Abstract
With the novel dual heat source model for pulsed laser-gas tungsten arc (GTA) hybrid welding by COMSOL Multiphysics, the temperature distribution was analyzed at several selected points along the weld line. The influences of laser pulse parameters and electric arc current on the welding pool morphology were investigated. The results show that the influence of different process parameters on the depth of molten pool ranked in order is as follows: laser excitation current>arc current>laser pulse width>laser pulse frequency. The influence of different process parameters on the width of molten pool ranked in order is as follows: arc current>laser pulse width or laser excitation current>laser pulse frequency. A database of molten weld pool characteristics for laser-induced arc welding of magnesium alloy was established by classifying the composite heat source parameters and used to realize the precise control of the molten pool shape. The precise control of the actual welding molten pool of a T-shaped weld is achieved with accuracy of 95.1%.
Science Press
The laser-arc hybrid heat source was first proposed by Ghulam in 197
The laser-arc composite heat source has been extensively researched owing to the broad application prospects. Li et a
Advanced computing and numerical analysis methods have become powerful tools for studying welding technology. In recent years, a large number of researches have been con-ducted on laser-arc composite welding using computer simu-lation
In this study, the extended application of COMSOL Multiphysics was used to establish a database of molten pool morphologies obtained by laser induced arc welding of magnesium alloy. The database was then used to investigate the effects of various welding process parameters on the weld pool morphology. Precise control of molten pool morphology by low-power laser-GTA welding can be achieved through graded adjustment of the compound heat source parameters. Finally, a real welding experiment using a complex T-shaped part was conducted to verify the accuracy and applicability of this method.
The composition of magnesium alloy AZ31B is presented in
By combining the GTA heat source model with the laser heat source model, a novel dual heat source model was acquired as the hybrid heat source, and could be expressed by
(1) |
where qGTA is the heat flux of the GTA; Q1 is the GTA power, with Q1=U1I1g1, in which U1, I1, and g1 are the arc voltage, current, and heat efficiency, respectively; r0 is the effective radius of the arc heat source; v0 is welding speed; t is welding time; x and y are coordinates on the x and y axes, respectively.
(2) |
where qlaser is the heat flux of the laser; R0 is the laser beam radius; H is the height of the heat source; η2 is the laser heat source efficiency; Q2 is the pulsed laser power output; z is the z-axis coordinate.
The pulse laser-induced arc composite welding process involves rapid heating and air cooling. The temperature distribution is unstable and varies along different coordinate directions. The temperature T during the welding process can be expressed as follows:
(3) |
where ρ is density, c is specific heat capacity, k is thermal conductivity, Lm is latent heat of fusion, and Qa is the energy density of the internal heat source, which is expressed as follows:
(4) |
Heat transfer through convection and radiation from the workpiece to the environment is complex. To simplify the calculation, a specific heat transfer coefficient of 12 W·
A numerical simulation model of the bead-on-plate welding process of magnesium alloy AZ31B was established in the COMSOL Multiphysics software. The size of the specimen plate was 100 mm×50 mm×6 mm, as shown in Fig.1. The plate was geometrically symmetrical and the plate was also symmetrically loaded. Therefore, only half of the plate was considered. As illustrated in Fig.1, a free-cut tetrahedral mesh with a minimum size of 0.05 mm was applied in the welding zone, a refined mesh with 300 constant units was used at the weld bead boundary, and an intelligence-dealt mesh was applied far away from the weld bead. Values of laser (LWS-1000) and GTA (OTC-500) parameters used in the experiment are presented in

After the experiment of laser induced arc composite T-joint welding was conducted, a wire cutting machine was used to cut specimens at certain positions along the welded joint, and the specimens were then prepared by mechanically polishing. Finally, specimens were corroded with the corrosive agent (5 mL acetic acid+5 g picric acid+100 mL alcohol+10 mL water), cleaned in alcohol and dried, and then observed under an Leica DMI5000M optical metallurgical microscope.
Process parameters affect the temperature distribution essentially during welding. Therefore, this study focuses on thermal cycle curves at different positions along the weld seam. The effect of laser pulse parameters and arc current on the temperature field is quantitatively assessed. As shown in Fig.1, the point coordinates selected in the geometric model for COMSOL simulations are: point A (0, 15, 6) at the edge; point B (2, 15, 6), point C (4, 15, 6), and point D (6, 15, 6) along the width direction of the weld cross section; point E (0, 15, 4), F (0, 15, 2), and G (0, 15, 0) along the penetration direction of the weld.

