Patent ID: 6087619
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
A welding arrangement for welding first and second sheets of material to one another having respective first and second thicknesses, the arrangement comprising:a source of energy for producing a primary beam of energy and propagating the primary beam of energy along a first predetermined energy propagation path;a splitter for splitting the beam of energy into first and second beams of energy having respective first and second intensities, said splitter having a step mirror arrangement having first and second mirror surfaces that are translatable with respect to one another, the predetermined distance between the first and second beams of energy being responsive to the translation between the first and second mirror surfaces;alignment means for illuminating the first sheet of material with the first beam of energy and the second sheet of material with the second beam of energy;a controller for displacing the first and second beams of energy in response to a difference between the first and second thicknesses of the sheets of material;whereby the first and second beams of energy form respective ones of first and second pools of molten material from the first and second sheets of material, the first and second pools of molten material joining with one another to form a weld.