Investigation on the Influence of Different Laser Beam Intensity Distributions on Keyhole Geometry During Laser Welding

An analytical quasi-static model of the keyhole during laser deep penetration welding is introduced. This model is used to calculate the keyhole geometry depending on spatial laser beam intensity. Keyhole shapes can be found solving the energy and pressure equations. All necessary physical effects like Fresnel and plasma absorption, heat conduction and vaporization are implemented in the model. For evaluation a Gaussian and a top hat beam profile were used. Experimental measurements of the keyhole shape using copper inlays in aluminum base material show good agreement with the results of the modeling.