Laser-joined aluminium–polypropylene sheets: the effect of the surface preparation of aluminium

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of aluminium surface preparation on the load-bearing capacity of laser-joined aluminium–polypropylene (Al-PP) specimens. The surface of the aluminium is prepared by chemical cleaning and laser engraving. The effect of pulse frequency, engraving speed and repetition number during laser engraving is investigated on the geometric parameters of the structure (straight groove) created on the surface of AA6082 aluminium alloy. Quasi-static shear testing of Al-PP joints is performed to determine how the amount and distance of the grooves affect the load-bearing capacity of the joints. The highest ultimate shear force (1250 ± 35 N) was achieved when many (21) grooves were formed with a laser engraving frequency of 20 kHz, a slow engraving speed (5 mm s−1) and many engraving repetitions (10) in the aluminium specimen. This corresponds to a shear strength of 3.1 MPa, which is 72.5% of the shear strength of the PP material used. Microscopic evaluation of joint cross-sections confirmed that the molten PP completely filled the grooves on the aluminium surface. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]