A new approach has been investigated by using an external electric current technique in CO2 laser beam welding of aluminum alloys. Connecting the filler wire with one pole of a DC power supply and the workpiece with the other, a closed electric circuit was built. By this means, the wire is resistively preheated and a magnetic field and electromagnetic forces are generated in the weld pool. It is found that the weld depth and area increase considerably, the weld seam becomes more slender, the plasmas are shrunk and the processing stability is improved with the increase of the current. Further experimental results demonstrate that these influences do not result from the resistive heat from the wire, but the electromagnetic effects. This new approach provides a possibility to increase the processing efficiency and flexibility, improve the process stability and weld quality, and also shape the seam cross section.

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© 2004 Laser Institute of America.
2004
Laser Institute of America
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