Influence of Filler Wire Feed Rate in Laser-Arc Hybrid Welding of T-butt Joint in Shipbuilding Steel with Different Optical Setups

AbstractIn this paper, a study of laser-arc hybrid welding featuring three different process fibres was conducted to build knowledge about process behaviour and discuss potential benefits for improving the weld properties. The welding parameters affect the weld geometry considerably, as an example the increase in welding speed usually decreases the penetration and a larger beam diameter usually widens the weld. The laser hybrid welding system equipped with process fibres with 200, 300 and 600μm core diameter were used to produce fillet welds. Shipbuilding steel AH36 plates with 8mm thickness were welded with Hybrid-Laser-Arc-Welding (HLAW) in inversed T configuration, the effects of the filler wire feed rate and the beam positioning distance from the joint plane were investigated. Based on the metallographic cross-sections, the effect of process parameters on the joint geometry was studied. Joints with optimized properties (full penetration, soundness, smooth transition from bead to base material) were produced with 200μm and 600μm process fibres, while fiber with 300μm core diameter produced welds with unacceptable levels of porosity