Low-power YAG laser-MAG arc hybrid welding of stainless steel

This paper studied the low-power pulsed YAG laser-pulsed MAG arc hybrid welding of stainless steel based on the comparison between hybrid welding process and single pulsed MAG (metal active-gas)arc welding.Compared with high-power laser-arc hybrid welding, the low-power pulsed YAG laser-pulsed MAG arc hybrid welding also had many same merits such as increasing penetration depth, improving welding speed and stabilization of welding process.The shape of the arcwas changed in low-power pulsed YAG laser hybrid welding due to the input of low-power pulsed YAG laser.When the pulsed YAG laser acted on arc region, the attraction and contraction of the arc root in low-power pulsed YAG laser-pulsed MAG arc hybrid welding was prominent, and the energy absorption of MAG arc and pulsed YAG laser increased.The penetration depth in low-power pulsed YAG laser-pulsed MAG arc hybrid welding was 1.3 times of that in MAG welding when welding speed was same, and the welding speed increased 50 percent when the penetration depth was equal to that of MAG welding.The crystal grain of hybrid welding was smaller than that of weld for MAG welding, and the strength of hybrid welded joint was higher than that of MAG welded joint, and hybrid welded joint rupture was ductile rupture.