Tuesday  |  Salon 10  |  09:40 AM–10:00 AM

#15775, An Investigations on Mechanical Properties of Laser Welded AA6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy Joints

A high-power disk laser was used to weld a 2.54mm thick AA6061-T6 sheet with four different sets of processing parameters. Tensile properties of weld aluminum joints were subsequently investigated experimentally by digital image correlation. The softening response in the fusion zone (FZ) of welded joints was identified by both tensile and microhardness tests. The strain distributions of welded joints from digital image correlation were found to be heterogeneous, indicating some microstructural inhomogeneities in welded joints. X-ray computed microtomography (micro-CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized respectively to detect and locate internal defects in welded joints and to observe fractured surfaces of tensile tested samples. Results from this study show that the use of a set of optimal welding parameters can reduce or eliminate the generation of porosities and thus significantly enhance the mechanical properties of laser-welded aluminum alloy joints.

Jie Sheng   Southern Methodist University
Fanrong Kong   ESAB
Wei Tong   Southern Methodist University