Welding method and apparatus therefor

1. A method of welding a component to fill a groove therein, the method comprising simultaneously projecting an electric arc and at least first and second laser beams into the groove, the electric arc melting and depositing a filler material in the groove, the first and second laser beams being projected onto opposite first and second walls, respectively, of the groove, an axis of each of the first and second laser beams being oriented at an acute angle relative to the respective wall thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting step further comprises orienting the axis of each of the first and second laser beams at the acute angle of about 5 to about 60 degrees relative to the respective wall thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting step further comprises orienting the axis of each of the first and second laser beams at an angle of about 10 to about 60 degrees relative to an axis of the electric arc.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting step further comprises spacing each of the first and second laser beams from a center of the arc projection by a distance of less than 20 mm along the welding direction.

5. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising creating the first and second laser beams by splitting a primary laser beam.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting step further comprises projecting the first and second laser beams are at a power level of about 2 kW to about 4 kW.

7. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising forming the component as a component of a steam turbine engine.

8. A method of welding a component to fill grooves therein, the method comprising:

simultaneously projecting a first electric arc and at least first and second laser beams into a first groove on a first side of the component, the first and second laser beams being projected onto opposite first and second walls, respectively, of the first groove, an axis of each of the first and second laser beams being oriented at an acute angle relative to the respective wall thereof; and

simultaneously projecting a second electric arc and at least third and fourth laser beams into a second groove on a second side of the component, the first and second electric arcs melting and depositing a filler material in the first and second grooves respectively, the third and fourth laser beams being projected onto opposite third and fourth walls, respectively, of the second groove, the axis of each of the third and fourth laser beams being oriented at an acute angle relative to the respective wall thereof.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the projecting steps further comprise orienting the axis of each of the first, second, third and fourth laser beams at the acute angle of about 5 to about 60 degrees relative to the respective wall thereof.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the projecting steps further comprise orienting the axis of each of the first and second laser beams at an angle of about 10 to about 60 degrees relative to an axis of the first electric arc and orienting the axis of each of the third and fourth laser beams at an angle of about 10 to about 60 degrees relative to an axis of the second electric arc.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the projecting steps further comprise spacing each of the first and second laser beams from a center of an arc projection of the first electric arc by a distance of less than 20 mm and spacing each of the third and fourth second laser beams from a center of an arc projection of the second electric arc by a distance of less than 20 mm.

12. The method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising creating the first and second laser beams by splitting a first primary laser beam and creating the third and fourth laser beams by splitting a second primary laser beam.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the projecting steps further comprise projecting each of the first, second, third and fourth laser beams at power levels of about 2 kW to about 4 kW.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the projecting steps further comprise projecting the first and second electric arcs on opposite sides of the component and offset from one another along a weld path by a distance of up to 50 mm.

15. The method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising forming the component as a component of a steam turbine engine.

16. An apparatus configured to weld a component to fill a groove therein, the apparatus comprising:

an arc welding apparatus adapted to generate an electric arc for melting and depositing a filler material into a groove; and

at least one laser beam generator adapted to generate at least first and second laser beams and project the first and second laser beams onto opposite first and second walls, respectively, of the groove, the at least one laser beam generator being adapted to project the first and second laser beams so that each axis thereof is oriented at an acute angle relative to the respective wall thereof and at an acute angle relative to an axis of the electric arc.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the axis of each of the first and second laser beams is oriented to be projected onto first and second walls of the groove at the acute angle of about 5 to about 60 relative to the respective wall thereof.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the axis of each of the first and second laser beams is oriented to be projected onto first and second walls of the groove at the acute angle of about 10 to about 60 degrees relative to the axis of the electric arc.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is adapted to create first and second laser beams by splitting a first primary laser beam.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the laser beam generator is adapted to generate the first and second laser beams are at a power level of about 2 kW to about 4 kW.