Impact of Process Parameters on the Laser-induced Nanoparticle Formation During Keyhole Welding under Remote Conditions

The interaction between the vapor plume and the incident laser radiation affects remote laser welding. Relating to laser systems with an emitted wavelength around 1 μm, a significant loss mechanism can be traced back to the extinction by laser-induced particle formation. Due to the tight coupling between the particle formation and the evaporation rate inside the keyhole, the particle formation shows a strong dependence on the keyhole geometry and thus on process parameters (e.g. feed rate and laser beam power). In order to verify the relationship between particle formation and process parameters, the beam of a broadband LED was guided through the vapor plume during the welding processes with a fiber laser. The attenuated probe beam was analyzed in dependence on the wavelength. In addition, the propagation of the vapor plume was investigated by using high speed imaging.