HIGH SPEED AND POWER ENERGY BEAM WELDING METHOD

Abstract: A welding method uses a high energy density radiation beam such as an electron beam or preferably a substantially continuous wave laser beam (48) to weld a pair of sheets (40, 42) using an oblong focused beam spot (50). The radiation beam source (56) has a power of at least one kilowatt. A beam delivery system (46) capable of focusing the beam into a generally rectangular oblong spot shape directs the oblong beam spot onto at least one of the sheets to weld them together, with the longitudinal axis of the beam spot preferably oriented tangent to the weld line (60). Deep penetration keyhole welds (54) are produced.

Description: High Speed and Power Energy Beam Welding Method Field of the Invention This invention relates to a method of welding a first sheet to a second sheet using a high energy density radiation beam and more particularly to a method of welding using an oblong focused beam spot for decreasing average power density of the beam spot and increasing exposure time of the beam spot to the region being welded to maximize welding speed while minimizing welding defects. Background of the Invention In commercial production laser and electron beam welding applications, the goal is to maximize welding speed and minimize welding defects while attempting to weld a wide variety of steels, steel alloys, as well as aluminum, aluminum alloys and other alloys. In fact, in most instances, welding speed is the most important limiting factor in achieving higher productivity and lowering production costs. For example, when laser welding metal sheets, the suitable welding speeds that can be achieved are typically a direct function of the penetration depth required. Hence, as sheet thickness increases welding speed typically decreases. A commonly used strategy to increase welding speed is to increase the power density of a focused laser beam having a circular beam spot at the point where the beam is irradiating or impinging against the workpiece. As is discussed in more detail in an article in the Proceedings of LAMP '92 entitled "CO2 Laser Welding of Aluminum Alloys", and in a June 1992, International Symposium on Automotive Technology and Automation Conference Proceedings (ISATA), article entitled "ADVANCES IN LASER WELDING OF AUTOMOTIVE PARTS", increased power density can be achieved by increasing laser power or decreasing the focused spot size of the laser. Increasing laser power can obviously be achieved by using a higher power laser. Decreasing the focused spot diameter of the circular spot can be achieved by using lasers having higher beam quality or better mode. For a laser of a given kilowatt power output, the laser having a beam quality, K, as close to unity or one as possible is preferred for providing a focused beam spot having higher power density over another laser having poorer beam quality. In addition to beam quality, K, the focused beam spot size, w, of a laser is also dependent on the laser output wavelength, λ, the focal length, /, of the beam focusing optic and the diameter, D, of the unfocused beam from the laser source. This relationship is more clearly illustrated by the following equation for determining the focused beam diameter, w: w = 4Kλ/ πD To decrease the focused beam spot diameter, w, for increasing the power density of the focused beam at the workpiece, a laser with a smaller wavelength, λ, can be chosen or focusing optics with a smaller focal length, /, can be chosen. Alternatively, a laser having a higher beam quality, with K = Wfi = 1/k as close to the value of 1 as possible can also be chosen or a combination of the aforementioned can be selected to optimize power density of the focused beam spot. However, as power, power density and welding speed are increased, the frequency of welding defects, weld failures and scrap rate increase to a point where welding speed can no longer be economically increased. These welding defects range from pores, pinholes, undercuts, weld sputters and, in some instances, undesirable increases in hardness in the heat affected zone of the resultant weld. In welding metals, and particularly steel, another welding speed related defect, called humping or slubbing, can occur. Humping is discussed in more detail in an article in the Journal of Physics. D: Applied Physics 25 (1992), entitled "Theoretical approach to the humping phenomenon in welding processes". As is demonstrated in another article in the Proceedings of LAMP '87 entitled "Deep Penetration Welding with High Power CO2 Laser", as the focused spot diameter of a relatively high power CO2 laser beam decreases, power density increases, and the speed at which humping defects occur is reduced, thereby limiting welding productivity. Many of these defects are caused because the high power densities used with circular focused beam spots introduce too much energy too quickly into the region being welded. One study of laser welding is disclosed in an article in the June 1992, ISATA Proceedings entitled "MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF LASER WELDED ALUMINUM JOINTS", discusses attempts to reduce welding defects in certain specific aluminum alloys. This article describes training a CO2 laser beam having a power source of at least 2.5 kilowatts at an angle of incidence to the weld direction with the beam being tilted, first, in a direction peφendicular to the direction of welding and, second, along the direction of welding. When angled peφendicular to the direction of welding, the longitudinal axis of the beam spot is peφendicular to the welding direction and when the beam is angled along the direction of welding, such as by "trailing" or "leading" the beam, the beam spot has a longitudinal axis parallel to the welding direction. Unfortunately, deviations in the angle of incidence of the beam peφendicular to the weld direction up to 10° to 15° only slightly influence weld porosity while undesirable porosity in welded aluminum alloy increases dramatically as the angle of incidence is increased beyond about 15°. In fact, porosity is minimized for both cases of angling the beam relative to the workpiece and welding direction as the beam angle of incidence approaches zero degrees and when the beam is generally peφendicular to the workpiece. Angling the beam relative to the workpiece is also disclosed in a June 1992 ISATA Proceedings article entitled "LASER BEAM WELDING OF HSS- COMPONENTS FOR CAR BODIES". This reference discloses that in welding high strength steel (HSS), the laser beam axis could be rotated up to 45° in or against the feed direction without a considerable loss in quality. Hence, beyond a 45° beam angle there is a significant loss in weld quality and an undesirable increase in porosity in the weld. It is also known that particularly for high power, more than one kilowatt, and high speed, more than 2 meters per minute, welding applications, if the angle of incidence of the axis of the beam relative to the workpiece is too small, welding defects such as porosity, pinholes, weld sputters, humping, and undercutting increase and weld quality decreases making it highly undesirable to angle the beam too close to the workpiece. Another method of reducing welding defects for welding difficult to weld materials, such as aluminum alloys, is disclosed in the 1992 ICALEO Proceedings in an article entitled "HIGH POWER PULSE YAG LASER WELDING OF THIN PLATE" and a corresponding publication of