Workbench for keyhole laser welding

Abstract

Research has clearly demonstrated the advantages of keyhole laser welding compared with conventional welding methods. However, the development of a laser welding procedure for a specific application is complicated because of the multitude of process parameters involved. Developing practical proficiency in such a complicated process could profit tremendously from an interactive software tool for preliminary analysis of the process with a given set of process conditions. The laser welding workbench project is an ongoing effort to develop such a tool. Central components are a numerical model implementing the process physics, a graphical user interface, and the visualisation modules. The numerical model is based on balancing of surface forces and energy at the liquid/vapour and solid/liquid interfaces in three dimensions. The loci of the liquid/vapour and solid/liquid interfaces are obtained as a part of the solution scheme. The visualisation modules and the graphical user interface are based on PEX–SI and Tcl/Tk public domain software. Because of its functional style, the workbench will aid and accelerate the design of a specific welding procedure.