Advantages of laser beam oscillation for remote welding of aluminum closely above the deep-penetration welding threshold

Laser beam welding of aluminum has been developed into a widely used process in modern car body manufacturing. Following the trend of recent lightweight designs and the use of high strength materials, the application of thinner aluminum sheets is increasing. Due to the stepwise increase of the welding depth at the transition from heat-conduction welding to keyhole welding, the usability of the laser beam as a tool has some limitations. This work has investigated the penetration depth when keyhole welding close to the deep-penetration welding threshold can be reduced in a controlled manner by means of laser beam oscillation.