European Patent Appln. No. 0594210 Al, published March 24, 1994, and entitled "Method and apparatus for welding material by laser beam". These references disclose using a pulsed laser and angling the beam obliquely relative to the workpiece it is irradiating to create what is referred to as an elliptically-shaped focused beam spot on the workpiece for suppressing weld cracks and pores in the weld joint of the difficult-to-weld material. The pulsed YAG laser used in these references to weld difficult to weld aluminum alloys of thin sheet thickness has a relatively low average power of 800 watts and welds at a relatively low speed of 1.0 millimeters per second. This method is not suited for commercial laser welding applications, such as automotive sheet metal welding, tube welding, or continuous welding of roll-formed parts, which typically require a welding speed of greater than 30 millimeters per second or about 2 meters per minute to be economically viable. Additionally, low power pulse lasers of typically less than one kilowatt average power are not suited for sheet metal welding applications requiring adequate penetration, high speed and high productivity. For welding thicker sheet material, such as automotive deep drawing steel of 1 millimeters cross sectional thickness and thicker, a higher power laser is needed to meet the high industry production rates required to be economically competitive. Additionally, these references disclose that the laser source be pulsed for initiating melt-solidification, remelt-resolidification cycles to reduce weld defects, namely pores, weld sputters and cracks. Unfortunately, pulsing requires sophisticated and expensive electronic hardware to generate and control the frequency, shape, and duration of the laser pulses. Furthermore, since the lasers disclosed are pulsed, the average power output of the laser is less than its peak power, providing a way of reducing and controlling average power density at the workpiece. Moreover, if pulsing at too high of a frequency is performed, the beam no longer initiates melt-solidification, remelt-resolidification cycles to reduce weld defects, namely pores, weld sputters and cracks. Welding speeds that can be achieved using pulsed lasers are also limited because if the beam travels too fast along the workpiece it can leave portions of the workpiece along the weld line inadequately welded or unwelded during the periods when the beam is off or between pulses. For example, if / represents the number of pulses per second (pps) in Hertz and, d, represents cumulative or total the dwell time of a laser pulse in seconds, then, t = 1// - d, represents the time duration between pulses during which the workpiece is exposed only to a continuous component of laser power, if there is any continuous component. As a result, when welding at higher speeds with a pulsed laser having no continuous component, the workpiece is not exposed to any beam energy during the time period defined by: t = 1// - d, resulting in a section having length, I = V*t, along the weld line of the workpiece that may not be adequately welded or not welded at all. If there is a continuous laser beam component and the continuous component is less than 80% of the peak power, if t is too great, sections along weld line may not be adequately welded or not welded at all. Accordingly, the larger the welding speed, V, the longer this potentially unwelded or poorly welded distance, 1, between pulses becomes. If welding at high enough welding speeds, some portions of the weld joint might not be welded adequately, particularly if I > 0.1 millimeter. Also, if pulsing is at a frequency such that t becomes too small, the beam no longer initiates melt-solidification, remelt-resolidification cycles to reduce weld defects. This is why duty cycles of pulsed lasers are generally lower than about 50%. Other references disclosing the use of pulsed lasers for reducing welding defects include: LAMP '87. "Welding Properties with High Powered Pulsed CO2 Laser"; LAMP '87 (May 1987), "Development and Implementation of High Speed Laser Welding in the Can Making Industry"; LAMP '92 (June 1992), "High Power Pulse YAG Laser Welding of Thin Plate"; and a 1991 ICALEO article entitled "Butt Welding of Thin Stainless Steel Sheets with 'Rippled Mode' Nd-YAG Laser" and U.S. Patent No. 5,347,528. Linear or line focusing optics have been coupled with lasers to produce a linear or generally rectangular beam spot used for surface cladding, surface hardening and surface melting workpieces as part of final finishing of these workpieces. It is not believed that heretofore these linear and generally rectangular beam spot shapes have been used to weld workpieces and more particularly to butt-weld or lap weld sheets in a commercial welding setting. Summary of the Invention The present invention is directed to a method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam to weld one sheet to another sheet with an oblong focused beam spot for reducing the power density of the beam spot to maximize welding speed while minimizing welding defects. The source for producing the high energy density radiation beam is an electron beam source or preferably a laser having a power, P, of at least one kilowatt and a beam delivery system capable of focusing the beam into an oblong beam spot shape and training the beam spot onto at least one of the sheets during welding. After welding is completed, the sheets preferably form a blank that can be shaped or formed or otherwise three-dimensionally contoured. Before welding, the two sheets are oriented and positioned in close proximity to each other to form a weld joint, such as a lap joint, a butt joint, a T-joint, or another type of weld joint. After positioning the sheets for welding, the sheets are preferably fixtured, such as by clamps, to maintain the sheets in close proximity to each other during welding. If desired, the sheets can be positioned to orient the weld interface relative to the direction of gravity so that any weld nugget of molten sheet material formed during welding will be influenced by the direction of gravity. To weld the sheets, an incoming beam of high energy density radiation is focused into an oblong focused beam spot shape preferably where the beam impinges against at least one of the sheets. Preferably, the beam is moved along the weld line at a welding speed of at least one meter per minute and preferably at least two meters per minute. When focused into an oblong beam spot shape, the beam spot preferably has a length, L, greater than its width, w, such that the focused beam width, w, satisfies: 15 Pd ens m and the length, L, of the oblong focused beam spot is within about the following limits: 1.5 w < L < P * 10 5 w *d ens mm During welding, the longitudinal axis of the oblong focused beam spot is preferably angled within a range of about ± 45°, and preferably about ± 10°, of the tangent to the weld line or parallel to the weld direction. Additionally, during welding, the axis of the high energy density radiation beam is preferably generally peφendicular or acutely angled within ± 15° of the direction peφendicular to the surface portion of the sheets being irradiated by the oblong focused beam. To produce an oblong focused beam spot, the beam delivery system preferably uses at least one reflective optic, such as a cylindrical mirror, parabolic mirror, elliptical mirror or another type of mirror, or at least one lens or