A Smart Handheld Welding Torch Device for Manual Spot Laser Welding
Source abstract
Abstract
In producing custom-made systems, using a robotic welding line that can fine-tune welding parameters is not economical, and laser welding is usually done manually. The most common operator error in manual welding operations is the angular positioning error between the laser beam and the plate surface. This study introduces a smart handheld welding torch device that assists the welding operator with visual warnings. It measures the sheet surface angle to eliminate angular positioning errors, calculates the appropriate torch holding angles accordingly, and helps the laser welding process with the right angle. For this purpose, this study focused on micro-laser spot welding applications of stainless (inox) kitchen and hotel equipment, and the effect of angular positioning errors on the welding quality was investigated experimentally. Experiments show that when the angle between the surface normal and the welding torch is smaller than the critical welding angle, heat-induced traces or micro-deformations occur on the visible surface of the thin stainless material. In addition, there is a significant decrease in the weld quality, since a large enough weld area cannot be created at large values of this angle. The optimum torch angle range was determined using experimental results for the available laser welding parameters. With a standard welding torch and the smart torch, the welding operator was allowed to repeat the same task, and the payloads of the samples prepared in this way were measured. Test results show that using a smart welding torch with an angular positioning assist system significantly improves welding quality. Breaking force values vary in a wide range of welds made with a standard welding torch, and visual problems such as burning, puncture, and swelling are encountered on the visible surfaces of many samples with high strength values. When the developed smart torch was used, the breaking force remained within the desired reference range, and no visual defects were found in any sample.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Welding Techniques and Residual Stresses · Additive Manufacturing Materials and Processes · Advanced Welding Techniques Analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bursa Uludağ University, 16059 Bursa, Turkey
Evinoks Servis Ekipmanlari San. ve Tic. A.S., 16245 Bursa, Turkey
Funding
EVINOKS SERVIS EKIPMANLARI SAN. VE TIC. A.Ş.
References (38)
Show source-provided references
1. Constrained response surface optimization for a laser beam welding process10.3844/jmssp.2011.5.11 ↗
2. Laser welding10.1533/wint.2003.3172 ↗
3. CO2 laser welding of galvanized steel sheets using vent holes10.1016/j.matdes.2008.05.009 ↗
4. Ghosh, P.S., Sen, A., Chattopadhyaya, S., Sharma, S., Singh, J., Dwivedi, S.P., Saxena, A., Khan, A.M., Pimenov, D.Y., and Giasin, K. (2021). Prediction of Transient Temperature Distributions for Laser Welding of Dissimilar Metals. Appl. Sci., 11.10.3390/app11135829 ↗
5. 10 kW Class YAG Laser Application for Heavy Components
6. Katayama, S., Seto, N., Kim, J., and Matsunawa, A. (1997, January 17–18). Formation Mechanism and Reduction Method of Porosity in Laser Welding of Stainless Steel. Proceedings of the ICALEO, Section G, San Diego, CA, USA.
7. Katayama, S., and Matsunawa, A. (1998, January 15–19). Formation Mechanism and Prevention of Defects in Laser Welding of Aluminum Alloys. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Welding and Melting by Electron and Laser Beams CISFFEL 6, Toulon, France.
8. Katayama, S., Seto, N., Kim, J., and Matsunawa, A. (1998, January 16–19). Formation Mechanism and Suppression Procedure of Porosity in High Power Laser Welding of Aluminum Alloys. Proceedings of the ICALEO, Section C, Orlando, FL, USA.
9. Porosity Formation and Prevention in Pulsed Laser Welding10.1115/1.2724846 ↗
10. The elimination of pores in laser welds of AISI 304 plate using different shielding gases10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2017.05.011 ↗
11. Comparative study of pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding of AISI 304 and AISI 316 stainless steels10.1016/j.optlastec.2016.08.018 ↗
12. Some studies on weld bead geometries for laser spot welding process using finite element analysis10.1016/j.matdes.2011.08.005 ↗
13. Cedeño-Viveros, L.D., García-López, E., Vázquez, E.V., Siller, H.R., and Rodríguez, C.A. (2018). Laser micro-spot welding of AISI 302 stainless steel sheets. Laser-Based Micro and Nano Processing XII, Proceedings of the SPIE LASE, San Francisco, CA, USA, 27 January–1 February 2018, SPIE.
