Feedback Control of Laser Welding Based on Frequency Analysis of Light Emissions and Adaptive Beam Shaping

This paper presents a novel method for optimization and feedback control of laser welding process. It is based on frequency analysis of the light emitted during the process and adaptive shaping of the laser beam achieved by an active optical element. Experimentally observed correlations between the focal properties of the laser beam, the weld depth and the frequency characteristics of the light emissions, which form the basis of the method, are discussed in detail. The functionality and the high efficiency of the method are demonstrated for a variety of welding parameters settings usually used in industrial practice.