a beam integrator. If the laser is a CO2 laser, it preferably has an output power of at least three kilowatts and if the laser is a YAG laser, it has an output power of at least about one kilowatt. Although a laser emitting a continuous wave laser beam is preferred as the beam source, a pulsed laser source can be used provided that the pulsing duty cycle is at least 50%. Alternatively, a laser operating in rippled mode with a continuous beam component having an output power of at least about 80% of the peak power of the laser can be used. Objects, features and advantages of this invention are to provide a method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam for welding sheets using an oblong focused beam spot that produces a weld having good integrity and high strength; results in welded sheets that can be conventionally formed such as by shaping, deep drawing, flanging, hydro-forming, bending, roll forming, die stamping, or any other forming method; is capable of utilizing the direction of gravity to influence formation, geometry and flow of the weld nugget during welding; is capable of utilizing the direction of gravity to advantageously orient the weld keyhole relative to the plane of the weld interface; is easily adaptable to continuous laser welding apparatus for continuously welding a pair of sheets uncoiled from coil stock; reduces power density of the beam spot in the region being welded for maximizing welding speed while minimizing welding defects; can advantageously be used to weld sheets of unequal thicknesses with one of the sheets being thicker than the other; can be used to weld two sheets of equal thickness or lap weld or butt weld two sheets; can be used with both autogenous and filler metal welding applications; can be used to lap weld sheets of relatively thin cross sectional thickness; can be used to lap weld sheets coated with organic or inorganic coatings Brief Description of the Drawings These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of sheets with their edges facing each other to form a butt joint and being welded by a high energy density radiation beam using a method of welding of this invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the region of the sheets enclosed by the circle 2 in FIG. 1 illustrating more clearly the sheets being butt welded with a high energy density radiation beam having an oblong focused beam spot; FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top view of a pair of sheets abutted to form a butt joint and being welded using a high energy density beam of generally rectangular focused spot shape; FIG. 4 illustrates the power distribution characteristics of the generally rectangular focused beam spot shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top view of a pair of sheets abutted to form a butt joint and being welded using a high energy density beam of an elongate, generally oblong focused spot shape; FIG. 6 illustrates the vertical and longitudinal power distribution of the elongate oblong focused beam spot shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 illustrates an oblong irregularly shaped focused beam spot; FIG. 8 illustrates an oblong teardrop-shaped focused beam spot having its narrowest portion oriented toward the direction of welding; FIG. 9 illustrates an oblong teardrop-shaped focused beam spot with its widest portion oriented toward the direction of welding; FIG. 10 illustrates a generally rectangular focused beam spot with its longitudinal axis acutely angled relative to the welding direction; FIG. 11 illustrates the focused beam spot angularly oscillating as it travels along the weld line; FIG. 12A is a trace depicting a beam having an oblong focused spot shape following a straight line path of travel along a weld line at the weld interface of the overlapped sheets; FIG. 12B is a trace depicting the oblong focused spot shape following a discontinuous straight line path of travel for stitch welding; FIG. 12C is a trace depicting weaving the focused beam spot as it travels along the weld line; FIG. 12D are traces depicting generally circular spinning the focused beam spot as it travels along the weld line generally in the X-direction of FIG. 12D; FIG. 12E are traces depicting oblong spinning of the focused beam spot; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a pair of overlapped sheets being welded using the welding method of this invention and using a first combination of reflective optics to shape and focus the beam spot into an oblong focused spot shape; FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a pair of sheets being welded using the welding method of this invention and using a second combination of reflective optics to shape and focus the beam spot into an oblong focused spot shape; FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a pair of sheets being welded using the welding method of this invention and using a reflective optic to shape and focus the beam spot into an oblong focused spot shape; FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the unfocused incoming high energy density beam taken along line 16-- 16 of FIG. 15; FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the focused high energy density beam taken along line 17—17 of FIG. 15; FIG. 18 is a side view illustrating acutely angling the beam relative to the workpiece being welded for creating a teardrop-shaped focused beam spot; FIG. 19 is a top view of the teardrop-shaped focused beam spot taken along line 19-- 19 of FIG. 18. FIG. 20 is a top view of the irregularly shaped oblong focused beam spot. Detailed Description of the Invention Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 & 2 illustrate welding a first sheet 40 to a second sheet 42 using a method of high energy density radiation beam welding of this invention that uses a high energy density radiation beam source 44 and beam delivery system, such as the beam optics 46 depicted, to produce a high energy density radiation beam 48 with a focused beam spot 50 having an oblong shape 52 for decreasing average power density and increasing exposure time of the region of sheet material being welded to beam energy for maximizing welding speed while joining the sheets 40 & 42 together with a weld 54 that possesses good integrity and high strength. As is more clearly shown in FIG. 2, the oblong focused beam spot 52 is preferably generally rectangular or linear in shape 58, although other elongated, non- circular beam spot shapes are suitable provided that the length of the focused beam spot 50 is larger than its width. Preferably, a longitudinal axis of the oblong beam spot 52 is oriented generally parallel to the direction of travel of the beam 48 or tangent to a weld line 60. Preferably, the high energy density radiation beam source 44 is a continuous wave laser 56, such as a CO2 laser, CO laser, excimer laser or other gas laser, a solid state laser, or an electron beam welder capable of focusing a beam of high energy density radiation 48 into a generally oblong shape 52 at the beam spot 50 where the beam impinges against at least one of the sheets 40 or 42 or both of the sheets 40 & 42 during welding. If a CO2 laser is used, it preferably has an average output power of at least about three kilowatts. If a YAG solid state laser is used, it preferably has an average output power of at least one kilowatt. If a pulse type laser is used, it is preferably operated at least at a 50% duty cycle so that