Hybrid sensing for understanding of laser welding technology for process control (Hy-Las)

This networking is expected to give both parts a more profound knowledge and thereby solve complex welding problems, both during the project and afterwards. The aim of the project is to increase automation possibilities in existing industrial laser welding technology cells. Such increased automation would contribute to sustainable manufacturing and increased flexibility in laser welding industries.

Laser processing, like LBW and laser metal wire deposition (LMD-w) are today suffering from robust monitoring and control, thus hindering from exploiting their full value. Laser welding comprises a number of benefits relative the more wide spread arc welding technologies like less heat input and thereby lower deformations and more means to control the heat input. However, the sensing system equipment for monitoring is not yet robust enough to be tractable for industry.

The project will develop hybrid sensor systems with enough capacity to reliably monitor the ongoing process and thereby increase the understanding of the underlying physics. This is where Dr Ancona and his knowledge and experience will play an important role in cooperation with the industrial and scientific knowledge from University West researchers at Production Technology West (PTW), a research environment with modern industrial standard laser welding equipment and ongoing research projects with laser welding regional industries, today mainly with aeronautics focus