least two overlapping steel workpieces (12, 14) comprises directing a laser beam (40) at a top surface (26) of the workpiece stack-up to form a keyhole (56) surrounded by a molten steel weld pool (58). The laser beam is conveyed along a predefined weld pattern that includes one or more nonlinear inner weld paths (66) and an enclosed outer peripheral weld path (68) surrounding the one or more nonlinear inner weld paths. During conveyance of the laser beam along the one or more nonlinear inner weld paths, the keyhole fully penetrates through the workpiece stack-up from the top surface of the stack-up to the bottom surface (28) of the stack-up. The method produces weld joints between the steel workpieces that do not have an intentionally imposed gap formed between their faying surfaces.

公开(公告)号：US20170239750A1

公开(公告)日：2017-08-24

申请号：US15506113

申请日：2014-08-25

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David S. Yang ,  Justin A. Wolsker ,  Bradley J. Blaski ,  Jeff Wang ,  Jing Zhang ,  Wu Tao

IPC: B23K26/244 ,  B23K26/10 ,  B23K26/16

CPC classification number: B23K26/244 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/10 ,  B23K26/16 ,  B23K2101/006 ,  B23K2101/18 ,  B23K2103/04 ,  B23K2103/08 ,  B23K2103/10 ,  B23K2103/12

Abstract: A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up includes directing a laser beam at a top surface of a first metal workpiece to form a key-hole that entirely penetrates the workpiece stack-up, including an underlying second metal workpiece, so that the keyhole reaches a bottom surface of the second metal workpiece. A zone of negative pressure established under the bottom surface of the second metal workpiece extracts vapors that are produced by the laser beam. The vapors, in particular, are extracted from the bottom surface of the second metal workpiece through the keyhole. A bottom workpiece holder that supports the bottom metal workpiece during laser welding may be constructed to establish the zone of negative pressure.

公开(公告)号：US11491580B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-08

申请号：US16614561

申请日：2017-06-13

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David Yang ,  Wu Tao

IPC: B23K26/244 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/354 ,  B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/08 ,  B23K26/322 ,  B23K103/08 ,  B23K103/10 ,  B23K103/04

Abstract: A method of laser welding together two or more overlapping metal workpieces (12, 14, or 12, 150, 14) included in a welding region (16) of a workpiece stack-up (10) involves advancing a beam spot (44) of a laser beam (24) relative to a top surface (20) of the workpiece stack-up along a first weld path (72) in a first direction (74) to form an elongated melt puddle (76) and, then, advancing the beam spot (44) of the laser beam (24) along a second weld path (78) in a second direction (80) that is opposite of the first direction while the elongated melt puddle is still in a molten state. The first weld path and the second weld path overlap so that the beam spot of the laser beam is conveyed through the elongated melt puddle when the beam spot is advanced along the second weld path.

公开(公告)号：US11148226B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-19

申请号：US16312141

申请日：2016-07-14

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David Yang ,  Wu Tao

IPC: B23K26/322 ,  B23K26/067 ,  B23K26/22 ,  B23K26/244 ,  B23K101/34

Abstract: A method of laser spot welding a workpiece stack-up (10) that includes at least two overlapping steel workpieces (12, 14, 150) is disclosed. The method includes directing a plurality of laser beams (24, 24′, 24″) at the top surface (20) of the workpiece stack-up to create a molten steel weld pool (92) that penetrates into the stack-up. The molten steel weld pool is then grown to penetrate further into the stack-up by increasing an overall combined irradiance of the laser beams while reducing the total projected sectional area (88) of the laser beams at a plane of the top surface of the workpiece stack-up. Increasing the overall combined irradiance of the laser beams may be accomplished by moving the focal points (66, 66′, 66″) of the laser beams closer to the top surface or by reducing the mean angle of incidence (86) of the laser beams so as to reduce the eccentricity of the individual projected sectional areas of the laser beams.

公开(公告)号：US11095004B2

公开(公告)日：2021-08-17

申请号：US15943065

申请日：2018-04-02

Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Inventor： Wu Tao ,  Li Sun ,  Xiaochao Que ,  Haijing Liu ,  Teresa J. Rinker ,  Jeffrey A. Abell

IPC: H01M50/531 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/22 ,  B23K26/32 ,  H01M10/0525

Abstract: A method for laser welding a plurality of battery foils to a battery tab that does not include ultrasonic welding and includes clamping the plurality of battery foils and the battery tab together. Each of the plurality of battery foils has a thickness that is between 0.004 millimeters and 0.03 millimeters. The battery tab has a thickness that is between 0.1 millimeters and 0.5 millimeters. The method further includes laser welding the plurality of battery foils to the battery tab.

公开(公告)号：US20190224781A1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-25

申请号：US16336333

申请日：2016-10-20

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： David Yang ,  Wu Tao

IPC: B23K26/244 ,  B23K26/04 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/08 ,  B23K26/322 ,  B23K26/073

Abstract: A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up (10, 10′) that includes at least two overlapping metal workpieces (12, 150, 14) comprises advancing a beam spot (44) of a laser beam (24) relative to a top surface (20) of the workpiece stack-up (10, 10′) and along a beam travel pattern (66) to form a laser weld joint (64) that fusion welds the metal workpieces (12, 150, 14) together. While the beam spot (44) is being advanced between a first point (76) and a second point (78) of one or more weld paths (74) of the beam travel pattern (66), the position of a focal point (52) of the laser beam (24) is oscillated relative to the top surface (20) of the workpiece N stack-up (10, 10′) along a dimension (68) oriented transverse to the top surface (20).