Nd:YAG Laser Welding of Zinc-coated Steel Sheet 982361
This paper describes the lap welding of Zinc-coated steel sheet using a high power continuous wave YAG laser. The well-known problem of welding the Zinc-coated sheet is related to the low boiling point of zinc compared with the melting point of steel. During lap welding, zinc coating at the interface vaporize rapidly and causes defects1)2).
In this study, therefore, lap welding was performed by YAG laser. The effects of type of coating layer, welding conditions, tensile strength and corrosion resistance after electro-deposition was examined.
It was found that the weldability of coated steel is different by type of coating. Zn-Ni coated steel showed good weldability, but galvanealed steel inevitably pore pits with no gap set up. These defects not only lower the strength of joint, but also produce irregular bead where easily corroded after electro-deposition.
