Articolo in rivista, 2012, ENG, 10.3390/s120811077

Closed loop control of penetration depth during CO2 laser lap welding processes

Sibillano T., Rizzi D., Mezzapesa F.P., Lugarà P.M., Konuk A.R, Aarts R., Huis in't Veld B., Ancona A.

CNR-IFN Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, UOS Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy Laboratory of Mechanical Automation, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, Netherlands

In this paper we describe a novel spectroscopic closed loop control system capable of stabilizing the penetration depth during laser welding processes by controlling the laser power. Our novel approach is to analyze the optical emission from the laser generated plasma plume above the keyhole, to calculate its electron temperature as a process-monitoring signal. Laser power has been controlled by using a quantitative relationship between the penetration depth and the plasma electron temperature. The sensor is able to correlate in real time the difference between the measured electron temperature and its reference value for the requested penetration depth. Accordingly the closed loop system adjusts the power, thus maintaining the penetration depth.

Sensors (Basel) 12 (8), pp. 11077–11090

Keywords

CNR authors

Rizzi Domenico, Mezzapesa Francesco Paolo, Lugara Pietro Mario, Sibillano Teresa, Ancona Antonio

CNR institutes

IFN – IFN - Sede secondaria di Bari