Temperature Controlled Laser Joining of Aluminum to Galvanized Steel

Reliable joining of 6000 series aluminum alloy to galvanized steel is a challenge for current manufacturing technologies. To control and limit the formation of brittle intermetallic phases, mixing of both metals in liquid state has to be avoided. It has been shown that laser weld-brazing is a possible process. Thereby the aluminum and zinc layer of the galvanized steel are molten and the steel remains solid during the process. In addition, to avoid zinc degassing, the aluminum melt bath temperature has to be below zinc boiling temperature of 907°C. To meet these requirements a temperature controlled laser process was developed, allowing to join the two materials without flux and filler material. The thickness of the intermetallic layer shows a dependency on the set temperature used to control the process. At optimum set temperature the thickness of intermetallic phases can be limited to about 5 μm. Tensile strengths of the joints of up to 75% of the aluminum base material were achieved.