Optimization of Laser Lap Joining between Stainless Steel 304 and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

In principle, a laser can weld any materials, which can be joined by conventional and other nonconventional processes. Dissimilar joining technologies find applications in many sectors including microelectronics, medical and aerospace. The laser weldability of dissimilar materials depends on many factors such as physical and chemical properties. In the presented study, the laser lap joint of stainless steel 304 and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is investigated using a continuous wave fiber laser. All the important parameters such as laser power and welding speed based on full factorial method have been considered in this paper. The quality criteria considered to determine the optimal parameter settings were the maximization of shearing force. The collected data has been analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) method to find the significance factor that effects on laser welding of stainless steel 304 and ABS. A focused beam with laser power 230 W and welding speed 16 mm/s were identified as the optimal set of laser welding parameters to obtain stronger and better welds. This research is conducted to reveal the possible of strong dissimilar lap joint by a direct joining laser radiation without using adhesive bonds or mechanical fasteners.