it behaves as a continuous wave laser source and if operated in rippled power mode the laser has a continuous power component of preferably at least 80% of the peak beam output power of the laser source. As a result, this method of welding is particularly well suited for welding automotive steel sheeting, including automotive deep drawing steel sheeting, that is preferably galvanized to provide corrosion protection and automotive aluminum sheeting. Alternatively, there can be applications of this invention where non-weldable, dissimilar materials, such as nickel and silver, can be diffusion bonded together, if sufficient pressure is applied simultaneously with the heat input of the laser 56. Preferably, the sheet material to be welded using the method of this invention has a thickness of at least about 0.5 millimeters. Preferably, the maximum sheet thickness is no greater than about 5 millimeters. Advantageously, this method of high energy density beam welding enables two or more sheets to be welded together to produce a blank 62 that can be formed after welding with the sheets being selected to impart to the blank 62 and finished product formed from the blank 62 certain desired mechanical properties, at least in the region of that sheet having the desired properties. By imparting to the blank 62 desired mechanical properties only where needed, thinner gauge and/or less expensive sheet material can be used elsewhere where these properties are not needed, making the blank 62 less costly to manufacture while still being suitable and optimized for its intended use after forming is completed. Preferably, for welding sheets arranged in a butt joint 66, or a lap joint (FIG. 13), the weld line 60 is preferably substantially straight. If any portion of the weld line 60 is curved or three-dimensionally contoured, preferably, the weld line 60 has a radius of curvature of at least about one hundred times the longitudinal length, L, of the oblong focused beam spot 52. For a weld line 60 or a portion of the weld line 60 having a radius of curvature that is less than one hundred times the length, L, of the oblong focused beam spot 52, welding speed may have to be reduced to weld that curved portion. If weaving or spinning the beam 48 is performed, the radius of curvature of the weld line 60 along the weld interface 64 can preferably be even less. Although not shown, during welding, a welding assist gas, such as argon, helium, nitrogen, another assist gas, or a suitable combination of assist gases is preferably directed from an assist gas supply through a nozzle onto an area of the sheets 40 & 42 in the region where the focused laser beam 48 is irradiating the sheets 40 & 42 for significantly reducing and preferably preventing gaseous contamination of the weld 54 and reducing plasma shielding effects. Preferably, assist gas is also applied to the root or back side of the sheets in the region being welded for preventing gaseous contamination and for smoothing the geometry of the weld 54. As is illustrated more clearly in FIG. 3, the beam 48 is focused and trained onto at least one of the sheets 40 & 42 to fuse and weld them together. For increasing the time the sheets 40 & 42 in the region of the butt joint 66 are exposed to beam energy and thereby enabling welding speed to be maximized, the focused beam spot 50 is oblong shaped 52, and is oriented with its longitudinal or major axis generally parallel to the direction of welding or tangent to the weld line 60. For an equivalent given laser average power, this elongate, oblong- shaped focused beam spot 52 having its length, L, greater than its width, w, and surface area of about w*L, yields a lower power density as compared to a conventional circular focused beam spot of diameter, w, having a lesser surface area, to melt, fuse and weld the sheet material in a more controlled manner, thereby, minimizing and preferably preventing welding defects, such as pores, pinholes, undercuts, sputters, and humping or stubbing. Oblong Focused Beam Spot As is illustrated more clearly in FIGS. 3 & 4, the focused beam spot 50 is oblong and preferably generally rectangular or linear in shape 58, having a length, L, that is greater than its width, w. A power distribution along the width, w, and length, L, of the rectangular focused beam spot 58 is shown in FIG. 4. Preferably, the power distribution 70 along a widthwise cross section of the beam spot 58, that is generally peφendicular to the lengthwise or longitudinal dimension of the beam spot 58, has a relatively narrow width, wp, at the 1/2 peak laser power mark shown on the curve 70. Preferably, the power distribution 72 along a lengthwise cross section of the generally rectangular beam spot 58 has a relatively wide length, Lp, at the 1/2 peak laser power mark shown on the curve 72 and a substantially plateau shaped curve profile 74. To suitably sustain fusion of the sheet material during welding, the average power density of at least some portion of the oblong focused beam spot 52 preferably is at least 10- 5 Watts per square centimeter (Watts/cm-^) and preferably has a power density threshold of about 5 * 10-5 Watts cm-^, or greater, for welding metals such as steel or aluminum. The time duration of exposure of beam energy on a particular section of sheet material along a joint being welded can be determined using the following equation: L (Equation I) τ = V where: τ is the exposure duration of time that any portion of sheet material along path of travel of the beam 48 along the weld line 60 is exposed to beam energy, t is expressed in milliseconds; L is the length of the focused beam spot 50 in millimeters in the direction of the weld line; and V is the welding speed in meters per second. Preferably, the power density, Pdens, of the oblong focused beam spot 52 can be approximated by the following equation: P (Equation II) Pdens = * 10 5 wL where: Pdens is the power density, in Watts/cm-^, of the focused beam spot 52; P is the average power of the high energy density beam source 44 in kilowatts; and w is the width of the focused beam spot 52 in millimeters. For example, at a given average laser power of P > one kilowatt, and for a given beam spot width, w, a maximum allowable beam spot length, L, corresponds to that which produces a minimum power density, Pdens min, necessary to achieve keyhole welding for the material being welded, for example for steel, Pdens min, is about 5 * 10-5 Watts/cm-^, and a maximum value for welding speed, V, that corresponds to the beam energy necessary to achieve a required penetration depth. Beam penetration depth can depend upon the type of sheet material, sheet thickness, sheet material chemistry or alloy, sheet surface conditions, coatings, laser power, laser wavelength, type of assist gas used, beam focus position, and perhaps other criteria as well. As such, when welding at a power of one kilowatt average laser power or greater and at speeds of two meters per minute or faster, to benefit from the advantages of the present invention, a minimum value for, L, or, Lmin, for preferably achieving a commercially acceptable weld defect rate such that the resultant weld 54 is of good integrity and high strength and will pass quality control inspection, is preferably about, Lmin = 1 5 w. The maximum allowable oblong beam spot width, w max , can be determined using the following equation: 10 6 (Equation m) 15 Pdens min where: w-nax is the maximum allowable width, w, of