Position sensing of ultrashort pulsed laser-welded seams in glass by optical coherence tomography

Today's methods for the inspection of the position of weld seams in glass, which has a decisive effect on the strength and thus on the quality of the permanent bond, are costly and often carried out manually in a destructive manner. The present paper proposes the application of optical coherence tomography to determine the position of the weld seam by evaluation of the signals caused by the voids within weld seams. Blind welds of fused silica and alkali-aluminosilicate glass were investigated, and a method for data evaluation is presented. The method is predominantly suitable for glass that exhibits the formation of distinct voids during welding and provides an approach for online monitoring and control of glass welding processes.