A laser-based system was developed for investigating the effect of enhanced gravity during materials processing. This system produces accelerations normal to the sample surface ranging from 2ge to 10ge. The power source is a Rofin Sinar RS3000 CO2 laser. A system of rotating optics delivers the laser beam to the sample surface. Process diagnostics include photodiodes and a CCD camera. Accelerometers monitor the acceleration at the sample.

Spot welds in Inconel 718 were made at 2ge, 4ge, 6ge, 8ge and 10ge with both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation to determine the effect of enhanced gravity on the weld pool shape. Post-process metallurgical analysis was performed to characterize the size and shape of each weld. The effect of gravity on the weld size and shape was determined from the analysis of these welds.

Topics
Photodiodes, Charge coupled devices, Measuring instruments, Lasers, Alloys, Materials synthesis and processing, Welding
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