Method for laser welding of metal
View Patent ↗A method of welding at least two metal sheets protected by a zinc coating that has a low vaporizing temperature. The metal sheets are placed on top of each other and a head of a welding machine is passed over the sheets. The head of the welding machine is configured such that a laser is positioned in front of a GMAW welding or MIG brazing device. The laser cuts a channel into the metal sheets in order to allow the protective zinc coating to vaporize and escape. The GMAW welder or MIG brazing device then follows the laser and deposits a material that fills the channel to weld the two pieces together.
1. A method for performing a laser beam welding operation to molecularly bond two pieces of metal together including the steps of:
providing at least a first metal material and a second metal material in an overlapping relationship;
providing a head that further comprises a laser device and at least one of a GMAW welding and MIG brazing device in a spaced apart relationship;
moving said head relative to said first metal material and said second metal material;
cutting completely through said first metal material and at least partially into said second metal material by using said laser device to form a channel in said first and second metal materials through which vaporized gases produced during the step of cutting escape into an external environment; and
filling said channel with one of a welding material and a brazing material by using said at least one of a GMAW welding and MIG brazing device to weld said first metal material and said second metal material together,
wherein said step of filling said channel is delayed from said step of cutting due to said spaced apart relationship of said laser device and said at least one of a GMAW welding and MIG brazing device so as to allow the vaporized eases produced during the step of cutting to escape through said channel into said external environment.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a protective layer on at least one of said first metal material and said second metal material.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said protective layer is a zinc based material.
4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of vaporizing said protective layer as said laser device cuts said first metal material and said second metal material.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said vaporized protective layer dissipates into external environment through said channel before the step of filling said channel.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of moving said head relative to said first metal material and said second metal material such that said laser device cuts said first metal material and said second metal material before said at least one of said GMAW welding and said MIG brazing device welds said first and second metal materials.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said second metal material is cut completely therethrough during the step of cutting with said laser device.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first metal material and said second metal material is steel.