11/16/2010 Copywrite ESAB, 2010 1

ESAB –Your Partner in

Advanced Welding &

Cutting Technology

Overview of Hybrid Laser Welding and Advanced Lightweight Structures

11/16/2010 Copywrite ESAB, 2010 2

Overview

What is Hybrid Laser Arc Welding (HLAW)?

How Does HLAW Compare to:

Conventional welding?

Autogenous laser welding?

Advanced Laser Welded Structures

Hybrid Laser Welding Applications

Application Examples

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What is Hybrid Laser Welding?

Laser Small spot size

Very high energy density

Low total heat input

Deep penetration

High welding speed

Stabilizes GMAW Arc

Wire Filler Allows control of metallurgy

Improves gap tolerance

Removes some contaminants

Gas Metal Arc Added energy to

melt wire

Broadened fusion zone at surface

Slower weld cooling

Improves laser coupling

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How does HLAW Compare to

Conventional Welding?

Conventional

MIG/MAG:

Shallow penetration

Wide weld bead

Autogenous Laser

Deep penetration

Narrow fusion zone

Hybrid Laser

Deep penetration

Wide weld bead

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What is Hybrid Laser Welding?

Weld Characteristics Smooth surface contours

Small heat affected zone

Fine grain structures

Low base metal dilution

Very high weld toughness

Process Characteristics High Productivity

Low Consumable Costs

Improved Tolerance of Gaps, Edge Quality, Contaminant

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How does HLAW Compare to Conventional

Welding?

Deeper Penetration

Multiple passes replaced with one

Lower Heat Input

80-90% reduction compared to MIG/SAW

Low Distortion/Shrinkage

Very small HAZ

Much lower residual stress

High Weld Toughness and Strength

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How does HLAW Compare to Conventional

Welding?

HLAW Procedures Show Low H2 Pickup

Significantly less dissolved H2 in weld metal

Total H2 proportional to wire feed speed

Not affected by laser power

Results (ml/100gm)

Laser-leading:

HLAW (1.0) vs. GMAW (2.5)– 60% reduction in H2

GMAW-leading:

HLAW (1.8) vs. GMAW (2.5)– 28% reduction in H2

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How does HLAW Compare to Conventional

Welding?

Higher Productivity

3-10 X faster than GMAW or SAW

Steel: 2-5m/min

Aluminum: 6-8m/min

Low Labor Content

Fully automated operation

Low Operating Costs

Less than half that of GMAW

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GMAW

Power

Supply

Welding

Wire

Floating

Adaptive

Weld HeadDisk Laser

Delivery

Fiber

Seam

Tracking

System

ESAB’s Approach to Hybrid Laser Welding

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A

B

A

B

z-A

xis

Tra

vel

Weld Direction

Weld Quality

Camera

Seam Tracking

Camera

y-Axis Travel

Rotational

Axis

GMAW Torch

CO2 Laser Beam

(Not Visible)

z-A

xis

Tra

vel

Weld Direction

Weld Quality

Camera

Seam Tracking

Camera

y-Axis Travel

Rotational

Axis

GMAW Torch

CO2 Laser Beam

(Not Visible)

ESAB’s Approach to Hybrid Laser Welding

Adaptive Welding Process Control and Quality Assurance System

Look Ahead - joint tracking & measuring

Look At - weld process monitoring

Look Behind - weld geometry measurement and defect identification

100% automated visual inspection and quality documentation

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Butt Joint with Variable Gap

Non-Adaptive Control System EffectsButt Welds

Excessive Bead

Height

Incomplete

Penetration

Insufficient Fill

Height

Excessive

Undercut

Constant Parameters onVariable 0-1mm Gap

1. Use parameters optimized for 1.0mm gap:

Excessive bead height at 0 gap

Incomplete penetration at 0 gap

2. Use parameters optimized for 0.0mm gap:

Insufficient fill height at 1mm gap

Excessive undercut at 1mm gap

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Cro

ssSe

ctio

n A

Cro

ssSe

ctio

n B

Cro

ssSe

ctio

n C

Cross Section “A”(0.0mm Gap)

Cross Section “B”(0.5mm Gap)

Cross Section “C”(1.0mm Gap End)

Adaptive Control System EffectsButt Welds

Varying Gap: 0.0mm to 1.0mm

Adaptive Controls results in:

Uniform bead shape

Uniform penetration

Very good weld quality over the entire weld length

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ESAB’s Adaptive Control System

Simple, Easy to

Use HMI

Fast, Real-Time

5th Generation

Controls

Feedback for

Control and

Reporting

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Effect of Adaptive Control

Optimized “Control vs. Constraint” Equation Reduces total cost of implementing laser welding

Maximizes productivity

Improves economics of entire production processProcess Cost vs. Part Tolerance

$-

$0.20

$0.40

$0.60

$0.80

$1.00

$1.20

$1.40

$1.60

- 0.2

5

0.5

0

0.7

5

1.0

0

1.2

5

1.5

0

1.7

5

2.0

0

2.2

5

2.5

0

2.7

5

3.0

0

3.2

5

3.5

0

3.7

5

4.0

0

4.2

5

4.5

0

4.7

5

5.0

0

5.2

5

5.5

0

5.7

5

6.0

0

Tolerance (mm)

