Effects of Laser Welding Parameters on the Flexural Characteristics of Laser Welded AISI 316L Stainless Steel Plates
A.Y. Adesina, I.T. Alzaharnah And B.S. Yilbas
The laser welding of AISI 316L stainless steel plates was carried out with a CO2 laser and the welding properties were related to the flexural characteristics of the welded plates. In testing the welded plates the shift in the position of the natural frequency of the flexural motion is evaluated for characterization of the welded structures. An experimental configuration was interfaced with the LabVIEW software’s virtual instrument (VI) to capture the natural frequency of the welded plate which is subjected to a cantilever configuration. Effect of laser welding parameters is analysed and it is found that laser welding modifies the elastic modulus of the plates, which can be efficiently used to characterize the weld. The flexural motion analysis indicates that the weld section is free from defect sites.
Keywords: CO2 laser, AISI 316L stainless steel, laser welding, mathematical model, finite element method (FEM), natural frequency, flexural motion, defects