Recent progress and innovative solutions for laser-arc hybrid welding

The idea of coupling a laser beam with a gas metal arc (GMA) has significantly expanded the original welding application range of lasers, providing improved robustness, efficiency and quality of the welding process. The "Integrated Hybrid Welding Nozzle" of Fraunhofer ILT reliably avoids air entrainment into the interaction zone, ensures proper propagation and coupling of laser and arc and enables the most compact and slender welding head design. Standard and customised versions of this key component for hybrid applications are presented; and an innovative technique called "HybSy" is introduced, which utilises a coordinated modulation of laser and arc. First results of HybSy demonstrate added benefit, especially in regard to process efficiency