Effect of Laser Welding Parameters on Weld Bowing Distortion of Thin Plates

Abstract

Weld bowing distortions are detrimental to the assembly process, where laser process parameters such as laser power, welding speed, defocusing distance and gas flow rate play a significant role in determining the weld bowing distortion. Herein, weld bowing distortions in 1-mm-thick AA5052 aluminum were measured by the digital image correlation technique following laser welding. Two mathematical response models were developed to predict the laser weld bowing distortion according to the central composite rotatable design method. The optimized process parameters for minimum bowing distortion were obtained, and the influence of the laser process parameters on the weld bowing distortions was found.