Inconel 718 Laser Welding Simulation Tool Based On A Moving Heat Source And Phase Change

Modern aerospace industry demands the union of different Inconel 718 parts ensuring the quality of the joint. Therefore, in the present work a novel fiber laser welding model that considers wobbling strategy is developed. The heat source model definition and solid-liquid phase change phenomena are taken into account as bead is considered liquid zone during the melting, getting a robust-but-simple tool for prediction of bead and heat affected zone geometries depending on process parameters. One of the main drawbacks is the maximum welded bead width, which is limited by the beam spot. In order to overcome this handicap, wobbling strategy allows covering a wider area by combining elliptical and linear motions. Optimal relation between these orbital and translation speeds is defined for minimum overlap among consecutive wobble rings. Likewise, temperature rise at welded joint is estimated by existing and modified heat source models after relying on experimental validation. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.