14. Kumar, N., Dhara, S., Masters, I., and Das, A. (2022). Substituting Resistance Spot Welding with Flexible Laser Spot Welding to Join Ultra-Thin Foil of Inconel 718 to Thick 410 Steel. Materials, 15.10.3390/ma15093405 ↗
15. Pulsed Nd:YAG laser seam welding of AISI 316L stainless steel thin foils10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2010.06.015 ↗
16. Kleine, K.F., Fox, W.J., and Watkins, K.G. (2004). Micro Welding with Pulsed Single Mode Fiber Lasers, Laser Institute of America.10.2351/1.5060331 ↗
17. Laser applications in micro technology10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2005.05.049 ↗
18. Lasers seal the deal in medical
19. A comprehensive assessment of laser welding of biomedical devices and implant materials: Recent research, development and applications10.1080/10408436.2019.1708701 ↗
20. Shaikh, U.F., Das, A., Barai, A., and Masters, I. (2019, January 3–4). Electro-Thermo-Mechanical Behaviours of Laser Joints for Electric Vehicle Battery Interconnects. Proceedings of the 2019 Electric Vehicles International Conference (EV), Bucharest, Romania.10.1109/EV.2019.8892972 ↗
21. Optimization of pulsed laser welding process parameters in order to attain minimum under fill and undercut defects in thin 316L stainless steel foils10.1016/j.optlastec.2017.09.047 ↗
22. Repair welding of etched tubular components of nuclear power plant by Nd:YAG laser10.1016/S0924-0136(01)00566-0 ↗
23. Ahmad, G.N., Raza, M.S., Singh, N.K., and Kumar, H. (2020). Experimental investigation on Ytterbium fiber laser butt welding of Inconel 625 and Duplex stainless steel 2205 thin sheets. Opt. Laser Technol., 126.10.1016/j.optlastec.2020.106117 ↗
24. Ahmad, G.N., Raza, M.S., Singh, N.K., and Muvvala, G. (2021). Investigating the effect of process parameters on weld pool thermal history and mechanical properties of laser welded Inconel 625 and Duplex stainless steel 2205 dissimilar welds. Optik, 248.10.1016/j.ijleo.2021.168134 ↗
25. Yan, L., Jam, J.E., Beni, M.H., Kholoud, M.J., Baleanu, D., Shahraki, M.E., and Ghaemi, F. (2022). Effect of laser welding parameters on the temperature distribution, microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar weld joint of Inconel 625 and stainless steel 304. Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transf., 131.10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2021.105859 ↗
26. Making Products by Using Additive Manufacturing
27. Multiple recycling of nickel alloy powder for selective laser melting process: Influence on properties of the powder and printed material10.1108/RPJ-10-2021-0284 ↗
28. Modeling residual thermal stresses in layer-by-layer formation of direct metal laser sintering process for different scanning patterns for 316L stainless steel10.1108/RPJ-10-2021-0268 ↗
29. The influence of laser power and scanning speed on the microstructure and surface morphology of Cu2O parts in SLM10.1108/RPJ-12-2021-0342 ↗
30. Khorasani, M., Ghasemi, A., Leary, M., Sharabian, E., Cordova, L., Gibson, I., Downing, D., Bateman, S., Brandt, M., and Rolfe, B. (2022). The effect of absorption ratio on meltpool features in laser-based powder bed fusion of IN718. Opt. Laser Technol., 153.10.1016/j.optlastec.2022.108263 ↗
31. Microstructural analysis of Nd:YAG laser welding for Inconel alloy10.1016/j.matpr.2019.06.716 ↗
32. Cheepu, M., Kumar Reddy, Y.A., Indumathi, S., and Venkateswarlu, D. (2020). Laser welding of dissimilar alloys between high tensile steel and Inconel alloy for high temperature applications. Adv. Mater. Process. Technol., 1–12.10.1080/2374068X.2020.1855389 ↗
33. Microstructure and properties of inconel 718 and AISI 416 laser welded joints10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2018.10.039 ↗
34. Study on hot cracking in laser welded joints of inconel 718 alloy foils10.1016/j.jmapro.2021.02.002 ↗
35. Lertora, E., Mandolfino, C., and Gambaro, C. (2014). Mechanical Behaviour of Inconel 718 Thin-Walled Laser Welded Components for Aircraft Engines. Int. J. Aer. Eng.10.1155/2014/721680 ↗
36. Simonds, B.J., Sowards, J., Hadler, J., Pfeif, E., Wilthan, B., Tanner, J., Harris, C., Williams, P., and Lehman, J. (2018). Time-Resolved Absorptance and Melt Pool Dynamics during Intense Laser Irradiation of a Metal. Phys. Rev. Appl., 10.10.1103/PhysRevApplied.10.044061 ↗
37. Gennari, C., Lago, M., Bögre, B., Meszaros, I., Calliari, I., and Pezzato, L. (2018). Microstructural and Corrosion Properties of Cold Rolled Laser Welded UNS S32750 Duplex Stainless Steel. Metals, 8.10.3390/met8121074 ↗
38. Liu, Y., Yuan, K., Li, T., Li, S., and Ren, Y. (2022). NDT Method for Line Laser Welding Based on Deep Learning and One-Dimensional Time-Series Data. Appl. Sci., 12.10.3390/app12157837 ↗