Fig.2a and 2b show the thermal cycle curves at different points along the width and penetration directions with a laser pulse of 150 A, pulse of 3 ms, pulse frequency of 25 Hz, arc current of 125 A, and welding speed of 10 mm/s, respectively. As the laser-arc composite heat source continues to approach the point D and G along the width and penetration directions, respectively, the average and maximum temperatures at each location are lower with the heat source moving away. In addition, the heating and cooling rates are slower and the residence time above the melting temperature is shorter. When the composite heat source is close to selected points, the thermal cycle curves of point A, E, F, and G in Fig.2b indicate a sharp temperature rise and fall due to the multiple pulsed lasers with a high peak power output applied periodically, causing a sharp change in temperature at these locations. Besides, the short interval between two adjacent laser pulses indicates that the heat generated by the previous pulse is not fully diffused before the next pulse, and the heat from the previous pulse period is retained. Therefore, the heat from each cycle accumulates. As a result, the temperature continues to increase at this location. The thermal cycle curves of point B and C (Fig.2a) exhibit heat accumulation with a lower extent, which suggests that each point along the penetration direction is subjected to the heat accumulation effect due to the thermal effects of pulse energy of the composite heat source. Along the width direction, the heat accumulation phenomenon weakens as the length from the center of the laser action increases.
Under these conditions, the critical thermal parameters along width and penetration directions are obtained through finite element simulations in COMSOL, as shown in
In summary, the quantitative results describing the influ-ence of four parameters of the composite heat source on the temperature distribution of the weld are obtained. The com-posite heat source parameters are ranked in order according to their influence on temperature along the penetration direction of the molten pool: laser excitation current (primary influence)>arc current (secondary influence)>laser pulse width (weak influence)>laser pulse frequency (negligible influence). The influence of parameters on temperature along the width of the molten pool is ranked in order, as follows: arc current (pri-mary influence)>laser pulse width or laser excitation current (weak influence)>laser pulse frequency (negligible influence).

Fig.3 Morphology of weld pool by laser-arc hybrid welding of magnesium alloy AZ31B
Fig.4 shows that within the laser induced arc welding parameter range, the melting width of the nail cap surface of the molten pool and the thickness of the nail cap change significantly as the arc current parameter varies. The arc current is the main heat output of the compound heat source and controls the depth and width of the molten pool. It is therefore the main influence factor on molten pool morphology. The laser excitation current variation changes the length and top width of the nail head of molten pool nail hole. The length of nail head extends from 3.3 mm to 6.1 mm, which controls the shape of the nail head at the bottom of the molten pool. The laser excitation current is the secondary influencing factor for the morphology of molten pool. Changes in the laser pulse parameter only have a small effect on the width of the top of weld nail cap and the width of nail head waist, making the laser pulse a weak influence factor.

Based on the analysis, a database of weld pool parameters was constructed for heat source parameters within a fixed parameter range (laser excitation current of 100~200 A, laser pulse width of 2~5 ms, pulse frequency of 20 Hz, and arc current of 75~150 A). The arc current, laser excitation current, and laser pulse width are the first-level, second-level, and third- level datasets, which are selected as 5 A, 5 A, and 0.5 ms, re-spectively. The first-level dataset is used to construct an arc current system according to an incremental increase (ΔI1) in arc current, as shown in Fig.5a. The second-level dataset refers to any arc current system in the first-level dataset, and the para-meter range of the laser excitation current can be built into m sets of excitation current systems according to a certain incre-mental increase (ΔI2), as shown in Fig.5b. The third-level data-set refers to any laser excitation current system in the second-level dataset. The laser pulse width parameter range can be con-structed according to a certain incremental decrease (Δtp) to form a single-group pulse width system, as shown in Fig.5c.