the focused beam spot 52 in millimeters and P is the power in kilowatts; and Pdens min i tne minimum power density necessary to achieve keyhole welding for the material being welded, in Watts/cm-^. Preferably, the oblong focused beam spot length, L, falls within the following limits: 1.5 w < L < P * 10 5 (Equation IV) where: w & L are expressed in millimeters; P is expressed in kilowatts; and Pdens min is the minimum power density necessary to achieve keyhole welding for the material being welded, in Watts cm^. As a further example, the following table provides approximate examples of values for wmax, and for Lmax with typical focused beam width of w = 0.3 millimeters, when welding metals with a continuous wave laser, such as a continuous wave CO2 laser and requiring Pdens min °f 5 * 10-5 Watts/cm-^ (such as for deep penetration keyhole welding of steel or aluminum): Table 1 While the high energy density radiation beam welding method of this invention is preferably practiced using a continuous wave (CW) high energy density radiation beam generating source 44, time pulsing of the beam source can be done providing that the beam source have at least a fifty percent duty cycle or is in a rippled power mode with a continuous power component of preferably at least 80% of the peak beam output power and where the distance between the end of one pulse and the beginning of the next pulse is preferably such that the following relationship exists: V (l - f * ά) L millimeter (Equation V) / 10 *w where: V is the welding speed, in rnm/sec; / is the number of pulses per second, in Hertz; d is the total dwell time of each pulse, in seconds; and /*d represents the duty cycle of the laser being pulsed. FIGS. 5 & 6 illustrate an example of an oblong focussed beam spot 80 having a different shape. The widthwise and lengthwise power distribution curves 82 & 84 of the beam spot 80 are generally gaussian and preferably are similar in profile and shape to the curves 70 & 72 of FIG. 4. Oblong Beam Shapes FIGS. 7, 8, & 9, illustrate examples of acceptable non-circular, oblong focused beam spot shapes 52 of this invention. The beam spot shape where the focused beam impinges against sheet material is non-circular, and is preferably rectangular, trapezoidal, oblong or any other type of elongated shape having its length larger than its width and its longitudinal or major axis tangent or generally parallel to the weld joint. The shape of the power distribution curve in a longitudinal direction or along a major axis of the focused beam spot 50 preferably has a large width at 1/2 peak power, such as is depicted by the curves 72 shown in FIGS. 4. The power distribution curve along the direction of the minor axis of the focused beam spot 50 preferably has a narrow width at 1/2 peak power, such as is also depicted by the power distribution curves 70 shown in FIGS. 4. Preferably, any non-circular, elongate focused beam spot used to practice the method of this invention can be approximated as a substantially rectangular beam spot with the length, L, and width, w, dimensions of the focused beam spot satisfying both equations m and IV previously discussed. As is shown in FIG. 7, the beam spot 50 can be oblong 52 and possess an irregular shape 90. Alternatively, the focused beam spot shape 50 can be a generally teardrop-shaped beam spot 92 such as is shown in FIGS. 8 & 9. FIG. 8 illustrates the teardrop-shaped beam spot 92 oriented with its narrowest end 94 leading as it travels along the weld joint in the direction indicated by the arrow depicted in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 illustrates the teardrop-shaped beam spot 92 oriented with its widest end 96 leading in the direction of beam travel along the weld joint. The focused beam spot 50 can be oriented with its longitudinal axis acutely angularly offset to the weld line 60, such as by an angle, d, as is shown in FIG. 10. If the beam spot 50 is angled relative to the weld line 60, the angle of orientation, d, is preferably smaller than or equal to ± 45°, and preferably within about ± 10°, relative to the weld line 60. Beam Optics Delivery Systems FIG. 13 illustrates more clearly an example of a beam optics delivery system 120 for producing an oblong focused beam spot 52. As is shown in FIG. 13, an incoming laser beam 122 from a laser generating source (not shown) is reflected by a first reflective focusing optic, a cylindrical mirror 124, to a second reflective focusing optic, such as another cylindrical mirror 126, which in turn reflects the focused beam 48 onto the overlapped sheets 40 & 42, producing a generally rectangular focused beam spot 58 to join the sheets 40 & 42 by a lap weld 128 longitudinally along the weld interface 64 of the lap joint 132. Preferably, the incoming beam 122 can have any cross sectional shape, such as a circular, square, elliptical, oblong, or another suitable beam shape. Although a lap joint 132 is shown in FIG. 13, this beam optics delivery system 120 can also be used to weld the sheets 40 & 42 if they are arranged in a butt joint or T-joint arrangement. The second mirror 126 could also be a properly oriented and angled parabolic mirror, elliptical mirror, or spherical mirror and still produce the generally linear or substantially rectangular focused beam spot 58. The weld line 60 is substantially straight or has a radius of curvature preferably larger than about one hundred times the length, L, of the focused beam spot. As is also shown in FIG. 13, the mirrors 124 & 126 are oriented relative to each other and a set of reference coordinate axes 130 for focusing the incoming beam 122 into the desired elongate oblong focused beam spot 52. The Y\ axis of the first cylindrical mirror 124 is preferably oriented at a 0° angle to the Z axis of the reference coordinate axes 130. Additionally, the Z\ axis of the first cylindrical mirror 124 is preferably oriented at a 45° angle to the Y axis of the reference coordinate axes 130. The second cylindrical mirror 126 preferably has its Y2 axis at a 0° angle to the Y axis of the reference coordinate axes 130 and its Z2 axis at a 45° angle to the Z axis of the reference coordinate axis 130. If desired, the Z2 axis of the second cylindrical focusing reflector 126 can be oriented within about ± 7.5° of the desired 45° angle to the Z axis of the reference coordinate axis 130 and still produce an oblong focused beam spot 52. However, either one of the mirrors 124 & 126 can be replaced by a parabolic mirror. Minor adjustments of each mirror 124 & 126 relative to each other, the sheets 40 & 42 and/or the reference coordinate axes 130 may be needed to adjust the focused beam spot size and shape. Example By way of example, the reflective beam optics 124 & 126 are both cylindrical mirrors angled and oriented for producing an oblong focused beam spot 52, that is preferably a rectangularly shaped focused beam spot 58, using an unfocused beam 122 from a six kilowatt CO2 laser source operating at a wavelength, λ, of 10.6 mm. Preferably, the unfocused incoming beam 122 has a diameter, D, of approximately fifty millimeters and is of multimode beam quality having a K factor of greater than 1. The distance between the mirrors 124 & 126 can be represented by: D 12 = / 1 " 7 * 2 (Equation VII) where: D* 2 is the distance between mirrors 124 & 126, in millimeters assuming just focus conditions for both mirrors 124 & 126; /* is the focal length of the first mirror 124, in millimeters; and