Using cold metal transfer (CMT) welding which was a special pulse metal inert gas (MIG) welding method, a new hybrid welding, laser-CMT hybrid welding, was introduced to join aluminum alloy thin plate. In order to evaluate laser-CMT hybrid welding, a comparison research on the microstructures and mechanical properties of aluminum alloy joints made by laser welding (LW), CMT welding, laser-CMT hybrid welding (LCHW) and laser-pulse-MIG hybrid welding (LPHW) was carried out. Because of lower heat input, the LW and LCHW joints had smaller grain sizes and narrower widths of welds than these of CMT and LPHW joints. The ultimate tensile strengths of LW, CMT, LCHW and LPHW joints reached up to 220MPa, 200MPa, 219MPa, and 198MPa, respectively. Meanwhile, the LW and LCHW joints brought less deformation in comparison with CMT and LMHW joint. These results showed LCHW had obvious advantages in joint quality, indicating it would be a suitable technique for joining aluminum alloys.

1.
Cao
,
X.
,
Wallace
,
W.
,
Immarigeon
,
J. P.
&
Poon
,
C.
(
2003
)
Research and Progress in Laser Welding of Wrought Aluminum Alloys. II. Metallurgical Microstructures, Defects, and Mechanical Properties
,
Materials and Manufacturing Processes
18
,
23
49
.
2.
Kou
,
S.
(
2002
)
Welding metallurgy
,
Wiley
,
95
110
.
3.
Ribic
,
B.
,
Palmer
,
T.A.
&
Debroy
,
T.
(
2009
)
Problems and issues in laser-arc hybrid welding
,
International Material Review
54
,
223
247
.
4.
Pickin
,
C.G.
, &
Young
,
K.
(
2006
)
Evaluation of cold metal transfer (CMT) process for welding aluminium alloy
,
Science and Technology of Welding and Joining
11
,
583
585
.
5.
Pinto
,
H.
,
Pyzalla
,
A.
,
Hackl
,
H.
, &
Bruckner
,
J.
(
2006
)
A Comparative Study of Microstructure and Residual Stresses of CMT-, MIG and Laser-Hybrid Welds
.
Mater Sci Forum
;
524–525
:
627
632
.
6.
Norman
,
A.F.
(
1999
)
Effect of welding parameters on the solidification microstructure of autogenous TIG welds in an Al-Cu-Mg-Mn alloy
,
Material Science Engineering A
259
,
53
64
.
7.
Suder
,
W.
(
2011
)
Comparison of joining efficiency and residual stresses in laser and laser hybrid welding
,
Science and Technology of Welding and Joining
16
,
244
249
.
This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.