Pro

cess C

ost

($/m

) Cutting Cost/m

Welding Cost/m

Total Cost/m

Cut Cost Trend

Weld Cost Trend

Total Cost Trend

Max Joint Tolerance (mm)

Pro

ce

ss

Co

st

($/m

) Autogenous Laser (0-0.1mm)

ESAB’s Adaptive HLAW (0-1.5mm)

HLAW with No Control (0-0.3mm)

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Effect of Adaptive Control

5 X Greater

Process Window

with Adaptive

Control Enables:

Larger Parts

Joints with Higher

Variation

HighLowJoint Variation

Larg

eS

mall

Part

Siz

e

Shipbuilding

Rail

Aerospace

Automotive

Truck

Construction

Equipment

Medical

Energy

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ESAB Hybrid Laser Process Package

for Integrators and OEM’s

Complete Welding Head

Optics

Torch

Sensors

Aristo GMAW Power Supply

Laser Seam Tracking

Adaptive Process Control System

User-friendly HMI

Weld Inspection and Quality Assurance

ESAB Assistance with: Sales support & materials

Demo/ proof-of-concept

Process development and optimization

Weld qualification

Customer financing

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New HLAW Product Line

New Applications Development Centers

Gothenburg, Sweden- R&D system

Laxa, Sweden- large format applications development

Florence, USA- large format applications development

New Resources

Global product management

New sales people for Europe and US

New applications engineers in Florence, Laxa and GBG

New Marketing and Sales Strategy

New website, literature, videos

New sales tools

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ESAB’s New HLAW Product Line

11/16/2010 Copywrite ESAB, 2010 19Home Products Solutions Knowledge Tools News Contacts

ESAB’s New HLAW Product Line

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Advanced

Lightweight Laser

Welded Structures

New Approaches to

Design Enabled by Laser

Welding

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Advanced Structures

Precision, Laser Fabricated

Shapes for US Navy

¼ to 1/10th the tolerance of

ASTM-A6 standard for hot-

rolled shapes

Available in any steel grade and

yield strength

20% to 50% lighter than hot

rolled beams

Easier and cheaper (~25%) to

process, fit and weld into

structures

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Advanced Structures

Courtesy of Meyer Werft

New Structures

Thin Materials from Coil Stock

Laser Fused into Hollow, Cellular Structures

Advantages:

High precision

Low mass (50%)

High strength/

weight ratios

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Light, Rigid, Strong and Flat

Base Plate

(t)

Sandwich

(h=2*t)

Sandwich

(h=4*t)

Weight 1 1 1

Strength 1 6 12

Stiffness 1 12 48

Flatness 1-4” per 56’ 0.2” per 56’ 0.2” per 56’

Depth = tDepth = 2*t

Depth = 4*t

Total Structural Weight Reduction up to 50%

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Low Distortion

Courtesy of Meyer Werft

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Hybrid Laser

Welding

Applications

Where is Hybrid Laser

Welding Being Used?

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Target Markets for Advanced Structures

Traditionally “Heavy” Industries

Marine

Shipbuilding

Offshore Transportation

Rail Cars & Truck Trailers

Automotive

Mobile Equipment Civil Infrastructure

Bridge Decks

Superstructures Commercial Construction

Structural Systems

Panel Systems

Energy & Process

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Shipbuilding and Marine

Applications

Panel line

plate butt

welding

Panel line

stiffener

welding

Stiffener fab.

European HLAW

Meyer Werft

Odense

Shipyard

Blohm & Voss

Warnow Werft

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Civil Infrastructure

Bridge Decks and

Beams

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Transportation

Intermodal Containers

Hopper and Gondola

Rail Cars

Truck Trailers

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Mobile Equipment

“Light

Structures”

Chassis

Booms and

Arms

Dump Bodies

*Not suitable for

use on children

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Automotive

Suspension

Components

Crash-critical

structures

Axles

Engine Cradles

Exhaust Components

Truck Frames

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ESAB’s Avenger HLx Welding Video

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Robotic Welding Cell- US Apps Lab

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Orbital Pipe Welding System

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Application

Examples

(…the ones we can tell

you about.)

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Application Example

CVN-78

Ship now designed with

700,000 ft of fabricated

shapes replacing hot

rolled beams

HLAW beam production

system now operational

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Application Example

Redesign of Ore Car Redesign car to replace

side panels, floors and supporting structure

Objectives: Reduce weight

Increase volume

Reduce material cost

Reduce labor content

Maintain structural strength and stiffness

Achieved: 25% reduction in weight

20% increase in volume

Reduced mfg. cost

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Application Example

Meryer Werft

Shipyard

Converted from GMAW

and SAW welding of

stiffeners on bulkheads

and decks

Reported 30% reduction

in ship construction cycle

time due to improved

structural accuracy and

flatness

Courtesy of Meyer Werft

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Application Example

DDG-1000 First surface combatant

to use laser welded panels in critical structures

Laser welded stainless sandwich panels beat composite panels and aluminum panels in:

Weight

Stiffness

Acquisition cost

Lifecycle cost

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Conclusions

Hybrid Laser Welding is Capable of Welding Large, Traditional Structures with Required Quality

ESAB’s Adaptive Controls Broaden HLAW Process Window by 5 Times Reducing Implementation Cost

HLAW Enables New Design Approaches Which Reduce Weight and Cost

Together, These Factors are Improving Productivity and Reducing Cost in Applications Throughout Industry

Visit us at www.esab.com/hlaw