IPG Photonics offers welding heads with integrated Beam Wobbler capability. The Wobbler broadens weld seams created with high-quality; high-power focused beams while reducing required laser power. It also allows for high-quality welding even in the presence of a gap between the welded parts. The Wobbler improves welding process stability, repeatability and the weld seam aesthetics. Thanks to its flexibility, laser wobbling makes it easier to optimize welding parameters with different materials and welded part shapes. Laser Wobbler has produced promising results in automotive and railway train industries.
Unmatched laser power handling | Fully integrated seam tracking |
Programmable scanning parameters | Sealed for long term stability |
Variable wobbling radius and frequency | Plug-and-play architecture for all IPG lasers |
Specifications
Example Configuration
* Other focal lengths are available. |
Ideal for poorly fitting parts, providing a visually impressive weld finish. | ||||||||
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Carbon Steel |
Aluminum |
Austenitic Stainless Steel |
Austenitic Stainless Steel |
Austenitic Stainless Steel |
The Benefits of Wobble Welding Compared to Conventional Welding Methods
Wobble modes
Weld Quality / Consistency
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Corner weld on 6061-T6 aluminum (thickness 1.5 mm). The picture on the left showing the overall quality and the microscopic image on the right showing the close up of the weld.
Materials Prone to Cracking / Porosity
–Some grades of aluminum that are prone to the pore formation during the welding process
–Spring steel which is sensitive to thermal cracking
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6061 aluminum sample welded with conventional laser welding process: obvious pores in the cross section | 6061 aluminum sample welded with the wobbler head: the cross section is free of porosity |
Welding Dissimilar Metals
–If one material has a higher melting point or higher reflectivity than the other, the melting behavior of the materials can be “balanced” by choosing the wobble parameters appropriately.
–Some combinations of metals tend to form brittle intermetallic compounds as a result of welding. When using the wobbler, the melting / solidification of the intermetallic layer can be controlled better, which improves the weld quality.
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304 stainless steel and oxygen free copper tubes welded together using circular wobble | EDS-image showing the blending of the metals in the cross section of the weld |
Tolerance for Process Variables
As it comes to process variables, such as the gap between the workpieces, wobble welding allows a considerably wider process parameter window that results in good quality welds.
Example: Butt welding stainless steel sheets (thickness 1.5 mm):
A) Variation in the gap between workpieces | B) Offset from the center line between the workpieces | |
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Gap, μm | 0 | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 | 300 | 350 | 400 | 450 | 500 | |
Conventional Laser Welding | o | o | Δ | Δ | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | |
Laser Welding with Wobble | o | o | o | o | o | o | Δ | Δ | Δ | Δ | × | |
Offset, μm | 0 | 50 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 | 600 | 700 | 800 | 900 | 1000 |
Conventional Laser Welding | o | o | o | o | Δ | × | × | × | × | × | × | × |
Laser Welding with Wobble | o | o | o | o | o | o | o | Δ | Δ | Δ | Δ | × |
o = Good Weld
Δ = Acceptable
× = Unacceptable /Not Welded
Seam Tracking
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Drilling
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Scanning
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