US 11,752,572 B2
Method and laser processing machining for laser welding a first and a second workpiece portion
Wolfgang Andreasch, Weinstadt (DE)
Assigned to TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen SE + Co. KG, Ditzingen (DE)
Appl. No. 16/335,937
Filed by TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG, Ditzingen (DE)
PCT Filed Sep. 7, 2017, PCT No. PCT/EP2017/072472
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 22, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/059901, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 5, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2016 118 189.7 (DE), filed on Sep. 27, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0030909 A1, Jan. 30, 2020
Int. Cl. B23K 26/064 (2014.01); B23K 26/32 (2014.01); B23K 26/03 (2006.01); B23K 26/08 (2014.01); B23K 26/211 (2014.01); B23K 26/26 (2014.01); B23K 26/70 (2014.01); B23K 26/073 (2006.01); B23K 26/044 (2014.01)
CPC B23K 26/064 (2015.10) [B23K 26/03 (2013.01); B23K 26/044 (2015.10); B23K 26/0734 (2013.01); B23K 26/0869 (2013.01); B23K 26/211 (2015.10); B23K 26/26 (2013.01); B23K 26/32 (2013.01); B23K 26/706 (2015.10)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of laser welding a first and a second workpiece portion with a laser beam guided along a joining gap formed between the workpiece portions by a laser processing head, comprising:
focusing the laser beam with a processing optical system;
supplying an additional substance aligned in relation to the joining gap;
detecting at least one gap width of the joining gap of the workpiece portions to be welded;
evaluating the detected at least one gap width along the course of the joining gap and comparing the detected at least one gap width with at least one first gap size and at least one second gap size, wherein the at least one first gap size comprises a gap width in which a welded seam is formed without the additional substance, and the at least one second gap size comprises a gap width with which the additional substance is supplied to form the welded seam for filling the joining gap;
in response to determining that the detected at least one gap width is within the at least one first gap size,
i) setting the beam profile of the laser beam with a point focus, and
ii) shutting down the supply of the additional substance to the joining gap during the laser welding; and
in response to determining that the detected at least one gap width is not within the at least one first gap size but is within the at least one second gap size,
i) setting the beam profile of the laser beam with a ring focus, and
ii) supplying the additional substance to the joining gap while melting the additional substance with the beam profile set to the ring focus.