f l is the focal length of the second mirror 126, in millimeters. However, D* 2 may be varied to provide the desired focused beam spot length, L. This can mean that the distance between the mirrors 124 & 126, D 12 , can be adjusted or set such that the first mirror 124 is not at just focus relative to the sheets 40 & 42. The length, L, of the focused beam spot 52 at just focus is equal to: L = 4Kλ/i (Equation VDI) πD where: L is the length of the oblong focused beam spot 52 in millimeters; K is the beam quality factor; λ is the output wavelength of the laser source in mm; /• is the focal length of the first mirror 124, in millimeters; and D is the diameter of the incoming unfocused laser beam 122 in millimeters. The width, w, of the focused beam spot 52 at just focus is equal to: w = 4Kλ/ 2 (Equation IX) πD where: w is the width of the oblong focused beam spot 52 in millimeters; K is the beam quality factor; λ is the output wavelength of the laser source in mm; f 2 is the focal length of the second mirror 126, in millimeters; and D is the diameter of the incoming unfocused laser beam 122 in millimeters. If, for example, K = 5, and /i = 300 mm and f 2 = 150 mm, then using these equations, the focused beam spot width, w, will be about 0.2 mm and the focused beam spot length, L, will be about 0.4 mm, assuming just focus conditions for both mirrors 124 & 126. Using equation n, the power density, Pdens- of the focused beam spot will be approximately 7.5 * 10*5 Watts/cm-^ at the sheet material or workpiece. If ] is set at 400 mm and f 2 is set at 200 mm, then w = 0.27 mm and L = 0.54 mm, yielding a power density, Pd ens , of about 4.1 * 10^ Watts/cm-^ at the sheet material or workpiece. Alternatively, if/* is set at 450 mm and f is set at 150 mm, then w = 0.2 mm and L = 0.6 mm, yielding a power density, P ens- of about 5 * 10^ Watts/cm^ at the sheet material or workpiece. To set or adjust the length, L, of the oblong focused beam spot 52 to a desired length, it may be necessary to deviate from just focus conditions. For example, to set L at approximately 1.5 mm, the first mirror can have a focal length, /*, of 400 mm and be out of just focus and the second mirror be in just focus and having a focal length, / 2 , of 200 mm, yielding a beam spot focused width, w, of about 0.27 mm and a power density, Pdens * of about 1.5 * 10*5 Watts/cm-^ at the sheet material or workpiece as compared with a power density of 10.5 * 10^ Watts/cm^ for a circular focused beam spot of diameter w = 0.27 mm. This results in a welding speed using the oblong focused beam spot that is about seven times greater than the welding speed for a circular focused beam spot having the same power density as the oblong focused beam spot. FIG. 15 illustrates another beam optics delivery system 160 for producing an oblong focused beam spot 52. An incoming unfocused beam 162 from a laser source 164 is reflected by a single parabolic mirror 166, that focuses the beam 162 into an oblong focused beam spot 52 and directs the focused beam 48 onto the abutted sheets 40 & 42. As is shown more clearly in FIG. 16, the cross section of the incoming beam 162 is preferably oblong in shape 172 and is focused into an oblong, beam spot shape 58, as is illustrated in FIG. 17. Preferably, the ratio of the widths and lengths of the cross section 172 of the incoming beam 162 and the focused beam spot 52 follow the relationship: w w- where: L is the length of the oblong focused beam spot 52; w is the width of the oblong focused beam spot 52; L\ is the length of the cross section 172 of the incoming beam 162; and Wj is the width of the cross section 172 of the incoming beam 162. If an incoming beam having a circular unfocused beam cross section is used, the parabolic mirror 166 can also be replaced with a commercially available beam integrator capable of producing an oblong focused beam spot from a circular unfocused incoming laser beam. Other beam optics delivery systems can be used to focus a beam from a laser source into an oblong focused beam spot 52. Combinations of cylindrical, elliptical, parabolic or other reflective focusing optics may be used. For example, as is illustrated in FIG. 14, another suitable beam delivery system 140 consists of (1) a first cylindrical mirror 144 oriented with its Y\ axis parallel to the X axis of the coordinate reference 152 and its Z\ axis preferably oriented at a -45° angle to the Z reference axis 152, and (2) a second generally cylindrical mirror 146 oriented with its Y2 axis oriented at a 45° angle relative to the Z reference axis 152 and its Z2 parallel to or within ± 7.5° of being parallel to the X reference axis 152. Additionally, as is illustrated in FIGS. 15- 17, another suitable beam delivery system 160 is a single parabolic mirror 166 that focuses an unfocused beam 162 into an oblong beam spot 52. Where an oblong unfocused beam 162 is used, the ratio of its length, L\, to its width, w\, is equal to the ratio of the length, L, to the width, w, of the focused oblong beam spot 52. Another suitable beam delivery system 180 is shown in FIG. 18 and consists of acutely angling an oblong shaped beam 48 relative to the workpiece 184 for producing and oblong focussed beam spot shape 52. Other beam optics delivery systems using lenses instead of reflective optics or a combination of lenses and reflective optics can be used to produce the desired oblong focused beam spot 52. Furthermore, the beam delivery system can utilize a fiber optic beam delivery system or a beam delivery system using a waveguide apparatus. Use and Operation In use, the method of welding of this invention is used to join one sheet to another sheet using a laser or electron beam having an oblong focused beam spot shape where the beam impinges on at least one of the sheets for reducing power density at the beam spot while increasing exposure time to beam energy of the region of the sheet or sheets being welded for maximizing welding speed while minimizing welding defects, all while producing a weld of good integrity and high strength. Preferably, after welding, the sheets form a blank that can be formed or shaped. In operation, two sheets 40 & 42 are oriented and positioned in close proximity to each other to form a weld joint, such as a lap joint, a butt joint, a T-joint, or another type of weld joint. The sheets 40 & 42 are preferably fixtured, such as by clamps, pressure rollers or tension rollers, to maintain the sheets 40 & 42 in close proximity to each other during welding. An incoming beam of high energy density radiation is focused into an oblong focused beam spot 52 preferably where the beam impinges against at least one of the sheets 40 & 42 and moved, relative to the sheets 40 & 42, along the weld line 60 to fuse and weld the sheets 40 & 42 together. Preferably, after welding is completed, the welded sheets 40 & 42 form a blank 62 that can be shaped or formed using conventional shaping or forming methods. It is also to be understood that, although the foregoing description and drawings describe and illustrate in detail working embodiments of the present invention, to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, the present disclosure will suggest many modifications and constructions as well as widely differing embodiments and applications without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present invention, therefore, is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and the applicable prior art.

