Laser Submerged Arc Welding (LUPuS) with Solid State Lasers

The laser beam-submerged arc hybrid welding method originates from the knowledge that, with increasing penetration depth, the laser beam process has a tendency to pore formation in the lower weld regions. The coupling with the energy-efficient submerged-arc process improves degassing and reduces the tendency to pore formation. The newly developed hybrid welding process allows the welding of plates with a thickness larger than 20 mm in a single pass and the welding of thicker plates with the double-sided single pass technique.In this special hybrid process, the use of CO2-lasers causes problems when forward sliding flux of slag meets the laser beam path and forms an uncontrollable plasma plume in the beam path. This plasma then shields the work piece from the laser power and thus provokes the collapse of the laser keyhole and leads to process instability. The substitution of the CO2-laser with a modern solid-state laser significantly improves the performance and the stability of the hybrid process. This contribution will demonstrate the latest results and improvements by means of welding results gained with steel plates with a thickness of up to 40mm.