Launchpad, May - June 2007
For a full list of proposed, active and closed projects see here
High quality fabrication of thick-section aluminium structures using a high-power Yb-fibre laser
To be launched: May 2007
Cost per Sponsor: £10 000 pa, two payments
Project Leader: Chris Allen
Conventionally, arc welded processes have been used to join aluminium sheet and plate fabrications. Laser welding and friction stir welding are alternative processes that are now becoming established. Laser welding is particularly attractive as it offers a fully automated, highly flexible, robot delivered, assembly process.
Laser welding has already been developed for thin sheet fabrications with complex geometries. High power Yb-fibre laser technology now extends the range of thicknesses in aluminium that can be laser welded. TWI has recently demonstrated laser and hybrid laser-MIG full penetration standards. These results open the door to high quality, high productivity, low distortion welding processes, attractive to the aerospace, automotive, rail and shipbuilding industries.
This project will demonstrate the processing, quality and cost benefits of Yb-fibre laser based welding processes, delivering welding procedures for selected aluminium alloys, thicknesses and joint configurations. Demonstration components of direct relevance to the participating Sponsors will be fabricated using the welding procedures developed in the project.
High productivity arc and laser welding of titanium and titanium alloys
Launched: September 2006
Cost per Sponsor: £15 000 pa, two payments
Project Leader: Richard Jones
Recent advances in welding processes and equipment offer potential productivity advantages for the welding of titanium and titanium alloys in the oil/gas, aerospace and defence industries. These include:
- advanced TIG and plasma welding
- pulsed MIG welding with novel filler wire
- high power laser and hybrid laser/arc welding
The objective of the proposed programme of work is to demonstrate the high productivity benefits achievable with the advanced arc and laser processes, whilst maintaining high weld quality levels. It will also establish practical guidelines to facilitate the industrial implementation of these processes for a range of applications. Additionally, alternative methods of excluding the atmosphere from the weldment area, with the aim of reducing weld joint set-uptime, will be investigated.
