The comprehension of microhole formation during percussion drilling of metals using ultrashort laser pulses is still limited. The shape of a microhole can be impacted by factors like heat accumulation, the emergence of side channels, bending, and bulging. Understanding these defects is challenging due to constraints in conventional diagnostics. To address this issue, high-speed synchrotron x-ray imaging was employed to capture the spatial and temporal evolution of the microhole shape during laser percussion drilling of stainless steel. The recorded images reveal that heat accumulation leads to the creation of a melt film on the microhole walls, exhibiting dynamic fluctuations throughout the drilling process. Furthermore, a transversal widening or bulging of the microhole can be seen later in the process. Additionally, the emergence of side channels was observed in the region of maximum drilling depth, where the overall fluence on the microhole walls falls below the threshold fluence.
Laser welding as a tool for manufacturing highly precise parts for electronic and electro mobility components is gaining worldwide importance. The precise control of energy input is one paramount challenge of welding highly reflective materials with high thermal conductivity such as copper and its alloys. Laser beam wavelengths in the visible range show an increase in absorptivity from < 5% (1030 nm) to ≥ 40% (515 nm) on copper at room temperature and open new options in material processing technologies. This paper presents the in situ observation of laser welding processes on Cu-ETP and CuSn6 with laser beam sources of 1030 nm and 515 nm wavelength using synchrotron radiation at DESY Petra 3 Beamline P07 EH4. The influence of laser power from 1 kW up to 4 kW and feed rates from 50 mm/s up to 500 mm/s on vapor capillary geometry and dynamics with same focal diameters is compared. For the investigations, a synchrotron beam of 2x2 mm2 in size with a photon energy of 89 keV is used for investigation. The material samples are analyzed by means of material phase contrast method to show boundaries between solid, liquid, and gaseous material phases. It is found, that both welding processes show a different geometry of the vapor capillary. A different sensitivity to changes of the feed rate of the welding process is observed. The vapor capillary of the 1030 nm welding process tends to be more sensitive on feed rate changes while showing an overall better weld seam quality. When welding with 515 nm, comparatively higher feed rates lead to better welding results.
The ongoing development of lasers with integrated beam-shaping features offers new opportunities for research in the field of laser beam welding. Main challenges for laser welding of aluminum alloys, such as AW-5083 or AW-6082, are pore formation and cracking. The locally adapted power distribution has a major influence on the keyhole required for deep penetration welding and therefore on occurring weld defects. To determine the reasons, the use of synchrotron radiation during the welding process enables the visibility of the keyhole shape. This investigation contains an analysis of the keyhole and melt pool shape based on the high-speed video images of the synchrotron radiation. The variation of the power ratio of center beam to ring allows a comparison of the influence of the beam shaping method. To stabilize the keyhole, a temporal power modulation is used for the ring. The results show an influence of the ring mode on the keyhole depth and the melt pool shape. The videos allow an analysis of different mechanisms for pore formation, such as the collapse of the keyhole.
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