A STUDY ON THE FORMATION OF IMPERFECTIONS IN CW $CO_2$ LASER WELD OF DIAMOND SAW BLADE

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the formation mechanisms of imperfections such as irregular humps, outer cavity and inner cavity in the laser fusion zone of diamond saw blade. Laser beam welding was conducted to join two parts of blade; mild steel shank and Fe-Co-Ni sintered tip. The variables were beam power and travel speed. The microstructure and elements distributions of specimens were analyzed with SEM, AES, EPMA and so on. It was found that these imperfections were responded to heat input. Irregular humps were reduced in 10.4∼17.6kJ/m heat input range. However there were no clear evidences, which could explain the relations between humps formation and heat input. The number of outer cavity and inner cavity decreased as heat input was increased. Considering both possible defects formations mechanisms, it could be thought that outer cavity was caused by insufficient refill of keyhole, which was from rapid solidification of molten metal and fast molten metal flow to the rear keyhole wall at low heat input. More inner cavities were found near the interface of the fusion zone and sintered segment and in the bottom of the fusion zone. Inner cavity was mainly formed in the upper fusion zone at high heat input whereas was in the bottom at low heat input. Inner cavity was from trapping of coarsened preexist pores in the sintered tip and metal vapor due to rapid solidification of molten metal before the bubbles escaped.