Claims: What Is Claimed Is: 1. A method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam consisting of providing a pair of sheets to be welded together, with one of the sheets positioned in close proximity to the other of the sheets so as to define a weld line, a high energy density radiation beam source capable of generating a high energy density radiation beam of power, P, and a beam delivery system capable of focusing the high energy density radiation beam into an oblong shape, characterized in that: a high energy density radiation beam is generated and focused into an oblong beam spot shape having a width, w, and along a longitudinal axis, a longitudinal length, L, and trained onto at least one of the sheets to weld the sheets by relative movement between the beam and sheets along the weld line at a welding speed, V, of at least about two meters per minute with the beam having a power, P, of at least one kilowatt, wherein the power density of the oblong beam spot where focused onto at least one of the sheets, approximated by the result of P* 10 5 ÷ (w * L), is sufficient to achieve deep penetration keyhole mode welding, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the oblong focused beam spot is acutely angled within the range of ± 45° of a tangent to the weld line. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein L and w satisfy: < P 10 6 and 1.5 w < L < 105 -5 Pdens min Pd ens nun wherein P ens min ' s e minimum average power density in Watts/cm 2 of the oblong focused beam spot necessary to achieve formation of deep penetration welding of at least one of said pair of sheets to weld the sheets together. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the high energy density radiation beam is composed of one or more laser beam having a total combined average power of at least l kW. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein a longitudinal axis of the oblong focused beam spot is acutely angled within the range of ±10° of the tangent to the weld line. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein a longitudinal axis of the oblong focused beam spot is generally tangent to the weld line. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the weld line is substantially straight and having a radius of curvature of no less than about one hundred times the length, L, of the oblong focused beam spot along at least some portion of the weld line. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein a central axis of the high energy density radiation beam is oriented at an acute angle relative to a direction generally peφendicular to the surface of the portion of the sheets being irradiated by the focused beam spot and wherein said acute angle is within ± 15°. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein a central axis of the high energy density radiation beam is generally peφendicular to the surface of the sheets being irradiated by the focused beam spot. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein said oblong focused beam forms a generally rectangular focused beam spot on the workpiece. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the oblong focused beam spot at the workpiece is composed of at least one continuously emitted radiation beam. 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the high energy density radiation beam is composed of one or more laser beam having a total combined average power of at least 3 kilowatts. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the length, L, of the oblong focused beam spot is equal to or greater than twice the width, w, of the focused beam spot. 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the oblong focused beam spot at the workpiece is composed of at least one pulsed beam having a duty cycle of pulsing of at least 50% and wherein said pulsed beam is generated mechanically or electronically. 14. The method of claim 3 wherein the high energy density radiation source is composed of at least one laser operating in a rippled or modulated mode having a continuous laser beam component with an average output power of at least 80% of the peak power. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the welding parameters of welding speed, V, oblong focused beam spot length, L, and oblong focused beam spot width, w, are selected to satisfy the following relationship: V * ( + L) < 10 meters/minute. 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the oblong focused beam spot at the workpiece is composed of at least one pulsed beam having a number of pulses per second, /, a total dwell time per pulse, d, and a welding speed, V, satisfying: (V÷/) < [(L÷w) * 0.1 millimeter + V*d)]. 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the power density of the oblong focused beam spot where focused on at least one of the sheets is less than 10 7 Watts/cm 2 . 18. The method of claim 1 wherein P > 6 kilowatts. 19. The method of claim 1 wherein V > 6 meters/minute. 20. j The method of claim 1 wherein parameters V, w, and L are selected (a) so that deep penetration keyhole welding occurs during welding of the sheets, and (b) to satisfy the following relationships: [V*(w÷L)] < 6 meters/minute; w 2 < [(P ÷ 15)*(10 6 ÷ P d ens min)]; and 1.5w < L < [(P ÷ w)*(lθ5 ÷ P dens „„„)]; wherein Pdens min i s tne minimum average power density, in Watts/cm 2 , of the oblong focused beam spot necessary to achieve formation of deep penetration welding for the sheet material and sheet thickness being welded. 21. The method of claim 1 wherein V*(w÷L) < 10 meters/minute. 22. The method of claim 1 wherein the dimensions L and w of the oblong focused beam satisfy the relationships: w 2 ≤ P*(10 cm 2 ÷ 15 Watts), and 1.5w ≤ L < (P÷w), wherein P is in kilowatts and W and L are in millimeters. 23. A method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam consisting of providing a pair of sheets to be welded together, with one of the sheets in close proximity to the other of the sheets so as to define a weld line, a high energy density radiation beam source capable of generating a high energy density radiation beam of power, P, and a beam delivery system capable of focusing the high energy density radiation beam into an oblong shape, characterized in that: a high energy density radiation beam is generated and focused into an oblong beam spot shape having a width, w, and along a longitudinal axis, a length, L, and trained on at least one of the sheets to weld the sheets by moving the beam relative to the sheets along the weld line at a welding speed, V, of at least two meters per minute with the beam having a power, P, of at least one kilowatt, wherein the power density, P*10 5 ÷(w*L), of the focused beam spot on the sheets is at least 10 5 Watts/cm 2 for achieving deep penetration keyhole welding, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the oblong focused beam spot is substantially tangent to the weld line, and the parameters V, w, and L satisfy the following relationship: V * (w÷L) < 10 meters/minute. 