Yb: YAG laser welding of aeronautical alloys

Interest in the use of laser technology is growing in the aeronautical sector. The implementation of new Yb: YAG solid laser sources and new optical generations (dynamic focal length; 2in1 fiber: Fiber core and ring core) offers advantages in terms of quality, accuracy, reproducibility and weld dimensions. The LASER beam Yb: YAG of these new sources is generated, no longer from a bar of yttrium aluminum garnet but from a disk. Moreover, a top-hat shaped power distribution and a top-hat shaped power distribution with a sharply limited recess in the center (ring structure) may be at the focal point using respectively the inner fiber and the coaxial fiber. These technological innovations offer new possibilities for cutting and welding of sheet metal parts. The welding domains of EN AW-6061 aluminum alloy, Commercial Purity Titanium - Grade 2 (T40), AISI 321 stainless steel alloy, nickel based Hastelloy X and Inconel 625 and cobalt based Haynes 188 superalloys are defined according to process parameters such as power density, focal diameter, welding speed and fiber type. Optimal welding parameters are determined for each alloy. The evolution of the microstructures and the mechanical properties of each zone of the welds are explained according to the power density, the heat input energy and the welding speed

Influence of Yb:YAG laser beam parameters on Haynes 188 weld fusion zone microstructure and mechanical properties

The weldability of 1.2 mm thick Haynes 188 alloy sheets by a disk Yb:YAG laser welding was examined. Butt joints were made, and the influence of parameters such as power, size, and shape of the spot, welding speed, and gas flow has been investigated. Based on an iconographic correlation approach, optimum process parameters were determined. Depending on the distribution of the power density (circular or annular), acceptable welds were obtained. Powers greater than 1700 W, welding speeds higher than 3.8 m mm1, and spot sizes between 160 and 320 lm were needed in the circular (small fiber) configuration. By comparison, the annular (large fiber) configuration required a power as high as 2500 W, and a welding speed less than 3.8 m min�1. The mechanical properties of the welds depended on their shape and microstructure, which in turn depended on the welding conditions. The content of carbides, the proportion of areas consisting of cellular and dendritic substructures, and the size of these substructures were used to explain the welded joint mechanical properties

Weldability of the superalloys Haynes 188 and Hastelloy X by Nd:YAG

The requirements for welded aircraft parts have become increasingly severe, especially in terms of the reproducibility of the geometry and metallurgical grade of the weld bead. Laser welding is a viable method of assembly to meet these new demands, because of automation, to replace the manual TIG welding process. The purpose of this study is to determine the weldability of Hastelloy X and Haynes 188 alloys by the butt welding process with a Nd:YAG laser. To identify the influential parameters of the welding process (laser power, feed rate, focal diameter and flow of gas) while streamlining testing, an experimental design was established with the CORICO software using the graphic correlation method. The position of the focal point was fixed at 1/3 of the thickness of the sheet. The gas flow rate and the power of the beam have a major effect on the mechanical properties and geometry of the weld. The strength of the weld is comparable to that of the base metal. However, there is a significant decrease in the elongation at break of approximately 30%. The first observations of the cross section of the weld by scanning electron microscopy coupled with EBSD analysis show a molten zone presenting dendritic large grains compared to the equiaxed grains of the base metals without a heat affected zone

L’expérimentation animale reste indispensable (OPINION)

Trop fréquemment, l’expérimentation animale est présentée comme une pratique archaïque. Elle a bien changé. Et 100 % des patients traités le sont grâce aux concepts et techniques développés grâce à elle