Thermal imaging technique to characterize laser light reflection from thermoplastics

Characterization of laser light reflection during the laser transmission welding (LTW)3 of thermoplastics is especially important for applications in which non-zero laser incidence angles are used. At higher laser incidence angles, reflection increases and has the potential to burn surrounding features of the part to be welded. This study presents and validates a technique for laser reflection measurement. Reflected energy is absorbed by a black plastic plate (containing carbon black, which is the absorber of the reflected energy). The surface temperature of the plate is measured by an infrared (IR) camera. The distribution of reflected power required to generate this temperature profile is estimated using a simple heat transfer model. The technique was validated by irradiating the black plate by the laser directly, while observing the time-varying temperature distribution of the plate by the IR camera. In this case, good agreement was observed between the estimated total power and the actual laser input power. Good agreement also existed between the estimated power distribution and that determined experimentally via a knife edge based beam profiling technique. The thermal imaging technique was subsequently used to measure the magnitude and distribution of laser light reflection from unreinforced nylon 6.

► A thermal imaging technique for estimation of laser reflection from thermoplastics was developed. ► The temperature distribution on a carbon black (CB) plate used to absorb the reflected light was measured. ► The reflected power was estimated from the temperature of the CB plate using semi-infinite body theory. ► The technique was validated by irradiating a CB plate and calculating the input power, which was known. ► The technique was subsequently used to estimate the magnitude of reflected light from nylon 6.