Laser Grooved Nubs for Lap Joint Degassing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In laser welding with lap joints, especially when one workpiece is coated, evaporating materials and gaseous emissions cause excess pressure that adversely affects the weld seam, leading to suboptimal joint quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a laser beam to create recessed structures with grooved line elements that meet at a common starting point, accumulating solidified material to form nub-like elevations, which act as spacers to create a degassing gap between workpieces, allowing for the escape of evaporating materials during welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If laser welding with lap joint is performed on coated workpieces, then welding speed and productivity are improved, but excess pressure from evaporating materials adversely affects weld seam quality
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates recessed structures and nub-like elevations on the workpiece surface before welding. These pre-formed features serve as spacers to maintain a degassing gap during welding, allowing gases to escape without compromising weld seam quality, thus enabling high-speed welding of coated materials while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful effect of evaporating coating materials into a beneficial process by creating controlled escape paths (degassing gaps) through the nub-like elevations. The evaporating materials are channeled through these gaps rather than creating excess pressure, transforming a harmful byproduct into a manageable aspect of the welding process
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a degassing gap is created between workpieces, then escape path for gaseous emissions is improved, but workpiece positioning complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nub-like elevations are formed directly on the workpiece surface itself, serving as self-contained spacers that automatically create the degassing gap. This eliminates the need for external positioning devices or complex alignment mechanisms, as the workpiece structure itself provides the necessary spacing function
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the surface geometry parameters by creating recessed structures and elevations with specific dimensions (gap heights of 0.01-0.5mm). These controlled geometric changes provide the degassing function without requiring complex positioning systems, as the gap size is determined by the formed structure rather than positioning precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures a tilt-free contact between workpieces and reduces excess pressure by providing a controlled escape path for gaseous emissions, thereby improving the quality of the weld seam in laser welding processes, especially for coated materials like galvanized workpieces.
Implementation Method 1
A method involves a laser beam to create recessed structures with grooved line elements that meet at a common starting point
Implementation Method 2
evaporating workpiece materials and/or other gaseous welding emissions cause excess pressure
Implementation Method 3
accumulate solidifying material melt of the workpiece in an area of the common starting point to produce a nub-like elevation
Implementation Method 4
The elevations may hereby be configured identical or different. In this way, the workpieces contact one another tilt-free in the overlap region
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for preparing a workpiece for subsequent laser welding, a recessed structure in the form of at least two grooved line elements is formed by a laser beam in a surface of the workplace, with the line elements having a common starting point from which the laser beam moves onwards to produce the line elements. Solidifying material melt of the workpiece is hereby accumulated in an area of the starting point to produce a nub-like elevation sized to extend out beyond the surface of the workpiece.