Laser welding

Citation

(2000), "Laser welding", Assembly Automation, Vol. 20 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2000.03320bad.010

Laser welding

Laser welding

Keywords: Welding, lasers

Applicants: Automated Welding Systems Inc. (CA), Bob Bishop (CA)Patent number: WO9839136Publication date: 11 September 1998Title: Multiple beam laser welding apparatus

The present invention provides a welding apparatus for use in industrial processing, which is operable to emit an energy beam or ion beam to weld blanks and the like together along a seam line. The energy beam used to weld the blanks preferably consists of a multiple beam of two or more coherent light sources. The apparatus includes a mechanism to selectively reposition the orientation of the multiple beam relative to the seam line. Other objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus:

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  for butt welding together proximal edge portions of two or more sheet blanks which are separated by a gap of up to 0.25mm or more;

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  for laser welding together two or more sheet blanks, without requiring the edge portions of the blanks to be pre-finished;

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  for joining together workpiece blanks to form a composite workpiece which does not require precise alignment and positioning of the blanks prior to joining;

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  for welding together proximal edge portions of sheet blanks having different relative thicknesses;

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  for laser butt welding together two or more sheet blanks along a seam line and which automatically senses the spacing between proximal edge portions and compensates either the speed and/or positioning and/or power of the laser energy to form an effective weld seam;

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  adapted to weld proximal edges along either straight, nonlinear or curved weld seams.

To achieve at least some of these objects the invention includes a welding apparatus configured to emit a multiple or composite energy beam which consists of two, three or more energy beams.