Abstract:
A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up that includes two or three overlapping aluminum alloy workpieces involves constraining a free end of an overlapping portion of a first aluminum alloy workpiece against movement away from an underlying second aluminum alloy workpiece to counteract the thermally-induced forces that cause out-of-plane deformation of one or more of the aluminum alloy workpieces during laser welding. Such constraint of the free end of the first aluminum alloy workpiece may be accomplished by clamping, spot welding, or any other suitable practice. By constraining the free end of the first aluminum alloy workpiece, and thus inhibiting out-of-plane deformation of the aluminum alloy workpieces when laser welding is practiced in a nearby welding region, the occurrence of hot cracking is minimized or altogether eliminated in the final laser weld joint.
Abstract:
A method of laser welding aluminum alloy workpieces with dual laser beams arranged in a cross-beam orientation is disclosed. The method comprises directing dual laser beams, which include a first laser beam and a second laser beam, at and along a weld seam established between the aluminum alloy workpieces together with a filler wire. The first laser beam includes a first longitudinal axis and the second laser beam includes a second longitudinal axis. When arranged in the cross-beam orientation, a plane that intersects the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis of the first and second laser beams, respectively, forms a line where it meets the aluminum alloy workpieces that is oriented transverse to the weld seam.
Abstract:
A method of laser welding a first part to a second part including: shining a pointer laser, redirected by a bending mirror, to form a laser beam directed toward the first and second parts to create a laser stripe on the parts; detecting the laser stripe with a camera that is coaxially located and receives an image along an axis defined by the laser beam; processing the image with a camera processor to detect a location of the feature; automatically adjusting a laser welding system to account for the location of the feature; and activating a welding laser, directed through the bending mirror, to weld the first part to the second part.
Abstract:
A method of laser welding aluminum alloy workpieces with dual laser beams arranged in a cross-beam orientation is disclosed. The method comprises directing dual laser beams, which include a first laser beam and a second laser beam, at and along a weld seam established between the aluminum alloy workpieces together with a filler wire. The first laser beam includes a first longitudinal axis and the second laser beam includes a second longitudinal axis. When arranged in the cross-beam orientation, a plane that intersects the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis of the first and second laser beams, respectively, forms a line where it meets the aluminum alloy workpieces that is oriented transverse to the weld seam.
Abstract:
An aperture plate for a welding apparatus includes a body defining an aperture. The body of the aperture plate includes a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end. In addition, the body includes a first surface intersecting the first and second ends. Moreover, the body includes a second surface formed opposite the first surface. The second surface is nonparallel to the first surface.
Abstract:
A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up that includes two or more overlapping aluminum alloy workpieces is disclosed. The method involves controlling the power level of the laser beam during at least one of an initial stage or a final stage of advancing the laser beam along a weld path so as to limit a line energy of the laser beam during such stage or stages to being no greater than 10% above a line energy of the laser beam during an intermediate stage of laser beam advancement that is performed between the initial and final stages. By limiting the line energy during the initial and/or final stages of laser beam advancement along the weld path, excessive fusion of the workpiece stack-up assembly can be avoided in those locations to help protect against hot-cracking in the resultant laser weld joint.
Abstract:
A vehicle door assembly includes a door inner panel that has a header portion that at least partially defines a window opening. A reinforcement panel is configured to abut the door inner panel along the header portion and further defines the window opening. The door inner panel and the reinforcement panel each have a respective first flange extending at least partially outboard and a respective second flange extending at least partially inboard. The first flange of the door inner panel abuts the first flange of the reinforcement panel and the second flange of the door inner panel abuts the second flange of the reinforcement panel. A trim member is secured to the reinforcement panel and to the header portion to cover the second flanges without contacting the second flanges and has an inboard-facing planar portion as a furthest inboard extent of the trim member.
Abstract:
Systems and methods determine alignment between a wire and a laser beam in laser joining. A system for checking alignment of a wire relative to a beam of a laser includes a controller configured to align, by tooling, the beam with a sensor system. A laser generates the beam across the wire, with the beam directed to the sensor system. The sensor system measures light intensity of the beam. A processor computes a feature parameter representative of an alignment between the wire and the beam. The processor determines whether the feature parameter is within the process specifications.
Abstract:
A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up that includes two or more overlapping aluminum alloy workpieces is disclosed. The method involves controlling the power level of the laser beam during at least one of an initial stage or a final stage of advancing the laser beam along a weld path so as to limit a line energy of the laser beam during such stage or stages to being no greater than 10% above a line energy of the laser beam during an intermediate stage of laser beam advancement that is performed between the initial and final stages. By limiting the line energy during the initial and/or final stages of laser beam advancement along the weld path, excessive fusion of the workpiece stack-up assembly can be avoided in those locations to help protect against hot-cracking in the resultant laser weld joint.
Abstract:
An aperture plate for a welding apparatus includes a body defining an aperture. The body of the aperture plate includes a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end. In addition, the body includes a first surface intersecting the first and second ends. Moreover, the body includes a second surface formed opposite the first surface. The second surface is nonparallel to the first surface.