Potential Benefits of Ultrasonically Assisted Fusion Welding

Abstract

The use of ultrasonic oscillations has increased drastically during the past decades. It is nowadays being used  in cleaning, machining, heat treatment, non-destructive testing and medical applications. Ultrasonic  oscillations have been seen to enhance the properties of the resulting products, and at the same time,  reducing the processing time and processing temperature. Many of the processes in which ultrasonic  oscillations have been beneficial are similar to fusion welding process where the quality of welds depends on porosity, crystallisation rate, inclusions, inter-metallic compounds, depth of penetration, heat affected zone, etc. Some preliminary tests were performed to assess the effects of ultrasonic oscillations on laser welding of mild steel sheets. This paper compares some of the effects of the ultrasonic oscillations on the properties of bead on plate laser welds.

Keywords: ultrasonic oscillations, fusion welding, heat treatment.