Al-Li alloys are of considerable interest in aerospace industries because the addition of Li improves the stiffness and reduces the density of aluminum. Mechanical fastening methods are currently used to join these alloys. Although such alloys are fusion weldable using MIG and TIG methods, the major problems included hot tearing, porosity, low penetration and poor joint efficiency. In this study, a 2 kW continuous wave CO2 gas transport laser was used to weld 1.6 mm thick plates of a commercially available Al-Li alloy 2090. A comparison was made with conventional arc and electron beam welding processes. Results indicated tht the joint efficiency of laser welds was greater than arc welds and comparable to that of electron beam welds. Unlike arc welds, there was no evidence of hot tearing in the laser welds. Initial surface preparation had a significant effect on the porosity and tensile strength.
Skip Nav Destination
ICALEO '88: Proceedings of the Laser Research in Medicine, Dentistry & Surgery Conference
October 30–November 4, 1988
Santa Clara, California, USA
ISBN:
978-3-540515-37-1
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Laser welding of high modulus, low density Al-Li alloys Available to Purchase
P. A. Molian;
P. A. Molian
1Associate Professor,
Mechanical Engineering Department, Iowa State University
, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
T. S. Srivatsan
T. S. Srivatsan
2Assistant Professor,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Akron
, Akron, Ohio, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Published Online:
October 01 1988
Citation
P. A. Molian, T. S. Srivatsan; October 30–November 4, 1988. "Laser welding of high modulus, low density Al-Li alloys." Proceedings of the ICALEO '88: Proceedings of the Laser Research in Medicine, Dentistry & Surgery Conference. ICALEO '88: Proceedings of the Laser Materials Processing Conference. Santa Clara, California, USA. (pp. pp. 238-248). ASME. https://doi.org/10.2351/1.5058013
Download citation file:
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.