Porosity control when laser welding titanium alloys

摘要

The increasing utilization of titanium alloys in the aerospace industry has created the need for a production process which can produce high quality near-net-shape titanium alloy components. Keyhole laser welding is a joining technology which could be utilized for this requirement. This presentation will describe methods of minimising porosity formation when laser welding Ti alloys. In general, when laser welding titanium alloys, a highly energetic plume of molten vapour interacts with the incident laser beam and this can cause keyhole instability, resulting in high levels of porosity in the resultant weld. Methods are described to minimise the effects of this plume and reduce keyhole instability, thereby reducing the occurrence of porosity.