The database of molten pool morphology of magnesium alloy AZ31B by laser induced arc welding has two main functions: (1) to accurately predict the weld pool shape and size based on the process parameters of the composite heat source; (2) to accurately regulate and control the arc current, laser excitation current, and pulse width parameters based on the size of workpiece and the joint mode for laser-arc hybrid welding of magnesium alloy AZ31B.
Take the precise control of the molten pool morphology in butt welding of magnesium alloy flat plate with thickness of Z mm as an example. In this case, the specific steps of the method are as follows.
Step 1: Determine the critical parameters of the molten pool in flat butt welding. According to the thickness of the plate, the basic melting depth is Z mm. The penetration refers to the width at the back of the molten pool (du) and is a key parameter in flat butt welding. The back weld pool width threshold is Y mm and determined according to the welding manual and actual butt welding of plate of thickness of Z mm.
Step 2: Initial adjustment. Take the minimum value of the laser excitation current and laser pulse width as fixed parameters. Extract the corresponding 16 sets of arc current system from the first-level dataset, as shown in Fig.6a. When the melting depth of the base is Z mm and the intersection point of the straight line of the back weld pool width and longitudinal axis is above point B, the nearest arc current system of nx A is selected.
Step 3: First fine tuning. Select 21 sets of laser excitation current system parameters corresponding to the arc current of nx A from the second-level dataset, as shown in Fig.6b. Select the laser excitation current mx A corresponding to the preset weld width at the back of weld pool (BE is the width at the back of weld pool, and its value is Y/2 mm in Fig.6b). The selected process follows the principle that if an intersection (point B or E in Fig.6) exists between the straight line of the back weld pool width and laser excitation system, the closest laser excitation system of mx A to the right of the intersection is selected. If there is no intersection point, it is necessary to increase the level of the first arc current system to nx+1 A until the straight line of the back weld pool width intersects with the laser excitation system.
Step 4: Final fine tuning. In the third-level dataset, 7 sets of laser pulse width systems corresponding to the arc current of nx A and an excitation current of mx A are extracted, as shown in Fig.6c. The excitation current of lx ms corresponding to the preset weld width at the back of the weld pool (BE=Y/2 mm in Fig.6c) is selected. If an intersection exists between the straight line of the back weld pool width and each pulse width system, the laser pulse width system of lx ms with the closest intersection is selected. If there is no intersection, it is necessary to increase the current level of the mx+1 A until the straight line of the back weld pool width intersects with the laser pulse width system and the laser pulse width system can be determined. The above steps can identify the suitable control parameters for weld pool morphology of magnesium alloy AZ31B with thickness of Z mm by butt welding, including the arc current nx A, laser excitation current mx A, and laser pulse width lx ms.
Laser-arc composite heat source welding offers advantages of deep penetration ability, small welding deformation, and low energy consumption, and can realize unilateral welding of the wall plate of T-shaped structural parts. However, if the process parameters for the composite heat source are not suitable, the welding failure occurs. For example, when the laser excitation current is too small, the penetration capacity is not sufficient and only the upper part of the wall plate of the T-shaped weldment melts. Since the lower part of the rib plate does not melt, the connection between the wall plate and the rib plate cannot be realized, as shown in


Fig.7 Weld morphologies of T-shaped joint by laser-arc welding:
(a) unfused and (b) excessive melting
In this research, T-shaped magnesium alloy parts with a wall and rib thickness of 2.5 mm were used for calculations. The welding method is one-sided welding. The process for controlling molten pool morphology based on the magnesium alloy composite welding database is as follows. The melting depth is determined as 2.5 mm based on the thickness of the rib and wall plates. To address the problems of laser arc welding of T-shaped magnesium alloy parts, the formation of a certain width of transition weld (dL) and the melt width (du) on the back of wallboard are taken as the critical parameters of the molten pool, according to the requirements of the welding manual for the geometric design of a T-shaped one-sided weld joint and actual results of the welding experiment. dL is set as 1 mm, which is two fifths of the thickness of the rib plate. Then, the back melting width/2=dL+rib thickness=2.25 mm, as shown in

Fig.8 Schematic diagram of welded T-shaped joint
The minimum laser excitation current and pulse width range are fixed parameters from the first-level dataset and the corresponding arc current system is extracted. An arc current of 115 A is selected, corresponding to a melting depth of 2.5 mm. Again, the laser excitation system is extracted from the second-level dataset corresponding to an arc current of 115 A. The line corresponding to the melt width (BE=2.25 mm) on the back of the molten pool does not intersect with the laser excitation system line. By increasing the level of the first-level arc current system twice, the arc current system is determined to be 125 A and the laser excitation current is 145 A. Finally, 7 groups of laser pulse width system corresponding to arc current of 125 A and laser excitation current of 145 A are extracted from the third-level dataset, and the laser pulse width is determined to be 3.5 ms, thereby realizing fine adjust-ment of the melting width of the wall back of the molten pool.
Then the parameters for the welding pool of T-shaped mag-nesium alloy part with thickness of 2.5 mm are: arc current of 125 A, laser excitation current of 145 A, and laser pulse width of 3.5 ms. The final system diagram and simulated morpho-logy obtained from the control process are shown in

Fig.9 Simulated molten weld shape of T-shaped joint (a); actual cross-sectional morphology of T-shaped joint weld pool (b)
1) The temperature at different points in the weld pool rapidly increases and decreases periodically due to the thermal effects of the composite heat source of the arc plasma induced by the pulse laser. Multiple pulse cycles result in heat accumulation effects, which influences the depth of weld pool.
2) The influence of different parameters of the composite heat source on the temperature distribution of the weld is quantified. The composite heat source parameters are ranked in order according to their influence on temperature along the penetration direction of the molten pool: laser excitation current (primary influence)>arc current (secondary influence)>laser pulse width (weak influence)>laser pulse frequency (negligible influence). The influence of parameters on tempe-rature along the width of the molten pool is ranked in order, as follows: arc current (primary influence)>laser pulse width or laser excitation current (weak influence)>laser pulse frequency (negligible influence).
3) A database is constructed for developing a method for controlling the molten pool shape of magnesium alloy by laser-arc hybrid welding based on initial adjustment of the first-level arc current system, fine adjustment of the second-level laser excited current system, and fine adjustment of the third-level laser pulse width system. Precise control of the weld pool of a complex T-shaped welding joint with an accuracy of 95.1% is obtained.
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