Improvement of Weld Characteristics by Laser-Arc Double-Sided Welding Compared to Single Arc Welding

The single arc welding and laser-arc double-sided welding (LADSW) processes are investigated by virtue of test welds. The impacts of the laser beam during the LADSW process on the weld characteristics are studied from weld geometry, crystal morphology, and the mechanical properties of the joints. Compared with the single arc welding, the LADSW process improves the energy density and reduces the range of arc action, which together leads to a doubling of weld penetration depth. When penetrated by the laser beam, the liquid metal of the arc welding pool experiences severe fluctuations, leading to a finer grain size in the range of 17-26 μm in the LADSW weld, a reduction of nearly 63% compared to the grains in the single arc weld. The tensile strength and elongation-to-failure of the LADSW weld were increased by nearly 10 and 100% over the single arc welding, respectively.