Laser hybrid welding of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) for automotive body construction

In response to demands for improved safety standards and fuel economy, automotive OEMs have shown an increased interest for using light weight materials with greater strength. Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) have gained popularity due to their superior mechanical properties and weight advantages, as compared to mild steel materials. Welding of AHSS materials remains one of the technical challenges in the successful application of AHSS in automobile structures, especially when durability of the welded structures is required. Currently, various fusion welding processes such as Metal Inert Gas (MIG), Laser and Laser Hybrid are used on mild steel applications. The Laser and Laser Hybrid weld processes continue to gain popularity in automotive applications due to their ability to provide structural integrity and manufacturing efficiency. In laser welding, only a light source is used to join materials together. In laser hybrid, both a light source and metal filler are us ed to join the materials. In this paper, the laser hybrid joining process on AHSS materials (DP780 and Boron) is investigated. Influence of heat from Laser Hybrid welding process and its effect on the steel is discussed