Parameter Influence in CO2-laser/MIG Hybrid Welding
Hybrid welding, as the combination of laser beam and arc welding, is an innovative joining technology that has many advantages compared to the single processes. With the hybrid process joint gap ca ...
Hybrid laser welding techniques for enhanced welding efficiency
One of the remarkable characteristics of the laser beam welding process is its thin deep welding seam. This thin seam is produced as a result of the high welding speed and the low heat input, leading to a low distortion. However, the overall electrical efficiency of a CO2-laser is in the range of 5-7% and the efficiency of a Nd:YAG-laser is only approximately 2-3%. There are several applications in which the thin laser seam and the high welding speed, in particular, have technical advantages, making the whole process economical. However, there are also a lot of possible applications, for which laser welding is too expensive at the moment or, in which the thin seam leads to a lot of unsolved metallurgical problems. To avoid these problems, a welding technique is presently being developed at the ILT and IWS which combines laser keyhole welding with Tungsten inert gas and metal inert gas welding and introduces an inductor for a preheating and a controlled heat flow.One of the remarkable characteristics of the laser beam welding process is its thin deep welding seam. This thin seam is produced as a result of the high welding speed and the low heat input, leading to a low distortion. However, the overall electrical efficiency of a CO2-laser is in the range of 5-7% and the efficiency of a Nd:YAG-laser is only approximately 2-3%. There are several applications in which the thin laser seam and the high welding speed, in particular, have technical advantages, making the whole process economical. However, there are also a lot of possible applications, for which laser welding is too expensive at the moment or, in which the thin seam leads to a lot of unsolved metallurgical problems. To avoid these problems, a welding technique is presently being developed at the ILT and IWS which combines laser keyhole welding with Tungsten inert gas and metal inert gas welding and introduces an inductor for a preheating and a controlled heat flow.
Use of laser scanning confocal microscopy for morphological taxonomy and the potential for digital type specimens (e-types)
The use of laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) for creating taxonomic descriptions of copepods is investigated. A new technique is described, which employs a contour filter to process digital LSCM images, allowing taxonomic information to be quickly and accu- rately distilled into a simple illustration. LSCM allows the imaging of whole specimens, which can be rotated and viewed from any angle—a major benefit over light microscopy. Using this tech- nique, it is suggested that taxonomic descriptions can be rapidly produced in a fraction of the time required to produce similar descriptions using traditional light microscopy and hand drawing techniques. Good staining of specimens is, however, essential to produce accurate descriptions and more research is required in this area. The use of LSCM for morphological taxonomy shows great potential, not only for producing taxonomic descriptions, but also providing a comple - mentary adjunct to traditional type specimens in the form of 3D digital 'e-types' deposited in recognised international databases.