24. The method of claim 23 wherein L and w are selected to satisfy the following relationships: w < [(P÷15) * (106 ÷ P dens min )], and 1.5w < L < [(P ÷ w) * (10* ÷ Pdens min)l > wherein Pdens min ' s tne minimum average power density of the oblong focused beam spot necessary to achieve formation of deep penetration welding of said pair of sheets. 25. The method of claim 24 wherein Pdens min > -0 5 /cm 2 . 26. The method of claim 23 wherein the oblong focused beam spot at the workpiece is composed of at least one continuously emitted laser beam. 27. The method of claim 23 wherein the high energy density radiation beam is composed of one or more laser beam having a total combined average power of at least 3 kW. 28. The method of claim 23 wherein P > 6 kilowatts. 29. The method of claim 23 wherein V ≥ 6 meters/minute. 30. The method of claim 23 wherein parameters V, w, and L are selected so that deep penetration keyhole welding occurs during welding of the sheets and to satisfy the following relationships: [V*(w÷L)] < 6 meters/minute; w 2 < [(P ÷ 15)*(10 6 ÷Pdens min)]; ™ d l-5w < L < [(P ÷ w)*(lθ 5 ÷ P dens „„„)]; wherein Pdens min i the minimum average power density, in Watts/cm 2 , of the oblong focused beam spot necessary to achieve formation of deep penetration welding for the sheet material and thickness being welded. 31. The method of claim 23 wherein V*(w÷L) < 10 meters/minute. 32. The method of claim 23 wherein the dimensions L and w of the oblong focused beam satisfy the relationships: w 2 < P*(10 cm 2 ÷ 15 Watts), and 1.5w < L < (P÷w), wherein P is in kilowatts and W and L are in millimeters. 33. A method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam consisting of providing a pair of sheets to be welded together, with one sheet positioned in close proximity to the other sheet so as to define a weld line therebetween, a high energy density radiation beam source capable of generating a high energy density radiation beam of power, P, and a beam delivery system capable of focusing the beam into an oblong shape, characterized in that: a high energy density radiation beam is generated and focused into an oblong beam spot shape having a width, w, and along a longitudinal axis of the beam spot, a length, L, and the beam trained on at least one of the sheets to weld the sheets by relative movement between the beam and the sheets in a direction along the welding line at a welding speed, V, of at least about two meters per minute with the beam having a power, P, of at least one kilowatt, wherein the power density, approximated by P*10 5 ÷(w*L), is at least about 10 5 Watts cm 2 such that deep penetration keyhole welding is achieved, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the oblong focused beam spot is substantially tangent to the weld line and the dimensions of the oblong focused beam spot satisfy the relationship: L > (2*w). 34. The method of claim 33 wherein L and w are selected to satisfy the following relationships: w 2 < [(P+15) * (106 ÷ p dens min)]) and 1.5w < L < [(P÷w) * (10* ÷ P den s min)], wherein Pdens min ιs the minimum average power density of the oblong focused beam spot necessary to achieve formation of deep penetration welding of said pair of sheets. 35. The method of claim 34 wherein Pdens min ≥ -0 5 /cm 2 . 36. The method of claim 33 wherein the oblong focused beam spot at the workpiece is composed of at least one continuously emitted laser beam. 37. The method of claim 33 wherein the high energy density radiation beam is composed of one or more laser beams having a total combined average power of at least 3 kW. 38. The method of claim 33 wherein P > 6 kilowatts. 39. The method of claim 33 wherein V > 6 meters/minute. 40. The method of claim 33 wherein parameters V, w, and L are selected so that deep penetration keyhole welding occurs during welding of the sheets and to satisfy the following relationships: [V*(w÷L)] < 6 meters/minute; w 2 < [(P÷15)*(10 6 ÷P dens „„„)]; and 1.5w ≤ L < [(P÷w)* (lθ5÷P dens „-!„)]; wherein Pdens min i the minimum average power density, in Watts/cm 2 , of the oblong focused beam spot necessary to achieve deep penetration welding. 41. The method of claim 33 wherein V*(w÷L) < 10 meters/minute. 42. The method of claim 33 wherein the dimensions L and w of the oblong focused beam satisfy the relationships: w 2 ≤ P*(10 cm 2 ÷ 15 Watts), and 1.5w < L < (P÷w), wherein P is in kilowatts and W and L are in millimeters. 43. A method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam consisting of providing a pair of sheets to be welded together, with one sheet positioned in close proximity to the other sheet and defining a weld line, a high energy density radiation beam source and beam delivery system capable of generating and focusing a high energy density radiation beam of power, P, into an oblong shape, characterized in that: a high energy density radiation beam is generated and focused into an oblong beam spot having a focused spot shape of width, w, and length, L, which is trained on at least one of the sheets and moved relative to the sheets along the weld line at a welding speed, V, of at least two meters per minute to weld the sheets with the beam having a power, P, of a least one kilowatt, wherein the power density, approximated by P*10 5 ÷ (w*L), of the spot of focus of the oblong beam on at least one of the sheets being within the range of between 10 5 Watts/cm 2 and 10 7 Watts/cm 2 . 44. The method of claim 43 wherein L and w are selected to satisfy the following relationships: w 2 < [(M5) * (10 6 + Pdens min)]. and 1.5w < L ≤ [(P÷w) * (10* + P den s min)], wherein Pdens min i the minimum average power density of the oblong focused beam spot necessary to achieve formation of deep penetration welding of said pair of sheets. 45. The method of claim 44 wherein Pdens min ≥ 10 5 W/cm 2 . 46. The method of claim 43 wherein P ≥ 6 kilowatts. 47. The method of claim 46 wherein V > 6 meters/minute. 48. The method of claim 43 wherein parameters V, w, and L are selected so that deep penetration keyhole welding occurs during welding of the sheets and to satisfy the following relationships: [V*(w÷L)] < 6 meters/minute; w ≤ [(P ÷ 15)*(106 ÷ Pdens min)]; and 1.5w ≤ L ≤ [(P * wHlθ5+P dens mill )]; wherein dens min ιs e minimum average power density, in Watts/cm 2 , of the oblong focused beam spot necessary to achieve deep penetration welding for the sheet material and thickness being welded. 49. The method of claim 43 wherein V*(w÷L) < 10 meters/minute. 50. The method of claim 43 wherein the dimensions L and w of the oblong focused beam satisfy the relationships: w 2 ≤P*(10mm 2 ÷l 5 kilowatts), and 1.5w<L≤(P÷w), wherein P is in kilowatts and W and L are in millimeters.

Inventors: MOMBO-CARISTAN JEAN CHARLES, MOMBO-CARISTAN, JEAN, CHARLES
Applicants: TWENTYFIRST CENTURY CORP, THE TWENTYFIRST CENTURY CORPORATION
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B23K26
IPC codes: B23K15, B23K26