Approximate model for laser welding

The industrial application of laser welding implies a reliable and efficient production process. Thus, modelling and simulation is used to reveal the crucial points of the welding process. The welding process is described by transport phenomena for mass, momentum and energy. The three involved phases (solid, liquid, gaseous) interact over their free moving phase boundaries. The existing boundary layer character allows to reduce the dimension of this Free Boundary Problem. The resulting welding model reproduces the time-dependent spatially 3d-distributed welding process. Technical relevant predication about seam width and depth are compared to experimental results; the possibility to control predictively the welding process is investigated. The reproduction of thermal monitoring signals from the interaction zone between laser and material is approached.