Browsing by Author "Hagenlocher, Christian"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8

Open Access
Adjustment of the geometries of the cutting front and the kerf by means of beam shaping to maximize the speed of laser cutting
(2023) Lind, Jannik; Hagenlocher, Christian; Weckenmann, Niklas; Blazquez-Sanchez, David; Weber, Rudolf; Graf, Thomas
The shape of the laser beam used for fusion cutting significantly influences the geometry of both the cutting front and the cutting kerf. The angle of the cutting front in turn impacts the local absorptivity, while the width of the kerf defines the amount of material, which has to be molten. The kerf’s geometry therefore determines the maximum possible cutting speed at which a successful cut is feasible with a given available laser power. The absorptivity, the width of the kerf, and the maximum possible cutting speed can be estimated from a simple model considering the conservation of energy and rough geometrical approximations. In order to verify the prediction of the model, the geometry of the cutting front and kerf resulting from different processing conditions was observed by means of online high-speed X-ray diagnostics. The geometry of the interaction zone was recorded with a framerate of 1000 Hz during fusion cutting of 10-mm-thick samples of stainless steel. Comparing the results obtained with different shapes of the laser beam, it was found that the absorptivity is increased when the beam’s longitudinal cross-section (parallel to the feed) is enlarged. Reducing the width of the beam in the transversal direction normal to the feed reduces the cross-sectional area of the cutting kerf. The findings show a good agreement with the geometric model which enabled the prediction of the absorptivity and the cross-sectional area of the cutting kerf and hence allows to reliably estimate the maximum cutting speed for different shapes of the laser beam, laser power, and sheet thicknesses.
Open Access
Analytical description of the criterion for the columnar-to-equiaxed transition during laser beam welding of aluminum alloys
(2021) Böhm, Constantin; Hagenlocher, Christian; Wagner, Jonas; Graf, Thomas; Weihe, Stefan
Open Access
The change of the absorptance at the transition from partial- to full-penetration laser welding
(2024) Wagner, Jonas; Hagenlocher, Christian; Weber, Rudolf; Graf, Thomas
Full-penetration laser welding processes are necessarily associated with significant changes of the geometrical properties of the keyhole at the beginning of the process when the keyhole expands all the way through the workpiece and finally pierces the bottom of the sheet. The impact that this transition has on the absorptance was investigated by means of X-ray imaging to determine the geometry of the keyhole and subsequent raytracing to calculate the distribution of the absorbed irradiance. The results show a significant drop of the overall absorptance when the bottom of the capillary opens through the rear side of the workpiece which in practice is noticed by an unstable behavior of the keyhole. Since the drop of the absorptance is less pronounced for smaller diameters of the keyhole, one may recommend the application of laser beams with small diameters at least during the initial phase until the keyhole is fully developed and reliably reaches through the bottom surface of the welded sheet.
Open Access
High-speed single-frame polarimeter for thermal radiation to measure the 3D geometry of hot metal surfaces
(2024) Sawannia, Michael; Berger, Peter; Weber, Rudolf; Hagenlocher, Christian; Graf, Thomas
The 3D geometry of the interaction zone in laser material processing is of major importance as it defines the absorption of the laser beam and may influence the hydrodynamics of the process. With the aim of measuring this geometry, which typically changes with frequencies in the order of 10 kHz, a single-frame polarimeter with acquisition rates of up to 75 kHz is presented in this work. It simultaneously records four images of the thermal process emission, through four linear polarizers with different orientations. The formulae required for the reconstruction of the 3D geometry from these images are derived and validated on an example of a heated steel sphere. The reconstructed geometry was found to be in good agreement with the examined sphere. An experimental example is also given of the application of this technology to geometry measurement of a highly dynamic laser cutting front at a framerate of 75 kHz.
Open Access
Die Kornstruktur und der Heißrisswiderstand von Laserstrahlschweißnähten in Aluminiumlegierungen
(München : utzverlag, 2020) Hagenlocher, Christian; Graf, Thomas (Prof. Dr. phil. nat.)
Die Kornstruktur einer Schweißnaht beeinflusst ihren Widerstand gegen die Bildung von Nahtmittenheißrissen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde der übergreifende Zusammenhang zwischen Schweißparameter, Kornstruktur und Heißrisswiderstand beim Laserstrahlschweißen durch analytische Gleichungen beschrieben und das resultierende Modell experimentell validiert.
Open Access
Self-shielding of X-ray emission from ultrafast laser processing due to geometrical changes of the interaction zone
(2024) Holland, Julian; Hagenlocher, Christian; Weber, Rudolf; Graf, Thomas
Materials processing with ultrashort laser pulses is one of the most important approaches when it comes to machining with very high accuracy. High pulse repetition rates and high average laser power can be used to attain high productivity. By tightly focusing the laser beam, the irradiances on the workpiece can exceed 1013 W/cm2, and thus cause usually unwanted X-ray emission. Pulsed laser processing of micro holes exhibits two typical features: a gradual increase in the irradiated surface within the hole and, with this, a decrease in the local irradiance. This and the shielding by the surrounding material diminishes the amount of ionizing radiation emitted from the process; therefore, both effects lead to a reduction in the potential X-ray exposure of an operator or any nearby person. The present study was performed to quantify this self-shielding of the X-ray emission from laser-drilled micro holes. Percussion drilling in standard air atmosphere was investigated using a laser with a wavelength of 800 nm a pulse duration of 1 ps, a repetition rate of 1 kHz, and with irradiances of up to 1.1·1014 W/cm. The X-ray emission was measured by means of a spectrometer. In addition to the experimental results, we present a model to predict the expected X-ray emission at different angles to the surface. These calculations are based on raytracing simulations to obtain the local irradiance, from which the local X-ray emission inside the holes can be calculated. It was found that the X-ray exposure measured in the surroundings strongly depends on the geometry of the hole and the measuring direction, as predicted by the theoretical model.
Open Access
Supercritical melt flow in high-speed laser welding and its interdependence with the geometry of the keyhole and the melt pool
(2024) Reinheimer, Eveline N.; Berger, Peter; Hagenlocher, Christian; Weber, Rudolf; Graf, Thomas
The advent of undercuts and humping limits the applicable speed of deep-penetration laser welding. Recent findings additionally show that a significant change of the keyhole’s shape is associated with the occurrence of undercuts. Considering that undercuts and humping are melt flow–induced defects, this leads to the question of how the geometry of the keyhole and the melt pool influence the melt flow and vice versa. In this work, the Froude number was used to characterize the melt flow around a keyhole. X-ray images of the keyhole and cross-sections of the weld were therefore used to determine the geometrical boundaries of the melt flow, to estimate the average melt velocity around the keyhole, and finally determine its Froude number. The flow around a cylindrically shaped keyhole was found to always be subcritical, whereas supercritical melt flow was observed around the elongated keyholes that are formed at higher welding speed. The findings may be interpreted in the sense that the elongation of the keyhole is a consequence of a supercritical stream of the melt flowing underneath and around the keyhole. This perception is consistent with the long-known experience that humping may be avoided by reducing the flow speed of the melt by widening the melt pool surrounding the keyhole (e.g., by means of beam shaping) and suggest a new explanation for the elongation of the keyhole at increased welding speed.
Open Access
Synchrotron X-ray analysis of the influence of the magnesium content on the absorptance during full-penetration laser welding of aluminum
(2021) Wagner, Jonas; Hagenlocher, Christian; Hummel, Marc; Olowinsky, Alexander; Weber, Rudolf; Graf, Thomas