Remote welding provides new possibilities for highly productive and flexible joining of metal structures, especially in the automotive industry. This study presents an experimental investigation on the behaviour of the lap welds’ geometrical characteristics, with respect to the laser beam inclination, posed in remote welding. Two Remote Welding Systems (from now on referred to as RWSs) have been utilised: a large field RWS with a CO2 laser and a small field RWS with an Nd:YAG laser. The materials investigated include steels (non coated, zinc-coated and stainless) and an Aluminium alloy. Conclusions are drawn related to the behaviour of the process mechanism, under different laser beam inclinations, useful for the industrial application of the process and for further research in the field.

Topics
Lasers, Transition metals, Alloys, Chemical compounds, Welding
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2006
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