Laser welding and cutting

Welding of airframe structures with low distortion and the laser cutting and welding of complex shapes, typical of the aeroengine industry, become possible with the development of high power Nd:YAG lasers.

YAG laser welding trials

Laser welding is well established in industry, but it's automated application to the aerospace sector is still relatively new. As solid state lasers increase in power, so their application becomes more relevant. The advantage of the Nd:YAG laser is the ability to transmit the laser beam down a fibre optic, allowing easier manipulation of the beam to remote and complex locations, typically at the end of a robot arm.

Robot manipulated YAG laser

The laser itself is a versatile tool already established in the aerospace sector for cutting and drilling. With the higher powers becoming available (up to 4kW in a single laser and maybe 10kW with a combination of lasers), cutting and welding of aerospace alloys is now feasible and has been demonstrated on prototype parts.

Combining the cutting operation in the one machine with welding, significantly reduces the stripping down and re-jigging necessary with different work stations.

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