Adaptive control for a dual laser beam solution for the welding of high reflectivity dissimilar materials

Abstract

The laser welding technology delivers high flexibility and adaptability to the welding process being able to adjust to complex joint geometries. Additionally, the application of a laser beam minimises the microstructural changes in the material due to the low heat application and low thermal distortion that the technology offers. Due to these advantages, laser welding technology is being adopted in technologically demanding markets such as EV battery manufacturing. However, these new application areas present challenges that must be overcome, such as joining dissimilar materials with different melting points and high reflectivity values in the typical laser wavelengths (Al, Cu). This work presents an adaptive control method for joining high reflectivity dissimilar materials using a dual laser beam setup to overcome these problems. As a result, a comparative study of different pulsed and continuous-wave laser arrangements through static and dynamic optics and the obtained joining qualities is presented.